Transcription factor c-Myb inhibits breast cancer lung metastasis by suppression of tumor cell seeding

Oncogene. 2018 Feb 22;37(8):1020-1030. doi: 10.1038/onc.2017.392. Epub 2017 Oct 30.

Abstract

Metastasis accounts for most of cancer-related deaths. Paracrine signaling between tumor cells and the stroma induces changes in the tumor microenvironment required for metastasis. Transcription factor c-Myb was associated with breast cancer (BC) progression but its role in metastasis remains unclear. Here we show that increased c-Myb expression in BC cells inhibits spontaneous lung metastasis through impaired tumor cell extravasation. On contrary, BC cells with increased lung metastatic capacity exhibited low c-Myb levels. We identified a specific inflammatory signature, including Ccl2 chemokine, that was expressed in lung metastatic cells but was suppressed in tumor cells with higher c-Myb levels. Tumor cell-derived Ccl2 expression facilitated lung metastasis and rescued trans-endothelial migration of c-Myb overexpressing cells. Clinical data show that the identified inflammatory signature, together with a MYB expression, predicts lung metastasis relapse in BC patients. These results demonstrate that the c-Myb-regulated transcriptional program in BCs results in a blunted inflammatory response and consequently suppresses lung metastasis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism*
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Chemokine CCL2 / genetics
  • Chemokine CCL2 / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Lung Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Inbred NOD
  • Mice, SCID
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / genetics
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / metabolism
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / pathology*
  • Prognosis
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myb / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myb / metabolism*
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • Tumor Microenvironment
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • CCL2 protein, human
  • Chemokine CCL2
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myb