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Pulliam T, Jani S, Jing L, Ryu H, Jojic A, Shasha C, Zhang J, Kulikauskas R, Church C, Garnett-Benson C, Gooley T, Chapuis A, Paulson K, Smith KN, Pardoll DM, Newell EW, Koelle DM, Topalian SL, Nghiem P. Circulating cancer-specific CD8 T cell frequency is associated with response to PD-1 blockade in Merkel cell carcinoma. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101412. [PMID: 38340723 PMCID: PMC10897614 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Understanding cancer immunobiology has been hampered by difficulty identifying cancer-specific T cells. Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) causes most Merkel cell carcinomas (MCCs). All patients with virus-driven MCC express MCPyV oncoproteins, facilitating identification of virus (cancer)-specific T cells. We studied MCPyV-specific T cells from 27 patients with MCC using MCPyV peptide-HLA-I multimers, 26-color flow cytometry, single-cell transcriptomics, and T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing. In a prospective clinical trial, higher circulating MCPyV-specific CD8 T cell frequency before anti-PD-1 treatment was strongly associated with 2-year recurrence-free survival (75% if detectable, 0% if undetectable, p = 0.0018; ClinicalTrial.gov: NCT02488759). Intratumorally, such T cells were typically present, but their frequency did not significantly associate with response. Circulating MCPyV-specific CD8 T cells had increased stem/memory and decreased exhaustion signatures relative to their intratumoral counterparts. These results suggest that cancer-specific CD8 T cells in the blood may play a role in anti-PD-1 responses. Thus, strategies that augment their number or mobilize them into tumors could improve outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Pulliam
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Saumya Jani
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Lichen Jing
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Heeju Ryu
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Department, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Ana Jojic
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Department, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Carolyn Shasha
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Department, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Jiajia Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21827, USA; The Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Rima Kulikauskas
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Candice Church
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Ted Gooley
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Aude Chapuis
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Kelly Paulson
- Paul G. Allen Research Center, Providence-Swedish Cancer Institute, Seattle, WA 98104, USA; Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA 99202, USA
| | - Kellie N Smith
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21827, USA; The Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Drew M Pardoll
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21827, USA; The Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Evan W Newell
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Vaccine and Infectious Disease Department, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - David M Koelle
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Vaccine and Infectious Disease Department, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Suzanne L Topalian
- The Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Paul Nghiem
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
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