Age‐related features of lung cancer treatment using reprogrammed CD8 positive T cells in mice subjected to injection of Lewis lung carcinoma cells

Abstract

Abstract Background Awareness of age‐related features of carcinogenesis and the importance of cellular immunity is crucial for developing effective antitumor therapies for specific patient groups. Methods In this study, we examined different populations of cancer stem cells (CSCs) and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in "young" (8‐10 weeks) and "aged" (80‐82 weeks) C57BL/6 male mice. We used an orthotopic model of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) to evaluate the effectiveness of cell therapy targeting lung cancer through reprogrammed CD8‐positive T cells (rCD8+ T cells) in mice from two different ages. Results The findings revealed that tumor progression with age is primarily caused by impaired recruitment of T cells to the lungs. Additionally, a lower number of CTCs and CSCs were observed in younger mice compared to the older mice. The antitumor effect of rCD8+ T cells in aged mice was found to be inferior to that in young mice, which can be attributed to the reduced impact of therapy on specific CSCs populations. Conclusions These results offer new insights into the treatment of lung cancer using rCD8+ T cells. Considering the age‐related characteristics influencing disease progression, this therapy has the potential to significantly enhance the effectiveness of treatment methods.

Keywords

• aged and young mice
• cancer stem cells
• cell therapy
• circulating tumor cells
• reprogrammed CD8+ T cells