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Ficolin-2 triggers antitumor effect by activating macrophages and CD8+ T cells

Quanquan Ding1, Yanying Shen1, Dongqing Li2

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Virology and Medical Research Institute, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology and Department of Immunology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, PR China.

Clinical Immunology (Orlando, Fla.)
|August 29, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Serum ficolin-2 levels are lower in cancer patients. Supplementing ficolin-2 inhibits tumor growth by activating immune cells like macrophages and CD8+ T cells, suggesting a new cancer therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Oncology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Ficolin-2 is a serum complement lectin.
  • Lower serum ficolin-2 concentrations are observed in patients with multiple tumors compared to healthy individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of ficolin-2 in tumor growth.
  • To explore ficolin-2 as a potential therapeutic agent for cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Administration of exogenous ficolin-2 or ficolin-A in murine tumor models.
  • Analysis of immune cell responses (macrophages, dendritic cells, CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells).
  • Assessment of tumor cell growth in wild-type and Ficolin-A knockout mice.
  • Investigation of ficolin-2 binding to Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4).

Main Results:

  • Single administration of ficolin-2 or ficolin-A significantly inhibited tumor cell growth in murine models.
  • Ficolin-A knockout mice showed increased tumor cell growth.
  • Ficolin-2 activated macrophages, promoted M1 polarization, and enhanced CD8+ T cell proliferation and cytotoxicity.
  • Ficolin-2 binds to TLR4 on macrophages and dendritic cells, improving their antigen-presenting capabilities.

Conclusions:

  • Ficolin-2 exhibits potent antitumor effects by modulating the immune system.
  • Ficolin-2 enhances innate and adaptive immune responses against tumors.
  • Ficolin-2 represents a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer by leveraging immune-mediated antitumor effects.
Keywords:
Antitumor effectCD8(+) TDendritic cells (DCs)Ficolin-2/AMacrophage

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