Targeting PDPN enhances antitumor T-cell activity by disrupting β-catenin-mediated PD-L1 expression in melanoma.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Melanoma is a highly immunogenic and aggressive malignancy characterized by pronounced intratumoral lymphocytic infiltration and significant responsiveness to immunotherapeutic interventions. The oncogenic glycoprotein podoplanin (PDPN) is commonly overexpressed in various cancer types, where it facilitates metastatic dissemination through interactions with CLEC-2 on platelets and other stromal cells, thereby contributing to stromal immunosuppression. Although the protumoral roles of PDPN are well documented, its precise mechanistic contributions to immune evasion in melanoma remain only partly defined and require further elucidation.

Methods

To clarify the immunological role of PDPN in melanoma, multiplex immunofluorescence staining was performed on human tissu

SUBMITTER: Feng C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12819673 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature