BET inhibition triggers antitumor immunity by enhancing MHC class I expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: BET inhibition has been shown to have a promising antitumor effect in multiple tumors. However, the impact of BET inhibition on antitumor immunity was still not well documented in HNSCC. In this study, we aim to assess the functional role of BET inhibition in antitumor immunity and clarify its mechanism. We show that BRD4 is highly expressed in HNSCC and inversely correlated with the infiltration of CD8⁺ T cells. BET inhibition potentiates CD8⁺ T cell-based antitumor immunity in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, BRD4 acts as a transcriptional suppressor and represses the expression of MHC class I molecules by recruiting G9a. Pharmacological inhibition or genetic depletion of BRD4 potently increases the expression of MHC class I molecules in the absence and presence

SUBMITTER: Zhang M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9637808 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature