Three-dimensional tissue structure affects sensitivity of fibroblasts to TGF-beta 1.

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is known to induce alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) in fibroblasts and is supposed to play a role in myofibroblast differentiation and tumor desmoplasia. Our objective was to elucidate the impact of TGF-beta1 on alpha-SMA expression in fibroblasts in a three-dimensional (3-D) vs. two-dimensional (2-D) environment.

Three-dimensional fibroblast-tumor cell interaction causes downregulation of RACK1 mRNA expression in breast cancer cells in vitro.

Fibroblasts are the most abundant stromal cell type in desmoplastic ductal invasive breast tumors, are a substrate of tumor cell invasion and modify tumor cell behavior. However, the complex interaction between tumor cells and fibroblasts remains incompletely understood. Our aim was to identify candidate genes in tumor cells that are affected by fibroblasts and to reveal new molecules involved in this heterologous interaction.