KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to investigate how tumor-related plasma-derived exosomes affect the polarization and characteristics of monocyte-derived macrophages.
- Plasma-derived exosomes from patients with HNSCC cause a type 2-like polarization and increased CXCL4 secretion in monocyte-derived macrophages.
Exosomes play a crucial role in the progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) by influencing angiogenesis and immune regulation. These extracellular vesicles facilitate intercellular communication by transporting proteins and nucleic acids.
Marie-Nicole Theodoraki sought to understand how tumor-related plasma-derived exosomes affect monocyte-derived macrophages’ polarization and characteristics.
Researchers isolated exosomes from the plasma of both healthy donors and patients with HNSCC. They then analyzed the morphology, size, and protein composition of these exosomes. Techniques such as transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, western blot analysis, and cytokine assays were used for this analysis.
They studied how internalizing these exosomes affected monocyte-derived macrophage differentiation and characteristics using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Lastly, they examined macrophage cytokine secretion patterns through human cytokine antibody arrays and ELISA measurements.
The study found higher levels of CTLA-4, PD-L1, and TIM-3 in the overall plasma of patients with HNSCC compared to healthy donors. Additionally, exosomes from patients with HNSCC showed elevated levels of CTLA-4, PD-L2, TIM-3, and LAG-3.
Researchers observed a significant type 2-like polarization and increased CXCL4 secretion in monocyte-derived macrophages after internalizing plasma-derived exosomes from patients with HNSCC, a phenomenon visualized through fluorescence microscopy of membrane-stained exosomes.
The study provided new insights into how exosomes contribute to pro-tumorigenic immune regulation in patients with HNSCC. These findings enhanced the understanding of the individual immunologic response in patients with head and neck cancer.
Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. This study has been supported by a grant of the Walter-Schulz-Foundation to MNT and RP.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39304856/
Theodoraki MN, Huber D, Hofmann L, et al. (2024). “Type 2-like polarization and elevated CXCL4 secretion of monocyte derived macrophages upon internalization of plasma-derived exosomes from head and neck cancer patients.” BMC Cancer. 2024;24(1):1173. Published 2024 Sep 20. doi:10.1186/s12885-024-12948-6
