Overview
Tumour cells co-opt stromal cells to secrete signals, which in turn expand the signalling network tumour cells can engage. Due to the complexity of the tumour microenvironment, we interrogated how stromal reciprocal signals depend on the stromal cellular composition.
Interestingly, stromal fibroblasts behave in a highly adaptive manner to change the secreted signals depending on the cellular composition. Specifically, tumour cell secreted GM-CSF induces macrophages to secrete Oncostatin M (OSM), which in turn induce fibroblasts to produce multiple pro-tumorigenic inflammatory signals.
This ensuing signalling environment induce a more mesenchymal tumour cell phenotype. Consequently, blocking OSM signalling in vivo reduce tumour growth and metastasis.
