IGFs regulate cancer cell immune evasion in prostate cancer

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) promotes prostate cancer (PCa) development and lethality, with immunosuppressive properties in other disease models. These studies investigated the tumor-intrinsic immune effects of IGF-1 in PCa to understand mechanisms underlying its poor immunotherapy response. Transcriptional profiling of human (DU145, 22Rv1) and murine (Myc-CaP) PCa cells revealed, through pathway enrichment, that cytokine signalling, antigen processing and presentation, and other immune regulatory pathways, were most suppressed by IGF-1. We went on to investigate changes in the expression of components of two key pathways responsible for cancer cell recognition by immune cells and immune evasion: antigen processing and presentation, and PD-L1 checkpoint expression. These pathways are crucial for determining immunotherapy response. IGF-1 downregulated transporters associated with antigen processing (TAPs), endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase-1 (ERAP-1), and Class I component {beta}2-microglobulin, without major changes in Class I allele expression. These effects were associated with reduced presentation of Class I complexes on the Myc-CaP cell surface suggesting altered peptide transport, processing, and/or presentation. In contrast, IGF-1 upregulated immune checkpoint CD274 (PD-L1) via IGF receptor/AKT/ERK-dependent signaling. Analysis of public data (TCGA Firehose Legacy PCa) revealed increased CD274 expression in PCa with high endogenous IGF1 and IGFBP5, markers of high IGF axis activity. Additionally, in primary PCa (n=32), multiplex immunofluorescence revealed higher PD-L1 expression in the central tumor of men with high serum IGF-1 promoting cancer cell immune evasion in PCa. These findings indicate a novel mechanism by which IGF-1 mediates immunosuppressive effects in malignant prostate epithelium, potentially explaining the poor responsiveness of PCa to immunotherapy and highlighting the complex interplay between IGF signaling and immune evasion.