scholarly journals Exosomal miRNAs and lncRNAs: The Modulator Keys of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in the Genesis and Progression of Malignant Neoplasms

Author(s):  
Julio César Villegas-Pineda ◽  
Mélida del Rosario Lizarazo-Taborda ◽  
Adrián Ramírez-de-Arellano ◽  
Ana Laura Pereira-Suárez

The tumor microenvironment is made up of a universe of molecular and cellular components that promote or inhibit the development of neoplasms. Among the molecular elements are cytokines, metalloproteinases, proteins, mitochondrial DNA, and nucleic acids, within which the ncRNAs: miRNAs and lncRNAs stand out due to their direct modulating effects on the genesis and progression of various cancers. Regarding cellular elements, the solid tumor microenvironment is made up of tumor cells, healthy adjacent epithelial cells, immune system cells, endothelial cells, and stromal cells, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts, which are capable of generating a modulating communication network with the other components of the tumor microenvironment through, among other mechanisms, the secretion of exosomal vesicles loaded with miRNAs and lncRNAs. These ncRNAs are key pieces in developing neoplasms since they have diverse effects on cancer cells and healthy cells, favoring or negatively regulating protumoral cellular events, such as migration, invasion, proliferation, metastasis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and resistance to treatment. Due to the growing number of relevant evidence in recent years, this work focused on reviewing, analyzing, highlighting, and showing the current state of research on exosomal ncRNAs derived from cancer-associated fibroblasts and their effects on different neoplasms. A future perspective on using these ncRNAs as real therapeutic tools in the treatment of cancer patients is also proposed.

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 558
Author(s):  
Jin Kyung Seok ◽  
Eun-Hee Hong ◽  
Gabsik Yang ◽  
Hye Eun Lee ◽  
Sin-Eun Kim ◽  
...  

Oxidized phospholipids are well known to play physiological and pathological roles in regulating cellular homeostasis and disease progression. However, their role in cancer metastasis has not been entirely understood. In this study, effects of oxidized phosphatidylcholines such as 1-palmitoyl-2-(5-oxovaleroyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POVPC) on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and autophagy were determined in cancer cells by immunoblotting and confocal analysis. Metastasis was analyzed by a scratch wound assay and a transwell migration/invasion assay. The concentrations of POVPC and 1-palmitoyl-2-glutaroyl-sn-glycero-phosphocholine (PGPC) in tumor tissues obtained from patients were measured by LC-MS/MS analysis. POVPC induced EMT, resulting in increase of migration and invasion of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2) and human breast cancer cells (MCF7). POVPC induced autophagic flux through AMPK-mTOR pathway. Pharmacological inhibition or siRNA knockdown of autophagy decreased migration and invasion of POVPC-treated HepG2 and MCF7 cells. POVPC and PGPC levels were greatly increased at stage II of patient-derived intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma tissues. PGPC levels were higher in malignant breast tumor tissues than in adjacent nontumor tissues. The results show that oxidized phosphatidylcholines increase metastatic potential of cancer cells by promoting EMT, mediated through autophagy. These suggest the positive regulatory role of oxidized phospholipids accumulated in tumor microenvironment in the regulation of tumorigenesis and metastasis.


2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 336-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nesrine Essid ◽  
Jean Claude Chambard ◽  
Amel Benammar Elgaaïed

Tumor microenvironment provides a specialized niche in which a population of stem-like cells is enriched and contributes to cancer progression. Moreover, cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotype has been associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Here we investigated the effect of tumor microenvironment on the phenotypic characteristics of head and neck cancer cells and expression of CSC markers using a three-dimensional (3D), spheroid, culture system of CAL33 cell line from human tongue squamous cell carcinoma. CAL33 cells derived from 2D monolayer cultures were grown in spheroid cultures containing serum-free medium (epidermal growth factor [EGF], fibroblast growth factor [FGF], and insulin). Adherent CAL33 cells from spheroids or standard control cultures were grown in the presence/absence of serum in combination with hypoxia/normoxia. Markers of EMT, CSC, and hypoxia were analyzed either by Western blotting, immunofluorescence, or reverse transcription quantitative PCR. Spheroid cultures showed hypoxic microenvironment (high carbonic anhydrase IX [CAIX] expression), mesenchymal-like characteristics (reduced E-cadherin and increased vimentin and N-cadherin expression, presence of larger colonies comprised of larger, spread cells with lower density), and increased expression of the CSC marker glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (Gli1). These effects were recapitulated in serum-free adherent CAL33 cells maintained for prolonged periods in hypoxia (1% O2) but, in contrast, were completely abolished by the presence of serum. Overall, we found that a combination of hypoxia, EGF and FGF was essential to induce the EMT in adherent CAL33 cell cultures. The addition of serum rapidly reverts the EMT of cells, affects CSC phenotype and, thus, prevents the detection of such cells in tumor cell lines.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 030006052093124
Author(s):  
Xuefeng Xuefeng ◽  
Ming-Xing Hou ◽  
Zhi-Wen Yang ◽  
Agudamu Agudamu ◽  
Feng Wang ◽  
...  

Objective The role and mechanism of tetrathiomolybdate (TM) in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in colon cancer using three-dimensional (3D) culture were investigated, and the associations between the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) pathway and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in CAFs were explored. Methods A 3D co-culture model of colon cancer LOVO cells with CAFs and normal fibroblasts (NFs) was established using Matrigel as a scaffold material. The differential expression of LOXL2 (lysyl oxidase-like 2) in the supernatant of CAFs and NFs was determined using ELISA, and expression levels of EMT-related proteins and FAK signaling pathway-related proteins were determined using western blot. Results LOXL2 levels secreted by CAFs were higher compared with that secreted by NFs. In the CAF + LOVO group, compared with the LOVO group, E-cadherin expression decreased significantly, while N-cadherin and F-PAK expression increased significantly. TM results were opposite compared with the above results. Conclusions CAFs stimulate EMT in human colon cancer LOVO cells by secreting LOXL2 to activate the FAK signaling pathway, thereby promoting tumor metastasis. TM inhibited the occurrence of EMT in the CAF-induced colon cancer LOVO cell line, thereby reducing the invasion and metastasis of colon cancer cells.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Pretzsch ◽  
F. Bösch ◽  
J. Neumann ◽  
P. Ganschow ◽  
A. Bazhin ◽  
...  

Metastasis is the major cause of death in patients with colorectal carcinoma (CRC). The most common sites of metastasis are the liver and the peritoneum. Peritoneal carcinomatosis is often considered the end stage of the disease after the tumor has spread to the liver. However, almost half of CRC patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis do not present with liver metastasis. This brings up the question of whether peritoneal spread can still be considered as the end stage of a metastasized CRC or whether it should just be interpreted as a site of metastasis alternative to the liver. This review tries to discuss this question and summarize the current status of literature on potential characteristics in tumor biology in the primary tumor, i.e., factors (transcription factors and direct and indirect E-cadherin repressors) and pathways (WNT, TGF-β, and RAS) modulating EMT, regulation of EMT on a posttranscriptional and posttranslational level (miRNAs), and angiogenesis. In addition to tumor-specific characteristics, factors in the tumor microenvironment, immunological markers, ways of transport of tumor cells, and adhesion molecules appear to differ between hematogenous and peritoneal spread. Factors such as integrins and exosomal integrins, cancer stem cell phenotype, and miRNA expression appear to contribute in determining the metastatic route. We went through each step of the metastasis process comparing hematogenous to peritoneal spread. We identified differences with respect to organotropism, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis and inflammation, and tumor microenvironment which will be further elucidated in this review. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms and contributing factors of metastasis development in CRC has huge relevance as it is the foundation to help find specific targets for treatment of CRC.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun Huang ◽  
Wangsheng Chen ◽  
Xiaowen Wang ◽  
Jinqiu Zhao ◽  
Qian Li ◽  
...  

Esophageal carcinoma is a major public health problem worldwide and one of the most aggressively malignant neoplasms. Although considerable diagnostic and therapeutic progress has been made in recent years, the prognosis of EC patients still remains dismal due to high rates of recurrence/metastasis and invasion. Previous studies have demonstrated that Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) is proposed as a critical mechanism for the acquisition of malignant phenotypes by epithelial cells. Several lines of evidence have shown that Cripto-1 plays an important oncogenic role during tumorigenesis by promoting EMT. The aim of our study was to evaluate the significance of Cripto-1 which plays a role in EMT and its metastasis in esophageal carcinoma. Data of this study suggest that Cripto-1 overexpression is connected with the tumorigenesis and progression of esophageal carcinoma; shRNA might be feasible for the inhibition of the invasion and metastasis of esophageal carcinoma.


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