Sphingosine kinase 2 in stromal fibroblasts creates a hospitable tumor microenvironment in breast cancer

Reciprocal interactions between breast cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment are important for cancer progression and metastasis. We report here that the deletion or inhibition of sphingosine kinase 2 (SphK2), which produces sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), markedly suppresses syngeneic breast tumor growth and lung metastasis in mice by creating a hostile microenvironment for tumor growth and invasion. SphK2 deficiency decreased S1P and concomitantly increased ceramides, including C16-ceramide, in stromal fibroblasts. Ceramide accumulation suppressed activation of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) by upregulating stromal p53, which restrained production of tumor-promoting factors to reprogram the tumor microenvironment and restrict breast cancer establishment. Ablation of p53 in SphK2-deficient fibroblasts reversed these effects, enabled CAF activation and promoted tumor growth and invasion. These data uncovered a novel role of SphK2 in regulating non-cell autonomous functions of p53 in stromal fibroblasts and their transition to tumor-promoting CAFs, paving the way for the development of a strategy to target the tumor microenvironment and enhance therapeutic efficacy. mRNA expression profiles of wild type and SphK2 null mouse embryonic fibroblasts were determined in triplicate using Illumina.