Histone lactylation increases CXCL1 expression for neutrophil infiltration and immune escape in pancreatic cancer

Aerobic glycolysis and lactate have been shown to modulate tumor microenvironment (TME) and disease progression. Lactate-mediated histone lysine lactylation (Kla) is a newly recognized epigenetic modification whose biological function remains poorly understood. Here, through integrated bioinformatic and experimental analyses, we demonstrate that glycolysis-derived lactate induces histone H3 lysine 18 lactylation (H3K18la) and up-regulates the expression of chemokine C-X-C motif Ligand 1 (CXCL1), thereby recruiting neutrophils and inducing immunosuppression in pancreatic cancer. Moreover, our data suggest that p300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF) functions as a histone lactyltransferase that transcriptionally activates CXCL1 expression. Finally, we reveal that combinational treatment with bromosporine (a PCAF inhibitor) and anti-PD-1 antibody exhibits a synergistic antitumor effect on both subcutaneous and orthotopic tumor models of pancreatic cancer. Taken together, our study not only identifies a mechanism by which the aerobic glycolysis-induced Lactate-PCAF-H3K18la-CXCL1 pathway mediates neutrophil infiltration and immunosuppression, but also develops a potential therapeutic strategy for pancreatic cancer. Increased glycolysis in pancreatic cancer promotes immune escape by altering the tumor microenvironment. Here, the authors show that lactate-driven histone lactylation via PCAF increases CXCL1 expression, recruiting neutrophils and enabling immunosuppression, and PCAF inhibition improves anti-PD-1 therapy in pancreatic cancer mouse models.