Macrophages induce "budding" in aggressive human colon cancer subtypes by protease-mediated disruption of tight junctions.

ABSTRACT: Primary human colorectal tumors with a high stromal content have an increased capacity to metastasize. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) promote metastasis, but the contribution of other stromal cell types is unclear. Here we searched for additional stromal cell types that contribute to aggressive tumor cell behavior. By making use of the 'immunome compendium'-a collection of gene signatures reflecting the presence of specific immune cell-types-we show that macrophage signatures are most strongly associated with a high CAF content and with poor prognosis in multiple large cohorts of primary tumors and liver metastases. Co-culturing macrophages with patient-derived colonospheres promoted 'budding' of small clusters of tumor cells from the bulk. Immunohistochemistry showed that budding tu

SUBMITTER: Trumpi K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5929404 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature