Search results for " MIC"

The tumour microenvironment as an integrated framework to understand cancer biology

2019

Cancer cells all share the feature of being immersed in a complex environment with altered cell-cell/cell-extracellular element communication, physicochemical information, and tissue functions. The so-called tumour microenvironment (TME) is becoming recognised as a key factor in the genesis, progression and treatment of cancer lesions. Beyond genetic mutations, the existence of a malignant microenvironment forms the basis for a new perspective in cancer biology where connections at the system level are fundamental. From this standpoint, different aspects of tumour lesions such as morphology, aggressiveness, prognosis and treatment response can be considered under an integrated vision, givin…

Cancer-associated fibroblasts as abettors of tumor progression at the crossroads of EMT and therapy resistance

2019

Abstract In the last decades, the role of the microenvironment in tumor progression and therapeutic outcome has gained increasing attention. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have emerged as key players among stromal cells, owing to their abundance in most solid tumors and their diverse tumor-restraining/promoting roles. The interplay between tumor cells and neighboring CAFs takes place by both paracrine signals (cytokines, exosomes and metabolites) or by the multifaceted functions of the surrounding extracellular matrix. Here, we dissect the most recent identified mechanisms underlying CAF-mediated control of tumor progression and therapy resistance, which include induction of the epith…

Persistent immune stimulation exacerbates genetically driven myeloproliferative disorders via stromal remodeling

2017

Abstract Systemic immune stimulation has been associated with increased risk of myeloid malignancies, but the pathogenic link is unknown. We demonstrate in animal models that experimental systemic immune activation alters the bone marrow stromal microenvironment, disarranging extracellular matrix (ECM) microarchitecture, with downregulation of secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) and collagen-I and induction of complement activation. These changes were accompanied by a decrease in Treg frequency and by an increase in activated effector T cells. Under these conditions, hematopoietic precursors harboring nucleophosmin-1 (NPM1) mutation generated myeloid cells unfit for normal …

Differential distribution and enrichment of non-coding RNAs in exosomes from normal and Cancer-associated fibroblasts in colorectal cancer.

2018

Exosome production from cancer-associated fibroblasts seems to be an important driver of tumor progression. We report the first in-depth biotype characterization of ncRNAs, analyzed by Next Generation Sequencing and Bioinformatics, expressed in established primary human normal and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) from cancer and normal mucosa tissues from 9 colorectal cancer patients, and/or packaged in their derived exosomes. Differential representation and enrichment analyses based on these ncRNAs revealed a significant number of differences between the ncRNA content of exosomes and the expression patterns of the normal and cancer-associated fibroblast cells. ncRNA regulatory elements…

HGF/MET Axis Induces Tumor Secretion of Tenascin-C and Promotes Stromal Rewiring in Pancreatic Cancer

2021

Simple Summary It has been previously shown that activation of the MET receptor by its ligand, the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), modulates the tumor-stroma cross-talk in models of pancreatic cancer. We now wish to cast light on the molecular mechanisms by which this ligand/receptor pair sustains the interaction between cancer cells and the tumor microenviroment. To this end, we compared data obtained by large-scale analysis of gene expression in pancreatic cancer cells grown in the presence of HGF versus cells grown in the presence of HGF and treated with specific inhibitors of HGF/MET signaling. By clustering differentially expressed genes according to functional groups, we identified ca…

Integrative Metabolomic and Transcriptomic Analysis for the Study of Bladder Cancer

2019

Metabolism reprogramming is considered a hallmark of cancer. The study of bladder cancer (BC) metabolism could be the key to developing new strategies for diagnosis and therapy. This work aimed to identify tissue and urinary metabolic signatures as biomarkers of BC and get further insight into BC tumor biology through the study of gene-metabolite networks and the integration of metabolomics and transcriptomics data. BC and control tissue samples (n = 44) from the same patients were analyzed by High-Resolution Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and microarrays techniques. Besides, urinary profiling study (n = 35) was performed in the same patients to identify a metabolomic profi…

Targeting COPZ1 non-oncogene addiction counteracts the viability of thyroid tumor cells

2017

Abstract Thyroid carcinoma is generally associated with good prognosis, but no effective treatments are currently available for aggressive forms not cured by standard therapy. To find novel therapeutic targets for this tumor type, we had previously performed a siRNA-based functional screening to identify genes essential for sustaining the oncogenic phenotype of thyroid tumor cells, but not required to the same extent for the viability of normal cells (non-oncogene addiction paradigm). Among those, we found the coatomer protein complex ζ1 (COPZ1) gene, which is involved in intracellular traffic, autophagy and lipid homeostasis. In this paper, we investigated the mechanisms through which COPZ…

Interleukin-6 increases expression of serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 1 through STAT3 in colorectal adenocarcinoma

2015

Inflammation promotes colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are still being uncovered. Proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) stimulates survival signaling in CRC; inflammatory signals also regulate production and activity of proteases and their inhibitors. Over-expression of serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1) predicts an unfavorable outcome in colon cancer. The SPINK1 gene contains an IL-6 responsive element, suggesting it could act as an acute phase reactant. We assessed the connection between IL-6 and SPINK1, and the function and mechanism of this signaling. Our results show that Colo205 and HT-29 cells express and secrete SPIN…

2019

Colorectal cancer (CRC) and cachexia are associated with the gut microbiota and microbial surface molecules. We characterized the CRC-associated microbiota and investigated whether cachexia affects the microbiota composition. Further, we examined the possible relationship between the microbial surface molecule flagellin and CRC. CRC cells (C26) were inoculated into mice. Activin receptor (ACVR) ligands were blocked, either before tumor formation or before and after, to increase muscle mass and prevent muscle loss. The effects of flagellin on C26-cells were studied in vitro. The occurrence of similar phenomena were studied in murine and human tumors. Cancer modulated the gut microbiota witho…

Potential Molecular Players of the Tumor Microenvironment in Extracranial Pediatric Solid Tumors

2020

Pediatric cancers are rare malignancies worldwide and represent around 1% of all new cancer diagnoses [...]