Stable infiltration of myeloid cells, especially tumor-associated M2 macrophages, acts as one of the essential features of the tumor immune microenvironment by promoting the malignant progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the factors affecting the infiltration of M2 macrophages are not fully understood. In this study, we found the molecular subtypes of HCC with the worst prognosis are characterized by immune disorders dominated by myeloid cell infiltration. Myeloid cell nuclear differentiation antigen (MNDA) was significantly elevated in the most aggressive subtype and exhibited a positively correlation with M2 infiltration and HCC metastasis. Moreover, MNDA functioned as an independent prognostic predictor and has a good synergistic effect with some existing prognostic clinical indicators. We further confirmed that MNDA was primarily expressed in tumor M2 macrophages and contributed to the enhancement of its polarization by upregulating the expression of the M2 polarization enhancers. Furthermore, MNDA could drive the secretion of M2 macrophage-derived pro-metastasis proteins to accelerate HCC cells metastasis both in vivo and in vitro. In summary, MNDA exerts a protumor role by promoting M2 macrophages polarization and HCC metastasis, and can serve as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC.
Keywords: HCC; M2 polarization; MNDA; exosome; metastasis.
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