After more than a decade of controversy around the role of stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment, the emerging data shed light on pro-tumorigenic and potential anti-cancer factors, as well as around the roots of the discrepancies

After more than a decade of controversy around the role of stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment, the emerging data shed light on pro-tumorigenic and potential anti-cancer factors, as well as around the roots of the discrepancies. broad spectrum of human malignancies, especially tumorigenesis, has been documented extensively29,30. For instance, gastric malignancy cell-derived exosomes (extracellular vesicles) impact the immunomodulatory functions of MSCs by activating the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-B) signaling pathway, which in turn mediates support to tumor growth by maintaining the inflammatory environment and enhancing the ability of MSCs to activate immune cells31. AML blasts induce a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) in BM stromal cells through a p16INK4a-dependent mechanism, which encompasses the irreversible arrest of cell proliferation and the secretion of a set of Rabbit Polyclonal to OR10J5 chemokines, proinflammatory cytokines, and growth factors32. Similarly, some authors reported the alteration of cellular and immune-related properties of BM-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) and macrophages through the release of exosomes from K562 chronic myeloid leukemia cell collection; exosome concentration in BM-MSCs correlated with the enhanced expression of Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1), wnt5a, CXCL12, IL-6, TGF-, and TNF-33. Furthermore, senescent breast luminal cells promoted carcinogenesis by activating CAFs through the inflammatory cytokine IL-834. BM stromal cells from patients with myelodysplastic Avadomide (CC-122) syndrome display a senescence phenotype induced by S100A9-induced Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), NLR family pyrin domain made up of 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation, and Avadomide (CC-122) IL-1 secretion35. TLR4 signaling was also reported to drive MSC commitment to promote tumor microenvironment transformation in MM36. Cancer-associated metabolic changes Various authors have reported the involvement of microenvironmental stromal cells in cancer-associated metabolic changes supporting tumorigenic processes. Adaptive metabolic plasticity, i.e., tumor-initiating cell ability to switch between oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis, depending on reactive oxygen species, hypoxia, and glucose availability in the tumor microenvironment, confers a survival advantage to malignant cells in breast cancer, thus representing a potential target for anti-cancer therapy37. Notably, the overexpression of O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT), an enzyme involved in tumor-initiating cell-mediated rewiring of energy metabolism, increases CSC populations and mammosphere formation and hybridization to assess the role of stromal CAFs in the modulation of heterogeneity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) models48. The authors recognized significant single-cell populace shifts toward proliferative phenotypes and invasive EMT linked to MAPK and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling, which contributed to intratumoral heterogeneity in tumor glands and to differences in stromal large quantity and Avadomide (CC-122) clinical outcome. Furthermore, Avadomide (CC-122) a study addressing the ability of mesenchymal HT1080 fibrosarcoma cell collection to switch to amoeboid motility (migration plasticity) revealed that pharmacological Avadomide (CC-122) or RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated downregulation of the Arp2/3 complex or decrease of adhesiveness to its substrate induced the transition from a lamellipodium-rich to a blebbing phenotype in fibrosarcoma cells, but not in normal subcutaneous fibroblasts49. Interestingly, still in this study, a significant portion of fibrosarcoma cells expressing the blebbing phenotype exhibited stem cell-like features, such as increased efflux of Hoechst-33342 and CD133, Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog expression, and exhibited an increased ability to switch to a bleb-rich amoeboid phenotype in three-dimensional (3D) collagen gels49. Stromal cells therapeutic potential in malignancy Damage repair after chemotherapy Numerous reports support the therapeutic potential of MSCs in malignancy, also for fixing damaged tissues after chemotherapy50,51. For instance, human adipose-derived MSCs displayed fixing properties in damaged thymus following chemotherapy in mouse models of blood cancer52. Mice showed improvements in the thymic structure and functions, as shown by the proportion of circulating and splenic regulatory T (Treg) cells and the recovery of T-cell subpopulations. MSCs slowing tumor progression In a study involving both human colorectal malignancy cells and immunocompetent rat models of colorectal carcinogenesis, the treatment with BM-derived MSCs interfered with colon cancer progression. The.