title: The role of Toll-like receptor 9 in gynecologic cancer.
abstract: Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) plays a major role in the fight against DNA viruses infections. Despite its antitumor properties, inappropriate activation of TLR9 during chronic inflammation may cause the activation of transcription factors inducing pro-cancerous activities. Thus, the relationship between TLR9 and cancer remains highly confrontational especially in gynecological cancers and cervical cancer induced by viruses. In this review, we focus on the beneficial and detrimental role of TLR9 in gynecological carcinogenesis. TLR9 contributes to tumor regression by inducing cytotoxic T cell response (CTL), reducing the numbers of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), the tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and the regulatory T cells (T regs). It can however, also promote tumor progression and invasiveness of cervical tissue. Therefore, the dichotomous role of TLR9 needs to be carefully investigated in the setting of neoplastic disease.
authors.affiliation: HPV Unit Research, Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology and Experimental Pathology Applied to Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, BP 74, 1002, le Belvédère, Tunis, Tunisia; Department of Human and Experimental Pathology, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, BP 74, 1002, le Belvédère, Tunis, Tunisia. Electronic address: emna_fehri@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fehri
authors.affiliation: HPV Unit Research, Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology and Experimental Pathology Applied to Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, BP 74, 1002, le Belvédère, Tunis, Tunisia; Department of Human and Experimental Pathology, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, BP 74, 1002, le Belvédère, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ennaifer
authors.affiliation: HPV Unit Research, Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology and Experimental Pathology Applied to Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, BP 74, 1002, le Belvédère, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bel Haj Rhouma
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Parasitology Biotechnology and Biomolecules, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, BP 74, 1002, le Belvédère, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guizani-Tabbane
authors.affiliation: HPV Unit Research, Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology and Experimental Pathology Applied to Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, BP 74, 1002, le Belvédère, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Guizani
authors.affiliation: Department of Human and Experimental Pathology, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, BP 74, 1002, le Belvédère, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boubaker
mesh_terms: D063646:Carcinogenesis; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007249:Inflammation; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D000072737:Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells / Q000276:immunology; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000503:physiopathology; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000472:pathogenicity; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology; D051217:Toll-Like Receptor 9 / Q000819:agonists / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016328:NF-kappa B; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C495371:TLR9 protein, human; D051217:Toll-Like Receptor 9
keywords: Cervical cancer; Endometrial cancer; Ovarian cancer; TLR9