A model of breast cancer heterogeneity reveals vascular mimicry as a driver of metastasis.

ABSTRACT: Cancer metastasis requires that primary tumour cells evolve the capacity to intravasate into the lymphatic system or vasculature, and extravasate into and colonize secondary sites. Others have demonstrated that individual cells within complex populations show heterogeneity in their capacity to form secondary lesions. Here we develop a polyclonal mouse model of breast tumour heterogeneity, and show that distinct clones within a mixed population display specialization, for example, dominating the primary tumour, contributing to metastatic populations, or showing tropism for entering the lymphatic or vasculature systems. We correlate these stable properties to distinct gene expression profiles. Those clones that efficiently enter the vasculature express two secreted proteins, Serpine2 and Slp

SUBMITTER: Wagenblast E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4634366 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature