Roles of Fascin in Dendritic Cells

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Fascin is an actin-bundling protein that is highly expressed in mature dendritic cells and intratumoral dendritic cells. Dendritic cells are professional antigen-presenting cells of the immune system. Fascin is responsible for regulating dendritic cell migrations and tumor metastasis. The mechanism by which fascin regulates the functions of dendritic cells is currently being explored. In this review, we summarize fascin’s involvement in the physiological processes of normal dendritic cells including dendritic cell maturation, migration, and antigen presentation. In cancer patients, there is a subset of dendritic cells with high levels of fascin; activation of this subset of dendritic cells has been shown to enhance antitumor immune response. Fascin inhibitors increase intratumoral dendritic cell accumulation and activation, and cooperate with immune checkpoint inhibitors. ABSTRACT: Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells that play a crucial role in activating naive T cells through presenting antigen information, thereby influencing immunity and anti-cancer responses. Fascin, a 55-kDa actin-bundling protein, is highly expressed in mature DCs and serves as a marker protein for their identification. However, the precise role of fascin in intratumoral DCs remains poorly understood. In this review, we aim to summarize the role of fascin in both normal and intratumoral DCs. In normal DCs, fascin promotes immune effects through facilitating DC maturation and migration. Through targeting intratumoral DCs, fascin inhibitors enhance anti-tumor immune activity. These roles of fascin in different DC populations offer valuable insights for future research in immunotherapy and strategies aimed at improving cancer treatments.