In pluricellular organism, intercellular communication is instrumental for the survival and the function of cells and to ensure the integrity of tissues. The exchange of information could occur through the transmission of electrical or chemical signals or through the transfer of portions of cell membrane, either after direct cell-cell contact (mechanisms of trogocytosis, nibbling and nanotubes) or by the secretion of small vesicles composed of a lipid bilayer containing transmembrane protein and enclosing soluble molecules. By cytofluorimetry, confocal microscopy and radiolabelled protein experiments we found that primary human fibroblasts transfer both proteins and lipids to cancer cells and to non-transformed cells. On the contrary, various lines of cancer cells are not able to perform this kind of effect, so this phenomenon is mainly unidirectional. Time-lapse confocal microscopy studies and radiolabelled protein experiments showed, respectively, that the passage of lipids and proteins could be mediated by cell-cell contact and/or through the transfer of small vesicles. These data in addition with proliferation tests, where we have shown that cancer cells increase their growth rate of 30–40% when co-cultured with primary human fibroblasts, suggest a novel role of stromal cells in the context of tumor microenvironment, that could represent a general property related to the trophic function of connective tissue. In fact, in the simplest hypothesis, the proteins and lipids transfer could not only promote cells survival but also enhances cells proliferation by increasing the rate of mass accumulation to the lower limit necessary for cell division.

New concepts about fibroblasts trophic function / Alice Santi; Anna Caselli; Francesco Ranaldi; Paolo Paoli; Massimo D'Amico; Stefano Stinziani; Paolo Cirri. - ELETTRONICO. - 280 s1:(2013), pp. 558-558. (Intervento presentato al convegno 38th FEBS Congress tenutosi a Saint Petersburg, Russia nel July 6–11, 2013) [10.1111/febs.12340].

New concepts about fibroblasts trophic function

SANTI, ALICE;CASELLI, ANNA;RANALDI, FRANCESCO;PAOLI, PAOLO;D'AMICO, MASSIMO;STINZIANI, STEFANO;CIRRI, PAOLO
2013

Abstract

In pluricellular organism, intercellular communication is instrumental for the survival and the function of cells and to ensure the integrity of tissues. The exchange of information could occur through the transmission of electrical or chemical signals or through the transfer of portions of cell membrane, either after direct cell-cell contact (mechanisms of trogocytosis, nibbling and nanotubes) or by the secretion of small vesicles composed of a lipid bilayer containing transmembrane protein and enclosing soluble molecules. By cytofluorimetry, confocal microscopy and radiolabelled protein experiments we found that primary human fibroblasts transfer both proteins and lipids to cancer cells and to non-transformed cells. On the contrary, various lines of cancer cells are not able to perform this kind of effect, so this phenomenon is mainly unidirectional. Time-lapse confocal microscopy studies and radiolabelled protein experiments showed, respectively, that the passage of lipids and proteins could be mediated by cell-cell contact and/or through the transfer of small vesicles. These data in addition with proliferation tests, where we have shown that cancer cells increase their growth rate of 30–40% when co-cultured with primary human fibroblasts, suggest a novel role of stromal cells in the context of tumor microenvironment, that could represent a general property related to the trophic function of connective tissue. In fact, in the simplest hypothesis, the proteins and lipids transfer could not only promote cells survival but also enhances cells proliferation by increasing the rate of mass accumulation to the lower limit necessary for cell division.
2013
FEBS JOURNAL
38th FEBS Congress
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Alice Santi; Anna Caselli; Francesco Ranaldi; Paolo Paoli; Massimo D'Amico; Stefano Stinziani; Paolo Cirri
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Santi 2013 FEBS J.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: Altro
Licenza: Open Access
Dimensione 88.36 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
88.36 kB Adobe PDF

I documenti in FLORE sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificatore per citare o creare un link a questa risorsa: https://hdl.handle.net/2158/823421
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact