Timing is critical for an effective anti-metastatic immunotherapy: the decisive role of IFNγ/STAT1-mediated activation of autophagy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Immunotherapy is often recommended as an adjuvant treatment to reduce the chance of cancer recurrence or metastasis. Interestingly, timing is very important for a successful immunotherapy against metastasis, although the precise mechanism is still unknown.

Methods and findings

Using a mouse model of melanoma metastasis induced by intravenous injection of B16-F10 cells, we investigated the mechanism responsible for the diverse efficacy of the prophylactic or therapeutic TLR4 and TLR9 agonist complex against metastasis. We found that the activation of TLR4 and TLR9 prevented, but did not reverse, metastasis because the potency of this combination was neither sufficient to overcome the tumor cell-educated immune tolerance nor to induce efficacious autophagy in tumor

SUBMITTER: Yan J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3172290 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature