Interleukin-33 enhances programmed oncosis of ST2L-positive low-metastatic cells in the tumour microenvironment of lung cancer.

ABSTRACT: The proinflammatory interleukin-33 (IL-33) binds to its receptor ST2L on the surface of immune cells and stimulates the production of Th2 cytokines; however, the effects of IL-33 on tumour cells are poorly understood. Here we show that ST2 was significantly downregulated in human lung cancer tissues and cells compared with normal lung tissues and cells. IL-33 expression was also inversely correlated with the stages of human lung cancers. In accordance with this finding, low-metastatic cells but not high-metastatic cells derived from Lewis lung carcinoma expressed functional ST2L. IL-33 was abundantly present in the tumours established by the low-metastatic cells compared with those formed by the high-metastatic cells. Although the low-metastatic cells scarcely expressed IL-33 in vitro, the

SUBMITTER: Akimoto M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4816191 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature