Metabolomics technology reveals that fibroblast that have exited the proliferative cell cycle nevertheless utilize glucose throughout central carbon metabolism and rely on the pentose phosphate pathway for viability.

Purpose Breast carcinomas, including basal and hereditary cases, often present with a prominent tumoral lymphocytic infiltrate (LI). Chemokines could play a role in attracting these cells and contribute to tumor progression. We explored tumoral expression of CXCL10 and determined the relationship between CXCL10 and LI in a cohort of breast cancers. Experimental Design Using tissue microarrays of 364 breast tumors we evaluated expression of CXCL10 and its receptor, CXCR3, in relation to histopathologic features, biomarkers and lymphocyte markers. Additionally, we overexpressed CXCL10 and CXCR3 in MCF7 breast cancer cells and monitored T-lymphocyte migration and invasion. Results Forty-five percent of tumors expressed CXCL10 and a significant association was found with CXCR3 and LI. Further characterization of the LI revealed an association with CXCL10 expression for peritumoral CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes. CD8+ intratumoral lymphocytes, FOXP3+ Tregs and T-BET+ Th1 cells were associated with BRCA1 and basal tumors. Conditioned media from MCF7 cells overexpressing both CXCL10 and CXCR3 increased T-lymphocyte migration and invasion. Conclusions Our findings suggest that CXCL10 may act in a paracrine manner, affecting the tumor microenvironment, and in an autocrine manner, acting on the tumor cells themselves and may play a role in tumor invasiveness and progression. The CXCL10-CXCR3 axis can serve as a potential target in BRCA1 and basal breast cancers which present with a prominent LI and a poor prognosis.

The ability to create cell-derived decellularized matrices in a dish gives researchers the opportunity to possess a bioactive, biocompatible material made up of fibrillar proteins and other factors that recapitulates key features of the native structure and composition of in vivo microenvironments. By using cells in a culture system to provide a natural ECM, decellularization allows for a high degree of customization through the introduction of selected proteins and soluble factors. The culture system, culture medium, cell types, and physical environments can be varied to provide specialized ECMs for wide-ranging applications to study cell-ECM signaling, cell migration, cell differentiation, and tissue engineering purposes. This chapter describes a procedure for performing a detergent and high pH-based extraction that leaves the native, cell-assembled ECM intact while removing cellular materials. We address common evaluation methods for assessing the ECM and its composition as well as potential uses for a decellularized ECM.

Proteasome inhibition is an approved cancer therapy. Quiescent fibroblasts are much more resistant to proteasome inhibition–induced death than proliferating fibroblasts. Mechanisms that protect quiescent fibroblasts include autophagy/lysosomal pathways, diminished aggresome formation, and detoxification of reactive oxygen species.