Dexamethasone and lactoferrin induced PMN-MDSCs relieved inflammatory adverse events of anti-cancer therapy without tumor promotion

Commun Biol. 2021 Feb 26;4(1):252. doi: 10.1038/s42003-021-01769-z.

Abstract

In this era of immune checkpoint inhibitors, inflammatory adverse events of anti-cancer therapies continue to pose a major challenge. Glucocorticoids, as the mainstay, were limited by serious side effects. Glucocorticoids induce myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and lactoferrin-induced polymorphonuclear MDSCs (PMN-MDSCs) were shown to relieve inflammatory conditions. Combined treatment with dexamethasone (DXM) and lactoferrin increased the generation of PMN-MDSCs in vitro (DXM/lactoferrin PMN-MDSCs) compared to DXM or lactoferrin treatment alone. DXM/lactoferrin PMN-MDSCs were distinct from tumor PMN-MDSCs in vivo with regard to gene expression profiles. DXM upregulated the myeloid cell response to lactoferrin by inducing the lactoferrin receptor Lrp1. DXM/lactoferrin PMN-MDSCs presented anti-bacterial capability, increased PGE2 production, increased survival capability, and decreased tumor tissue homing. Transfer of DXM/lactoferrin PMN-MDSCs relieved cisplatin-induced acute kidney failure, bleomycin-induced interstitial pneumonia, and allergic pneumonitis effectively without promoting tumor development. Our study shows that DXM/lactoferrin PMN-MDSCs are a promising cell therapy for inflammatory adverse events of anti-cancer therapies.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute Kidney Injury / chemically induced
  • Acute Kidney Injury / immunology
  • Acute Kidney Injury / metabolism
  • Acute Kidney Injury / therapy*
  • Adoptive Transfer*
  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology*
  • Bleomycin
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cisplatin
  • Dexamethasone / pharmacology*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lactoferrin / pharmacology*
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / chemically induced
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / immunology
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / metabolism
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / therapy*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells / drug effects*
  • Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells / immunology
  • Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells / metabolism
  • Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells / transplantation*
  • Ovalbumin
  • Phenotype
  • Pneumonia / chemically induced
  • Pneumonia / immunology
  • Pneumonia / metabolism
  • Pneumonia / therapy*

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Bleomycin
  • Dexamethasone
  • Ovalbumin
  • Lactoferrin
  • Cisplatin