Defining the Recruitment of Reactive Stroma Progenitor Cells to the Tumor Microenvironment of Human Prostate Cancer
Abstract
The reactive stroma microenvironment is important to prostate cancer, however specific mechanisms of its role in regulating prostate cancer progression are poorly understood. Human lung, breast, and colon carcinomas all exhibit alterations in the stromal compartment, yet the specific composition, the origin of reactive cells, and the factors that regulate this evolution are understudied. The myofibroblast appears to be a key component of carcinoma associated reactive stroma. This highly synthetic cell with a contractile phenotype is not observed in the normal human prostate and its appearance positively correlates with prostate cancer severity. Recent studies have suggested that myofibroblasts at sites of reactive stroma might originate from circulating "fibrocytes" linked to the hematopoietic lineage. CD34, a single chain transmembrane glycoprotein is important in homing and adhesion of hematopoietic progenitor cells. This cell surface marker is expressed by fibrocytes and is emerging as an important player in the normal wound repair response. Full thickness skin wounds showed robust recruitment of CD34+ to the dermis, with subsequent differentiation to myofibroblasts. Similarly, mouse lungs treated with allergen resulted in recruitment of circulating CD34+ progenitors to bronchial tissue where they subsequently differentiated to myofibroblasts. This study also showed allergic asthma patients had fibrocytes in bronchial mucosa that were positive for CD34, collagen I, and smooth muscle alpha actin, suggesting that progenitors were from circulating bone marrow derived cells.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA502157
Entities
People
- David Barron
Organizations
- Baylor College of Medicine