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Dendritic cell-mediated antigen presentation regulates tertiary lymphoid structure development in cancer.

ABSTRACT: Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) correlate with favorable responses to immunotherapy, yet the mechanisms governing their formation and maintenance in tumors remain poorly defined. Through high-resolution spatial mapping across human tumors, we identified a consistent accumulation of CCR7⁺ mature dendritic cells (DC) within TLS. To dissect their function, we developed a non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) model that recapitulates mature TLS formation. Using this model, we demonstrate that TLS induction requires IFNγ-driven maturation of type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1), their migration to tumor-draining lymph nodes (tdLN), and the subsequent recruitment of tdLN-primed T cells into the tumor microenvironment. As tumors progress, TLS persist even in the absence of tdLN T cell egress, coinciding with impaired cDC1 migration to tdLN and their retention within intratumoral stromal hubs enriched in CCR7 ligands. Timed depletion of cDC1 or blockade of their localization to these hubs disrupts TLS maintenance. Strikingly, concomitant genetic ablation of both MHC class I and II on cDC1 abolishes the maintenance of TLS, T follicular helper (TFH) cells, germinal center formation, tumor-specific IgG production, and the differentiation of progenitor exhausted CD8⁺ T cells. These findings establish that local cDC1-mediated antigen presentation to CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ T cells is a central orchestrator of anti-tumor TLS programs and compelling targets for therapeutic intervention.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE322553 | GEO | 2026/07/16

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Immune evasion is an important hallmark of cancer ensured by diverse strategies, including immunosuppression and downregulation of antigen presentation. Here, to restore immunogenicity of cancer cells, we employed the minimal gene regulatory network of highly immunogenic type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1) to reprogram cancer cells into professional antigen presenting cells (APCs). We showed that enforced expression of PU.1, IRF8 and BATF3 (PIB) was sufficient to induce cDC1 phenotype in 33 cell lines derived from human and mouse hematological and solid tumors. PIB gradually modified the cancer cell transcriptional and epigenetic program imposing global antigen presentation and cDC1 gene signatures within 9 days. cDC1 reprogramming restored the expression of antigen presentation complexes as well as co-stimulatory molecules at the cell surface, leading to the presentation of endogenous antigens on MHC-I, and to CD8+ T cell mediated killing. Functionally, tumor- APCs acquired the ability to uptake and process exogenous proteins and dead cells, secreted inflammatory cytokines and cross-presented antigens to naïve CD8+ T cells. Importantly, tumor-APCs were efficiently generated at the single cell level from primary cancer cells of 7 solid tumors that presented antigens to memory and naïve T-cells, as well as to activated patient-specific intra-tumoral lymphocytes. Alongside antigen presentation, tumor-APCs harboring TP53, KRAS and PTEN mutations showed impaired tumorigenicity in vitro and in vivo. Finally, using in vivo mouse models of melanoma, we showed that intra-tumoral injection of tumor-APCs promoted lymphoid infiltration, delayed tumor growth and increased survival. The anti-tumor immunity elicited by tumor-APCs was synergistic with immune checkpoint inhibitors enabling tumor eradication. Our approach combines cDC1’s antigen processing and presenting abilities with endogenous generation of tumor antigens and serves as a platform for the development of novel immunotherapies based on endowed antigen presentation in cancer cells.

Project description:Background and aims: Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) are formed in many cancer types and have been correlated with better prognosis and response to immunotherapy. In liver cancer, TLSs have been reported to be pro-tumorigenic as they harbor tumor progenitor cells and nurture their growth. The processes involved in TLS development and the acquisition of a pro- or anti-tumorigenic phenotype in cancer are largely unknown. RORc expressing immune cells have been previously implicated in TLS formation, however, their role in TLS development in the context of inflammation-associated liver cancer remains unexplored. Methods: IKKβ(EE)Hep mice, exhibiting chronic liver inflammation and TLS formation followed by liver cancer, were crossed with RORc knockout mice to explore the effect of RORc on TLS and tumor formation. Transcriptional, proteomic and immunohistochemical techniques were used to analyze TLS phenotypes. CD4, CD8 and B cell depletions were used to analyze their contribution to liver TLS and tumor formation. Results: RORc expressing cells were detected within TLSs of both human patients and mice which develop intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. In mice, RORc expressing cells negatively regulate TLS formation, since in their absence TLSs form in excess. CD4 cells are essential for liver TLS formation whereas B cells are required for TLS formation specifically in the absence of RORc expressing cells. Importantly, in chronically inflamed livers lacking RORc expressing cells, TLSs become anti-tumorigenic, resulting in reduced tumor load. Comparing liver pro- and anti-tumorigenic TLSs, revealed enrichment of exhausted CD8 cells that retained effector functions, as well as germinal center B cells and plasma cells in anti-tumorigenic TLSs. Cell depletion experiments revealed a role mainly for B cells in limiting tumor development, possibly via tumor-directed antibodies. Conclusions: RORc expressing cells negatively regulate B cell responses, and facilitate the pro-tumorigenic functions of hepatic TLSs.

Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is considered an immunologically cold cancer type. This perception is due to its rapid progression, strong presence of immunosuppressive cells and lack of response to current immunotherapies. However, we and others have shown that many patient PDAC tumors contain robust lymphocyte infiltration, aggregated in the form of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS). The presence of TLS in PDAC is prognostic for long-term survival and in other cancer types, predictive of response to immunotherapy. Despite the clinical benefit to generating TLS in tumors, why they form in some PDAC patients but not others, remains unknown. The desmoplastic stroma in PDAC contributes to defective anti-tumor immunity largely due to myofibroblastic cancer associated fibroblasts (myCAF) induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF). Other groups have demonstrated that mesenchymal cell phenotypes with lymphoid tissue organizing properties regulate TLS formation in tumors. In order to restore effective anti-tumor immunity for PDAC patients, CAF phenotypes must be reprogrammed to support rather than restrict intratumoral immune activity. Using a lymphotoxin beta receptor (LTBR) agonist we observed induction of TLS-like aggregates in some murine PDAC tumor models, but not others. The CAF phenotypes of TLS-resistant models were predominantly myCAF while the TLS-permissive models were enriched for a VCAM1+ICAM1+ reticular-CAF (rCAF) subset. Induction of myCAF differentiation in vitro with TGF1 silenced LTBR/TNFR mediated upregulation of rCAF chemokine expression and attenuated B and T cell migration towards fibroblasts. Therapeutic TGFR1 inhibition ameliorated these effects thereby allowing LTBR agonism to repolarize rCAF phenotypic programming associated with improved lymphocyte recruitment and T cell-dependent tumor control. In patient PDAC tumors, rCAF resided next to TLS while myCAF were distally located. These data indicate that the myCAF-regulated PDAC stroma antagonizes acquisition of rCAF subsets critical for TLS formation but can be therapeutically remodeled to promote beneficial immune responses in immunosuppressive PDAC tumors.

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Dendritic cell-mediated antigen presentation regulates tertiary lymphoid structure development in cancer.

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