The immune receptor Tim-3 acts as a trafficker in a Tim-3/galectin-9 autocrine loop in human myeloid leukemia cells. (2nd July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gonçalves Silva, Isabel; Rüegg, Laura; Gibbs, Bernhard F.; Bardelli, Marco; Fruewirth, Alexander; Varani, Luca; Berger, Steffen M.; Fasler-Kan, Elizaveta; Sumbayev, Vadim V.
• Is Part Of: Oncoimmunology. Volume 5:Number 7(2016)
• Publication Date: 2016-07-02
• Subjects: Acute myeloid leukemia -- galectin-9 -- Tim-3; Tumors -- Immunological aspects -- Periodicals; Neoplasms -- therapy -- Periodicals; Immunotherapy -- Periodicals; 616.994
• DOI: 10.1080/2162402X.2016.1195535
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2162-402X

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The immune receptor Tim-3 is often highly expressed in human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells where it acts as a growth factor and inflammatory receptor. Recently, it has been demonstrated that Tim-3 forms an autocrine loop with its natural ligand galectin-9 in human AML cells. However, the pathophysiological functions of Tim-3 in human AML cells remain unclear. Here, we report for the first time that Tim-3 is required for galectin-9 secretion in human AML cells. However, this effect is cell-type specific and was found so far to be applicable only to myeloid (and not, for example, lymphoid) leukemia cells. We concluded that AML cells might use Tim-3 as a trafficker for the secretion of galectin-9 which can then be possibly used to impair the anticancer activities of cytotoxic T cells and natural killer (NK) cells.