Inflammatory monocytes are potent antitumor effectors controlled by regulatory CD4+ T cells

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Aug 6;110(32):13085-90. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1300314110. Epub 2013 Jul 22.

Abstract

The present study evaluates the impact of immune cell populations on metastatic development in a model of spontaneous melanoma [mice expressing the human RET oncogene under the control of the metallothionein promoter (MT/ret mice)]. In this model, cancer cells disseminate early but remain dormant for several weeks. Then, MT/ret mice develop cutaneous metastases and, finally, distant metastases. A total of 35% of MT/ret mice develop a vitiligo, a skin depigmentation attributable to the lysis of normal melanocytes, associated with a delay in tumor progression. Here, we find that regulatory CD4(+) T cells accumulate in the skin, the spleen, and tumor-draining lymph nodes of MT/ret mice not developing vitiligo. Regulatory T-cell depletion and IL-10 neutralization led to increased occurrence of vitiligo that correlated with a decreased incidence of melanoma metastases. In contrast, inflammatory monocytes/dendritic cells accumulate in the skin of MT/ret mice with active vitiligo. Moreover, they inhibit tumor cell proliferation in vitro through a reactive oxygen species-dependent mechanism, and both their depletion and reactive oxygen species neutralization in vivo increased tumor cell dissemination. Altogether, our data suggest that regulatory CD4(+) T cells favor tumor progression, in part, by inhibiting recruitment and/or differentiation of inflammatory monocytes in the skin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / genetics
  • Inflammation / immunology*
  • Inflammation / pathology
  • Lymph Nodes / immunology
  • Lymph Nodes / metabolism
  • Lymph Nodes / pathology
  • Male
  • Melanoma / genetics
  • Melanoma / immunology*
  • Melanoma / pathology
  • Metallothionein / genetics
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Monocytes / immunology*
  • Monocytes / metabolism
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret / immunology
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / immunology
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Skin / immunology
  • Skin / metabolism
  • Skin / pathology
  • Spleen / immunology
  • Spleen / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism
  • Time Factors
  • Vitiligo / genetics
  • Vitiligo / immunology

Substances

  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Metallothionein
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret