Unique metabolic features of pancreatic cancer stroma: Relevance to the tumor compartment, prognosis, and invasive potential

Erik S. Knudsen, Uthra Balaji, Elizaveta Freinkman, Peter McCue, Agnieszka K. Witkiewicz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

43 Scopus citations

Abstract

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a dismal prognosis. The aggressiveness and therapeutic recalcitrance of this malignancy has been attributed to multiple factors including the influence of an active desmoplastic stroma. How the stromal microenvironment of PDAC contributes to the fatal nature of this disease is not well defined. In the analysis of clinical specimens, we observed diverse expression of the hypoxic marker carbonic anhydrase IX and the lactate transporter MCT4 in the stromal compartment. These stromal features were associated with the epithelial to mesenchymal phenotype in PDAC tumor cells, and with shorter patient survival. Cultured cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) derived from primary PDAC exhibited a high basal level of hypoxia inducible factor 1a (HIF1a) that was both required and sufficient to modulate the expression of MCT4. This event was associated with increased transcription and protein synthesis of HIF1a in CAFs relative to PDAC cell lines, while surprisingly the protein turnover rate was equivalent. CAFs utilized glucose predominantly for glycolytic intermediates, whereas glutamine was the preferred metabolite for the TCA cycle. Unlike PDAC cell lines, CAFs were resistant to glucose withdrawal but sensitive to glutamine depletion. Consistent with the lack of reliance on glucose, CAFs could survive the acute depletion of MCT4. In co-culture and xenograft studies CAFs stimulated the invasive potential and metastatic spread of PDAC cell lines through a mechanism dependent on HIF1a and MCT4. Together, these data indicate that stromal metabolic features influence PDAC tumor cells to promote invasiveness and metastatic potential and associate with poor outcome in patients with PDAC.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)78396-78411
Number of pages16
JournalOncotarget
Volume7
Issue number48
DOIs
StatePublished - 2016

Keywords

  • Hypoxia
  • Lactate
  • Metastasis
  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Tumor metabolism

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Unique metabolic features of pancreatic cancer stroma: Relevance to the tumor compartment, prognosis, and invasive potential'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this