Transcriptional profiling of skin cancer NK cells reveals the elevated glucocorticoid signaling switches their anti-tumor characteristics to a homeostatic feature

Natural killer (NK) cells are potent mediators of anti-tumor immunity, yet their functions are frequently subverted by tumor microenvironment-driven immunosuppression. Here, we dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying NK cell dysfunction in cutaneous malignancies and identify a paradoxical cytokine shift in tumor-associated NK cells-reduced production of IFN-{gamma} and TNF- alongside elevated amphiregulin (AREG), an EGFR ligand linked to tumor progression. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis indicates that this reprogramming correlates with elevated glucocorticoid receptor (GR/NR3C1) pathway activity in tumor-infiltrating NK cells. Functional validation demonstrated that glucocorticoids specifically induce AREG production in NK cells, with tumor-associated prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) augmenting this response. Genetic ablation or pharmacological inhibition of NR3C1 abolished glucocorticoid-driven AREG induction. Moreover, primary GR activation established persistent chromatin accessibility at the AREG locus, sensitizing NK cells to enhanced AREG production upon secondary glucocorticoid exposure. Functionally, AREG counteracts NK cell-mediated tumor apoptosis, while adoptive transfer of AREG-deficient human NK cells significantly suppressed melanoma, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), and hepatocellular carcinoma growth in NCG mice. These findings establish the GR-AREG axis as a multi-layered therapeutic target for restoring NK cell anti-tumor function. Graphical abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=199 SRC="FIGDIR/small/557530v3_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (36K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1ef982forg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@f036a7org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@941abborg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1670d23_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG