Signaling components that travel between and transformed and nontransformed cells by microvesicles

Abstract

Communication between transformed and nontransformed cells is a critical process that regulates every stage of carcinogenesis. This reality is underscored by recent findings that mitochondrial DNA can transfer from normal host cells to xenograft cancer cells in order to help drive tumor cell metastasis. While the importance of stromal-tumor cell communication has been known for many decades, mechanisms that underlie these interactions have not been clearly elucidated. Exosomes and microvesicles have emerged as vehicles by which neighboring cells transfer information to control each other's behavior. Exosomes and microvesicles are small lipid encapsulated structures that travel outside of the cells and into neighboring cells, respectively. However, actual signals mediated by these dynamic structures have not been explored. We propose to elucidate fundamental processes by which exosomes and microvesicles form, as well as signals they transfer between transformed and nontransformed cells. Results from this colaboration could lead to novel methods to detect and treat a wide array of malignancies including oral, lung, ovary and breast cancer. (AU)