OncoImmunology (Oct 2017)

Distinctive features of tumor-infiltrating γδ T lymphocytes in human colorectal cancer

  • S. Meraviglia,
  • E. Lo Presti,
  • M. Tosolini,
  • C. La Mendola,
  • V. Orlando,
  • M. Todaro,
  • V. Catalano,
  • G. Stassi,
  • G. Cicero,
  • S. Vieni,
  • J. J. Fourniè,
  • F. Dieli

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/2162402X.2017.1347742
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6, no. 10

Abstract

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γδ T cells usually infiltrate many different types of cancer, but it is unclear whether they inhibit or promote tumor progression. Moreover, properties of tumor-infiltrating γδ T cells and those in the corresponding normal tissue remain largely unknown. Here we have studied features of γδ T cells in colorectal cancer, normal colon tissue and peripheral blood, and correlated their levels with clinicopathologic hallmarks. Flow cytometry and transcriptome analyses showed that the tumor comprised a highly variable rate of TILs (5–90%) and 4% γδ T cells on average, with the majority expressing Vδ1. Most Vδ1 and Vδ2 T cells showed a predominant effector memory phenotype and had reduced production of IFN- γ which was likely due to yet unidentified inhibitory molecules present in cancer stem cell secretome. Transcriptome analyses revealed that patients containing abundant γδ T cells had significantly longer 5-year disease free survival rate, suggesting their efficacy in controlling tumor at very early stage.

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