Activation of CD44 signaling in leader cells induced by tumor-associated macrophages drives collective detachment in luminal breast carcinomas.

ABSTRACT: Collective detachment of cancer cells at the invading front could generate efficient metastatic spread. However, how cancer cell clusters shed from the leading front remains unknown. We previously reported that the dynamic expression of CD44 in breast cancers (BrCas) at collectively invading edges was associated with tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). In this study, we first observed that the highly expressed CD44 (CD44^high) cancer cell clusters were located in the BrCa circulating vessels, accompanied by CD206⁺ TAMs. Next, we identified that the cancer cell clusters can be converted to an invasive CD44^high state which was induced by TAMs, thus giving rise to CD44-associated signaling mediated cohesive detachment. Then, we showed that disrupting CD44-sign

SUBMITTER: Gao F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9184589 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature