Fibroblasts isolated from common sites of breast cancer metastasis enhance cancer cell growth rates and invasiveness in an interleukin-6-dependent manner

Adam W. Studebaker, Gianluca Storci, Jillian L. Werbeck, Pasquale Sansone, A. Kate Sasser, Simona Tavolari, Tim Huang, Michael W.Y. Chan, Frank C. Marini, Thomas J. Roso, Massimiliano Bonafé, Brett M. Hall

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

201 Scopus citations

Abstract

Common sites of breast cancer metastasis include the lung, liver, and bone, and of these secondary metastatic sites, estrogen receptor α (ERα)-positive breast cancer often favors bone. Within secondary organs, cancer cells would predictably encounter tissue-specific fibroblasts or their soluble factors, yet our understanding of how tissue-specific fibroblasts directly affect cancer cell growth rates and survival remains largely unknown. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that mesenchymal fibroblasts isolated from common sites of breast cancer metastasis provide a more favorable microenvironment with respect to tumor growth rates. We found a direct correlation between the ability of breast, lung, and bone fibroblasts to enhance ERα-positive breast cancer cell growth and the level of soluble interleukin-6 (IL-6) produced by each organ-specific fibroblast, and fibroblast-mediated growth enhancement was inhibited by the removal or inhibition of IL-6. Interestingly, mice coinjected with MCF-7 breast tumor cells and senescent skin fibroblasts, which secrete IL-6, developed tumors, whereas mice coinjected with presenescent skin fibroblasts that produce little to no IL-6 failed to form xenograft tumors. We subsequently determined that IL-6 promoted growth and invasion of breast cancer cells through signal transducer and activator of transcription 3-dependent up-regulation of Notch-3, Jagged-1, and carbonic anhydrase IX. These data suggest that tissue-specific fibroblasts and the factors they produce can promote breast cancer disease progression and may represent attractive targets for development of new therapeutics.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)9087-9095
Number of pages9
JournalCancer Research
Volume68
Issue number21
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1 2008
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research

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