NYMC Faculty Publications
Androgen Activity Is Associated With PD-L1 Downregulation in Thyroid Cancer
Author Type(s)
Faculty
DOI
10.3389/fcell.2021.663130
Journal Title
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
First Page
663130
Last Page
663130
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-6-2021
Department
Otolaryngology
Second Department
Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology
Abstract
Thyroid cancer is the most prevalent endocrine malignancy in the United States with greater than 53,000 new cases in 2020. There is a significant gender disparity in disease incidence as well, with women developing thyroid cancer three times more often than men; however, the underlying cause of this disparity is poorly understood. Using RNA-sequencing, we profiled the immune landscape of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and identified a significant inverse correlation between androgen receptor (AR) levels and the immune checkpoint molecule PD-L1. The expression of PD-L1 was then measured in an androgen responsive-thyroid cancer cell line. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) treatment resulted in significant reduction in surface PD-L1 expression in a time and dose-dependent manner. To determine if androgen-mediated PD-L1 downregulation was AR-dependent, we treated cells with flutamide, a selective AR antagonist, and prior to DHT treatment to pharmacologically inhibit AR-induced signaling. This resulted in a > 90% restoration of cell surface PD-L1 expression, suggesting a potential role for AR activity in PD-L1 regulation. Investigation into the AR binding sites showed AR activation impacts NF-kB signaling by increasing IkBα and by possibly preventing NF-kB translocation into the nucleus, reducing PD-L1 promoter activation. This study provides evidence of sex-hormone mediated regulation of immune checkpoint molecules in vitro with potential ramification for immunotherapies.
Recommended Citation
O'Connell, T. J., Dadafarin, S., Jones, M., Rodríguez, T., Gupta, A., Shin, E., Moscatello, A., Iacob, C., Islam, H., Tiwari, R., & Geliebter, J. (2021). Androgen Activity Is Associated With PD-L1 Downregulation in Thyroid Cancer. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 9, 663130-663130. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2021.663130