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Analysis of Glial Activation around Brain Metastases of Breast Tumors in a Mouse Model
Author(s) -
AmicoRuvio Stacy,
Shapovalov Yuriy,
Lamantia Cassandra,
Spielman Sara,
Brown Edward,
Majewska Ania
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.613.6
Subject(s) - homing (biology) , breast cancer , pathology , immune system , brain metastasis , metastasis , inflammation , medicine , immunohistochemistry , cancer , cancer research , biology , immunology , ecology
Tumor progression is contingent on a well‐orchestrated interplay between tumor cells and the host tissue. Host inflammatory processes in particular can play a prominent role both in systemic breast cancer and in brain tumors. While much literature has explored the contribution of inflammation to the progression of primary cancers, relatively little effort has been made to understand how brain immune cells interact with brain metastases of breast cancer. We have quantitatively characterized the expression of microglial and astrocytic markers around brain metastases of a brain‐homing human breast cancer cell line injected intracardially into nude mice. Using immunohistochemical analyses in fixed brain sections, we show that the inflammatory profile of brain tissue surrounding metastases is complex. We found profound glial activation at the interface with tumor cells as well as altered glial profiles as far as hundreds of microns from the edge of the metastatic tumor. Our results are the first quantitative analysis of glial activation in a mouse model of breast cancer metastasis to the brain and can serve as a foundation for future studies investigating the effects of brain inflammation on metastatic disease.