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ResearchIn-Press PreviewGastroenterologyImmunologyOncology
Open Access | 10.1172/JCI181243
1Department of Pathology, Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
2Department of Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
3Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
4Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Tumour Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Find articles by Liao, Q. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar
1Department of Pathology, Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
2Department of Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
3Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
4Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Tumour Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Find articles by Zhou, X. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar
1Department of Pathology, Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
2Department of Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
3Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
4Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Tumour Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Find articles by Wu, L. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar
1Department of Pathology, Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
2Department of Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
3Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
4Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Tumour Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Find articles by Yang, Y. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar
1Department of Pathology, Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
2Department of Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
3Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
4Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Tumour Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Find articles by Zhu, X. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar
1Department of Pathology, Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
2Department of Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
3Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
4Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Tumour Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Find articles by Liao, H. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar
1Department of Pathology, Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
2Department of Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
3Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
4Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Tumour Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Find articles by Zhang, Y. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar
1Department of Pathology, Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
2Department of Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
3Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
4Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Tumour Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Find articles by Lian, W. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar
1Department of Pathology, Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
2Department of Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
3Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
4Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Tumour Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Find articles by Zhang, F. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar
1Department of Pathology, Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
2Department of Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
3Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
4Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Tumour Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Find articles by Wang, H. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar
1Department of Pathology, Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
2Department of Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
3Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
4Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Tumour Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Find articles by Ding, Y. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar
1Department of Pathology, Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
2Department of Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
3Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
4Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Tumour Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Find articles by
Zhao, L.
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Published April 3, 2025 - More info
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is characterized by an immune-suppressive microenvironment that contributes to tumor progression and immunotherapy resistance. The gut microbiome produces diverse metabolites that feature unique mechanisms of interaction with host targets, yet the role of many metabolites in CRC remains poorly understood. In this study, the microbial metabolite 4-hydroxybenzeneacetic acid (4-HPA) promoted the infiltration of polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs) in the tumor microenvironment, consequently inhibiting the anti-tumor response of CD8+ T cells and promoting CRC progression in vivo. Mechanistically, 4-HPA activates the JAK2/STAT3 pathway, which upregulates CXCL3 transcription, thereby recruiting PMN-MDSCs to the CRC microenvironment. Selective knockdown of CXCL3 re-sensitized tumors to anti-PD1 immunotherapy in vivo. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) reduces the production of 4-HPA by microbiota, likewise abolishing 4-HPA-mediated immunosuppression. The 4-HPA content in CRC tissues was notably increased in patients with advanced CRC. Overall, the gut microbiome uses 4-HPA as a messenger to control chemokine-dependent accumulation of PMN-MDSC cells and regulate anti-tumor immunity in CRC. Our findings provide a scientific basis for establishing clinical intervention strategies to reverse the tumor immune microenvironment and improve the efficacy of immunotherapy by reducing the interaction between intestinal microbiota, tumor cells and tumor immune cells.