Our study aims to detect the underlying mechanism of the suppressive effect of Follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1) on lung metastasis of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). We found that FSTL1 had no effect on the proliferation and metastasis of 4T1 cells in vitro, while in the tumor-bearing Fstl1 heterozygous (Fstl1+/-) mice, the number of anti-tumor T lymphocytes in the lung was significantly reduced with the increase in lung metastasis. Impaired development of T cells can cause dysfunction of adaptive immune system, which promotes cancer metastasis. Therefore the effect of FSTL1 on T cell development was further investigated. Lower population of T cells in periphery and decreased proliferation of CD4- CD8- double negative (DN) thymocytes and impairment development of T cells were found in Fstl1+/- mice. Furthermore, high expression of FSTL1 in medullary thymus epithelial (mTEC) cells and decreased mRNA expression of inducible costimulator on activated T-cell ligand (Icosl) in mTECsh Fstl1 were detected. Combining other studies that the generation of ICOSL by mTEC cells promotes CD4+ single positive (SP) thymocytes to produce IL-2, which promotes T cell development. Our results indicate FSTL1 deficiency in mTEC cells impairs T cell development to promote the lung metastasis of TNBC.
Keywords: T cell development; follistatin-like 1; lung metastasis; thymus medullary epithelial cells; triple negative breast cancer.