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Epithelial-mesenchymal transition leads to NK cell–mediated metastasis-specific immunosurveillance in lung cancer
Peter J. Chockley, … , Theodore J. Standiford, Venkateshwar G. Keshamouni
Peter J. Chockley, … , Theodore J. Standiford, Venkateshwar G. Keshamouni
Published January 11, 2018
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2018;128(4):1384-1396. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI97611.
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Research Article Immunology Oncology

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition leads to NK cell–mediated metastasis-specific immunosurveillance in lung cancer

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Abstract

During epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) epithelial cancer cells transdifferentiate into highly motile, invasive, mesenchymal-like cells, giving rise to disseminating tumor cells. Few of these disseminated cells successfully metastasize. Immune cells and inflammation in the tumor microenvironment were shown to drive EMT, but few studies investigated the consequences of EMT for tumor immunosurveillance. In addition to initiating metastasis, we demonstrate that EMT confers increased susceptibility to natural killer (NK) cells and contributes, in part, to the inefficiency of the metastatic process. Depletion of NK cells allowed spontaneous metastasis without affecting primary tumor growth. EMT-induced modulation of E-cadherin and cell adhesion molecule 1 (CADM1) mediated increased susceptibility to NK cytotoxicity. Higher CADM1 expression correlates with improved patient survival in 2 lung and 1 breast adenocarcinoma patient cohorts and decreased metastasis. Our observations reveal a novel NK-mediated, metastasis-specific immunosurveillance in lung cancer and present a window of opportunity for preventing metastasis by boosting NK cell activity.

Authors

Peter J. Chockley, Jun Chen, Guoan Chen, David G. Beer, Theodore J. Standiford, Venkateshwar G. Keshamouni

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Figure 1

EMT differentially regulates NK ligands and promotes susceptibility to NK-mediated cytotoxicity.

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EMT differentially regulates NK ligands and promotes susceptibility to N...
(A) Heatmap (blue: downregulation; red: upregulation) representing fold changes, from 0 hours to 72 hours, time course of differentially expressed EMT markers and NK ligand genes during TGF-β–induced EMT, from a previously published gene expression profile data set (GEO GSE17708) (36). (B) Representative flow cytometric plot of cytotoxicity assay showing locations of effector, NK92mi (fluorophore-null cells), and target cells (fluorophore positive) and their exclusion DNA-binding dye status (viability indicator). PI, propidium iodide. (C–G) NK92mi-mediated cytotoxicity plots after 4 hours of coculture at indicated E/T ratios per cell type and treatment. Cell lines were treated with TGF-β (5 ng/ml) for 3, 6, 12, 6, and 6 days to induce optimum EMT, as assessed by complete E-cad downregulation and induction of vimentin or N-cadherin, in A549 (C), H460 (D), H358 (E), MCF7 (F), and DLD-1 (G), respectively. Data represent triplicate mean ± SEM, and 2-tailed unpaired t tests were performed. All experiments were repeated at least twice. (H) Freshly isolated human peripheral blood–derived NK cells were used as effector cells (E/T, 10:1) against A549 cells. K562 cells were used as a positive control for cytotoxicity. Data represent mean ± SEM, and 2-tailed, unpaired, t tests were performed. (I) To assess experimental metastasis, A549 cells were treated with TGF-β (5 ng/ml) in vitro and injected through the tail vein into RAG–/– mice. After 8 weeks, lungs were harvested to assess tumor burden. NRS, normal rabbit serum. Data represent 2 independent experiments, n = 3–4 for each group, and pooled results are shown. Error bars are SEM; Mann-Whitney U test was performed, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001.

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