Single-cell RNA-seq and spatial transcriptomics characterize CD8+ exhausted T cells in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE335452 | GEO | 2026/06/16
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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Project description:Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies revitalize anti-cancer responses by intercepting protein-protein interactions between exhausted CD8 T (Tex) cells and cancer cells (e.g. PD-1:PD-L1). However, up to 50% of patients receiving ICIs relapse, warranting further interrogation of the underpinnings of Tex. We conducted RNA-seq meta-analysis of Tex versus effector (Teff) mouse CD8 T cells, and highlighted NRF2 transcriptional targets as the most upregulated gene set in Tex cells. LCMV or cancer inoculation of mice bearing NRF2 hyperactive—or Keap1-/- (NRF2 negative regulator)—T cells demonstrated that NRF2 drives Tex; evidenced by increased co-inhibitory marker (PD-1/TIM-3) expression and reduced cytokine (IFN-g/Granzyme-B) production. RNA-seq of Keap1-/- highlight Ptgir—which encodes the prostacyclin lipid receptor— as the most upregulated gene versus WT T cells. Accordingly, PTGIR knockout in NRF2-hyperactive/ Tex cells decreased PD-1/TIM-3 expression, increased cytokine production, and attenuated tumor growth. Our data underscore PTGIR as a NRF2-regulated Tex driver and illuminate an unconventional immune checkpoint class potentially based on protein-lipid interactions
2025-04-25 | PXD052688 | Pride
Project description:Chronic infections and cancer cause T cell dysfunction known as exhaustion due to persistent antigen exposure, suboptimal co-stimulation and a plethora of hostile factors, which dampens protective immunity and limits the efficacy of immunotherapies1-4. The mechanisms behind T cell exhaustion remain poorly understood. Herein, we dissected the proteome of CD8+ exhausted T cells (Tex) across multiple states of exhaustion in the context of both chronic viral infections and cancer. We found that there was a non-stochastic pathway-specific discordance between mRNA and protein dynamics in T effector (Teff) versus Tex cells. We identified a unique proteostatic stress response (PSR) in Tex cells which we termed TexPSR. Contrary to canonical stress responses with reduced protein synthesis5,6, the TexPSR involves increased global translation activity and an upregulation of specialized chaperones, characterized further by the accumulation of protein aggregates, stress granules and autophagy-dominant protein catabolism. We established that disruption of proteostasis alone can convert Teff to Tex cells, and linked TexPSR mechanistically to persistent Akt signaling. Finally, we found that disruption of TexPSR-associated chaperones in CD8+ T cells improved cancer immunotherapy preclinically and demonstrated that high TexPSR feature in T cells in cancer patients confers poor response to immunotherapy clinically. Our findings collectively highlight TexPSR as a hallmark and a mechanistic driver of T cell exhaustion, raising the possibility of targeting proteostasis as a potential novel approach for cancer immunotherapy.
2025-07-22 | MSV000098609 | MassIVE
Project description:Adhesion of basal keratinocytes to the underlying extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a key role in the control of skin homeostasis and response to injury. Integrin receptors indirectly link the ECM to the cell cytoskeleton through large protein complexes called focal adhesions (FA). FA also function as intracellular biochemical signaling platforms to enable cells to respond to changing extracellular cues. The α4β1 and α9β1 integrins are both expressed in basal keratinocytes, share some common ECM ligands, and have been shown to promote wound healing in vitro and in vivo. However, their roles in maintaining epidermal homeostasis and relative contributions to pathological processes in the skin remain unclear. We found that α4β1 and α9β1 occupied distinct regions in monolayers of a basal keratinocyte cell line (NEB-1). During collective cell migration (CCM), α4 and α9 integrins co-localized along the leading edge. Pharmacological inhibition of α4β1 and α9β1 integrins increased keratinocyte proliferation and induced a dramatic change in cytoskeletal remodeling and FA rearrangement, detrimentally affecting collective cell migration (CCM). Further analysis revealed that α4β1/α9β1 integrins suppress ERK1/2 activity to control migration through the regulation of downstream kinases including Mitogen and Stress Activated Kinase 1 (MSK1). We performed LC-MS/MS analysis of α4β1/α9β1 adhesion complexes to identify partners that could regulate ERK activity.
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Project description:CD8+ T cell exhaustion (TEX) impairs the ability of T cells to clear chronic infection or cancer. While TEX are hypofunctional, some TEX retain effector gene signatures, a feature that is associated with expression of KLRs (killer lectin-like receptors). Although KLR+ TEX may improve control of chronic antigen, the signaling molecules regulating this population are poorly understood. Using scRNA-seq, flow cytometry, RNA velocity, and scTCR-seq, we demonstrated that deleting the pseudokinase Trib1 shifted TEX towards CX3CR1+ intermediates (TINT) with robust enrichment of KLR+ TEX (TKLR) via clonal T cell expansion. Adoptive transfer studies demonstrate this shift towards a CD8+ TKLR in Trib1 deficient cells is CD8-intrinsic, while CD4-depletion studies demonstrate that CD4+ T cells are required for optimal viral control in Trib1 conditional knockout mice. Further, Trib1 loss augmented anti-PD-L1 blockade to improve viral clearance. These data identify Trib1 as an important regulator of CD8+ TEX whose targeting enhances the TKLR effector state and improves checkpoint inhibitor therapy.
2023-07-25 | GSE235530 | GEO
Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the deadliest malignancies due to its highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), which limits effective therapeutic interventions. Here, we demonstrate that V-domain immunoglobulin suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA) plays a crucial role in orchestrating macrophage polarity within the PDAC TME. Using murine PDAC models, we show that VISTA deficiency markedly impairs tumor growth, leading to reduced tumor volumes and prolonged survival. Mechanistically, VISTA loss reprograms tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) from an immunosuppressive, secreted phosphoprotein 1(SPP1) expressing phenotype to a pro-inflammatory, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 9 (CXCL9) expressing subtype. This switch enhances the recruitment of C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3) positive CD8+ T cells, reducing their exhaustion and sustaining their cytotoxic activity. Additionally, VISTA-deficient TAMs exhibit increased antigen cross-presentation, further amplifying CD8+ T cell response against tumors. These findings are corroborated by human single cell RNA-seq datasets, which suggest a conserved mechanism of VISTA-mediated immune modulation in PDAC TME. By elucidating the upstream role of VISTA in driving Cxcl9:Spp1 macrophage polarity and T cell dynamics, this study highlights VISTA inhibition as a promising therapeutic strategy to reshape the TME, augment CD8+ T cell function, and enhance anti-tumor immunity in PDAC.
2026-02-21 | GSE282101 | GEO
Project description:Exhausted CD8 T cells (TEX) arise during chronic viral infections and cancer and limit disease control. Three major sequential epigenetic remodeling events occur as naïve CD8 T cells (TN) differentiate into TEX: initial activation, early bifurcation between effector (TEFF) and TEX precursors, and later differentiation of effector-like and terminal TEX subsets from progenitor TEX. The epigenetic factors mediating these transitions remain poorly understood. Here, we uncovered distinct roles for two versions of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, BAF and PBAF, in TEX differentiation using in vivo CRISPR screening. Disruption of BAF ablated antigen-specific CD8 T cells early in chronic infection, suggesting a requirement for BAF-mediated remodeling in the early epigenetic remodeling events. In contrast, depletion of PBAF subunits enhanced TEX formation and promoted progenitor TEX differentiation into more differentiated TEX subsets by limiting accessibility of TCF-1 binding sites. Loss of PBAF improved tumor control alone and in combination with anti-PD-L1. Simultaneous depletion of BAF- and PBAF-specific subunits revealed that BAF is required for the beneficial impact of loss of PBAF on TEX differentiation. Thus, BAF and PBAF regulate epigenetic transitions in CD8 T cell differentiation, with PBAF acting at a later stage in exhaustion as a guardian to limit full TEX differentiation and preserve TEX progenitor populations with implications for cancer immunotherapy.
2023-05-31 | GSE211410 | GEO
Project description:Exhausted CD8 T cells (TEX) arise during chronic viral infections and cancer and limit disease control. Three major sequential epigenetic remodeling events occur as naïve CD8 T cells (TN) differentiate into TEX: initial activation, early bifurcation between effector (TEFF) and TEX precursors, and later differentiation of effector-like and terminal TEX subsets from progenitor TEX. The epigenetic factors mediating these transitions remain poorly understood. Here, we uncovered distinct roles for two versions of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, BAF and PBAF, in TEX differentiation using in vivo CRISPR screening. Disruption of BAF ablated antigen-specific CD8 T cells early in chronic infection, suggesting a requirement for BAF-mediated remodeling in the early epigenetic remodeling events. In contrast, depletion of PBAF subunits enhanced TEX formation and promoted progenitor TEX differentiation into more differentiated TEX subsets by limiting accessibility of TCF-1 binding sites. Loss of PBAF improved tumor control alone and in combination with anti-PD-L1. Simultaneous depletion of BAF- and PBAF-specific subunits revealed that BAF is required for the beneficial impact of loss of PBAF on TEX differentiation. Thus, BAF and PBAF regulate epigenetic transitions in CD8 T cell differentiation, with PBAF acting at a later stage in exhaustion as a guardian to limit full TEX differentiation and preserve TEX progenitor populations with implications for cancer immunotherapy.
2023-05-31 | GSE211409 | GEO
Project description:Tumors that contain tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) with tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM) features are associated with better patient prognoses. While CD8+ T cells that target tumors often fail to restrain tumor growth due to progressive T cell exhaustion, pathogen-specific TRM survey tissues and sustain protective capacity for years. We identified protein homeostasis (proteostasis)-related E3 ubiquitin ligase genes shared by TRM and progenitor-exhausted TIL (TPEX), that are lost as TIL become terminally-exhausted (TEX). Sustained ligase expression led to increased TCF1+ T cell accumulation and improved anti-tumor function and less T cell exhaustion in chronic infection. Loss-of-function alleles in T cells challenged with cancer models impaired TIL accumulation and function and altered T cell differentiation in response to acute infection. Mass spectrometry revealed abundant expression of protein degradation pathways by TEX, yet they accumulated unfolded proteins. Ligase overexpression rescued unfolded protein accumulation in TEX, demonstrating their functional contribution to proteostasis. Ligase overexpression in combination with immune checkpoint blockade led to improved survival from murine melanoma, demonstrating that the relationship between proteostasis and T cell differentiation opens up new avenues for cancer immunotherapy.
2026-04-30 | PXD067417 | Pride
Project description:Tumors that contain tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) with tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM) features are associated with better patient prognoses. While CD8+ T cells that target tumors often fail to restrain tumor growth due to progressive T cell exhaustion, pathogen-specific TRM survey tissues and sustain protective capacity for years. We identified protein homeostasis (proteostasis)-related E3 ubiquitin ligase genes shared by TRM and progenitor-exhausted TIL (TPEX), that are lost as TIL become terminally-exhausted (TEX). Sustained ligase expression led to increased TCF1+ T cell accumulation and improved anti-tumor function and less T cell exhaustion in chronic infection. Loss-of-function in cancer models impaired TIL accumulation and function and altered T cell differentiation in response to acute infection. Low-input mass spectrometry revealed abundant expression of protein degradation pathways by TEX, yet they accumulated unfolded proteins. Ligase overexpression rescued unfolded protein accumulation in TEX, demonstrating their functional contribution to proteostasis. Ligase overexpression in combination with immune checkpoint blockade led to improved survival from murine melanoma, demonstrating that the relationship between proteostasis and T cell differentiation opens up new avenues for cancer immunotherapy.
2026-04-21 | PXD063865 | Pride
Project description:Tumors that contain tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) with tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM) features are associated with better patient prognoses. While CD8+ T cells that target tumors often fail to restrain tumor growth due to progressive T cell exhaustion, pathogen-specific TRM survey tissues and sustain protective capacity for years. We identified protein homeostasis (proteostasis)-related E3 ubiquitin ligase genes shared by TRM and progenitor-exhausted TIL (TPEX), that are lost as TIL become terminally-exhausted (TEX). Sustained ligase expression led to increased TCF1+ T cell accumulation and improved anti-tumor function and less T cell exhaustion in chronic infection. Loss-of-function in cancer models impaired TIL accumulation and function and altered T cell differentiation in response to acute infection. Low-input mass spectrometry revealed abundant expression of protein degradation pathways by TEX, yet they accumulated unfolded proteins. Ligase overexpression rescued unfolded protein accumulation in TEX, demonstrating their functional contribution to proteostasis. Ligase overexpression in combination with immune checkpoint blockade led to improved survival from murine melanoma, demonstrating that the relationship between proteostasis and T cell differentiation opens up new avenues for cancer immunotherapy.
2026-04-21 | PXD070932 | Pride