Crosstalk Between Macrophages and Breast Cancer Cells: Networking Within Tumors.

Tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) are one of the most prominent immune cells in the breast tumor microenvironment (TME). TAMs are categorised into classically activated anti-tumorigenic M1 and alternatively activated pro-tumorigenic M2 macrophages. TAMs are known to promote cancer pathogenesis by facilitating cancer cell and cancer stem cell growth, angiogenesis, immune evasion, invasion, and migration.

Macrophage-conditioned medium enhances tunneling nanotube formation in breast cancer cells via PKC, Src, NF-κB, and p38 MAPK signaling.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) secrete cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors in the tumor microenvironment (TME) to support cancer progression. Higher TAM infiltration in the breast TME is associated with a poor prognosis. Previous studies have demonstrated the role of macrophages in stimulating long-range intercellular bridges referred to as tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) in cancer cells.

Integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of microplasts derived from macrophage-conditioned medium-treated MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Microplasts are large extracellular vesicles originating from migratory, invasive, and metastatic cancer cells. Here, to gain insight into the role of microplasts in cancer progression, we performed a proteomic and transcriptomic characterization of microplasts isolated from MCF-7 breast cancer cells treated with macrophage-conditioned medium. These cells were found to be viable, highly migratory, and metabolically active, indicating that microplasts derived from these cells are not apoptotic bodies.

Prognosis of metastasis based on age and serum analytes after follow-up of non-metastatic lung cancer patients.

At the diagnostic stage, metastasis detection is around 75% in the lung cancer patients. Major clinical challenge faced by medical oncologists is the unpredictable metastasis development in non-metastatic patients. The literature regarding the biomarkers/factors prognosticating metastasis in non-metastatic patients during follow-up is very limited.

Fibronectin and laminin enhance engraftibility of cultured hematopoietic stem cells.

To test the hypothesis that extracellular matrix (ECM) components maintain stem cell property, murine bone marrow (BM) cells were expanded in fibronectin and laminin coated plate in the presence of cytokines. We observed significant phenotypic and functional improvement of expanded cells. In 10 days, 800-fold expansion of colony-forming unit-granulocyte erythrocyte monocyte megakaryocyte (CFU-GEMM) was observed in the cultured cells.