IL-4 and IL-13 synergize to increase growth and CCL4 chemokine mRNA expression by 4T1 mammary adenocarcinomal tumor cells

Abstract

Approximately, 1 in 8 women in the US will develop invasive breast cancer and 1 in 33 will die. Breast Cancer is a major health disparity for women all over the globe, having the largest impact on African American women under the age of 45. Despite medical advances, the 5-year survivorship among breast cancer patients remains significantly low largely due to high recurrence rates and propensity for metastasis to distal organs. (e.g., lung, liver, brain). Thus, further knowledge of the mechanisms which promote tumor development and progression is needed to advance cancer treatment. Tumor cells are known to secrete and express immune modulators as a mechanism to invade host antitumor immune responses. Using an experimental murine tumor cell line, our preliminary results demonstrate the expression of interleukin-4 receptor (IL-4R). We hypothesize that IL-4R activity plays a role in mediation of tumor cell function. In this study, 4T1 mammary adenocarcinoma cells were exposed to IL-4R ligands, interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-13 (IL-13) and their ability to influence TNF-a, TGF-B1 and CCL4 expression by 4T1 cells. Our results demonstrated an increase growth and CCL4 mRNA expression in response to IL-4 in combination with IL-13, suggesting a potential target to mitigate tumor progression.