Although a number of studies have revealed the important roles of miR-34a in cancer, the regulatory roles of miR-34a in cancer immune response remain largely unknown. Our present study demonstrated a mechanism underlying miR-34a-mediated cancer immune evasion via a SIRT1/NF-κB/B7-H3/TNF-α axis. miR-34a upregulated B7-H3, an important immune checkpoint molecule, through direct inhibition of SIRT1 and consequent acetylation of NF-κB subunit p65 (a-p65), which promoted B7-H3 transcription by direct binding to its promoter. The elevated B7-H3 induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α. This was further confirmed in the colon of Mir34a-deficient mice, where Sirt1 expression was boosted, and the expressions of a-p65, B7h3, and Tnf were repressed. Consequently, the in vivo inhibitory activity of miR-34a on colorectal cancer (CRC) was eradicated by the reinforced B7-H3 and TNF-α. In conclusion, our study uncovered an etiological mechanism underlying miR-34a-mediated CRC immune evasion through inhibition of SIRT1 and promotion of NF-κB/B7-H3/TNF-α axis.
Keywords: B7-H3; Colorectal cancer; Immune evasion; miR-34a.
© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH, DE part of Springer Nature.