Fig. 5

IL-19 derived from the microenvironment activates the IL20RB-STAT3 pathway to promote stemness and chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer. A Flow cytometry analysis of side population cells in the pancreatic cancer cell line MIA PaCa-2 after treatment with the ligands of IL20RB (recombinant IL-19, IL-20 and IL-24 proteins) for 24 h and statistical analysis (n = 3 per group). B Real-time quantitative PCR analysis of the NANOG, SOX2 and POU5F1 mRNA expression in pancreatic cancer cell line PANC-1 after treatment with recombinant IL-19, IL-20 and IL-24 proteins for 24 h (n = 3 in each group). C Western blot analysis of NANOG, SOX2, STAT3, and p-STAT3 (Tyr705) proteins in PANC-1 after treatment with recombinant IL-19, IL-20 and IL-24 proteins for 24 h, respectively. (D) Real-time quantitative PCR analysis of the NANOG, SOX2 and POU5F1 mRNA expression in PANC-1 after treatment with 0, 20, 40 and 60 ng/mL recombinant IL-19 protein for 24 h (n = 3 per group). E–F Results of Western blot analysis of NANOG, SOX2, STAT3, p-STAT3 (Tyr705) and IL20RB proteins in PANC-1 and MIA PaCa-2 after treatment with the vehicle or recombinant IL-19 protein for 24 h. G Sphere-forming assay and statistical analysis of PANC-1 treated with the vehicle or recombinant IL-19 protein for 24 h (n = 3 per group). H Western blot analysis of NANOG, SOX2, STAT3 and p-STAT3 (Tyr705) proteins in PANC-1 after treatment with the vehicle, recombinant IL-19 protein, or Stattic for 24 h. I Results of colony formation assay and statistical analysis of the MIA PaCa-2 after treatment with 10 nM gemcitabine for 24 h, followed by treatment with the vehicle, recombinant IL-19 protein alone or in combination with Stattic (n = 3 per group). J Representative immunofluorescence images of IL-19 and pan-CK in human pancreatic cancer tissue sections, scale bar = 40 µm