Decellularized matrices as in vitro models of extracellular matrix in tumor tissues at different malignant levels: Mechanism of 5-fluorouracil resistance in colorectal tumor cells

Chemoresistance is a major barrier for tumor chemotherapy. It is well-known that chemoresistance increases with tumor progression. Chemoresistance is altered by both genetic mutations and the alteration of extracellular microenvironment. Particularly, the extracellular matrix (ECM) is remodeled during tumor progression. Therefore, ECM remodeling is expected to cause the acquisition of chemoresistance in highly malignant tumor tissue. Here, we prepared cultured cell-derived decellularized matrices that mimic native ECM in tumor tissues at different stages of malignancy, and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) resistance was compared among these matrices. 5-FU resistance of colorectal tumor cells increased on the matrices derived from highly malignant tumor HT-29 cells, although the resistance did not increase on the matrices derived from low malignant tumor SW480 cells and normal CCD-841-CoN cells. The resistance on HT-29 cell-derived matrices increased through the activation of Akt and the upregulation of ABCB1 and ABCC1 without cell growth promotion, suggesting that ECM remodeling plays important roles in the acquisition of chemoresistance during tumor progression. It is expected that our decellularized matrices, or “staged tumorigenesis-mimicking matrices”, will become preferred cell culture substrates for in vitro analysis of comprehensive ECM roles in chemoresistance and the screening and pharmacokinetic analysis of anti-cancer drugs.