Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34885111›Full record

ArticleCancers2021

Stromal Cells Promote Matrix Deposition, Remodelling and an Immunosuppressive Tumour Microenvironment in a 3D Model of Colon Cancer.

Niamh A Leonard, Eileen Reidy, Kerry Thompson, Emma McDermott, Eleonora Peerani, Elena Tomas Bort, Frances R Balkwill, Daniela Loessner, Aideen E Ryan

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancers, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  7. Frontiers in genetics · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 4 countries.

Niamh A LeonardLambe Institute for Translational Research, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 V4AY Galway, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0002-8438-1765
Eileen ReidyLambe Institute for Translational Research, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 V4AY Galway, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0001-5562-5241
Kerry ThompsonCentre for Microscopy and Imaging, Anatomy, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W2TY Galway, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0003-2721-8977
Emma McDermottCentre for Microscopy and Imaging, Anatomy, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W2TY Galway, Ireland.
Eleonora PeeraniBarts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-0801-5568
Elena Tomas BortBarts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-7897-8891
Frances R BalkwillBarts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK.
Daniela LoessnerBarts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-5891-3441
Aideen E RyanLambe Institute for Translational Research, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 V4AY Galway, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0002-5831-6783
Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway · IEQueen Mary University of London · GB

Funding

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council EP/S02347X/1Irish Cancer Society CRF12RYAMedical Research Council MR/R02569X/1Science Foundation Ireland 15/SIRG/3456Science Foundation Ireland 18/EPSRC-CDT/3583Science Foundation Ireland 19/FFP/6446UK Research and Innovation MR/R02569X/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. CRC develops in a complex tumour microenvironment (TME) with both mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and immune infiltrate, shown to alter disease progression and treatment response. We hypothesised that an accessible, affordable model of CRC that combines multiple cell types will improve research translation to the clinic and enable the identification of novel therapeutic targets. A viable gelatine-methacrloyl-based hydrogel culture system that incorporates CRC cells with MSCs and a monocyte cell line was developed. Gels were analysed on day 10 by PCR, cytokine array, microscopy and flow cytometry. The addition of stromal cells increased transcription of matrix remodelling proteins FN1 and MMP9, induced release of tumour-promoting immune molecules MIF, Serpin E1, CXCL1, IL-8 and CXCL12 and altered cancer cell expression of immunotherapeutic targets EGFR, CD47 and PD-L1. Treatment with PD153035, an EGFR inhibitor, revealed altered CRC expression of PD-L1 but only in gels lacking MSCs. We established a viable 3D model of CRC that combined cancer cells, MSCs and monocytic cells that can be used to research the role the stroma plays in the TME, identify novel therapeutic targets and improve the transitional efficacy of therapies.

Indexed as

3D modelcolorectal cancerextracellular matrixhydrogelsimmuneinflammationmesenchymal cellsstromatumour microenvironment

Identifiers

PMID34885111
PMCPMC8656544
OpenAlexW3216815316

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.