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Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Using Microarrays to Interrogate Microenvironmental Impact on Cellular Phenotypes in Cancer
Published on: May 21, 2019
Multi-omics profiling reveals microenvironmental remodeling as a key driver of house dust mite-induced lung cancer
Shams Al-Azzam1, Isabella Stuewe2, Sunandini Sharma3
1Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Abstract:
Chronic exposure to the common aeroallergen house dust mite (HDM) induces lung inflammation and DNA damage, but its impact on lung cancer development remains largely unexplored. Using whole-genome sequencing, RNA-seq, and DNA methylation profiling, we assessed HDM effects in lung epithelial cell lines and a mouse orthotopic lung cancer model. HDM accelerated tumor growth without altering mutational burden. Transcriptomic and epigenetic analyses revealed tissue-specific effects: in normal lung, HDM enhanced pro-inflammatory and immune activation programs, whereas in tumors it suppressed T cell responses, antigen presentation, and chemokine signaling. Immune deconvolution showed a shift toward myeloid enrichment and lymphoid suppression, with reduced cytotoxic T and NK signatures. Notably, HDM-driven tumor promotion was abolished in Il17a-/- but not Il1b-/- mice, identifying IL-17A as a critical mediator. These findings demonstrate that chronic aeroallergen exposure reshapes the lung microenvironment to promote immune suppression and accelerate lung cancer progression.
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