ArticleBiochimica et biophysica acta. General subjects2018
Transforming growth factor-β modulates pancreatic cancer associated fibroblasts cell shape, stiffness and invasion.
Article in Biochimica et biophysica acta. General subjects, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 57 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
57 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 100 citations in OpenAlex.
- 3DACS biomaterials science & engineering · 2023Pooled it
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- Uniform pore morphology of bijel-templated materials reduces cell circularity and inflammatory expression of macrophages.Materials today. Bio · 2026Article
- Single-Cell Morphomechanics of Prostate Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Identifies Distinct Features Associated with Patient Outcome.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Cancer cells metastasize in several types of cancer via two distinct routes, probably based on mechanical signals.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2026Review
- Pancreatic cancer-associated myofibroblasts: a review.International journal of biological sciences · 2026Review
- Cancer-associated fibroblast heterogeneity and its role in reshaping immunotherapy in solid cancers: potential strategies and clinical promise.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2026Review
- Atomic Force Microscopy-Based Nanomechanical Signatures for Staging Classification and Drug Response in Pulmonary Fibrosis.Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) · 2025Article
- Understanding and measuring mechanical signals in the tumor stroma.FEBS open bio · 2025Review
- The Young's Modulus as a Mechanical Biomarker in AFM Experiments: A Tool for Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Monitoring.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Mechanical forces in the tumor microenvironment: roles, pathways, and therapeutic approaches.Journal of translational medicine · 2025Review
- Review
- Viscosity regulates cell spreading and cell-extracellular matrix interactions.The FEBS journal · 2025Article
- The mechanopathology of the tumor microenvironment: detection techniques, molecular mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2025Review
- Bilayer 3D co-culture platform inducing the differentiation of normal fibroblasts into cancer-associated fibroblast like cells: New in vitro source to obtain cancer-associated fibroblasts.Bioengineering & translational medicine · 2025Article
- TGF-β Signaling Loop in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Activates Fibroblasts and Increases Tumor Cell Aggressiveness.Cancers · 2024Article
- CLIP170 inhibits the metastasis and EMT of papillary thyroid cancer through the TGF-β pathway.Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) · 2024Article
- Molecular profile of metastasis, cell plasticity and EMT in pancreatic cancer: a pre-clinical connection to aggressiveness and drug resistance.Cancer metastasis reviews · 2024Review
- PHB2 alleviates retinal pigment epithelium cell fibrosis by suppressing the AGE-RAGE pathway.Open life sciences · 2024Article
- Vascular endothelial cellular mechanics under hyperglycemia and its role in tissue regeneration.Regenerative biomaterials · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundTumor microenvironment consists of the extracellular matrix (ECM), stromal cells, such as fibroblasts (FBs) and cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and a myriad of soluble factors. In many tumor types, including pancreatic tumors, the interplay between stromal cells and the other tumor microenvironment components leads to desmoplasia, a cancer-specific type of fibrosis that hinders treatment. Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and CAFs are thought to play a crucial role in this tumor desmoplastic reaction, although the involved mechanisms are unknown.
methodsOptical/fluorescence microscopy, atomic force microscopy, image processing techniques, invasion assay in 3D collagen I gels and real-time PCR were employed to investigate the effect of TGF-β on normal pancreatic FBs and CAFs with regard to crucial cellular morphodynamic characteristics and relevant gene expression involved in tumor progression and metastasis.
resultsCAFs present specific myofibroblast-like characteristics, such as α-smooth muscle actin expression and cell elongation, they also form more lamellipodia and are softer than FBs. TGF-β treatment increases cell stiffness (Young's modulus) of both FBs and CAFs and increases CAF's (but not FB's) elongation, cell spreading, lamellipodia formation and spheroid invasion. Gene expression analysis shows that these morphodynamic characteristics are mediated by Rac, RhoA and ROCK expression in CAFs treated with TGF-β.
conclusionsTGF-β modulates CAFs', but not FBs', cell shape, stiffness and invasion. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings elucidate on the effects of TGF-β on CAFs' behavior and stiffness providing new insights into the mechanisms involved.
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