Tumour-vasculature development via endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition after radiotherapy controls CD44v6+ cancer cell and macrophage polarization

Nat Commun. 2018 Nov 30;9(1):5108. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-07470-w.

Abstract

It remains controversial whether targeting tumour vasculature can improve radiotherapeutic efficacy. We report that radiation-induced endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) leads to tumour vasculature with abnormal SMA+NG2+ pericyte recruitment during tumour regrowth after radiotherapy. Trp53 (but not Tgfbr2) deletion in endothelial cells (ECs) inhibited radiation-induced EndMT, reducing tumour regrowth and metastases with a high CD44v6+ cancer-stem-cell (CSC) content after radiotherapy. Osteopontin, an EndMT-related angiocrine factor suppressed by EC-Trp53 deletion, stimulated proliferation in dormant CD44v6+ cells in severely hypoxic regions after radiation. Radiation-induced EndMT significantly regulated tumour-associated macrophage (TAM) polarization. CXCR4 upregulation in radioresistant tumour ECs was highly associated with SDF-1+ TAM recruitment and M2 polarization of TAMs, which was suppressed by Trp53 deletion. These EndMT-related phenomena were also observed in irradiated human lung cancer tissues. Our findings suggest that targeting tumour EndMT might enhance radiotherapy efficacy by inhibiting the re-activation of dormant hypoxic CSCs and promoting anti-tumour immune responses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Benzylamines
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Transdifferentiation / drug effects
  • Cell Transdifferentiation / genetics
  • Cyclams
  • Endothelial Cells / metabolism*
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / genetics
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / physiology*
  • Female
  • Heterocyclic Compounds / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Hyaluronan Receptors / metabolism*
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Macrophages / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II / genetics
  • Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II / metabolism
  • Receptors, CXCR4 / genetics
  • Receptors, CXCR4 / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Signal Transduction / physiology

Substances

  • Benzylamines
  • CD44v6 antigen
  • CXCR4 protein, mouse
  • Cyclams
  • Heterocyclic Compounds
  • Hyaluronan Receptors
  • Receptors, CXCR4
  • Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II
  • plerixafor