Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) Promote Pro-Metastatic Phenotype in Human Breast Cancer Cells through Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition.

ABSTRACT: Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have been associated with several steps of tumor progression, including primary growth and metastasis. One of the key features for the acquisition of the metastatic ability is the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a complex cellular program. In this study, we evaluated the ability of isolated NETs in modulating the pro-metastatic phenotype of human breast cancer cells. Tumor cells were treated with isolated NETs and then samples were generated for cell migration, quantitative RT-PCR, western blotting, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry assays. RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were assessed. NETs changed the typical epithelial morphology of MCF7 cells into a mesenchymal phenotype, a process that was accompanied by enh

SUBMITTER: Martins-Cardoso K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7352979 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature