Preoperative chemoradiotherapy induces multiple pathways related to anti-tumour immunity in rectal cancer.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Rectal cancer treated with preoperative radiotherapy (RT) provides an interesting model to study changes induced on cancer cell immuno-phenotype that could be exploited by immunotherapy interventions to improve prognosis.

Materials and methods

We assessed the expression of HLA-class-I, β2-microglobulin, TAP1, PD-L1 and STING/IFNβ in preoperative biopsies and respective post-RT surgical specimens from patients with rectal cancer (n = 27). The effect of radiation was further investigated in colorectal adenocarcinoma cell lines HT-29 and Caco-2.

Results

Rectal carcinomas exhibited extensive loss of expression of HLA-Class-I related molecules, which was restored in post-irradiation surgical specimens (P < 0.0001). RT induced the expression of IFNβ and STING in

SUBMITTER: Koukourakis IM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10667544 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature