Anoikis resistance or evasion of cell death triggered by cell detachment into suspension is a hallmark of cancer that is concurrent with cell survival and metastasis. The effects of frequent matrix detachment encounters on the development of anoikis resistance in cancer remains poorly defined. Here we show using a panel of ovarian cancer models cells, that repeated exposure to suspension stress in vitro followed by attached recovery growth leads to the development of anoikis resistance paralleling in vivo development of anoikis resistance in ovarian cancer ascites. This resistance is concurrent with enhanced invasion, chemoresistance and the ability of anoikis adapted cells to metastasize to distant sites. Adapted anoikis resistant cells show a heightened dependency on oxidative phosphorylation and can also evade immune surveillance. We find that such acquired anoikis resistance is not genetic, as acquired resistance persists for a finite duration in the absence of suspension stress. Transcriptional reprogramming is however essential to this process, as acquisition of adaptive anoikis resistance in vitro and in vivo is  exquisitely sensitive to inhibition of  CDK8/19 Mediator kinase, a pleiotropic regulator of transcriptional reprogramming.  Our data demonstrate that growth after recovery from repeated exposure to suspension stress is a direct contributor to metastasis and that  inhibition of CDK8/19 Mediator kinase during such adaptation provides a therapeutic opportunity to prevent both local and distant metastasis in cancer.

Development of adaptive anoikis resistance promotes metastasis that can be overcome by CDK8/19 Mediator kinase inhibition