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Reprogramming metastatic melanoma cells to assume a neural crest cell-like phenotype in an embryonic microenvironment.

ABSTRACT: Human metastatic melanoma cells express a dedifferentiated, plastic phenotype, which may serve as a selective advantage, because melanoma cells invade various microenvironments. Over the last three decades, there has been an increased focus on the role of the tumor microenvironment in cancer progression, with the goal of reversing the metastatic phenotype. Here, using an embryonic chick model, we explore the possibility of reverting the metastatic melanoma phenotype to its cell type of origin, the neural-crest-derived melanocyte. GFP-labeled adult human metastatic melanoma cells were transplanted in ovo adjacent to host chick premigratory neural crest cells and analyzed 48 and 96 h after egg reincubation. Interestingly, the transplanted melanoma cells do not form tumors. Instead, we find that transplanted melanoma cells invade surrounding chick tissues in a programmed manner, distributing along host neural-crest-cell migratory pathways. The invading melanoma cells display neural-crest-cell-like morphologies and populate host peripheral structures, including the branchial arches, dorsal root and sympathetic ganglia. Analysis of a melanocyte-specific phenotype marker (MART-1) and a neuronal marker (Tuj1) revealed a subpopulation of melanoma cells that invade the chick periphery and express MART-1 and Tuj1. Our results demonstrate the ability of adult human metastatic melanoma cells to respond to chick embryonic environmental cues, a subset of which may undergo a reprogramming of their metastatic phenotype. This model has the potential to provide insights into the regulation of tumor cell plasticity by an embryonic milieu, which may hold significant therapeutic promise.

SUBMITTER: Kulesa PM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1450149 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Reprogramming metastatic melanoma cells to assume a neural crest cell-like phenotype in an embryonic microenvironment.

Kulesa Paul M PM Kasemeier-Kulesa Jennifer C JC Teddy Jessica M JM Margaryan Naira V NV Seftor Elisabeth A EA Seftor Richard E B RE Hendrix Mary J C MJ

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20060227 10

Human metastatic melanoma cells express a dedifferentiated, plastic phenotype, which may serve as a selective advantage, because melanoma cells invade various microenvironments. Over the last three decades, there has been an increased focus on the role of the tumor microenvironment in cancer progression, with the goal of reversing the metastatic phenotype. Here, using an embryonic chick model, we explore the possibility of reverting the metastatic melanoma phenotype to its cell type of origin, t ...[more]

PMID: 16505384

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Project description:The present study deals with functional interactions of cutaneous and brain-metastasizing human melanoma cells with brain-derived molecules. In this study we employed the unique melanoma xenograft model developed by Izraely and described in Int J Cancer. 2011 Oct 25. doi: 10.1002/ijc.27324. The present study aims to determine if brain-derived soluble factors regulate malignancy-associated functions of cutaneous and brain-metastasizing melanoma cells and identify which functions are regulated by such factors. The working hypothesis of this study is that the interactions between the brain microenvironment and melanoma cells determine metastasis formation at this organ site. The aim of the study was to evaluate the contribution of such interactions to the formation of brain metastasis in nude mice xenografted with human melanoma cells. An insight into these interactions is an essential pre-requisite for the development of effective targeted therapy for melanoma brain metastasis. We assessed the effects of soluble factors present in supernatants of short-term cultures of normal mouse brain (referred here after as brain-derived soluble factors) on several characteristics linked to melanoma brain metastasis. It was found that brain-derived soluble factors affect differentially cutaneous and brain-metastasizing melanoma cells variants in-vitro. Such factors enhanced the viability of cutaneous melanoma cells but caused an S phase arrest followed by apoptosis of brain-metastasizing cells. Brain-derived soluble factors enhanced migration of melanoma cells metastasizing to the brain, but did not affect the migration of the cutaneous variants. Such factors up-regulated the expression of the chemokine receptor CCR4 in both cutaneous and brain metastasizing melanoma cells. It is not unlikely that CCR4 ligands expressed in the brain interact with the CCR4-expressing melanoma cells thereby directing them to the brain. Brain-derived soluble factors enhanced the transmigration, across human brain endothelial cells of cutaneous but not of brain metastasizing melanoma variants. This activity could promote the capacity of the cutaneous cells to metastasize to the brain. 4 Samples (arrays) were analyzed. There is 1 replicate for each variant and each treatment. We generated pairwise comparisons between cutaneous and brain metastatic variants of the same genetic background, using Partek Genomics Suite, in the three melanoma models. Genes with p≤5% and a fold-change difference of ≥2 or <-2 were selected.

Dataset Information

Reprogramming metastatic melanoma cells to assume a neural crest cell-like phenotype in an embryonic microenvironment.

Publications

Reprogramming metastatic melanoma cells to assume a neural crest cell-like phenotype in an embryonic microenvironment.

Similar Datasets

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