Obesity Enhances the Conversion of Adipose-Derived Stromal/Stem Cells into Carcinoma-Associated Fibroblast Leading to Cancer Cell Proliferation and Progression to an Invasive Phenotype

Figure 2

lnASCs and obASCs demonstrated enhanced expression of CAF markers following coculture. lnASCs and obASCs were serially cocultured with MCF7 cells. After 7 days, the cocultured cells (c1) were sorted, and the gene expression of various CAF markers in lnASCs and obASCs was assessed by qRT-PCR. The sorted lnASC(c1) or obASC(c1) cells were cocultured with MCF7 cells for another 7 days and sorted. Expression of CAF markers in lnASCs was assessed by qRT-PCR and normalized to the levels observed in lnASCs without exposure to MCF7 cells (naïve). Bar: ± SEM. ; ; compared to naïve lnASCs. ^##; ^### compared to naïve obASCs. ^Φ; ^ΦΦ; ^ΦΦΦ between lnASCs and obASCs.