Metabolic plasticity and optimal redox homeostasis are essential for efficient metastatic colonization

Cancer cells dynamically reprogram their metabolism to adapt to changing microenvironmental conditions during tumor growth and metastatic dissemination. Metastasis of solid tumors-the principal cause of cancer-related mortality-is often driven through activation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), regulated by the transcription factor ZEB1, which is frequently upregulated during tumor progression. To investigate the role of metabolic plasticity in metastasis, we employed murine pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell lines with distinct EMT states, ZEB1 expression and lung colonization capacities. Highly plastic epithelial-type cancer cells (KPCepi) efficiently colonize the lung, whereas Zeb1-deficient cancer cells (KPCZ) with compromised metabolic plasticity show markedly reduced colonization, correlated with absent glycolytic reserve, mitochondrial dysfunction, and reduced anti-oxidant metabolite levels. Interestingly, mesenchymal-type cancer cells (KPCmes) also exhibit poor lung colonization despite retaining normal glycolytic capacity and a high proportion of functional mitochondria; however, similar to KPCZ cells, they display diminished levels of detoxifying metabolites. Low metastatic capacity correlates with increased susceptibility to ferroptosis even in epithelial-type KPCZ cells, indicating a limited ability to counteract reactive oxygen species under stress. Together, these findings demonstrate that metabolic plasticity and redox homeostasis are essential prerequisites for efficient lung colonization. Thus, concurrent targeting of metabolic adaptability and redox buffering may represent a promising strategy to prevent metastasis in aggressive PDAC tumors.