Infection triggers tumor regression through activation of innate immunity in Drosophila

The pioneering work of Dr. William Coley has shown that infections can stimulate the immune system and improve tumor growth control. However, the immune mechanisms responsible for the protective role of infectious agents have still not been identified. Here, we investigated the role of innate immune pathways in tumor regression by performing experimental infections in genetically modified Drosophila that develop invasive neoplastic tumors. After quantifying tumor size, through image processing, and immune gene expression with transcriptomic analyses, we analyzed the link between tumor size and pathogen-induced immune responses thanks to a combination of statistical and mathematical modeling. Drosophila larvae infected with a naturally-occurring bacterium showed a smaller tumor size compared to controls and fungus-infected larvae, thanks to an increase expression of Imd and Toll pathways. Our mathematical model reinforces this idea by showing that repeated acute infection could results in an even higher decrease in tumor size. Thus, our study suggests that infectious agents can induce tumor regression through the alteration of innate immune responses. This phenomenon, currently neglected in oncology, could have major implications for the elaboration of new preventive and immunotherapeutic strategies. One Sentence SummaryBacterial infections can decrease cancer cell accumulation through stimulation of innate immune responses.