Circulating Tumor Microparticles Promote Lung Metastasis by Reprogramming Inflammatory and Mechanical Niches via a Macrophage-Dependent Pathway

Despite the frequency of lung metastasis and its associated mortality, the mechanisms behind metastatic tumor cell survival and colonization in the lungs remain elusive. Here, we show that tumor cell–released microparticles (T-MPs) from the primary tumor site play a critical role in the metastatic process. The T-MPs remodeled the lung parenchyma via a macrophage-dependent pathway to create an altered inflammatory and mechanical response to tumor cell invasion. Mechanistically, we show that circulating T-MPs readily enter the lung parenchyma where they are taken up by local macrophages and induce CCL2 production. CCL2 recruits CD11b + Ly6C high inflammatory monocytes to the lungs where they mature into F4/80 + CD11b + Ly6C − macrophages that not only produce IL6 but also trigger fibrin deposition. IL6 and the deposited fibrin facilitate the survival and growth of tumor-repopulating cells in the lungs by providing chemical and mechanical signals, respectively, thus setting the stage for lung metastasis. These data illustrate that T-MPs reprogram the lung microenvironment promoting metastasis. Cancer Immunol Res; 6(9); 1046–56. ©2018 AACR .