Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity determines estrogen receptor positive breast cancer dormancy and epithelial reconversion drives recurrence
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ABSTRACT: Estrogen receptor α-positive (ER+) breast cancers (BCs) represent more than 70% of all breast cancers and pose a particular clinical challenge because they recur up to decades after initial diagnosis and treatment. The mechanisms governing tumor cell dormancy and latent disease remain elusive due to a lack of adequate models. Here, we compare tumor progression of ER+ and triple-negative (TN) BC subtypes with a clinically relevant mouse intraductal xenografting approach (MIND). Both ER+ and TN BC cells disseminate already during the in situ stage. However, TN disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) proliferate at the same rate as cells at the primary site and give rise to macro-metastases. ER+ DTCs have low proliferative indices, form only micro-metastases and lose epithelial characteristics. Single cell RNA sequencing reveals that dormant DTCs harbor different Epithelial-Mesenchymal Plasticity (EMP)-states, reflective of their heterogeneous and plastic nature. Dormant DTCs are in a mesenchymal-like state, with decreased CDH1 and increased ZEB2 and VIM expression levels, as well as matrisome-related genes, like FN1, ELN, COL3A1, and others. On the other hand, proliferative DTCs are epithelial-like, and express CDH1, EPCAM, KRT18, and ESR1. EMP is very rare in primary tumour cells and is not required for invasion or metastasis. In vivo, forced transition to the epithelial state through ectopic E-cadherin expression overcomes dormancy with increased growth of lung metastases. We conclude that EMP is essential for the generation of a dormant cell state and the development of latent disease. Targeting exit from EMP is of therapeutic potential.
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE196936 | GEO | 2022/07/13
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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