The cross talk between gastric cancer stem cells and the immune microenvironment: a tumor-promoting factor
Por:
Becerril-Rico, Jared., Alvarado-Ortiz, Eduardo, Toledo-Guzman, Mariel E., Pelayo, Rosana, Ortiz-Sanchez, Elizabeth
Publicada:
9 sep 2021
Resumen:
Cross talk between cancer cells and the immune system is determinant for
cancer progression. Emerging evidence demonstrates that GC
characteristics such as metastasis, treatment resistance, and disease
recurrence are associated with a tumor subpopulation called gastric
cancer stem cells (GCSCs). However, the specific interaction between
GCSCs and the immune microenvironment is still under investigation.
Although immune evasion has been well described for cancer stem cells
(CSCs), recent studies show that GCSCs can also regulate the immune
system and even benefit from it. This review will provide an overview of
bidirectional interactions between CSCs and immune cells in GC,
compiling relevant data about how CSCs can induce leukocyte
reprogramming, resulting in pro-tumoral immune cells that orchestrate
promotion of metastasis, chemoresistance, tumorigenicity, and even
increase in number of cancer cells with stem properties. Some immune
cells studied are tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), neutrophils, Th17
and T regulatory (T-reg) cells, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and
cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), as well as the signaling pathways
involved in these pro-tumoral activities. Conversely, although there are
cytotoxic leukocytes that can potentially eliminate GCSCs, we describe
mechanisms for immune evasion in GCSCs and their clinical implications.
Furthermore, we describe current available immunotherapy targeting
GCSC-related markers as possible treatment for GC, discussing how the
CSC-modified immune microenvironment can mitigate or inactivate these
immunotherapies, limiting their effectiveness. Finally, we summarize key
concepts and relevant evidence to understand the cross talk between
GCSCs and the immune microenvironment as an important process for
effective design of therapies against GCSCs that improve the outcome of
patients with GC.
Filiaciones:
Subdirección de Investigación Básica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Secretaría de Salud, Ciudad de México, Mexico
Programa de Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, Mexico
Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Oriente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Delegación Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
All Open Access, Gold
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