Impaired gp100-Specific CD8(+) T-Cell Responses in the Presence of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells in a Spontaneous Mouse Melanoma Model.

Murine tumor models that closely reflect human diseases are important tools to investigate carcinogenesis and tumor immunity. The transgenic (tg) mouse strain tg(Grm1)EPv develops spontaneous melanoma due to ectopic overexpression of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (Grm1) in melanocytes. In the present study, we characterized the immune status and functional properties of immune cells in tumor-bearing mice. Melanoma development was accompanied by a reduction in the percentages of CD4(+) T cells including regulatory T cells (Tregs) in CD45(+) leukocytes present in tumor tissue and draining lymph nodes (LNs). In contrast, the percentages of CD8(+) T cells were unchanged, and these cells showed an activated phenotype in tumor mice. Endogenous melanoma-associated antigen glycoprotein 100 (gp100)-specific CD8(+) T cells were not deleted during tumor development, as revealed by pentamer staining in the skin and draining LNs. They, however, were unresponsive to ex vivo gp100-peptide stimulation in late-stage tumor mice. Interestingly, immunosuppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) were recruited to tumor tissue with a preferential accumulation of granulocytic MDSC (grMDSCs) over monocytic MDSC (moMDSCs). Both subsets produced Arginase-1, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and transforming growth factor-ß and suppressed T-cell proliferation in vitro. In this work, we describe the immune status of a spontaneous melanoma mouse model that provides an interesting tool to develop future immunotherapeutical strategies.

Murine Langerin+ dermal dendritic cells prime CD8+ T cells while Langerhans cells induce cross-tolerance.

Skin dendritic cells (DCs) control the immunogenicity of cutaneously administered vaccines. Antigens targeted to DCs via the C-type lectin Langerin/CD207 are cross-presented to CD8(+) T cells in vivo. We investigated the relative roles of Langerhans cells (LCs) and Langerin(+) dermal DCs (dDCs) in different vaccination settings. Poly(I:C) and anti-CD40 agonist antibody promoted cytotoxic responses upon intradermal immunization with ovalbumin (OVA)-coupled anti-Langerin antibodies (Langerin/OVA). This correlated with CD70 upregulation in Langerin(+) dDCs, but not LCs. In chimeric mice where Langerin targeting was restricted to dDCs, CD8(+) T-cell memory was enhanced. Conversely, providing Langerin/OVA exclusively to LCs failed to prime cytotoxicity, despite initial antigen cross-presentation to CD8(+) T cells. Langerin/OVA combined with imiquimod could not prime CD8(+) T cells and resulted in poor cytotoxicity in subsequent responses. This tolerance induction required targeting and maturation of LCs. Altogether, Langerin(+) dDCs prime long-lasting cytotoxic responses, while cross-presentation by LCs negatively influences CD8(+) T-cell priming. Moreover, this highlights that DCs exposed to TLR agonists can still induce tolerance and supports the existence of qualitatively different DC maturation programs.