Description
Tumor growth is associated with a profound alteration of myelopoiesis, leading to recruitment of immunosuppressive cells known as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Immuno-regulatory activity of both tumor-induced and BM-derived MDSCs (by GM-CSF and IL-6 treatment) was entirely dependent on C/EBP transcription factor (TF), a key component of the emergency myelopoiesis triggered by stress and inflammation. We used miR expression analysis to identify miRs which could drive MDSC recruitment/generation/activity by modulating specific TFs and pathway. In particular, we identified a miR signature of 79 miR differentially expressed between not suppressive CD11b+ cells and CD11b+ isolated from tumor mass and spleen of tumor-bearing mice. Moreover on the same samples we profiled gene expression with Affymetrix microarrays to perform an integrated analysis of mirna and gene expression.