title: The brain parenchyma is permissive for full antitumor CTL effector function, even in the absence of CD4 T cells.
abstract: Effective antitumor immune responses against cerebral malignancies have been demonstrated in several models, but precise cellular function of specific effector cells is poorly understood. We have explored this topic by analyzing the MHC class I-restricted T cell response elicited after implantation of HLA-CW3-transfected P815 mastocytoma cells (P815-CW3) in syngeneic mice. In this model, tumor-specific CTLs use a distinctive repertoire of TCRs that allows ex vivo assessment of the response by immunophenotyping and TCR spectratyping. Thus, for the first time in a brain tumor model, we are able to directly visualize ex vivo CTLs specific for a tumor-expressed Ag. Tumor-specific CTLs are detected in the CNS after intracerebral implantation of P815-CW3, together with other inflammatory cells. Moreover, despite observations in other models suggesting that CTLs infiltrating the brain may be functionally compromised and highly dependent upon CD4 T cells, in this syngeneic P815-CW3 model, intracerebral tumors were efficiently rejected, whether or not CD4 T cells were present. This observation correlated with potent ex vivo cytotoxicity of brain-infiltrating CTLs, specific for the immunodominant epitope CW3170-179 expressed on P815-CW3 tumor cells.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Tumor Immunology, Division of Oncology, and Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. Paul.Walker@hcuge.ch
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Calzascia
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schnuriger
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Scamuffa
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saas
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: de Tribolet
authors.forename: P Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Dietrich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology; D002469:Cell Separation; D002999:Clone Cells; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D015236:HLA-C Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000235:genetics; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008231:Lymphopenia / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012513:Sarcoma, Experimental / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000637:transplantation; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015236:HLA-C Antigens; C038653:HLA-C*03 antigen; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell