Cited by 2,070T-cell and B-cell ImmunologyCancer Immunotherapy and BiomarkersHIV Research and Treatment

Defining CD8+ T cells that provide the proliferative burst after PD-1 therapy

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Im, Se Jin, Hashimoto, Masao, Gerner, Michael Y., Lee, Junghwa, Kissick, Haydn T., Burger, Matheus C., Shan, Qiang, Hale, J. Scott +8 more·2016·Nature

Abstract

Chronic viral infections are characterized by a state of CD8+ T-cell dysfunction that is associated with expression of the programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) inhibitory receptor. A better understanding of the mechanisms that regulate CD8+ T-cell responses during chronic infection is required to improve immunotherapies that restore function in exhausted CD8+ T cells. Here we identify a population of virus-specific CD8+ T cells that proliferate after blockade of the PD-1 inhibitory pathway in mice chronically infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). These LCMV-specific CD8+ T cells expressed the PD-1 inhibitory receptor, but also expressed several costimulatory molecules such as ICOS and CD28. This CD8+ T-cell subset was characterized by a unique gene signature that was related to that of CD4+ T follicular helper (T FH) cells, CD8+ T cell memory precursors and haematopoietic stem cell progenitors, but that was distinct from that of CD4+ T H 1 cells and CD8+ terminal effectors. This CD8+ T-cell population was found only in lymphoid tissues and resided predominantly in the T-cell zones along with naive CD8+ T cells. These PD-1+CD8+ T cells resembled stem cells during chronic LCMV infection, undergoing self-renewal and also differentiating into the terminally exhausted CD8+ T cells that were present in both lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues. The proliferative burst after PD-1 blockade came almost exclusively from this CD8+ T-cell subset. Notably, the transcription factor TCF1 had a cell-intrinsic and essential role in the generation of this CD8+ T-cell subset. These findings provide a better understanding of T-cell exhaustion and have implications in the optimization of PD-1-directed immunotherapy in chronic infections and cancer.

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  • Progenitor Tex (Tprog) cells retain stemness and self-renewal capacity, respond to immune checkpoint blockade, and differentiate into intermediate T (Tint) cells with cytolytic capacity.

    “Progenitor Tex (Tprog) cells retain stemness and self-renewal capacity that respond to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies and differentiate into intermediate T (Tint) cells with cytolytic capacity8–10.”

    From Proteotoxic stress response drives T cell exhaustion and immune evasion (2025) · cites this paper as [10]

    The paper’s main text (page unavailable in our copy) reports that CXCR5+ CD8+ cells self-renew, respond to PD-1 blockade, and give rise to CXCR5− cells with higher perforin and granzyme expression. It describes those descendants as more terminally differentiated effector-like cells, not as intermediate T (Tint) cells; that specific identity is not supported by this source. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • CD28-expressing cells, rather than terminally differentiated effector cells, respond to PD-1 blockade with a proliferative burst and differentiation.

    “Two recent studies have shown that it is indeed CD28-expressing cells rather than already terminally differentiated effector cells that respond to PD-1 blockade with a proliferative burst and differentiation (94, 95).”
  • Preclinical models show that PD-1 blockade causes tumor rejection by reinvigorating exhausted CD8 T cells expressing PD-1, LAG3, and TIM3 and by expanding CD8 T cells.

    “Preclinical models demonstrated that PD-1 blockade results in tumor rejection through reinvigoration of exhausted CD8 T cells that express PD-1, LAG3, and TIM3 and expansion of CD8 T cells, a hallmark of response to anti-PD-1 therapy (16).”

    From The Next Decade of Immune Checkpoint Therapy (2021) · cites this paper as [16]

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Authors
Im, S. J., Hashimoto, M., Gerner, M. Y., Lee, J., Kissick, H. T., Burger, M. C., Shan, Q., Hale, J. S., Lee, J., Nasti, T. H., Sharpe, A. H., Freeman, G. J., Germain, R. N., Nakaya, H. I., Xue, H.-H., & Ahmed, R.
Affiliations
  • Emory University (US)
  • National Institutes of Health (US)
  • University of Iowa (US)
  • Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
  • Harvard University (US)
  • Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
Corresponding author
Ahmed, Rafi
Venue
Nature
Published
2016-08-02
Volume
537
Issue
7620
Pages
417-421
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W2506616866
Cited by
2,070
References
37
Citations by year
2026: 224 · 2025: 245 · 2024: 268 · 2023: 264 · 2022: 248 · 2021: 252 · 2020: 223 · 2019: 154 · 2018: 101 · 2017: 75 · 2016: 13 · 2013: 1
FWCI
69.19
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (n01ai30048-10-0-1)
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (N01 AI030048, P01AI080192, P01AI056299, R01AI030048, R01AI121080, R01AI112579)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and B-cell Immunology
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Virology › HIV Research and Treatment
Keywords
CD8+ T cells, PD-1, T cell exhaustion, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, chronic viral infection, B cell follicles, T follicular helper cells, PD-L1 blockade, anti-PD-1 therapy, HIV, virus control, costimulatory molecules
MeSH terms
Cell Self Renewal, Animals, Cell Differentiation, Female, T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer, Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Immunotherapy, Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis, Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, T-Lymphocyte Subsets, CD28 Antigens, CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes, Cell Proliferation, Mice, Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 1-alpha, Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Protein, Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor

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