IFIH1 promotes apoptosis through the TBK1/IRF3 pathway in triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive subtype of breast malignancy. Although some patients benefit from immune checkpoint therapy, current treatment methods rely mainly on chemotherapy. It is imperative to develop predictors of efficacy and identify individuals who will be sensitive to particular treatment regimens. This study analyzed peripheral interferons and immune cell subsets in TNBC patients receiving pre-operative neoadjuvant therapy. The effects of interferon-induced helicase 1 (IFIH1) on the biological characteristics of apoptosis and PD-L1 expression of cancer cells and its potential mechanism were investigated using bioinformatics analysis, clinical specimens, and in vitro study. We found that serum interferon-γ and interferon-α2 levels were significantly higher in TNBC patients with pathologic complete response (pCR). The expression of IFIH1 is markedly upregulated in various tumors, including breast cancer. Immunohistochemical results revealed that IFIH1 was specifically located in the cytoplasm of cancer cells. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that genes co-expressed with IFIH1 were involved in tumor immune-related pathways and apoptosis. Knockdown of IFIH1 in MDA-MB-231 and BT-549 cells resulted in significantly increased cell proliferation and colony formation. Regarding apoptosis-related pathway proteins, there was a significant decrease in levels of phosphorylated TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) and phosphorylated interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3). In addition, the expression of PD-L1 was significantly downregulated. Furthermore, we demonstrated the existence of binding sites between IRF3 and PD-L1 promotors. Our data indicate that cancer cell IFIH1 promotes apoptosis and PD-L1 expression, suggesting its potential as a predictive marker of efficacy and therapeutic target in TNBC.