Departments of Clinical Science, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2023 Jun;72(6):1445-1460. doi: 10.1007/s00262-022-03325-y. Epub 2022 Dec 5.
Radiation therapy (RT) can prime and boost systemic anti-tumor effects via STING activation, resulting in enhanced tumor antigen presentation and antigen recognition by T cells. It is increasingly recognized that optimal anti-tumor immune responses benefit from coordinated cellular (T cell) and humoral (B cell) responses. However, the nature and functional relevance of the RT-induced immune response are controversial, beyond STING signaling, and agonistic interventions are lacking. Here, we show that B and CD4 T cell accumulation at tumor beds in response to RT precedes the arrival of CD8 T cells, and both cell types are absolutely required for abrogated tumor growth in non-irradiated tumors. Further, RT induces increased expression of 4-1BB (CD137) in both T and B cells; both in preclinical models and in a cohort of patients with small cell lung cancer treated with thoracic RT. Accordingly, the combination of RT and anti-41BB therapy leads to increased immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment and significant abscopal effects. Thus, 4-1BB therapy enhances radiation-induced tumor-specific immune responses via coordinated B and T cell responses, thereby preventing malignant progression at unirradiated tumor sites. These findings provide a rationale for combining RT and 4-1bb therapy in future clinical trials.
放射治疗(RT)可以通过 STING 激活来引发和增强全身抗肿瘤效应,从而增强肿瘤抗原呈递和 T 细胞对肿瘤抗原的识别。人们越来越认识到,最佳的抗肿瘤免疫反应受益于协调的细胞(T 细胞)和体液(B 细胞)反应。然而,除了 STING 信号之外,RT 诱导的免疫反应的性质和功能相关性仍存在争议,并且缺乏激动剂干预。在这里,我们表明,对 RT 的反应导致肿瘤床处 B 和 CD4 T 细胞的积累先于 CD8 T 细胞的到达,并且这两种细胞类型对于未照射肿瘤中的肿瘤生长消退都是绝对必需的。此外,RT 在 T 和 B 细胞中诱导 4-1BB(CD137)的表达增加;在临床前模型和接受胸部 RT 治疗的小细胞肺癌患者队列中均观察到这种情况。因此,RT 和抗 4-1BB 治疗的联合使用导致肿瘤微环境中免疫细胞浸润增加,并产生显著的远隔效应。因此,4-1BB 治疗通过协调的 B 和 T 细胞反应增强了辐射诱导的肿瘤特异性免疫反应,从而防止未照射肿瘤部位的恶性进展。这些发现为未来临床试验中 RT 和 4-1bb 联合治疗提供了依据。