ALKBH5 regulates arginase 1 expression in MDSCs and their immunosuppressive activity in tumor-bearing host

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are closely related to the occurrence and development of many cancers, but the specific mechanism is not fully understood. It has been found that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) plays a key role in RNA metabolism, but its function in MDSCs has yet to be revealed. In this study, we found that MDSCs in mice with colorectal cancer (CRC) have significantly elevated levels of m6A, while ALKBH5 expression is decreased. Overexpression of ALKBH5 can reduce the immunosuppressive function of MDSCs in vivo and in vitro, and attenuates the protumorigenic ability of MDSCs. Mechanism study found that the overexpression of ALKBH5 in MDSCs reduced the m6A modification level of Arg-1 mRNA, and then weakened the stability of Arg-1 mRNA and protein expression. These data suggest that the decreased expression of ALKBH5 in CRC tumor mice may promote the expression of Arg-1, enhance the immunosuppressor function of MDSCs, and promote tumor growth. These findings highlight that ALKBH5 may regulate the function of MDSCs in tumor-bearing mice and may be a new target for immunotherapy. This research provides a new perspective for our understanding of the role of MDSCs in cancer development, and also brings new hope for cancer treatment.