Bone Marrow Cells Promote Tumor Growth in Lung Cancer

In patients with early stage lung cancer, the progression of tumor takes place due to a certain type of cell in the bone marrow. Blocking these cells can suppress the growth of the tumor.

A certain type of cell in the bone marrow known as osteocalcin-expressing (Ocn+) osteoblasts, aid in the progression of tumor in patients with early stage lung cancer, reveals a new study.

Bone marrow derived cells have been shown //to contribute to tumor progression, though many of the specific mechanisms through which this occurs remain unknown.

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‘Osteocalcin-expressing (Ocn+) osteoblasts are the cells that are responsible for promoting tumor growth. Deleting these cells can suppress the tumor growth.’

Here, Camilla Engblom et al. found that mice with lung tumors had a significantly higher bone mass than their healthy counterparts, a pattern that was also seen in lung cancer patients.

A closer look within the bone marrow of the tumor-bearing mice revealed a high number of osteocalcin-expressing (Ocn+) osteoblasts, cells that participate in bone formation. Intriguingly, deletion of Ocn+ cells suppressed tumor growth, indicating that these Ocn+ cells are functionally required for lung cancer progression.

The authors next discovered that these Ocn+ cells stimulate production of a certain type of neutrophil that infiltrates the lung tumors.

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These neutrophils exhibited increased expression of genes associated with tumor-promoting processes, including angiogenesis, suppression of T cell responses, and tumor cell proliferation and growth, the authors report.

They note that, in a small study of patients with lung cancer, the same neutrophil signature correlated with worse patient survival.