Background Cervical cancer poses a significant global threat to women's health. However, current therapeutic interventions, such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgical resection, and immune checkpoint inhibitors, face limitations in the advanced stages of the disease. Given the immunosuppressive microenvironment in cervical cancer, it is imperative to explore novel perspectives. In this regard, STING agonists have emerged as promising candidates.Methods The expression profiles and clinicopathological data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. Prognostic analysis of STING downstream genes (CCL5, CXCL9, CXCL10) and immune infiltration analysis were conducted using Kaplan-Meier Plotter, ESTIMATE, and deconvo_CIBERSOR. Single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) analysis was conducted to evaluate the potential of MSA-2 in cervical cancer treatment employing SingleR, chi-squared test, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Cellular interaction analysis utilized the CellChat package to assess the potentiation of cellular interaction following MSA-2 administration. Murine tumor models involving U14 and TC-1, were conducted, and the IF of tissue was subsequently conducted to assess the tumor microenvironment status after treatment.Results Prognosis in cervical cancer correlated with elevated expression of STING downstream genes, indicating prolonged survival and reduced recurrence. These genes positively correlated with immune infiltration, influencing stromal scores, immune scores, and estimate scores. Specific immune cell populations, including CD8+ T cells, M1-type macrophages, NK cells, and T follicular helper cells, were associated with STING downstream genes. scRNA-seq in a classic immune-excluded model revealed that MSA-2 exerts priming and activating functions on vital components within TME, and intensifies their intercellular communications. The in vivo assay ultimately demonstrated that MSA-2, either as a standalone treatment or in combination with anti-PD-1, effectively suppressed the growth of subcutaneous cervical tumors. Moreover, the combination strategy significantly augmented efficacy compared to anti-PD-1 monotherapy by eliciting a robust antitumor immune response.Conclusion This study highlights the pivotal role of the STING pathway and the potential of MSA-2 in reshaping the immune microenvironment in cervical cancer. Combining MSA-2 with immune checkpoint inhibitors presents a transformative approach, holding promise for improved prognosis. Further investigations are warranted to explore the broader immune landscape and potential long-term effects of MSA-2 in cervical cancer treatment.
基金:
China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Certificate Number 2023M743016) and
Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (grant numbers LY20H160028).
第一作者单位:[1]Zhejiang Univ, Sch Med, Affiliated Hosp 2, Dept Gynecol, Hangzhou, Peoples R China
通讯作者:
通讯机构:[1]Zhejiang Univ, Sch Med, Affiliated Hosp 2, Dept Gynecol, Hangzhou, Peoples R China[4]Zhejiang Prov Clin Res Ctr Obstet & Gynecol, Hangzhou, Peoples R China
推荐引用方式(GB/T 7714):
Li Tianye,Zhang Weijiang,Niu Mengke,et al.STING agonist inflames the cervical cancer immune microenvironment and overcomes anti-PD-1 therapy resistance[J].FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY.2024,15:doi:10.3389/fimmu.2024.1342647.
APA:
Li, Tianye,Zhang, Weijiang,Niu, Mengke,Wu, Yuze,Deng, Xinyue&Zhou, Jianwei.(2024).STING agonist inflames the cervical cancer immune microenvironment and overcomes anti-PD-1 therapy resistance.FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY,15,
MLA:
Li, Tianye,et al."STING agonist inflames the cervical cancer immune microenvironment and overcomes anti-PD-1 therapy resistance".FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY 15.(2024)