Invadopodia Are Required for Cancer Cell Extravasation and Are a Therapeutic Target for Metastasis

• The dynamics of cancer cell extravasation are visualized using intravital imaging
• Intravascular cancer cells generate protrusions that extend between endothelial cells
• In vivo localization of MT1-MMP, cortactin, and Tks4/Tks5 identify these as invadopodia
• Genetic or pharmacologic inhibition of invadopodia blocks extravasation and metastasis

SummaryTumor cell extravasation is a key step during cancer metastasis, yet the precise mechanisms that regulate this dynamic process are unclear. We utilized a high-resolution time-lapse intravital imaging approach to visualize the dynamics of cancer cell extravasation in vivo. During intravascular migration, cancer cells form protrusive structures identified as invadopodia by their enrichment of MT1-MMP, cortactin, Tks4, and importantly Tks5, which localizes exclusively to invadopodia. Cancer cells extend invadopodia through the endothelium into the extravascular stroma prior to their extravasation at endothelial junctions. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of invadopodia initiation (cortactin), maturation (Tks5), or function (Tks4) resulted in an abrogation of cancer cell extravasation and metastatic colony formation in an experimental mouse lung metastasis model. This provides direct evidence of a functional role for invadopodia during cancer cell extravasation and distant metastasis and reveals an opportunity for therapeutic intervention in this clinically important process.

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