Project description:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignancy that is challenging to treat. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are reported to promote the malignant behavior of HCC cells via cytokines. Conophylline (CnP) has been reported to suppress activated hepatic stellate cells in liver fibrosis. We aimed to determine whether CnP is useful in suppressing tumor growth in HCC. We investigated whether CnP could suppress the HCC-promoting effect of CAFs derived from HCC tissues in vitro and in vivo. CAFs promoted the proliferation and invasion of HCC cells. CnP suppressed activated CAFs expressing α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) and inhibited the HCC-promoting effects of CAFs. CnP significantly reduced the levels of cancer-promoting cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6 (IL-6), IL-8, C-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 2 (CCL2), angiogenin, and osteopontin, which are secreted by CAFs. An in vivo study demonstrated that combined therapy with CnP and sorafenib against CAFs and HCC cells showed the strongest inhibition of tumor growth compared with the control and single treatment groups. Transcriptome analysis revealed that GPR68 in CAFs was strongly suppressed by CnP. The cancer-promoting effects of cytokines were eliminated by knockdown of GPR68 in CAFs. CnP inhibited the HCC-promoting effect of CAFs by suppression a number of HCC-promoting cytokines, which are secreted from CAFs expressing GPR68. Combination therapy with CnP and existing anti-cancer agents may be a promising therapeutic strategy in overcoming refractory HCC with activated CAFs.
Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a characteristically dense stroma comprised predominantly of cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs). CAFs promote tumor growth, metastasis and treatment resistance. We aimed to investigate the molecular changes and functional consequences associated with chemotherapy treatment of PDAC CAFs. Chemoresistant immortalized CAFs (R-CAFs) were generated by continuous incubation in 100nM gemcitabine. Gene expression differences between treatment naïve CAFs (N-CAFs) and R-CAFs were compared by array analysis. Immortalized human pancreatic CAFs were grown for 30 days in either control media or media containing 100nM gemcitabine. RNA was then isolated and hybidized on U133 Plus 2.0 Affymetrix arrays.
Project description:Determine the effect and specificity of HDAC2 siRNA compared to SAHA inhibition of HDAC2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) Profile of treated cells compared to control Transcriptomic profiling
Project description:Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs) were isolated from specimens taken from primary human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) nodules (4 patients in total), characterized for expression of typical stromal markers (including vimentin and alpha smooth muscle actin), and then incubated in complete medium (Iscove's Modified Dulbecco Medium, IMDM + 20% fetal bovine serum + antibiotic/antimycotic) without any treatment, or in the presence of Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1 (TGF beta 1) at a concentration of 5 ng/ml. The medium and the treatment were renewed every 2 days until the 14th day. At that time point, cells were washed 4 times with serum-free IMDM medium and then incubated with serum free IMDM medium for 48 hours to allow for enrichment with secreted CAFs proteins. The CAFs conditioned medium was then collected, concentrated using a centricon device (10 kDa cutoff), assayed for protein concentration, and finally subjected to Liquid Chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).
Project description:Despite accumulating cases of radiotherapy-induced abscopal effect in the lung cancer with the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), the occurrence of this effect remains infrequent and unpredictable to be a therapeutic goal. Here, we showed that the combination of radiotherapy (8Gy*3F) and ICI alleviated the tumor burden at the irradiated site whereas no discernible benefit was observed in the abscopal tumors. RNA-sequencing data showed that extracellular structure organization pathways were enriched in the abscopal tumors after combined therapy, with Sfrp2 being identified as a central hub. SFRP2 expression was observed in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and was elevated in abscopal tumors after combined therapy. Blockade of SFRP2 followed by combined radiotherapy and ICI reinvigorated infiltration and cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells, and elicited regression of abscopal tumors, which was abrogated by CD8α depletion. Mechanistically, in vitro experiments demonstrated that SFRP2+ CAFs induced apoptosis of CD8+ T cells. The spatial transcriptome analysis showed that SFRP2+ CAFs were located in proximity to the vessels and surrounded by abundant macrophages and limited CD8Tex, thereby creating an immunosuppressive perivascular niche, which was validated in paraffin sections of human lung cancer. Lineage-tracing assays showed SFRP2+ CAFs were derived from pericytes. IGF-1 released by irradiated tumors facilitated the transition of pericytes into fibroblasts and stimulated the expression of SFRP2. In summary, SFRP2+ CAFs hijack the abscopal effect from combined radiotherapy and immunotherapy via inducing apoptosis of CD8+ T cells and orchestrating a hostile perivascular niche in the lung cancer. Targeting SFRP2+ CAF may recondition the TME and promote the abscopal effect.
Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal malignancy that resists current treatments. To test epigenetic therapy against this cancer we used the DNA demethylating drug 5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine (DAC) in a KrasLSL-G12D; p53LSL-R270H/+; Pdx1-cre; Brca1flex2/flex2 (KPC-Brca1) mouse model of aggressive stroma-rich PDAC. In untreated tumors, we found globally decreased 5-methyl-cytosine (5mC) in malignant epithelial cells and in cancer-associated myofibroblasts (CAFs), and increased amounts of 5-hydroxymethyl-cytosine (5HmC) in CAFs, in progression from pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) to PDAC. DAC further reduced DNA methylation and slowed PDAC progression, markedly extending survival in an early treatment protocol and significantly though transiently inhibiting tumor growth when initiated later, without adverse side effects. Escaping tumors contained areas of sarcomatoid transformation with disappearance of CAFs. Mixing-allografting experiments and proliferation indices showed that DAC efficacy was due to inhibition of both the malignant epithelial cells and the stromal CAFs. Expression profiling and immunohistochemistry highlighted DAC-induction of STAT1 in the tumors, and DAC plus gamma-interferon produced an additive anti-proliferative effect on PDAC cells. DAC induced strong expression of the testis antigen DAZL in CAFs. These data show that DAC is effective against PDAC in vivo and provide a rationale for future studies combining hypomethylating agents with cytokines and immunotherapy. Treatment of a short-term explant culture of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) from a KPC-Brca1 mouse pancreatic carcinoma, with 2 micromolar 5-aza-dC (decitabine; DAC) for 48 hours. The experiment includes 3 replicate plates untreated and 3 replicates treated.
Project description:Background: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the backbone of therapy for advanced prostate cancer (PCa). Despite the good initial response, castration resistance and metastatic progression will inevitably occur. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) may be implicated in promoting metastasis of PCa after ADT. Our aim is to investigate the role and mechanism of CAF-derived exosomes involving in metastasis of PCa after ADT. Methods: PCa cells were co-cultured with exosomes derived from DHT-treated or ETOH-treated CAFs, and their migration and invasion differences under castration condition were examined both in vitro and in vivo. The miRNA profiles of exosomes derived from DHT-treated CAFs and matched ETOH-treated CAFs were analysed via next generation sequencing. The transfer of exosomal miR-146a-5p from CAFs to PCa cells was identified by fluorescent microscopy. The function and direct target gene of exosomal miR-146a-5p in PCa cells were confirmed through Transwell assays, luciferase reporter, and western blot. Findings: Compared with DHT-treated CAFs, exosomes derived from ETOH-treated CAFs dramatically increase migration and invasion of PCa cells under castration condition. MiR-146a-5p level in exosomes from ETOH-treated CAFs was significantly reduced. The loss of miR-146a-5p may strengthen the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) to accelerate cancer cells metastasis by modulating epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/ERK pathway. Interpretation: CAFs-derived exosomal miR-146a-5p confers metastasis in PCa cells under ADT through the EGFR/ERK pathway and it may present a new treatment for PCa.