Figure 8. Tumor derived IRF-1 recruits and activates immune cells to play anti-tumor effect on HCC through CXCL10/CXCR3 axis.

IFN-γ (yellow) induces IRF-1 (red) expression in HCC cells. IRF-1 upregulates CXCL10 (green) expression through binding to the promoter of CXCL10. The induced CXCL10 binds to CXCR3 (black) in the tumor cells via autocrine axis. Meanwhile, CXCL10 binds to CXCR3 in the NK cells (NK), NKT cells (NKT), and CD8+T cells (CD8), as well as increases IFN-γ expression in NK and NKT cells to play anti-tumor function on HCC cells.