B cells promote tumor progression via STAT3 regulated-angiogenesis

PLoS One. 2013 May 29;8(5):e64159. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064159. Print 2013.

Abstract

The role of B cells in cancer and the underlying mechanisms remain to be further explored. Here, we show that tumor-associated B cells with activated STAT3 contribute to tumor development by promoting tumor angiogenesis. B cells with or without Stat3 have opposite effects on tumor growth and tumor angiogenesis in both B16 melanoma and Lewis Lung Cancer mouse models. Ex vivo angiogenesis assays show that B cell-mediated tumor angiogenesis is mainly dependent on the induction of pro-angiogenic gene expression, which requires Stat3 signaling in B cells. Furthermore, B cells with activated STAT3 are mainly found in or near tumor vasculature and correlate significantly with overall STAT3 activity in human tumors. Moreover, the density of B cells in human tumor tissues correlates significantly with expression levels of several STAT3-downstream pro-angiogenic genes, as well as the degree of tumor angiogenesis. Together, these findings define a novel role of B cells in promoting tumor progression through angiogenesis and identify STAT3 in B cells as potential therapeutic target for anti-angiogenesis therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Disease Progression
  • Endothelial Cells / immunology
  • Endothelial Cells / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, 129 Strain
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / genetics
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / immunology*
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / pathology
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / genetics
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / immunology*
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / metabolism
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor / genetics
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor / immunology*
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Signal Transduction / immunology
  • Tumor Burden / genetics
  • Tumor Burden / immunology

Substances

  • STAT3 Transcription Factor