Tumor cell heterogeneity in Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC): Phenotypical and functional differences associated with Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) and DNA methylation changes

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Alexander Krohn - , University Medical Center Freiburg (Author)
  • Theresa Ahrens - , University Medical Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg (Author)
  • Arzu Yalcin - , University Medical Center Freiburg (Author)
  • Till Plönes - , University of Cologne (Author)
  • Julius Wehrle - , University Medical Center Freiburg (Author)
  • Sanaz Taromi - , University Medical Center Freiburg (Author)
  • Stefan Wollner - , University Medical Center Freiburg (Author)
  • Marie Follo - , University Medical Center Freiburg (Author)
  • Thomas Brabletz - , University Medical Center Freiburg (Author)
  • Sendurai A. Mani - , University of Texas at Austin (Author)
  • Rainer Claus - , University Medical Center Freiburg (Author)
  • Björn Hackanson - , University Medical Center Freiburg (Author)
  • Meike Burger - , University Medical Center Freiburg, University of Applied Sciences Furtwangen (Author)

Abstract

Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) is a specific subtype of lung cancer presenting as highly metastatic disease with extremely poor prognosis. Despite responding initially well to chemo- or radiotherapy, SCLC almost invariably relapses and develops resistance to chemotherapy. This is suspected to be related to tumor cell subpopulations with different characteristics resembling stem cells. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is known to play a key role in metastatic processes and in developing drug resistance. This is also true for NSCLC, but there is very little information on EMT processes in SCLC so far. SCLC, in contrast to NSCLC cell lines, grow mainly in floating cell clusters and a minor part as adherent cells. We compared these morphologically different subpopulations of SCLC cell lines for EMT and epigenetic features, detecting significant differences in the adherent subpopulations with high levels of mesenchymal markers such as Vimentin and Fibronectin and very low levels of epithelial markers like E-cadherin and Zona Occludens 1. In addition, expression of EMT-related transcription factors such as Snail/Snai1, Slug/Snai2, and Zeb1, DNA methylation patterns of the EMT hallmark genes, functional responses like migration, invasion, matrix metalloproteases secretion, and resistance to chemotherapeutic drug treatment all differed significantly between the sublines. This phenotypic variability might reflect tumor cell heterogeneity and EMT during metastasis in vivo, accompanied by the development of refractory disease in relapse. We propose that epigenetic regulation plays a key role during phenotypical and functional changes in tumor cells and might therefore provide new treatment options for SCLC patients.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere100249
JournalPloS one
Volume9
Issue number6
Publication statusPublished - 24 Jun 2014
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

External IDs

PubMed 24959847

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

ASJC Scopus subject areas