Epidermal growth factor shedding directs macrophage education in cancer

ABSTRACT: Macrophages in the tumor microenvironment have a significant impact on tumor progression. Depending on the signaling environment in the tumor, macrophages can either support or constrain tumor growth and metastasis. It is therefore of therapeutic interest to identify the tumor-derived factors that control macrophage education. With this aim, we correlated the expression of ADAM proteases, which are key mediators of cell-cell signaling, to the expression of pro-tumorigenic macrophage markers in human cancer cohorts. We identified ADAM17, a sheddase upregulated in many cancer types, as a protein of interest. Depletion of ADAM17 in cancer cell lines reduced the expression of several pro-tumorigenic markers in neighboring macrophages in vitro as well as in mouse tumor models. Accordingly, ADAM17-/- educated macrophages demonstrated a reduced ability to induce cancer cell invasion. Using quantitative mass spectrometry-based proteomics, we identified HB-EGF, shed by ADAM17 in the cancer cells, as the implicated molecular mediator of macrophage education. Additionally, RNA-seq and ELISA experiments revealed that ADAM17-dependent HB-EGF release induces the expression and secretion of CXCL chemokines in macrophages, which in turn stimulates cancer cell invasion. In conclusion, we provide evidence that ADAM17 mediates a paracrine HB-EGF-chemokine feedback loop, whereby cancer cells hijack macrophages to promote tumor progression.

INSTRUMENT(S): Q Exactive

ORGANISM(S): Mus Musculus (mouse)

TISSUE(S): Breast, Cell Culture, Macrophage

DISEASE(S): Breast Cancer

SUBMITTER: Krzysztof Piotrowski  

LAB HEAD: Marie Kveiborg

PROVIDER: PXD030740 | Pride | 2022-09-18

REPOSITORIES: Pride