The clinical relevance of the miR-197/CKS1B/STAT3-mediated PD-L1 network in chemoresistant non-small-cell lung cancer

Yu Fujita, Shigehiro Yagishita, Keitaro Hagiwara, Yusuke Yoshioka, Nobuyoshi Kosaka, Fumitaka Takeshita, Tomohiro Fujiwara, Koji Tsuta, Hiroshi Nokihara, Tomohide Tamura, Hisao Asamura, Makoto Kawaishi, Kazuyoshi Kuwano, Takahiro Ochiya

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

213 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) has recently gained considerable attention for its role in tumor immune escape. Here, we identify a miR-197/CKS1B/STAT3-mediated PD-L1 network in chemoresistant non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), independent of immunoinhibitory signals. miR-197 is downregulated in platinum-resistant NSCLC specimens, resulting in the promotion of chemoresistance, tumorigenicity, and pulmonary metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic investigations reveal that a miR-197-mediated CKS1B/STAT3 axis exerts tumor progression regulated by various oncogenic genes (Bcl-2, c-Myc, and cyclin D1), and PD-L1 is a putative biomarker of this axis. Furthermore, we demonstrate that a miR-197 mimic sensitizes PD-L1 high drug-resistant cells to chemotherapy. These results indicate that the biological interaction between PD-L1 and chemoresistance occurs through the microRNA regulatory cascade. More importantly, expression levels of miR-197 are inversely correlated with PD-L1 expression (n = 177; P = 0.026) and are associated with worse overall survival (P = 0.015). Our discoveries suggest that the miR-197/CKS1B/STAT3-mediated network can drive tumor PD-L1 expression as a biomarker of this cascade, and miR-197 replacement therapy may be a potential treatment strategy for chemoresistant NSCLC.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)717-727
Number of pages11
JournalMolecular Therapy
Volume23
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2015 Apr 10
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Medicine
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Pharmacology
  • Drug Discovery

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The clinical relevance of the miR-197/CKS1B/STAT3-mediated PD-L1 network in chemoresistant non-small-cell lung cancer'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this