USP12 downregulation orchestrates a protumourigenic microenvironment and enhances lung tumour resistance to PD-1 blockade

Nat Commun. 2021 Aug 11;12(1):4852. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-25032-5.

Abstract

Oncogenic activation of KRAS and its surrogates is essential for tumour cell proliferation and survival, as well as for the development of protumourigenic microenvironments. Here, we show that the deubiquitinase USP12 is commonly downregulated in the KrasG12D-driven mouse lung tumour and human non-small cell lung cancer owing to the activation of AKT-mTOR signalling. Downregulation of USP12 promotes lung tumour growth and fosters an immunosuppressive microenvironment with increased macrophage recruitment, hypervascularization, and reduced T cell activation. Mechanistically, USP12 downregulation creates a tumour-promoting secretome resulting from insufficient PPM1B deubiquitination that causes NF-κB hyperactivation in tumour cells. Furthermore, USP12 inhibition desensitizes mouse lung tumour cells to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. Thus, our findings propose a critical component downstream of the oncogenic signalling pathways in the modulation of tumour-immune cell interactions and tumour response to immune checkpoint blockade therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / immunology
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / therapy
  • Chemokines / metabolism
  • Down-Regulation
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm*
  • Humans
  • Immune Tolerance
  • Immunotherapy
  • Lung Neoplasms / immunology
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Lung Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Mice
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Protein Phosphatase 2C / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
  • Tumor Microenvironment / immunology*
  • Ubiquitin Thiolesterase / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Ubiquitin Thiolesterase / metabolism*

Substances

  • Chemokines
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor
  • USP12 protein, human
  • MTOR protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • PPM1B protein, human
  • Protein Phosphatase 2C
  • Ubiquitin Thiolesterase