TY - JOUR
T1 - Human papilloma virus specific immunogenicity and dysfunction of CD8+ T cells in head and neck cancer
AU - Krishna, Sri
AU - Ulrich, Peaches
AU - Wilson, Eric
AU - Parikh, Falguni
AU - Narang, Pooja
AU - Yang, Shanshan
AU - Read, Amelia K.
AU - Kim-Schulze, Seunghee
AU - Park, Jin
AU - Posner, Marshall
AU - Wilson Sayres, Melissa
AU - Sikora, Andrew
AU - Anderson, Karen
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
2018 American Association for Cancer Research.
PY - 2018/11/1
Y1 - 2018/11/1
N2 - Human papillomavirus subtype 16 (HPV16) is the primary cause of an increasing number of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), providing strong rationale for T-cell immune therapies against HPVþ HNSCC. Here we assess immunogenicity of HPV16-specific CD8þ T cells (CTL) and characterize HPV-specific mechanisms of T-cell dysfunction. We identified 16 strong and 29 moderately immunogenic CTL-epitopes from HPV16 E2, E6, and E7 antigens restricted by 12 common HLA class I alleles. E2-specific CTL-reactivity was higher in patients with HPVþ HNSCC than in healthy controls (>3-fold; P ¼ 0.026). Patient-derived E2, E6, and E7 peripheral CTLs exhibited heterogeneity in dysfunctional phenotypes. Immunoge-nomic analyses of 119 HNSCC transcriptomes revealed high T-cell infiltration and dysfunction in HPVþ HNSCC and correlation of HPV antigen expression with T-cell exhaustion gene signatures. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO-1) was strongly expressed in HPVþ HNSCC versus HPV HNSCC (P ¼ 0.001) and correlated with E7 expression (R2 ¼ 0.84; P ¼ 0.033). Combination treatment with PD-1 blockade and IDO-1 inhibition overcame profound CTL-dysfunction, enhancing HPVþ HNSCC sensitivity to CTL-cytotoxicity in vitro (up to 10-fold in E7-CTLs, P ¼ 0.011). Our findings implicate mechanisms of T-cell escape in HPVþ HNSCC, wherein high tumoral HPV-antigen load results in high expression of immune dysfunction genes on tumor cells (e.g., IDO-1), and dysfunction of HPV-specific CTLs (e.g., E7, E2-CTLs). The HPV16 CTL-epitopes identified in this study, in combination with blockade of HPVþ HNSCC-specific PD-1/IDO-1 checkpoints, may be useful for targeted immunotherapy. Significance: This study evaluates the HPV antigen T-cell immunogenicity role of inhibitory receptors and other exhaustion markers in the cytotoxic function of HPV antigen-specific CTLs and identifies combined inhibition of PD-1/IDO-1 as a strategy to enhance CTL targeting of HPVþ HNSCC.
AB - Human papillomavirus subtype 16 (HPV16) is the primary cause of an increasing number of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), providing strong rationale for T-cell immune therapies against HPVþ HNSCC. Here we assess immunogenicity of HPV16-specific CD8þ T cells (CTL) and characterize HPV-specific mechanisms of T-cell dysfunction. We identified 16 strong and 29 moderately immunogenic CTL-epitopes from HPV16 E2, E6, and E7 antigens restricted by 12 common HLA class I alleles. E2-specific CTL-reactivity was higher in patients with HPVþ HNSCC than in healthy controls (>3-fold; P ¼ 0.026). Patient-derived E2, E6, and E7 peripheral CTLs exhibited heterogeneity in dysfunctional phenotypes. Immunoge-nomic analyses of 119 HNSCC transcriptomes revealed high T-cell infiltration and dysfunction in HPVþ HNSCC and correlation of HPV antigen expression with T-cell exhaustion gene signatures. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO-1) was strongly expressed in HPVþ HNSCC versus HPV HNSCC (P ¼ 0.001) and correlated with E7 expression (R2 ¼ 0.84; P ¼ 0.033). Combination treatment with PD-1 blockade and IDO-1 inhibition overcame profound CTL-dysfunction, enhancing HPVþ HNSCC sensitivity to CTL-cytotoxicity in vitro (up to 10-fold in E7-CTLs, P ¼ 0.011). Our findings implicate mechanisms of T-cell escape in HPVþ HNSCC, wherein high tumoral HPV-antigen load results in high expression of immune dysfunction genes on tumor cells (e.g., IDO-1), and dysfunction of HPV-specific CTLs (e.g., E7, E2-CTLs). The HPV16 CTL-epitopes identified in this study, in combination with blockade of HPVþ HNSCC-specific PD-1/IDO-1 checkpoints, may be useful for targeted immunotherapy. Significance: This study evaluates the HPV antigen T-cell immunogenicity role of inhibitory receptors and other exhaustion markers in the cytotoxic function of HPV antigen-specific CTLs and identifies combined inhibition of PD-1/IDO-1 as a strategy to enhance CTL targeting of HPVþ HNSCC.
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U2 - 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-18-0163
DO - 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-18-0163
M3 - Article
C2 - 30154146
AN - SCOPUS:85055899825
SN - 0008-5472
VL - 78
SP - 6159
EP - 6170
JO - Cancer Research
JF - Cancer Research
IS - 21
ER -