Chen LC, Wang LJ, Tsang NM, Ojcius DM, Chen CC, Ouyang CN, Hsueh C, Liang Y, Chang KP, Chen CC, Chang YS. Tumour inflammasome-derived IL-1β recruits neutrophils and improves local recurrence-free survival in EBV-induced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
EMBO Mol Med 2012;
4:1276-93. [PMID:
23065753 PMCID:
PMC3531603 DOI:
10.1002/emmm.201201569]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2012] [Revised: 09/07/2012] [Accepted: 09/13/2012] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammasomes sense infection and cellular damage and are critical for triggering inflammation through IL-1β production. In carcinogenesis, inflammasomes may have contradictory roles through facilitating antitumour immunity and inducing oncogenic factors. Their function in cancer remains poorly characterized. Here we show that the NLRP3, AIM2 and RIG-I inflammasomes are overexpressed in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and expression levels correlate with patient survival. In tumour cells, AIM2 and RIG-I are required for IL-1β induction by EBV genomic DNA and EBV-encoded small RNAs, respectively, while NLRP3 responds to extracellular ATP and reactive oxygen species. Irradiation and chemotherapy can further activate AIM2 and NLRP3, respectively. In mice, tumour-derived IL-1β inhibits tumour growth and enhances survival through host responses. Mechanistically, IL-1β-mediated anti-tumour effects depend on infiltrated immunostimulatory neutrophils. We show further that presence of tumour-associated neutrophils is significantly associated with better survival in NPC patients. Thus, tumour inflammasomes play a key role in tumour control by recruiting neutrophils, and their expression levels are favourable prognostic markers and promising therapeutic targets in patients.
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