Work

M2 macrophage–derived extracellular vesicles induce EMT-like transcriptional reprogramming in colorectal cancer cells via upregulation of FAM83A

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: In the complex landscape of cancer progression, the immune system shapes crucial interactions between tumor and immune cells. Understanding this dialogue is essential for elucidating how immune-derived cues trigger epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like transcriptional changes, a fundamental process that drives tumor cell plasticity and facilitates aggressive phenotypes. Here, we investigated the crosstalk between M2 macrophages and colon cancer cells (HT-29) during the post-tumorigenic phase, focusing on exosome-mediated regulation of EMT, a critical pathway controlling tumor cell phenotypic and transcriptional dynamics. Co-culture experiments revealed that M2 macrophage-derived exosomes (M2-Exo) induced profound transcriptional changes, with downregulation of epithelial markers and increased expression of mesenchymal genes. Importantly, EMT induction was markedly stronger following M2-Exo treatment than in the co-culture setting, suggesting that while soluble mediators play a contributory role, EMT is predominantly and directly driven by exosome-mediated signaling. Transcriptomic profiling identified FAM83A as a key upregulated gene in M2-Exo-treated HT-29 cells. Functional analyses demonstrated that FAM83A promoted EMT by modulating regulators associated with decreased E-Cadherin and increased N-Cadherin, MMP2, and MMP9 expression. Importantly, siRNA-mediated silencing of FAM83A abolished its overexpression and inhibited EMT activation, confirming its essential role in M2-Exo-induced programming of EMT. Collectively, these findings highlight exosome-mediated immune-tumor interactions as critical drivers of EMT and the progression toward an invasive, mesenchymal-like phenotype.

Source: Scientific Reports

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-39262-4

Authors: Melis Isik, Merve Akkulak, Burak Derkus

Institutions: Ankara University, Middle East Technical University

Language: English

Topic: Extracellular vesicles in disease

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,690