Breast cancer subtype specific interactions with the microenvironment dictate mechanisms of invasion
Menée in vitro et in vivo, cette étude suggère que les différents sous-types de cancer du sein requièrent des contributions différentes de la part du microenvironnement tumoral pour favoriser la transition d'un carcinome canalaire in situ en un cancer invasif
Most ductal breast carcinoma cells are weakly invasive in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that components of their microenvironment may facilitate a transition from in situ to invasive stages during progression. Here we report that co-culture of mammary fibroblasts specifically triggers invasive behavior in basal-type breast cancer cells through a ligand independent mechanism. When cultured alone in organotypic culture, both basal and luminal-type breast cancer cells formed noninvasive spheroids with characteristics of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). In contrast, when co-cultured with mammary fibroblasts, basal-type spheroids exhibited invasive character whereas the luminal-type spheroids retained a benign and noninvasive duct-like architecture. Real-time imaging and functional studies revealed that the specificity of invasion was linked to a unique capacity of basal-type breast cancer cells to move within spheroids. Mammary fibroblasts induced invasion by triggering basal-type breast cancer cells to convert from a noninvasive program of mammary epithelial morphogenesis, to an invasive program of sprouting endothelial angiogenesis. Contrary to existing invasion models, soluble ligands produced by the fibroblasts were not sufficient to trigger invasion. Instead, basal-type invasion relied upon a Cdc42-dependent reorganization of collagen fibers in the extracellular matrix by fibroblasts. Inhibiting basal-type cell movement with clinically relevant drugs blocked invasion in organotypic culture and in animals, suggesting a new treatment strategy for early-stage patients. Together our findings establish that fibroblast recruitment by basal-type breast cancer cells into early-stage tumors is sufficient to trigger their conversion from a benign, non-invasive DCIS-like stage to a malignant invasive stage. Further, our findings suggest that different subtypes of breast cancer may require distinct types of contributions from the microenvironment to undergo malignant progression.