Effect and mechanism of Emodin on mouse myeloid-derived suppressor cells

Emodin, a natural anthraquinone compound, exhibits anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and broad-spectrum anti-tumor activities. Studies have shown that Emodin can inhibit the activation and functions of various immune cells, thereby being recognized as an important immunosuppressive agent. In this study, we conducted in vitro experiments to examine the effects of Emodin on the apoptosis, differentiation, and immunosuppressive functions of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), as well as its impacts on the migration, proliferation, and viability of mouse pancreatic cancer H7 cells. Furthermore, we established a mouse orthotopic pancreatic cancer model to evaluate Emodin’s anti-pancreatic cancer effects in vivo and its modulation of immune cell subpopulations. The results revealed that Emodin exerts anti-pancreatic cancer effects through direct inhibition of tumor cells and regulation of MDSCs, although its modulation of the immune microenvironment exhibits concentration-dependent and subset-specific characteristics. These findings suggest that combination therapy and dose optimization are crucial directions for its clinical translation.