Abstract
Lung cancer development is associated with extensive pulmonary inflammation. In addition, the linkage between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer has been demonstrated in population-based studies. IL-17-producing CD4 helper T cells (Th17 cells) play a critical role in promoting chronic tissue inflammation. Although Th17 cells are found in human COPD and lung cancer, their role is not understood. We have thus used a mouse model of lung cancer, in which an oncogenic form of K-ras (K-rasG12D), frequently found in human lung cancer, is restrictedly expressed in lung epithelial cells [via Clara cell secretory protein (CCSPcre)]. In this model, Th17 and Treg but not Th1 cells were found enriched at the tumor tissues. When CCSPcre/K-rasG12D mice were weekly challenged with a lysate of nontypeable Haemophilus influenza (NTHi), which induces COPD-type inflammation and accelerates the tumor growth, they showed greatly enhanced Th17 cell infiltration in the lung tissues. Lack of IL-17, but not IL-17F, resulted in a significant reduction in lung tumor numbers in CCSPcre/K-rasG12D mice and also those treated with NTHi. Absence of IL-17 not only resulted in reduction of tumor cell proliferation and angiogenesis, but also decreased the expression of proinflammatory mediators and reduced recruitment of myeloid cells. Depletion of Gr-1+CD11b+ myeloid cells in CCSPcre/K-rasG12D mice suppressed tumor growth in lung, indicating Gr-1+CD11b+ myeloid cells recruited by IL-17 play a protumor role. Taken together, our data demonstrate a critical role for Th17 cell-mediated inflammation in lung tumorigenesis and suggest a novel way for prevention and treatment of this disease.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 5664-5669 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Volume | 111 |
Issue number | 15 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 15 2014 |
Keywords
- Interleukin 17
- Lung adenocarcinoma
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General
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