Murine B16 melanomas expressing high levels of the chemokine stromal-derived factor-1/CXCL12 induce tumor-specific T cell chemorepulsion and escape from immune control.
The chemokine, stromal-derived factor-1/CXCL12, is expressed by normal and neoplastic tissues and is involved in tumor growth, metastasis, and modulation of tumor immunity. T cell-mediated tumor immunity depends on the migration and colocalization of CTL with tumor cells, a process regulated by chemokines and adhesion molecules. It has been demonstrated that T cells are repelled by high concentrations of the chemokine CXCL12 via a concentration-dependent and CXCR4 receptor-mediated mechanism, termed chemorepulsion or fugetaxis. We proposed that repulsion of tumor Ag-specific T cells from a tumor expressing high levels of CXCL12 allows the tumor to evade immune control. Murine B16/OVA melanoma cells (H2b) were engineered to constitutively express CXCL12. Immunization of C57BL/6 mice with B16/OVA cells lead to destruction of B16/OVA tumors expressing no or low levels of CXCL12 but not tumors expressing high levels of the chemokine. Early recruitment of adoptively transferred OVA-specific CTL into B16/OVA tumors expressing high levels of CXCL12 was significantly reduced in comparison to B16/OVA tumors, and this reduction was reversed when tumor-specific CTLs were pretreated with the specific CXCR4 antagonist, AMD3100. Memory OVA-specific CD8+ T cells demonstrated antitumor activity against B16/OVA tumors but not B16/OVA.CXCL12-high tumors. Expression of high levels of CXCL12 by B16/OVA cells significantly reduced CTL colocalization with and killing of target cells in vitro in a CXCR4-dependent manner. The repulsion of tumor Ag-specific T cells away from melanomas expressing CXCL12 confirms the chemorepellent activity of high concentrations of CXCL12 and may represent a novel mechanism by which certain tumors evade the immune system.
Partners AIDS Research Center, Infectious Diseases Division, and Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.
Fabrizio
F
Vianello
Natalia
N
Papeta
Tao
T
Chen
Paul
P
Kraft
Natasha
N
White
William K
WK
Hart
Moritz F
MF
Kircher
Eric
E
Swart
Sarah
S
Rhee
Giorgio
G
Palù
Daniel
D
Irimia
Mehmet
M
Toner
Ralph
R
Weissleder
Mark C
MC
Poznansky
D000818:Animals; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002464:Cell Migration Inhibition; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; D019743:Chemokines, CXC / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics; D019713:Receptors, CCR5 / Q000378:metabolism; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000502:physiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology
D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; D019743:Chemokines, CXC; C515256:Cxcl12 protein, mouse; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D019713:Receptors, CCR5; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4; D010047:Ovalbumin