Fig. 8 | Nature Communications

Fig. 8

From: Obesity exacerbates colitis-associated cancer via IL-6-regulated macrophage polarisation and CCL-20/CCR-6-mediated lymphocyte recruitment

Fig. 8

Mechanism how obesity and IL-6 alter the colitis-associated tumour microenvironment. 1. Obesity-induced gut barrier defects cause a low-grade inflammation including increases in IL-6 levels. 2. IL-6 polarises macrophages towards M2-type in colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) that in response to commensal factors express the chemoattractant CCL-20. 3. CCL-20 recruits CCR-6-expressing lymphocytes comprising B cells, regulatory T cells (Treg) and T cells expressing αβ and γδ T-cell receptors that impact on CAC progression. B cells impact on macrophage polarisation, whereas CCR-6+ γδ T cells provide pathogenic IL-17. 4. IL-6 signalling in αβ T cells releases them from Treg-mediated suppression to exert their effector functions such as T helper (Th)1 and Th17 responses. TAM, tumour-associated macrophage

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