Abstract

Adoptive transfer of tumor-specific cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL) results in target cell lysis by activating the intrinsic apoptotic cell death program. Not surprisingly, deregulation of the apoptotic machinery is one of the central mechanisms by which tumor cells escape immune destruction despite specific CTL recognition. Here we show that treatment with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib sensitizes previously resistant tumor cells for cytolytic T-cell attack. Human T cells were redirected toward melanoma cells by engineered expression of an immunoreceptor with binding specificity for high molecular weight-melanoma-associated antigen. Established melanoma cell lines as well as primary melanoma cells from tumor biopsies, which are notoriously resistant toward T-cell lysis, became sensitive upon bortezomib treatment. Detailed analysis of the underlying molecular mechanism revealed that bortezomib treatment induced mitochondrial accumulation of NOXA, which potentiated the release of mitochondrial second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase (SMAC) in response to CTL effector functions, including caspase-8 and granzyme B. Our data indicate that proteasome inhibition increases the sensitivity of tumor cells toward cytolytic T-cell attack by NOXA-mediated enhancement of mitochondrial SMAC release.