Schwann cells induce cancer cell dispersion and invasion Journal Article


Authors: Deborde, S.; Omelchenko, T.; Lyubchik, A.; Zhou, Y.; He, S.; McNamara, W. F.; Chernichenko, N.; Lee, S. Y.; Barajas, F.; Chen, C. H.; Bakst, R. L.; Vakiani, E.; He, S.; Hall, A.; Wong, R. J.
Article Title: Schwann cells induce cancer cell dispersion and invasion
Abstract: Nerves enable cancer progression, as cancers have been shown to extend along nerves through the process of perineural invasion, which carries a poor prognosis. Furthermore, the innervation of some cancers promotes growth and metastases. It remains unclear, however, how nerves mechanistically contribute to cancer progression. Here, we demonstrated that Schwann cells promote cancer invasion through direct cancer cell contact. Histological evaluation of murine and human cancer specimens with perineural invasion uncovered a subpopulation of Schwann cells that associates with cancer cells. Coculture of cancer cells with dorsal root ganglion extracts revealed that Schwann cells direct cancer cells to migrate toward nerves and promote invasion in a contact-dependent manner. Upon contact, Schwann cells induced the formation of cancer cell protrusions in their direction and intercalated between the cancer cells, leading to cancer cell dispersion. The formation of these processes was dependent on Schwann cell expression of neural cell adhesion molecule 1 (NCAM1) and ultimately promoted perineural invasion. Moreover, NCAM1-deficient mice showed decreased neural invasion and less paralysis. Such Schwann cell behavior reflects normal Schwann cell programs that are typically activated in nerve repair but are instead exploited by cancer cells to promote perineural invasion and cancer progression.
Journal Title: Journal of Clinical Investigation
Volume: 126
Issue: 4
ISSN: 0021-9738
Publisher: American Society for Clinical Investigation  
Date Published: 2016-04-01
Start Page: 1538
End Page: 1554
Language: English
DOI: 10.1172/jci82658
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC4811155
PUBMED: 26999607
DOI/URL:
Notes: Article -- Export Date: 2 June 2016 -- Source: Scopus
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MSK Authors
  1. Richard J Wong
    412 Wong
  2. Chun-Hao Chen
    42 Chen
  3. Alan Hall
    41 Hall
  4. Shuangba He
    11 He
  5. Efsevia Vakiani
    263 Vakiani
  6. Shizhi He
    7 He
  7. Sylvie Deborde
    20 Deborde
  8. Sei Young Lee
    6 Lee
  9. Yi Zhou
    5 Zhou