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Supplementary data from Evolution of Cancer Stem-like Cells in Endocrine-Resistant Metastatic Breast Cancers Is Mediated by Stromal Microvesicles

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posted on 2023-03-31, 01:07 authored by Pasquale Sansone, Marjan Berishaj, Vinagolu K. Rajasekhar, Claudio Ceccarelli, Qing Chang, Antonio Strillacci, Claudia Savini, Lauren Shapiro, Robert L. Bowman, Chiara Mastroleo, Sabrina De Carolis, Laura Daly, Alberto Benito-Martin, Fabiana Perna, Nicola Fabbri, John H. Healey, Enzo Spisni, Monica Cricca, David Lyden, Massimiliano Bonafé, Jacqueline Bromberg

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Funding

Department of Defense

NIH

Charles and Marjorie Holloway Foundation

Sussman Family Fund

Lerner Foundation

The Beth C. Tortolani Foundation

MSK Cancer Center Support Grant/Core Grant

The Manning Foundation

The Hartwell Foundation

Fundacao para aCiencia e a Tecnologia

The Nancy C and Daniel P Paduano Foundation

The Mary Kay Foundation

Pediatric Oncology Experimental Therapeutic Investigator Consortium

James Paduano Foundation

Malcolm Hewitt Weiner Foundation

Theodore A Rapp Foundation

American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association 5th District Cancer Research Foundation

Cornelia and Roberto Pallotti Legacy

History

ARTICLE ABSTRACT

The hypothesis that microvesicle-mediated miRNA transfer converts noncancer stem cells into cancer stem cells (CSC) leading to therapy resistance remains poorly investigated. Here we provide direct evidence supporting this hypothesis, by demonstrating how microvesicles derived from cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) transfer miR-221 to promote hormonal therapy resistance (HTR) in models of luminal breast cancer. We determined that CAF-derived microvesicles horizontally transferred miR-221 to tumor cells and, in combination with hormone therapy, activated an ERlo/Notchhi feed-forward loop responsible for the generation of CD133hi CSCs. Importantly, microvesicles from patients with HTR metastatic disease expressed high levels of miR-221. We further determined that the IL6–pStat3 pathway promoted the biogenesis of onco-miR-221hi CAF microvesicles and established stromal CSC niches in experimental and patient-derived breast cancer models. Coinjection of patient-derived CAFs from bone metastases led to de novo HTR tumors, which was reversed with IL6R blockade. Finally, we generated patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models from patient-derived HTR bone metastases and analyzed tumor cells, stroma, and microvesicles. Murine and human CAFs were enriched in HTR tumors expressing high levels of CD133hi cells. Depletion of murine CAFs from PDX restored sensitivity to HT, with a concurrent reduction of CD133hi CSCs. Conversely, in models of CD133neg, HT-sensitive cancer cells, both murine and human CAFs promoted de novo HT resistance via the generation of CD133hi CSCs that expressed low levels of estrogen receptor alpha. Overall, our results illuminate how microvesicle-mediated horizontal transfer of genetic material from host stromal cells to cancer cells triggers the evolution of therapy-resistant metastases, with potentially broad implications for their control. Cancer Res; 77(8); 1927–41. ©2017 AACR.