RAGE signaling sustains inflammation and promotes tumor development

A broad range of experimental and clinical evidence has highlighted the central role of chronic inflammation in promoting tumor development. However, the molecular mechanisms converting a transient inflammatory tissue reaction into a tumor-promoting micro-environment remain largely elusive. We show that mice deficient for the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) are resistant to DMBA/TPA-induced skin carcinogenesis and exhibit a severe defect in sustaining inflammation during the promotion phase. Accordingly, RAGE is required for TPA-induced up-regulation of proinflammatory mediators, maintenance of immune cell infiltration, and epidermal hyperplasia. RAGE-dependent up-regulation of its potential ligands S100a8 and S100a9 supports the existence of an S100/RAGE-driven feed-forward loop in chronic inflammation and tumor promotion. Finally, bone marrow chimera experiments revealed that RAGE expression on immune cells, but not keratinocytes or endothelial cells, is essential for TPA-induced dermal infiltration and epidermal hyperplasia. We show that RAGE signaling drives the strength and maintenance of an inflammatory reaction during tumor promotion and provide direct genetic evidence for a novel role for RAGE in linking chronic inflammation and cancer.