VHL-dependent alterations in the secretome of renal cell carcinoma: Association with immune cell response?

Secreted proteins could modulate the interaction between tumor, stroma and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment thereby mounting an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In order to determine the secretome-mediated, von Hippel Lindau (VHL)-regulated cross-talk between tumor cells and T lymphocytes peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy donors were either cultured in conditioned media obtained from normoxic and hypoxic human VHL-deficient renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cell line (786-0VHL-) and its wild type (wt) VHL-transfected counterpart (786-0VHL+) or directly co-cultured with both cell lines. An increased T cell proliferation was detected in the presence of 786-0VHL+-conditioned medium.