Tumor-Derived SPP1 Drives Immunosuppressive Macrophage Reprogramming in Gastric Peritoneal Carcinomatosis

Abstract

Peritoneal carcinomatosis is a major cause of death in gastric cancer, yet effective therapies remain limited. Tumor-derived soluble factors are increasingly recognized as key regulators of the peritumoral microenvironment. Here, we nominate osteopontin (SPP1) as a tumor-derived mediator that orchestrates macrophage-driven immunoregulation in gastric peritoneal carcinomatosis. Using integrated analyses of human clinical datasets and murine models, we demonstrate that tumor-secreted SPP1 promotes macrophage recruitment and induces tolerogenic IL-10 production. Clinically, SPP1 correlated with inferior overall survival and progression-free survival in gastric cancer. In syngeneic murine models of gastric peritoneal carcinomatosis, intracavitary pharmacologic inhibition of SPP1 restricted peritoneal dissemination, impaired macrophage infiltration and suppressed IL-10 production. Consistent with these findings, macrophage depletion phenocopied antitumor effects of SPP1 inhibition, resulting in decreased metastatic burden. Collectively, these findings define a mechanism of tumor-macrophage crosstalk that promotes peritoneal dissemination and provide a rationale for therapeutic targeting of SPP1 in gastric peritoneal carcinomatosis.