Open AccessMelanoma dormancy in a mouse model is linked to GILZ/FOXO3A-dependent quiescence of disseminated stem-like cells
Author(s) -
Yasmine Touil,
Pascaline Ségard,
Pauline Ostyn,
Séverine Bégard,
Caroline Aspord,
Raja El Machhour,
Bernadette Masselot,
Jérôme Vandomme,
Pilar Flamenco,
Thierry Idziorek,
Martin Figeac,
Pierre Formstecher,
Bruno Quesnel,
Renata Polakowska
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
scientific reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.24
H-Index - 213
ISSN - 2045-2322
DOI - 10.1038/srep30405
Subject(s) - dormancy , melanoma , cancer research , biology , stem cell , in vivo , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , botany , germination
Metastatic cancer relapses following the reactivation of dormant, disseminated tumour cells; however, the cells and factors involved in this reactivation are just beginning to be identified. Using an immunotherapy-based syngeneic model of melanoma dormancy and GFP-labelled dormant cell-derived cell lines, we determined that vaccination against melanoma prevented tumour growth but did not prevent tumour cell dissemination or eliminate all tumour cells. The persistent disseminated melanoma tumour cells were quiescent and asymptomatic for one year. The quiescence/activation of these cells in vitro and the dormancy of melanoma in vivo appeared to be regulated by glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ)-mediated immunosuppression. GILZ expression was low in dormant cell-derived cultures, and re-expression of GILZ inactivated FOXO3A and its downstream target, p21CIP1. The ability of dormancy-competent cells to re-enter the cell cycle increased after a second round of cellular dormancy in vivo in association with shortened tumour dormancy period and faster and more aggressive melanoma relapse. Our data indicate that future cancer treatments should be adjusted according to the stage of disease progression.