Stromal SLIT2 impacts on pancreatic cancer-associated neural remodeling

Cell Death Dis. 2015 Jan 15;6(1):e1592. doi: 10.1038/cddis.2014.557.

Abstract

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a critical health issue in the field of cancer, with few therapeutic options. Evidence supports an implication of the intratumoral microenvironment (stroma) on PDA progression. However, its contribution to the role of neuroplastic changes within the pathophysiology and clinical course of PDA, through tumor recurrence and neuropathic pain, remains unknown, neglecting a putative, therapeutic window. Here, we report that the intratumoral microenvironment is a mediator of PDA-associated neural remodeling (PANR), and we highlight factors such as 'SLIT2' (an axon guidance molecule), which is expressed by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), that impact on neuroplastic changes in human PDA. We showed that 'CAF-secreted SLIT2' increases neurite outgrowth from dorsal root ganglia neurons as well as from Schwann cell migration/proliferation by modulating N-cadherin/β-catenin signaling. Importantly, SLIT2/ROBO signaling inhibition disrupts this stromal/neural connection. Finally, we revealed that SLIT2 expression and CAFs are correlated with neural remodeling within human and mouse PDA. All together, our data demonstrate the implication of CAFs, through the secretion of axon guidance molecule, in PANR. Furthermore, it provides rationale to investigate the disruption of the stromal/neural compartment connection with SLIT2/ROBO inhibitors for the treatment of pancreatic cancer recurrence and pain.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Axons / drug effects
  • Axons / metabolism
  • Cadherins / metabolism
  • Cell Communication / drug effects
  • Cell Compartmentation / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Culture Media / pharmacology
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Fibroblasts / pathology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Mice, Nude
  • Models, Biological
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism*
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Neurons / pathology*
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / genetics
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Schwann Cells / drug effects
  • Schwann Cells / metabolism
  • Schwann Cells / pathology
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Stromal Cells / drug effects
  • Stromal Cells / metabolism
  • Stromal Cells / pathology
  • Transcriptome / genetics
  • Tumor Microenvironment / drug effects
  • Tumor Microenvironment / genetics
  • beta Catenin / metabolism

Substances

  • Cadherins
  • Culture Media
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • beta Catenin
  • Slit homolog 2 protein