The role of platelets in premetastatic niche formation and metastasis (B05)

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In the first funding period, we identified a tumour cell/platelet crosstalk in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which leads to a transfer of PD-L1 from tumour cells to platelets (pPD-L1). As pPD-L1 was found to modulate T cell activity and is associated with induction of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in tumour cells, we will now experimentally probe the hypothesis that an EMT dependent transfer of immunoregulatory proteins from cancer cells to platelets is crucial for the formation of the premetastatic niche. We will conduct a detailed time course analysis to characterise proteomic changes on the tumour and platelet surface during tumour initiation and progression. Finally, a prospective multicenter biomarker study will be initiated to cross-validate and confirm the role of platelet-expressed biomarkers (including previously identified pPD-L1) in NSCLC patients.