TY - JOUR
T1 - Identification of the JNK-Active Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cluster Associated with an Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment
AU - Semba, Takashi
AU - Wang, Xiaoping
AU - Xie, Xuemei
AU - Cohen, Evan N.
AU - Reuben, James M.
AU - Dalby, Kevin N.
AU - Long, James P.
AU - Phi, Lan Thi Hanh
AU - Tripathy, Debu
AU - Ueno, Naoto T.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
PY - 2022/1/1
Y1 - 2022/1/1
N2 - Background: Although an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) is key for tumor progression, the molecular characteristics associated with the immunosuppressive TME remain unknown in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Our previous functional proteomic study of TNBC tumors identified that C-JUN N-Terminal kinase (JNK) pathway-related molecules were enriched in a cluster associated with the inflammatory pathway. However, the role of the JNK pathway in the TNBC TME is still unclear. Methods: Transcriptomic analysis was conducted using The Cancer Genome Atlas datasets. The effect of JNK-IN-8, a covalent pan-JNK inhibitor, on TNBC tumor growth, lung metastasis, and the TME was measured in TNBC syngeneic mouse models (n = 13 per group). Tumor (n = 43) or serum (n = 46) samples from TNBC patients were analyzed using multiplex immunohistochemistry or Luminex assay. All statistical tests were 2-sided. Results: CIBERSORT analysis revealed that TNBC patients with high phosphorylated JNK level (n = 47) had more regulatory T cell (Treg) infiltration than those with a low phosphorylated JNK level (n = 47) (P =. 02). Inhibition of JNK signaling statistically significantly reduced tumor growth (P <. 001) and tumor-infiltrating Tregs (P =. 02) while increasing the infiltration of CD8+ T cells in TNBC mouse models through the reduction of C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2). Tumor-Associated macrophages were the predominant cells secreting CCL2, and inhibition of JNK signaling reduced CCL2 secretion of human primary macrophages. Moreover, in patients with TNBC (n = 43), those with high levels of CCL2+ tumor-Associated macrophages had more Treg and less CD8+ T cell infiltration (P =. 04), and the serum CCL2 level was associated with poor overall survival (hazard ratio = 2.65, 95% confidence interval = 1.29 to 5.44, P =. 008) in TNBC patients (n = 46). Conclusions: The JNK/C-JUN/CCL2 axis contributes to TNBC aggressiveness via forming an immunosuppressive TME and can offer novel therapeutic strategies for TNBC.
AB - Background: Although an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) is key for tumor progression, the molecular characteristics associated with the immunosuppressive TME remain unknown in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Our previous functional proteomic study of TNBC tumors identified that C-JUN N-Terminal kinase (JNK) pathway-related molecules were enriched in a cluster associated with the inflammatory pathway. However, the role of the JNK pathway in the TNBC TME is still unclear. Methods: Transcriptomic analysis was conducted using The Cancer Genome Atlas datasets. The effect of JNK-IN-8, a covalent pan-JNK inhibitor, on TNBC tumor growth, lung metastasis, and the TME was measured in TNBC syngeneic mouse models (n = 13 per group). Tumor (n = 43) or serum (n = 46) samples from TNBC patients were analyzed using multiplex immunohistochemistry or Luminex assay. All statistical tests were 2-sided. Results: CIBERSORT analysis revealed that TNBC patients with high phosphorylated JNK level (n = 47) had more regulatory T cell (Treg) infiltration than those with a low phosphorylated JNK level (n = 47) (P =. 02). Inhibition of JNK signaling statistically significantly reduced tumor growth (P <. 001) and tumor-infiltrating Tregs (P =. 02) while increasing the infiltration of CD8+ T cells in TNBC mouse models through the reduction of C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2). Tumor-Associated macrophages were the predominant cells secreting CCL2, and inhibition of JNK signaling reduced CCL2 secretion of human primary macrophages. Moreover, in patients with TNBC (n = 43), those with high levels of CCL2+ tumor-Associated macrophages had more Treg and less CD8+ T cell infiltration (P =. 04), and the serum CCL2 level was associated with poor overall survival (hazard ratio = 2.65, 95% confidence interval = 1.29 to 5.44, P =. 008) in TNBC patients (n = 46). Conclusions: The JNK/C-JUN/CCL2 axis contributes to TNBC aggressiveness via forming an immunosuppressive TME and can offer novel therapeutic strategies for TNBC.
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U2 - 10.1093/jnci/djab128
DO - 10.1093/jnci/djab128
M3 - Article
C2 - 34250544
AN - SCOPUS:85120505284
SN - 0027-8874
VL - 114
SP - 97
EP - 108
JO - Journal of the National Cancer Institute
JF - Journal of the National Cancer Institute
IS - 1
ER -