Seminar

Exosomal-TGFB1 in Prostate Cancer

Jason Webber, PhD

The stroma surrounding carcinomas are often associated with the presence of altered stromal cells which resemble myofibroblasts. Myofibroblasts drive remodelling of extracellular matrix and produce assorted growth factors, which promote tumour growth, metastasis and vascularisation. We have studied the role of cancer exosomes in stromal cell activation in prostate cancer; demonstrating exosomes can trigger normal-prostatic stromal cells to acquire a phenotype and function that mimics that of tumour-associated stroma. Closer examination of stromal cell function, however, demonstrates that whilst this exosome effect is TGFB1 dependent it cannot be reproduced using soluble TGFB1. These data suggest a role for exosomal-TGFB and not soluble TGFB as the physiological modulator of the tumour stromal environment, driving multiple changes supporting disease progression.