Curcumin inhibits pancreatic cancer cell invasion and EMT by interfering with tumor ‑stromal crosstalk under hypoxic conditions via the IL‑6/ERK/NF‑κB axis.

Curcumin inhibits pancreatic cancer cell invasion and EMT by interfering with tumor‑stromal crosstalk under hypoxic conditions via the IL‑6/ERK/NF‑κB axis. Oncol Rep. 2020 Apr 28;: Authors: Li W, Sun L, Lei J, Wu Z, Ma Q, Wang Z Abstract Hypoxic microenvironment and pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) play important roles in pancreatic cancer progression. PSCs secrete a number of soluble factors, such as interleukin (IL)‑6, to facilitate cancer metastasis. Our previous study revealed that curcumin inhibited the invasive ability of pancreatic cancer cells by modulating epithelial‑to‑mesenchymal transition (EMT)‑related factors. However, whether curcumin could suppress tumor‑stromal crosstalk in pancreatic cancer and the underlying mechanisms have yet to be fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether curcumin could affect pancreatic cancer cell invasion and EMT by interfering with tumor‑stromal interaction under hypoxic conditions. The PSCs were treated with curcumin under hypoxic conditions. The activation of PSCs was detected by testing the expression of α‑smooth muscle actin by western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis. The wound healing assay was used to evaluate the migratory potential of PSCs. The secretion and expression of IL‑6 by PSCs was detected by ELISA and reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR (RT‑qPCR) analysis. BxPC‑3 and Panc‑1 cells were treated with PSCâ€...
Source: Oncology Reports - Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Oncol Rep Source Type: research