Fc Receptor is Involved in Nk Cell Functional Anergy Induced by Miapaca2 Tumor Cell Line

ABSTRACT

Impaired NK cytotoxicity has been linked to poor cancer prognosis, but its mechanisms are not clearly established. Increasing data demonstrate that NK cells lose cytotoxicity after interaction with NK cell-sensitive tumor cells. In this paper, we provide evidence that the human adenocarcinoma cell line MiaPaCa2 and TNFα and TGFβ-treated MiaPaCa2 cultures (MiaPaCa2-TT) induced functional anergy of NK cells via FGL2 protein. MiaPaCa2-TT cultures decreased expression of IFNγ, CD107a, DNAM-1, and stimulated expression of PD1 by NK cells, as well as inhibited their cytotoxic activity in a greater manner compared to the parental culture. More importantly, we found that co-cultivation with anergized NK cells decreased expression of IFNγ and CD107a by naïve NK cells, which supports the hypothesis of NK cell functional anergy transmission. The obtained results suggest a mechanism by which tumor cells may inhibit cytotoxic functions of tumor-infiltrating and circulating NK cells in cancer.

Abbreviations: CFSE: Carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester; CSCs: Cancer stem cells; FGL2: Fibrinogen-like protein 2; mAbs: Monoclonal antibodies; MiaPaCa2: Human adenocarcinoma cell line; MiaPaCa2-ТТ: Adenocarcinoma cell line MiaPaCa2 cells stimulated with TNFα and TGFβ-1; PI: Propidium iodide; TGFβ: Transforming growth factor beta; TME: Tumor microenvironment; TNFα: Tumor necrosis factor alfa

KEYWORDS:

• Natural killer cells
• pancreatic adenocarcinoma MiaPaCa2
• cytotoxicity
• functional anergy
• FGL-2

Author contributions

Conceptualization, N.B.; data curation, Y.O., A.K., R.T., O.U., G.S.; data analysis, Y.O., Y.P.; writing—original draft preparation, Y.O.; writing—review and editing, Y.P. and N.B.; supervision, N.B. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Science Committee of Ministry of education and science of the Republic of Kazakhstan under Grant #AP05131691 “Molecular mechanisms of influence of T regulatory cells on tumor cell activity” and Grant #AP05131710 “Pharmacological approaches to target myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) for suppression of chronic inflammation as a stimulant of tumor growth in experimental models.”

Declaration of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Science Committee of Ministry of education and science of the Republic of Kazakhstan under Grant #AP05131691 “Molecular mechanisms of influence of T regulatory cells on tumor cell activity” and Grant #AP05131710 “Pharmacological approaches to target myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) for suppression of chronic inflammation as a stimulant of tumor growth in experimental models”.