A stroma-corrected ZEB1 transcriptional signature is inversely associated with antitumor immune activity in breast cancer.

ABSTRACT: The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an essential developmental process which can be hijacked by cancer cells, leading to enhanced metastasis and chemoresistance in experimental models. Recent studies have linked gene expression of EMT-associated gene signatures to increased inflammatory immune response in multiple cancer types. However, these studies did not account for the potential confounding effects of gene expression by tumor-infiltrating mesenchymal stromal cells. In this study, we comprehensively dissect the associations between multiple EMT transcription factors and EMT markers with stromal and immune tumor infiltration. We find that EMT-related genes are highly correlated with intratumoral stromal cell abundance and identify a specific relationship between stroma-cor

SUBMITTER: Block CJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6882801 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature