Interleukin‐33 is a Novel Immunosuppressor that Protects Cancer Cells from TIL Killing by a Macrophage‐Mediated Shedding Mechanism
Open Access
- 5 September 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in Advanced Science
- Vol. 8 (21), 2101029
- https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202101029
Abstract
Recognition of specific antigens expressed in cancer cells is the initial process of cytolytic T cell-mediated cancer killing. However, this process can be affected by other non-cancerous cellular components in the tumor microenvironment. Here, it is shown that interleukin-33 (IL-33)-activated macrophages protect melanoma cells from tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte-mediated killing. Mechanistically, IL-33 markedly upregulates metalloprotease 9 (MMP-9) expression in macrophages, which acts as a sheddase to trim NKG2D, an activating receptor expressed on the surface of natural killer (NK) cells, CD8+ T cells, subsets of CD4+ T cells, iNKT cells, and γδ T cells. Further, MMP-9 also cleaves the MHC class I molecule, cell surface antigen-presenting complex molecules, expressed in melanoma cells. Consequently, IL-33-induced macrophage MMP-9 robustly mitigates the tumor killing-effect by T cells. Genetic and pharmacological loss-of-function of MMP-9 sheddase restore T cell-mediated cancer killing. Together, these data provide compelling in vitro and in vivo evidence showing novel mechanisms underlying the IL-33-macrophage-MMP-9 axis-mediated immune tolerance against cancer cells. Targeting each of these signaling components, including IL-33 and MMP-9 provides a new therapeutic paradigm for improving anticancer efficacy by immune therapy.Funding Information
- European Research Council (250021)
- Vetenskapsrådet
- Swedish Cancer Foundation
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (81703617)
- China Scholarship Council (201906225024)
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (81801163)
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