Hepatitis C virus-induced tumor-initiating cancer stem-like cells activate stromal fibroblasts in a xenograft tumor model.

ABSTRACT: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) often causes persistent infection and is an increasingly important factor in the etiology of fibrosis/cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, although the mechanisms for the disease processes remain unclear. We have shown previously that HCV infection generates an epithelial-mesenchymal transition state and tumor-initiating cancer stem-like cells in human hepatocytes. In this study, we investigated whether HCV-induced tumor-initiating cancer stem-like cells when implanted into mice activate stromal fibroblasts. A number of fibroblast activation markers, including matrix metalloproteinase 2, were significantly increased at the mRNA or protein level in the xenograft tumors, suggesting the presence of tumor-associated fibroblasts. Fibroblast activation markers of murin

SUBMITTER: Sasaki R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5696059 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature