Pro-inflammatory megakaryocyte gene expression in murine models of breast cancer

Despite abundant research demonstrating that platelets can promote tumor cell metastasis, whether primary tumors affect platelet-producing megakaryocytes remains understudied. In this study, we used a spontaneous murine model of breast cancer to show that tumor burden reduced megakaryocyte number and size and disrupted polyploidization. Single-cell RNA sequencing demonstrated that megakaryocytes from tumor-bearing mice exhibit a pro-inflammatory phenotype, epitomized by increased Ctsg, Lcn2, S100a8, and S100a9 transcripts. Protein S100A8/A9 and lipocalin-2 levels were also increased in platelets, suggesting that tumor-induced alterations to megakaryocytes are passed on to their platelet progeny, which promoted in vitro tumor cell invasion and tumor cell lung colonization to a greater extent than platelets from wild-type animals. Our study is the first to demonstrate breast cancer–induced alterations in megakaryocytes, leading to qualitative changes in platelet content that may feedback to promote tumor metastasis.