NSDHL promotes the degradation of sting in cholangiocarcinoma

Weihua Yu1, Jionghuang Chen1, Yifan Tong2

  • 1Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, China.

Heliyon
|September 18, 2024
PubMed

Insights

3-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (NSDHL) promotes cholangiocarcinoma by degrading STING, inhibiting immune signaling. This metabolic enzyme

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Immunology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Metabolic enzymes influence tumor growth through nonmetabolic pathways.
  • The role of metabolic enzymes in immune modulation requires further investigation.
  • 3-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (NSDHL) expression is elevated in cholangiocarcinoma.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the nonmetabolic roles of NSDHL in cholangiocarcinoma.
  • To elucidate the mechanism by which NSDHL affects cholangiocarcinoma progression.
  • To explore the impact of NSDHL on the tumor immune microenvironment.

Main Methods:

  • In vitro cell culture experiments.
  • Western blotting and ubiquitination assays to study protein interactions.
  • Analysis of patient data to correlate NSDHL expression with immune cell infiltration.

Main Results:

  • NSDHL overexpression enhanced AKT/YAP-driven cholangiocarcinoma promotion in vitro.
  • NSDHL directly bound to STING, promoting its ubiquitination and degradation.
  • NSDHL overexpression led to inhibition of the cGAS-STING pathway and reduced IFNβ synthesis.
  • Inverse correlation observed between NSDHL expression and infiltration of NK cells, CD4+ T cells, and neutrophils in cholangiocarcinoma patients.

Conclusions:

  • NSDHL plays a critical role in cholangiocarcinoma progression beyond its metabolic functions.
  • NSDHL modulates the cGAS-STING signaling pathway by targeting STING for degradation.
  • NSDHL contributes to immune evasion in cholangiocarcinoma by reducing type I interferon production and immune cell infiltration.