IL1R2 blockade alleviates immunosuppression and potentiates anti-PD-1 efficacy in triple-negative breast cancer

Abstract Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer with limited therapeutic options. Interleukin-1 receptor type 2 (IL1R2) promotes breast tumor-initiating cell (BTIC) self-renewal and tumor growth in TNBC, indicating that targeting it could improve patient treatment. Here, we observed that IL1R2 blockade strongly attenuated macrophage recruitment and the polarization of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) to inhibit BTIC self-renewal and CD8+ T cell exhaustion, which resulted in reduced tumor burden and prolonged survival in TNBC mouse models. IL1R2 activation by TAM-derived IL1β increased PD-L1 expression by interacting with the transcription factor yin yang 1 (YY1) and inducing YY1 ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation in both TAMs and TNBC cells. Loss of YY1 alleviated the transcriptional repression of c-Fos, which is a transcriptional activator of PD-L1. Combined treatment with an IL1R2-neutralizing antibody and anti-PD-1 led to enhanced anti-tumor efficacy and reduced TAMs, BTICs, and exhausted CD8+ T cells. These results suggest that IL1R2 blockade might be a strategy to potentiate immune checkpoint blockade efficacy in TNBC to improve patient outcomes.