Nucleophosmin/B23 promotes endometrial cancer cell escape from macrophage phagocytosis by increasing CD24 expression

Despite recent therapeutic breakthroughs, advanced and/or recurrent endometrial cancer still poses a significant health burden globally. While immunotherapy can theoretically lead to durable responses, the benefits to patients remain limited. In an effort to identify novel immunotherapeutic targets, we specifically focused on the potential role of nucleophosmin (NPM, also known as B23) - a nucleolar phosphoprotein involved in tumorigenesis - in cancer immune evasion. Expression profiling with oligonucleotide microarrays was conducted to identify differentially expressed genes in NPM/B23-silenced endometrial cancer cells. CD24 - a heat-stable antigen commonly overexpressed in solid tumors and a target for cancer immunotherapy - was identified as one of the key NPM/B23-regulated molecules. We found that NPM/B23 was capable of inducing CD24 expression, with the Sp1 binding site in the CD24 promoter being essential for NPM/B23-mediated transcriptional activation. Interestingly, NPM/B23 silencing in endometrial cancer cells enhanced phagocytic removal by macrophages through a decreased exposure of CD24 on the cell surface. Conversely, restoration of CD24 expression in NPM/B23-silenced endometrial cancer cells inhibited macrophage-mediated phagocytosis. These results indicate that NPM/B23-driven CD24 overexpression enables endometrial cancer cells to evade from phagocytosis. We further suggest that CD24 may serve as a novel target for endometrial cancer immunotherapy. KEY MESSAGES: NPM/B23 induced CD24 expression in endometrial tumorigenesis. Sp1 binding site in the CD24 promoter is essential for the activation. NPM/B23 silencing enhanced phagocytosis by macrophages through decrease of CD24 on cancer cells. Restoration of CD24 expression in NPM/B23-silenced cancer cells inhibited macrophage-mediated phagocytosis.