Effect of IL-11 stimulated by co-culture with CAF on metastasis of gastric cancer cells mediated by upregulation of MUC1.

Abstract

86 Background: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), as the activated fibroblasts in tumor stroma, are important modifiers of tumor progression. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the tumor-promoting properties of CAFs in gastric cancer remain unclear. Methods: We show that when CAFs co-cultured with gastric cancer cells, two kinds of cells produce significant amounts of interleukin-11 (IL-11). CAFs enhances the migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells through the secretion of IL-11 that activates JAK/STAT3 and MAPK/ERK pathways to upregulate MUC1 in gastric cancer cells, while deprivation of IL-11 using a neutralizing antibody or inhibition of JAK/STAT3 and MAPK/ERK pathway with specific inhibitor Stattic and PD-98059 markedly attenuates these phenotypes in gastric cancer cells induced by CAFs. Results: In this study, we find that CAFs in the tumor microenvironment promote the progression of gastric cancer through IL-11-JAK/STAT3 and MAPK/ERK signalings to upregulate MUC1. Conclusions: Taken together, these results suggest that CAFs promote the progression of gastric cancer and IL-11 targeted therapy could be a complementary approach against gastric cancer by exerting their action on stromal fibroblasts.