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Stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment promote the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: The stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) can influence the progression of multiple types of cancer; however, data on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are limited. In the present study, the effects of verrucous squamous cell carcinoma‑associated stromal cells (VSCC‑SCs), squamous cell carcinoma‑associated stromal cells (SCC‑SCs) and human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) on the tumor nest formation, proliferation, invasion and migration of HSC‑3 cells were examined in vitro using Giemsa staining, MTS, and Transwell (invasion and migration) assays, respectively. The results revealed that both the VSCC‑SCs and SCC‑SCs inhibited the tumor nest formation, and promoted the proliferation, invasion and migration of OSCC cells in vitro. Furthermore, the effects of VSCC‑SCs, SCC‑SCs and HDFs on the differentiation, proliferation, invasion and migration of OSCC cells in vivo were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining, tartrate‑resistant acid phosphatase staining, immunohistochemistry and double‑fluorescent immunohistochemical staining, respectively. The results demonstrated that the VSCC‑SCs promoted the differentiation, proliferation, invasion and migration of OSCC cells, while the SCC‑SCs inhibited the differentiation, and promoted the proliferation, invasion and migration of OSCC cells in vivo. Finally, microarray data were used to predict genes in VSCC‑SCs and SCC‑SCs that may influence the progression of OSCC, and those with potential to influence the differential effects of VSCC‑SCs and SCC‑SCs on the differentiation of OSCC. It was found that C‑X‑C motif chemokine ligand (CXCL)8, mitogen‑activated protein kinase 3 (MAPK3), phosphatidylinositol‑4,5‑bisphosphate 3‑kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA), C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1) and C‑C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) may be involved in the crosstalk between VSCC‑SCs, SCC‑SCs and OSCC cells, which regulates the progression of OSCC. Intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM1), interleukin (IL)1B, Fos proto‑oncogene, AP‑1 transcription factor subunit (FOS), bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), insulin (INS) and nerve growth factor (NGF) may be responsible for the differential effects of VSCC‑SCs and SCC‑SCs on the differentiation of OSCC. On the whole, the present study demonstrates that both VSCC‑SCs and SCC‑SCs may promote the progression of OSCC, and SCC‑SCs were found to exert a more prominent promoting effect; this may represent a potential regulatory mechanism for the progression of OSCC.

SUBMITTER: Shan Q

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8360621 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:The tumor microenvironment (TME) is made up of cells and extracellular matrix (non-cellular component), and cellular components include cancer cells and non-malignant cells such as immune cells and stromal cells. These three types of cells establish complex signals in the body and further influence tumor genesis, development, metastasis and participate in resistance to anti-tumor therapy. It has attracted scholars to study immune cells in TME due to the significant efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) in solid tumors and hematologic tumors. After more than 10 years of efforts, the role of immune cells in TME and the strategy of treating tumors based on immune cells have developed rapidly. Moreover, ICI have been recommended by guidelines as first- or second-line treatment strategies in a variety of tumors. At the same time, stromal cells is another major class of cellular components in TME, which also play a very important role in tumor metabolism, growth, metastasis, immune evasion and treatment resistance. Stromal cells can be recruited from neighboring non-cancerous host stromal cells and can also be formed by transdifferentiation from stromal cells to stromal cells or from tumor cells to stromal cells. Moreover, they participate in tumor genesis, development and drug resistance by secreting various factors and exosomes, participating in tumor angiogenesis and tumor metabolism, regulating the immune response in TME and extracellular matrix. However, with the deepening understanding of stromal cells, people found that stromal cells not only have the effect of promoting tumor but also can inhibit tumor in some cases. In this review, we will introduce the origin of stromal cells in TME as well as the role and specific mechanism of stromal cells in tumorigenesis and tumor development and strategies for treatment of tumors based on stromal cells. We will focus on tumor-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), tumor-associated adipocytes (CAAs), tumor endothelial cells (TECs) and pericytes (PCs) in stromal cells.

Project description:BackgroundCancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the most abundant cells in the tumor microenvironment, have prominent roles in the development of solid tumors as stromal targets. However, the underlying mechanism of CAFs' function in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) development remains unclear. Here, we investigated the role of lysyl oxidase (LOX) expression in CAFs in tumor stromal remodeling and the mechanism of its effect on OSCC progression.MethodsMultiple immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining was performed to detect the correlation of CAFs and LOX in the stroma of OSCC specimens, as well as the correlation with clinicopathological parameters and prognosis. The expression of LOX in CAFs were detected by RT-qPCR and western blot. The effects of LOX in CAFs on the biological characteristics of OSCC cell line were investigated using CCK-8, wound-healing and transwell assay. CAFs were co-cultured with type I collagen in vitro, and collagen contraction test, microstructure observation and rheometer were used to detect the effect of CAFs on remodeling collagen matrix. Then, collagen with different stiffness were established to investigate the effect of matrix stiffness on the progression of OSCC. Moreover, we used focal adhesion kinase (FAK) phosphorylation inhibitors to explored whether the increase in matrix stiffness promote the progression of OSCC through activating FAK phosphorylation pathway.ResultsLOX was colocalized with CAFs in the stroma of OSCC tissues, and its expression was significantly related to the degree of malignant differentiation and poor prognosis in OSCC. LOX was highly expressed in CAFs, and its knockdown impaired the proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT process of OSCC cells. The expression of LOX in CAFs can catalyze collagen crosslinking and increase matrix stiffness. Furthermore, CAFs-derived LOX-mediated increase in collagen stiffness induced morphological changes and promoted invasion and EMT process in OSCC cells by activating FAK phosphorylation pathway.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that CAFs highly express LOX in the stroma of OSCC and can remodel the matrix collagen microenvironment, and the increase in matrix stiffness mediated by CAFs-derived LOX promotes OSCC development through FAK phosphorylation pathway. Thus, LOX may be a potential target for the early diagnosis and therapeutic treatment of OSCC.

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Stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment promote the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

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