Bone marrow NG2+/Nestin+ mesenchymal stem cells drive DTC dormancy via TGFβ2

Nat Cancer. 2021 Mar;2(3):327-339. doi: 10.1038/s43018-021-00179-8. Epub 2021 Mar 11.

Abstract

In the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment, where breast cancer (BC) disseminated tumour cells (DTCs) can remain dormant for decades, NG2+/Nestin+ mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) promote hematopoietic stem cell quiescence. Here, we reveal that periarteriolar BM-resident NG2+/Nestin+ MSCs can also instruct BC DTCs to enter dormancy. NG2+/Nestin+ MSCs produce TGFβ2 and BMP7 and activate a quiescence pathway dependent on TGFBRIII and BMPRII, which via p38-kinase result in p27 induction. Genetic depletion of MSCs or conditional knock-out of TGFβ2 in MSCs using an NG2-CreER driver led to bone metastatic outgrowth of otherwise dormant p27+/Ki67- DTCs. Also ER+ BC patients without systemic recurrence displayed higher frequency of TGFβ2 and BMP7 detection in the BM. Our results provide a direct proof that HSC dormancy niches control BC DTC dormancy and suggest that aging or extrinsic factors that affect the NG2+/Nestin+ MSC niche homeostasis may result in a break from dormancy and BC bone relapse.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bone Marrow / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms* / genetics
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells* / metabolism
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / metabolism
  • Nestin / metabolism
  • Tumor Microenvironment

Substances

  • Nestin