Toward understanding cancer stem cell heterogeneity in the tumor microenvironment. 2019

Federico Bocci, and Larisa Gearhart-Serna, and Marcelo Boareto, and Mariana Ribeiro, and Eshel Ben-Jacob, and Gayathri R Devi, and Herbert Levine, and José Nelson Onuchic, and Mohit Kumar Jolly
Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005.

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stem cell (CSC) formation are two paramount processes driving tumor progression, therapy resistance, and cancer metastasis. Recent experiments show that cells with varying EMT and CSC phenotypes are spatially segregated in the primary tumor. The underlying mechanisms generating such spatiotemporal dynamics in the tumor microenvironment, however, remain largely unexplored. Here, we show through a mechanism-based dynamical model that the diffusion of EMT-inducing signals such as TGF-β, together with noncell autonomous control of EMT and CSC decision making via the Notch signaling pathway, can explain experimentally observed disparate localization of subsets of CSCs with varying EMT phenotypes in the tumor. Our simulations show that the more mesenchymal CSCs lie at the invasive edge, while the hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) CSCs reside in the tumor interior. Further, motivated by the role of Notch-Jagged signaling in mediating EMT and stemness, we investigated the microenvironmental factors that promote Notch-Jagged signaling. We show that many inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 that can promote Notch-Jagged signaling can (i) stabilize a hybrid E/M phenotype, (ii) increase the likelihood of spatial proximity of hybrid E/M cells, and (iii) expand the fraction of CSCs. To validate the predicted connection between Notch-Jagged signaling and stemness, we knocked down JAG1 in hybrid E/M SUM149 human breast cancer cells in vitro. JAG1 knockdown significantly restricted tumor organoid formation, confirming the key role that Notch-Jagged signaling can play in tumor progression. Together, our integrated computational-experimental framework reveals the underlying principles of spatiotemporal dynamics of EMT and CSCs.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009360 Neoplastic Cells, Circulating Exfoliate neoplastic cells circulating in the blood and associated with metastasizing tumors. Circulating Neoplastic Cells,Embolic Tumor Cells,Embolism, Tumor,Neoplasm Circulating Cells,Tumor Cells, Embolic,Cells, Neoplasm Circulating,Circulating Cells, Neoplasm,Circulating Tumor Cells,Cell, Circulating Neoplastic,Cell, Circulating Tumor,Cell, Embolic Tumor,Cell, Neoplasm Circulating,Cells, Circulating Neoplastic,Cells, Circulating Tumor,Cells, Embolic Tumor,Circulating Neoplastic Cell,Circulating Tumor Cell,Embolic Tumor Cell,Embolisms, Tumor,Neoplasm Circulating Cell,Neoplastic Cell, Circulating,Tumor Cell, Circulating,Tumor Cell, Embolic,Tumor Cells, Circulating,Tumor Embolism,Tumor Embolisms
D010641 Phenotype The outward appearance of the individual. It is the product of interactions between genes, and between the GENOTYPE and the environment. Phenotypes
D001943 Breast Neoplasms Tumors or cancer of the human BREAST. Breast Cancer,Breast Tumors,Cancer of Breast,Breast Carcinoma,Cancer of the Breast,Human Mammary Carcinoma,Malignant Neoplasm of Breast,Malignant Tumor of Breast,Mammary Cancer,Mammary Carcinoma, Human,Mammary Neoplasm, Human,Mammary Neoplasms, Human,Neoplasms, Breast,Tumors, Breast,Breast Carcinomas,Breast Malignant Neoplasm,Breast Malignant Neoplasms,Breast Malignant Tumor,Breast Malignant Tumors,Breast Neoplasm,Breast Tumor,Cancer, Breast,Cancer, Mammary,Cancers, Mammary,Carcinoma, Breast,Carcinoma, Human Mammary,Carcinomas, Breast,Carcinomas, Human Mammary,Human Mammary Carcinomas,Human Mammary Neoplasm,Human Mammary Neoplasms,Mammary Cancers,Mammary Carcinomas, Human,Neoplasm, Breast,Neoplasm, Human Mammary,Neoplasms, Human Mammary,Tumor, Breast
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014411 Neoplastic Stem Cells Highly proliferative, self-renewing, and colony-forming stem cells which give rise to NEOPLASMS. Cancer Stem Cells,Colony-Forming Units, Neoplastic,Stem Cells, Neoplastic,Tumor Stem Cells,Neoplastic Colony-Forming Units,Tumor Initiating Cells,Cancer Stem Cell,Cell, Cancer Stem,Cell, Neoplastic Stem,Cell, Tumor Initiating,Cell, Tumor Stem,Cells, Cancer Stem,Cells, Neoplastic Stem,Cells, Tumor Initiating,Cells, Tumor Stem,Colony Forming Units, Neoplastic,Colony-Forming Unit, Neoplastic,Initiating Cell, Tumor,Initiating Cells, Tumor,Neoplastic Colony Forming Units,Neoplastic Colony-Forming Unit,Neoplastic Stem Cell,Stem Cell, Cancer,Stem Cell, Neoplastic,Stem Cell, Tumor,Stem Cells, Cancer,Stem Cells, Tumor,Tumor Initiating Cell,Tumor Stem Cell,Unit, Neoplastic Colony-Forming,Units, Neoplastic Colony-Forming
D015398 Signal Transduction The intracellular transfer of information (biological activation/inhibition) through a signal pathway. In each signal transduction system, an activation/inhibition signal from a biologically active molecule (hormone, neurotransmitter) is mediated via the coupling of a receptor/enzyme to a second messenger system or to an ion channel. Signal transduction plays an important role in activating cellular functions, cell differentiation, and cell proliferation. Examples of signal transduction systems are the GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID-postsynaptic receptor-calcium ion channel system, the receptor-mediated T-cell activation pathway, and the receptor-mediated activation of phospholipases. Those coupled to membrane depolarization or intracellular release of calcium include the receptor-mediated activation of cytotoxic functions in granulocytes and the synaptic potentiation of protein kinase activation. Some signal transduction pathways may be part of larger signal transduction pathways; for example, protein kinase activation is part of the platelet activation signal pathway. Cell Signaling,Receptor-Mediated Signal Transduction,Signal Pathways,Receptor Mediated Signal Transduction,Signal Transduction Pathways,Signal Transduction Systems,Pathway, Signal,Pathway, Signal Transduction,Pathways, Signal,Pathways, Signal Transduction,Receptor-Mediated Signal Transductions,Signal Pathway,Signal Transduction Pathway,Signal Transduction System,Signal Transduction, Receptor-Mediated,Signal Transductions,Signal Transductions, Receptor-Mediated,System, Signal Transduction,Systems, Signal Transduction,Transduction, Signal,Transductions, Signal
D016207 Cytokines Non-antibody proteins secreted by inflammatory leukocytes and some non-leukocytic cells, that act as intercellular mediators. They differ from classical hormones in that they are produced by a number of tissue or cell types rather than by specialized glands. They generally act locally in a paracrine or autocrine rather than endocrine manner. Cytokine
D016212 Transforming Growth Factor beta A factor synthesized in a wide variety of tissues. It acts synergistically with TGF-alpha in inducing phenotypic transformation and can also act as a negative autocrine growth factor. TGF-beta has a potential role in embryonal development, cellular differentiation, hormone secretion, and immune function. TGF-beta is found mostly as homodimer forms of separate gene products TGF-beta1, TGF-beta2 or TGF-beta3. Heterodimers composed of TGF-beta1 and 2 (TGF-beta1.2) or of TGF-beta2 and 3 (TGF-beta2.3) have been isolated. The TGF-beta proteins are synthesized as precursor proteins. Bone-Derived Transforming Growth Factor,Platelet Transforming Growth Factor,TGF-beta,Milk Growth Factor,TGFbeta,Bone Derived Transforming Growth Factor,Factor, Milk Growth,Growth Factor, Milk
D051880 Receptors, Notch A family of conserved cell surface receptors that contain EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR repeats in their extracellular domain and ANKYRIN REPEATS in their cytoplasmic domains. The cytoplasmic domains are released upon ligand binding and translocate to the CELL NUCLEUS, where they act as transcription factors. Notch Protein,Notch Receptor,Notch Receptors,Notch Proteins,Protein, Notch,Receptor, Notch

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