Lnk deficiency attenuates the immunosuppressive capacity of MDSCs via ferroptosis to suppress tumor development

Abstract A subset of immature myeloid cells known as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) play an immunosuppressive role and actively stimulate the growth of tumors. Lymphocyte adaptor protein (Lnk) regulates the development of hematopoietic stem cells and inflammatory CD8+ T cells by inhibiting...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jingwen Zhou, Hui Yin, JiaHua Pan, Rui Yin, Xin Wei, Min Shen, Liangliang Cai, Ziqi Liu, Jie Zhao, Wenyan Chen, Ruoxun Wang, Xinrui Lan, Wenshu Han, Dongkun Li, Xiaoyu Zhu, Weijuan Gong, Li Qian
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2025-08-01
Series:Cell Death and Disease
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-025-07948-8
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract A subset of immature myeloid cells known as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) play an immunosuppressive role and actively stimulate the growth of tumors. Lymphocyte adaptor protein (Lnk) regulates the development of hematopoietic stem cells and inflammatory CD8+ T cells by inhibiting cytokine signaling. However, it is unclear how Lnk regulates the function of MDSCs during tumorigenesis. Here, using Lnk –/– mice, we showed that Lnk deficiency inhibited tumor growth in an MDSC-dependent manner. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that Lnk deficiency weakened the immunosuppressive effects of MDSCs through ferroptosis. In addition, Lnk deficiency-induced ferroptosis was regulated by the Flt3/STAT1/IRF1/Alox12 axis. Besides, Lnk was more highly expressed in MDSCs from lung cancer patients. Knocking down Lnk in human MDSCs resulted in increased TNF-α and decreased Arg-1 expression. These findings demonstrate that the role of Lnk is vital in the immunosuppressive ability of MDSCs and offers a novel target for cancer treatment.
ISSN:2041-4889