[Remodeling of the Tumor Microenvironment by Radiotherapy through the cGAS-STING Pathway in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma].

ABSTRACT

It has been reported that tumor cell-intrinsic cyclic GMP-AMP synthase(cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes(STING) pathway is essential for radiotherapy(RT)-induced activation of anti-tumor immune responses. However, its role in the RT- induced remodeling of the tumor microenvironment(TME)in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC), is largely unknown. In this study, we found that the tumor cell-intrinsic cGAS-STING pathway is a critical component for RT-induced activation of immune cells in the TME through the induction of type Ⅰ interferon and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 in tumor cells in ESCC. However, at the same time, the tumor cell-intrinsic cGAS-STING pathway is also involved in RT-triggered infiltration and polarization of immunosuppressive CD163+ tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) through the induction of interleukin 34 (IL-34) in tumor cells in ESCC. Our findings suggest that targeting IL-34 to impede the infiltration and polarization of CD163+ TAM could potentially enhance the efficacy of RT-induced immune cell activation in ESCC TME.