Cell Reports Medicine (Oct 2020)

CD103+CD8+ TRM Cells Accumulate in Tumors of Anti-PD-1-Responder Lung Cancer Patients and Are Tumor-Reactive Lymphocytes Enriched with Tc17

  • Stéphanie Corgnac,
  • Ines Malenica,
  • Laura Mezquita,
  • Edouard Auclin,
  • Elodie Voilin,
  • Jamila Kacher,
  • Heloise Halse,
  • Laetitia Grynszpan,
  • Nicolas Signolle,
  • Thibault Dayris,
  • Marine Leclerc,
  • Nathalie Droin,
  • Vincent de Montpréville,
  • Olaf Mercier,
  • Pierre Validire,
  • Jean-Yves Scoazec,
  • Christophe Massard,
  • Salem Chouaib,
  • David Planchard,
  • Julien Adam,
  • Benjamin Besse,
  • Fathia Mami-Chouaib

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 1, no. 7
p. 100127

Abstract

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Summary: Accumulation of CD103+CD8+ resident memory T (TRM) cells in human lung tumors has been associated with a favorable prognosis. However, the contribution of TRM to anti-tumor immunity and to the response to immune checkpoint blockade has not been clearly established. Using quantitative multiplex immunofluorescence on cohorts of non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with anti-PD-(L)1, we show that an increased density of CD103+CD8+ lymphocytes in immunotherapy-naive tumors is associated with greatly improved outcomes. The density of CD103+CD8+ cells increases during immunotherapy in most responder, but not in non-responder, patients. CD103+CD8+ cells co-express CD49a and CD69 and display a molecular profile characterized by the expression of PD-1 and CD39. CD103+CD8+ tumor TRM, but not CD103−CD8+ tumor-infiltrating counterparts, express Aiolos, phosphorylated STAT-3, and IL-17; demonstrate enhanced proliferation and cytotoxicity toward autologous cancer cells; and frequently display oligoclonal expansion of TCR-β clonotypes. These results explain why CD103+CD8+ TRM are associated with better outcomes in anti-PD-(L)1-treated patients.

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