Matrix stiffness modulates hepatic stellate cell activation into tumor-promoting myofibroblasts via E2F3-dependent signaling and regulates malignant progression.

ABSTRACT: The hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation by myofibroblastic differentiation is critical for liver fibrosis. Crosstalk between stromal cells and tumor cells in the microenvironment alters the properties and facilitates the growth and metastasis of tumor cells. How mechanical stimuli originally stiffness of extracellular matrix (ECM) contribute to tumor development remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrated that stiffness contributes to mechanosignal transduction in HSCs, which promotes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells growth and metastasis through secretion of FGF2. On stiffness matrix, HSCs activation was confirmed by immunofluorescence (IF) and Western blot (WB) for α-smooth muscle actin (SMA). Increasing matrix stiffness promoted HSCs activation by CD36-AKT-E2F3 mechanosign

SUBMITTER: Liu Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8648844 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature