ERRα-ETV5 axis drives PD-L1 upregulation and immune escape in gallbladder cancer

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a highly aggressive malignancy with a poor response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), highlighting an urgent need to understand the mechanisms of immune evasion. We identified the orphan nuclear receptor ERRα as a critical regulator of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in GBC. Mechanistically, we discovered that ERRα transcriptionally upregulates the ETS-family transcription factor ETV5, which in turn directly binds to and activates the PD-L1 (CD274) promoter, establishing a novel ERRα-ETV5-PD-L1 signaling axis.​ In clinical specimens, ERRα expression positively correlated with PD-L1 levels and served as an independent prognostic factor for poor survival. Using a combination of human GBC tissues, in vitro co-culture systems, and a humanized mouse model, we demonstrated that genetic or pharmacological inhibition of ERRα downregulated PD-L1 and potentiated CD8⁺ T cell-mediated cytotoxicity.​ Critically, combined targeting of ERRα (using the inverse agonist XCT790) and PD-L1 (using durvalumab) synergistically suppressed tumor growth and enhanced intratumoral T cell infiltration in vivo. Our findings reveal ERRα as a master transcriptional regulator of immune evasion and highlight the therapeutic potential of co-inhibiting the ERRα-ETV5-PD-L1 axis to overcome immunotherapy resistance in GBC.