Phenotypic heterogeneity driven by plasticity of the intermediate EMT state governs disease progression and metastasis in breast cancer

The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is frequently co-opted by cancer cells to enhance migratory and invasive cell traits. It is a key contributor to heterogeneity, chemoresistance, and metastasis in many carcinoma types, where the intermediate EMT state plays a critical tumor-initiating role. We isolate multiple distinct single-cell clones from the SUM149PT human breast cell line spanning the EMT spectrum having diverse migratory, tumor-initiating, and metastatic qualities, including three unique intermediates. Using a multiomics approach, we identify CBFβ as a key regulator of metastatic ability in the intermediate state. To quantify epithelial-mesenchymal heterogeneity within tumors, we develop an advanced multiplexed immunostaining approach using SUM149-derived orthotopic tumors and find that the EMT state and epithelial-mesenchymal heterogeneity are predictive of overall survival in a cohort of stage III breast cancer. Our model reveals previously unidentified insights into the complex EMT spectrum and its regulatory networks, as well as the contributions of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) in tumor heterogeneity in breast cancer.