IL-17RA promotes tumorigenesis in a murine model of ovarian cancer

Background: IL-17A is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in inflammation, autoimmunity and cancer. This cytokine is produced by several immune populations in various types of cancers and has been associated with both anti-tumor and pro-tumor functions. This cytokine signals via IL-17RA and RC receptors, which are expressed in various cell lineages, including ovarian tumor cells. Although several works have demonstrated the role of IL-17A in vitro and in vivo cancer models, the function of the IL-17RA receptor remains poorly studied. Results: In this work, we found that IL-17A/F homodimers or heterodimers did not produce a significant effect on proliferation but showed effects in chemoresistance and migration of ID8 cells, acting as anti-tumoral in vitro . However, in vivo , the absence of the IL-17RA receptor reduced tumor development and the production of ascites, due to a reduction in ERK1/2 activation, leading to an increase in overall survival. Conclusion: Overall, we demonstrate that IL-17RA promotes tumor development in the ID8 murine model of ovarian cancer in vivo .