Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Short Communication
  • Published:

Tumor resident mesenchymal stromal cells endow naïve stromal cells with tumor-promoting properties

Abstract

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (BM-MSCs) can infiltrate into tumors and subsequently evolve into tumor resident MSCs in tumor microenvironment. In this study, using a mouse lymphoma model, we showed that the lymphoma resident MSCs (L-MSCs) are able to confer tumor-promoting property to the naïve cocultured BM-MSCs. Examination of cytokines and chemokines showed that post exposure to L-MSCs, BM-MSCs acquired an expression profile that is similar to that in L-MSCs. In vivo, BM-MSCs educated by L-MSCs (BM-L-MSCs) possess a greatly enhanced ability in promoting lymphoma growth. Consistent with an elevated CCL-2 expression in BM-L-MSCs, the tumor-promoting effect of BM-L-MSCs largely depends on CCR2-mediated macrophage recruitment to tumor sites. We further showed that the transmission of tumor-promoting effect is partially mediated by soluble factors. Our findings thus revealed a novel reinforcing mechanism in the maintenance of tumor microenvironment.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

BM-MSCs:

bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells

L-MSCs:

lymphoma-derived mesenchymal stromal cells

BM-L-MSCs:

BM-MSCs after coculture with L-MSCs

References

  1. Hanahan D, Coussens LM . Accessories to the crime: functions of cells recruited to the tumor microenvironment. Cancer Cell 2012; 21: 309–322.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Karnoub AE, Dash AB, Vo AP, Sullivan A, Brooks MW, Bell GW et al. Mesenchymal stem cells within tumour stroma promote breast cancer metastasis. Nature 2007; 449: 557–563.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Ren G, Zhao X, Wang Y, Zhang X, Chen X, Xu C et al. CCR2-dependent recruitment of macrophages by tumor-educated mesenchymal stromal cells promotes tumor development and is mimicked by TNFalpha. Cell Stem Cell 2012; 11: 812–824.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Swartz MA, Iida N, Roberts EW, Sangaletti S, Wong MH, Yull FE et al. Tumor microenvironment complexity: emerging roles in cancer therapy. Cancer Res 2012; 72: 2473–2480.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Hanahan D, Weinberg RA . Hallmarks of cancer: the next generation. Cell 2011; 144: 646–674.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Mitra AK, Zillhardt M, Hua Y, Tiwari P, Murmann AE, Peter ME et al. MicroRNAs reprogram normal fibroblasts into cancer-associated fibroblasts in ovarian cancer. Cancer Discov 2012; 2: 1100–1108.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Erez N, Truitt M, Olson P, Arron ST, Hanahan D . Cancer-associated fibroblasts are activated in incipient neoplasia to orchestrate tumor-promoting inflammation in an NF-kappaB-dependent manner. Cancer Cell 2010; 17: 135–147.

    CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Grivennikov SI, Greten FR, Karin M . Immunity, inflammation, and cancer. Cell 2010; 140: 883–899.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Studeny M, Marini FC, Dembinski JL, Zompetta C, Cabreira-Hansen M, Bekele BN et al. Mesenchymal stem cells: potential precursors for tumor stroma and targeted-delivery vehicles for anticancer agents. J Natl Cancer Inst 2004; 96: 1593–1603.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Spaeth EL, Dembinski JL, Sasser AK, Watson K, Klopp A, Hall B et al. Mesenchymal stem cell transition to tumor-associated fibroblasts contributes to fibrovascular network expansion and tumor progression. PLoS One 2009; 4: e4992.

    Article  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Kabashima-Niibe A, Higuchi H, Takaishi H, Masugi Y, Matsuzaki Y, Mabuchi Y et al. Mesenchymal stem cells regulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition and tumor progression of pancreatic cancer cells. Cancer Sci 2013; 104: 157–164.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. McLean K, Gong Y, Choi Y, Deng N, Yang K, Bai S et al. Human ovarian carcinoma-associated mesenchymal stem cells regulate cancer stem cells and tumorigenesis via altered BMP production. J Clin Invest 2011; 121: 3206–3219.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Li HJ, Reinhardt F, Herschman HR, Weinberg RA . Cancer-stimulated mesenchymal stem cells create a carcinoma stem cell niche via prostaglandin E2 signaling. Cancer Discov 2012; 2: 840–855.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Djouad F, Plence P, Bony C, Tropel P, Apparailly F, Sany J et al. Immunosuppressive effect of mesenchymal stem cells favors tumor growth in allogeneic animals. Blood 2003; 102: 3837–3844.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Goldstein RH, Reagan MR, Anderson K, Kaplan DL, Rosenblatt M . Human bone marrow-derived MSCs can home to orthotopic breast cancer tumors and promote bone metastasis. Cancer Res 2010; 70: 10044–10050.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Guilloton F, Caron G, Menard C, Pangault C, Ame-Thomas P, Dulong J et al. Mesenchymal stromal cells orchestrate follicular lymphoma cell niche through the CCL2-dependent recruitment and polarization of monocytes. Blood 2012; 119: 2556–2567.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Mantovani A, Allavena P, Sica A, Balkwill F . Cancer-related inflammation. Nature 2008; 454: 436–444.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Ren G, Zhang L, Zhao X, Xu G, Zhang Y, Roberts AI et al. Mesenchymal stem cell-mediated immunosuppression occurs via concerted action of chemokines and nitric oxide. Cell Stem Cell 2008; 2: 141–150.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from National Institutes of Health of the United States of America (GM866889, DE014913, DE019932 and ES005022), Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2010CB945600 and 2011DFA30630) and a grant from the Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey. We would also like to thank the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Grant 67038) for their support of the Child Health Institute of New Jersey.

Author contributions

GR and YL designed the research, collected data, analyzed and interpreted data and drafted the manuscript. XZ, JZ, BZ, YZ, LZ and XQ collected data, analyzed and interpreted data. JT, CS and YS designed the research, analyzed and interpreted data, and drafted the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to C Shao or Y Shi.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Supplementary Information accompanies this paper on the Oncogene website

Supplementary information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ren, G., Liu, Y., Zhao, X. et al. Tumor resident mesenchymal stromal cells endow naïve stromal cells with tumor-promoting properties. Oncogene 33, 4016–4020 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/onc.2013.387

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/onc.2013.387

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links