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Robador JR, Feinauer MJ, Schneider SW, Mayer FT, Gorzelanny C, Sacharow A, Liu X, Berghoff A, Brehm MA, Hirsch D, Stadler J, Vidal-Y-Si S, Wladykowski E, Asong M, Nowak K, Seiz-Rosenhagen M, Umansky V, Mess C, Pantel K, Winkler F, Bauer AT. Involvement of platelet-derived VWF in metastatic growth of melanoma in the brain. Neurooncol Adv 2022; 3:vdab175. [PMID: 34993481 PMCID: PMC8717898 DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdab175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The prognosis of patients with brain metastases (BM) is poor despite advances in our understanding of the underlying pathophysiology. The high incidence of thrombotic complications defines tumor progression and the high mortality rate. We, therefore, postulated that von Willebrand factor (VWF) promotes BM via its ability to induce platelet aggregation and thrombosis. Methods We measured the abundance of VWF in the blood and intravascular platelet aggregates of patients with BM, and determined the specific contribution of endothelial and platelet-derived VWF using in vitro models and microfluidics. The relevance for the brain metastatic cascade in vivo was demonstrated in ret transgenic mice, which spontaneously develop BM, and by the intracardiac injection of melanoma cells. Results Higher levels of plasma VWF in patients with BM were associated with enhanced intraluminal VWF fiber formation and platelet aggregation in the metastatic tissue and peritumoral regions. Platelet activation triggered the formation of VWF multimers, promoting platelet aggregation and activation, in turn enhancing tumor invasiveness. The absence of VWF in platelets, or the blocking of platelet activation, abolished platelet aggregation, and reduced tumor cell transmigration. Anticoagulation and platelet inhibition consistently reduced the number of BM in preclinical animal models. Conclusions Our data indicate that platelet-derived VWF is involved in cerebral clot formation and in metastatic growth of melanoma in the brain. Targeting platelet activation with low-molecular-weight heparins represents a promising therapeutic approach to prevent melanoma BM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose R Robador
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg, Germany
| | - Manuel J Feinauer
- Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan W Schneider
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg, Germany
| | - Frank T Mayer
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christian Gorzelanny
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg, Germany
| | - Artur Sacharow
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg, Germany
| | - Xiaobo Liu
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anna Berghoff
- Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maria A Brehm
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg, Germany
| | - Daniela Hirsch
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Julia Stadler
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sabine Vidal-Y-Si
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ewa Wladykowski
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marisse Asong
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,Lund Stem Cell Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Kai Nowak
- Department of Surgery, RoMed Kliniken Klinkum Rosenheim, Rosenheim, Germany
| | | | - Viktor Umansky
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.,Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Mess
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg, Germany
| | - Klaus Pantel
- Department of Tumor Biology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg, Germany
| | - Frank Winkler
- Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alexander T Bauer
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg, Germany
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