Mechanistic characterization of aDrosophilamodel of paraneoplastic nephrotic syndrome

Abstract

AbstractParaneoplastic syndromes occur in cancer patients and originate from dysfunction of organs at a distance from the tumor or its metastasis. A wide range of organs can be affected in paraneoplastic syndromes; however, the pathological mechanisms by which tumors influence host organs are poorly understood. Recent studies in the fly uncovered that tumor secreted factors target host organs, leading to pathological effects. In this study, using aDrosophilagut tumor model, we characterized a mechanism of tumor-induced kidney dysfunction. Specifically, we found that Pvf1, a PDGF/VEGF signaling ligand, secreted by gut tumors activates the PvR/JNK/Jra signaling pathway in the principal cells of the kidney, leading to mis-expression of renal genes and paraneoplastic renal syndrome-like phenotypes. Our study describes a novel mechanism by which gut tumors perturb the function of the kidney, which might be of clinical relevance for the treatment of paraneoplastic syndromes.