IFNγ producing CD8⁺ T cells modified to resist major immune checkpoints induce regression of MHC class I-deficient melanomas.

ABSTRACT: Tumors with reduced expression of MHC class I (MHC-I) molecules may be unrecognized by tumor antigen-specific CD8⁺ T cells and thus constitute a challenge for cancer immunotherapy. Here we monitored development of autochthonous melanomas in TiRP mice that develop tumors expressing a known tumor antigen as well as a red fluorescent protein (RFP) reporter knock in gene. The latter permits non-invasive monitoring of tumor growth by biofluorescence. One developing melanoma was deficient in cell surface expression of MHC-I, but MHC-I expression could be rescued by exposure of these cells to IFNγ. We show that CD8⁺ T cells specific for tumor antigen/MHC-I were efficient at inducing regression of the MHC-I-deficient melanoma, provided that the T cells were endowed with prope

SUBMITTER: Buferne M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4404920 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature