IL-10/STAT3 Axis Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma - Cancer stem cell and radio resistance

Sep 21, 2026

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma radio resistance undermines radiotherapy efficacy and can cause tumor residuals or recurrence. This study investigates the IL-10/STAT3 axis in nasopharyngeal cancer stem cells (CSCs) and its relationship with radio resistance. IL-10 expression is confirmed in NPC cell lines and patient sera, with higher IL-10 levels linked to poor clinical outcomes and prognosis. Evidence connects hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha with serum IL-10, while IL-10 upregulation enhances CSC self-renewal and tumorigenesis by activating STAT3.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Materials and methods

Cell lines

Vectors and cell transfection

Virus knock IL-10 (IL-10-KD) and Negative control (Control-KD)

Patients

Immunohistochemical

[www. nature.com/scientificreports](www. nature.com/scientificreports) OPEN The IL-10/STAT3 Axis Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cancer stem cell and radio resistance Li-jun Wang1, Ying Zhao1, Yan-sheng Wang2, Lei Xing1, Yun-jing Duan1 & Huan-huanZang1􀀍 One of the primary reasons for the failure of therapy in nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is radio resistance-related localized one, which may lead to tumor residuals or recurrences. Several studies have linked interleukin-10 (IL-10) to crucial functions in cancer development and response to therapy. Its function in NPC’s radio resistance is, however, not well understood. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and quantitative real-time PCR were utilized for confirming IL-10 expression in NPC cell lines. The prognostic significance of IL-10 was also assessed via Kaplan-Meier analysis. CNE2R, aradioresistant NPC cell line, expressed IL-10 at high levels, which were also shown to be considerably elevated in individuals with radioresistant NPC, as measured by ELISA. Moreover, the levels were also linked to poor clinical outcomes and prognosis in cancer cases. We also showed some evidence of a link between hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1 A) and serum IL-10 levels in NPC. Meanwhile, we find that IL-10 is up-regulated in CSC. IL-10 enhanced the self-renewal and tumorigenesis of nasopharyngeal CSC. In terms of mechanism, IL-10 enhances nasopharyngeal CSC self-renewal and tumorigenesis by activating STAT3 pathway. In NPC, IL-10/STAT3 Axis Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cancer stem cell and radio resistance. Keywords Nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Interleukin-10, Radio resistance, CSCs, STAT3 Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is among the most often diagnosed cancers in China1–4. Non-metastatic NPCis often treated with radiotherapy because of the cancer’s extreme susceptibility to ionizing radiation and thenasopharyngeal inconvenient anatomical placement, which makes surgical removal of the tumor challenging5,6. However, intrinsic or acquired radio resistance might lead to distant failure or tumor recurrence, reducing the effectiveness of radiation and worsening the prognosis of NPC patients7. Therefore, there is an immediate need to study radio resistance’s underlying mechanism for NPC. Recent study suggested that cancer stem cells (CSCs) adaptation may contribute to radio resistance8. CSCs characteristic has been recognized as the clinical explanation for the observed tumor metastasis. Interleukin- 10(IL-10), other cytokines in this family include IL19, IL20, IL22, IL24, IL26, IL28A, IL28B, and IL299–12. Animal models and people with IL-10/IL-10R axis mutations have shown that IL-10 has a role in a wide variety of diseases13–15. Although IL-10 has been linked to NPC radio resistance, its precise function in this process is not still completely understood16. In this work, we evaluated IL-10 for its application as a biomarker of radiosensitivity and recurrence in NPC CSCs. Materials and methods Cell lines We cultured NPC cell lines (CNE-1 and −2 with its radioresistant cell type CNE2R SUNE1, HNOE1, and HNE1) in DMEM medium (Invitrogen, California, USA) supplemented with 1% penicillin-streptomycin (HyClone, Utah, USA) and 10% fetal bovine serum (Gibco, New York, USA) from the Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center in Guangzhou, China. The cells were grown in a humidified 37 °C environment containing 5% CO2 . Vectors and cell transfection Vectors expressing IL-10(LV-NC) and Negative control (LV-NC) were provided by GeneCopoeia, Inc. All cell transfections were performed using Lipofectamine® 3000 (Invitrogen; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.) with all operations performed in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s protocol. 1Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Shijiazhuang People’s Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China. 2Department of Nuclear Medicine, General Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. 􀀍 email: [mingtgh1973@163.com](

FAQs

Why focus on IL-10 in nasopharyngeal cancer radio resistance?

Radio resistance contributes to tumor residuals and recurrence in nasopharyngeal cancer. Prior links between IL-10 and cancer therapy response exist, but its specific role in this process is not fully understood, motivating this study.

How was IL-10 expression measured in NPC models?

IL-10 expression in NPC cell lines was confirmed using ELISA and quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). IL-10 knockdown experiments also assessed expression changes by RT-qPCR after transfection.

What role does IL-10 play in nasopharyngeal cancer stem cells?

IL-10 is upregulated in CSCs and enhances nasopharyngeal CSC self-renewal and tumorigenesis. Mechanistically, IL-10 promotes these effects by activating the STAT3 pathway.

Sep 21, 2026

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