PMN-MDSCs modulated by CCL20 from cancer cells promoted breast cancer cell stemness through CXCL2-CXCR2 pathway

Our previous studies have showed that C-C motif chemokine ligand 20(CCL20)advanced tumor progression and enhanced the chemoresistance of cancer cells by positively regulating breast cancer stem cell(BCSC)self-renewal.However,it is unclear whether CCL20 affects breast cancer progression by remodeling the tumor microenvironment(TME).Here,we observed that polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells(PMN-MDSCs)were remarkably enriched in TME of CCL20-overexpressing cancer cell orthotopic allograft tumors.Mechanistically,CCL20 activated the differentiation of granulocyte-monocyte progenitors(GMPs)via its receptor C-C motif chemokine receptor 6(CCR6)leading to the PMN-MDSC expansion.PMN-MDSCs from CCL20-overexpressing cell orthotopic allograft tumors(CCL20-modulated PMN-MDSCs)secreted amounts of C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 2(CXCL2)and increased ALDH+BCSCs via activating CXCR2/NOTCH1/HEY1 signaling pathway.Furthermore,C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 2(CXCR2)antagonist SB225002 enhanced the docetaxel(DTX)effects on tumor growth by decreasing BCSCs in CCL20high-expressing tumors.These findings elucidated how CCL20 modulated the TME to promote cancer development,indicating a new therapeutic strategy by interfering with the interaction between PMN-MDSCs and BCSCs in breast cancer,especially in CCL20high-expressing breast cancer.

Doxorubicin-loaded bacterial outer-membrane vesicles exert enhanced anti-tumor efficacy in non-small-cell lung cancer

More efficient drug delivery system and formulation with less adverse effects are needed for the clinical application of broad-spectrum antineoplastic agent doxorubicin(DOX). Here we obtained outer-membrane vesicles(OMVs), a nano-sized proteoliposomes naturally released by Gram-negative bacteria, from attenuated Klebsiella pneumonia and prepared doxorubicin-loaded O0MVs(DOX-OMV). Confocal microscopy and in vivo distribution study observed that DOX encapsulated in OMVs was efficiently transported into NSCLC A549 cells. DOX-OMV resulted in intensive cytotoxic effects and cell apoptosis in vitro as evident from MTT assay, Western blotting and flow cytometry due to the rapid cellular uptake of DOX. In A549 tumor-bearing BALB/c nude mice, DOX-OMV presented a substantial tumor growth inhibition with favorable tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile, and TUNEL assay and H&E staining displayed extensive apoptotic cells and necrosis in tumor tissues. More importantly, OMVs’ appropriate immunogenicity enabled the recruitment of macrophages in tumor microenvironment which might synergize with their cargo DOX in vivo. Our results suggest that OMVs can not only function as biological nanocarriers for chemotherapeutic agents but also elicit suitable immune responses, thus having a great potential for the tumor chemoimmunotherapy.

Microbiota enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis-secreted BFT-1 promotes breast cancer cell stemness and chemoresistance through its functional receptor NOD1

Tumor-resident microbiota in breast cancer promotes cancer initiation and malignant progression.However,targeting microbiota to improve the effects of breast cancer therapy has not been investigated in detail.Here,we evaluated the microbiota composition of breast tumors and found that enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis(ETBF)was highly enriched in the tumors of patients who did not respond to taxane-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy.ETBF,albeit at low biomass,secreted the toxic protein BFT-1 to promote breast cancer cell stemness and chemoresistance.Mechanistic studies showed that BFT-1 directly bound to NOD1 and stabilized NOD1 protein.NOD1 was highly expressed on ALDH+breast cancer stem cells(BCSCs)and cooperated with GAK to phosphorylate NUMB and promote its lysosomal degradation,thereby activating the NOTCH1-HEY1 signaling pathway to increase BCSCs.NOD1 inhibition and ETBF clearance increase the chemosensitivity of breast cancer by impairing BCSCs.