Gold nanoparticles inhibit activation of cancer-associated fibroblasts by disrupting communication from tumor and microenvironmental cells

Yushan Zhang; Chandra Kumar Elechalawar; Md Nazir Hossen; Emmy R. Francek; Anindya Dey; Stefan Wilhelm; Resham Bhattacharya; Priyabrata Mukherjee

Bioactive Materials (Feb 2021)

Gold nanoparticles inhibit activation of cancer-associated fibroblasts by disrupting communication from tumor and microenvironmental cells

Yushan Zhang,
Chandra Kumar Elechalawar,
Md Nazir Hossen,
Emmy R. Francek,
Anindya Dey,
Stefan Wilhelm,
Resham Bhattacharya,
Priyabrata Mukherjee

Affiliations

Yushan Zhang: Department of Pathology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA; Peggy and Charles Stephenson Cancer Center, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
Chandra Kumar Elechalawar: Department of Pathology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA; Peggy and Charles Stephenson Cancer Center, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
Md Nazir Hossen: Department of Pathology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA; Peggy and Charles Stephenson Cancer Center, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
Emmy R. Francek: Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
Anindya Dey: Peggy and Charles Stephenson Cancer Center, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
Stefan Wilhelm: Peggy and Charles Stephenson Cancer Center, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA; Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA; Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Technology (IBEST), Norman, OK, 73019, USA
Resham Bhattacharya: Peggy and Charles Stephenson Cancer Center, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
Priyabrata Mukherjee: Department of Pathology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA; Peggy and Charles Stephenson Cancer Center, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA; Corresponding author. 975 NE 10th Street, BRC-1409B, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 6, no. 2
pp. 326 – 332

Abstract

Read online

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major constituent of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and an important contributor to cancer progression and therapeutic resistance. Regulation of CAF activation is a promising strategy to influence cancer outcomes. Here, we report that ovarian cancer cells (OCs) and TME cells promote the activation of ovarian CAFs, whereas gold nanoparticles (GNPs) of 20 nm in diameter inhibit the activation, as demonstrated by the changes in cell morphology, migration, and molecular markers. GNPs exert the effect by altering the levels of multiple fibroblast activation or inactivation proteins, such as TGF-β1, PDGF, uPA and TSP1, secreted by OCs and TME cells. Thus, GNPs represent a potential tool to help understand multicellular communications existing in the TME as well as devise strategies to disrupt the communication.

Published in Bioactive Materials

ISSN: 2452-199X (Online)
Publisher: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
Country of publisher: China
LCC subjects: Technology: Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering: Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials; Science: Biology (General)
Website: https://www.keaipublishing.com/en/journals/bioactive-materials/

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords