Partial acquisition of stemness properties in tumorspheres obtained from interleukin-8-treated MCF-7 cells

The interleukin-8 is an important regulator of the tumor microenvironment, promoting the epithelial–mesenchymal transition and the acquisition of stem-like cell properties in cancer cells. The tumorsphere-formation assay has been used for the identification of cancer stem cell. Interleukin-8 induces...

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Main Authors: Natalia Ospina-Muñoz, Jean-Paul Vernot
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2020-12-01
Series:Tumor Biology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/1010428320979438
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author Natalia Ospina-Muñoz
Jean-Paul Vernot
author_facet Natalia Ospina-Muñoz
Jean-Paul Vernot
author_sort Natalia Ospina-Muñoz
collection DOAJ
description The interleukin-8 is an important regulator of the tumor microenvironment, promoting the epithelial–mesenchymal transition and the acquisition of stem-like cell properties in cancer cells. The tumorsphere-formation assay has been used for the identification of cancer stem cell. Interleukin-8 induces the formation of larger tumorspheres in Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) cells, suggesting cancer stem cell enrichment. In this work, we aimed to study the phenotypic and functional characteristics of the cells present within the tumorspheres of MCF-7 cells previously treated with interleukin-8. MCF-7 cells treated for 5 days or not with this cytokine were further cultivated in ultralow attachment plates for another 5 days to allow tumorspheres formation. We showed that the enhanced sphere formation by MCF-7 cells was not a consequence of higher cell proliferation by interleukin-8 stimulation. Despite maintaining an epithelial–mesenchymal transition phenotype with the presence of epithelial and mesenchymal markers, basic stemness properties were impaired in tumorspheres and in those treated with interleukin-8, while others were increased. Self-renewal capacity was increased in interleukin-8-treated cells only in the first generation of tumorspheres but was not sustained in consecutive assays. Accordingly, self-renewal and reprogramming gene expression, differentiation capacity to adipocytes, and clonogenicity were also impaired. We showed also that tumorspheres were enriched in differentiated luminal cells (EpCAM+/CD49f−). Nevertheless, cells were more quiescent and maintain a partial epithelial–mesenchymal transition, consistent with their increased resistance to Paclitaxel and Doxorubicin. They also presented higher migration and interleukin-8-directed invasion. Therefore, the breast cancer cell line MCF-7, having a low stemness index, might partially acquire some stem-like cell attributes after interleukin-8 stimulation, increasing its aggressiveness.
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spelling doaj-art-2d818905c58e48638a5704fa5edd8a972025-08-20T03:15:08ZengSAGE PublishingTumor Biology1423-03802020-12-014210.1177/1010428320979438Partial acquisition of stemness properties in tumorspheres obtained from interleukin-8-treated MCF-7 cellsNatalia Ospina-Muñoz0Jean-Paul Vernot1Cellular and Molecular Physiology Group, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, DC, ColombiaInstituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, DC, ColombiaThe interleukin-8 is an important regulator of the tumor microenvironment, promoting the epithelial–mesenchymal transition and the acquisition of stem-like cell properties in cancer cells. The tumorsphere-formation assay has been used for the identification of cancer stem cell. Interleukin-8 induces the formation of larger tumorspheres in Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) cells, suggesting cancer stem cell enrichment. In this work, we aimed to study the phenotypic and functional characteristics of the cells present within the tumorspheres of MCF-7 cells previously treated with interleukin-8. MCF-7 cells treated for 5 days or not with this cytokine were further cultivated in ultralow attachment plates for another 5 days to allow tumorspheres formation. We showed that the enhanced sphere formation by MCF-7 cells was not a consequence of higher cell proliferation by interleukin-8 stimulation. Despite maintaining an epithelial–mesenchymal transition phenotype with the presence of epithelial and mesenchymal markers, basic stemness properties were impaired in tumorspheres and in those treated with interleukin-8, while others were increased. Self-renewal capacity was increased in interleukin-8-treated cells only in the first generation of tumorspheres but was not sustained in consecutive assays. Accordingly, self-renewal and reprogramming gene expression, differentiation capacity to adipocytes, and clonogenicity were also impaired. We showed also that tumorspheres were enriched in differentiated luminal cells (EpCAM+/CD49f−). Nevertheless, cells were more quiescent and maintain a partial epithelial–mesenchymal transition, consistent with their increased resistance to Paclitaxel and Doxorubicin. They also presented higher migration and interleukin-8-directed invasion. Therefore, the breast cancer cell line MCF-7, having a low stemness index, might partially acquire some stem-like cell attributes after interleukin-8 stimulation, increasing its aggressiveness.https://doi.org/10.1177/1010428320979438
spellingShingle Natalia Ospina-Muñoz
Jean-Paul Vernot
Partial acquisition of stemness properties in tumorspheres obtained from interleukin-8-treated MCF-7 cells
Tumor Biology
title Partial acquisition of stemness properties in tumorspheres obtained from interleukin-8-treated MCF-7 cells
title_full Partial acquisition of stemness properties in tumorspheres obtained from interleukin-8-treated MCF-7 cells
title_fullStr Partial acquisition of stemness properties in tumorspheres obtained from interleukin-8-treated MCF-7 cells
title_full_unstemmed Partial acquisition of stemness properties in tumorspheres obtained from interleukin-8-treated MCF-7 cells
title_short Partial acquisition of stemness properties in tumorspheres obtained from interleukin-8-treated MCF-7 cells
title_sort partial acquisition of stemness properties in tumorspheres obtained from interleukin 8 treated mcf 7 cells
url https://doi.org/10.1177/1010428320979438
work_keys_str_mv AT nataliaospinamunoz partialacquisitionofstemnesspropertiesintumorspheresobtainedfrominterleukin8treatedmcf7cells
AT jeanpaulvernot partialacquisitionofstemnesspropertiesintumorspheresobtainedfrominterleukin8treatedmcf7cells