Cell Metab: macrophage blackening can promote breast cancer metastasis

September 16, 2019 / bioin / - when breast cancer cells spread in the body, they spread mainly through the lymphatic system, which usually removes excess fluid and waste from our tissues Now, scientists from the team of Professor Massimiliano Mazzone (VIB Ku Leuven Cancer Biology Center) have found a new immune cell subpopulation, called macrophages expressing pingpods, which can change the tissues near the tumor and promote the spread of cancer cells Removing these poems in a mouse model significantly reduces the ability of breast cancer cells to move to other parts of the body Image source: cell metabolism cancer cells discharge too much fluid from their lymphatic system and remove waste from our tissues Lymphatic vessels also play a role in the spread of breast cancer Growing tumors often cause physical pressure on the surrounding environment, which makes these lymphatic vessels leak and tumor cells enter more easily Cancer cells use these holes to move through the body and start growing tumors elsewhere, a process known as metastasis Previous studies have shown that breast cancer cells are more likely to metastasize through the lymphatic system The more lymphatic vessels near the tumor, the worse the prognosis of patients Therefore, effective treatment of the development and growth of lymphatic vessels can reduce metastasis, thereby reducing the number of breast cancer deaths If breast cancer is not found in time, it can't be cured The development and growth of lymphatic vessels in the vicinity of metastatic poems tumors are sometimes supported by certain immune cells In this new study, PAWEL bieniasz krzywiec, from the Mazzone team, discovered a subgroup of these cells, known as porms But in this particular environment, what is the importance of the existence of poems? Professor Mazzone explained: "the characteristics of poems are unique genetic characteristics related to the changes of tumor environment Specifically, they are an excellent source of collagen 1, which forms the scaffold for lymphatic growth Poems also digested parts of the environment This releases a variety of growth factors that stimulate the formation of lymphatic vessels and opens up a new way for the spread of cancer cells "The team further observed that poems relaxed the connections between the cells that make up the lymphatic vessel wall, which makes it easier for cancer cells to enter these lymphatic systems In mice, inhibition of poems prevents "environmental remodeling," which greatly reduces lymph node and distant organ metastasis These findings, which prevent poems from fighting cancer, provide strong evidence for the study of human beings With the help of clinicians and pathologists at the University of kuluwen and the University of Utz Antwerp, the researchers further tested their findings in human cancer samples PAWEL bieniasz krzywiec provided more details: "based on the results of mouse experiments, human breast cancer sample tests showed that the presence of poems around tumor lymphatics was positively correlated with lymph node involvement and organ metastasis These observations pave the way for the use of poems blockers in cancer treatment, especially for cancer-related lymphatics, without causing lymphedema associated with the current strategy "From a broader perspective, this study highlights the emerging concept that the properties of immune cells are intrinsically linked to their particular environment Professor Mazzone's team described for the first time immune cell subsets that are associated with and promote the growth of tumor lymphatic vessels Professor Mazzone concluded: "our findings have changed our understanding of lymphatic growth near tumors and will certainly stimulate new and exciting research in this field "Reference: pawe bieniasz krzywiece et al Podoplanin expressing macrophases promote lymphangiogenesis and lymphanvasion in burst cancer, cell metabolism (2019) Doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2019.07.015