Immune Milieu Established by Postpartum Liver Involution Promotes Breast Cancer Liver Metastasis

In rodents, we identified a physiologic process within the normal liver that creates a pre-metastatic niche. This physiology is weaning-induced liver involution, characterized by hepatocyte cell death, immune influx, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Here, using weaning-induced liver involution a...

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Main Authors: Alexandra Q. Bartlett, Nathan D. Pennock, Alex Klug, Pepper Schedin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-04-01
Series:Cancers
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/7/1698
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author Alexandra Q. Bartlett
Nathan D. Pennock
Alex Klug
Pepper Schedin
author_facet Alexandra Q. Bartlett
Nathan D. Pennock
Alex Klug
Pepper Schedin
author_sort Alexandra Q. Bartlett
collection DOAJ
description In rodents, we identified a physiologic process within the normal liver that creates a pre-metastatic niche. This physiology is weaning-induced liver involution, characterized by hepatocyte cell death, immune influx, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Here, using weaning-induced liver involution as a model of a physiologically regulated pro-metastatic niche, we investigate how liver involution supports breast cancer metastasis. Liver metastases were induced in BALB/c immune competent hosts by portal vein injection of D2OR (low metastatic) or D2A1 (high metastatic) mouse mammary tumor cells. Tumor incidence and multiplicity increased in involution hosts with no evidence of a proliferation advantage. D2OR tumor cell extravasation, seeding, and early survival were not enhanced in the involuting group compared to the nulliparous group. Rather, the involution metastatic advantage was observed at 14 days post tumor cell injection. This metastatic advantage associated with induction of immune tolerance in the involution host liver, reproductive state dependent intra-tumoral immune composition, and CD8-dependent suppression of metastases in nulliparous hosts. Our findings suggest that the normal postpartum liver is in an immune suppressed state, which can provide a pro-metastatic advantage to circulating breast cancer cells. Potential relevance to women is suggested as a postpartum diagnosis of breast cancer is an independent predictor of liver metastasis.
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spelling doaj.art-4966d5576e5d46a9a02e202c40422e6b2023-11-21T14:06:55ZengMDPI AGCancers2072-66942021-04-01137169810.3390/cancers13071698Immune Milieu Established by Postpartum Liver Involution Promotes Breast Cancer Liver MetastasisAlexandra Q. Bartlett0Nathan D. Pennock1Alex Klug2Pepper Schedin3Department of Cell, Developmental, and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USADepartment of Cell, Developmental, and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USADepartment of Cell, Developmental, and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USADepartment of Cell, Developmental, and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USAIn rodents, we identified a physiologic process within the normal liver that creates a pre-metastatic niche. This physiology is weaning-induced liver involution, characterized by hepatocyte cell death, immune influx, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Here, using weaning-induced liver involution as a model of a physiologically regulated pro-metastatic niche, we investigate how liver involution supports breast cancer metastasis. Liver metastases were induced in BALB/c immune competent hosts by portal vein injection of D2OR (low metastatic) or D2A1 (high metastatic) mouse mammary tumor cells. Tumor incidence and multiplicity increased in involution hosts with no evidence of a proliferation advantage. D2OR tumor cell extravasation, seeding, and early survival were not enhanced in the involuting group compared to the nulliparous group. Rather, the involution metastatic advantage was observed at 14 days post tumor cell injection. This metastatic advantage associated with induction of immune tolerance in the involution host liver, reproductive state dependent intra-tumoral immune composition, and CD8-dependent suppression of metastases in nulliparous hosts. Our findings suggest that the normal postpartum liver is in an immune suppressed state, which can provide a pro-metastatic advantage to circulating breast cancer cells. Potential relevance to women is suggested as a postpartum diagnosis of breast cancer is an independent predictor of liver metastasis.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/7/1698metastatic nicheliver metastasisbreast cancerliver involution
spellingShingle Alexandra Q. Bartlett
Nathan D. Pennock
Alex Klug
Pepper Schedin
Immune Milieu Established by Postpartum Liver Involution Promotes Breast Cancer Liver Metastasis
Cancers
metastatic niche
liver metastasis
breast cancer
liver involution
title Immune Milieu Established by Postpartum Liver Involution Promotes Breast Cancer Liver Metastasis
title_full Immune Milieu Established by Postpartum Liver Involution Promotes Breast Cancer Liver Metastasis
title_fullStr Immune Milieu Established by Postpartum Liver Involution Promotes Breast Cancer Liver Metastasis
title_full_unstemmed Immune Milieu Established by Postpartum Liver Involution Promotes Breast Cancer Liver Metastasis
title_short Immune Milieu Established by Postpartum Liver Involution Promotes Breast Cancer Liver Metastasis
title_sort immune milieu established by postpartum liver involution promotes breast cancer liver metastasis
topic metastatic niche
liver metastasis
breast cancer
liver involution
url https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/7/1698
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