RON promotes the metastatic spread of breast carcinomas by subverting antitumor immune responses.

The MSP/RON signaling pathway favors the conversion of micrometastatic lesions to overt metastases by suppressing antitumor immune responses. The loss of RON functions in the host potentiates tumor-specific CD8 T-cell responses, hence inhibiting the outgrowth of metastatic cancer cells. Thus, RON inhibitors may potentially prevent the outgrowth of micrometastases in cancer patients.