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Scales MK, Velez-Delgado A, Steele NG, Schrader HE, Stabnick AM, Yan W, Mercado Soto NM, Nwosu ZC, Johnson C, Zhang Y, Salas-Escabillas DJ, Menjivar RE, Maurer HC, Crawford HC, Bednar F, Olive KP, Pasca di Magliano M, Allen BL. Combinatorial Gli activity directs immune infiltration and tumor growth in pancreatic cancer. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010315. [PMID: 35867772 PMCID: PMC9348714 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Proper Hedgehog (HH) signaling is essential for embryonic development, while aberrant HH signaling drives pediatric and adult cancers. HH signaling is frequently dysregulated in pancreatic cancer, yet its role remains controversial, with both tumor-promoting and tumor-restraining functions reported. Notably, the GLI family of HH transcription factors (GLI1, GLI2, GLI3), remain largely unexplored in pancreatic cancer. We therefore investigated the individual and combined contributions of GLI1-3 to pancreatic cancer progression. At pre-cancerous stages, fibroblast-specific Gli2/Gli3 deletion decreases immunosuppressive macrophage infiltration and promotes T cell infiltration. Strikingly, combined loss of Gli1/Gli2/Gli3 promotes macrophage infiltration, indicating that subtle changes in Gli expression differentially regulate immune infiltration. In invasive tumors, Gli2/Gli3 KO fibroblasts exclude immunosuppressive myeloid cells and suppress tumor growth by recruiting natural killer cells. Finally, we demonstrate that fibroblasts directly regulate macrophage and T cell migration through the expression of Gli-dependent cytokines. Thus, the coordinated activity of GLI1-3 directs the fibroinflammatory response throughout pancreatic cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael K. Scales
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Ashley Velez-Delgado
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Nina G. Steele
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Hannah E. Schrader
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Anna M. Stabnick
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Wei Yan
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Nayanna M. Mercado Soto
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Zeribe C. Nwosu
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Craig Johnson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Yaqing Zhang
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | | | - Rosa E. Menjivar
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - H. Carlo Maurer
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York city, New York, United States of America
- Internal Medicine II, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Howard C. Crawford
- Department of Surgery, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Filip Bednar
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Kenneth P. Olive
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York city, New York, United States of America
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York city, New York, United States of America
| | - Marina Pasca di Magliano
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Benjamin L. Allen
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
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