1
|
Goral A, Sledz M, Manda-Handzlik A, Cieloch A, Wojciechowska A, Lachota M, Mroczek A, Demkow U, Zagozdzon R, Matusik K, Wachowska M, Muchowicz A. Regulatory T cells contribute to the immunosuppressive phenotype of neutrophils in a mouse model of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Exp Hematol Oncol 2023; 12:89. [PMID: 37817276 PMCID: PMC10563345 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-023-00452-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impaired neutrophil activity is an important issue in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), as it contributes to a dysfunctional immune response leading to life-threatening infections in patients. Some features typical of CLL neutrophils, e.g., the B-cell-supportive secretion profile, have already been described. However, most of these studies were performed on cells isolated from peripheral blood. It is still unclear which molecular factors and cell types are involved in shaping neutrophil function and phenotype in the CLL microenvironment. Since regulatory T cells (Treg) play an important role in CLL progression and influence the activity of neutrophils, we investigated the crosstalk between Treg and neutrophils in the spleen using a murine model of CLL. METHODS In this work, we used an Eµ-TCL1 mouse model of human CLL. For our in vivo and ex vivo experiments, we inoculated wild-type mice with TCL1 leukemic cells isolated from Eµ-TCL1 transgenic mice and then monitored disease progression by detecting leukemic cells in peripheral blood. We analyzed both the phenotype and activity of neutrophils isolated from the spleens of TCL1 leukemia-bearing mice. To investigate the interrelation between Treg and neutrophils in the leukemia microenvironment, we performed experiments using TCL1-injected DEREG mice with Treg depletion or RAG2KO mice with adoptively transferred TCL1 cells alone or together with Treg. RESULTS The obtained results underline the plasticity of the neutrophil phenotype, observed under the influence of leukemic cells alone and depending on the presence of Treg. In particular, Treg affect the expression of CD62L and IL-4 receptor in neutrophils, both of which are crucial for the function of these cells. Additionally, we show that Treg depletion and IL-10 neutralization induce changes in the leukemia microenvironment, partially restoring the "healthy" phenotype of neutrophils. CONCLUSIONS Altogether, the results indicate that the crosstalk between Treg and neutrophils in CLL may play an important role in CLL progression by interfering with the immune response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Goral
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02-097, Poland
| | - Marta Sledz
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02-097, Poland
- Doctoral School, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02-091, Poland
| | - Aneta Manda-Handzlik
- Department of Laboratory Diagnostics and Clinical Immunology of Developmental Age, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02-091, Poland
| | - Adrianna Cieloch
- Department of Laboratory Diagnostics and Clinical Immunology of Developmental Age, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02-091, Poland
| | - Alicja Wojciechowska
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02-097, Poland
| | - Mieszko Lachota
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02-097, Poland
- Department of Ophthalmology, Children's Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, 04-730, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Mroczek
- Doctoral School, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02-091, Poland
- Department of Laboratory Diagnostics and Clinical Immunology of Developmental Age, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02-091, Poland
| | - Urszula Demkow
- Department of Laboratory Diagnostics and Clinical Immunology of Developmental Age, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02-091, Poland
| | - Radoslaw Zagozdzon
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02-097, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Matusik
- Doctoral School, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02-091, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Wachowska
- Department of Laboratory Diagnostics and Clinical Immunology of Developmental Age, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02-091, Poland
| | - Angelika Muchowicz
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02-097, Poland.
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02-097, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Abstract
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a highly heterogeneous B-cell malignancy, is characterized by tumor microenvironment disorder and T-cell immune dysfunction, which play a major role in the proliferation and survival of CLL cells. Ibrutinib is the first irreversible inhibitor of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK). In addition to targeting B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling to kill tumor cells, increasing evidence has suggested that ibrutinib regulates the tumor microenvironment and T-cell immunity in a direct and indirect manner. For example, ibrutinib not only reverses the tumor microenvironment by blocking cytokine networks and toll-like receptor signaling but also regulates T cells in number, subset distribution, T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire and immune function by inhibiting interleukin-2 inducible T-cell kinase (ITK) and reducing the expression of inhibitory receptors, and so on. In this review, we summarize the current evidence for the effects of ibrutinib on the tumor microenvironment and cellular immunity of patients with CLL, particularly for the behavior and function of T cells, explore its potential mechanisms, and provide a basis for the clinical benefits of long-term ibrutinib treatment and combined therapy based on T-cell-based immunotherapies.
Collapse
|
3
|
Maharaj K, Uriepero A, Sahakian E, Pinilla-Ibarz J. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) in lymphoid malignancies and the impact of novel therapies. Front Immunol 2022; 13:943354. [PMID: 35979372 PMCID: PMC9376239 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.943354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are responsible for maintaining immune homeostasis by controlling immune responses. They can be characterized by concomitant expression of FoxP3, CD25 and inhibitory receptors such as PD-1 and CTLA-4. Tregs are key players in preventing autoimmunity and are dysregulated in cancer, where they facilitate tumor immune escape. B-cell lymphoid malignancies are a group of diseases with heterogenous molecular characteristics and clinical course. Treg levels are increased in patients with B-cell lymphoid malignancies and correlate with clinical outcomes. In this review, we discuss studies investigating Treg immunobiology in B-cell lymphoid malignancies, focusing on clinical correlations, mechanisms of accumulation, phenotype, and function. Overarching trends suggest that Tregs can be induced directly by tumor cells and recruited to the tumor microenvironment where they suppress antitumor immunity to facilitate disease progression. Further, we highlight studies showing that Tregs can be modulated by novel therapeutic agents such as immune checkpoint blockade and targeted therapies. Treg disruption by novel therapeutics may beneficially restore immune competence but has been associated with occurrence of adverse events. Strategies to achieve balance between these two outcomes will be paramount in the future to improve therapeutic efficacy and safety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kamira Maharaj
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Angimar Uriepero
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Eva Sahakian
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, United States
- Department of Malignant Hematology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Javier Pinilla-Ibarz
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, United States
- Department of Malignant Hematology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, United States
- *Correspondence: Javier Pinilla-Ibarz,
| |
Collapse
|