We further found that RIP3 knockdown results in an increase of MDSCs and a decrease of interferon gamma-positive (IFN-γ<sup>+</sup> ) cluster of differentiation 8-positive (CD8<sup>+</sup> ) tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (IFN-γ<sup>+</sup> CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells) in hepatoma tissues, thus promoting immune escape and HCC growth in immunocompetent mice.
Conclusion: This work demonstrates that NK cell-derived IFN-γ promotes HCC through the EpCAM-EMT axis in HBs-Tg mice, revealing the importance of innate immunity in pathogenesis of HBV-associated HCC.
The experiments were performed in 5 groups (phosphate buffered saline/PBS, BMSCs, BMSC-IFN-γ, BMSC-IL-10 and BMSC-IFN-γ-IL-10) and the genetically engineered BMSCs were transplanted into HCC mice.
Following treatment with Foxp3-shRNA, the average tumor volume, ratio of Tregs/CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells and level of IL-10, TGF-β and VEGF significantly decreased, however, the level of IFN-γ and IL-2 significantly increased compared with un-treated HCC mice (P<0.05).
More importantly, NK-92-S3KD immunotherapy increases the production of not only IFNγ, but also granzyme B and perforin in tumors; therefore, inhibiting cancer progression in two xenograft mouse models with human hepatoma (HepG2) and melanoma (A375).
Incubation of CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells from HCCs with a discrete population of PD1-high cells with antibodies against PD1 and TIM3 or LAG3 further restored proliferation and production of IFNG and TNF in response to anti-CD3.
Significant correlations among IDO1, IFNG, and CD8A transcriptional levels were observed in freshly resected HCC specimens; moreover, no constitutive IDO1 expression was detected in HCC cell lines until stimulated by interferon-γ through the JAK2-STAT1 signaling pathway, but not type I interferon.
A mixed Th1/Th2 cytokine pattern was induced, although a more predominant production of TNFα and IFNγ was observed in HCC patients versus healthy controls.
In addition, serum sFASL levels were significantly elevated in both HCV and HCC groups, whereas serum IFN-γ levels were only elevated in the HCC group.
T-cell responses were investigated by interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) enzyme-linked immunospot and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) assays using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in 47 patients, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in 8 of 47 patients with HCC.
Soluble B7‑H4 (sB7‑H4), interferon‑γ (IFN‑γ), and interleukin‑4 (IL‑4) in blood serum were assessed using ELISA in patients with HCC and mice injected with tumor cells.
Hep3B cells were transduced by HCC‑specific recombinant adeno‑associated virus (rAAV) carrying human α‑fetoprotein promoter (AFPp) and the interferon‑γ (IFN‑γ) gene (rAAV/AFPp‑IFN‑γ). rAAV carrying the cytomegalovirus promoter (CMVp) and human α‑fetoprotein (AFP) gene (rAAV/CMVp‑AFP) was used to transduce professional antigen‑presenting DCs for the purpose of stimulating a CTL response.
Interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) is a tumor-suppressor gene induced by interferon-γ (IFNγ) and plays an important role in the cell death of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).