Subsets of cancer cells expressing CX3CR1 are endowed with metastasis-initiating properties and resistance to chemotherapy

Metastasis-initiating cells (MICs) display stem cell-like features, cause metastatic recurrences and defy chemotherapy, which leads to patients' demise. Here we show that prostate and breast cancer patients harbor contingents of tumor cells with high expression of CX3CR1, OCT4a (POU5F1), and NANOG. Impairing CX3CR1 expression or signaling hampered the formation of tumor spheroids by cell lines from which we isolated small subsets co-expressing CX3CR1 and stemness-related markers, similarly to patients' tumors. These rare CX3CR1(High) cells show transcriptomic profiles enriched in pathways that regulate pluripotency and endowed with metastasis-initiating behavior in murine models. Cancer cells lacking these features (CX3CR1(Low)) were capable of re-acquiring CX3CR1-associated features over time, implying that MICs can continuously emerge from non-stem cancer cells. CX3CR1 expression also conferred resistance to docetaxel, and prolonged treatment with docetaxel selected CX3CR1(High) phenotypes with de-enriched transcriptomic profiles for apoptotic pathways. These findings nominate CX3CR1 as a novel marker of stem-like tumor cells and provide conceptual ground for future development of approaches targeting CX3CR1 signaling and (re)expression as therapeutic means to prevent or contain metastasis initiation.

Automated summary

Metastasis-initiating cells (MICs) with stem cell-like features, high expression of CX3CR1, OCT4a, and NANOG, are associated with metastasis, chemotherapy resistance, and patient mortality. These cells can continuously emerge from non-stem cancer cells, and CX3CR1 expression confers resistance to docetaxel. CX3CR1 is identified as a novel marker of stem-like tumor cells and may serve as a potential therapeutic target for preventing or containing metastasis initiation.