Immune cell triads reprogram exhausted CD8+ T cells for effective tumor elimination.

In this issue of Cancer Cell, Espinosa-Carrasco et al. show that the efficacy of cancer immunotherapies depends upon the formation of intratumoral immune triads between antigen-presenting cells and antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. This interaction reprograms tumor-specific CD8+ T cells to exert potent effector functions and eradicate established solid tumors.

Therapeutic potential of co-signaling receptor modulation in hepatitis B.

Reversing CD8+ T cell dysfunction is crucial in treating chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, yet specific molecular targets remain unclear. Our study analyzed co-signaling receptors during hepatocellular priming and traced the trajectory and fate of dysfunctional HBV-specific CD8+ T cells. Early on, these cells upregulate PD-1, CTLA-4, LAG-3, OX40, 4-1BB, and ICOS. While blocking co-inhibitory receptors had minimal effect, activating 4-1BB and OX40 converted them into antiviral effectors. Prolonged stimulation led to a self-renewing, long-lived, heterogeneous population with a unique transcriptional profile. This includes dysfunctional progenitor/stem-like (TSL) cells and two distinct dysfunctional tissue-resident memory (TRM) populations. While 4-1BB expression is ubiquitously maintained, OX40 expression is limited to TSL. In chronic settings, only 4-1BB stimulation conferred antiviral activity. In HBeAg+ chronic patients, 4-1BB activation showed the highest potential to rejuvenate dysfunctional CD8+ T cells. Targeting all dysfunctional T cells, rather than only stem-like precursors, holds promise for treating chronic HBV infection.

CD4+ Regulatory T Cells in Human Cancer: Subsets, Origin, and Molecular Regulation.

CD4+CD25hiFOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Treg) play major roles in the maintenance of immune tolerance, prevention of inflammation, and tissue homeostasis and repair. In contrast with these beneficial roles, Tregs are abundant in virtually all tumors and have been mechanistically linked to disease progression, metastases development, and therapy resistance. Tregs are thus recognized as a major target for cancer immunotherapy. Compared with other sites in the body, tumors harbor hyperactivated Treg subsets whose molecular characteristics are only beginning to be elucidated. Here, we describe current knowledge of intratumoral Tregs and discuss their potential cellular and tissue origin. Furthermore, we describe currently recognized molecular regulators that drive differentiation and maintenance of Tregs in cancer, with a special focus on those signals regulating their chronic immune activation, with relevant implications for cancer progression and therapy.

Neutrophils Mediate Protection Against Colitis and Carcinogenesis by Controlling Bacterial Invasion and IL22 Production by γδ T Cells.

Neutrophils are the most abundant leukocytes in human blood and play a primary role in resistance against invading microorganisms and in the acute inflammatory response. However, their role in colitis and colitis-associated colorectal cancer is still under debate. This study aims to dissect the role of neutrophils in these pathologic contexts by using a rigorous genetic approach. Neutrophil-deficient mice (Csf3r-/- mice) were used in classic models of colitis and colitis-associated colorectal cancer and the role of neutrophils was assessed by histologic, cellular, and molecular analyses coupled with adoptive cell transfer. We also performed correlative analyses using human datasets. Csf3r-/- mice showed increased susceptibility to colitis and colitis-associated colorectal cancer compared with control Csf3r+/+ mice and adoptive transfer of neutrophils in Csf3r-/- mice reverted the phenotype. In colitis, Csf3r-/- mice showed increased bacterial invasion and a reduced number of healing ulcers in the colon, indicating a compromised regenerative capacity of epithelial cells. Neutrophils were essential for γδ T-cell polarization and IL22 production. In patients with ulcerative colitis, expression of CSF3R was positively correlated with IL22 and IL23 expression. Moreover, gene signatures associated with epithelial-cell development, proliferation, and antimicrobial response were enriched in CSF3Rhigh patients. Our data support a model where neutrophils mediate protection against intestinal inflammation and colitis-associated colorectal cancer by controlling the intestinal microbiota and driving the activation of an IL22-dependent tissue repair pathway.

Acquisition of suppressive function by conventional T cells limits antitumor immunity upon Treg depletion.

Regulatory T (Treg) cells contribute to immune homeostasis but suppress immune responses to cancer. Strategies to disrupt Treg cell-mediated cancer immunosuppression have been met with limited clinical success, but the underlying mechanisms for treatment failure are poorly understood. By modeling Treg cell-targeted immunotherapy in mice, we find that CD4+ Foxp3- conventional T (Tconv) cells acquire suppressive function upon depletion of Foxp3+ Treg cells, limiting therapeutic efficacy. Foxp3- Tconv cells within tumors adopt a Treg cell-like transcriptional profile upon ablation of Treg cells and acquire the ability to suppress T cell activation and proliferation ex vivo. Suppressive activity is enriched among CD4+ Tconv cells marked by expression of C-C motif receptor 8 (CCR8), which are found in mouse and human tumors. Upon Treg cell depletion, CCR8+ Tconv cells undergo systemic and intratumoral activation and expansion, and mediate IL-10-dependent suppression of antitumor immunity. Consequently, conditional deletion of Il10 within T cells augments antitumor immunity upon Treg cell depletion in mice, and antibody blockade of IL-10 signaling synergizes with Treg cell depletion to overcome treatment resistance. These findings reveal a secondary layer of immunosuppression by Tconv cells released upon therapeutic Treg cell depletion and suggest that broader consideration of suppressive function within the T cell lineage is required for development of effective Treg cell-targeted therapies.

CRUSTY: a versatile web platform for the rapid analysis and visualization of high-dimensional flow cytometry data.

Flow cytometry (FCM) can investigate dozens of parameters from millions of cells and hundreds of specimens in a short time and at a reasonable cost, but the amount of data that is generated is considerable. Computational approaches are useful to identify novel subpopulations and molecular biomarkers, but generally require deep expertize in bioinformatics and the use of different platforms. To overcome these limitations, we introduce CRUSTY, an interactive, user-friendly webtool incorporating the most popular algorithms for FCM data analysis, and capable of visualizing graphical and tabular results and automatically generating publication-quality figures within minutes. CRUSTY also hosts an interactive interface for the exploration of results in real time. Thus, CRUSTY enables a large number of users to mine complex datasets and reduce the time required for data exploration and interpretation. CRUSTY is accessible at https://crusty.humanitas.it/ .

Tumors recycle glucocorticoids to drive Treg-mediated immunosuppression.

Suppression of antitumor immunity is a prominent feature of the tumor microenvironment. In this issue of the JCI, Taves, Otsuka, and authors show that glucocorticoids (GCs), which are potent immunosuppressive hormones mainly produced by the adrenals, can be reconverted from their inactive form to active metabolites via the 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11ß-HSD1) enzyme expressed by murine tumor cell lines. In the tumor microenvironment, GCs acted on CD4+ regulatory T cells to enhance their immunosuppressive function and promote tumor growth. The findings suggest that targeting GC recycling as a strategy for modulating tumor immunosuppression has the potential to improve therapeutic efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade.

Phenotypic diversity of T cells in human primary and metastatic brain tumors revealed by multiomic interrogation.

The immune-specialized environment of the healthy brain is tightly regulated to prevent excessive neuroinflammation. However, after cancer development, a tissue-specific conflict between brain-preserving immune suppression and tumor-directed immune activation may ensue. To interrogate potential roles of T cells in this process, we profiled these cells from individuals with primary or metastatic brain cancers via integrated analyses on the single-cell and bulk population levels. Our analysis revealed similarities and differences in T cell biology between individuals, with the most pronounced differences observed in a subgroup of individuals with brain metastasis, characterized by accumulation of CXCL13-expressing CD39+ potentially tumor-reactive T (pTRT) cells. In this subgroup, high pTRT cell abundance was comparable to that in primary lung cancer, whereas all other brain tumors had low levels, similar to primary breast cancer. These findings indicate that T cell-mediated tumor reactivity can occur in certain brain metastases and may inform stratification for treatment with immunotherapy.

Selected memory T cells infused post-haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation persist and hyperexpand.

Haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT) with post-transplant cyclophosphamide is a curative treatment for many hematological malignancies, yet a majority of patients still suffers from recurrent infections. Post-transplant infusion of memory T-cells could potentially enhance immunological protection without increasing the risk of eliciting acute graft-versus-host disease, which is mainly induced by naïve T-cells. Here, we performed longitudinal analysis of the lymphocyte compartment in 19 patients who underwent haplo-HSCT previously enrolled in a phase II prospective clinical trial (www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT04687982), in which they received post-transplant CD45RA-depleted donor lymphocyte infusions (DLI). T-cell receptor sequencing analysis showed that, surprisingly, CD45RA-depleted DLI do not increase T-cell clonal diversity, but lead to prominent expansion of a selected number of infused memory T-cell clones, suggesting recruitment of these cells in the immune response. Pathogen-specific memory T-cells, including cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific cells, were engrafted and were able to persist for at least 1 month. Deep immunophenotyping revealed strong polyfunctional effector CMV-specific T-cell responses in the majority of patients, with their expansion correlating with the frequency of CMV-specific cells in the donor. These findings provide a rationale behind the suggested improved protection against viral infections in patients receiving CD45RA-depleted DLI.

High-Dimensional Single-Cell Profiling of Tumor-Infiltrating CD4+ Regulatory T Cells.

CD4+ T regulatory cells (Tregs) are a specialized subset of T lymphocytes, which promote immune homeostasis and tumor immunosuppression by restricting effector T cell immune responses. The characterization of context-specific Treg phenotypic heterogeneity is pivotal to determine their potential contributions to diseases. In the recent years, high-dimensional single-cell technologies, such as single-cell RNA sequencing, mass cytometry, or polychromatic flow cytometry, have played a central role in elucidating the heterogeneity of the Treg compartment at the cellular and molecular levels. Here we describe an example of high-dimensional flow cytometry analysis capable of defining an effector Treg subpopulation that positively correlates with cancer progression. Moreover, we provide a workflow template of high-dimensional single-cell analysis that is readily applicable to any leukocyte subpopulation.

GZMKhigh CD8+ T effector memory cells are associated with CD15high neutrophil abundance in non-metastatic colorectal tumors and predict poor clinical outcome.

CD8+ T cells are a major prognostic determinant in solid tumors, including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, understanding how the interplay between different immune cells impacts on clinical outcome is still in its infancy. Here, we describe that the interaction of tumor infiltrating neutrophils expressing high levels of CD15 with CD8+ T effector memory cells (TEM) correlates with tumor progression. Mechanistically, stromal cell-derived factor-1 (CXCL12/SDF-1) promotes the retention of neutrophils within tumors, increasing the crosstalk with CD8+ T cells. As a consequence of the contact-mediated interaction with neutrophils, CD8+ T cells are skewed to produce high levels of GZMK, which in turn decreases E-cadherin on the intestinal epithelium and favors tumor progression. Overall, our results highlight the emergence of GZMKhigh CD8+ TEM in non-metastatic CRC tumors as a hallmark driven by the interaction with neutrophils, which could implement current patient stratification and be targeted by novel therapeutics.

Multimodal single-cell profiling of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma defines hyperactivated Tregs as a potential therapeutic target.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The landscape and function of the immune infiltrate of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), a rare, yet aggressive tumor of the biliary tract, remains poorly characterized, limiting development of successful immunotherapies. Herein, we aimed to define the molecular characteristics of tumor-infiltrating leukocytes with a special focus on CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs). METHODS: We used high-dimensional single-cell technologies to characterize the T-cell and myeloid compartments of iCCA tissues, comparing these with their tumor-free peritumoral and circulating counterparts. We further used genomics and cellular assays to define the iCCA-specific role of a novel transcription factor, mesenchyme homeobox 1 (MEOX1), in Treg biology. RESULTS: We found poor infiltration of putative tumor-specific CD39+ CD8+ T cells accompanied by abundant infiltration of hyperactivated CD4+ Tregs. Single-cell RNA-sequencing identified an altered network of transcription factors in iCCA-infiltrating compared to peritumoral T cells, suggesting reduced effector functions by tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells and enhanced immunosuppression by CD4+ Tregs. Specifically, we found that expression of MEOX1 was highly enriched in tumor-infiltrating Tregs, and demonstrated that MEOX1 overexpression is sufficient to reprogram circulating Tregs to acquire the transcriptional and epigenetic landscape of tumor-infiltrating Tregs. Accordingly, enrichment of the MEOX1-dependent gene program in Tregs was strongly associated with poor prognosis in a large cohort of patients with iCCA. CONCLUSIONS: We observed abundant infiltration of hyperactivated CD4+ Tregs in iCCA tumors along with reduced CD8+ T-cell effector functions. Interfering with hyperactivated Tregs should be explored as an approach to enhance antitumor immunity in iCCA. LAY SUMMARY: Immune cells have the potential to slow or halt the progression of tumors. However, some tumors, such as intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, are associated with very limited immune responses (and infiltration of cancer-targeting immune cells). Herein, we show that a specific population of regulatory T cells (a type of immune cell that actually suppresses the immune response) are hyperactivated in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Targeting these cells could enable cancer-targeting immune cells to act more effectively and should be looked at as a potential therapeutic approach to this aggressive cancer type.

'Stem-like' precursors are the fount to sustain persistent CD8+ T cell responses.

Virus-specific CD8+ T cells that differentiate in the context of resolved versus persisting infections exhibit divergent phenotypic and functional characteristics, which suggests that their differentiation trajectories are governed by distinct cellular dynamics, developmental pathways and molecular mechanisms. For acute infection, it is long known that antigen-specific T cell populations contain terminally differentiated effector T cells, known as short-lived effector T cells, and proliferation-competent and differentiation-competent memory precursor T cells. More recently, it was identified that a similar functional segregation occurs in chronic infections. A failure to generate proliferation-competent precursor cells in chronic infections and tumors results in the collapse of the T cell response. Thus, these precursor cells are major therapeutic and prophylactic targets of immune interventions. These observations suggest substantial commonality between T cell responses in acute and chronic infections but there are also critical differences. We are therefore reviewing the common features and peculiarities of precursor cells in acute infections, different types of persistent infection and cancer.

Lipid-loaded tumor-associated macrophages sustain tumor growth and invasiveness in prostate cancer.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are correlated with the progression of prostatic adenocarcinoma (PCa). The mechanistic basis of this correlation and therapeutic strategies to target TAMs in PCa remain poorly defined. Here, single-cell RNA sequencing was used to profile the transcriptional landscape of TAMs in human PCa, leading to identification of a subset of macrophages characterized by dysregulation in transcriptional pathways associated with lipid metabolism. This subset of TAMs correlates positively with PCa progression and shorter disease-free survival and is characterized by an accumulation of lipids that is dependent on Marco. Mechanistically, cancer cell-derived IL-1ß enhances Marco expression on macrophages, and reciprocally, cancer cell migration is promoted by CCL6 released by lipid-loaded TAMs. Moreover, administration of a high-fat diet to tumor-bearing mice raises the abundance of lipid-loaded TAMs. Finally, targeting lipid accumulation by Marco blockade hinders tumor growth and invasiveness and improves the efficacy of chemotherapy in models of PCa, pointing to combinatorial strategies that may influence patient outcomes.

CD19-CAR T cells undergo exhaustion DNA methylation programming in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

CD19-CAR T cell therapy has evolved into the standard of care for relapsed/refractory B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL); however, limited persistence of the CAR T cells enables tumor relapse for many patients. To gain a deeper understanding of the molecular characteristics associated with CAR T cell differentiation, we performed longitudinal genome-wide DNA methylation profiling of CD8+ CD19-CAR T cells post-infusion in ALL patients. We report that CAR T cells undergo a rapid and broad erasure of repressive DNA methylation reprograms at effector-associated genes. The CAR T cell post-infusion changes are further characterized by repression of genes (e.g., TCF7 and LEF1) associated with memory potential and a DNA methylation signature (e.g., demethylation at CX3CR1, BATF, and TOX) demarcating a transition toward exhaustion-progenitor T cells. Thus, CD19-CAR T cells undergo exhaustion-associated DNA methylation programming, indicating that efforts to prevent this process may be an attractive approach to improve CAR T cell efficacy.

NKG2A expression identifies a subset of human Vδ2 T cells exerting the highest antitumor effector functions.

Human Vδ2 cells are innate-like γδ T effectors performing potent immune surveillance against tumors. The constitutive expression of NKG2A identifies a subset of Vδ2 T cells licensed with an intrinsic hyper-responsiveness against cancer. Indeed, the transcriptomic profiles of NKG2A+ and NKG2A- cells characterize two distinct "intralineages" of Vδ2 T lymphocytes that appear early during development, keep their phenotypes, and show self-renewal capabilities in adult life. The hyper-responsiveness of NKG2A+ Vδ2 T cells is counterbalanced by the inhibitory signaling delivered by human leukocyte antigen E (HLA-E) expressed on malignant cells as a tumor-escape mechanism. However, either masking or knocking out NKG2A restores the capacity of Vδ2 T cells to exert the highest effector functions even against HLA-E+ tumors. This is highly relevant in the clinic, as the different degrees of engagement of the NKG2A-HLA-E checkpoint in hepatocellular carcinoma, glioblastoma, and non-small cell lung cancer directly impact patients' overall survival. These findings open avenues for developing combined cellular and immunologic anticancer therapies.