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TLR signaling by tumor and immune cells: a double-edged sword

Oncogene volume 27, pages 218–224 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

The tumor cell signaling pathways that trigger the uncontrolled proliferation, resistance to apoptosis, metastasis and escape from immune surveillance are partially understood. Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which recognize a variety of pathogen-associated molecular patterns, are centrally involved in the initiation of the innate and adaptive immune responses. However, recent evidence shows that functional TLRs are also expressed on a wide variety of tumors suggesting that TLRs may play important roles in tumor biology. Activation of tumor cell TLRs not only promotes tumor cell proliferation and resistance to apoptosis, but also enhances tumor cell invasion and metastasis by regulating metalloproteinases and integrins. Moreover, the activation of TLR signaling in tumor cells induces the synthesis of proinflammatory factors and immunosuppressive molecules, which enhance the resistance of tumor cells to cytotoxic lymphocyte attack and lead to immune evasion. Thus, the neoplastic process may usurp TLR signaling pathways to advance cancer progression, which suggests that targeting tumor TLR signaling pathways may open novel therapeutic avenues.

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Acknowledgements

Dr Huabao Xiong was supported by NIH P01 DK72201, a Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, a grant from the Eli and Edythe L Broad Foundation. Dr Zuo-Hua Feng was supported by National Development Program (973) For Key Basic Research (2002CB513100) of China. Dr Jay Unkeless was supported by a Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America Grant.

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  1. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tongji Medical College, Wuhan, China

    B Huang & Z H Feng

  2. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Medical College, Wuhan, China

    J Zhao

  3. Immunology Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    J C Unkeless & H Xiong

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Huang, B., Zhao, J., Unkeless, J. et al. TLR signaling by tumor and immune cells: a double-edged sword. Oncogene 27, 218–224 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1210904

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