Chronic pulmonary bacterial infection facilitates breast cancer lung metastasis by recruiting tumor-promoting MHCIIhi neutrophils

Abstract

Breast cancer can metastasize to various organs, including the lungs. The immune microenvironment of the organs to be metastasized plays a crucial role in the metastasis of breast cancer. Infection with pathogens such as viruses and bacteria can alter the immune status of the lung. However, the effect of chronic inflammation caused by bacteria on the formation of a premetastatic niche within the lung is unclear, and the contribution of specific immune mediators to tumor metastasis also remains largely undetermined. Here, we used a mouse model revealing that chronic pulmonary bacterial infection augmented breast cancer lung metastasis by recruiting a distinct subtype of tumor-infiltrating MHCII^hi neutrophils into the lung, which exhibit cancer-promoting properties. Functionally, MHCII^hi neutrophils enhanced the lung metastasis of breast cancer in a cell-intrinsic manner. Furthermore, we identified CCL2 from lung tissues as an important environmental signal to recruit and maintain MHCII^hi neutrophils. Our findings clearly link bacterial-immune crosstalk to breast cancer lung metastasis and define MHCII^hi neutrophils as the principal mediator between chronic infection and tumor metastasis.