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Identification and characterization of metastasis-initiating cells in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in a pulmonary metastasis mouse model [scRNA-Seq]

ABSTRACT: Background and aims: Cancer metastasis is the biggest obstacle to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treatment. At present, understanding of its mechanism remains insufficient. Therefore, an in-depth exploration of the mechanisms of metastasis is crucial for early detection and intervention to reduce metastasis-related mortality. Methods: This study applied single-cell RNA sequencing analysis to investigate lung metastatic ESCC cells isolated from a pulmonary metastasis mouse model at multiple timepoints to characterize early metastatic microenvironment. Results: We identified a small population of parental ESCC KYSE30 cell line (Cluster S) resembled metastasis-initiating cells (MICs) because they could survive and colonize at lung metastatic sites. By comparing differential expression profiles between Cluster S and other subpopulations, we identified a panel of 7 metastasis-initiating signature genes (MIS), including CD44 and TACSTD2, to represent MICs of ESCC. Functional studies demonstrated that Cluster S cells (CD44high) exhibited significantly enhanced cell survival (resistances to oxidative stress and apoptosis), cell migration, invasion, stemness, and in vivo lung metastasis capabilities. Multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC) staining of 4 MISs (CD44, S100A14, RHOD, and TACSTD2) in ESCC cell lines and clinical samples found that differential MIS expression scores (dMISs) could predict lymph node metastasis, overall survival and risk of carcinothrombosis. GO and KEGG analyses revealed that CD44high cells were enriched in cell migration, organ development, stress responses, and neuron development, which might be related to the establishment of early metastatic microenvironment. Conclusion: This study identified CD44, S100A14, RHOD, and TACSTD2 as MISs to represent the MICs in ESCC populations and predict patient outcomes. Keywords: ESCC, metastasis-initiating cells, metastasis-initiating signatures, biomarker, scRNA-seq.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE249057 | GEO | 2024/08/21

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Tumor-initiating cells with reprogramming plasticity and/or de-differentiation attributes have been thought to initiate primary tumor development as well as to regenerate secondary tumors in metastatic organs; however, the molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. We previously found that breast tumor-initiating cell marker, CD44, directs multicellular aggregation and cluster formation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), which further enhance stemness and survival of such cells, enabling metastatic colonization to the lungs. To further elucidate the molecular network underlying CTC cluster formation, we performed global proteomic profiling and discovered that the tetraspanin protein CD81, which is normally enriched in exosomes (small extracellular vesicles), is a new driver of cancer initiation and metastasis as a facilitator and target of CD44. Loss of CD81 compromises tumorigenicity and mammosphere formation of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. Assisted by machine learning-based algorithms and mutagenesis approach, we found that CD81 interacts with CD44 on the cellular membrane through their extracellular regions. Notably, genetic knockout of CD44 or CD81 results in loss of both CD81 and CD44 in secreted exosomes, a state which abolishes exosome-induced self-renewal of recipient cells, such as mammosphere formation. In addition, RNA sequencing analysis showed that CD81 knockdown up-regulates expression of a cell differentiation marker, SEMA7a, whose down-regulation partially rescues mammosphere formation inhibition by CD81 depletion. Clinically, CD81 expression was observed in >80% of CTCs and specifically enriched and co-expressed along with CD44 in clustered CTCs of breast cancer patients. Mimicing the phenotypes of CD44 deficiency, loss of CD81 also inhibited tumor cell aggregation and lung metastasis of TNBC in both human and mouse tumor models, supporting the clinical significance of CD81 in association with patient outcomes. Our study highlights a new driving role of CD81 in cancer exosome-induced stemness, clustered CTCs, and metastasis initiation of TNBC, reported for the first time to our knowledge.

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Identification and characterization of metastasis-initiating cells in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in a pulmonary metastasis mouse model [scRNA-Seq]

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