Dissecting the Prognostic Significance and Functional Role of Progranulin in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

ABSTRACT: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is known for its strong dependency on the tumor microenvironment. We found progranulin (GRN), a protein that has been linked to inflammation and cancer, to be upregulated in the serum of CLL patients compared to healthy controls, and increased GRN levels to be associated with an increased hazard for disease progression and death. This raised the question of whether GRN is a functional driver of CLL. We observed that recombinant GRN did not directly affect viability, activation, or proliferation of primary CLL cells in vitro. However, GRN secretion was induced in co-cultures of CLL cells with stromal cells that enhanced CLL cell survival. Gene expression profiling and protein analyses revealed that primary mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in co-culture wit

SUBMITTER: Schulze-Edinghausen L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6627891 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature