Figure 5.

Immunomodulatory roles of large extracellular PG. Tumor- or stromal-derived versican (VCAN) leads to DC dysfunction through TLR-2 activation. Stromal nonproteolyzed VCAN also promotes exclusion of CD8⁺ T cells from TME. Versikine, an N-terminal bioactive fragment (matrikine), promotes CD8⁺ influx in the TME through regulation of cDC1 abundance and activation. The balance between nonproteolyzed VCAN and versikine appears to critically influence tumor immune infiltration density. DC, dendritic cell; PG, proteoglycan. Created with BioRender.com.