Myofibroblast activation in colorectal cancer lymph node metastases.

BACKGROUND: Myofibroblasts have an important role in regulating the normal colorectal stem cell niche. While the activation of myofibroblasts in primary colorectal cancers has been previously described, myofibroblast activation in lymph node metastases has not been described before. METHODS: Paraffi...

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Main Authors: Yeung, T, Buskens, C, Wang, L, Mortensen, N, Bodmer, W
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2013
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author Yeung, T
Buskens, C
Wang, L
Mortensen, N
Bodmer, W
author_facet Yeung, T
Buskens, C
Wang, L
Mortensen, N
Bodmer, W
author_sort Yeung, T
collection OXFORD
description BACKGROUND: Myofibroblasts have an important role in regulating the normal colorectal stem cell niche. While the activation of myofibroblasts in primary colorectal cancers has been previously described, myofibroblast activation in lymph node metastases has not been described before. METHODS: Paraffin-embedded lymph node sections from patients with macrometastases, micrometastases and isolated tumour cells were stained to identify myofibroblasts and to characterise the distribution of different cell types in tumour-containing lymph nodes. The extent of myofibroblast presence was quantified and compared with the size of the metastasis and degree of proliferation and differentiation of the cancer cells. RESULTS: We show substantial activation of myofibroblasts in the presence of colorectal metastases in lymph nodes, which is intimately associated with glandular structures, both in micro- and macrometastases. The degree of activation is positively associated with the size of the metastases and the proportion of Ki67+ve cancer cells, and negatively associated with the degree of enterocyte differentiation as measured by CK20 expression. CONCLUSION: The substantial activation of myofibroblasts in tumour-containing lymph nodes strongly suggests that these metastatic cancer cells are still significantly dependent on their microenvironment. Further understanding of these epithelial-mesenchymal interactions could lead to the development of new therapies in metastatic disease.
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spelling oxford-uuid:1a35c253-1be1-435a-af62-5c2792d63d962022-03-26T10:53:29ZMyofibroblast activation in colorectal cancer lymph node metastases.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:1a35c253-1be1-435a-af62-5c2792d63d96EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2013Yeung, TBuskens, CWang, LMortensen, NBodmer, WBACKGROUND: Myofibroblasts have an important role in regulating the normal colorectal stem cell niche. While the activation of myofibroblasts in primary colorectal cancers has been previously described, myofibroblast activation in lymph node metastases has not been described before. METHODS: Paraffin-embedded lymph node sections from patients with macrometastases, micrometastases and isolated tumour cells were stained to identify myofibroblasts and to characterise the distribution of different cell types in tumour-containing lymph nodes. The extent of myofibroblast presence was quantified and compared with the size of the metastasis and degree of proliferation and differentiation of the cancer cells. RESULTS: We show substantial activation of myofibroblasts in the presence of colorectal metastases in lymph nodes, which is intimately associated with glandular structures, both in micro- and macrometastases. The degree of activation is positively associated with the size of the metastases and the proportion of Ki67+ve cancer cells, and negatively associated with the degree of enterocyte differentiation as measured by CK20 expression. CONCLUSION: The substantial activation of myofibroblasts in tumour-containing lymph nodes strongly suggests that these metastatic cancer cells are still significantly dependent on their microenvironment. Further understanding of these epithelial-mesenchymal interactions could lead to the development of new therapies in metastatic disease.
spellingShingle Yeung, T
Buskens, C
Wang, L
Mortensen, N
Bodmer, W
Myofibroblast activation in colorectal cancer lymph node metastases.
title Myofibroblast activation in colorectal cancer lymph node metastases.
title_full Myofibroblast activation in colorectal cancer lymph node metastases.
title_fullStr Myofibroblast activation in colorectal cancer lymph node metastases.
title_full_unstemmed Myofibroblast activation in colorectal cancer lymph node metastases.
title_short Myofibroblast activation in colorectal cancer lymph node metastases.
title_sort myofibroblast activation in colorectal cancer lymph node metastases
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AT buskensc myofibroblastactivationincolorectalcancerlymphnodemetastases
AT wangl myofibroblastactivationincolorectalcancerlymphnodemetastases
AT mortensenn myofibroblastactivationincolorectalcancerlymphnodemetastases
AT bodmerw myofibroblastactivationincolorectalcancerlymphnodemetastases