B lymphocytes can be activated to act as antigen presenting cells to promote anti-tumor responses

PLoS One. 2018 Jul 5;13(7):e0199034. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199034. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Immune evasion by tumors includes several different mechanisms, including the inefficiency of antigen presenting cells (APCs) to trigger anti-tumor T cell responses. B lymphocytes may display a pro-tumoral role but can also be modulated to function as antigen presenting cells to T lymphocytes, capable of triggering anti-cancer immune responses. While dendritic cells, DCs, are the best APC population to activate naive T cells, DCs or their precursors, monocytes, are frequently modulated by tumors, displaying a tolerogenic phenotype in cancer patients. In patients with cervical cancer, we observed that monocyte derived DCs are tolerogenic, inhibiting allogeneic T cell activation compared to the same population obtained from patients with precursor lesions or cervicitis. In this work, we show that B lymphocytes from cervical cancer patients respond to treatment with sCD40L and IL-4 by increasing the CD80+CD86+ population, therefore potentially increasing their ability to activate T cells. To test if B lymphocytes could actually trigger anti-tumor T cell responses, we designed an experimental model where we harvested T and B lymphocytes, or dendritic cells, from tumor bearing donors, and after APC stimulation, transplanted them, together with T cells into RAG1-/- recipients, previously injected with tumor cells. We were able to show that anti-CD40 activated B lymphocytes could trigger secondary T cell responses, dependent on MHC-II expression. Moreover, we showed that dendritic cells were resistant to the anti-CD40 treatment and unable to stimulate anti-tumor responses. In summary, our results suggest that B lymphocytes may be used as a tool for immunotherapy against cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigen-Presenting Cells / immunology
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • B7-1 Antigen / immunology
  • B7-2 Antigen / immunology
  • CD40 Antigens / immunology
  • CD40 Ligand / administration & dosage*
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Female
  • Homeodomain Proteins / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Cellular
  • Immunotherapy
  • Interleukin-4 / administration & dosage*
  • Lymphocyte Activation / immunology
  • Mice
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / pathology
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / therapy

Substances

  • B7-1 Antigen
  • B7-2 Antigen
  • CD40 Antigens
  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • RAG-1 protein
  • CD40 Ligand
  • Interleukin-4

Grants and funding

RAMR had a PhD fellowship from the Sao Paulo Research Foundation (process 11/11121-8). This project was funded by the Sao Paulo Research Foundation (processes 04/00749-2, 10/20010-2, 14/19326-6) to APL. We also had a grant from the Universidade de São Paulo, through the NUSCEP to APL, and from the Brazilian National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development, though INCT-HPV, grant 573799/2008-3 to LLV.