Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39210244›Full record

ArticleNeuro-oncology2025

ENPP1 induces blood-brain barrier dysfunction and promotes brain metastasis formation in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer.

Liliana Santos, Francesca Tomatis, Hugo R S Ferreira, Sara F F Almeida, Edward Ciputra, José Sereno, Rui Almeida, Paulo Teixeira, Ana Sofia Ribeiro, João N Moreira and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Neuro-oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Molecular biomedicine · 2026
    Article
  4. Complete disappearance of ductal carcinomaAnnals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Review
  10. NSUN2-mediated m5C hypermethylation ofNon-coding RNA research · 2025
    Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Liliana SantosFaculty of Medicine, Institute of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0003-2525-9572
Francesca TomatisCenter for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology Consortium (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0002-7378-0752
Hugo R S FerreiraFaculty of Medicine, Institute of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0003-1658-9326
Sara F F AlmeidaFaculty of Medicine, Institute of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0001-9018-2220
Edward CiputraClinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal.
José SerenoInstitute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS) and Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0002-9607-6653
Rui AlmeidaPathology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0002-7844-0167
Paulo TeixeiraPathology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0001-6812-7305
Ana Sofia RibeiroCancer Metastasis Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Porto, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0002-9698-9233
João N MoreiraFaculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0003-3449-0522
Ana P SilvaClinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0002-7802-8690
Lino FerreiraCenter for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology Consortium (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0001-8985-9302
Antero J AbrunhosaInstitute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS) and Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0002-4145-854X
Célia M GomesClinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0002-7497-4129

Funding

Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology UIDB/04539/2020
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBrain metastasis (BrM) is a devastating end-stage neurological complication that occurs in up to 50% of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer (BC) patients. Understanding how disseminating tumor cells manage to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is essential for developing effective preventive strategies. We identified the ecto-nucleotidase ENPP1 (ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1) as specifically enriched in the secretome of HER2+ brain metastatic cells, prompting us to explore its impact on BBB dysfunction and BrM formation.

methodsWe used in vitro BBB and in vivo premetastatic mouse models to evaluate the effect of tumor-secreted ENPP1 on brain vascular permeability. BBB integrity was analyzed by real-time fluorescence imaging of 20 kDa Cy7.5-dextran extravasation and immunofluorescence staining of adherens and tight junction proteins. Pro-metastatic effects of ENPP1 were evaluated in an experimental brain metastatic model.

resultsSystemically secreted ENPP1 from primary breast tumors impaired the integrity of BBB with loss of tight and adherens junction proteins early before the onset of BrM. Mechanistically, ENPP1 induced endothelial cell dysfunction by impairing insulin signaling and its downstream AKT/GSK3β/β-catenin pathway. Genetic ablation of ENPP1 from HER2+ brain metastatic cells prevented endothelial cell dysfunction and reduced metastatic burden while prolonging the overall and metastasis-free survival of mice. Furthermore, plasmatic ENPP1 levels correlate with brain metastatic burden and inversely with overall survival.

conclusionsWe demonstrated that metastatic BC cells exploit the ENPP1 signaling for cell transmigration across the BBB and brain colonization. Our data implicate ENPP1 as a potential biomarker for poor prognosis and early detection of BrM in HER2+ BC.

Indexed as

Blood-Brain BarrierBrain NeoplasmsBreast NeoplasmsErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesPhosphoric Diester HydrolasesPyrophosphatasesAnimalsFemaleHumansMiceTumor Cells, Culturedectonucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase 1ERBB2 protein, humanErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesPhosphoric Diester HydrolasesPyrophosphatasesBBB dysfunctionbrain metastasisENPP1HER2-positive breast cancersecretome

Identifiers

PMID39210244
PMCPMC11726343

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.