Cyclophosphamide treatment regulates the balance of functional/exhausted tumor-specific CD8+ T cells.
Hanoteau A., Henin C., Svec D., Bisilliat Donnet C., Denanglaire S., Colau D., Romero P., Leo O., Van den Eynde B., Moser M.
An important question is how chemotherapy may (re-)activate tumor-specific immunity. In this study, we provide a phenotypic, functional and genomic analysis of tumor-specific CD8+ T cells in tumor (P815)-bearing mice, treated or not with cyclophosphamide. Our data show that chemotherapy favors the development of effector-type lymphocytes in tumor bed, characterized by higher KLRG-1 expression, lower PD-1 expression and increased cytotoxicity. This suggests re-engagement of T lymphocytes into the effector program. IFN-I appears involved in this remodeling. Our findings provide some insight into how cyclophosphamide regulates the amplitude and quality of tumor-specific immune responses.