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Epitranscriptional regulation of TGF-β pseudoreceptor BAMBI by m6A/YTHDF2 drives extrinsic radioresistance
Liangliang Wang, … , Hua Laura Liang, Ralph Weichselbaum
Liangliang Wang, … , Hua Laura Liang, Ralph Weichselbaum
Published December 15, 2023
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2023;133(24):e172919. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI172919.
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Research Article Immunology Oncology

Epitranscriptional regulation of TGF-β pseudoreceptor BAMBI by m6A/YTHDF2 drives extrinsic radioresistance

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Abstract

Activation of TGF-β signaling serves as an extrinsic resistance mechanism that limits the potential for radiotherapy. Bone morphogenetic protein and activin membrane-bound inhibitor (BAMBI) antagonizes TGF-β signaling and is implicated in cancer progression. However, the molecular mechanisms of BAMBI regulation in immune cells and its impact on antitumor immunity after radiation have not been established. Here, we show that ionizing radiation (IR) specifically reduces BAMBI expression in immunosuppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in both murine models and humans. Mechanistically, YTH N6-methyladenosine RNA-binding protein F2 (YTHDF2) directly binds and degrades Bambi transcripts in an N6-methyladenosine–dependent (m6A-dependent) manner, and this relies on NF-κB signaling. BAMBI suppresses the tumor-infiltrating capacity and suppression function of MDSCs via inhibiting TGF-β signaling. Adeno-associated viral delivery of Bambi (AAV-Bambi) to the tumor microenvironment boosts the antitumor effects of radiotherapy and radioimmunotherapy combinations. Intriguingly, combination of AAV-Bambi and IR not only improves local tumor control, but also suppresses distant metastasis, further supporting its clinical translation potential. Our findings uncover a surprising role of BAMBI in myeloid cells, unveiling a potential therapeutic strategy for overcoming extrinsic radioresistance.

Authors

Liangliang Wang, Wei Si, Xianbin Yu, Andras Piffko, Xiaoyang Dou, Xingchen Ding, Jason Bugno, Kaiting Yang, Chuangyu Wen, Linda Zhang, Dapeng Chen, Xiaona Huang, Jiaai Wang, Ainhoa Arina, Sean Pitroda, Steven J. Chmura, Chuan He, Hua Laura Liang, Ralph Weichselbaum

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Figure 1

IR specifically reduces BAMBI expression in MDSCs in human and murine cancers.

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IR specifically reduces BAMBI expression in MDSCs in human and murine ca...
(A) t-SNE clustering of flow cytometry marker expression profiles in live CD45+ cells of PBMCs from metastatic NSCLC patients enrolled in a clinical trial (NCT03223155). Expression intensity of CD33, CD14, HLA-DR, and BAMBI. (B) MFI of BAMBI in different immune cells in PBMCs from metastatic NSCLC patients enrolled in a clinical trial (NCT03223155). We show the markers (CD33+CD14hiHLA-DRlo) used to gate m-MDSC. (C) Heatmap showing the changes of Bambi mRNA expression in different myeloid cell clusters in control (Ctrl) and IR tumors, respectively, based on the scRNA-Seq data of CD45+ cells. CD45+ cells were obtained from 4 pooled MC38 tumors 4 days after IR. P values were calculated by a Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test. (D and E) MFI of BAMBI (D) and representative flow cytometry analysis of BAMBI expression (E) in MC38 tumor–infiltrating MDSCs 3 days after IR. n = 5 per group for D. (F) TmRNA levels (log2 fold change-log2FC) of Bambi based on RNA-Seq data of CD11b+ myeloid cells isolated from nonirradiated or irradiated MC38 tumors 3 days after IR. (G) qPCR analysis of Bambi in MDSCs (CD45+CD11b+Ly6Chi) isolated from nonirradiated or irradiated MC38 tumors, 3 days after IR (20 Gy). n = 5 per group. (H) Flow cytometry analysis of BAMBI expression (MFI of BAMBI) in different immune cells in PBMCs from 5 metastatic NSCLC patients (enrolled in clinical trial NCT03223155) (pre-RT versus post-RT). The blood samples were collected immediately after hypofractionated radiation, approximately 1 to 3 weeks (median 14 days) after the pre-RT samples. Data are represented as means ± SEM. One of 2 or 3 representative experiments is shown (D, E, and G). Statistical analysis was performed using 2-sided, unpaired Student’s t test (D, E, and G). *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01.

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ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)

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