New study reveals how aggressive breast cancer spreads to lymph nodes

Spread of breast cancer to nearby lymph nodes is linked to poor prognosis, but the biological mechanisms behind this process are still not fully understood. In a new study published in the British Journal of Cancer, researchers at IMBIM show that lymph node dissemination depends on a specific tumour cell state. The chemokine receptor CCR7 has previously been linked to lymphatic spread in breast cancer, but its role alone appears to be insufficient. Using a new model of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) – an aggressive form of the disease – the researchers demonstrate that efficient spread is instead associated with a hypoxia-induced tumour cell state marked by podoplanin (PDPN) expression. This state is linked to reduced immune cell infiltration and tumour immune evasion. Analyses of patient data reveal similar patterns in human TNBC. While PDPN in the tumour microenvironment is mainly attributed to lymphatic vessels and fibroblasts, the study shows that PDPN expression by tumour cells in combination with CCR7 could be a marker of more aggressive tumours and worse survival. The findings provide new insight into what drives lymph node metastasis and the cross-talk between our immune defence and cancer.

Article Title : Podoplanin-defined tumour plasticity and CCR7-mediated lymphatic metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer

Contact: Maria Ulvmar, IMBIM, Uppsala universitet (maria.ulvmar@imbim.uu.se)