Mesenchymal-epithelial transition reduces proliferation but increases immune evasion in tumor spheroids.

ABSTRACT: The mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) whether full or partial, has been implicated in secondary tumor growth during metastasis. Here, we explore whether MET enhances tumor outgrowth by boosting proliferation, using MET-inducible mesenchymal cancer cell lines. Surprisingly, we found that crowding inhibition of proliferation persists both before and after MET, however, escaping crowding conferred a proliferative advantage to mesenchymal cells. In three-dimensional culture, MET caused a reduction in proliferation, accompanied by changes in proliferative signaling of focal adhesions and actomyosin. Furthermore, co-culture experiments with peripheral blood mononuclear cells revealed that MET-induced spheroids demonstrate an increased evasion to immune cell attack. This effect is likely me

SUBMITTER: Dimari G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12329601 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature