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Migrasome regulator TSPAN4 shapes the suppressive tumor immune microenvironment in pan-cancer

Lin-Jian Wang1,2,3, Ruiyan Xu3, Yangyang Wu1

  • 1Trauma Research Center, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.

Frontiers in Immunology
|December 26, 2024
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

TSPAN4 regulates migrasomes and influences cancer. This protein impacts tumor heterogeneity, stemness, and the immune microenvironment, promoting M2 macrophage polarization in glioma.

Area of Science:

  • Cell biology
  • Cancer research
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Migrasomes are novel organelles involved in cell signaling and communication.
  • TSPAN4 is a key regulator of migrasome formation, but its function in cancer is unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of TSPAN4 in various cancers.
  • To explore the relationship between TSPAN4, tumor heterogeneity, stemness, and the tumor microenvironment.
  • To examine TSPAN4's function in glioma, including its effect on cell proliferation and macrophage polarization.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of TCGA Pan-Cancer (PANCAN) and TCGA TARGET GTEx datasets for TSPAN4 expression and prognostic significance.
  • Utilizing RNA-seq and scRNA-seq data to assess TSPAN4's correlation with tumor heterogeneity, stemness, and immune microenvironment.
  • Investigating TSPAN4's impact on migrasome formation, cell proliferation, and macrophage polarization in glioma models.

Main Results:

  • TSPAN4 is aberrantly expressed across multiple tumor types, potentially due to methylation.
  • TSPAN4 expression correlates with increased tumor heterogeneity, stemness, and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.
  • In glioma, TSPAN4 promotes cell proliferation and M2 macrophage polarization, contributing to an immunosuppressive environment.

Conclusions:

  • TSPAN4, a migrasome regulator, significantly influences the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in pan-cancer.
  • TSPAN4 represents a potential therapeutic target for modulating the tumor microenvironment and improving cancer treatment outcomes.
Keywords:
TSPAN4gliomapan-cancerprognosistumor immune microenvironment

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