2025/12/10

A new study reveals that prostate cancer alters the function of the cells that support blood vessels

A study published in Molecular Oncology shows that, in aggressive prostate cancer, cells that surround and support blood vessels (named pericytes) become reprogrammed to support cancer progression. This discovery offers a new perspective on how prostate cancer progresses and opens the door to innovative therapies aimed at restoring vascular function and slowing tumor spread.

The research, published in Molecular Oncology and co-led by Arkaitz Carracedo, Ikerbasque Research Professor and leader of the Cancer Cell Signaling and Metabolism Laboratory at CIC bioGUNE – member of BRTA – together with Mariona Graupera, from the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC) in Badalona, proposes a new way to understand how aggressive prostate cancer reshapes its environment to grow and spread.

Traditionally, it was believed that tumor progression involved the loss of pericytes, the cells that surround capillaries and help maintain the stability of blood vessels. The new study shows that pericytes do not disappear, instead, they are reprogrammed. This dysfunction is regulated by a cytokine (a secreted protein) called TGF-β, which acts as a messenger between tumor cells and their surrounding environment.

Researchers observed that, in the most aggressive cases of prostate cancer, blood vessels are covered by pericytes that are “present but dysfunctional”. As a result, the vessels become more permeable and disorganized, potentially making it easier for cancer cells to spread to other organs.

The study also suggests that this deactivation signal originates largely from macrophages, immune cells present in the tumor microenvironment. When macrophages release TGF-β, pericytes lose their ability to maintain stable and compact vessels. Experiments conducted both in cell cultures and in animal models confirmed this connection.

“This study emphasizes the need to study cancer as an organ, in which the function of multiple cell types determines the behavior of the tumor”, highlights Dr. Arkaitz Carracedo.

“This type of projects can only be undertaken through a multi-perspective analysis with teams that study different cellular compartments within the tumor”, adds Dr. Mariona Graupera.

The team also developed molecular tools to simultaneously measure the number of pericytes present in a tumour, and their function. This distinction paves the way for better evaluation of tumor vascular quality and for new therapeutic strategies focused on restoring pericyte function rather than simply counting their presence.

This work, carried out within the framework of the CIBERONC network, represents a significant step forward in understanding the tumor microenvironment and offers a fresh perspective on treating prostate cancer through the biology of blood vessels.

Reference: Anabel Martinez-Romero, Ane Martinez-Larrinaga, Joaquim Grego-Bessa, Saioa Garcia-Longarte, Hielke van Splunder, Ianire Astobiza, Amaia Ercilla, Laura Bozal-Basterra, Isabel Mendizabal, Pilar Villacampa, Arkaitz Carracedo and Mariona Graupera. Aggressive prostate cancer is associated with pericyte dysfunction. Molecular Oncology. DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.70135.

About CIC bioGUNE

The Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), located in the Bizkaia Technology Park, is a biomedical research organisation conducting cutting-edge research at the interface between structural, molecular and cell biology, with a particular focus on generating knowledge on the molecular bases of disease, for use in the development of new diagnostic methods and advanced therapies.

About Ikerbasque

Ikerbasque -Basque Foundation for Science- is the result of an initiative of the Department of Education of the Basque Government that aims to reinforce the commitment to scientific research by attracting, recovering and consolidating excellent researchers from all over the world. Currently, it is a consolidated organization that has 290 researchers/s, who develop their work in all fields of knowledge.

About BRTA

BRTA is an alliance of 4 collaborative research centres (CIC bioGUNE, CIC nanoGUNE, CIC biomaGUNE y CIC energiGUNE) and 13 technology centres (Azterlan, Azti, Ceit, Cidetec, Gaiker, Ideko, Ikerlan, Leartiker, Lortek, Neiker, Tecnalia, Tekniker y Vicomtech) with the main objective of developing advanced technological solutions for the Basque corporate fabric.

With the support of the Basque Government, the SPRI Group and the Provincial Councils of the three territories, the alliance seeks to promote collaboration between the research centres, strengthen the conditions to generate and transfer knowledge to companies, contributing to their competitiveness and outspreading the Basque scientific-technological capacity abroad.

BRTA has a workforce of 3,500 professionals, executes 22 % of the Basque Country's R&D investment, registers an annual turnover of more than 300 million euros and generates 100 European and international patents per year.

About Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC)

The Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC) is a non-profit research institute dedicated to biomedical research and personalised medicine in leukaemia and other malignant blood disorders. It was founded in 2010 by the Josep Carreras Foundation, in collaboration with the Government of Catalonia, as the first European research centre focused exclusively on leukaemia and other malignant blood disorders. The IJC is part of the network of Research Centers of Excellence of the Government of Catalonia (CERCA), and since 2018 it has also been accredited by the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC). In 2024 the IJC was accredited as a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.

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