ArticleCancer immunology research2014
Downregulation of MHC-I expression is prevalent but reversible in Merkel cell carcinoma.
Article in Cancer immunology research, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 88 papers.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
88 citing papers in PubMed, 127 citations in OpenAlex.
- Reprogramming engineered autologous T cells to overcome resistance in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma.Science translational medicine · 2026Trial
- ATR inhibition induces NF-κB-dependent immunogenicity in Merkel cell carcinoma independent of cGAS-STING.NPJ precision oncology · 2026Article
- Article
- An immunocompetent model of MCPyV-driven Merkel cell carcinoma reveals tumor evolution under immune selection.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Antiviral regulator TRIM25 as a prognostic marker of better survival in Merkel cell carcinoma: Association with MCPyV status.International journal of cancer · 2026Article
- Molecular basis and therapeutic implications of binary YAPOn/YAPOff cancer classes.The Biochemical journal · 2025Review
- Targeting archetypes of viral-driven cancers with immunotherapy: a perspective on immunogenicity within the tumor microenvironment.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Review
- Intratumoral STING agonist reverses immune evasion in PD-(L)1-refractory Merkel cell carcinoma: mechanistic insights from detailed biomarker analyses.Journal for immunotherapy of cancer · 2024Article
- The interplay between persistent pathogen infections with tumor microenvironment and immunotherapy in cancer.Cancer medicine · 2024Review
- Review
- Tumor Regression Following Engineered Polyomavirus-Specific T Cell Therapy in Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Refractory Merkel Cell Carcinoma.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2024Article
- Merkel Cell Carcinoma: Integrating Epidemiology, Immunology, and Therapeutic Updates.American journal of clinical dermatology · 2024Review
- Possible association between polyomaviruses and gastrointestinal complications: a narrative review.Gastroenterology and hepatology from bed to bench · 2024Review
- Biomaterial-Mediated Genetic Reprogramming of Merkel Cell Carcinoma and Melanoma Leads to Targeted Cancer Cell KillingACS biomaterials science & engineering · 2023Article
- Insights into anti-tumor immunityFrontiers in immunology · 2023Review
- Utilizing immunogenomic approaches to prioritize targetable neoantigens for personalized cancer immunotherapy.Frontiers in immunology · 2023Review
- Prevalence of viral DNA in high-grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer and correlation with clinical outcomes.PloS one · 2023Article
- Article
- Review
- T-Cell Mediated Immunity in Merkel Cell Carcinoma.Cancers · 2022Review
28 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
21 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive, polyomavirus-associated skin cancer. Robust cellular immune responses are associated with excellent outcomes in patients with MCC, but these responses are typically absent. We determined the prevalence and reversibility of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) downregulation in MCC, a potentially reversible immune-evasion mechanism. Cell-surface MHC-I expression was assessed on five MCC cell lines using flow cytometry as well as immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays representing 114 patients. Three additional patients were included who had received intralesional IFN treatment and had evaluable specimens before and after treatment. mRNA expression analysis of antigen presentation pathway genes from 35 MCC tumors was used to examine the mechanisms of downregulation. Of note, 84% of MCCs (total n = 114) showed reduced MHC-I expression as compared with surrounding tissues, and 51% had poor or undetectable MHC-I expression. Expression of MHC-I was lower in polyomavirus-positive MCCs than in polyomavirus-negative MCCs (P < 0.01). The MHC-I downregulation mechanism was multifactorial and did not depend solely on HLA gene expression. Treatment of MCC cell lines with ionizing radiation, etoposide, or IFN resulted in MHC-I upregulation, with IFNs strongly upregulating MHC-I expression in vitro, and in 3 of 3 patients treated with intralesional IFNs. MCC tumors may be amenable to immunotherapy, but downregulation of MHC-I is frequently present in these tumors, particularly those that are positive for polyomavirus. This downregulation is reversible with any of several clinically available treatments that may thus promote the effectiveness of immune-stimulating therapies for MCC.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.