Fluid Shear Stress Induces EMT of Circulating Tumor Cells via JNK Signaling in Favor of Their Survival during Hematogenous Dissemination.

ABSTRACT: Tumor cells metastasize to distal organs mainly through hematogenous dissemination, where they experience considerable levels of fluid shear stress. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a critical role in tumor metastasis. However, how fluid shear stress influences the EMT phenotype of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in suspension has not been fully understood. The role of shear-induced EMT in cell survival under blood shear flow remains unclear. This study shows that the majority of breast CTCs underwent apoptosis under shear flow and the surviving cells exhibited mesenchymal phenotype, suggesting that fluid shear stress induces EMT. Mechanistically, fluid shear stress-activated Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling, inhibition/activation of which suppressed/promoted the EMT pheno

SUBMITTER: Xin Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7663710 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature