Activation of the HGF/c-Met axis in the tumor microenvironment: A multispecies model.

ABSTRACT: The tumor microenvironment is an integral component in promoting tumor development. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which reside in the tumor stroma, produce Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF), an important trigger for invasive and metastatic tumor behavior. HGF contributes to a pro-tumorigenic environment by activating its cognate receptor, c-Met, on tumor cells. Tumor cells, in turn, secrete growth factors that upregulate HGF production in CAFs, thereby establishing a dynamic tumor-host signaling program. Using a spatiotemporal multispecies model of tumor growth, we investigate how the development and spread of a tumor is impacted by the initiation of a dynamic interaction between tumor-derived growth factors and CAF-derived HGF. We show that establishment of such an interaction result

SUBMITTER: Konstorum A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5799021 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature