Evaluation of the Expression and Prognosis of Neural-Related Products Expressed by Cancer-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells With the Characteristics of Neural Stem Cells - research article

Sep 22, 2026

Upload by hdkawk

The study investigates how cancer-derived mesenchymal stem cells (CA-MSCs) affect tumor progression through neural-related products. CA-MSCs display neural stem cell (NSC)-like properties and express neurotrophic factors, neuropeptides, synapse-related products, and axon guidance factors. Expression-prognostic analysis links MDK and MANF to higher cancer expression, while BDNF, NPTX1, and NGF rise with tumor stage. Specific synapse and axogenesis products correlate with prognosis, and immunohistochemistry shows NSC-like CA-MSCs promote cancer growth.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Key findings and expression-prognostic analysis

Prognostic markers and tumor biology observations

Introduction

MSCs and differentiation potential

MSC roles in cancer progression and tumor immunity

Cancer Medicine |
RESEARCH ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS
Evaluation of the Expression and Prognosis of
Neural-Related Products Expressed by Cancer-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells With the Characteristics of Neural Stem Cells
Liu Yongjun1 | Pan Zhiwen2 | Fu Shangui3 | Zhai Jinjie4 | Ying Rongbiao4 | Chen Zhongjian5 | Chen Wanyuan6 | Ju Haixing6 | Ma Dening6 | Long Dan7 | Luo Cong8 | Fu Zhixuan6
1Department of Endoscopy, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang,
China | 2Clinical Laboratory Department, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China | 3National Clinical Research Center for Children and Adolescents' Health and Diseases, National Children's Regional Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China | 4Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Taizhou Cancer Hospital, Wenling, Zhejiang, China | 5Institute of Cancer and Basic Medicine (ICBM), Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China | 6Department of Colorectal Surgery, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China | 7Department of Radiology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China | 8Department of Abdominal Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
Correspondence: Luo Cong ([lw939291@126.com](lw939291@126.com)) | Fu Zhixuan ([fuzx@zjcc.org.cn](fuzx@zjcc.org.cn))
Received: 19 March 2025 | Revised: 15 June 2026 | Accepted: 13 August 2026
Keywords: cancer neuroscience | mesenchymal stem cells | neural stem cells | neuropeptides | neurotrophic factors | | --- | | ABSTRACT
Studies have demonstrated that the nervous system plays an important role in cancer progression. Nevertheless, the effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on cancer has yielded conflicting results. In this study, we discovered that cancer-derived MSCs (CA-MSCs) not only exhibit the properties of neural stem cells (NSCs) but also express a significant amount of neural-related products. These products include neurotrophic factors, neuropeptides, synapse-related products, and axon guidance factors. These identified products exhibit similar or different expression status among human NSCs, cancer and fat-derived MSCs. CA-MSCs expressed more BDNF, GDNF, and NGF than NSCs. Based on these neural-related products expressed by CA-MSCs, expression-prognostic analysis was conducted. It revealed that the expression of MDK and MANF was higher in cancer, and the expression of BDNF, NPTX1, and NGF increased as the tumor stage advanced. For ten neuropeptides, their expression levels were lower in cancer. Thirty synapse-related products displayed their respective expression status between cancer and normal tissues. SYPL1, SYBP2/3, and STX4 had a significant impact on tumor prognosis. Higher levels of syntaxin-4, neugrin, and other axogenesis products were associated with a worse prognosis in cancer. Moreover, immunohistochemistry revealed that NSC-like CAMSCs were abundant in cancer and exhibited a clear growth-promoting effect on cancer. Briefly, CA-MSCs, which are densely distributed in cancer and have the characteristics of NSCs, express a large number of nerve-related products. These products may have significant effects on tumor progression and prognosis. | | | | Abbreviations: A-MSC, adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells; CA-MSC, cancer-derived mesenchymal stem cells; FCM, flow cytometry; FPKM, fragments per kilobase of exon model per million mapped fragments; GEO, gene Expression Omnibus; hfNSC, human fetal NSCs; hiPSC-NSC, human iPSC-derived NSCs; MSCs, mesenchymal stem cells; NSCs,

FAQs

What neural-related products are expressed by cancer-derived MSCs?

Cancer-derived mesenchymal stem cells express neurotrophic factors, neuropeptides, synapse-related products, and axon guidance factors, reflecting NSC-like characteristics.

Which neural-related genes show higher expression in cancer and relate to tumor progression?

MDK and MANF are higher in cancer, while BDNF, NPTX1, and NGF increase as tumor stage advances.

How do synapse-related and axogenesis-related products associate with cancer prognosis?

SYPL1, SYBP2/3, and STX4 significantly impact tumor prognosis, and higher levels of syntaxin-4, neugrin, and other axogenesis products are associated with worse outcomes.

Sep 22, 2026

Upload by hdkawk