The role of mannose-6-phosphate receptor and autophagy in influencing the outcome of combination therapy.

Combining two different treatment modalities for targeting malignancies is gaining importance, with preclinical/clinical results indicating higher success rates in eradicating tumors or having longer remission periods. A better understanding of the synergy between the treatments helps in optimizing the dose and time of administration. We found that chemotherapy enhanced the levels of insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor/cation-independent mannose-6-phosphate receptor (IGF2R) on the surface of tumor cells, which leads to better tumor targeting by cytotoxic T cells (CTLs). Early evidence indicates that upregulation of IGF2R involves the autophagy pathway.