STING suppresses bone cancer pain via immune and neuronal modulation

Kaiyuan Wang (), Christopher R. Donnelly (), Changyu Jiang, Yihan Liao, Xin Luo, Xueshu Tao, Sangsu Bang, Aidan McGinnis, Michael Lee, Matthew J. Hilton and Ru-Rong Ji ()
Additional contact information
Kaiyuan Wang: Duke University Medical Center
Christopher R. Donnelly: Duke University Medical Center
Changyu Jiang: Duke University Medical Center
Yihan Liao: Duke University Medical Center
Xin Luo: Duke University Medical Center
Xueshu Tao: Duke University Medical Center
Sangsu Bang: Duke University Medical Center
Aidan McGinnis: Duke University Medical Center
Michael Lee: Duke University Medical Center
Matthew J. Hilton: Duke University Medical Center
Ru-Rong Ji: Duke University Medical Center

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-21

Abstract: Abstract Patients with advanced stage cancers frequently suffer from severe pain as a result of bone metastasis and bone destruction, for which there is no efficacious treatment. Here, using multiple mouse models of bone cancer, we report that agonists of the immune regulator STING (stimulator of interferon genes) confer remarkable protection against cancer pain, bone destruction, and local tumor burden. Repeated systemic administration of STING agonists robustly attenuates bone cancer-induced pain and improves locomotor function. Interestingly, STING agonists produce acute pain relief through direct neuronal modulation. Additionally, STING agonists protect against local bone destruction and reduce local tumor burden through modulation of osteoclast and immune cell function in the tumor microenvironment, providing long-term cancer pain relief. Finally, these in vivo effects are dependent on host-intrinsic STING and IFN-I signaling. Overall, STING activation provides unique advantages in controlling bone cancer pain through distinct and synergistic actions on nociceptors, immune cells, and osteoclasts.

Date: 2021
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-24867-2 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-24867-2

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24867-2

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().