β-Adrenergic Signaling in Mice Housed at Standard Temperatures Suppresses an Effector Phenotype in CD8⁺ T Cells and Undermines Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy.

ABSTRACT: The immune context of tumors has significant prognostic value and is predictive of responsiveness to several forms of therapy, including immunotherapy. We report here that CD8⁺ T-cell frequency and functional orientation within the tumor microenvironment is regulated by β₂-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) signaling in host immune cells. We used three strategies-physiologic (manipulation of ambient thermal environment), pharmacologic (β-blockers), and genetic (β₂-AR knockout mice) to reduce adrenergic stress signaling in two widely studied preclinical mouse tumor models. Reducing β-AR signaling facilitated conversion of tumors to an immunologically active tumor microenvironment with increased intratumoral frequency of CD8⁺ T cells with an effector phenotype and decreased expression of programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1), in addition to an elevated effector CD8⁺ T-cell to CD4⁺ regulatory T-cell ratio (IFNγ⁺CD8⁺:Treg). Moreover, this conversion significantly increased the efficacy of anti-PD-1 checkpoint blockade. These data highlight the potential of adrenergic stress and norepinephrine-driven β-AR signaling to regulate the immune status of the tumor microenvironment and support the strategic use of clinically available β-blockers in patients to improve responses to immunotherapy. Cancer Res; 77(20); 5639-51. ©2017 AACR.

SUBMITTER: Bucsek MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5645237 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature