2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) - ePosters-EP.02A.02 The Stroma Cell Function in the Border Region Between Lung Cancer and Normal Lung

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This study by the Department of General Thoracic Surgery at Kagoshima University investigates the role of stroma cells in the border region between lung cancer tissue and normal lung tissue. Recognizing this "border" area as a distinct region, researchers aimed to understand how stroma cells in this area differ from those in cancerous and normal lung tissues.<br /><br />The study involved sampling tissue from three female non-smokers who underwent lobectomy. Researchers cultured these tissues in vitro to observe gene and cytokine expression differences among stroma cells. The research focused on spindle-shaped, vimentin-positive, and cytokeratin-negative cells, identified as stroma cells.<br /><br />Within tumors, stroma cells were identified as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which were positive for α-SMA. These CAFs showed high expression of COL11A1 and TIMP-3 genes, which are associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, fostering cancer growth. Cytokine analysis revealed that CAFs cultured showed elevated levels of ECM-related factors like MMP-9 and TIMP-1.<br /><br />Interestingly, the study found significant distinctions in the cytokine expression profiles at the "border" region. Inflammatory cytokine GM-CSF and fibrinolytic cytokine uPA were more highly expressed in the border than in the tumor, hinting at a unique microenvironment in the border. The findings suggest that stroma cells in the border area are less influenced by lung cancer, in terms of both distance and exposure, compared to CAFs, resulting in distinct biological characteristics.<br /><br />In conclusion, the microenvironment of lung adenocarcinoma comprises varying stroma cell functions, with those in the "border" showing different properties than CAFs, which may have implications for tumor progression and potential therapeutic strategies.

Asset Subtitle

Go Kamimura

Meta Tag

Speaker Go Kamimura

Topic Tumor Biology – Preclinical Biology

Keywords

lung cancer

stroma cells

border region

Kagoshima University

cancer-associated fibroblasts

epithelial-mesenchymal transition

extracellular matrix

cytokine expression

tumor microenvironment

therapeutic strategies