Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Jan 9;22(1):21.
doi: 10.1186/s12964-024-01473-5.

Mutual regulation of PD-L1 immunosuppression between tumor-associated macrophages and tumor cells: a critical role for exosomes

Banglu Wang #  1 , Daoan Cheng #  1 , Danyu Ma  1 , Rui Chen  1 , Dong Li  1 , Weiqing Zhao  1 , Cheng Fang  1 , Mei Ji  2
Affiliations
Review

Mutual regulation of PD-L1 immunosuppression between tumor-associated macrophages and tumor cells: a critical role for exosomes

Banglu Wang et al. Cell Commun Signal. .

Abstract

Tumor cells primarily employ the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway to thwart the anti-tumor capabilities of T lymphocytes, inducing immunosuppression. This occurs through the direct interaction of PD-L1 with PD-1 on T lymphocyte surfaces. Recent research focusing on the tumor microenvironment has illuminated the pivotal role of immune cells, particularly tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), in facilitating PD-L1-mediated immunosuppression. Exosomes, characterized by their ability to convey information and be engulfed by cells, significantly contribute to promoting TAM involvement in establishing PD-L1-mediated immunosuppression within the tumor microenvironment. Exosomes, characterized by their ability to convey information and be engulfed by cells, significantly contribute to promoting TAM involvement in establishing PD-L1-mediated immunosuppression within the tumor microenvironment. In addition to receiving signals from tumor-derived exosomes that promote PD-L1 expression, TAMs also exert control over PD-L1 expression in tumor cells through the release of exosomes. This paper aims to summarize the mechanisms by which exosomes participate in this process, identify crucial factors that influence these mechanisms, and explore innovative strategies for inhibiting or reversing the tumor-promoting effects of TAMs by targeting exosomes.

Keywords: Exosome; Immunosuppression; PD-L1; Tumor-associated macrophages.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Mechanism of exosomes mediated TAM regulation of PD-L1 expression. Exosomes regulate the expression of tumor cells and TAM PD-L1 mainly through two ways: (a) Direct delivery dependent on PD-L1; (b) By acting on PTEN, STAT, TOLL receptor, NF-κB mediated signaling pathways
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Kallinger I, Rubenich DS, Głuszko A, Kulkarni A, Spanier G, Spoerl S, Taxis J, Poeck H, Szczepański MJ, Ettl T, et al. Tumor gene signatures that correlate with release of extracellular vesicles shape the immune landscape in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Clin Exp Immunol. 2023;213. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hwang I. Cell-cell communication via extracellular membrane vesicles and its role in the immune response. Mol Cells. 2013;36:105–111. doi: 10.1007/s10059-013-0154-2. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Mittelbrunn M, Sánchez-Madrid F. Intercellular communication: diverse structures for exchange of genetic information. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2012;13:328–335. doi: 10.1038/nrm3335. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kugeratski FG, Kalluri R. Exosomes as mediators of immune regulation and immunotherapy in cancer. FEBS J. 2021;288:10–35. doi: 10.1111/febs.15558. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Fu LQ, Du WL, Cai MH, Yao JY, Zhao YY, Mou XZ. The roles of tumor-associated macrophages in tumor angiogenesis and metastasis. Cell Immunol. 2020;353:104119. doi: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2020.104119. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

Substances