A nonimmune function of T cells in promoting lung tumor progression
Year: 2017
Type: article
Abstract: The involvement of effector T cells and regulatory T (T reg) cells in opposing and promoting solid organ carcinogenesis, respectively, is viewed as a shifting balance between a breach versus establishment of tolerance to tumor or self-antigens. We considered that tumor-associated T cells might promote malignancy via distinct mechanisms used by T cells in nonlymphoid organs to assist in their maintenance upon injury or stress. Recent studies suggest that T reg cells can participate in tissue repair in a manner separable from their immunosuppressive capacity. Using transplantable models of lung tumors in mice, we found that amphiregulin, a member of the epidermal growth factor family, was prominently up-regulated in intratumoral T reg cells. Furthermore, T cell-restricted amphiregulin deficiency resulted in markedly delayed lung tumor progression. This observed deterrence in tumor progression was not associated with detectable changes in T cell immune responsiveness or T reg and effector T cell numbers. These observations suggest a novel "nonimmune" modality for intratumoral T reg and effector T cells in promoting tumor growth through the production of factors normally involved in tissue repair and maintenance.
DOI: 10.1084/jem.20170356
Language: English
Topic: T-cell and B-cell Immunology
Subfield: Immunology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funders: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cancer Research Institute, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
OpenAlex ID: W2765728936