Radiation-induced lung metastasis development is MT1-MMP-dependent in a triple-negative breast cancer mouse model

The prognosis of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is still difficult to establish. Some TNBC benefit from radiotherapy (RT) and are cured, while in other patients metastases appear during the first 3 years after treatment. In this study, an animal model of TNBC was used to determine whether the expression of the cell membrane protease MT1-MMP in cancer cells was associated with radiation-stimulated development of lung metastases.

Using invasion chambers, irradiated fibroblasts were used as chemoattractants to assess the invasiveness of TNBC D2A1 cell lines showing downregulated expression of MT1-MMP, which were compared with D2A1-wt (wild-type) and D2A1 shMT1-mock (empty vector) cell lines. In a mouse model, a mammary gland was irradiated followed by the implantation of the downregulated MT1-MMP D2A1, D2A1-wt or D2A1 shMT1-mock cell lines. Migration of D2A1 cells in the mammary gland, number of circulating tumour cells and development of lung metastases were assessed.

The reduction of MT1-MMP expression decreased the invasiveness of D2A1 cells and blocked the radiation enhancement of cancer cell invasion. In BALB/c mice, irradiation of the mammary gland has stimulated the invasion of cancer cells, which was associated with a higher number of circulating tumour cells and of lung metastases. These adverse effects of radiation were prevented by downregulating the MT1-MMP.

This study shows that the MT1-MMP is necessary for the radiation enhancement of lung metastasis development, and that its expression level and/or localisation could be evaluated as a biomarker for predicting the early recurrence observed in some TNBC patients.