Breast cancer remodels lymphatics in sentinel lymph nodes

Dominik Eichin; Diana Lehotina; Anni Kauko; Maki Uenaka; Meri Leppänen; Kati Elima; Minna Piipponen; Tapio Lönnberg; Pia Boström; Ilkka Koskivuo; Tero Aittokallio; Maija Hollmén; Akira Takeda; Sirpa Jalkanen

doi:10.1038/s41467-025-64981-z

Breast cancer remodels lymphatics in sentinel lymph nodes

Dominik Eichin
, Diana Lehotina
, Anni Kauko
, Maki Uenaka
, Meri Leppänen
, Kati Elima
, Minna Piipponen
, Tapio Lönnberg
, Pia Boström
, Ilkka Koskivuo
, Tero Aittokallio
, Maija Hollmén
, Akira Takeda^*
, Sirpa Jalkanen^*

^*Korresponderande författare för detta arbete

Forskningsoutput: Tidskriftsbidrag › Artikel › Vetenskaplig › Peer review

5 Citeringar (Scopus)

81 Nedladdningar (Pure)

Sammanfattning

Cancer metastasis to sentinel lymph nodes (LNs) is often the first marker of potential disease progression. Although it is recognized that tumor-induced lymphangiogenesis facilitates metastasis into LNs in murine models, tumor-induced alterations in human lymphatic vessels remain obscure. Here we use single-cell RNA sequencing and high-resolution spatial transcriptomics to profile lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) subsets in paired metastatic and non-metastatic LNs obtained from female patients with treatment-naïve breast cancer. Tumor metastasis decreases immunoregulatory LEC subsets, such as PD-L1⁺ subcapsular sinus LECs, while inducing an increase in capillary-like CD200⁺ HEY1⁺ LECs. Matrix Gla protein (MGP) is the most upregulated gene in metastatic LN LECs, and its expression on LECs is TGF-β and VEGF dependent. Upregulated MGP promotes cancer cell adhesion to LN lymphatics. Thus, breast cancer cell metastasis to LNs remodels LEC subsets in human LNs and escalates MGP expression, potentially facilitating cancer cell dissemination through the lymphatic system.

Originalspråk	Engelska
Artikelnummer	10056
Tidskrift	Nature Communications
Volym	16
Nummer	1
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-64981-z
Status	Publicerad - dec. 2025
MoE-publikationstyp	A1 Tidskriftsartikel-refererad

Finansiering

We thank Teppo Huttunen from Estimates for statistical analyses, Sari Mäki and Riikka Sjöroos for technical help, Joe Hettinger for revising the language, Bishwa Ghimire for his advice on bioinformatic analyses, Dinghao Zheng for running the Space Ranger pipeline, Damien Kaukonen for running the Space Ranger pipeline and statistical consultation, and Prof. Kari Alitalo for providing us with the anti-VEGFR3 antibody. This work was financed by the Research Council of Finland (A.T., M.H. and S.J.), the Finnish Cancer Foundation (M.H. and S.J.), Sigrid Juselius Foundation (A.T., M.H. and S.J.), Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation (S.J.) and Sakari Alhopuro Foundation (A.T. and D.E.). The Turku Bioscience Centre Single-cell Omics Core Facility, the Finnish Functional Genomics Centre and Biocenter Finland are acknowledged for infrastructure support.

Nyckelord

Breast cancer
Lymphatic vessels
Lymph node

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10.1038/s41467-025-64981-zLicens: CC BY

s41467-025-64981-zSlutlig publicerad version, 7,72 MBLicens: CC BY

https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe202601279143

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title = "Breast cancer remodels lymphatics in sentinel lymph nodes",

abstract = "Cancer metastasis to sentinel lymph nodes (LNs) is often the first marker of potential disease progression. Although it is recognized that tumor-induced lymphangiogenesis facilitates metastasis into LNs in murine models, tumor-induced alterations in human lymphatic vessels remain obscure. Here we use single-cell RNA sequencing and high-resolution spatial transcriptomics to profile lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) subsets in paired metastatic and non-metastatic LNs obtained from female patients with treatment-na{\"i}ve breast cancer. Tumor metastasis decreases immunoregulatory LEC subsets, such as PD-L1+ subcapsular sinus LECs, while inducing an increase in capillary-like CD200+ HEY1+ LECs. Matrix Gla protein (MGP) is the most upregulated gene in metastatic LN LECs, and its expression on LECs is TGF-β and VEGF dependent. Upregulated MGP promotes cancer cell adhesion to LN lymphatics. Thus, breast cancer cell metastasis to LNs remodels LEC subsets in human LNs and escalates MGP expression, potentially facilitating cancer cell dissemination through the lymphatic system.",

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AU - Elima, Kati

AU - Piipponen, Minna

AU - Lönnberg, Tapio

AU - Boström, Pia

AU - Koskivuo, Ilkka

AU - Aittokallio, Tero

AU - Hollmén, Maija

AU - Takeda, Akira

AU - Jalkanen, Sirpa

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N2 - Cancer metastasis to sentinel lymph nodes (LNs) is often the first marker of potential disease progression. Although it is recognized that tumor-induced lymphangiogenesis facilitates metastasis into LNs in murine models, tumor-induced alterations in human lymphatic vessels remain obscure. Here we use single-cell RNA sequencing and high-resolution spatial transcriptomics to profile lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) subsets in paired metastatic and non-metastatic LNs obtained from female patients with treatment-naïve breast cancer. Tumor metastasis decreases immunoregulatory LEC subsets, such as PD-L1+ subcapsular sinus LECs, while inducing an increase in capillary-like CD200+ HEY1+ LECs. Matrix Gla protein (MGP) is the most upregulated gene in metastatic LN LECs, and its expression on LECs is TGF-β and VEGF dependent. Upregulated MGP promotes cancer cell adhesion to LN lymphatics. Thus, breast cancer cell metastasis to LNs remodels LEC subsets in human LNs and escalates MGP expression, potentially facilitating cancer cell dissemination through the lymphatic system.

AB - Cancer metastasis to sentinel lymph nodes (LNs) is often the first marker of potential disease progression. Although it is recognized that tumor-induced lymphangiogenesis facilitates metastasis into LNs in murine models, tumor-induced alterations in human lymphatic vessels remain obscure. Here we use single-cell RNA sequencing and high-resolution spatial transcriptomics to profile lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) subsets in paired metastatic and non-metastatic LNs obtained from female patients with treatment-naïve breast cancer. Tumor metastasis decreases immunoregulatory LEC subsets, such as PD-L1+ subcapsular sinus LECs, while inducing an increase in capillary-like CD200+ HEY1+ LECs. Matrix Gla protein (MGP) is the most upregulated gene in metastatic LN LECs, and its expression on LECs is TGF-β and VEGF dependent. Upregulated MGP promotes cancer cell adhesion to LN lymphatics. Thus, breast cancer cell metastasis to LNs remodels LEC subsets in human LNs and escalates MGP expression, potentially facilitating cancer cell dissemination through the lymphatic system.

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Breast cancer remodels lymphatics in sentinel lymph nodes

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