Identification and validation of an ECM organization-related gene signature as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for glioma patients

Zhong, Qian; Zhong, Qiu‐Yue; Xi, Cai; Wu, Renrui

doi:10.1007/s13258-023-01413-6

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 43 publications

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“…ECM regulators such as COL5A3, ECM1, TNXB, COL13A1, SERPINE1, TGFB1, and BMP2 were all upregulated on stiff matrices as compared to the soft ones. 39 Additionally, lysyl oxidase (LOX) family genes, including LOX, LOXL1, and LOXL2, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), including MMP1, MMP7, and MMP9, were also upregulated in spheroids cultured in stiff substrates. The LOX family proteins are major molecules contributing to matrix cross-linking, which is critical for stiffening cancer tissue.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Three-dimensional matrix stiffness modulates mechanosensitive and phenotypic alterations in oral squamous cell carcinoma spheroids

Sheth,

Sharma,

Lehn

et al. 2024

APL Bioengineering

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Extracellular biophysical cues such as matrix stiffness are key stimuli tuning cell fate and affecting tumor progression in vivo. However, it remains unclear how cancer spheroids in a 3D microenvironment perceive matrix mechanical stiffness stimuli and translate them into intracellular signals driving progression. Mechanosensitive Piezo1 and TRPV4 ion channels, upregulated in many malignancies, are major transducers of such physical stimuli into biochemical responses. Most mechanotransduction studies probing the reception of changing stiffness cues by cells are, however, still limited to 2D culture systems or cell-extracellular matrix models, which lack the major cell–cell interactions prevalent in 3D cancer tumors. Here, we engineered a 3D spheroid culture environment with varying mechanobiological properties to study the effect of static matrix stiffness stimuli on mechanosensitive and malignant phenotypes in oral squamous cell carcinoma spheroids. We find that spheroid growth is enhanced when cultured in stiff extracellular matrix. We show that the protein expression of mechanoreceptor Piezo1 and stemness marker CD44 is upregulated in stiff matrix. We also report the upregulation of a selection of genes with associations to mechanoreception, ion channel transport, extracellular matrix organization, and tumorigenic phenotypes in stiff matrix spheroids. Together, our results indicate that cancer cells in 3D spheroids utilize mechanosensitive ion channels Piezo1 and TRPV4 as means to sense changes in static extracellular matrix stiffness, and that stiffness drives pro-tumorigenic phenotypes in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%