These data imply a central role of T cells in modulating tumour progression and provide strong justification for T-cell immunotherapy.
Our findings not only revealed an intriguing cross-talk mechanism between the critical developmental signalling (Wnt) and a metastasis suppressor gene (NDRG1), but also provided the molecular basis by which Wnt signalling modulates tumour progression.
Recent molecular studies have identified multiple factors that modulate tumor progression, invasion, and metastasis formation.
The immune cells in tumor microenvironment have been found to modulate tumor progression [ 29].
Fibroblasts, being both activated by cytokines and at the same time producing cytokines or other soluble factors, were reported to modulate various aspects of tumour progression including proliferation or invasion (Vogetseder et al, 1989; Nakamura et al, 1997), angiogenesis (Orimo et al, 2001), or inhibition of cell death (Olumi et al, 1998).
The overexpression of AnxA2 in breast cancer has been shown to be capable of modulating key events in tumour progression; mainly those involving proliferation, adhesion, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and drug resistance (Ling et al, 2004; Rescher and Gerke, 2004; Sharma and Sharma, 2007; Chuthapisith et al, 2009; Bharadwaj et al, 2013).
These intercellular interactions, modulated by the microenvironment, effect tumour progression and represent a largely under-appreciated therapeutic target.
Apart from the use of antisense technologies to deplete the tumour cells from specific cyclins and/or CDKs, several compounds can inhibit tumour progression by modulating the levels of cell cycle proteins.
