[HTML][HTML] Molecular mechanisms of IL-33–mediated stromal interactions in cancer metastasis

P Andersson, Y Yang, K Hosaka, Y Zhang, C Fischer… - JCI insight, 2018 - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
P Andersson, Y Yang, K Hosaka, Y Zhang, C Fischer, H Braun, S Liu, G Yu, S Liu, R Beyaert…
JCI insight, 2018ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Molecular mechanisms underlying the cancer stroma in metastasis need further exploration.
Here, we discovered that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) produced high levels of IL-33
that acted on tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), causing them to undergo the M1 to
M2 transition. Genomic profiling of metastasis-related genes in the IL-33–stimulated TAMs
showed a> 200-fold increase of MMP9. Signaling analysis demonstrated the IL-33-ST2-NF-
κB-MMP9-laminin pathway that governed tumor stroma–mediated metastasis. In mouse and …
Abstract
Molecular mechanisms underlying the cancer stroma in metastasis need further exploration. Here, we discovered that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) produced high levels of IL-33 that acted on tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), causing them to undergo the M1 to M2 transition. Genomic profiling of metastasis-related genes in the IL-33–stimulated TAMs showed a> 200-fold increase of MMP9. Signaling analysis demonstrated the IL-33-ST2-NF-κB-MMP9-laminin pathway that governed tumor stroma–mediated metastasis. In mouse and human fibroblast-rich pancreatic cancers, genetic deletion of IL-33, ST2, or MMP9 markedly blocked metastasis. Pharmacological inhibition of NF-κB and MMP9 also blocked cancer metastasis. Deletion of IL-33, ST2, or MMP9 restored laminin, a key basement membrane component associated with tumor microvessels. Together, our data provide mechanistic insights on the IL-33-NF-κB-MMP9-laminin axis that mediates the CAF-TAM–committed cancer metastasis. Thus, targeting the CAF-TAM-vessel axis provides an outstanding therapeutic opportunity for cancer treatment.
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