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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Immunol.
Sec. Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1554018

High-dose Radiation Induces Dendritic Cells Maturation by Promoting Immunogenic Cell Death in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Provisionally accepted
Xianlin Zeng Xianlin Zeng 1Xianhuai Jin Xianhuai Jin 1,2Ji Leng Ji Leng 1Shuai Zhang Shuai Zhang 3Yun Wang Yun Wang 1Jin Chen Jin Chen 1Shichao Zhang Shichao Zhang 1Lijing Teng Lijing Teng 1Zuquan Hu Zuquan Hu 1Shi Zhou Shi Zhou 3Zhu Zeng Zhu Zeng 1Jinhua Long Jinhua Long 1,3*
  • 1 Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
  • 2 Guiyang Public Health Jiuzhi Center, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China
  • 3 Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Aim and background: Due to the radiosensitivity and deep anatomical location of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), radiotherapy serves as the cornerstone of standardized treatment for this malignancy. Beyond its cytotoxic effects, radiotherapy can serve as an immunological adjuvant by inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD). Dendritic cells (DCs), as potent antigen-presenting cells, play a critical role in tumor immunotherapy, but their exact role in the ICD process of NPC remains unclear. The effects of high-dose radiation (≥2 Gy) on DCs and the type of immune response it elicits in NPC have not been fully elucidated. Methods: An in vitro study was conducted to assess whether ICD of NPC 5-8F cells induced by high-dose radiation could regulate the immune response of DCs. Specifically, the maturation and antigenpresenting capacity of DCs were evaluated following co-culture with NPC cells exposed to highdose radiation. Results: High-dose radiation was found to induce ICD in NPC 5-8F cells, as evidenced by increased pro-inflammatory factor levels and reduced anti-inflammatory factor levels in the cell culture supernatant. Co-culture with NPC cells exposed to high-dose radiation for 15 minutes significantly enhanced the expression of surface molecules on DCs, promoting their immune sensitization. Conclusion: High-dose radiation-induced apoptosis of NPC 5-8F cells is a form of ICD, which plays an important role in regulating DC immune function. These findings provide insight into the immunomodulatory effects of radiotherapy in NPC and its potential to enhance tumor immunotherapy through DC activation.

    Keywords: Radiotherapy, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, immune response, Immunogenic cell death, Dendritic Cells

    Received: 31 Dec 2024; Accepted: 31 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Zeng, Jin, Leng, Zhang, Wang, Chen, Zhang, Teng, Hu, Zhou, Zeng and Long. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Jinhua Long, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, Guizhou Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.