Cao Xuetao's team found a new mechanism for lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients

tumor primary lesions can induce changes in the composition and function of the substation and related immune cells in the distant metastasis organ, forming a "pre-tumor metastasis microencient" that is suitable for tumor cells to settle and grow in the "soil".
lymph nodes are important immune organs and the most common metastasis site of tumors, tumor lymph node metastasis is an important indicator of clinical judgment of patient prognostication. Therefore, it is of great clinical significance to explore the mechanism of micro-environmental change of tumor lymph nodes and to find targets and strategies to predict and intervene tumor metastasis.
Chinese Academy of Engineering, President of Nankai University Cao Xuetao and the Second Military Medical University National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Gu Yan, Tianjin Medical University affiliated oncology hospital professor Fu Li, etc. , revealed that B cells can secrete pathological antibodies targeting tumor antigen HSPA4, promote breast cancer lymph node metastasis.Cao Xuetao,
, told China Science Daily: "Antibody targeted therapy is one of the most important ways to treat tumors at present, and the 2018 Nobel Prize is awarded to two immunologists who use immunosuppressive antibodies to conduct immunotherapy on tumors." "
it is well known that B lymphocytes secrete antibodies that perform body fluid immune functions." However, clinical reports indicate that patients with certain types of tumors (e.g. breast cancer, head and neck tumors, gynaecological tumors, etc.) have lower prognostics if they have higher levels of antibodies. Cao Xuetao said, "And the specific mechanism and tumor patients in the presence of antibody tumor-promoting effects are not clear, especially for B lymphocytes and their secreted antibodies in tumor lymph node metastasis function is very little." Using
model of breast cancer in mice, the team found a significant increase in the proportion and number of B-cells in the drained lymph nodes before tumor metastasis. It was also found that the domesticated B cells of such tumors can secrete a large number of antibodies into the blood and promote breast cancer lymph node metastasis, experimental removal of B cells and their secreted antibodies, can prevent breast cancer lymph node metastasis.
, the researchers used protein spectromet technology to screen HSPA, the tumor membrane antigen targeted by such pathological antibodies. Further studies from clinical breast cancer samples showed that breast cancer patients had high levels of anti-HSPA4 antibodies in their serums, indicating their susceptible lymph node metastasis, short survival and poor prognosis. "This suggests that HSPA4 antibody levels are expected to be an indicator of breast cancer lymph node metastasis prediction and patient prognostic judgment, as well as a new potential target for breast cancer treatment." Cao Xuetao said.
study sheds light on the important functions of B-cell and antibody-mediated body fluid immunity in microencular formation and tumor lymph node metastasis before lymph node metastasis, the researchers said.
In addition, this study found for the first time that in addition to the negative immune regulation function of regulatory B cell mediate, B cells can directly promote tumor metastasis by secreting pathological antibodies targeting tumor antigens, and at the same time find the important function of glycosylated tumor membrane antigens in the production and metastasis of pathological antibodies, providing a new perspective for an in-depth understanding of body B cell-mediated body fluid immune function and the formation of the tumor pre-metastasis microenvironment. (Source: Science Network Xinyu)