Heparanase promotes the spontaneous metastasis of myeloma cells to bone.
Although widespread skeletal dissemination is a critical step in the progression of myeloma, little is known regarding mechanisms that control metastasis of this cancer. Heparanase-1 (heparanase), an enzyme that cleaves heparan sulfate chains, is expressed at high levels in some patients with myeloma and promotes metastasis of some tumor types (eg, breast, lymphoma). Using a severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mouse model, we demonstrate that enhanced expression of heparanase by myeloma cells dramatically up-regulates their spontaneous metastasis to bone. This occurs from primary tumors growing subcutaneously and also from primary tumors established in bone. Interestingly, tumors formed by subcutaneous injection of cells metastasize not only to bone, but also to other sites including spleen, liver, and lung. In contrast, tumors formed by injection of cells directly into bone exhibit a restricted pattern of metastasis that includes dissemination of tumor to other bones but not to extramedullary sites. In addition, expression of heparanase by myeloma cells (1) accelerates the initial growth of the primary tumor, (2) increases whole-body tumor burden as compared with controls, and (3) enhances both the number and size of microvessels within the primary tumor. These studies describe a novel experimental animal model for examining the spontaneous metastasis of bone-homing tumors and indicate that heparanase is a critical determinant of myeloma dissemination and growth in vivo.
Department of Pathology, Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, Center for Orthopaedic Research, Arkansas Cancer Research Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
Yang
Y
Yang
Veronica
V
Macleod
Manali
M
Bendre
Yan
Y
Huang
Allison M
AM
Theus
Hua-Quan
HQ
Miao
Paul
P
Kussie
Shmuel
S
Yaccoby
Joshua
J
Epstein
Larry J
LJ
Suva
Thomas
T
Kelly
Ralph D
RD
Sanderson
D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000032:analysis; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000473:pathology*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D000099175:Heparanase
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005966:Glucuronidase; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000099175:Heparanase