In:
Clinical Cancer Research, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), ( 2023-09-07), p. OF1-OF14
Abstract:
We previously showed that elevated frequencies of peripheral blood CD3+CD4+CD127−GARP−CD38+CD39+ T cells were associated with checkpoint immunotherapy resistance in patients with metastatic melanoma. In the present study, we sought to further investigate this population of ectoenzyme-expressing T cells (Teee). Experimental Design: Teee derived from the peripheral blood of patients with metastatic melanoma were evaluated by bulk RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and flow cytometry. The presence of Teee in the tumor microenvironment was assessed using publically available single-cell RNA-seq datasets of melanoma, lung, and bladder cancers along with multispectral immunofluorescent imaging of melanoma patient formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens. Suppressive function of Teee was determined by an in vitro autologous suppression assay. Results: Teee had phenotypes associated with proliferation, apoptosis, exhaustion, and high expression of inhibitory molecules. Cells with a Teee gene signature were present in tumors of patients with melanoma, lung, and bladder cancers. CD4+ T cells co-expressing CD38 and CD39 in the tumor microenvironment were preferentially associated with Ki67− CD8+ T cells. Co-culture of patient Teee with autologous T cells resulted in decreased proliferation of target T cells. High baseline intratumoral frequencies of Teee were associated with checkpoint immunotherapy resistance and poor overall survival in patients with metastatic melanoma. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that a novel population of CD4+ T cells co-expressing CD38 and CD39 is found both in the peripheral blood and tumor of patients with melanoma and is associated with checkpoint immunotherapy resistance.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1078-0432
,
1557-3265
DOI:
10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-23-0653
Language:
English
Publisher:
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
Publication Date:
2023
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1225457-5
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2036787-9
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