RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Neoadjuvant chemotherapy induces breast cancer metastasis through a TMEM-mediated mechanism JF Science Translational Medicine FD American Association for the Advancement of Science SP eaan0026 DO 10.1126/scitranslmed.aan0026 VO 9 IS 397 A1 Karagiannis, George S. A1 Pastoriza, Jessica M. A1 Wang, Yarong A1 Harney, Allison S. A1 Entenberg, David A1 Pignatelli, Jeanine A1 Sharma, Ved P. A1 Xue, Emily A. A1 Cheng, Esther A1 D’Alfonso, Timothy M. A1 Jones, Joan G. A1 Anampa, Jesus A1 Rohan, Thomas E. A1 Sparano, Joseph A. A1 Condeelis, John S. A1 Oktay, Maja H. YR 2017 UL http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/9/397/eaan0026.abstract AB Breast cancer is one of the most common tumor types, and metastasis greatly increases the risk of death from this disease. By studying the process of intravasation or entry of cells into the vasculature, Karagiannis et al. discovered that, in addition to killing tumor cells, chemotherapy treatment can also increase intravasation. Groups of cells collectively known as tumor microenvironment of metastasis (TMEM) can serve as gateways for tumor cells entering the vasculature, and the authors discovered that several types of chemotherapy can increase the amounts of TMEM complexes and circulating tumor cells in the bloodstream. The researchers also determined that a drug called rebastinib can interfere with TMEM activity and help overcome the increased risk of cancer cell dissemination.Breast cancer cells disseminate through TIE2/MENACalc/MENAINV-dependent cancer cell intravasation sites, called tumor microenvironment of metastasis (TMEM), which are clinically validated as prognostic markers of metastasis in breast cancer patients. Using fixed tissue and intravital imaging of a PyMT murine model and patient-derived xenografts, we show that chemotherapy increases the density and activity of TMEM sites and Mena expression and promotes distant metastasis. Moreover, in the residual breast cancers of patients treated with neoadjuvant paclitaxel after doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide, TMEM score and its mechanistically connected MENAINV isoform expression pattern were both increased, suggesting that chemotherapy, despite decreasing tumor size, increases the risk of metastatic dissemination. Chemotherapy-induced TMEM activity and cancer cell dissemination were reversed by either administration of the TIE2 inhibitor rebastinib or knockdown of the MENA gene. Our results indicate that TMEM score increases and MENA isoform expression pattern changes with chemotherapy and can be used in predicting prometastatic changes in response to chemotherapy. Furthermore, inhibitors of TMEM function may improve clinical benefits of chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting or in metastatic disease.