Cited by 2,087Cancer Immunotherapy and BiomarkersT-cell and B-cell ImmunologyImmunotherapy and Immune Responses

Subsets of exhausted CD8+ T cells differentially mediate tumor control and respond to checkpoint blockade

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Miller, Brian C., Sen, Debattama R., Al Abosy, Rose, Bi, Kevin, Virkud, Yamini V., LaFleur, Martin W., Yates, Kathleen B., Lako, Ana +19 more·2019·Nature Immunology

Abstract

T cell dysfunction is a hallmark of many cancers, but the basis for T cell dysfunction and the mechanisms by which antibody blockade of the inhibitory receptor PD-1 (anti-PD-1) reinvigorates T cells are not fully understood. Here we show that such therapy acts on a specific subpopulation of exhausted CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Dysfunctional CD8+ TILs possess canonical epigenetic and transcriptional features of exhaustion that mirror those seen in chronic viral infection. Exhausted CD8+ TILs include a subpopulation of 'progenitor exhausted' cells that retain polyfunctionality, persist long term and differentiate into 'terminally exhausted' TILs. Consequently, progenitor exhausted CD8+ TILs are better able to control tumor growth than are terminally exhausted T cells. Progenitor exhausted TILs can respond to anti-PD-1 therapy, but terminally exhausted TILs cannot. Patients with melanoma who have a higher percentage of progenitor exhausted cells experience a longer duration of response to checkpoint-blockade therapy. Thus, approaches to expand the population of progenitor exhausted CD8+ T cells might be an important component of improving the response to checkpoint blockade.

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Authors
Miller, B. C., Sen, D. R., Al Abosy, R., Bi, K., Virkud, Y. V., LaFleur, M. W., Yates, K. B., Lako, A., Felt, K., Naik, G. S., Manos, M., Gjini, E., Kuchroo, J. R., Ishizuka, J. J., Collier, J. L., Griffin, G. K., Maleri, S., Comstock, D. E., Weiss, S. A., Brown, F. D., Panda, A., Zimmer, M. D., Manguso, R. T., Hodi, F. S., Rodig, S. J., Sharpe, A. H., & Haining, W. N.
Affiliations
  • Broad Institute (US)
  • Massachusetts General Hospital (US)
  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (US)
  • Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
Corresponding author
Haining, W. Nicholas
Venue
Nature Immunology
Published
2019-02-18
Volume
20
Issue
3
Pages
326-336
ISSN
  • 1529-2908 (ISSN-L)
  • 1529-2916
OpenAlex
W2913558101
Cited by
2,087
References
53
Citations by year
2026: 319 · 2025: 334 · 2024: 358 · 2023: 300 · 2022: 276 · 2021: 269 · 2020: 176 · 2019: 55
FWCI
81.19
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Immunology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (KL2TR002542)
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (T32HL007627)
  • National Cancer Institute (T32CA207021, T32CA009172)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (T32GM007753)
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (R01AI115712, K23AI130408, U19AI133524, P01AI056299)
  • National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and B-cell Immunology
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
Keywords
T cell exhaustion, CD8+ T cells, PD-1, anti-PD-1 therapy, immune checkpoint blockade, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, melanoma, T cell polyfunctionality, chronic viral infection, tumor control
MeSH terms
Animals, Female, Humans, Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis, Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, Melanoma, Experimental, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Lymphocyte Subsets, Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating, CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes, Antibodies, Blocking, Mice, Congenic, Cell Line, Tumor, Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor

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