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Epithelial recognition and elimination against aberrant cells

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Abstract

Epithelial cells, which are non-immune cells, not only function as a physical defence barrier but also continuously monitor and eliminate aberrant epithelial cells in their vicinity. In other words, it has become evident that epithelial cells possess immune cell-like functions. In fact, recent research has revealed that epithelial cells recognise the Major Histocompatibility Complex I (MHC-I) of aberrant cells as a mechanism for surveillance. This cellular defence mechanism of epithelial cells probably detects aberrant cells more promptly than the conventional immune response, making it a novel and primary biological defence. Furthermore, there is the potential for this new immune-like biological defence mechanism to establish innovative treatment for disease prevention, leading to increasing anticipation for its future medical applications. In this review, we aim to summarise the recognition and attack mechanisms of aberrant cells by epithelial cells in mammals, with a particular focus on the field of cancer. Additionally, we discuss the potential therapeutic applications of epithelial cell-based defence against cancer, including novel prophylactic treatment methods based on molecular mechanisms.

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Funding

This work was supported by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) (Grant Number 18H02675), the Fusion Oriented REsearch for disruptive Science and Technology (FOREST) (Grant Number JPMJFR226D) from the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Advanced Research & Development Programs for Medical Innovation (Prime) (Grant Number 19gm6210019h0001), and Project for Promotion of Cancer Research and Therapeutic Evolution (P-PROMOTE) (Grant Number 23ama221113h0002) from the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), Takeda Science Foundation, the Naito Foundation, and the TERUMO Life Science foundation (to T. M.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

    Shiyu Ayukawa

  2. Department of Medical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, Tokyo, Japan

    Shiyu Ayukawa & Takeshi Maruyama

  3. Waseda Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

    Nagisa Kamoshita & Takeshi Maruyama

  4. Waseda Institute for Advanced Study, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

    Nagisa Kamoshita & Takeshi Maruyama

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  1. Shiyu Ayukawa
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  2. Nagisa Kamoshita
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  3. Takeshi Maruyama
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Conceptualisation: T. M.; writing: S. A., N. K., and T. M.

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Correspondence to Takeshi Maruyama.

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This article is a contribution to the Article Collection on Immunopathology of Barrier Function – Guest Editor: Koji Hase & Hiroshi Ohno

The original online version of this article was revised: In this article the authors’ proof corrections were incorrectly carried out. Among some minor changes to the text, the following major revisions took place:

Affiliation “Waseda Institute for Advanced Study, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan” was added to authors Nagisa Kamoshita and Takeshi Maruyama.

Figure 1A: The dashed vertical axis was hidden in the upper part of Fig. 1A.

Figure 2C: The vertical axis was hidden in the right hand graphic of Fig. 2C.

Figure 3B: “ephrin-A” was incorrectly written as “ephrinA”.

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Ayukawa, S., Kamoshita, N. & Maruyama, T. Epithelial recognition and elimination against aberrant cells. Semin Immunopathol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00281-024-01001-0

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