title: Homotypic cell cannibalism, a cell-death process regulated by the nuclear protein 1, opposes to metastasis in pancreatic cancer.
abstract: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an extremely deadly disease for which all treatments available have failed to improve life expectancy significantly. This may be explained by the high metastatic potential of PDAC cells, which results from their dedifferentiation towards a mesenchymal phenotype. Some PDAC present cell-in-cell structures whose origin and significance are currently unknown. We show here that cell-in-cells form after homotypic cell cannibalism (HoCC). We found PDAC patients whose tumours display HoCC develop less metastasis than those without. In vitro, HoCC was promoted by inactivation of the nuclear protein 1 (Nupr1), and was enhanced by treatment with transforming growth factor β. HoCC ends with death of PDAC cells, consistent with a metastasis suppressor role for this phenomenon. Hence, our data indicates a protective role for HoCC in PDAC and identifies Nupr1 as a molecular regulator of this process.
authors: INSERM U, CRCM, Cell Stress, Marseille, France.
authors: Carla E
authors: CE
authors: Cano
authors: María José
authors: MJ
authors: Sandí
authors: Tewfik
authors: T
authors: Hamidi
authors: Ezequiel L
authors: EL
authors: Calvo
authors: Olivier
authors: O
authors: Turrini
authors: Laurent
authors: L
authors: Bartholin
authors: Céline
authors: C
authors: Loncle
authors: Véronique
authors: V
authors: Secq
authors: Stéphane
authors: S
authors: Garcia
authors: Gwen
authors: G
authors: Lomberk
authors: Guido
authors: G
authors: Kroemer
authors: Raul
authors: R
authors: Urrutia
authors: Juan L
authors: JL
authors: Iovanna
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016923:Cell Death; D057899:Cytophagocytosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C491643:NUPR1 protein, human