Abstract
As a crucial protumorigenic long noncoding RNA, colorectal tumor differential expression (CRNDE) has been confirmed to facilitate the progression of various cancers. However, its role in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still unclear. Here we determined that CRNDE was upregulated in HCC samples and that CRNDE-positive cells were predominantly enriched in malignant tumor cells. In vivo functional assays revealed that CRNDE-induced tumor cells supported HCC progression, recruited abundant granulocyte myeloid-derived suppressor cells (G-MDSCs) and restricted the infiltration of T cells. In terms of mechanisms, CRNDE bound with Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) and activated NF-κB signaling to increase the secretion of c-x-c motif chemokine ligand 3 (CXCL3). CRNDE knockdown could significantly suppress the accumulation of G-MDSCs and enhance the infiltration of T cells in the TME of HCC in vivo. Taken together, our study reveals the CRNDE-NF-κB-CXCL3 axis plays a crucial role in driving the immunosuppressive niche to facilitate HCC progression by recruiting G-MDSCs.