Cell Reports (Apr 2024)

IFNα-induced BST2+ tumor-associated macrophages facilitate immunosuppression and tumor growth in pancreatic cancer by ERK-CXCL7 signaling

  • Chenlei Zheng,
  • Junli Wang,
  • Yu Zhou,
  • Yi Duan,
  • Rujia Zheng,
  • Yuting Xie,
  • Xiaobao Wei,
  • Jiangchao Wu,
  • Hang Shen,
  • Mao Ye,
  • Bo Kong,
  • Yun-Hua Liu,
  • Pinglong Xu,
  • Qi Zhang,
  • Tingbo Liang

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 43, no. 4
p. 114088

Abstract

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Summary: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) features an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) that resists immunotherapy. Tumor-associated macrophages, abundant in the TME, modulate T cell responses. Bone marrow stromal antigen 2-positive (BST2+) macrophages increase in KrasG12D/+; Trp53R172H/+; Pdx1-Cre mouse models during PDAC progression. However, their role in PDAC remains elusive. Our findings reveal a negative correlation between BST2+ macrophage levels and PDAC patient prognosis. Moreover, an increased ratio of exhausted CD8+ T cells is observed in tumors with up-regulated BST2+ macrophages. Mechanistically, BST2+ macrophages secrete CXCL7 through the ERK pathway and bind with CXCR2 to activate the AKT/mTOR pathway, promoting CD8+ T cell exhaustion. The combined blockade of CXCL7 and programmed death-ligand 1 successfully decelerates tumor growth. Additionally, cGAS-STING pathway activation in macrophages induces interferon (IFN)α synthesis leading to BST2 overexpression in the PDAC TME. This study provides insights into IFNα-induced BST2+ macrophages driving an immune-suppressive TME through ERK-CXCL7 signaling to regulate CD8+ T cell exhaustion in PDAC.

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