Modeling Molecular Pathogenesis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis-Associated Lung Cancer in Mice
Recommended Citation
Barravecchia I, Lee JM, Manassa J, Magnuson B, Ferris SF, Cavanaugh S, Steele NG, Espinoza CE, Galbán CJ, Ramnath N, Frankel TL, Pasca di Magliano M, and Galban S. Modeling Molecular Pathogenesis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis-Associated Lung Cancer in Mice. Mol Cancer Res 2023; 22(3):295-307.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-1-2024
Publication Title
Molecular cancer research
Abstract
UNLABELLED: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by progressive, often fatal loss of lung function due to overactive collagen production and tissue scarring. Patients with IPF have a sevenfold-increased risk of developing lung cancer. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the number of patients with lung diseases, and infection can worsen prognoses for those with chronic lung diseases and disease-associated cancer. Understanding the molecular pathogenesis of IPF-associated lung cancer is imperative for identifying diagnostic biomarkers and targeted therapies that will facilitate prevention of IPF and progression to lung cancer. To understand how IPF-associated fibroblast activation, matrix remodeling, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and immune modulation influences lung cancer predisposition, we developed a mouse model to recapitulate the molecular pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis-associated lung cancer using the bleomycin and Lewis lung carcinoma models. We demonstrate that development of pulmonary fibrosis-associated lung cancer is likely linked to increased abundance of tumor-associated macrophages and a unique gene signature that supports an immune-suppressive microenvironment through secreted factors. Not surprisingly, preexisting fibrosis provides a pre-metastatic niche and results in augmented tumor growth, and tumors associated with bleomycin-induced fibrosis are characterized by a dramatic loss of cytokeratin expression, indicative of EMT.
IMPLICATIONS: This characterization of tumors associated with lung diseases provides new therapeutic targets that may aid in the development of treatment paradigms for lung cancer patients with preexisting pulmonary diseases.
Medical Subject Headings
Humans; Animals; Mice; Lung Neoplasms; Pandemics; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis; Bleomycin; COVID-19; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed ID
38015750
ePublication
ePub ahead of print
Volume
22
Issue
3
First Page
295
Last Page
307
