RRC ID 83362
Author Ishihara N, Koma YI, Omori M, Komatsu S, Torigoe R, Yokoo H, Nakanishi T, Yamanaka K, Azumi Y, Tsukamoto S, Kodama T, Nishio M, Shigeoka M, Yokozaki H, Fukumoto T.
Title Chemokine (C-C Motif) Ligand 2/CCR2/Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Signal Induced through Cancer Cell-Macrophage Interaction Contributes to Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression.
Journal Am J Pathol
Abstract Tumor-infiltrating macrophages, known as tumor-associated macrophages, play a crucial role in the tumor microenvironment. Herein, immunohistochemistry revealed that intratumoral CD68-positive macrophages are associated with poor prognosis and clinicopathologic factors in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Subsequently, an indirect co-culture system involving HCC cells and peripheral blood-derived macrophages was developed. cDNA microarray analysis revealed that chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) was highly expressed in HCC cells co-cultured with macrophages. CCL2 neutralization suppressed proliferation, migration, and phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) in HCC cells and macrophages enhanced through co-culture. In contrast, recombinant human CCL2 (rhCCL2) addition facilitated these malignant phenotypes and increased Erk phosphorylation levels in HCC cells and macrophages. The primary CCL2 receptor, CCR2, was expressed in HCC cells and macrophages and was up-regulated in co-cultured HCC cells. CCR2 inhibition suppressed malignant phenotypes and reduced phosphorylated levels of Erk enhanced by rhCCL2. Additionally, the inhibition of Erk signal suppressed rhCCL2-enhanced malignant phenotypes. Moreover, serum CCL2 levels were higher in patients with HCC than those in healthy donors. On the basis of immunohistochemistry, CCL2-positive cases with high CCR2 expression and phosphorylated Erk-positive cases exhibited poor survival outcomes. Therefore, CCL2 up-regulation through interactions between HCC cells and macrophages contributed to HCC progression, making the CCL2/CCR2/Erk signal a potential target for HCC treatment.
Volume 195(3)
Pages 589-608
Published 2025-3-1
DOI 10.1016/j.ajpath.2024.12.007
PII S0002-9440(24)00480-2
PMID 39756577
PMC PMC12179538
MeSH Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* / metabolism Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* / pathology Cell Communication Cell Line, Tumor Cell Movement Cell Proliferation Chemokine CCL2* / metabolism Coculture Techniques Disease Progression Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases* / metabolism Female Humans Liver Neoplasms* / metabolism Liver Neoplasms* / pathology MAP Kinase Signaling System Macrophages* / metabolism Macrophages* / pathology Male Middle Aged Receptors, CCR2* / metabolism Signal Transduction Tumor Microenvironment Tumor-Associated Macrophages* / metabolism Tumor-Associated Macrophages* / pathology
IF 3.491
Resource
Human and Animal Cells Hep G2 HuH-7