Epigenetic characterization of T progenitor exhausted and terminally exhausted T cells in chronic infection [ATACseq_Prdm1YFP]
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ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE294878 | GEO | 2025/10/02
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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Project description:During persistent antigen stimulation, PD-1+CD8 T cells are maintained by progenitor exhausted PD-1+TCF-1+CD8 T cells (Tpex). Tpex respond to PD-1 blockade, and regulation of Tpex differentiation into more functional Tex is of major interest for cancer immunotherapies. Tpex express high levels of Inducible Costimulator (ICOS), but the role of ICOS for PD-1+CD8 T cell responses has not been addressed. In chronic infection, ICOS-deficiency increased both number and quality of virus-specific CD8 T cells, with accumulation of effector-like Tex due to enhanced survival. Mechanistically, loss of ICOS signaling potentiated FoxO1 activity and memory features of Tpex. In mice with established chronic infection, ICOS-Ligand blockade resulted in expansion of effector-like Tex and reduction in viral load. In a mouse model of hepatocellular carcinoma, ICOS inhibition improved cytokine production by tumor-specific PD-1+CD8 T cells and delayed tumor growth. Overall, we show that ICOS constrains CD8 T cell responses during chronic antigen exposure.
2025-07-07 | GSE270420 | GEO
Project description:During persistent antigen stimulation, PD-1+CD8 T cells are maintained by progenitor exhausted PD-1+TCF-1+CD8 T cells (Tpex). Tpex respond to PD-1 blockade, and regulation of Tpex differentiation into more functional Tex is of major interest for cancer immunotherapies. Tpex express high levels of Inducible Costimulator (ICOS), but the role of ICOS for PD-1+CD8 T cell responses has not been addressed. In chronic infection, ICOS-deficiency increased both number and quality of virus-specific CD8 T cells, with accumulation of effector-like Tex due to enhanced survival. Mechanistically, loss of ICOS signaling potentiated FoxO1 activity and memory features of Tpex. ICOS-deficient Tex displayed enhanced survival and improved cytokine production. In chronically-infected mice, ICOS-Ligand blockade expanded effector-like Tex, reduced viral load and potentiated anti-PD-L1 therapy. In a mouse model of hepatocellular carcinoma, ICOS inhibition improved cytokine production by tumor-specific PD-1+CD8 T cells and sensitized tumors to PD-1 targeted therapy. Overall, we show that sustained ICOS costimulation limits CD8 T cell responses during chronic antigen exposure.
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Project description:The goal of this study is to determine the capacity of Tcf1 to reprogram exhausted CD8+ T cells for function restoration. Tex cells elicited by chronic infection contain a CXCR5+Tim3– subset that has stem cell-like self-renewing capacity and expresses an elevated level of Tcf1 (termed Tex-stem), and Tex-stem cells depend on Tcf1 for generation and persistence. We show that ectopic Tcf1 expression profoundly affected the chromatin accessibility of Tex cells.
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Project description:Chronic antigen stimulation is thought to generate dysfunctional CD8 T cells. Here we identify a CD8 T cell subset in the bone marrow tumor microenvironment that, despite an apparent terminally exhausted phenotype (TPHEX), expressed granzymes, perforin, and IFNγ. Concurrent gene expression and DNA accessibility revealed that genes encoding these functional proteins correlated with BATF expression and motif accessibility. IFNγ+ TPHEX effectively killed myeloma with comparable efficacy to transitory effectors, and disease progression correlated with numerical deficits in IFNγ+ TPHEX. We also observed IFNγ+ TPHEX within CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor T cells, which killed CD19+ leukemia cells. Importantly, an IFNγ+ TPHEX gene signature was recapitulated in TEX cells from human cancers, including myeloma and lymphoma. Here we characterize a TEX subset in hematological malignancies that paradoxically retains function and is distinct from dysfunctional TEX found in chronic viral infections. Thus, IFNγ+ TPHEX represent a potential target for immunotherapy of blood cancers.
2024-04-19 | GSE262306 | GEO
Project description:The goal of this study is to determine the capacity of Tcf1 to reprogram exhausted CD8+ T cells for function restoration. Tex cells elicited by chronic infection contain a CXCR5+Tim3– subset that has stem cell-like self-renewing capacity and expresses an elevated level of Tcf1 (termed Tex-stem), and Tex-stem cells depend on Tcf1 for generation and persistence. We show that ectopic Tcf1 expression profoundly affected the transcriptome and chromatin accessibility of Tex cells.
2020-04-30 | GSE139056 | GEO
Project description:T cell exhaustion is a state of functional decline in T cells, driven by chronic antigen exposure and inhibitory signals within the tumor microenvironment. Exhausted CD8+ T cells (Tex) derive from precursor exhausted T cells (Tpex), a self-renewing population responsible for the proliferative burst observed in anti-PD-1 therapies. Exhausted cells are exposed to adenosine in the tumor, yet the role of the CD73/adenosine axis and Tpex/Tex differentiation remains unclear. Using an in vitro model for CD8+ T cell exhaustion, we found that CD73 expression increased during Tpex formation and that its expression is negatively correlated with Tex generation. CD73-deficient (CD73KO) CD8⁺ T cells showed impaired activation and reduced progression to Tex. Moreover, we demonstrated that CD73 promotes transcriptional expression of the adenosine receptor A2A (A2AR) and the differentiation into IFNγ/TNFα-producing Tex cells. RNAseq analysis of exhausted CD73KO CD8+ T cells showed a more stem-like transcriptomic profile and enrichment in genes associated with the immune response than their WT counterpart. In vivo, co-transfer of naïve CD73 KO and WT tumor antigen-specific CD8⁺ T cells into tumor-bearing mice showed increased Tpex frequency and numbers among CD73KO cells in tumors. Conversely, in vitro exhaustion in the presence of A2AR agonists decreased Tex frequency and activation/exhaustion markers, while increasing CD73 and CD62L, markers associated with stemness. Supporting this, A2AR blockade with SYN115 in tumor-bearing mice reduced Tpex markers and increased Tex differentiation. Altogether, our data suggest CD73 promotes Tpex-to-Tex differentiation, whereas adenosine-A2AR signaling supports Tpex maintenance in the tumor microenvironment.
2025-05-30 | GSE298159 | GEO
Project description:Tumors and chronic infections result in sustained antigen exposure, which promotes impaired functional responsiveness in T cells referred to as exhaustion. Checkpoint immunotherapy can induce the reinvigoration of cellular immunity by activating a recently identified precursor of exhausted T (TPEX) cell population. This activation requires cellular interactions between TPEX cells and professional antigen-presenting cells, likely conventional dendritic cells (cDC). Currently, it is unknown where cDC - TPEX cell interactions take place and which cDC subsets are involved. To address these questions, we first mapped the differentiation trajectory of TPEX cell subsets via transitory cellular states towards terminally exhausted T (TEX) cells, identified transcriptionally distinct subpopulations and defined their localization in the spleen during chronic viral infection. We found that cDC were required for TPEX cell proliferation, differentiation and viral control during PD-L1 treatment. In particular cDC1, a specialized subset of dendritic cells, colocalized with TPEX cells and regulated their maintenance by promoting the functionality of stromal cells that support TPEX cell survival. Additionally, during PD-L1 treatment, the splenic cDC1 network was significantly reorganized at the marginal zone, a site of TPEX cell differentiation. As a consequence, viral control during checkpoint immunotherapy and cellular integrity of the marginal zone depended on the presence of cDC1. Since cDC2 were sufficient to drive initial TPEX cell proliferation and TEX cell generation but not viral control, our data suggest a new concept in which cDC1 decelerate the speed of differentiation of TPEX cells via transitory cellular states and thereby generate a therapeutic window for effective immunotherapy. Together, our findings reveal how the dynamic spatial organization of the DC network supports cellular niches that guide the maintenance and differentiation of TPEX cells and opens new avenues to optimize checkpoint immunotherapy.
2022-05-05 | GSE168282 | GEO
Project description:During persistent antigen stimulation, such as in chronic infections and cancer, T cells differentiate into a hypofunctional exhausted state to survive. Exhausted PD-1+ CD8 T cell responses are sustained by TCF-1+ precursors (Tpex) that self-renew or differentiate into exhausted T cells (Tex) that retain some effector function. Tpex have high expression of the costimulatory molecule CD28 and are the cells that respond to PD-1 targeted immunotherapy. Here, we demonstrate that abrogation of CD28 signaling impairs maintenance of anti-viral T cell responses during chronic infection. Low-level CD28 signaling was required to preserve mitochondrial fitness and self-renewal of Tpex, whereas stronger CD28 signaling enhanced glycolysis and promoted Tpex differentiation. Our findings show that CD28 signaling is essential for long-term maintenance of antigen-specific T cells during chronic stimulation, and suggest that the activation status of antigen presenting cells determines Tpex differentiation into more functional effector-like Tex cells.
2023-07-01 | GSE200506 | GEO
Project description:The goal of this study is to determine the capacity of Tcf1 to reprogram exhausted CD8+ T cells for function restoration. Tex cells elicited by chronic infection contain a CXCR5+Tim3– subset that has stem cell-like self-renewing capacity and expresses an elevated level of Tcf1 (termed Tex-stem), and Tex-stem cells depend on Tcf1 for generation and persistence. We show that ectopic Tcf1 expression profoundly affected the transcriptome of Tex cells.
2020-04-30 | GSE139057 | GEO
Project description:During persistent antigen stimulation, PD-1+CD8 T cells are maintained by progenitor exhausted PD-1+TCF-1+CD8 T cells (Tpex). Tpex respond to PD-1 blockade, and regulation of Tpex differentiation into more functional Tex is of major interest for cancer immunotherapies. Tpex express high levels of Inducible T-cell Costimulator (ICOS), but the role of ICOS for PD-1+CD8 T cell responses has not been addressed. In chronic infection, ICOS-deficiency increased both number and quality of virus-specific CD8 T cells, with accumulation of effector-like Tex due to enhanced survival. Mechanistically, loss of ICOS signaling potentiated FoxO1 activity and memory features of Tpex. In mice with established chronic infection, ICOS-Ligand blockade resulted in expansion of effector-like Tex and reduction in viral load. In a mouse model of hepatocellular carcinoma, ICOS inhibition improved cytokine production by tumor-specific PD-1+CD8 T cells and delayed tumor growth. Overall, we show that ICOS constrains CD8 T cell responses during chronic antigen exposure.
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