Chloroquine modulates antitumor immune response by resetting tumor-associated macrophages toward M1 phenotype

Nat Commun. 2018 Feb 28;9(1):873. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-03225-9.

Abstract

Resetting tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) is a promising strategy to ameliorate the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and improve innate and adaptive antitumor immunity. Here we show that chloroquine (CQ), a proven anti-malarial drug, can function as an antitumor immune modulator that switches TAMs from M2 to tumor-killing M1 phenotype. Mechanistically, CQ increases macrophage lysosomal pH, causing Ca2+ release via the lysosomal Ca2+ channel mucolipin-1 (Mcoln1), which induces the activation of p38 and NF-κB, thus polarizing TAMs to M1 phenotype. In parallel, the released Ca2+ activates transcription factor EB (TFEB), which reprograms the metabolism of TAMs from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis. As a result, CQ-reset macrophages ameliorate tumor immune microenvironment by decreasing immunosuppressive infiltration of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and Treg cells, thus enhancing antitumor T-cell immunity. These data illuminate a previously unrecognized antitumor mechanism of CQ, suggesting a potential new macrophage-based tumor immunotherapeutic modality.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Calcium / metabolism
  • Calcium Channels / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Chloroquine / pharmacology*
  • Female
  • Glycolysis / physiology
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy / methods*
  • Macrophages / cytology*
  • Macrophages / immunology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Nude
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism
  • RAW 264.7 Cells
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*
  • Transient Receptor Potential Channels / metabolism
  • Tumor Microenvironment / immunology
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors
  • Calcium Channels
  • Mcoln1 protein, mouse
  • NF-kappa B
  • Tcfeb protein, mouse
  • Transient Receptor Potential Channels
  • Chloroquine
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Calcium