The role of mesenchymal cells in cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract

The tumour microenvironment (TME) significantly influences tumour formation and progression through dynamic interactions. Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a highly desmoplastic tumour, lacks early diagnostic biomarkers and has limited effective treatments due to an incomplete understanding of its molecular pathogenesis. Investigating the TME's role in CCA progression could lead to better therapies. RNA sequencing was performed on seven CCA PDXs and their corresponding patient samples. Differential expression analysis was conducted, and Qiagen Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) was used to predict dysregulated pathways and upstream regulators. PDX and cell line-derived spheroids, with and without immortalised mesenchymal stem cells, were grown and analysed for morphology, growth, and viability. Histological analysis confirmed biliary phenotypes. RNA sequencing indicated upregulation of ECM-receptor interaction and PI3K-Akt pathways in the presence of MSCs, with several genes linked to poor survival. MSCs restored the activity of inhibited cancer-associated kinases (ICAKs). This study shows that adding MSCs to CCA spheroid models restores key paracrine signalling pathways lost in PDXs, enhancing tumour growth and viability. These findings highlight the importance of including stromal components in cancer models to improve pre-clinical studies.