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Single-cell RNAseq of from murine pancreas tumor (KPC) and chronic pancreatitis (KC)

ABSTRACT: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is characterized by a desmoplastic extracellular matrix (ECM) that is produced and remodeled by myofibroblastic cancer-associated fibroblasts (myCAFs), thus promoting tumor progression and resistance to therapy. Thus, identification of the regulatory pathways that drive desmoplasia is a pressing clinical need. Transcriptional profiling of tumor resident fibroblasts across PDA progression identified a CAF subset, termed WNT-sensing myCAFs, in both mouse and human PDA. These surround WNT7A/B+ cancer cells and express genes associated with ECM deposition and remodeling. Pharmacological inhibition of ligand-dependent WNT signaling or genetic ablation of Wnt7b in PDA cells depleted the number of WNT-sensing CAFs subpopulation and reduced collagen deposition in vivo, while ectopic Wnt7b expression enhanced desmoplasia. WNT7B overexpression also led to increased metastasis, resulting in a metastatic niche presenting similar WNT-sensing myCAF architecture. Our findings establish WNT7 as a critical regulator of myCAF function and offer a targetable axis to reduce tumor desmoplasia.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE294749 | GEO | 2026/01/09

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a hepatobiliary malignancy with dismal prognosis. Currently available models fail to recapitulate the full complexity of CCA, particularly the desmoplastic environment and the interplay between cancer cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). We aimed to study the role of epithelial tumor cells in ECM deposition and desmoplasia by designing a model encompassing primary epithelial CCA organoids (CCAOs) and native liver and tumor scaffolds obtained by decellularization Background & Aims: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a hepatobiliary malignancy with dismal prognosis. Currently available models fail to recapitulate the full complexity of CCA, particularly the desmoplastic environment and the interplay between cancer cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). We aimed to study the role of epithelial tumor cells in ECM deposition and desmoplasia by designing a model encompassing primary epithelial CCA organoids (CCAOs) and native liver and tumor scaffolds obtained by decellularization. Results: Decellularization resulted in effective removal of cells while preserving ECM structure and retaining important characteristics of the tissue origin. When culturing CCAOs in CCA-M, compared to TFL-M and BME, the genome-wide gene expression profile much more resembled the transcriptome of primary CCA tumor tissue in vivo, with an accompanying increase in chemoresistance. CCAOs in decellularized matrix, both CCA-M and TFL-M, exhibited the formation of complex morphological structures, and revealed environment-dependent proliferation and migration dynamics, driven by the occurrence of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). CCA-M induced specific extracellular matrix protein production in CCAOs, such as fibronectin 1 (FN1), which is related to desmoplasia and patient survival. In TFL-M, lacking the desmoplastic environment, CCAOs were able to initiate a desmoplastic reaction directly through increased production of multiple collagen types. Conclusions: This improved model of cholangiocarcinoma, combining organoids and native extracellular matrix, recapitulates key components of CCA tumor biology, including transcriptome profiles, migration patterns, EMT, and ECM protein production. The increased production of extracellular matrix proteins suggests that epithelial tumor cells can contribute to their own desmoplastic environment.

Project description:ABSTRACT Background: Human breast cancer most frequently originates within a well-defined anatomical structure referred to as the terminal duct lobular unit (TDLU). This structure is endowed with its very own lobular fibroblasts representing one out of two steady-state fibroblast subtypes – the other being interlobular fibroblasts. While cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are increasingly appreciated as covering a spectrum of perturbed states, we lack a coherent understanding of their relationship – if any - with the steady-state fibroblast subtypes. To address this, we here established two autologous CAF lines representing inflammatory CAFs (iCAFs) and myofibroblast CAFs (myCAFs), and compared them with already established interlobular- and lobular fibroblasts with respect to their origin and impact on tumor formation. Methods: Primary breast tumor derived CAFs were transduced to express human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and sorted into CD105low and CD105high populations using fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). The two populations were tested for differentiation similarities to iCAF and myCAF states through transcriptome-wide RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) including comparison to an available iCAF-myCAF cell state atlas. Inference of origin in interlobular and lobular fibroblasts relied on RNA-seq profiles, immunocytochemistry and growth characteristics. Osteogenic differentiation and bone formation assays in culture and in vivo were employed to gauge for origin in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (bMSCs). Functional characteristics were assessed with respect to contractility in culture and interaction with tumor cells in mouse xenografts. The cells’ gene expression signatures were tested for association with clinical outcome of breast cancer patients using survival data in The Cancer Genome Atlas database (TCGA). Results: We demonstrate that iCAFs have properties in common with interlobular fibroblasts while myCAFs and lobular fibroblasts are related. None of the CAFs qualify as bMSCs as revealed by lack of critical performance in bone formation assays. Functionally, myCAFs and lobular fibroblasts are almost equally tumor promoting as opposed to iCAFs and interlobular fibroblasts. A myCAF gene signature is found to associate with poor breast cancer specific survival. Conclusions: We propose that iCAFs and myCAFs originate in interlobular and lobular fibroblasts, respectively, and more importantly, that the tumor promoting properties of lobular fibroblasts renders the TDLU an epicenter for breast cancer evolution.

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Single-cell RNAseq of from murine pancreas tumor (KPC) and chronic pancreatitis (KC)

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