Nater Marc, Brügger Michael, Cecconi Virginia, Pereira Paulo, Forni Geo, Köksal Hakan, Dimakou Despoina, Herbst Michael, Calvanese Anna Laura, Lucchiari Giulia, Schneider Christoph, Valenta Tomas, van den Broek Maries
Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
iScience. 2025 Apr 6;28(5):112364. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.112364. eCollection 2025 May 16.
The liver is an important metastatic organ that contains many innate immune cells, yet little is known about their role in anti-metastatic defense. We investigated how invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells influence colorectal cancer-derived liver metastasis using different models in immunocompetent mice. We found that hepatic iNKT cells promote metastasis by creating a supportive niche for disseminated cancer cells. Mechanistically, iNKT cells respond to disseminating cancer cells by producing the fibrogenic cytokines interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-13 in a T cell receptor-independent manner. Selective abrogation of IL-4 and IL-13 sensing in hepatic stellate cells prevented their transdifferentiation into extracellular matrix-producing myofibroblasts, which hindered metastatic outgrowth of disseminated cancer cells. This study highlights a novel tumor-promoting axis driven by iNKT cells in the initial stages of metastasis.
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