Britannin stabilizes T cell activity and inhibits proliferation and angiogenesis by targeting PD-L1 via abrogation of the crosstalk between Myc and HIF-1α in cancer

Programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is overexpressed in tumor cells, which causes tumor cells to escape T cell killing, and promotes tumor cell survival, cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. Britannin is a natural product with anticancer pharmacological effects. In this work, we studied the anticancer potential of britannin and explored whether britannin mediated its effect by inhibiting the expression of PD-L1 in tumor cells. In vitro, the mechanisms underlying the inhibition of PD-L1 expression by britannin were investigated by MTT assay, homology modeling and molecular docking, RT-PCR, western blotting, co-immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence. The changes in tumor killing activity, cell proliferation, cell cycle, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis were analyzed by T cell killing assays, EdU labeling, colony formation, flow cytometry, wound healing, matrigel transwell invasion, and tube formation, respectively. In vivo, the antitumor activity of britannin was evaluated in the HCT116 cell xenograft model. Britannin reduced the expression of PD-L1 in tumor cells by inhibiting the synthesis of the PD-L1 protein but did not affect the degradation of the PD-L1 protein. Britannin also inhibited HIF-1α expression through the mTOR/P70S6K/4EBP1 pathway and Myc activation through the Ras/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway. Mechanistically, britannin inhibited the expression of PD-L1 by blocking the interaction between HIF-1α and Myc. In addition, britannin could enhance the activity of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and inhibit tumor cell proliferation and angiogenesis by inhibiting PD-L1. Finally, in vivo observations were confirmed by demonstrating the antitumor activity of britannin in a murine xenograft model. Britannin inhibits the expression of PD-L1 by blocking the interaction between HIF-1α and Myc. Moreover, britannin stabilizes T cell activity and inhibits proliferation and angiogenesis by inhibiting PD-L1 in cancer. The current work highlights the anti-tumor effect of britannin, providing insights into the development of cancer therapeutics via PD-L1 inhibition.