Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis of Tumor-Derived Fibroblasts and Normal Tissue-Resident Fibroblasts Reveals Fibroblast Heterogeneity in Breast Cancer.

ABSTRACT: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a prominent stromal cell type in solid tumors and molecules secreted by CAFs play an important role in tumor progression and metastasis. CAFs coexist as heterogeneous populations with potentially different biological functions. Although CAFs are a major component of the breast cancer stroma, molecular and phenotypic heterogeneity of CAFs in breast cancer is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated CAF heterogeneity in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) using a syngeneic mouse model, BALB/c-derived 4T1 mammary tumors. Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), we identified six CAF subpopulations in 4T1 tumors including: 1) myofibroblastic CAFs, enriched for α-smooth muscle actin and several other contractile proteins; 2) 'inflammatory'

SUBMITTER: Sebastian A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7281266 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature