scholarly journals CAFs affect the proliferation and treatment response of head and neck cancer spheroids during co-culturing in a unique in vitro model

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mustafa Magan ◽  
Emilia Wiechec ◽  
Karin Roberg

Abstract Background Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous group of tumors for which the overall survival rate worldwide is around 60%. The tumor microenvironment, including cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), is believed to affect the treatment response and migration of HNSCC. The aim of this study was to create a biologically relevant HNSCC in vitro model consisting of both tumor cells and CAFs cultured in 3D to establish predictive biomarkers for treatment response, as well as to investigate the impact of CAFs on phenotype, proliferation and treatment response in HNSCC cells. Methods Three different HNSCC patient-derived tumor cell lines were cultured with and without CAFs in a 3D model. Immunohistochemistry of the proliferation marker Ki67, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and fibronectin and a TUNEL-assay were performed to analyze the effect of CAFs on both tumor cell proliferation and response to cisplatin and cetuximab treatment in tumor spheroids (3D). mRNA expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stem cells markers were analyzed using qRT-PCR. Results The results demonstrated increased cell proliferation within the tumor spheroids in the presence of CAFs, correlating with increased expression of EGFR. In spheroids with increased expression of EGFR, a potentiated response to cetuximab treatment was observed. Surprisingly, an increase in Ki67 expressing tumor cells were observed in spheroids treated with cisplatin for 3 days, correlating with increased expression of EGFR. Furthermore, tumor cells co-cultured with CAFs presented an increased EMT phenotype compared to tumor cells cultured alone in 3D. Conclusion Taken together, our results reveal increased cell proliferation and elevated expression of EGFR in HNSCC tumor spheroids in the presence of CAFs. These results, together with the altered EMT phenotype, may influence the response to cetuximab or cisplatin treatment.

BMC Cancer ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethan P. Metz ◽  
Erin L. Wuebben ◽  
Phillip J. Wilder ◽  
Jesse L. Cox ◽  
Kaustubh Datta ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Quiescent tumor cells pose a major clinical challenge due to their ability to resist conventional chemotherapies and to drive tumor recurrence. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that promote quiescence of tumor cells could help identify therapies to eliminate these cells. Significantly, recent studies have determined that the function of SOX2 in cancer cells is highly dose dependent. Specifically, SOX2 levels in tumor cells are optimized to promote tumor growth: knocking down or elevating SOX2 inhibits proliferation. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that quiescent tumor cells express higher levels of SOX2 compared to adjacent proliferating cells. Currently, the mechanisms through which elevated levels of SOX2 restrict tumor cell proliferation have not been characterized. Methods To understand how elevated levels of SOX2 restrict the proliferation of tumor cells, we engineered diverse types of tumor cells for inducible overexpression of SOX2. Using these cells, we examined the effects of elevating SOX2 on their proliferation, both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we examined how elevating SOX2 influences their expression of cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), and p27Kip1. Results Elevating SOX2 in diverse tumor cell types led to growth inhibition in vitro. Significantly, elevating SOX2 in vivo in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, medulloblastoma, and prostate cancer cells induced a reversible state of tumor growth arrest. In all three tumor types, elevation of SOX2 in vivo quickly halted tumor growth. Remarkably, tumor growth resumed rapidly when SOX2 returned to endogenous levels. We also determined that elevation of SOX2 in six tumor cell lines decreased the levels of cyclins and CDKs that control each phase of the cell cycle, while upregulating p27Kip1. Conclusions Our findings indicate that elevating SOX2 above endogenous levels in a diverse set of tumor cell types leads to growth inhibition both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, our findings indicate that SOX2 can function as a master regulator by controlling the expression of a broad spectrum of cell cycle machinery. Importantly, our SOX2-inducible tumor studies provide a novel model system for investigating the molecular mechanisms by which elevated levels of SOX2 restrict cell proliferation and tumor growth.


Author(s):  
Yusuke Tsuruno ◽  
Kaima Okubo ◽  
Takahiro Fujiwara ◽  
Yoshihisa Yamaoka ◽  
Eiji Takahashi

1992 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Lapointe ◽  
Howard Lampe ◽  
Diponkar Banerjee

Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILS) are often difficult to expand in vitro. In some cases this has been attributable to immunosuppression mediated by the elaboration of prostaglandins by either tumor cells or tumor-infiltrating monocytes. In this laboratory, freshly prepared TILs containing single-cell suspensions of head and neck tumors displayed both poor proliferation as well as minimal responsiveness to indomethacin-mediated reversal of immunosuppression. In order to investigate tumor-mediated immunosuppression further, a system was developed whereby a new cell line of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma was used to suppress allogeneic peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation in response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and interieukin-2 (IL-2). Tumor cells were able to suppress peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMNC) proliferation up to 95%. This suppressive effect was dependent on tumor cell number and was reversible by the use of higher concentrations of PHA, but not by increased concentrations of IL-2. Suppression was immediate when IL-2 was used as the stimulus for proliferation, but required extended lymphocyte/tumor cell contact when PHA was used. Flow cytometric analysis of tumor-exposed and PHA-stimulated PBMNCs revealed a decrease in both the number of cells expressing IL-2 receptors as well as the density of IL-2 receptors per cell. This pattern of suppression, as well as the reversibility of suppression by indomethacin, implicates prostaglandins in the mechanisms by which these tumor cells mediate immunosuppression.


2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Hatanaka ◽  
Y. Nakamura ◽  
A.J.H. Maathuis ◽  
K. Venema ◽  
I. Murota ◽  
...  

Survival and germination rate of Bacillus subtilis C-3102 spores were investigated in a stomach and small intestine model (TIM-1), while the impact of C-3102 cells that had passed through TIM-1 on human colon microbiota was evaluated in a model of the large intestine (TIM-2). The survival of C-3102 spores in TIM-1 was 99%; 8% of the spores had germinated. Effluent of TIM-1 was subsequently introduced into TIM-2 and a micro-array platform was employed to assess changes in the microbiota composition. The effluent, which contained germinated C-3102 cells, increased some Bifidobacterium species and decreased some Clostridium groups. These changes were greater compared to those obtained by adding C-3102 spores directly to TIM-2. The present study suggests that oral doses of B. subtilis C-3102 spores have the potential to modulate the human colon microbiota. This effect may be caused by germination of the spores in the gastrointestinal tract.


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