Hypoxia-induced shedding of MICA and HIF1A-mediated immune escape of pancreatic cancer cells from NK cells: role of circ_0000977/miR-153 axis.

One key to malignant progression of pancreatic cancer (PC) is the acquired ability of tumour cells to escape immune-mediated lysis. Hypoxic microenvironment plays a causal role in PC metastasis. According to previous studies, hypoxia could induce the upregulation of HIF1A, ADAM10 and sMICA, leading to decreased NKG2D in NK cells and tumour cells escape from immune surveillance and NK cell-mediated lysis.