TGF-β Signaling Loop in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Activates Fibroblasts and Increases Tumor Cell Aggressiveness.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The interaction between cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) is a key determinant of the rapid progression, high invasiveness, and chemoresistance of aggressive desmoplastic cancers such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Tumor cells are known to reprogram fibroblasts into CAFs by secreting transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), amongst other cytokines. In turn, CAFs produce soluble factors that promote tumor-cell invasiveness and chemoresistance, including TGF-β itself, which has a major role in myofibroblastic CAFs. Such a high level of complexity has hampered progress toward a clear view of the TGFβ signaling loop between stromal fibroblasts and PDAC cells.

Methods

Here, we tackled this issue by using co-culture settings that allow p

SUBMITTER: di Miceli N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11545076 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature