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Host CLIC4 is essential for breast cancer metastatic competence

ABSTRACT: Chloride Intracellular Channel 4 (CLIC4) expression is elevated in the stroma of many cancers. We show that CLIC4 expression is higher in breast cancers from younger women and early stage metastatic disease, portends poor prognosis, and is linked to TGF-β expression. Two murine breast cancer models with lung metastases revealed that ablation of host Clic4 nearly eliminated lung metastases without reducing primary tumor size while Clic4 null tumor cells retained metastatic capability. Thus, CLIC4 is required for host metastatic competence. Deficiencies in circulating pro-metastatic soluble factors were detected in CLIC4 deficient hosts bearing primary tumors. Necrosis and vascular abnormalities were more abundant in primary tumors from CLIC4 deficient hosts than from CLIC4 proficient control hosts. Transcriptional profiles of lungs and primary tumors prior to the onset of metastases indicated that loss of host CLIC4 enhances an inflammatory microenvironment. Thus, CLIC4 expression in human breast cancers may serve as a prognostic biomarker, and targeting host CLIC4 could reduce metastatic competence.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE185163 | GEO | 2022/05/25

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:The goal of this dataset is to compare the gene expression patterns between primary and metastatic tumors Metastatic cancer patients typically have short survival times and their successful treatment represents one of most challenging aspects of patient care. This poor prognostic behavior is likely due to many factors, including increased clonal heterogeneity, multiple drug resistance mechanisms, and the role of the tumor microenvironment. The AURORA US Metastasis Project was established to collect and molecularly characterize specimens from 55 breast cancer (BC) patients representing 51 primary cancers and 102 metastases. The 153 unique tumors were assayed using RNAseq, tumor/germline DNA exomes and low pass whole genome sequencing, and global DNA methylation microarrays. We found intrinsic molecular subtype differences between primary tumors and their matched metastases to be rare in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC)/Basal-like subtype tumors. Conversely, tumor subtype changes were relatively frequent in estrogen receptor positive (ER+) cancers where ~30% of Luminal A cases switched to Luminal B or HER2-enriched (HER2E) subtype. Clonal evolution studies identified changes in expression subtype coincident with DNA clonality shifts, especially involving HER2 amplification and/or the HER2E expression subtype. Microenvironment differences varied according to tumor subtype where ER+/Luminal metastases had lower fibroblast and endothelial cell content, while TNBC/Basal-like metastases showed a dramatic decrease in adaptive immunity. In 17% of metastatic tumors, we identified DNA methylation and/or focal DNA deletions near HLA-A that were associated with its significantly reduced expression, and with lower immune cell infiltrates. We also identified low immune cell features in brain and liver metastases when compared to other metastatic sites, even within the same patient. These findings have direct implications for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer patients with immune- and HER2-targeting therapies and suggest potential novel therapeutic avenues for the improvement of outcomes for some MBC patients.

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Host CLIC4 is essential for breast cancer metastatic competence

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