Yuanyuan An1, Qing Yang2. 1. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110004, PR China. 2. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110004, PR China. Electronic address: yangq@sj-hospital.org.
Abstract
AIMS: Chemoresistance is a major underlying cause of relapse or death in ovarian cancer patients. Emerging evidence has shown that macrophages could play an essential role in mediating the chemoresistance of cancer cells. MiR-21 has been reported to be an oncogene, which promotes chemoresistance in cancer. Here, we aim to investigate the role that miR-21 plays in polarization of macrophages and ovarian cancer progression. MAIN METHODS: The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to investigate immune cell infiltration in ovarian cancer tissues. To explore the role that miR-21 played in macrophages, M2 macrophages transfected with a miR-21 mimic or a miR-21 inhibitor were co-cultured with ovarian cancer cells. Western blotting was used to detect protein expression levels. CCK8 was used to detect the IC50 of ovarian cancer cells. Flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis and the cell cycle of ovarian cancer cells. KEY FINDINGS: In this study, we found that higher expression of M1 macrophages and lower expression of M2 macrophages correlated with a better prognosis of ovarian cancer patients. M2 macrophages promoted the chemoresistance of ovarian cancer cells. The results showed that miR-21 could partially regulate the polarization of macrophages. Furthermore, M2 macrophages transfected with the miR-21 mimic significantly promoted chemoresistance and inhibited apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells, while the M2 macrophages transfected with the miR-21 inhibitor showed the opposite effects. SIGNIFICANCE: miR-21 plays an important role in regulating macrophage polarization, therefore increasing the M2 macrophage-mediated chemoresistance in ovarian cancer cells.
AIMS: Chemoresistance is a major underlying cause of relapse or death in ovarian cancerpatients. Emerging evidence has shown that macrophages could play an essential role in mediating the chemoresistance of cancer cells. MiR-21 has been reported to be an oncogene, which promotes chemoresistance in cancer. Here, we aim to investigate the role that miR-21 plays in polarization of macrophages and ovarian cancer progression. MAIN METHODS: The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to investigate immune cell infiltration in ovarian cancer tissues. To explore the role that miR-21 played in macrophages, M2 macrophages transfected with a miR-21 mimic or a miR-21 inhibitor were co-cultured with ovarian cancer cells. Western blotting was used to detect protein expression levels. CCK8 was used to detect the IC50 of ovarian cancer cells. Flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis and the cell cycle of ovarian cancer cells. KEY FINDINGS: In this study, we found that higher expression of M1 macrophages and lower expression of M2 macrophages correlated with a better prognosis of ovarian cancerpatients. M2 macrophages promoted the chemoresistance of ovarian cancer cells. The results showed that miR-21 could partially regulate the polarization of macrophages. Furthermore, M2 macrophages transfected with the miR-21 mimic significantly promoted chemoresistance and inhibited apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells, while the M2 macrophages transfected with the miR-21 inhibitor showed the opposite effects. SIGNIFICANCE: miR-21 plays an important role in regulating macrophage polarization, therefore increasing the M2 macrophage-mediated chemoresistance in ovarian cancer cells.
Authors: Jie Lei; Peng Chen; Feng Zhang; Na Zhang; Jianfei Zhu; Xiaoping Wang; Tao Jiang Journal: Cancer Cell Int Date: 2021-02-05 Impact factor: 5.722