CCL2 is critical for immunosuppression to promote cancer metastasis

Clin Exp Metastasis. 2013 Apr;30(4):393-405. doi: 10.1007/s10585-012-9545-6. Epub 2012 Nov 11.

Abstract

We previously found that cancer metastasis is accelerated by immunosuppression during Snail-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, the molecular mechanism still remained unclear. Here, we demonstrate that CCL2 is a critical determinant for both tumor metastasis and immunosuppression induced by Snail(+) tumor cells. CCL2 is significantly upregulated in various human tumor cells accompanied by Snail expression induced by snail transduction or TGFβ treatment. The Snail(+) tumor-derived CCL2 amplifies EMT events in other cells including Snail(-) tumor cells and epithelial cells within tumor microenvironment. CCL2 secondarily induces Lipocalin 2 (LCN2) in the Snail(+) tumor cells in an autocrine manner. CCL2 and LCN2 cooperatively generate immunoregulatory dendritic cells (DCreg) having suppressive activity accompanied by lowered expression of costimulatory molecules such as HLA-DR but increased expression of immunosuppressive molecules such as PD-L1 in human PBMCs. The CCL2/LCN2-induced DCreg cells subsequently induce immunosuppressive CD4(+)FOXP3(+) Treg cells, and finally impair tumor-specific CTL induction. In murine established tumor model, however, CCL2 blockade utilizing the specific siRNA or neutralizing mAb significantly inhibits Snail(+) tumor growth and metastasis following systemic induction of anti-tumor immune responses in host. These results suggest that CCL2 is more than a chemoattractant factor that is the significant effector molecule responsible for immune evasion of Snail(+) tumor cells. CCL2 would be an attractive target for treatment to eliminate cancer cells via amelioration of tumor metastasis and immunosuppression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • B7-H1 Antigen / genetics
  • B7-H1 Antigen / metabolism
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Adhesion
  • Cell Movement
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Chemokine CCL2 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Chemokine CCL2 / genetics
  • Chemokine CCL2 / metabolism*
  • Chemotaxis
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition*
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppression Therapy*
  • Melanoma, Experimental / immunology
  • Melanoma, Experimental / metabolism
  • Melanoma, Experimental / pathology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / immunology
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / pathology*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Snail Family Transcription Factors
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • B7-H1 Antigen
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • CCL2 protein, human
  • CD274 protein, human
  • Chemokine CCL2
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Snail Family Transcription Factors
  • Transcription Factors