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中国药学(英文版) ›› 2026, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (5): 420-437.DOI: 10.5246/jcps.2026.05.030

• 【研究论文】 • 上一篇    

沉默TREM1改善免疫抑制增强PD-1抑制剂抗肝癌作用及基于调控代谢影响TAM极化的中药活性分子筛选

姚瑞伟1,2, 曾梓怡1,2, 何月3,4, 章颖3,4, 钟崇5, 张锦芳1,2,*()   

  1. 1. 广州中医药大学深圳医院(福田)肿瘤中心,广东 深圳 518000
    2. 广州中医药大学第六临床医学院,广东 深圳 518000
    3. 深圳市宝安区中医院,广东 深圳 518100
    4. 广州中医药大学第七临床医学院,广东 深圳 518100
    5. 中医症候国家重点实验室/广州中医药大学第一附属医院,广东 广州 510405
  • 收稿日期:2026-02-15 修回日期:2026-03-24 接受日期:2026-04-16 出版日期:2026-05-31 发布日期:2026-05-31
  • 通讯作者: 张锦芳

Targeting TREM1: screening metabolically-active TCM compounds for TAM polarization and enhancing PD-1 inhibitor efficacy in HCC by alleviating immunosuppression

Ruiwei Yao1,2, Ziyi Zeng1,2, Yue He3,4, Ying Zhang3,4, Chong Zhong5, Jinfang Zhang1,2,*()   

  1. 1. Cancer Center, Shenzhen Hospital (Futian) of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518000, Guangdong, China
    2. The sixth Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518000, Guangdong, China
    3. Shenzhen Bao’an Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518100, Guangdong, China
    4. The seventh Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518100, Guangdong, China
    5. State Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome/The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, Guangdong, China
  • Received:2026-02-15 Revised:2026-03-24 Accepted:2026-04-16 Online:2026-05-31 Published:2026-05-31
  • Contact: Jinfang Zhang
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant?No. 82575166); Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine Joint Institutional Scientific and Technological Innovation Fund (Grant?No. GZYFT2024G11) and State Key Laboratory of Integration and Innovation of Classic Formula and Modern Chinese Medicine (Grant?No. LSLSKL20240118).

摘要:

肝癌因其恶性程度高严重影响患者生命健康,免疫治疗逐渐成为肝癌药物治疗的主要手段,免疫抑制性肿瘤微环境常导致肝癌免疫治疗疗效不佳,寻找改善免疫抑制的靶点和药物尤为重要。本研究通过生物信息学分析发现TREM1的表达与肝癌病理进展呈正相关,且高表达TREM1的患者显示了更差的临床预后。此外,TREM1主要表达于巨噬细胞内,并在肿瘤微环境中与巨噬细胞关系最为密切。在体外实验中,敲低TREM1可以抑制肿瘤相关巨噬细胞的免疫抑制表型,且通过小鼠皮下瘤模型证明敲低TREM1与PD-1抑制剂具有协同抗肿瘤作用。RNA测序发现TREM1对代谢相关途径具有调控作用,进一步通过文献分析及分子对接表明代谢相关中药活性成分可能通过靶向TREM1调控TAM代谢发挥抗肝癌作用。本研究有助于为中医药对肝癌的免疫调节提供新的理论依据。

关键词: 肝细胞癌, 肿瘤相关巨噬细胞, 中药, PD-1, TREM1, 免疫抑制, 三羧酸循环

Abstract:

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), characterized by its high malignancy, poses a serious threat to patient survival and health. Immunotherapy has increasingly emerged as a key therapeutic strategy for HCC; however, the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) frequently undermines its efficacy. Therefore, identifying molecular targets and therapeutic agents capable of alleviating this immunosuppression is of paramount importance. In this study, bioinformatics analyses revealed that triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM1) expression correlated positively with HCC progression, and elevated TREM1 levels were associated with poorer clinical outcomes. Notably, TREM1 was predominantly expressed in macrophages and exhibited the strongest interaction with these cells within the TME. Functional in vitro assays demonstrated that silencing TREM1 attenuated the immunosuppressive phenotype of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). In a subcutaneous mouse tumor model, TREM1 knockdown synergized with PD-1 blockade to enhance anti-tumor efficacy. RNA sequencing further indicated that TREM1 modulated metabolism-related pathways. Complementary literature review and molecular docking analyses suggested that specific bioactive compounds derived from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) might exert anti-HCC effects by targeting TREM1 and regulating TAM metabolism. Collectively, these findings provided a novel mechanistic framework for understanding the immunomodulatory potential of TCM in HCC therapy.

Key words: Hepatocellular carcinoma, Tumor-associated macrophages, Traditional Chinese medicine, PD-1, TREM1, Immunosuppression, Tricarboxylic acid cycle

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