Influencia de componentes de la matriz extracelular en la agresividad y potencial invasor del cáncer cérvicouterino. ¿Qué hay de nuevo?

Abstract

Squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix (SCC) is a pathology that has high incidence and mortality. So far, research has been focused in the study of its association with papilloma virus. However, knowledge about extracellular matrix (ECM) has given a new perspective for the study of factors that induce or perpetuate neoplasms. In epithelial neoplasms like SCC, the tumoral stroma exhibits a dynamic composition of cellular elements, highlighting the presence of alpha actin of smooth muscle positive myofibroblasts (αSMA+) and CD34+ fibrocytes. ECM has an essential role, because it not only provides the appropriate conditions for tumor's development, but also affects stromal cell population phenotype, where a loss of CD34+ fibrocytes associated with a gain of αSMA+ myofibroblasts could be a sensitive indicator of stromal invasion, even in early stages. TGF-ß1 does it in the same way, as its presence is a reflection of the synthesis of αSMA+. A new element is versican, a proteoglycan whose V0 and V1 isoforms expression is also observed in neoplastic tissues of ovary, breast and brain tumors, among others. It plays an important role in the phenomena of cellular adhesion, proliferation, migration and assembly of the ECM. Therefore, the analysis of the stroma adjacent to epithelial injuries of the cervix can complement the knowledge about the biological conducts of these, constituting a powerful diagnostic tool, as a complement to the elements used nowadays.