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T helper 2 cell–directed immunotherapy eliminates precancerous skin lesions
Tomonori Oka, … , Lynn A. Cornelius, Shadmehr Demehri
Tomonori Oka, … , Lynn A. Cornelius, Shadmehr Demehri
Published January 2, 2025
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2025;135(1):e183274. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI183274.
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Research Article Dermatology Oncology

T helper 2 cell–directed immunotherapy eliminates precancerous skin lesions

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Abstract

The continuous rise in skin cancer incidence highlights an imperative for improved skin cancer prevention. Topical calcipotriol-plus–5-fluorouracil (calcipotriol-plus–5-FU) immunotherapy effectively eliminates precancerous skin lesions and prevents squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in patients. However, its mechanism of action remains unclear. Herein, we demonstrate that calcipotriol-plus–5-FU immunotherapy induces T helper type 2 (Th2) immunity, eliminating premalignant keratinocytes in humans. CD4+ Th2 cells were required and were sufficient downstream of thymic stromal lymphopoietin cytokine induction by calcipotriol to suppress skin cancer development. Th2-associated cytokines induced IL-24 expression in cancer cells, resulting in toxic autophagy and anoikis followed by apoptosis. Calcipotriol-plus–5-FU immunotherapy was dependent on IL-24 to suppress skin carcinogenesis in vivo. Collectively, our findings establish a critical role for Th2 immunity in cancer immunoprevention and highlight the Th2/IL-24 axis as an innovative target for skin cancer prevention and therapy.

Authors

Tomonori Oka, Sabrina S. Smith, Heehwa G. Son, Truelian Lee, Valeria S. Oliver-Garcia, Mahsa Mortaja, Kathryn E. Trerice, Lily S. Isakoff, Danielle N. Conrad, Marjan Azin, Neel S. Raval, Mary Tabacchi, Luni Emdad, Swadesh K. Das, Paul B. Fisher, Lynn A. Cornelius, Shadmehr Demehri

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Figure 1

Calcipotriol-plus–5-FU immunotherapy induces robust Th2 immunity in AKs associated with TSLP and DAMP upregulation in keratinocytes.

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Calcipotriol-plus–5-FU immunotherapy induces robust Th2 immunity in AKs ...
(A) Schematic diagram of calcipotriol-plus–5-FU immunotherapy open-label trial. (B) Representative clinical photographs of skin treated with calcipotriol-plus–5-FU. Photographs were taken before (day 0), and after treatment (day 7 and week 8). (C) Representative H&E-stained AKs before (day 0) and after (day 7) calcipotriol-plus–5-FU treatment. (D) Representative images of CD4/CD8-stained AKs before (day 0) and after (day 7) calcipotriol-plus–5-FU treatment. Note that CD4+ and CD8+ cells are CD3+ T cells. (E–H) Quantification of CD4+ T cells in AKs (E), CD8+ T cells in AKs (F), CD4+ T cells in normal skin (G), and CD8+ T cells in normal skin (H) before (day 0) and after (day 7) calcipotriol-plus–5-FU treatment. (I) Representative images of CD4/GATA3-stained AKs before (day 0) and after (day 7) calcipotriol-plus–5-FU treatment. Note that GATA3+CD4+ cells are CD3+ T cells. (J and K) Quantification of GATA3+CD4+ T cells (J) and Foxp3+CD4+ T cells (K) in AKs before (day 0) and after (day 7) calcipotriol-plus–5-FU treatment. (L) Representative images of TSLP-stained AKs before (day 0) and after (day 7) calcipotriol-plus–5-FU treatment. (M) Quantification of TSLP+ cells as percentage DAPI+ keratinocytes in AKs before (day 0) and after (day 7) calcipotriol-plus–5-FU treatment. (N) Representative images of ANXA1-stained AKs before (day 0) and after (day 7) calcipotriol-plus–5-FU treatment. (O–Q) Quantification of ANXA1+ cells (O), CALR+ cells (P), and HMGB1+ cells (Q) as percent DAPI+ keratinocytes in AKs before (day 0) and after (day 7) calcipotriol-plus–5-FU treatment. (R) Representative images of HLA-II–stained AKs before (day 0) and after (day 7) calcipotriol-plus–5-FU treatment. (S) Quantification of HLA-II+ cells as percentage DAPI+ cells in AKs. Each dot represents an AK or normal skin sample. n = 18 participants at each time point; paired t test. Dashed lines mark the epidermal basement membrane in immunofluorescence images. Scale bars: 100 μm.

Copyright © 2025 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)

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