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Ruiz-Torres SJ, Bourn JR, Benight NM, et al. Macrophage-mediated RON signaling supports breast cancer growth and progression through modulation of IL-35. Oncogene. 2021;41(3):321-333doi: 10.1038/s41388-021-02091-y.
Ruiz-Torres, S. J., Bourn, J. R., Benight, N. M., Hunt, B. G., Lester, C., & Waltz, S. E. (2022). Macrophage-mediated RON signaling supports breast cancer growth and progression through modulation of IL-35. Oncogene, 41(3), 321-333. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-021-02091-y
Ruiz-Torres, Sasha J, et al. "Macrophage-mediated RON signaling supports breast cancer growth and progression through modulation of IL-35." Oncogene vol. 41,3 (2022): 321-333. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-021-02091-y
Ruiz-Torres SJ, Bourn JR, Benight NM, Hunt BG, Lester C, Waltz SE. Macrophage-mediated RON signaling supports breast cancer growth and progression through modulation of IL-35. Oncogene. 2022 Jan;41(3):321-333. doi: 10.1038/s41388-021-02091-y. Epub 2021 Nov 06. PMID: 34743208.
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Oncogene. 2022 Jan;41(3):321-333. doi: 10.1038/s41388-021-02091-y. Epub 2021 Nov 06.

Macrophage-mediated RON signaling supports breast cancer growth and progression through modulation of IL-35.

Oncogene

Sasha J Ruiz-Torres, Jennifer R Bourn, Nancy M Benight, Brian G Hunt, Carissa Lester, Susan E Waltz

Affiliations

  1. Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45267-0521, USA.
  2. Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45267-0521, USA. [email protected].
  3. Research Service, Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA. [email protected].

PMID: 34743208 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-02091-y

Abstract

Tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) play a major role in regulating mammary tumor growth and in directing the responses of tumor infiltrating leukocytes in the microenvironment. However, macrophage-specific mechanisms regulating the interactions of macrophages with tumor cells and other leukocytes that support tumor progression have not been extensively studied. In this study, we show that the activation of the RON receptor tyrosine kinase signaling pathway specifically in macrophages supports breast cancer growth and metastasis. Using clinically relevant murine models of breast cancer, we demonstrate that loss of macrophage RON expression results in decreases in mammary tumor cell proliferation, survival, cancer stem cell self-renewal, and metastasis. Macrophage RON signaling modulates these phenotypes via direct effects on the tumor proper and indirectly by regulating leukocyte recruitment including macrophages, T-cells, and B-cells in the mammary tumor microenvironment. We further show that macrophage RON expression regulates the macrophage secretome including IL-35 and other immunosuppressive factors. Overall, our studies implicate activation of RON signaling in macrophages as a key player in supporting a thriving mammary pro-tumor microenvironment through novel mechanisms including the augmentation of tumor cell properties through IL-35.

© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.

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