Promotes the Growth and Metastasis of Colorectal Cancer by Activating E-Cadherin/Krüppel-Like Factor 4/Integrin α5 Signaling in a Calcium-Dependent Manner.

Gut microbiota and integrins are known to contribute to colorectal cancer (CRC), but whether they interact has been unclear. Here, we provided evidence that upregulated integrin α5 (ITGA5) in CRC in both human patients and murine models. Knocking down in CRC cells weakened the ability of to stimulate their malignant characteristics.

PDPN+ cancer-associated fibroblasts enhance gastric cancer angiogenesis via AKT/NF-κB activation and the CCL2-ACKR1 axis.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are intrinsic components of the tumor microenvironment that promote cancer progression and metastasis. Through an unbiased integrated analysis of gastric tumor grade and stage, we identified a subset of proangiogenic CAFs characterized by high podoplanin (PDPN) expression, which are significantly enriched in metastatic lesions and secrete chemokine (CC-motif) ligand 2 (CCL2). Mechanistically, PDPN(+) CAFs enhance angiogenesis by activating the AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway.