Higher expressions of TLR-9 and MMP-13 were found in PCa and high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia compared to benign prostatic hyperplasia tissues.
Thus, the concurrence of TLR9 activation with STAT3 inhibition in the same cellular compartment is indispensable for overcoming tumor immune tolerance and effective antitumor immunity against prostate cancer.
Overall, we demonstrate the accumulation of granulocytic MDSCs with prostate cancer progression and the feasibility of using TLR9-targeted STAT3siRNA delivery strategy to alleviate MDSC-mediated immunosuppression.
CpG-oligonucleotides (CpG-ODNs), mimicking bacterial DNA, have recently been shown to stimulate prostate cancer invasion in vitro via Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9).