Differential Expression of CD49a and CD49b Determines Localization and Function of Tumor-Infiltrating CD8⁺ T Cells.

ABSTRACT: CD8⁺ T-cell infiltration and effector activity in tumors are correlated with better overall survival of patients, suggesting that the ability of T cells to enter and remain in contact with tumor cells supports tumor control. CD8⁺ T cells express the collagen-binding integrins CD49a and CD49b, but little is known about their function or how their expression is regulated in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, we found that tumor-infiltrating CD8⁺ T cells initially expressed CD49b, gained CD49a, and then lost CD49b over the course of tumor outgrowth. This differentiation sequence was driven by antigen-independent elements in the TME, although T-cell receptor (TCR) stimulation further increased CD49a expression. Expression of exhaustion markers and CD49a as

SUBMITTER: Melssen MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8102369 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature