Tumor cell–intrinsic Piezo2 drives radioresistance by impairing CD8+ T cell stemness maintenance

Abstract

Changes in mechanosensitive ion channels following radiation have seldom been linked to therapeutic sensitivity or specific factors involved in antitumor immunity. Here, in this study, we found that the mechanical force sensor, Piezo2, was significantly upregulated in tumor cells after radiation, and Piezo2 knockout in tumor cells enhanced tumor growth suppression by radiotherapy. Specifically, loss of Piezo2 in tumor cells induced their IL-15 expression via unleashing JAK2/STAT1/IRF-1 axis after radiation. This increase in IL-15 activates IL-15Rα on tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells, thereby leading to their augmented effector and stem cell–like properties, along with reduced terminal exhausted feature. Importantly, Piezo2 expression was negatively correlated with CD8 infiltration, as well as with radiosensitivity of patients with rectum adenocarcinoma receiving radiotherapy treatment. Together, our findings reveal that tumor cell–intrinsic Piezo2 induces radioresistance by dampening the IRF-1/IL-15 axis, thus leading to impaired CD8+ T cell–dependent antitumor responses, providing insights into the further development of combination strategies to treat radioresistant cancers.