AUTHOR=Chen Wenhui , Zuo Fan , Zhang Kaiwen , Xia Tian , Lei Wei , Zhang Zixiang , Bao Lili , You Yiwen TITLE=Exosomal MIF Derived From Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Promotes Metastasis by Repressing Ferroptosis of Macrophages JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology VOLUME=9 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2021.791187 DOI=10.3389/fcell.2021.791187 ISSN=2296-634X ABSTRACT=

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the most common malignant tumor of the head and neck cancer (HNC). Metastasis is the main cause of treatment failure. However, the molecular mechanism for NPC metastasis is still unclear. As one of the most common host immune cells in the tumor microenvironment, macrophages have been proven to regulate metastasis. Besides, exosomes are the important bridge connecting various cells in TME. Currently, the role of NPC-exos on macrophages and their impact on metastasis remains to be unexplored. In this study, we found that MIF was highly expressed in NPC cells, and the exosomes secreted by NPC cells could be taken up by macrophages, thereby, inhibiting the ferroptosis of macrophages and then promoting the metastasis of NPC. Targeting MIF may be a potential treatment to reduce the rate of metastasis.