Project description:The platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) signaling system contributes to tumor angiogenesis and vascular remodeling. Here, we show PDGF-BB markedly induces erythropoietin (EPO) mRNA and protein expression by targeting the PDGFR-beta+ stromal and perivascular compartments. In mouse tumor models, PDGF-BB-induced EPO promotes tumor growth via two mechanisms: 1) paracrine stimulation of tumor angiogenesis by directly inducing endothelial cell proliferation, migration, sprouting and tube formation; and 2) endocrine stimulation of extramedullary hematopoiesis leading to increased oxygen perfusion and protection against tumor-associated anemia. Similarly, delivery of an adenovirus-PDGF-BB to tumor-free mice markedly increases EPO production and hematopoietic parameters. An EPO blockade specifically attenuates PDGF-BB-induced tumor growth, angiogenesis and hematopoiesis. At the molecular level, we show that the PDGF-BB-PDGFR-beta signaling system activates EPO promoter via in part transcriptional regulation of ATF3 by possible association with c-Jun and SP1. These findings uncover a novel mechanism of PDGF-BB-induced tumor growth, angiogenesis and hematopoiesis. Comparison of S17 stromal cells treated with PDGF-BB for 72h to control
Project description:The platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) signaling system contributes to tumor angiogenesis and vascular remodeling. Here, we show PDGF-BB markedly induces erythropoietin (EPO) mRNA and protein expression by targeting the PDGFR-beta+ stromal and perivascular compartments. In mouse tumor models, PDGF-BB-induced EPO promotes tumor growth via two mechanisms: 1) paracrine stimulation of tumor angiogenesis by directly inducing endothelial cell proliferation, migration, sprouting and tube formation; and 2) endocrine stimulation of extramedullary hematopoiesis leading to increased oxygen perfusion and protection against tumor-associated anemia. Similarly, delivery of an adenovirus-PDGF-BB to tumor-free mice markedly increases EPO production and hematopoietic parameters. An EPO blockade specifically attenuates PDGF-BB-induced tumor growth, angiogenesis and hematopoiesis. At the molecular level, we show that the PDGF-BB-PDGFR-beta signaling system activates EPO promoter via in part transcriptional regulation of ATF3 by possible association with c-Jun and SP1. These findings uncover a novel mechanism of PDGF-BB-induced tumor growth, angiogenesis and hematopoiesis.
Project description:Vascular pericytes, an important cellular component, in the tumor microenvironment, are often associated with tumor vasculatures and their functions in cancer invasion and metastasis are poorly understood. Here we show that PDGF-BB induces pericyte fibroblast transition (designated as PFT), which significantly contributes to tumor invasion and metastasis. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments demonstrate that the PDGF-BB-PDGFRβ signaling promotes PFT in vitro and in in vivo tumors. Genome-wide expression analysis indicates that PDGF-BB-activated pericytes acquire mesenchymal progenitor features. Pharmacological inhibition and genetic deletion of PDGFRβ ablate the PDGF-BB-induced PFT. Genetic tracing of pericytes with two independent mouse strains, i.e., TN-AP-CreERT2:R26R-tdTomato and NG2:R26R-tdTomato, shows that PFT cells gains stromal fibroblast and myofibroblast markers in tumors. Importantly, co-implantation of PFT cells with less-invasive tumor cells in mice markedly promotes tumor dissemination and invasion, leading to an increased number of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and metastasis. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism of vascular pericytes in PDGF-BB-promoted cancer invasion and metastasis by inducing PFT and thus targeting PFT may offer a new treatment option of cancer metastasis. Pericytes were isolated and treated with PDGF-BB or control for 1 or 5 days
Project description:Vascular pericytes, an important cellular component, in the tumor microenvironment, are often associated with tumor vasculatures and their functions in cancer invasion and metastasis are poorly understood. Here we show that PDGF-BB induces pericyte fibroblast transition (designated as PFT), which significantly contributes to tumor invasion and metastasis. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments demonstrate that the PDGF-BB-PDGFRβ signaling promotes PFT in vitro and in in vivo tumors. Genome-wide expression analysis indicates that PDGF-BB-activated pericytes acquire mesenchymal progenitor features. Pharmacological inhibition and genetic deletion of PDGFRβ ablate the PDGF-BB-induced PFT. Genetic tracing of pericytes with two independent mouse strains, i.e., TN-AP-CreERT2:R26R-tdTomato and NG2:R26R-tdTomato, shows that PFT cells gains stromal fibroblast and myofibroblast markers in tumors. Importantly, co-implantation of PFT cells with less-invasive tumor cells in mice markedly promotes tumor dissemination and invasion, leading to an increased number of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and metastasis. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism of vascular pericytes in PDGF-BB-promoted cancer invasion and metastasis by inducing PFT and thus targeting PFT may offer a new treatment option of cancer metastasis.
Project description:Anti-PDGF agents are routinely used as a key component in front-line therapy for the treatment of various cancers. However, molecular mechanisms underlying their impact on vascular remodeling in relation to the dose issue remain poorly understood. Here we show that in high PDGF-BB-producing tumors, anti-PDGF drugs significantly inhibited tumor growth and metastasis by preventing pericyte (PC) loss and vascular permeability. Surprisingly, the same anti-PDGF-BB drugs promoted tumor cell dissemination and metastasis in PDGF-BB-low-producing or negative tumors by ablating PCs from tumor vessels. At the molecular level, we show that the PDGFR-? signaling pathway in PCs mediated the opposing effects and persistent exposure of PCs to PDGF-BB led to marked downregulation of PDGFR-?. Inactivation of the PDGFR-? signaling system led to decreased levels of integrin ?1?1, resulted in impaired adhesion of PCs to collagen I, IV and laminin, two principal extracellular matrix components in blood vessels for interaction with these integrins. Our data suggest that tumor PDGF-BB levels may serve as an important biomarker for selection of tumor-bearing hosts for beneficial therapy and unsupervised practice of this group of drugs could potentially promote tumor invasion and metastasis. Pericytes were isolated and treated with PDGF-BB or control for 5 days.
Project description:Smooth muscle cells were treated with platelet derived growth factor (PDGF-BB) and S100A4 protein to decipher the mechanisms by which they contribute to smooth muscle cell phenotypic transition. We report that PDGF-BB treatment upregulates genes related to growth response or to extracellular matrix component proteases, while S100A4 upregulates pro-inflammatory genes. When used in combination, PDGF-BB and S100A4 show synergistic action by enhancing the upregulation of genes already affected by S100A4 and by inducing the upregulation of genes exclusive for this condition.
Project description:Many tumors produce platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-DD, which promotes cellular proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, stromal reaction, and angiogenesis through autocrine and paracrine PDGFRβ signaling. By screening a secretome library, we found that the human immunoreceptor NKp44 encoded by NCR2 and expressed on natural killer (NK) cells and innate lymphoid cells recognizes PDGF-DD. PDGF-DD engagement of NKp44 triggered NK cell secretion of IFN-γ and TNF-α that induced tumor cell growth arrest. A distinctive transcriptional signature of PDGF-DD-induced cytokines and the downregulation of tumor cell cycle genes correlated with NCR2 and greater survival in glioblastoma. NKp44 expression in mouse NK cells controlled the dissemination of tumors expressing PDGF-DD more effectively than control mice, an effect enhanced by blockade of the inhibitory receptor CD96 or CpG-oligonucleotide treatment. Thus, whilst cancer cell production of PDGF-DD supports tumor growth and stromal reaction, it concomitantly activates innate immune responses to tumor expansion.
Project description:Anti-PDGF agents are routinely used as a key component in front-line therapy for the treatment of various cancers. However, molecular mechanisms underlying their impact on vascular remodeling in relation to the dose issue remain poorly understood. Here we show that in high PDGF-BB-producing tumors, anti-PDGF drugs significantly inhibited tumor growth and metastasis by preventing pericyte (PC) loss and vascular permeability. Surprisingly, the same anti-PDGF-BB drugs promoted tumor cell dissemination and metastasis in PDGF-BB-low-producing or negative tumors by ablating PCs from tumor vessels. At the molecular level, we show that the PDGFR-β signaling pathway in PCs mediated the opposing effects and persistent exposure of PCs to PDGF-BB led to marked downregulation of PDGFR-β. Inactivation of the PDGFR-β signaling system led to decreased levels of integrin α1β1, resulted in impaired adhesion of PCs to collagen I, IV and laminin, two principal extracellular matrix components in blood vessels for interaction with these integrins. Our data suggest that tumor PDGF-BB levels may serve as an important biomarker for selection of tumor-bearing hosts for beneficial therapy and unsupervised practice of this group of drugs could potentially promote tumor invasion and metastasis.
Project description:PDGF-BB:PDGFRβ signalling in brain pericytes is critical to the development, maintenance and function of a healthy blood-brain barrier (BBB). Furthermore, BBB impairment and pericyte loss in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is well documented. We used tissue microarrays from control and AD brains to determine if PDGF-BB:PDGFRβ signalling components were altered in AD, and found that there was a reduction in vascular expression of PDGFB. We hypothesised that reduced PDGF-BB:PDGFRβ signalling in pericytes may have an impact on functions related to the BBB. We therefore tested the effects of PDGF-BB on primary human brain pericytes in vitro to define important signalling pathways and outcomes related to BBB function. Pericytes demonstrate a biphasic response to PDGF-BB, predominantly dependent on Akt and ERK. We determined that the actions of PDGF-BB are on-target at PDGFRβ, leading to internalisation and degradation of PDGFRβ. Using pharmacological inhibitors, we dissected distinct aspects of the PDGF-BB response that are controlled by ERK and Akt pathways. PDGF-BB promotes the proliferation of pericytes and protection from toxic stimuli through ERK signalling. In contrast, PDGF-BB:PDGFRβ signalling through Akt and NF-κB augments pericyte-derived inflammatory secretions. It may therefore be possible to supplement PDGF-BB or small molecule agonists to stabilise the cerebrovasculature in AD.
Project description:This is a spatially averaged multiscale mathematical model of tumor angiogenesis. The model describes the dynamics of VEGF, Ang1, Ang2, and PDGF, coupled with those of mature and immature endothelial cells and pericyte cells.