Prostate cancer specific integrin αvβ3 modulates bone metastatic growth and tissue remodeling

Abstract

The management of pain and morbidity due to the spreading and growth of cancer within bone remains to be a paramount problem in clinical care. Cancer cells actively transform bone, however, the molecular requirements and mechanisms of this process remain unclear. This study shows that functional modulation of the αvβ3 integrin receptor in prostate cancer cells is required for progression within bone and determines tumor-induced bone tissue transformation. Using histology and quantitative microCT analysis, we show that αvβ3 integrin is required not only for tumor growth within the bone but for tumor-induced bone gain, a response resembling bone lesions in prostate cancer patients. Expression of normal, fully functional αvβ3 enabled tumor growth in bone (incidence: 4/4), whereas αvβ3 (−), inactive or constitutively active mutants of αvβ3 did not (incidence: 0/4, 0/6 and 1/7, respectively) within a 35-day-period. This response appeared to be bone-specific in comparison to the subcutis where tumor incidence was greater than 60% for all groups. Interestingly, bone residing prostate cancer cells expressing normal or dis-regulated αvβ3 (either inactive of constitutively active), but not those lacking β3 promoted bone gain or afforded protection from bone loss in the presence or absence of histologically detectable tumor 35 days following implantation. As bone is replete with ligands for β3 integrin, we next demonstrated that αvβ3 integrin activation on tumor cells is essential for the recognition of key bone-specific matrix proteins. As a result, prostate cancer cells expressing fully functional but not dis-regulated αvβ3 integrin are able to control their own adherence and migration to bone matrix, functions that facilitate tumor growth and control bone lesion development.