Frontiers in Immunology (Jul 2023)

Whole-body bioluminescence imaging of T-cell response in PDAC models

  • Roisin McMorrow,
  • Roisin McMorrow,
  • Roisin McMorrow,
  • Giorgia Zambito,
  • Giorgia Zambito,
  • Alex Nigg,
  • Karishma Lila,
  • Thierry P. P. van den Bosch,
  • Clemens W. G. M. Lowik,
  • Laura Mezzanotte,
  • Laura Mezzanotte

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1207533
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14

Abstract

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IntroductionThe location of T-cells during tumor progression and treatment provides crucial information in predicting the response in vivo.MethodsHere, we investigated, using our bioluminescent, dual color, T-cell reporter mouse, termed TbiLuc, T-cell location and function during murine PDAC tumor growth and checkpoint blockade treatment with anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4. Using this model, we could visualize T-cell location and function in the tumor and the surrounding tumor microenvironment longitudinally. We used murine PDAC clones that formed in vivo tumors with either high T-cell infiltration (immunologically ‘hot’) or low T-cell infiltration (immunologically ‘cold’).ResultsDifferences in total T-cell bioluminescence could be seen between the ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ tumors in the TbiLuc mice. During checkpoint blockade treatment we could see in the tumor-draining lymph nodes an increase in bioluminescence on day 7 after treatment.ConclusionsIn the current work, we showed that the TbiLuc mice can be used to monitor T-cell location and function during tumor growth and treatment.

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