CAP2 promotes gastric cancer metastasis by mediating the interaction between tumor cells and tumor-associated macrophages

The metastasis of cancer cells is the main cause of death in patients with gastric cancer (GC). Mounting evidence has demonstrated the vital importance of tumor-associated macrophages in promoting tumor invasion and metastasis; however, the interaction between tumor cells and macrophages in GC is largely unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that cyclase-associated protein 2 (CAP2) was upregulated in GC, especially in cases with lymph node metastasis, and was correlated with a poorer prognosis. The transcription factor JUN directly bound to the promoter region of CAP2 and activated CAP2 transcription. The N-terminal domain of CAP2 bound to the WD5 to WD7 domains of receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) and induced M2 macrophage polarization by activating the SRC/focal adhesion kinase (FAK)/ERK signaling pathway, which resulted in IL-4 and IL-10 secretion. Polarized M2 macrophages induced premetastatic niche formation and promoted GC metastasis by secreting TGFB1, which created a TGFB1/JUN/CAP2 positive- feedback loop to activate CAP2 expression continuously. Furthermore, we identified salvianolic acid B as an inhibitor of CAP2, which effectively inhibited GC cell invasion capabilities by suppressing the SRC/FAK/ERK signaling pathway. Our data suggest that CAP2, a key molecule mediating the interaction between GC cells and tumor-associated macrophages, may be a promising therapeutic target for suppressing tumor metastasis in GC.
Introduction Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide (1). Although substantial advances have been achieved in the diagnosis and treatment of GC in the past few years, [...]