Daurisoline Modulates the TBK1-Dependent Type I Interferon Pathway to Boost Anti-tumor Immunity via Targeting of LRP1

  • Research (Wash D C). 2025 Jul 4:8:0764. doi: 10.34133/research.0764.
Borui Tang  1  2 Yuting Wang  3 Liping Li  3 Cuicui Sun  3 Jingwen Dong  3 Ruoqi Li  3 Jianfeng Wang  4 Yu Long  3 Mingxiao Yin  5 Fei Xie  4 Dian Xiao  4 Xinbo Zhou  4 Na Zhang  3 Xiuli Zhao  1  2 Yanchun Feng  6 Hongbin Deng  3
Affiliations
  • 1. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
  • 2. National Institute for Drug Clinical Trial, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100005, China.
  • 3. Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
  • 4. National Engineering Research Center for the Emergency Drug, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China.
  • 5. Department of Pharmacy, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250021, China.
  • 6. National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102629, China.
Abstract

A promising therapeutic approach in oncology involves immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), which stimulates anti-tumor immune responses. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of this treatment in clinical settings remains limited, underscoring the need for complementary strategies. Recent studies highlight the potential of type I interferon (IFN-I) inducers to reprogram the tumor microenvironment and enhance ICB outcomes. Herein, through high-content screening of a natural compound library, we identified daurisoline (DS), a bioactive alkaloid extracted from the Chinese herbal medicine Rhizoma Menispermi, as a potent inducer of IFN-I signaling. Our findings indicated that DS up-regulates interferon responses and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in a TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1)-dependent manner. In vivo, DS exhibited marked tumor growth inhibition by activating dendritic cells, macrophages, and CD8+ T cells, thereby enhancing anti-tumor immunity. Utilizing the LiP-SMap approach, we identified low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) as the direct target of DS. Mechanistically, the binding of DS to LRP1 substantially disrupted lysosomal function, which subsequently triggered 5'-azacytidine-induced protein 2-mediated TBK1 activation and IFN-I production. Furthermore, DS demonstrated synergistic effects with anti-programmed death 1 therapy and a stimulator of interferon genes agonist by remodeling the immunosuppressive microenvironment. Collectively, our findings establish LRP1 as a novel therapeutic target for Cancer Immunotherapy and highlight DS-driven immune reprogramming as a translatable strategy to potentiate ICB efficacy.

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