调控肿瘤上皮–间质转化及肿瘤干细胞样特性的信号通路串话

上皮–间质转化（epithelial-mesenchymal transition,EMT）是上皮来源肿瘤细胞获得侵袭和转移能力的重要生物学过程。肿瘤干细胞样细胞（cancer stem-like cells,CSLCs）在肿瘤发生、侵袭、转移和复发中亦起着关键作用。近年发现,EMT与肿瘤干细胞样特性获得存在密切关联,二者通过TGF-β、Wnt/β-catenin、Notch、Hedgehog、FGF、PI3k/Akt等多种信号通路及通路间的信号串话而交互作用,共同影响着肿瘤发生、侵袭及转移,了解调控EMT/CSLCs关键信号分子的功能及相互作用对于肿瘤靶向治疗具有重要意义。     

间充质干细胞融合在肿瘤转移中的研究进展

侵袭转移是恶性肿瘤的基本特征和重要标志,也是导致肿瘤患者死亡的主要原因。上皮-间质转化(epithelial-mesenchymal transition,EMT)是肿瘤侵袭转移的首要步骤。研究表明,细胞融合是肿瘤发生转移过程中的常见现象之一。间充质干细胞(mesenchymal stem cell,MSC)是细胞融合中广泛涉及的一种重要细胞,并通过细胞融合在肿瘤发生转移过程中发挥重要作用。本文主要综述了间充质干细胞与肿瘤细胞融合在肿瘤转移中的最新研究进展,其机制的阐明有可能为肿瘤治疗提供新的策略。     

肿瘤微环境中上皮–间质转化与肿瘤干细胞的调控

肿瘤微环境是一个复杂的组织样结构,具有丰富的表型和功能异质性。不同浓度的趋化因子、细胞因子与组成肿瘤微环境的细胞间相互作用,可激活上皮–间质转化(epithelial-mesenchymal transition,EMT)相关的信号通路及控制肿瘤干细胞(cancer stem cells,CSCs)的生成。EMT的异常激活会促进肿瘤细胞的可塑性,赋予上皮细胞间充质特性,并与癌细胞获得侵袭性的特征密切相关。CSCs是一类具有高致瘤潜能的细胞群,其能很容易地适应周围环境的变化,与肿瘤内其他细胞相比具有较强的抗药性。该文对肿瘤微环境中EMT与CSC的作用机制及相关信号通路的研究进展进行综述。     

TGF-β在肿瘤细胞上皮-间质转化发生中的作用

上皮-间质转化(epithelial-mesenchymal transition,EMT)指具有粘着性的上皮细胞转化成可迁移的间充质细胞的过程,该过程有助于肿瘤细胞的迁移。而转化生长因子-β(transforming growthfactor-β,TGF-β)超家族可激活Smad和Non-Smad两条信号通路而诱导细胞进行EMT,从而促进肿瘤细胞的迁移。深入研究EMT中TGF-β诱导的信号通路有望为肿瘤的治疗提供新方向。     

YAP参与调控细胞上皮-间充质转化的研究进展

上皮-间充质转化(epithelial-mesenchymal transition,EMT)是上皮来源细胞在各种理化因素作用下经历表型转化获得间充质样细胞表型的过程.研究表明,有多种信号分子参与EMT的发生,并在胚胎发育、器官损伤修复和肿瘤的发生发展过程中起着关键作用.Yes相关蛋白(yes-associated protein,YAP)作为Hippo信号通路的下游效应分子,被广泛报道参与EMT的进程,调控多种基因的表达,起到调节细胞增殖、凋亡、器官发育和修复等作用.最新研究表明,YAP活性的变化直接介导肿瘤细胞的迁移和侵袭等能力的变化,而这些变化都伴随着EMT的发生.因此,YAP蛋白跟EMT的发生密切相关.本文就近年来关于YAP调控组织发育、器官纤维化及在肿瘤发生发展中的作用,以及相关分子机制的研究进行综述,并将阐明其与EMT之间的相互关系,以期为EMT的研究提供新的视角,进而为相关疾病的治疗提供新的分子靶点和诊断治疗策略.     

长链非编码RNA在调控EMT及肿瘤侵袭转移中的作用

上皮–间充质转化(EMT)是指在某些因素的作用下,上皮细胞失去极性,细胞紧密连接性丧失,转变成具有迁移能力的间充质细胞的生物学过程。EMT在肿瘤的侵袭转移过程中发挥着重要的作用。长链非编码RNA(lncRNA)在许多癌症中异常表达,在肿瘤的发生发展中发挥了重要的作用, lncRNA亦参与肿瘤侵袭转移,近年来越来越多的研究发现, lncRNA参与调控EMT进程,进而影响肿瘤的侵袭转移,逐渐成为临床肿瘤诊断及治疗的潜在靶点。该文将对lncRNA在调控EMT及肿瘤侵袭转移中的作用机制及相关临床治疗研究进行综述。     

乳腺癌干细胞分选及相关信号通路研究进展

肿瘤干细胞是指存在于肿瘤组织中的具有干细胞特性,即能够多向分化和自我更新的一类细胞群。随着肿瘤干细胞概念的提出,乳腺癌干细胞成为当今科研领域的一个研究热点。因此,了解如何分选乳腺癌干细胞及如何维持其"干性"对治疗及预防乳腺癌具有至关重要的意义。主要从乳腺癌干细胞分选、相关信号通路、上皮-间充质转换(EMT)等方面进行综述。     

上皮间质转化介导肿瘤转移的分子机制

上皮间质转化(epithelial-mesenchymal transition, EMT)是上皮细胞上皮样特征减少并获得间充质细胞特性的生理过程。EMT是肿瘤细胞侵袭转移所必要的初始步骤, EMT过程中上皮细胞失去细胞极性和细胞黏附能力,并获得迁移和侵袭性。在EMT过程中,肿瘤细胞频繁出现E-钙黏蛋白(E-cadherin)功能的丧失, N-钙黏蛋白(N-cadherin)、波形蛋白(vimentin)及基质金属蛋白酶(matrix metalloproteinases, MMPs)表达水平的上调,β-连环蛋白(β-catenin)从细胞膜到细胞核的重新定位。EMT相关转录因子Twist、Snail及Zeb家族的异常高表达均经促进EMT而介导肿瘤细胞的侵袭转移。     

上皮极性蛋白的研究进展

极性蛋白（polarity protein）是指具有识别功能并且能够调节细胞极性的一类蛋白质,它们在许多生理和病理过程如细胞增殖、细胞凋亡、细胞迁移、损伤修复、上皮－间充质转化（epithelial—mesenchymal transition,EMT）中具有重要作用,也在肿瘤的发生和发展过程中起到重要作用。本文拟从上述几个方面对上皮相关极性蛋白的生物学功能做以综述,以期为疾病诊断和治疗提供新的思路。     

病原微生物诱导上皮间充质转化的相关研究进展

上皮间充质转化是一种可参与调控胚胎发育、损伤愈合的复杂过程,并在肿瘤形成、发展和转移过程中发挥重要作用。多种诱导因素及转录因子可诱导、促进上皮细胞发生间充质样改变。随着肿瘤与细菌感染相关研究成为热点,细菌与上皮间充质转化的相关研究报道亦逐渐增多。细菌或病毒等病原微生物感染宿主细胞可通过多种不同机制上调参与上皮间充质转化的转录因子表达,减少上皮性标志物Ecadherin、细胞角蛋白等的表达,增强间充质性标志物Vimentin、N-cadherin等的表达,促进细胞迁移和侵袭,诱导上皮间充质转化的发生发展。本文对细菌和病毒等病原微生物诱导上皮间充质转化的相关研究进展作一综述。     

Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Cells Expanded In Vitro from Lineage-Traced Adult Human Pancreatic Beta Cells

Background

In-vitro expansion of functional beta cells from adult human islets is an attractive approach for generating an abundant source of cells for beta-cell replacement therapy of diabetes. Using genetic cell-lineage tracing we have recently shown that beta cells cultured from adult human islets undergo rapid dedifferentiation and proliferate for up to 16 population doublings. These cells have raised interest as potential candidates for redifferentiation into functional insulin-producing cells. Previous work has associated dedifferentiation of cultured epithelial cells with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and suggested that EMT generates cells with stem cell properties. Here we investigated the occurrence of EMT in these cultures and assessed their stem cell potential.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Using cell-lineage tracing we provide direct evidence for occurrence of EMT in cells originating from beta cells in cultures of adult human islet cells. These cells express multiple mesenchymal markers, as well as markers associated with mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). However, we do not find evidence for the ability of such cells, nor of cells in these cultures derived from a non-beta-cell origin, to significantly differentiate into mesodermal cell types.

Conclusions/Significance

These findings constitute the first demonstration based on genetic lineage-tracing of EMT in cultured adult primary human cells, and show that EMT does not induce multipotency in cells derived from human beta cells.     

Establishment of Hertwig's epithelial root sheath cell line from cells involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition

The epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important event in the developmental process of various organs. In periodontal development during root formation of a tooth, this EMT has been a subject of controversy. Hertwig’s epithelial root sheath (HERS), consisting of two epithelial layers, plays a role of inducing odontogenesis during root development and thereafter becomes fragmented. Some researchers have maintained that in the process of this fragmentation, some HERS cells change from epithelial to mesenchymal cells. Here, we established a HERS cell line (HERS01a) and examined its gene and protein expression. Immunohistochemical staining and real-time PCR analysis showed that HERS01a cells expressed vimentin and N-cadherin as mesenchymal markers as well as cytokeratin14, E-cadherin, and p63 as epithelial stem cell markers. In the presence of TGF-β, HERS01a cells also expressed many more mesenchymal markers, as well as snail1 and 2 as EMT markers. Taken together, our data show that HERS01a displayed unique features associated with EMT in the root formation process, and will thus be useful for analyzing the biological characteristics of HERS and the molecular mechanism underlying the EMT.     

Fetal Liver Stromal Cells Support Blast Growth in Transient Abnormal Myelopoiesis in Down Syndrome Through GM‐CSF

Transient abnormal myelopoiesis (TAM) in neonates with Down syndrome, which spontaneously resolves within several weeks or months after birth, may represent a very special form of leukemia arising in the fetal liver (FL). To explore the role of the fetal hematopoietic microenvironment in the pathogenesis of TAM, we examined the in vitro influences of stromal cells of human FL and fetal bone marrow (FBM) on the growth of TAM blasts. Both FL and FBM stromal cells expressed mesenchymal cell antigens (vimentin, α‐smooth muscle actin, CD146, and nestin), being consistent with perivascular cells/mesenchymal stem cells that support hematopoietic stem cells. In addition, a small fraction of the FL stromal cells expressed an epithelial marker, cytokeratin 8, indicating that they could be cells in epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT). In the coculture system, stromal cells of the FL, but not FBM, potently supported the growth of TAM blast progenitors, mainly through humoral factors. High concentrations of hematopoietic growth factors were detected in culture supernatants of the FL stromal cells and a neutralizing antibody against granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) almost completely inhibited the growth‐supportive activity of the culture supernatants. These results indicate that FL stromal cells with unique characteristics of EMT cells provide a pivotal hematopoietic microenvironment for TAM blasts and that GM‐CSF produced by FL stromal cells may play an important role in the pathogenesis of TAM. J. Cell. Biochem. 115: 1176–1186, 2014. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Hypoxia Induces EMT in Low and Highly Aggressive Pancreatic Tumor Cells but Only Cells with Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics Acquire Pronounced Migratory Potential

Tumor hypoxia induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which induces invasion and metastasis, and is linked to cancer stem cells (CSCs). Whether EMT generates CSCs de novo, enhances migration of existing CSCs or both is unclear. We examined patient tissue of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) along with carcinomas of breast, lung, kidney, prostate and ovary. For in vitro studies, five established PDA cell lines classified as less (CSC^low) and highly aggressive CSC-like cells (CSC^high) were examined by single and double immunofluorescence microscopy, wound-, transwell-, and time-lapse microscopy. HIF-1α and Slug, as well as HIF-2α and CD133 were co-expressed pointing to a putative co-existence of hypoxia, EMT and CSCs in vivo. CSC^high cells exhibited high basal expression of the mesenchymal Vimentin protein but low or absent expression of the epithelial marker E-cadherin, with the opposite result in CSC^low cells. Hypoxia triggered altering of cell morphology from an epithelial to a mesenchymal phenotype, which was more pronounced in CSC^high cells. Concomitantly, E-cadherin expression was reduced and expression of Vimentin, Slug, Twist2 and Zeb1 enhanced. While hypoxia caused migration in all cell lines, velocity along with the percentage of migrating, polarized and pseudopodia-forming cells was significantly higher in CSC^high cells. These data indicate that hypoxia-induced EMT occurs in PDA and several other tumor entities. However although hypoxia-induced EMT signaling occurs in all tumor cell populations, only the stem-like cells acquire high migratory potential and thus may be responsible for invasion and metastasis.     

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition generates cells with properties of stem cells

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key developmental program that is often activated during cancer invasion and metastasis. We here report that the induction of an EMT in immortalized human mammary epithelial cells (HMLEs) results in the acquisition of mesenchymal traits and in the expression of stem-cell markers. Furthermore, we show that those cells have an increased ability to form mammospheres, a property associated with mammary epithelial stem cells. Independent of this, stem cell-like cells isolated from HMLE cultures form mammospheres and express markers similar to those of HMLEs that have undergone an EMT. Moreover, stem-like cells isolated either from mouse or human mammary glands or mammary carcinomas express EMT markers. Finally, transformed human mammary epithelial cells that have undergone an EMT form mammospheres, soft agar colonies, and tumors more efficiently. These findings illustrate a direct link between the EMT and the gain of epithelial stem cell properties.