Reprogramming tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells for CD103+ CD8+ mucosal T-cell differentiation and breast cancer rejection

Cancer Immunol Res. 2014 May;2(5):487-500. doi: 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-13-0217. Epub 2014 Mar 4.

Abstract

Our studies showed that tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells (DC) in breast cancer drive inflammatory Th2 (iTh2) cells and protumor inflammation. Here, we show that intratumoral delivery of the β-glucan curdlan, a ligand of dectin-1, blocks the generation of iTh2 cells and prevents breast cancer progression in vivo. Curdlan reprograms tumor-infiltrating DCs via the ligation of dectin-1, enabling the DCs to become resistant to cancer-derived thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), to produce IL-12p70, and to favor the generation of Th1 cells. DCs activated via dectin-1, but not those activated with TLR-7/8 ligand or poly I:C, induce CD8+ T cells to express CD103 (αE integrin), a ligand for cancer cells, E-cadherin. Generation of these mucosal CD8+ T cells is regulated by DC-derived integrin αvβ8 and TGF-β activation in a dectin-1-dependent fashion. These CD103+ CD8+ mucosal T cells accumulate in the tumors, thereby increasing cancer necrosis and inhibiting cancer progression in vivo in a humanized mouse model of breast cancer. Importantly, CD103+ CD8+ mucosal T cells elicited by reprogrammed DCs can reject established cancer. Thus, reprogramming tumor-infiltrating DCs represents a new strategy for cancer rejection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Breast Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / drug effects
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / immunology
  • Dendritic Cells / cytology
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology*
  • Dendritic Cells / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lectins, C-Type / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mucous Membrane / immunology*
  • Mucous Membrane / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / drug effects
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
  • Th2 Cells / drug effects
  • Th2 Cells / immunology
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / metabolism
  • beta-Glucans / immunology
  • beta-Glucans / pharmacology

Substances

  • Lectins, C-Type
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta
  • beta-Glucans
  • dectin 1
  • curdlan