Cancer co-opts differentiation of B-cell precursors into macrophage-like cells

Abstract

We have recently reported that some cancers induce accumulation of bone marrow (BM) B-cell precursors in the spleen to convert them into metastasis-promoting, immunosuppressive B cells. Here, using various murine tumor models and samples from humans with breast and ovarian cancers, we provide evidence that cancers also co-opt differentiation of these B-cell precursors to generate macrophage-like cells (termed B-MF). We link the transdifferentiation to a small subset of CSF1R ⁺ Pax5 ^Low cells within BM pre-B and immature B cells responding to cancer-secreted M-CSF with downregulation of the transcription factor Pax5 via CSF1R signaling. Although the primary source of tumor-associated macrophages is monocytes, B-MFs are phenotypically and functionally distinguishable. Compared to monocyte-derived macrophages, B-MFs more efficiently phagocytize apoptotic cells, suppress proliferation of T cells and induce FoxP3 ⁺ regulatory T cells. In mouse tumor models, B-MFs promote shrinkage of the tumor-infiltrating IFNγ ⁺ CD4 T cell pool and increase cancer progression and metastasis, suggesting that this cancer-induced transdifferentiation pathway is functionally relevant and hence could serve as an immunotherapeutic target.

Abstract

The tumour microenvironment has been shown to change the phenotypes and functionality of immune cells to enable tumour propagation. Here authors show that cancers can derail B cell development to give rise to macrophage-like cells, contributing to cancer progression and metastasis via disabling local T cell response.