Microphysiological head and neck cancer model identifies novel role of lymphatically secreted monocyte migration inhibitory factor in cancer cell migration and metabolism.

Regional metastasis of head and neck cancer (HNC) is prevalent (approximately 50% of patients at diagnosis), yet the underlying drivers and mechanisms of lymphatic spread remain unclear. The complex tumor microenvironment (TME) of HNC plays a crucial role in disease maintenance and progression; however, the contribution of the lymphatics remains underexplored. We created a primary patient cell derived microphysiological system that incorporates cancer-associated-fibroblasts from patients with HNC alongside a HNC tumor spheroid and a lymphatic microvessel to create an in vitro TME platform to investigate metastasis. Screening of soluble factor signaling identified novel secretion of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) by lymphatic endothelial cells conditioned in the TME. Importantly, we also observed patient-to-patient heterogeneity in cancer cell migration similar to the heterogeneity observed in clinical disease. Optical metabolic imaging at the single cell level identified a distinct metabolic profile of migratory versus non-migratory HNC cells in a microenvironment dependent manner. Additionally, we report a unique role of MIF in increasing HNC reliance on glycolysis over oxidative phosphorylation. This multicellular, microfluidic platform expands the tools available to explore HNC biology in vitro through multiple orthogonal outputs and establishes a system with enough resolution to visualize and quantify patient-to-patient heterogeneity.

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Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: David Beebe reports a relationship with BellBrook Labs that includes: equity or stocks. David Beebe reports a relationship with Tasso Inc that includes: equity or stocks. David Beebe reports a relationship with Salus Discovery LLC that includes: equity or stocks. David Beebe reports a relationship with Lynx Biosciences Inc. that includes: equity or stocks. David Beebe reports a relationship with Stacks to the Future LLC that includes: equity or stocks. David Beebe reports a relationship with Flambeau Diagnostics LLC that includes: equity or stocks. David Beebe reports a relationship with Onexio Biosystems LLC that includes: equity or stocks. David Beebe reports a relationship with Abbott Laboratories that includes: consulting or advisory.