Egr2 and 3 maintain anti-tumour responses of exhausted tumour infiltrating CD8 + T cells.

ABSTRACT: Although T cells can develop into an exhausted state in the tumour microenvironment, tumour infiltrating T cells (TILs) are important to control tumour growth. By analysing single cell RNA-sequencing data from human tumours, we found that the transcription factors Early Growth Response 2 (EGR2) and 3 were highly induced in TILs, but not peripheral CD8 + T cells, in multiple patient cohorts. We found that deficiency of Egr2 and 3 in T cells resulted in enhanced tumour growth and fewer TILs in mouse models. Egr2 is highly expressed together with checkpoint molecules in a proportion of CD8 + TILs and Egr2high cells exhibit better survival and proliferation than Egr2^-/-Egr3^-/- and Egr2low TILs. Anti-PD-1 treatment increases Egr2 expression in CD8 + TILs and reduces tumour

SUBMITTER: Symonds ALJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10110685 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature