Immunomodulation of T helper cells by tumour microenvironment in oral cancer is associated with rapid membrane-associated Vitamin D signalling pathway
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ABSTRACT: The immune system plays a key role in the protective response against oral cancer, however the tumour microenvironment (TME) is able to impair this anti-cancer response by modulating T helper (Th) responses and promoting an anti-inflammatory environment. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) and Th2 effector cells (Teff) have been associated with bad prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), however it is unknown the main chemoattractant or immunomodulatory mechanisms associated with the enrichment of these subsets in OSCC. We characterised T helper-like lineages in Teff and Tregs and evaluated the main immunomodulatory changes induced by the TME in OSCC. Our phenotypic data revealed a higher distribution of tumour-infiltrating CCR8+ and Th2-like Treg in OSCC in comparison with non-malignant samples, whereas the percentages of Th1 cells were reduced in cancer. We then analysed the presence of CCR8 ligands and the chemoattractant effect of tumour secretomes, however despite observing higher presence of CCR8 ligand CCL18, we only observed reduced migration of Teff to tumour secretomes. The direct effect of the TME was then analysed by exposing T cell subsets to cancer secretomes and we observed that the TME induced higher expression of CCR8 and immunomodulatory molecules on both subsets. Finally, the proteomic analysis of the TME suggests that these changes were associated with the rapid membrane-associated vitamin D signalling pathway. In summary, the TME from OSCC promotes immunomodulatory changes by regulating CCR8 expression and disbalancing the Th1/Th2 repertoire.
INSTRUMENT(S): timsTOF Pro
ORGANISM(S): Homo Sapiens (human)
TISSUE(S): Cell Culture
DISEASE(S): Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
SUBMITTER: Estefania Nova-Lamperti
LAB HEAD: Estefania Nova-Lamperti
PROVIDER: PXD023049 | Pride | 2021-04-29
REPOSITORIES: Pride
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