IL-2 and IL-21 confer opposing differentiation programs to CD8+ T cells for adoptive immunotherapy
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ABSTRACT: IL-2 and IL-21 are closely related cytokines that might have arisen by gene duplication. Both cytokines promote the function of effector CD8+ T cells, but their distinct effects on antigen-driven differentiation of naïve CD8+ T cells into effector CD8+ T cells are not clearly understood. We found that antigen-induced expression of eomesodermin and maturation of naïve CD8+ T cells into granzyme B and CD44 expressing effector CD8+ T cells was enhanced by IL-2, but, unexpectedly, suppressed by IL-21. Furthermore, IL-21 repressed expression of IL-2Ra and inhibited IL-2-mediated acquisition of a cytolytic CD8+ T cell phenotype. Despite its inhibitory effects, IL-21 did not induce anergy, but instead potently enhanced the capacity of cells to mediate tumor regression upon adoptive transfer. In contrast, IL-2, surprisingly, impaired the subsequent anti-tumor function of transferred cells. Gene expression studies revealed a distinct IL-21-program that was characterized phenotypically by increased expression of L-selectin and functionally by enhanced anti-tumor immunity that was not reversed by secondary in vitro stimulation with antigen and IL-2. Thus, the efficacy of CD8+ T cells for adoptive immunotherapy can be influenced by opposing differentiation programs conferred by IL-2 and IL-21, a finding with important implications for the development of cellular cancer therapies. Two-condition experiment: Cytokine-exposed t-cells subsequentially restimulated without cytokine vs. control t-cells without cytokine subsquentially restimulated without cytokine. 3 independent experiments - 1 with experimental RNA labeled with Cy5, control with Cy3, and 2 with dyes-swapped Keywords: Cytokine exposure comparison
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE10403 | GEO | 2008/02/13
SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA108157
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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