TRIM37 Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Progression through Modulation of Cell Growth, Migration, Invasion and Tumor Immune Microenvironment

Abstract

TRIM37 dysregulation has been observed in several cancer types, implicating its possible role in tumorigenesis. However, the role of TRIM37 in pancreatic cancer progression remains un-clear. In the present study, we observed that TRIM37 knockdown resulted in reduced proliferation, clonogenicity, migration, and invasion ability of pancreatic cancer cells. Furthermore, an in vivo study using an orthotopic syngeneic animal model further confirmed that reduced expression of TRIM37 in cancer cells suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, in mice bearing TRIM37 knock-down pancreatic cancer cells, the proportion of CD11b+F4/80+MHCIIlow immunosuppressive macro-phages was significantly reduced in tumor milieu, which might be due to the regulatory role of TRIM37 in cytokine production by pancreatic cancer cells. Collectively, these findings suggest a key role of TRIM37 in promoting pancreatic cancer progression.