Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40069590›Full record

ArticleMolecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.)2025

PKN2 enhances the immunosuppressive activity of polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells in esophageal carcinoma by mediating fatty acid oxidation.

Xiao Fu, GuoQing Zhang, ZhiChao Hou, TingTing Fu, GuangHui Cui

Abstract read
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Article in Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

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0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
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3 · Its place in the literature

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5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Xiao FuDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1 East Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
GuoQing ZhangDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1 East Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
ZhiChao HouDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1 East Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
TingTing FuDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
GuangHui CuiDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1 East Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, China. fccfux@zzu.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMyeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in tumor microenvironment reduce the efficacy of immunotherapy. PKN2 plays a role in colon cancer, but its function in esophageal cancer (EC) remains unclear. This study investigated PKN2 expression in MDSCs derived from EC tissues and determined whether PKN2 regulates immunosuppressive activity of MDSCs by mediating fatty acid oxidation (FAO). MATERIALS AND

methodsPKN2 expression was determined in GEO database, EC patients, and 4-NQO-induced EC mice, as well as in different types of immune cells. The effect of PKN2 on the function of polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs) was investigated by co-culture of PMN-MDSCs and CD4

resultsPKN2 is highly expressed in EC tumor tissues compared to normal tissues, especially in tumor-infiltrated PMN-MDSCs. Overexpressing PKN2 in PMN-MDSCs contributes to the immunosuppressive activity of PMN-MDSCs in vitro. PKN2-overexpressing PMN-MDSCs inhibited the killing ability of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and promoted EC organoid growth. PKN2 promotes FAO in PMN-MDSCs via CPT1B (a key enzyme of FAO). Mechanistically, PKN2 promotes CPT1B transcription by upregulating STAT3 phosphorylation.

conclusionsPKN2 expression was increased in PMN-MDSCs derived from human and mouse EC tissues. PKN2 plays a role in enhancing the immunosuppressive activity of PMN-MDSCs by facilitating STAT3 phosphorylation and CPT1B transcription, which in turn leads to increased CPT1B-mediated FAO in PMN-MDSCs. Targeted inhibition of PKN2 is expected to improve immunotherapeutic efficacy in EC patients.

Indexed as

Esophageal NeoplasmsFatty AcidsMyeloid-Derived Suppressor CellsProtein Kinase CAnimalsCell Line, TumorHumansMiceOxidation-ReductionSTAT3 Transcription FactorTumor MicroenvironmentFatty AcidsProtein Kinase CSTAT3 Transcription FactorFatty acid oxidationImmunosuppressive activityMyeloid-derived suppressor cellsOrganoidPKN2

Identifiers

PMID40069590
PMCPMC11900251

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