| Literature DB >> 32447412 |
Ellyn Hughes1,2, Sarah N Lauder1, Kathryn Smart1, Anja Bloom1, Jake Scott1, Emma Jones1, Michelle Somerville1, Molly Browne1, Andrew Blainey1, Andrew Godkin1, Ann Ager1, Awen Gallimore3.
Abstract
Although metastatic disease is responsible for the majority of cancer deaths, tests of novel immunotherapies in mouse tumour models often focus on primary tumours without determining whether these therapies also target metastatic disease. This study examined the impact of depleting Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Treg), on lung metastases, using a mouse model of breast cancer. After Treg-depletion, generation of an immune response to the primary tumour was a critical determinant for limiting development of metastasis. Indeed, resection of the primary tumour abrogated any effect of Treg-depletion on metastases. In addition, whilst the immune response, generated by the primary tumour, prevented metastases development, it had little impact on controlling established disease. Collectively, the data indicate that metastatic cells in the lung are not controlled by immune responses induced by the primary tumour. These findings indicate that targeting Tregs alone will not suffice for treating lung metastases.Entities:
Keywords: Breast cancer; Immunotherapy; Mouse; Resection; T cells; Tregs
Mesh:
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Year: 2020 PMID: 32447412 PMCID: PMC7511476 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-020-02603-x
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Cancer Immunol Immunother ISSN: 0340-7004 Impact factor: 6.968
Fig. 1Depletion of Tregs can control growth of primary 4T1 tumours and metastatic disease. a The effect of Treg-depletion on primary tumour growth was assessed as outlined. b The number of Tregs present within tumours or c tumour draining lymph nodes 7 days after administration of DTX (4 mice/group). An unpaired t test was performed to determine significance (P = 0.0268). d The average volumes of 4T1 tumours in Treg-depleted and Treg-replete mice are shown (6–7 mice/group). An unpaired two-tailed t test was performed at each time point, giving the following values: day 12 P = 0.0034, day 13 P = < 0.0001, day 16 p = < 0.0001 and day 21 p = 0.0002. e The impact of Treg-depletion on metastases following resection of primary tumours was assessed as outlined. f The number of metastatic colonies observed in the lungs of Treg-depleted and Treg-replete mice is shown (17–18 mice/group). A Mann–Whitney test was performed to determine whether there was a statistically significant difference between the groups (p = 0.0162)
Fig. 2Control of metastatic disease after Treg-depletion is not linked to primary tumour size. The number of metastatic nodules was compared to the size of the primary tumour at the point of resection a or b the point at which DTx treatment was initiated (17–18 mice/group)
Fig. 3Control of primary tumour growth predicts control of metastatic disease following Treg-depletion. Tumour growth rates were assessed in Treg-replete (a) and Treg-depleted (c) mice and compared prior to and after administration of DTx (b, d) (17–18 mice/group). Within the Treg-depleted group, mice were split into those with metastatic disease (e, f) and those without (g, h) (8–12 mice/group). A nonparametric one-tailed Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed on the paired data sets shown in individual graphs
Fig. 4The presence of the primary tumour is essential for promoting control of metastatic disease after Treg-depletion. a DTx treatment was started after 4T1 tumours were resected. b Metastatic colonies in Treg-depleted and Treg-replete mice were compared, a Mann–Whitney test was used to determine no significant difference was observed between the number of metastatic colonies in Treg-replete versus Treg-depleted mice (15–18 mice/group). c Haematoxylin and eosin staining of paraffin-embedded sections from Treg-replete versus Treg-depleted metastatic lungs. d The number of CD3+ T cells (brown) per μm of metastatic nodules was calculated in the lungs of Treg-replete and Treg-depleted mice (9 metastatic nodules/group). e Representative staining of CD3+ T cells in metastatic lung nodules from Treg-replete and Treg-depleted mice
Fig. 5Treg-depletion does not result in control of 4T1 tumour growth after intravenous injection. a Mice injected intravenously with 104 4T1 cells and seven days later administered DTx or PBS every other day (6 mice per group). b Metastatic colonies were enumerated 17 days later. c, d Lung T cells were was stained with AH1-dextramers (3–6 mice/group). Statistical significance was determined by unpaired two tailed T test, *p ≤ 0.05
Fig. 6Immunisation following tumour resection, with recombinant vaccinia virus expressing the immunodominant peptide AH1, promotes tumour-specific T cells but does not control metastatic disease. a Mice were either treated with an irrelevant vaccine (Vac-NP) or a tumour antigen-specific vaccine (Vac-AH1) at day 1 post tumour resection and then either DTx or PBS treated from day 2 post tumour-resection,. At day 14 post tumour resection b the metastatic colonies in Treg-replete and Treg-depleted mice were compared (3—10 mice/group) and c splenocytes were stained with AH1-dextramer (3—10mice/group). d Representative CD8+ AH1-dextramer+ flow cytometry plots from mice (shown in c) vaccinated with either tumour-specific VAC-AH1, irrelevant VAC-NP or tumour-naïve mice