Sensing of extracellular ATP via P2RX7 drives lung tumor growth through regulatory T cell suppressive function.

ABSTRACT: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and, despite treatment advances, immune suppression remains an obstacle to effective therapy. Effector CD4⁺ T cells (CD4⁺ Teffs) are critical for antitumor immunity, but their function is often inhibited by regulatory T cells (Tregs), which accumulate in lung tumors and perform suppressive functions through multiple mechanisms. This suppression leads to tumor progression and poor patient outcomes. However, the mechanisms underlying Treg-mediated suppression are not fully understood. Here, we identify the extracellular ATP receptor P2RX7 as a key regulator of Treg function in lung tumors. Using a murine lung cancer model induced by Lewis lung carcinoma cells, we demonstrate that P2RX7 enhances the supp

SUBMITTER: Santiago-Carvalho I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12247711 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature