Non-Cell Autonomous Tumour Suppression in Keratinocyte Epithelial Monolayer

Abstract

Non-cell autonomous tumour suppression in the epithelial context operates to restrain the growth of the incipient cancer growth. Here is reported a novel in vitro system for studying non-cell autonomous tumour suppression in epithelial tissue using keratinocytes culture. By generating a mosaic epithelial sheet, the sporadic model of oncogenesis is recapitulated. Previously, it was shown in MDCK epithelial monolayer that non-cell autonomous tumour suppression may work through two molecular mechanisms: apical extrusion and induction of apoptosis. Although these two mechanisms were not demonstrated by the co-culture experiments, there was evidence for the elimination of oncogenic colonies from a mosaic epithelial sheet. Using calcium switching to induce keratinocytes to organise into an epithelial structure was demonstrated to correlate with a reduction in the number of oncogenic colonies.