Mechanism of interleukin-6 cytokine family in bone metastasis of lung cancer and prospects for its application

Abstract

Bone metastasis is a significant clinical problem for lung cancer patients. Current studies have reported a strong relationship between the progression of bone metastases from lung cancer and inflammatory cytokines, which can modulate the tumor microenvironment (TME) and promote the migration of tumor cells. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) family cytokines are critical components of the immune microenvironment secreted by several cell types in vivo. They can regulate immune homeostasis, inflammatory response, etc., and activate multiple signal pathways involved in tumor progression. Some of these factors (e.g., IL-6 and IL-11) increase the serum expression levels of patients with bone metastases from lung cancer; the level of expression correlates with a poor prognosis in patients with lung cancer. However, the role of this family of novel cytokines in lung cancer bone metastasis remains unclear. Besides, limited studies exist on the related regulatory mechanisms, and there is a lack of direct evidence for their relationship with bone metastasis. Thus, this review discusses the current roles and potential mechanisms of all IL-6 family members in lung cancer bone metastasis, as well as the potential of blocking the IL-6 family, its receptors, and signaling pathways for treating lung cancer bone metastasis. This is geared towards providing prospective treatment targets for bone metastases from lung cancer and possible future research directions.