An HLA-G/SPAG9/STAT3 axis promotes brain metastases
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Blessing Iquo Bassey-Archibong Chirayu Rajendra Chokshi Nikoo Aghaei Agata Monika Kieliszek Nazanin Tatari Dillon McKenna Mohini Singh Minomi Kalpana Subapanditha Arun Parmar Daniel Mobilio Neil Savage Fred Lam Tomas Tokar John Provias Yu Lu Shawn Christopher Chafe Charles Swanton Rob Hynds Chitra Venugopal Sheila Kumari SinghAbstract
Brain metastases (BM) are the most common brain neoplasm in adults. Current BM therapies still offer limited efficacy and reduced survival outcomes, emphasizing the need for a better understanding of the disease. Herein, we analyzed the transcriptional profile of brain metastasis initiating cells (BMICs) at two distinct stages of the brain metastatic cascade-the "premetastatic" or early stage when they first colonize the brain and the established macrometastatic stage. RNA sequencing was used to obtain the transcriptional profiles of premetastatic and macrometastatic (non-premetastatic) lung, breast, and melanoma BMICs. We identified that lung, breast, and melanoma premetastatic BMICs share a common transcriptomic signature that is distinct from their non-premetastatic counterparts. Importantly, we show that premetastatic BMICs exhibit increased expression of HLA-G, which we further demonstrate functions in an HLA-G/SPAG9/STAT3 axis to promote the establishment of brain metastatic lesions. Our findings suggest that unraveling the molecular landscape of premetastatic BMICs allows for the identification of clinically relevant targets that can possibly inform the development of preventive and/or more efficacious BM therapies.
Journal details
Volume 120
Issue number 8
Pages e2205247120
Available online
Publication date
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Publisher website (DOI) 10.1073/pnas.2205247120
Europe PubMed Central 36780531
Pubmed 36780531