The modulation of immune cell death in connection to microRNAs and natural products

Front Immunol. 2024 Dec 20:15:1425602. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1425602. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Immunogenic cell death (ICD) spatiotemporally regulates damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) derived from dying cancer cells to signal the immune response. Intriguingly, these DAMPs and cytokines also induce cellular responses in non-immune cells, particularly cancer cells. Several ICD-modulating natural products and miRNAs have been reported to regulate the DAMP, cytokine, and cell death responses, but they lack systemic organization and connection. This review summarizes the impacts of natural products and miRNAs on the DAMP and cytokine responses and cancer cell death responses (apoptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis). We establish the rationale that ICD inducers of natural products have modulating effects on miRNAs, targeting DAMPs and cytokines for immune and cancer cell death responses. In conclusion, DAMP, cytokine, and cell death responses are intricately linked in cancer cells, and they are influenced by ICD-modulating natural products and miRNAs.

Keywords: DAMPs; ICD; cytokines; microRNAs; natural products; targets.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Alarmins / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Autophagy / drug effects
  • Autophagy / immunology
  • Biological Products* / pharmacology
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Immunogenic Cell Death / drug effects
  • MicroRNAs* / genetics
  • Neoplasms* / genetics
  • Neoplasms* / immunology

Substances

  • MicroRNAs
  • Biological Products
  • Alarmins
  • Cytokines

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was partly supported by funds from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST 111-2320-B-037-015-MY3 and NSC 113-2314-B-037-063), the Kaohsiung Medical University (KMU-DK(A)113003), and the Kaohsiung Medical University Research Center (KMU-TC113A04).