Chronic type II interferon promotes tumor growth through mitochondrial RNA–induced type I interferon and prostaglandin synthesis | Science

Chronic type II interferon (IFN-γ) signaling paradoxically drives tumor growth by triggering mitochondrial RNA release, which activates type I interferon and prostaglandin E2 synthesis, creating an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. The study, published in Science, elucidates a mechanistic pathway through which sustained inflammatory signaling flips from anti-tumor to pro-tumor, enabling cancer immune evasion. These findings identify mitochondrial RNA sensing and prostaglandin synthesis as potential therapeutic targets to disrupt chronic interferon-mediated immunosuppression in cancer.