State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Cancer Res. 2020 May 15;80(10):2004-2016. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-19-3074. Epub 2020 Mar 10.
Dysregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is frequently observed in human gastric cancer. Elucidation of the tumor immune microenvironment is essential for understanding tumorigenesis and for the development of immunotherapeutic strategies. However, it remains unclear how β-catenin signaling regulates the tumor immune microenvironment in the stomach. Here, we identify CCL28 as a direct transcriptional target gene of β-catenin/T-cell factor (TCF). Protein levels of β-catenin and CCL28 positively correlated in human gastric adenocarcinoma. β-Catenin-activated CCL28 recruited regulatory T (Treg) cells in a transwell migration assay. In a clinically relevant mouse gastric cancer model established by (.) infection and -methyl--nitrosourea (MNU) treatment, inhibition of β-catenin/TCF activity by a pharmacologic inhibitor iCRT14 suppressed CCL28 expression and Treg cell infiltration in the stomach. Moreover, an anti-CCL28 antibody attenuated Treg cell infiltration and tumor progression in /MNU mouse models. Diphtheria toxin-induced Treg cell ablation restrained gastric cancer progression in /MNU-treated DEREG (Foxp3-DTR) mice, clarifying the tumor-promoting role of Treg cells. Thus, the β-catenin-CCL28-Treg cell axis may serve as an important mechanism for immunosuppression of the stomach tumor microenvironment. Our findings reveal an immunoregulatory role of β-catenin signaling in stomach tumors and highlight the therapeutic potential of CCL28 blockade for the treatment of gastric cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings demonstrate an immunosuppressive role of tumor-intrinsic β-catenin signaling and the therapeutic potential of CCL28 blockade in gastric cancer.
Wnt/β-catenin 信号通路的失调在人类胃癌中经常观察到。阐明肿瘤免疫微环境对于理解肿瘤发生和开发免疫治疗策略至关重要。然而,β-catenin 信号通路如何调节胃中的肿瘤免疫微环境仍不清楚。在这里,我们确定 CCL28 是 β-catenin/T 细胞因子(TCF)的直接转录靶基因。人胃腺癌中β-catenin 和 CCL28 的蛋白水平呈正相关。β-catenin 激活的 CCL28 在 Transwell 迁移实验中招募调节性 T(Treg)细胞。在通过感染和 N-甲基-N-亚硝基脲(MNU)处理建立的临床相关小鼠胃癌模型中,通过药理学抑制剂 iCRT14 抑制 β-catenin/TCF 活性可抑制胃中 CCL28 的表达和 Treg 细胞浸润。此外,抗 CCL28 抗体可减弱 /MNU 小鼠模型中的 Treg 细胞浸润和肿瘤进展。白喉毒素诱导的 Treg 细胞消融抑制了 /MNU 处理的 DEREG(Foxp3-DTR)小鼠中的胃癌进展,阐明了 Treg 细胞的促肿瘤作用。因此,β-catenin-CCL28-Treg 细胞轴可能是胃肿瘤微环境免疫抑制的重要机制。我们的研究结果揭示了 β-catenin 信号在胃肿瘤中的免疫调节作用,并强调了 CCL28 阻断在治疗胃癌中的治疗潜力。
这些发现表明肿瘤内源性 β-catenin 信号具有免疫抑制作用,CCL28 阻断在胃癌治疗中有治疗潜力。