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Rutihinda C, Haroun R, Saidi NE, Ordoñez JP, Naasri S, Lévesque D, Boisvert FM, Fortier PH, Belzile M, Fradet L, Hubert-Tremblay V, Turgeon GA, Wang CS, Delage P, Rousseau É, Paquette B, Oweida AJ. Inhibition of the CCR6-CCL20 axis prevents regulatory T cell recruitment and sensitizes head and neck squamous cell carcinoma to radiation therapy. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2022; 72:1089-1102. [PMID: 36326893 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-022-03313-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Radioresistance of HNSCCs remains a major challenge for effective tumor control. Combined radiotherapy (RT) and immunotherapy (IT) treatment improved survival for a subset of patients with inflamed tumors or tumors susceptible to RT-induced inflammation. To overcome radioresistance and improve treatment outcomes, an understanding of factors that suppress anti-tumor immunity is necessary. In this regard, regulatory T cells (Tregs) are critical mediators of immune suppression in HNSCCs. In this study, we investigated how radiation modulates Treg infiltration in tumors through the chemokine CCL20. We hypothesized that radiation induces CCL20 secretion resulting in Treg infiltration and suppression of anti-tumor immunity. METHODS Human and mouse HNSCC cell lines with different immune phenotypes were irradiated at doses of 2 or 10 Gy. Conditioned media, RNA and protein were collected for assessment of CCL20. qPCR was used to determine CCL20 gene expression. In vivo, MOC2 cells were implanted into the buccal cavity of mice and the effect of neutralizing CCL20 antibody was determined alone and in combination with RT. Blood samples were collected before and after RT for analysis of CCL20. Tumor samples were analyzed by flow cytometry to determine immune infiltrates, including CD8 T cells and Tregs. Mass-spectrometry was performed to analyze proteomic changes in the tumor microenvironment after anti-CCL20 treatment. RESULTS Cal27 and MOC2 HNSCCs had a gene signature associated with Treg infiltration, whereas SCC9 and MOC1 tumors displayed a gene signature associated with an inflamed TME. In vitro, tumor irradiation at 10 Gy significantly induced CCL20 in Cal27 and MOC2 cells relative to control. The increase in CCL20 was associated with increased Treg migration. Neutralization of CCL20 reversed radiation-induced migration of Treg cells in vitro and decreased intratumoral Tregs in vivo. Furthermore, inhibition of CCL20 resulted in a significant decrease in tumor growth compared to control in MOC2 tumors. This effect was further enhanced after combination with RT compared to either treatment alone. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that radiation promotes CCL20 secretion by tumor cells which is responsible for the attraction of Tregs. Inhibition of the CCR6-CCL20 axis prevents infiltration of Tregs in tumors and suppresses tumor growth resulting in improved response to radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cleopatra Rutihinda
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de La Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Ryma Haroun
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de La Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Nour Elhouda Saidi
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de La Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Juan Pablo Ordoñez
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de La Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Sahar Naasri
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de La Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Dominique Lévesque
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Faculté de Médecine Et Des Sciences de La Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - François-Michel Boisvert
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Faculté de Médecine Et Des Sciences de La Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Pierre-Hugues Fortier
- Department of Surgery, Faculté de Médecine Et Des Sciences de La Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Mathieu Belzile
- Department of Surgery, Faculté de Médecine Et Des Sciences de La Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Laurent Fradet
- Department of Surgery, Faculté de Médecine Et Des Sciences de La Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Vincent Hubert-Tremblay
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de La Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Guy Anne Turgeon
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de La Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Chang Shu Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de La Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Patrick Delage
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de La Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Étienne Rousseau
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de La Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Benoît Paquette
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de La Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Ayman J Oweida
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de La Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
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Koga M, Shichijo S, Yamada A, Ashihara J, Sawamizu H, Kusukawa J, Itoh K. Identification of ribosomal proteins S2 and L10a as tumor antigens recognized by HLA-A26-restricted CTL. TISSUE ANTIGENS 2003; 61:136-45. [PMID: 12694581 DOI: 10.1046/j.0001-2815.2002.00009.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Recent identification of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)-directed peptides binding to the HLA-A2 and -A24 alleles has opened the door to peptide-based cancer immunotherapies. However, subsequent studies have succeeded in identifying no more than a few CTL-directed peptides that bind to alleles other than HLA-A2 and -A24, thus hampering development of immunotherapies directed at other alleles. We have shown in this study that two genes coding for ribosomal proteins (S2 and L10a) encoded tumor antigens recognized by HLA-A26-restricted CTLs. The S2 mRNA was expressed in all of the cancer cells and non-malignant cell lines tested, but was not expressed in normal tissues except for the testis, muscle, and peripheral mononuclear leukocyte cell (PBMC). In contrast, the L10a mRNA was expressed in all of these cancer and non-malignant cell lines, and also normal tissues, although the expression levels in normal tissues were mostly low. One S2-derived peptide and two L10a-derived peptides had the ability to induce HLA-A26-restricted and peptide-specific CTLs reactive to tumor cells in PBMCs of cancer patients, respectively. These ribosomal protein-derived peptides, and particularly the S2-derived peptide, could be suitable for use in peptide-based immunotherapy for HLA-A26+ cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Koga
- Department of Immunology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan
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