Statins inhibit paclitaxel-induced PD-L1 expression and increase CD8+ T cytotoxicity for better prognosis in breast cancer

Abstract

Background: In recent years, the widespread use of lipid-lowering drugs, especially statins, has attracted people’s attention. Statin use may be potentially associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. Objective: To explore the relationship between statin use and cancer risk. And further explore the potential role of statins in the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer. Methods: Data for the Mendelian randomization portion of the study were obtained from genome-wide association studies of common cancers in the UK Biobank and FinnGen studies and from the Global Lipid Genetics Consortium’s low density lipoprotein (LDL). In addition, the impacts of statins and chemotherapy drugs on breast cancer were examined using both in vitro and in vivo models, with particular attention to the expression levels of the immune checkpoint protein PD-L1 and its potential to suppress tumor growth. Results: Data from about 3.8 million cancer patients and approximately 1.3 million LDL-measuring individuals were analyzed. Genetically proxied HMGCR inhibition (statins) was associated with breast cancer risk reduction (P = 0.0005). In vitro experiments showed that lovastatin significantly inhibited paclitaxel-induced PD-L1 expression and assisted paclitaxel in suppressing tumor cell growth. Furthermore, the combination therapy involving lovastatin and paclitaxel amplified CD8+ T-cell infiltration, bolstering their tumor-killing capacity and enhancing in vivo efficacy. Conclusion: The utilization of statins is correlated with improved prognoses for breast cancer patients and may play a role in facilitating the transition from cold to hot tumors. Combination therapy with lovastatin and paclitaxel enhances CD8+ T-cell activity and leads to better prognostic characteristics.