Fig. 2. USP8 deficiency significantly improves anti-tumor immunogenicity.
a Photographs of tumors and growth curves (c) in immunocompetent mice. The tumors were measured at the indicated time points before being excised at the end of the experiment (n = 7). b Photographs of tumors and growth curves (d) in immunodeficient mice. The tumors were measured at the indicated time points before being excised at the end of the experiment (n = 7). e, f Tumors weights in the immunocompetent and immunodeficient mice were recorded at the end of the experiment (n = 7). g, h Flow cytometry analysis of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs; n = 7). i, j IHC staining and quantification of USP8 expression, PD-L1 expression, and TILs (n = 7). Scale bars = 250 μm. k Protocols of the pretreatment of pancreatic cancer cells (1 × 105) with DMSO or the USP8-specific inhibitor (1 μM, 24 h). The treated cells were injected subcutaneously into immunodeficient and immunocompetent mice (n = 10). l, m The incidence of tumors in the immunodeficient and immunocompetent mice at the indicated times. n Protocol for the separate and orthotopic injection of parental and Usp8-depleted pancreatic cancer cells (5 × 105) into immunodeficient and immunocompetent mice (n = 10). o, p Survival of Usp8-depleted pancreatic tumor-bearing immunocompetent and immunodeficient mice (n = 10). The data in (l and m) were generated using Kaplan-Meier survival curves based on log-rank tests. The data in (o and p) were generated using the Gehan–Breslow–Wilcoxon test and the Kaplan-Meier method. The results are shown the means ± SD of representative experiments in (c–h, and j). The data represent three independent experiments. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001 assessed via a two-tailed t test; ns: not significant.