WSX1 expression in tumors induces immune tolerance via suppression of effector immune cells.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 21559505.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0019072 and PMC identifier 3084744.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Crosstalk between tumor cells and the cognate microenvironment plays a crucial role in tumor initiation and progression. However, only a few genes are known to affect such a crosstalk. This study reveals that WSX1 plays such a role when highly expressed in tumor cells. The expression of WSX1 in Lewis Lung Carcinoma (LLC) and the melanoma cell line AGS induces the death of T cells and inhibits the production of the effector cytokine IFNγ from NK and T cells, resulting in the promotion of tumor growth. These pro-tumorigenic properties of WSX1 are independent of IL27. This key observation reveals a new pathway of tumor-host interaction, which will ultimately lead to better strategies in immune therapy to reverse tumor tolerance.
Medical subject headings
- Carcinoma, Lewis Lung
- Melanoma
- Receptors, Cytokine