Mesenchymal stem cells regulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition and tumor progression of pancreatic cancer cells.

ABSTRACT: Cancer-associated fibroblasts contribute to cancer progression that is caused by epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Recently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were found to be the major candidate involved in the development of tumor-promoting cancer stroma. Here we report that α-smooth muscle actin-positive myofibroblast-like cells originating from MSCs contribute to inducing EMT in side population cells of pancreatic cancer. More importantly, MSC-derived myofibroblasts function to maintain tumor-initiating stem cell-like characteristics, including augmenting expression levels of various stemness-associated genes, enhancing sphere- forming activity, promoting tumor formation in a mouse xenograft model, and showing resistance to anticancer drugs. Furthermore, both γ-secretase inhibitor a

SUBMITTER: Kabashima-Niibe A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7657182 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature