Journal: Cell Reports Medicine
Article Title: Interferon-driven CAF reprogramming augments immunogenic response to neoadjuvant radiotherapy in colorectal cancer
doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102251
Figure Lengend Snippet: ilCAFs mediate radiation-induced senescence via the IFN-γ/STAT1 pathway (A) Representative histogram plots (left) and quantification (right) showing mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of IRF1 or CCL4 in CAFs isolated from treatment-naive patients with rectal cancer, analyzed by flow cytometry. Comparisons include vehicle control, RT, IFN-γ, IFN-γ + RT, STAT1 inhibitor (STAT1i), and RT + STAT1i, all evaluated at 48 h post-RT ( n = 3 per group). (B) Representative immunofluorescent staining images (left) and quantification (right) depicting the expression of α-SMA, IRF1, CCL4, or STAT1 in primary CAFs treated with vehicle, IFN-γ, IFN-γ ± RT, STAT1i, or STAT1i ± RT at specified time points ( n = 5 per group). Scale bars, 10 μm. (C) Western blot images showing the expression levels of cGAS, p-STAT1/STAT1, p-STING/STING, IRF1, and CCL4 in primary CAFs treated with IFN-γ (20 ng/mL) or STAT1i (5 μM) combined with RT for 48 h. (D) GSEA depicting the upregulated STING pathway signature in ilCAFs compared to other CAFs from rectal cancers. (E) Heatmap depicts a list of differentially expressed genes sourced from inflammatory modulation, type II IFN, and TNF-α between vehicle- and RT-treated groups. (F) Representative flow cytometric dot plots displaying the MFI of IRF1 or CCL4 in CAFs isolated from treatment-naive rectal cancer patients ( n = 3 per group), comparing vehicle control, RT, STING agonist SR717, and SR717 + RT at 48 h post-RT treatment. (G) Western blot images depicting the expression levels of cGAS, p-STAT1/STAT1, p-STING/STING, and IRF1 in primary CAFs treated with SR717 (3 μM). (H) Bubble plots illustrating upregulated pathways in fibroblasts co-cultured with tumor cell-derived media (TCMs) after RT + SR717 treatment compared to RT alone, based on GO biological processes. Pathways were filtered using adjusted p values (P adj < 0.05). (I) Quantification (right) of flow cytometry analysis of CD8 + T cells, GZMB + CD8 + T cells, CD11c + DCs, and CD103 + CD11c + cDC1s in T cells or DCs co-cultured with mouse fibroblasts from the indicated combination treatment groups ( n = 3 per group). For (A), (B), (F), and (I), one-way ANOVA was performed. Data are presented as mean ± SEM and are representative of at least three independent experiments. A p value less than 0.05 indicates statistical significance. ∗ p < 0.05, ∗∗ p < 0.01, ∗∗∗ p < 0.001, and ∗∗∗∗ p < 0.0001.
Article Snippet: Similarly, for the therapeutic combination of radiation with the STING agonist SR717 (TargetMol, USA), SR717 was intraperitoneally injected at a dose of 30 mg/kg every other day after radiation.
Techniques: Fluorescence, Isolation, Flow Cytometry, Control, Staining, Expressing, Western Blot, Cell Culture, Derivative Assay