Deletion of FAM76B histidine-rich region enhances macrophage-mediated osteosarcoma inhibition via liquid-liquid phase separation

Background: Osteosarcoma (OS), a prevalent malignancy primarily in young individuals, often evades T cell based immunotherapy due to an immunosuppressive myeloid cell-mediated microenvironment. This study investigated the role of FAM76B in OS and its impact on macrophage polarization and tumor immune response.

Methods: We predicted intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) of FAM76B and explored its phase separation properties in vitro using fluorescence confocal microscopy and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments. Immunofluorescence staining was also performed. We engineered osteosarcoma cells using CRISPR Cas9 and site directed mutagenesis to study the impact of FAM76B phase separation on cellular function. The effects of FAM76B were assessed through colony formation, MTT assays, wound healing assays, flow cytometry for macrophage function and polarization, T cell and NK cell activity, subcutaneous tumor xenograft models, and immunohistochemistry.

Results: Deletion of FAM76B reprogrammed macrophages, enhancing antitumor immunity in OS. Absence of FAM76B reversed immunosuppression, leading to increased T cell infiltration and activation. We found FAM76B exhibited histidine rich region (HRR) dependent phase separation; deletion of this region enhanced its ability to induce M1 like macrophages, inhibiting OS cell growth.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that targeting FAM76B phase separation may offer a novel therapeutic approach to counteract tumor induced immunosuppression and enhance efficacy of T cell based immunotherapy in osteosarcoma and potentially Other solid tumors.

FAM76B; Histidine-rich region; Liquid-liquid phase separation; M1 macropages; Osteosarcoma.