Effect of head and neck cancer cell secretome on surrounding tissue fibroblasts phenotype
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| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are the fifth most common solid tumour. The majority of patients with HNSCC have metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis and unfortunately no significant improvement in HNSCC therapy has yet been achieved due to the lack of markers of therapeutic response and the emergence of treatment resistance. Resistance can be significantly promoted by tumor-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). CAFs, a major component of the tumor stroma, promote HNSCC progression by secreting growth factors, remodeling the extracellular matrix, and amplifying resistance to therapy. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by tumor cells may promote the transformation of fibroblasts into CAFs and their metabolic shift towards autophagy and aerobic glycolysis. EVs increase the chemoresistance of tumor cells and may in this way promote their survival and proliferation. The secretion of extracellular vesicles by tumor cells is one of the key mechanisms of intercellular communication of the tumor with the surrounding tissue. Tumor cells can alter the phenotype of the surrounding tissue to their advantage using exosomes and other extracellular vesicles. Using a cytokine assay, we monitored changes in the secretion of individual cytokines in culture medium conditioned by tumour cells after influencing the degree of autophagy. Changes in fibroblast migration and morphology caused by this conditioned medium were monitored by holographic microscope. |