Mechanisms of PD-L1/PD-1–mediated CD8 T-cell dysfunction in the context of aging-related immune defects in the Eľ-TCL1 CLL mouse model

F McClanahan, JC Riches, S Miller… - Blood, The Journal …, 2015 - ashpublications.org
F McClanahan, JC Riches, S Miller, WP Day, E Kotsiou, D Neuberg, CM Croce, M Capasso…
Blood, The Journal of the American Society of Hematology, 2015ashpublications.org
T-cell defects, immune suppression, and poor antitumor immune responses are hallmarks of
chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitory signaling has emerged as a
major immunosuppressive mechanism. However, the effect of different microenvironments
and the confounding influence of aging are poorly understood. The current study uses the
Eμ-TCL1 mouse model, which replicates human T-cell defects, as a preclinical platform to
longitudinally examine patterns of T-cell dysfunction alongside developing CLL and in …
Abstract
T-cell defects, immune suppression, and poor antitumor immune responses are hallmarks of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitory signaling has emerged as a major immunosuppressive mechanism. However, the effect of different microenvironments and the confounding influence of aging are poorly understood. The current study uses the Eμ-TCL1 mouse model, which replicates human T-cell defects, as a preclinical platform to longitudinally examine patterns of T-cell dysfunction alongside developing CLL and in different microenvironments, with a focus on PD-1/PD-L1 interactions. The development of CLL was significantly associated with changes in T-cell phenotype across all organs and function. Although partly mirrored in aging wild-type mice, CLL-specific T-cell changes were identified. Murine CLL cells highly expressed PD-L1 and PD-L2 in all organs, with high PD-L1 expression in the spleen. CD3+CD8+ T cells from leukemic and aging healthy mice highly expressed PD-1, identifying aging as a confounder, but adoptive transfer experiments demonstrated CLL-specific PD-1 induction. Direct comparisons of PD-1 expression and function between aging CLL mice and controls identified PD-1+ T cells in CLL as a heterogeneous population with variable effector function. This is highly relevant for therapeutic targeting of CD8+ T cells, showing the potential of reprogramming and selective subset expansion to restore antitumor immunity.
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