S100A2 induces metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
S100 proteins are implicated in metastasis development in several cancers. In this study, we analyzed the prognostic role of mRNA levels of all S100 proteins in early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients as well as the pathogenetic of S100A2 in the development of metastasis in NSCLC.


METHODS
Microarray data from a large NSCLC patient cohort was analyzed for the prognostic role of S100 proteins for survival in surgically resected NSCLC. Metastatic potential of the S100A2 gene was analyzed in vitro and in a lung cancer mouse model in vivo. Overexpression and RNAi approaches were used for analysis of the biological functions of S100A2.


RESULTS
High mRNA expression levels of several S100 proteins and especially S100A2 were associated with poor survival in surgically resected NSCLC patients. Upon stable transfection into NSCLC cell lines, S100A2 did not alter proliferation. However, S100A2 enhanced transwell migration as well as transendothelial migration in vitro. NOD/SCID mice injected s.c. with NSCLC cells overexpressing S100A2 developed significantly more distant metastasis (64%) than mice with control vector transfected tumor cells (17%; P < 0.05). When mice with S100A2 expressing tumors were treated i.v. with shRNA against S100A2, these mice developed significantly fewer lung metastasis than mice treated with control shRNA (P = 0.021).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings identify S100A2 as a strong metastasis inducer in vivo. S100A2 might be a potential biomarker as well as a novel therapeutic target in NSCLC metastasis.
Bulk
Etmar
E
Department of Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Sargin
Bülent
B
Krug
Utz
U
Hascher
Antje
A
Jun
Yu
Y
Knop
Markus
M
Kerkhoff
Claus
C
Gerke
Volker
V
Liersch
Ruediger
R
Mesters
Rolf M
RM
Hotfilder
Marc
M
Marra
Alessandro
A
Koschmieder
Steffen
S
Dugas
Martin
M
Berdel
Wolfgang E
WE
Serve
Hubert
H
Müller-Tidow
Carsten
C
D000818:Animals; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D016513:Mice, SCID; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014162:Transfection
D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009418:S100 Proteins; C098997:S100A2 protein, human