EBV-induced human CD8(+) NKT cells synergise CD4(+) NKT cells suppressing EBV-associated tumours upon induction of Th1-bias

Cell Mol Immunol. 2009 Oct;6(5):367-79. doi: 10.1038/cmi.2009.48.

Abstract

CD8(+) natural killer T (NKT) cells from EBV-associated tumour patients are quantitatively and functionally impaired. EBV-induced CD8(+) NKT cells drive syngeneic T cells into a Th1-bias response to suppress EBV-associated malignancies. IL-4-biased CD4(+) NKT cells do not affect either syngeneic T cell cytotoxicity or Th cytokine secretion. Circulating mDC1 cells from patients with EBV-associated malignancies impair the production of IFN-gamma by CD8(+) NKT cells. In this study, we have established a human-thymus-SCID chimaera model to further investigate the underlying mechanism of EBV-induced CD8(+) NKT cells in suppressing EBV-associated malignancies. In the human-thymus-SCID chimera, EBV-induced CD8(+) NKT cells suppress EBV-associated malignancies in a manner dependent on the Th1-bias response and syngeneic CD3(+) T cells. However, adoptive transfer with CD4(+) NKT cells alone inhibits T cell immunity. Interestingly, CD4(+) NKT cells themselves secrete high levels of IL-2, enhancing the persistence of adoptively transferred CD8(+) NKT cells and T cells, thereby leading to a more pronounced T cell anti-tumour response in chimaeras co-transferred with CD4(+) and CD8(+) NKT cells. Thus, immune reconstitution with EBV-induced CD4(+) and CD8(+) NKT cells synergistically enhances T cell tumour immunity, providing a potential prophylactic and therapeutic treatment for EBV-associated malignancies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adoptive Transfer
  • Animals
  • CD4 Antigens / immunology
  • CD8 Antigens / immunology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Chimera
  • Cytotoxicity, Immunologic*
  • Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / complications
  • Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / immunology*
  • Herpesvirus 4, Human / immunology*
  • Hodgkin Disease / complications
  • Hodgkin Disease / immunology*
  • Hodgkin Disease / therapy*
  • Humans
  • Interferon-gamma / metabolism
  • Interleukin-2 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-4 / immunology
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / complications
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / immunology*
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / therapy*
  • Mice
  • Mice, SCID
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / complications
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Natural Killer T-Cells / immunology*
  • Natural Killer T-Cells / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
  • Th1 Cells / immunology*
  • Th1 Cells / metabolism

Substances

  • CD4 Antigens
  • CD8 Antigens
  • Interleukin-2
  • Interleukin-4
  • Interferon-gamma