Loss of Host Type-I IFN Signaling Accelerates Metastasis and Impairs NK-cell Antitumor Function in Multiple Models of Breast Cancer.

Metastatic progression is the major cause of breast cancer-related mortality. By examining multiple syngeneic preclinical breast cancer models in mice lacking a functional type-I interferon receptor (Ifnar1(-/-) mice), we show that host-derived type-I interferon (IFN) signaling is a critical determinant of metastatic spread that is independent of primary tumor growth. In particular, we show that bone metastasis can be accelerated in Balb/c Ifnar1(-/-) mice bearing either 4T1 or 66cl4 orthotopic tumors and, for the first time, present data showing the development of bone metastasis in the C57Bl/6 spontaneous MMTV-PyMT-driven model of tumorigenesis. Further exploration of these results revealed that endogenous type-I IFN signaling to the host hematopoietic system is a key determinant of metastasis-free survival and critical to the responsiveness of the circulating natural killer (NK)-cell population. We find that in vivo-stimulated NK cells derived from wild-type, but not Ifnar1(-/-), mice can eliminate the 4T1 and 66cl4 breast tumor lines with varying kinetics in vitro. Together, this study indicates that the dysregulated immunity resulting from a loss of host type-I IFN signaling is sufficient to drive metastasis, and provides a rationale for targeting the endogenous type-I IFN pathway as an antimetastatic strategy.

BMP4 inhibits breast cancer metastasis by blocking myeloid-derived suppressor cell activity.

The TGFß growth factor family member BMP4 is a potent suppressor of breast cancer metastasis. In the mouse, the development of highly metastatic mammary tumors is associated with an accumulation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), the numbers of which are reduced by exogenous BMP4 expression. MDSCs are undetectable in naïve mice but can be induced by treatment with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF/Csf3) or by secretion of G-CSF from the tumor. Both tumor-induced and G-CSF-induced MDSCs effectively suppress T-cell activation and proliferation, leading to metastatic enhancement. BMP4 reduces the expression and secretion of G-CSF by inhibiting NF-κB (Nfkb1) activity in human and mouse tumor lines. Because MDSCs correlate with poor prognosis in patients with breast cancer, therapies based on activation of BMP4 signaling may offer a novel treatment strategy for breast cancer. Cancer Res; 74(18); 5091-102. ©2014 AACR.

Silencing of Irf7 pathways in breast cancer cells promotes bone metastasis through immune escape.

Breast cancer metastasis is a key determinant of long-term patient survival. By comparing the transcriptomes of primary and metastatic tumor cells in a mouse model of spontaneous bone metastasis, we found that a substantial number of genes suppressed in bone metastases are targets of the interferon regulatory factor Irf7. Restoration of Irf7 in tumor cells or administration of interferon led to reduced bone metastases and prolonged survival time. In mice deficient in the interferon (IFN) receptor or in natural killer (NK) and CD8(+) T cell responses, metastasis was accelerated, indicating that Irf7-driven suppression of metastasis was reliant on IFN signaling to host immune cells. We confirmed the clinical relevance of these findings in over 800 patients in which high expression of Irf7-regulated genes in primary tumors was associated with prolonged bone metastasis-free survival. This gene signature may identify patients that could benefit from IFN-based therapies. Thus, we have identified an innate immune pathway intrinsic to breast cancer cells, the suppression of which restricts immunosurveillance to enable metastasis.

Cathepsin B inhibition limits bone metastasis in breast cancer.

Metastasis to bone is a major cause of morbidity in breast cancer patients, emphasizing the importance of identifying molecular drivers of bone metastasis for new therapeutic targets. The endogenous cysteine cathepsin inhibitor stefin A is a suppressor of breast cancer metastasis to bone that is coexpressed with cathepsin B in bone metastases. In this study, we used the immunocompetent 4T1.2 model of breast cancer which exhibits spontaneous bone metastasis to evaluate the function and therapeutic targeting potential of cathepsin B in this setting of advanced disease. Cathepsin B abundancy in the model mimicked human disease, both at the level of primary tumors and matched spinal metastases. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of cathepsin B in tumor cells reduced collagen I degradation in vitro and bone metastasis in vivo. Similarly, intraperitoneal administration of the highly selective cathepsin B inhibitor CA-074 reduced metastasis in tumor-bearing animals, a reduction that was not reproduced by the broad spectrum cysteine cathepsin inhibitor JPM-OEt. Notably, metastasis suppression by CA-074 was maintained in a late treatment setting, pointing to a role in metastatic outgrowth. Together, our findings established a prometastatic role for cathepsin B in distant metastasis and illustrated the therapeutic benefits of its selective inhibition in vivo.