IL-6/ERK signaling pathway participates in type I IFN-programmed, unconventional M2-like macrophage polarization

Abstract

Type I interferons (IFN-Is) have been harnessed for cancer therapies due to their immunostimulatory functions. However, certain tumor-tolerating activities by IFN-Is also exist, and may potentially thwart their therapeutic effects. In this respect, our previous studies have demonstrated a monocyte-orchestrated, IFN-I-to-IL-4 cytokine axis, which can subsequently drive M2-skewed pro-tumoral polarization of macrophages. Whether other IFN-dependent signals may also contribute to such an unconventional circumstance of M2-like macrophage skewing remain unexplored. Herein, we first unveil IL-6 as another ligand that participates in IFN-dependent induction of a typical M2 marker (ARG1) in transitional monocytes. Indeed, IL-6 significantly promotes IL-4-dependent induction of a major group of prominent M2 markers in mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) and human peripheral blood-derived macrophages, while it alone does not engage marked increases of these markers. Such a pattern of regulation is confirmed globally by RNAseq analyses in BMDMs, which in turn suggests an association of IL-6-amplified subset of M2 genes with the ERK1/2 signaling pathway. Interestingly, pharmacological experiments establish the role of SHP2-ERK cascade in mediating IL-6’s enhancement effect on these M2 targets. Similar approaches also validate the involvement of IL-6/ERK signaling in promoting the IFN-dependent, unconventional M2-skewing phenotype in transitional monocytes. Furthermore, an inhibitor of ERK signaling cooperates with an IFN-I inducer to enable a greater antitumor effect, which correlates with suppression of treatment-elicited ARG1. The present work establishes a role of IL-6/ERK signaling in promoting M2-like macrophage polarization, and suggests this axis as a potential therapeutic target for combination with IFN-I-based cancer treatments.