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Updated: Jun 19, 2025

A Mouse Model to Investigate the Role of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Tumor Growth
Published on: December 22, 2020
Fibroblasts Promote Resistance to KRAS Silencing in Colorectal Cancer Cells
Susana Mendonça Oliveira1,2,3,4, Patrícia Dias Carvalho1,2,5, André Serra-Roma1,2
1i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) can drive resistance to KRAS-targeted therapy in colorectal cancer (CRC). CAF secretomes restore cancer stem cell markers and promote tumor-promoting pathways, suggesting external factors contribute to treatment failure.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cancer Biology
- Molecular Targeted Therapy
Background:
- Colorectal cancer (CRC) exhibits limited response to KRAS-targeted therapies.
- Mechanisms underlying resistance to KRAS inhibition in CRC are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) secretome in mediating resistance to KRAS silencing in CRC.
- To explore how CAF-secreted factors influence cancer stem cell properties and signaling pathways in KRAS-silenced CRC cells.
Main Methods:
- CRC cell lines (HCT15, HCT116, SW480) were cultured in normal or CAF-conditioned media.
- Flow cytometry analyzed stem cell marker expression (CD24, CD49f, CD104).
- Sphere formation assays assessed stem cell potential.
- RNA sequencing (RNAseq) analyzed gene expression in KRAS-silenced cells treated with CAF-conditioned media.
Main Results:
- KRAS silencing reduced stem cell marker expression and sphere-forming efficiency.
- CAF-secreted factors reversed these effects, restoring stem cell markers and increasing stemness.
- RNAseq revealed CAF factors up-regulated pro-tumorigenic pathways (KRAS, TGFβ, NOTCH, WNT, MYC, EMT) in KRAS-silenced cells.
Conclusions:
- Resistance to KRAS-targeted inhibition in CRC may involve both cell-intrinsic factors and external signals from the tumor microenvironment, specifically CAF secretomes.
- Fibroblast-secreted factors can promote stemness and activate oncogenic pathways, contributing to therapeutic resistance.
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