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Morgaenko K, Arneja A, Ball AG, Putelo AM, Munson JM, Rutkowski MR, Pompano RR. Ex vivo model of breast cancer cell invasion in live lymph node tissue. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.18.601753. [PMID: 39091774 PMCID: PMC11291011 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.18.601753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Lymph nodes (LNs) are common sites of metastatic invasion in breast cancer, often preceding spread to distant organs and serving as key indicators of clinical disease progression. However, the mechanisms of cancer cell invasion into LNs are not well understood. Existing in vivo models struggle to isolate the specific impacts of the tumor-draining lymph node (TDLN) milieu on cancer cell invasion due to the co-evolving relationship between TDLNs and the upstream tumor. To address these limitations, we used live ex vivo LN tissue slices with intact chemotactic function to model cancer cell spread within a spatially organized microenvironment. After showing that BRPKp110 breast cancer cells were chemoattracted to factors secreted by naïve LN tissue in a 3D migration assay, we demonstrated that ex vivo LN slices could support cancer cell seeding, invasion, and spread. This novel approach revealed dynamic, preferential cancer cell invasion within specific anatomical regions of LNs, particularly the subcapsular sinus (SCS) and cortex, as well as chemokine-rich domains of immobilized CXCL13 and CCL1. While CXCR5 was necessary for a portion of BRPKp110 invasion into naïve LNs, disruption of CXCR5/CXCL13 signaling alone was insufficient to prevent invasion towards CXCL13-rich domains. Finally, we extended this system to pre-metastatic TDLNs, where the ex vivo model predicted a lower invasion of cancer cells. The reduced invasion was not due to diminished chemokine secretion, but it correlated with elevated intranodal IL-21. In summary, this innovative ex vivo model of cancer cell spread in live LN slices provides a platform to investigate cancer invasion within the intricate tissue microenvironment, supporting time-course analysis and parallel read-outs. We anticipate that this system will enable further research into cancer-immune interactions and allow isolation of specific factors that make TDLNs resistant to cancer cell invasion, which are challenging to dissect in vivo.
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Gonçalves IV, Pinheiro-Rosa N, Torres L, Oliveira MDA, Rapozo Guimarães G, Leite CDS, Ortega JM, Lopes MTP, Faria AMC, Martins MLB, Felicori LF. Dynamic changes in B cell subpopulations in response to triple-negative breast cancer development. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11576. [PMID: 38773133 PMCID: PMC11109097 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60243-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite presenting a worse prognosis and being associated with highly aggressive tumors, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by the higher frequency of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, which have been implicated in better overall survival and response to therapy. Though recent studies have reported the capacity of B lymphocytes to recognize overly-expressed normal proteins, and tumor-associated antigens, how tumor development potentially modifies B cell response is yet to be elucidated. Our findings reveal distinct effects of 4T1 and E0771 murine tumor development on B cells in secondary lymphoid organs. Notably, we observe a significant expansion of total B cells and plasma cells in the tumor-draining lymph nodes (tDLNs) as early as 7 days after tumor challenge in both murine models, whereas changes in the spleen are less pronounced. Surprisingly, within the tumor microenvironment (TME) of both models, we detect distinct B cell subpopulations, but tumor development does not appear to cause major alterations in their frequency over time. Furthermore, our investigation into B cell regulatory phenotypes highlights that the B10 Breg phenotype remains unaffected in the evaluated tissues. Most importantly, we identified an increase in CD19 + LAG-3 + cells in tDLNs of both murine models. Interestingly, although CD19 + LAG-3 + cells represent a minor subset of total B cells (< 3%) in all evaluated tissues, most of these cells exhibit elevated expression of IgD, suggesting that LAG-3 may serve as an activation marker for B cells. Corroborating with these findings, we detected distinct cell cycle and proliferation genes alongside LAG-3 analyzing scRNA-Seq data from a cohort of TNBC patients. More importantly, our study suggests that the presence of LAG-3 B cells in breast tumors could be associated with a good prognosis, as patients with higher levels of LAG-3 B cell transcripts had a longer progression-free interval (PFI). This novel insight could pave the way for targeted therapies that harness the unique properties of LAG-3 + B cells, potentially offering new avenues for improving patient outcomes in TNBC. Further research is warranted to unravel the mechanistic pathways of these cells and to validate their prognostic value in larger, diverse patient cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Visconte Gonçalves
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos, 6627 - Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Natália Pinheiro-Rosa
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, 550 1st Ave, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Lícia Torres
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos, 6627 - Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Mariana de Almeida Oliveira
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos, 6627 - Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Rapozo Guimarães
- Instituto Nacional de Câncer, Ministério da Saúde, Coordenação de Pesquisa, Laboratório de Bioinformática e Biologia Computacional - Rua André Cavalcanti, 37, 1 Andar, Centro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20231050, Brasil
| | - Christiana da Silva Leite
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos, 6627 - Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - José Miguel Ortega
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos, 6627 - Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Miriam Teresa Paz Lopes
- Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos, 6627 - Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Ana Maria Caetano Faria
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos, 6627 - Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Mariana Lima Boroni Martins
- Instituto Nacional de Câncer, Ministério da Saúde, Coordenação de Pesquisa, Laboratório de Bioinformática e Biologia Computacional - Rua André Cavalcanti, 37, 1 Andar, Centro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20231050, Brasil
| | - Liza Figueiredo Felicori
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos, 6627 - Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil.
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Carrillo Diaz de Leon M, Keane K, Roizes S, Liao S, von der Weid PY, Stephens M. Not just fibrotic: endothelial-derived TGFβ maintains contractile function and lymphatic muscle phenotype during homeostasis. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2024; 326:C269-C281. [PMID: 38047303 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00327.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Cell-cell communication within the lymphatic vasculature during homeostasis is incompletely detailed. Although many discoveries highlight the pathological roles of transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) in chronic vascular inflammation and associated fibrosis, only a small amount is known surrounding the role of TGFβ-signaling in homeostatic lymphatic function. Here, we discovered that pharmacological blockade of TGFβ receptor 1 (TGFβR1) negatively impacts rat mesenteric lymphatic vessel pumping, significantly reducing vessel contractility and surrounding lymphatic muscle coverage. We have identified mesenteric lymphatic endothelial cells themselves as a source of endogenous vascular TGFβ and that TGFβ production is significantly increased in these cells via activation of a number of functional pattern recognition receptors they express. We show that a continuous supply of TGFβ is essential to maintain the contractile phenotype of neighboring lymphatic muscle cells and support this conclusion through in vitro analysis of primary isolated lymphatic muscle cells that undergo synthetic differentiation during 2-D cell culture, a phenomenon that could be effectively rescued by supplementation with recombinant TGFβ. Finally, we demonstrate that lymphatic endothelial production of TGFβ is regulated, in part, by nitric oxide in a manner we propose is essential to counteract the pathological over-production of TGFβ. Taken together, these data highlight the essential role of homeostatic TGFβ signaling in the maintenance of lymphatic vascular function and highlight possible deleterious consequences of its inhibition.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The growth factor TGFβ is commonly associated with its pathological overproduction during tissue fibrosis rather than its homeostatic functions. We expose the lymphatic endothelium as a source of endogenous TGFβ, the impact of its production on the maintenance of surrounding lymphatic muscle cell phenotype, and internally regulated mechanisms of its production. Overall, these results highlight the intricate balance of TGFβ-signaling as an essential component of maintaining lymphatic contractile function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Carrillo Diaz de Leon
- Inflammation Research Network, Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Keith Keane
- Inflammation Research Network, Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Simon Roizes
- Inflammation Research Network, Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Shan Liao
- Inflammation Research Network, Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Pierre-Yves von der Weid
- Inflammation Research Network, Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Matthew Stephens
- Inflammation Research Network, Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
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Viúdez-Pareja C, Kreft E, García-Caballero M. Immunomodulatory properties of the lymphatic endothelium in the tumor microenvironment. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1235812. [PMID: 37744339 PMCID: PMC10512957 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1235812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is an intricate complex and dynamic structure composed of various cell types, including tumor, stromal and immune cells. Within this complex network, lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) play a crucial role in regulating immune responses and influencing tumor progression and metastatic dissemination to lymph node and distant organs. Interestingly, LECs possess unique immunomodulatory properties that can either promote or inhibit anti-tumor immune responses. In fact, tumor-associated lymphangiogenesis can facilitate tumor cell dissemination and metastasis supporting immunoevasion, but also, different molecular mechanisms involved in LEC-mediated anti-tumor immunity have been already described. In this context, the crosstalk between cancer cells, LECs and immune cells and how this communication can shape the immune landscape in the TME is gaining increased interest in recent years. In this review, we present a comprehensive and updated report about the immunomodulatory properties of the lymphatic endothelium within the TME, with special focus on primary tumors and tumor-draining lymph nodes. Furthermore, we outline emerging research investigating the potential therapeutic strategies targeting the lymphatic endothelium to enhance anti-tumor immune responses. Understanding the intricate mechanisms involved in LEC-mediated immune modulation in the TME opens up new possibilities for the development of innovative approaches to fight cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Viúdez-Pareja
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Andalucía Tech, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
- IBIMA (Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga)-Plataforma BIONAND, Málaga, Spain
| | - Ewa Kreft
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Andalucía Tech, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
- IBIMA (Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga)-Plataforma BIONAND, Málaga, Spain
| | - Melissa García-Caballero
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Andalucía Tech, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
- IBIMA (Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga)-Plataforma BIONAND, Málaga, Spain
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