Chromosome Missegregation Triggers Tumor Cell Pyroptosis and Enhances Anti-Tumor Immunotherapy in Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy is a promising anti-tumor therapeutic strategy; however, its efficacy in solid tumors is limited. Chromosome missegregation is common in various solid tumors; however, its role in tumor progression remains poorly understood, and its correlation with ICI is yet to be explored. Here, it is found that increased chromosome missegregation promotes tumor immune microenvironment, and eventually immunotherapeutic efficacy, by triggering pyroptosis. yin yang 2 (YY2) is identified as a mitotic checkpoint regulator, which promotes chromosome missegregation by upregulating BUB1B transcription. Increased chromosome missegregation promoted the formation of micronuclei and release of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) into the cytosol, triggering an AIM2-mediated cytosolic dsDNA response. The subsequent pyroptosis strengthened the tumor immune microenvironment, thereby enhancing immunoinfiltration and cytotoxicity of CD8⁺ T cells, while preventing their exhaustion. Finally, through in vitro and in vivo experiments, it is demonstrated that combining YY2 overexpression-induced chromosome missegregation/cytosolic dsDNA response and PD-1 inhibitor significantly enhanced the efficacy of ICI immunotherapy in microsatellite instable and microsatellite stable colorectal cancer cells. Together, these findings provide new insights on the role of chromosome missegregation in triggering cytosolic dsDNA response-mediated pyroptosis and modulating the tumor immune microenvironment, suggesting a novel strategy for improving ICI therapeutic efficacy in colorectal cancer.