Wnt3a Neutralization Enhances T-cell Responses through Indirect Mechanisms and Restrains Tumor Growth.
Cancer Immunol Res
; 6(8): 953-964, 2018 08.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-30018042
ABSTRACT
The Wnt/ß-catenin pathway regulates T-cell functions, including the repression of effector functions to the advantage of memory development via Tcf1. In a companion study, we demonstrate that, in human cancers, Wnt3a/ß-catenin signaling maintains tumor-infiltrating T cells in a partially exhausted status. Here, we have investigated the effects of Wnt3a neutralization in vivo in a mouse tumor model. Abundant Wnt3a was released, mostly by stromal cells, in the tumor microenvironment. We tested whether Wnt3a neutralization in vivo could rescue the effector capacity of tumor-infiltrating T cells, by administering an antibody to Wnt3a to tumor-bearing mice. This therapy restrained tumor growth and favored the expansion of tumor antigen-specific CD8+ effector memory T cells with increased expression of Tbet and IFNγ and reduced expression of Tcf1. However, the effect was not attributable to the interruption of T-cell-intrinsic ß-catenin signaling, because Wnt3a/ß-catenin activation correlated with enhanced, not reduced, T-cell effector functions both ex vivo and in vitro Adoptively transferred CD8+ T cells, not directly exposed to the anti-Wnt3a antibody but infiltrating previously Wnt3a-neutralized tumors, also showed improved functions. The rescue of T-cell response was thus secondary to T-cell-extrinsic changes that likely involved dendritic cells. Indeed, tumor-derived Wnt3a strongly suppressed dendritic cell maturation in vitro, and anti-Wnt3a treatment rescued dendritic cell activities in vivo Our results clarify the function of the Wnt3a/ß-catenin pathway in antitumor effector T cells and suggest that Wnt3a neutralization might be a promising immunotherapy for rescuing dendritic cell activities. Cancer Immunol Res; 6(8); 953-64. ©2018 AACR.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Adenocarcinoma
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Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating
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Colonic Neoplasms
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Wnt3A Protein
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Wnt Signaling Pathway
Limits:
Animals
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Humans
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Male
Language:
En
Journal:
Cancer Immunol Res
Year:
2018
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Italy