TY - JOUR
T1 - αSMA+ fibroblasts suppress Lgr5+ cancer stem cells and restrain colorectal cancer progression
AU - McAndrews, Kathleen M.
AU - Vázquez-Arreguín, Karina
AU - Kwak, Changsoo
AU - Sugimoto, Hikaru
AU - Zheng, Xiaofeng
AU - Li, Bingrui
AU - Kirtley, Michelle L.
AU - LeBleu, Valerie S.
AU - Kalluri, Raghu
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgements This study was supported by research funds provided by the MD Anderson Cancer Center. KV-A is supported by Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award 5T32CA186892. We thank Dr. Ronald DePinho for providing the iKAP mouse model and for insightful comments on the manuscript. We thank Dr. Adam Boutin for his generous help with the project, Dr. Krishnan Mahadevan for advice on proliferative index determination, and Patience Kelly for assistance with slide scanning and staining. The Advanced Technology Genomics Core is supported by the core grant CA016672(ATCG).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.
PY - 2021/7/1
Y1 - 2021/7/1
N2 - The development and progression of solid tumors is dependent on cancer cell autonomous drivers and the tumor microenvironment (TME). Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the TME possess both tumor-promoting and tumor-restraining functions. In the current study, we interrogated the role of αSMA+ CAFs in a genetic mouse model of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). Selective depletion of αSMA+ CAFs resulted in increased tumor invasiveness, lymph node metastasis, and reduced overall survival. Depletion of αSMA+ CAFs reduced BMP4 and increased TGFβ1 secretion from stromal cells, and was associated with increased Lgr5+ cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) and the generation of an immunosuppressive TME with increased frequency of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and suppression of CD8+ T cells. This study demonstrates that αSMA+ CAFs in CRC exert tumor-restraining functions via BMP4/TGFβ1 paracrine signaling that serves to suppress Lgr5+ CSCs and promote anti-tumor immunity, ultimately limiting CRC progression.
AB - The development and progression of solid tumors is dependent on cancer cell autonomous drivers and the tumor microenvironment (TME). Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the TME possess both tumor-promoting and tumor-restraining functions. In the current study, we interrogated the role of αSMA+ CAFs in a genetic mouse model of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). Selective depletion of αSMA+ CAFs resulted in increased tumor invasiveness, lymph node metastasis, and reduced overall survival. Depletion of αSMA+ CAFs reduced BMP4 and increased TGFβ1 secretion from stromal cells, and was associated with increased Lgr5+ cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) and the generation of an immunosuppressive TME with increased frequency of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and suppression of CD8+ T cells. This study demonstrates that αSMA+ CAFs in CRC exert tumor-restraining functions via BMP4/TGFβ1 paracrine signaling that serves to suppress Lgr5+ CSCs and promote anti-tumor immunity, ultimately limiting CRC progression.
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U2 - 10.1038/s41388-021-01866-7
DO - 10.1038/s41388-021-01866-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 34108617
AN - SCOPUS:85107504622
SN - 0950-9232
VL - 40
SP - 4440
EP - 4452
JO - Oncogene
JF - Oncogene
IS - 26
ER -