journal article·2026-03Open access

IL4I1⁺ Macrophages and TDO2⁺ Myofibroblasts Drive AhR‐Mediated Immunosuppression and Ferroptosis Resistance in Solid Predominant Lung Adenocarcinoma

Zhaoxuan Wang, Weijiao Xu, Lei Zhao, Lin Zhong, Wendan Yu, Shengmin Wang, Lu Sun, Tao Guo, Fengzhou Li, Zhuoshi Li, Lei Fang, Shiqing Wang, Guohui Zhang, Guoqing Xue, Wei Guo, Shilei Zhao, Chundong Gu

Advanced Science· Volume 13· Issue 13

Abstract

ABSTRACT Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) displays marked intratumoral heterogeneity with distinct histological patterns. The solid pattern representing poorly differentiated LUAD is linked to poor prognosis and therapeutic resistance. To uncover underlying mechanisms, we integrate bulk and single‐cell RNA sequencing and identify a preferential enrichment of interleukin 4 induced 1 (IL4I1)‐expressing tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) and tryptophan 2,3‐dioxygenase (TDO2)‐expressing myofibroblastic cancer‐associated fibroblasts (myCAFs) in a solid pattern of LUAD. Spatial transcriptomics reveals their co‐localization in peritumoral stroma, forming an immune‐excluded niche. Mechanistically, TDO2⁺ myCAFs promoted monocyte‐to‐IL4I1⁺ TAM differentiation via the kynurenine‐aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) axis. Tryptophan metabolomic landscapes confirm that IL4I1⁺ TAMs and TDO2⁺ myCAFs enhance tryptophan degradation and accumulation of AhR ligands (e.g., kynurenine, indole‐3‐carboxaldehyde), contributing to CD8⁺ T cell exhaustion and anti‐PD‐1 therapeutic resistance. IL4I1⁺ TAMs and TDO2⁺ myCAFs conformably mediate ferroptosis resistance through the AhR‐NRF2‐GPX4‐SLC7A11 pathway. Notably, AhR antagonist CH‐223191 restores ferroptosis sensitivity of tumor cells. A triple therapy combining CH‐223191, ferroptosis inducer (Imidazole ketone erastin or RSL3), and anti‐PD‐1 agent demonstrates superior efficacy and safety in vivo. Together, our findings demonstrate that IL4I1⁺ TAMs and TDO2⁺ myCAFs synergistically establish an immunosuppressive, ferroptosis‐resistant niche via AhR signaling in solid predominant LUAD and offer promising therapeutic strategies to reprogram the tumor microenvironment.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Ferroptosis and cancer prognosis · Immune cells in cancer · Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Department of Thoracic Surgery The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University Dalian China

Department of Thoracic Surgery Shanghai Chest Hospital Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai Key Laboratory of Thoracic Tumor Biotherapy Shanghai China

Department of Pathology The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University Dalian China

Institute of Cancer Stem Cell Dalian Medical University Dalian China

Department of Oncology The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University Dalian China

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China · Dalian Science and Technology Innovation Fund

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