Tumor-Derived Exosomes Deliver Membrane-Bound Fgl2 to Activate FcγRIIB-Mediated Immunosuppression in Myeloid-Derived

Fenglin Lin1, Dingqin Cai2, Chunli Jian1

  • 1Department of Oncology, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) play a pivotal role in establishing an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), yet the mechanisms underlying their functional activation remain incompletely defined. Here, we identify the Fgl2-FcγRIIB signaling axis as a critical mediator of MDSC-driven immune evasion across solid tumors. Analysis of clinical specimens revealed that Fgl2 expression is significantly elevated in tumor tissues and inversely correlates with CD8+ T cell infiltration, while positively associating with the accumulation of FcγRIIB+ MDSCs and poor patient prognosis. We demonstrate that tumor-derived exosomes (TEX) function as efficient carriers that deliver membrane-bound Fgl2 (mFgl2) to MDSCs. These exosomes are internalized by MDSCs through FcγRIIB-mediated endocytosis, leading to an enhanced immunosuppressive function characterized by upregulated arginase-1 (Arg-1) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and an increased capacity to suppress CD8+ T cell proliferation. Genetic ablation of FcγRIIB or antibody-mediated neutralization of Fgl2 abolished this exosome-mediated immunosuppressive programming, restoring T cell activity and impairing tumor growth in vivo. Importantly, a therapeutic strategy combining an exosome secretion inhibitor, in combination with PD-L1 blockade and MDSCs depletion, synergistically achieved potent antitumor effects. Our findings unveil a novel exosome-dependent mechanism through which tumors systemically educate MDSCs, establishing the Fgl2-FcγRIIB axis as a promising broad-spectrum target for cancer immunotherapy.

Related Concept Videos

The Tumor Microenvironment02:17

The Tumor Microenvironment

Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...
8.1K
Regulation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells01:01

Regulation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells

All blood and immune cells are produced from the multipotent hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) by the process of hematopoiesis. However, they all have a limited life span. In addition, many are depleted in immune surveillance or combatting an injury or infection. This makes blood one of the most regenerative tissues. Hematopoiesis helps replenish these blood and immune cells, restoring the body's normal functioning. However, overproduction of blood and immune cells can make them cancerous or...
4.4K
Metastasis02:30

Metastasis

Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from the original site to distant locations in the body. Cancer cells can spread via blood vessels (hematogenous) as well as lymph vessels in the body.
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
6.8K