Work

Prostaglandins in cancer revisited: principles of production, mechanisms of immune regulation, and therapeutic perspectives

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT: The cyclooxygenase (COX) signaling pathway is frequently dysregulated in cancer, resulting in the aberrant production of prostaglandins, a distinct class of bioactive lipids with immunoregulatory functions. One of these factors, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), has over the years emerged as a predominant COX-derived factor in tumors, with numerous studies exploring its downstream signaling and functional impact across diverse cell types. Recent studies have substantially advanced our understanding of how PGE2 promotes cancer immune evasion through its deleterious effects on tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Here, we summarize some key principles of PGE2-mediated immune regulation in tumors, focusing on the current knowledge of PGE2 production mechanisms and recent advances in our understanding of molecular features and functional consequences of PGE2 signaling in innate and adaptive immune cells. We further discuss how strategies aimed at disrupting the local activity of prostaglandins in tumors, or interfering with the distinct molecular features characteristic of PGE2 signaling in immune cells, may provide attractive new avenues for cancer therapy.

Source: Blood

DOI: 10.1182/blood.2025029806

Authors: Erik Müller, Bastian Kruse, Jan P. Böttcher

Institutions: TUM Klinikum, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Technical University of Munich, University of Tübingen

Language: English

Topic: Inflammatory mediators and NSAID effects

Subfield: Pharmacology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $5,500