Multipotent Progenitor-3 Cells Are Reprogrammed by Bone-derived DKK1 to Drive Myelopoiesis in Breast Cancer.

Bone-derived DKK1 reprograms multipotent progenitor-3 cells, driving myelopoiesis and tumor progression in stage-III breast cancer.

• Why it matters: Understanding how solid tumors induce long-lasting changes in hematopoietic progenitors can reveal new targets to limit tumor-supportive immune cells and improve therapies.
• What they did: The study analyzed bone marrow from breast cancer patients and mouse models, using transplantation and single-cell RNA sequencing to identify DKK1’s role in reprogramming MPP3 cells and promoting myeloid bias.
• The result: Blocking DKK1 reduced MPP3 expansion, myeloid output, and tumor growth, demonstrating that tumor-induced hematopoietic reprogramming via DKK1 sustains immunosuppressive myeloid cells and tumor progression.