TPX2 influences the regulation of macrophage polarization via the NF-κB pathway in lung adenocarcinoma

Background: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most prevalent subtype of lung Cancer. Xklp2 targeting protein (TPX2), a crucial oncogene exhibits high expression levels in various cancers including LUAD, may serve as a potential target for clinical intervention. Additionally, the growth of lung Cancer is significantly influenced by the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, there have been no reports on experiments investigating TPX2 in tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) in LUAD. Therefore, we verified the effect of TPX2 on macrophage polarization both in vitro and in vivo.

Methods: We silenced TPX2 the gene in A549 cells and collected supernatants for macrophage culture. We then used flow cytometry and Western blot analysis to assess macrophage polarization. Additionally, we verified the expression of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), and CD163 by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in tissue specimens from LUAD patients. Finally, pathways related to TPX2's regulatory function in macrophage polarization were analyzed through whole genome sequencing, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence (IF).

Results: Silencing TPX2 can affect the ratio of CD80⁺ M1/CD163⁺ M2 and reduce the polarization of M0 macrophages to CD163⁺ M2 macrophages mainly by inhibiting the expression of M-CSF. In human LUAD tissues, the expression levels of TPX2, M-CSF and CD163 increased with the degree of differentiation. Silencing TPX2 inhibits the NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby reducing the expression of M-CSF, and affecting macrophage polarization.

Conclusion: Silencing TPX2 can inhibit the expression of M-CSF by blocking the NF-κB signal, thereby reducing CD163⁺ M2 macrophage polarization. The TPX2/NF-κB/M-CSF signaling axis may be involved in regulating macrophage polarization.

Immune microenvironment; M-CSF; Macrophage polarization; NF-κB signaling; TPX2.