Single-cell lineages reveal the rates, routes, and drivers of metastasis in cancer xenografts

Jeffrey J. Quinn, Matthew G. Jones, Ross A. Okimoto, Shigeki Nanjo, Michelle M. Chan, Nir Yosef, Trever G. Bivona, Jonathan S. Weissman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

148 Scopus citations

Abstract

Detailed phylogenies of tumor populations can recount the history and chronology of critical events during cancer progression, such as metastatic dissemination. We applied a Cas9-based, single-cell lineage tracer to study the rates, routes, and drivers of metastasis in a lung cancer xenograft mouse model. We report deeply resolved phylogenies for tens of thousands of cancer cells traced over months of growth and dissemination. This revealed stark heterogeneity in metastatic capacity, arising from preexisting and heritable differences in gene expression. We demonstrate that these identified genes can drive invasiveness and uncovered an unanticipated suppressive role for KRT17. We also show that metastases disseminated via multidirectional tissue routes and complex seeding topologies. Overall, we demonstrate the power of tracing cancer progression at subclonal resolution and vast scale.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numberabc1944
JournalScience
Volume371
Issue number6532
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 26 2021

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General

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