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Distinct shared and compartment-enriched oncogenic networks drive primary versus metastatic breast cancer
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Distinct shared and compartment-enriched oncogenic networks drive primary versus metastatic breast cancer

Zhe Jiang, YoungJun Ju, Amjad Ali, Philip E. D. Chung, Patryk Skowron, Dong-Yu Wang, Mariusz Shrestha, Huiqin Li, Jeff C. Liu, Ioulia Vorobieva, …
Nature communications, Vol.14(1), 4313
07/18/2023
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39935-y
PMCID: PMC10354065
PMID: 37463901
url
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39935-yView
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Metastatic breast-cancer is a major cause of death in women worldwide, yet the relationship between oncogenic drivers that promote metastatic versus primary cancer is still contentious. To elucidate this relationship in treatment-naive animals, we hereby describe mammary-specific transposon-mutagenesis screens in female mice together with loss-of-function Rb , which is frequently inactivated in breast-cancer. We report gene-centric common insertion-sites (gCIS) that are enriched in primary-tumors, in metastases or shared by both compartments. Shared-gCIS comprise a major MET-RAS network, whereas metastasis-gCIS form three additional hubs: Rho-signaling, Ubiquitination and RNA-processing. Pathway analysis of four clinical cohorts with paired primary-tumors and metastases reveals similar organization in human breast-cancer with subtype-specific shared-drivers (e.g. RB1-loss, TP53-loss, high MET, RAS, ER), primary-enriched (EGFR, TGFβ and STAT3) and metastasis-enriched (RHO, PI3K) oncogenic signaling. Inhibitors of RB1-deficiency or MET plus RHO-signaling cooperate to block cell migration and drive tumor cell-death. Thus, targeting shared- and metastasis- but not primary-enriched derivers offers a rational avenue to prevent metastatic breast-cancer. Distinguishing the drivers of metastasis versus those of the primary tumour in breast cancer remains challenging. Here, the authors explore primary-only, metastatic-only, and shared drivers in breast cancer using mammary-specific transposon mutagenesis screens, which leads to potential therapeutic targets to prevent metastasis.
Breast Cancer Metastasis Mutagenesis Cancer genomics Cancer models

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