Periostin secreted by cancer-associated fibroblasts promotes cancer stemness in head and neck cancer by activating protein tyrosine kinase 7

Cell Death Dis. 2018 Oct 22;9(11):1082. doi: 10.1038/s41419-018-1116-6.

Abstract

Protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7) and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play important roles in cancer stemness, respectively. However, little is known about interaction between CAFs and PTK7 in cancers. In this study, we showed that PTK7 was significantly correlated with the Wnt/β-Catenin pathway and aggressive clinicopathologic features in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Meanwhile, animal experiments showed that PTK7 enhanced chemoresistance and lung metastasis of HNSCC in vivo. In addition, co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) assay demonstrated that POSTN secreted by CAFs was a potential upstream ligand of PTK7 which might act as a receptor. Further analysis revealed that POSTN promoted the cancer stem cell (CSC)-like phenotype via PTK7-Wnt/β-Catenin signaling, including the proliferation and invasion of HNSCC cells in vitro, as well as tumor initiation and progression in vivo. Collectively, our study proved that CAF-derived POSTN might promote cancer stemness via interacting with PTK7 in HNSCC, suggesting that the combination of POSTN and PTK7 might be a potential prognostic and diagnostic indicator and a promising therapeutic target.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Retracted Publication

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts / metabolism*
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules / metabolism*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / physiology
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / metabolism
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / pathology
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / pathology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / metabolism*
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / pathology
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck / metabolism
  • Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck / pathology
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway / physiology
  • beta Catenin / metabolism

Substances

  • Cell Adhesion Molecules
  • POSTN protein, human
  • beta Catenin
  • PTK7 protein, human
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases