IL-33 signaling alters regulatory T cell diversity in support of tumor development [2014]
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) can impair anti-tumor immune responses and are associated with poor prognosis in multiple cancer types. Tregs in human tumors span diverse transcriptional states distinct from those of peripheral Tregs, but their contribution to tumor development remains unknown. Here, we use single cell RNA-Seq to longitudinally profile dynamic shifts in the distribution of Tregs in a genetically-engineered mouse model of lung adenocarcinoma. In this model, interferon-responsive Tregs are more prevalent early in tumor development, while a specialized effector phenotype characterized by enhanced expression of the interleukin 33 receptor ST2 is predominant in advanced disease. Treg-specific deletion of ST2 alters the evolution of effector Treg diversity, increases infiltration of CD8+ T cells into tumors, and decreases tumor burden. Our study shows that ST2 plays a critical role in Treg-mediated immunosuppression in cancer, highlighting potential paths for therapeutic intervention.
Project description:Regulatory T cells (Tregs) can impair anti-tumor immune responses and are associated with poor prognosis in multiple cancer types. Tregs in human tumors span diverse transcriptional states distinct from those of peripheral Tregs, but their contribution to tumor development remains unknown. Here, we use single cell RNA-Seq to longitudinally profile dynamic shifts in the distribution of Tregs in a genetically-engineered mouse model of lung adenocarcinoma. In this model, interferon-responsive Tregs are more prevalent early in tumor development, while a specialized effector phenotype characterized by enhanced expression of the interleukin 33 receptor ST2 is predominant in advanced disease. Treg-specific deletion of ST2 alters the evolution of effector Treg diversity, increases infiltration of CD8+ T cells into tumors, and decreases tumor burden. Our study shows that ST2 plays a critical role in Treg-mediated immunosuppression in cancer, highlighting potential paths for therapeutic intervention.
Project description:Regulatory T cells (Tregs) can impair anti-tumor immune responses and are associated with poor prognosis in multiple cancer types. Tregs in human tumors span diverse transcriptional states distinct from those of peripheral Tregs, but their contribution to tumor development remains unknown. Here, we use single cell RNA-Seq to longitudinally profile dynamic shifts in the distribution of Tregs in a genetically-engineered mouse model of lung adenocarcinoma. In this model, interferon-responsive Tregs are more prevalent early in tumor development, while a specialized effector phenotype characterized by enhanced expression of the interleukin 33 receptor ST2 is predominant in advanced disease. Treg-specific deletion of ST2 alters the evolution of effector Treg diversity, increases infiltration of CD8+ T cells into tumors, and decreases tumor burden. Our study shows that ST2 plays a critical role in Treg-mediated immunosuppression in cancer, highlighting potential paths for therapeutic intervention.
Project description:Regulatory T cells (Tregs) can impair anti-tumor immune responses and are associated with poor prognosis in multiple cancer types. Tregs in human tumors span diverse transcriptional states distinct from those of peripheral Tregs, but their contribution to tumor development remains unknown. Here, we use single cell RNA-Seq to longitudinally profile dynamic shifts in the distribution of Tregs in a genetically-engineered mouse model of lung adenocarcinoma. In this model, interferon-responsive Tregs are more prevalent early in tumor development, while a specialized effector phenotype characterized by enhanced expression of the interleukin 33 receptor ST2 is predominant in advanced disease. Treg-specific deletion of ST2 alters the evolution of effector Treg diversity, increases infiltration of CD8+ T cells into tumors, and decreases tumor burden. Our study shows that ST2 plays a critical role in Treg-mediated immunosuppression in cancer, highlighting potential paths for therapeutic intervention.
Project description:Recruitment of regulatory T cells (Tregs) to tumors is a hallmark of cancer progression. However, the role of epithelial cell-derived cytokines in regulation of Treg cells in colorectal cancers is not fully understood. We found a subset of Tregs co-expressing the receptors for thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) and IL-33 (TSLPR+ST2+ Tregs) was increased in colorectal tumors in humans and mice. This Treg subset expressed high levels of CTLA-4 and PD-1, and TSLPR signaling regulated the expression of CTLA-4 and number of TSLPR+ST2+ Tregs. Treg-specfic deletion of TSLPR resulted in a reduction in tumor number and size, with concomitant increase of Th1 cells in tumors. Similarly, blockade of TSLP effectively inhibited progression of colorectal tumors. On the other hand, TSLPR-ST2+ Tregs highly express Tgfb1 and Pdcd,1 which have been shown to suppress CD8+ T cell immune responses. Collectively, TSLP and IL-33 differentially regulate subsets of Tregs in the progression of colorectal tumor. These data suggest that TSLPR+ST2+ Treg cells are potentially a biomarker, and a therapeutic target for CRC.
Project description:Tregs are highly enriched in the eVAT of male mice. We show that ST2+ VAT Tregs preferentially upregulate and depend on Srebf2-mediated cholesterol metabolism compared their spleen Treg or ST2- VAT Treg counterparts. However, it is unclear whether this increased reliance on cholesterol metabolism is a consequence elevated IL-33 signaling in ST2+ Tregs. Therefore, the goal of experiment is to determine whether IL-33 signaling influences Srebf2-dependent cholesterol gene expression in ST2+ eVAT Tregs in vivo.
Project description:Tumor-draining lymph node (TDLN) invasion by metastatic cells in breast cancer correlates with poor prognosis and is associated with local immunosuppression, which can be partly mediated by regulatory T cells (Tregs). Here, we study Tregs from matched tumor-invaded and non-invaded TDLNs, and breast tumors. We observe that Treg frequencies increase with nodal invasion, that Tregs express higher levels of co-inhibitory/stimulatory receptors than effector cells. Also, while Tregs show conserved suppressive function in TDLN and tumor, conventional T cells (Tconvs) in TDLNs proliferate and produce Th1-inflammatory cytokines, but are dysfunctional in the tumor. We describe a common transcriptomic signature shared by Tregs from tumors and nodes, including CD80, which is significantly associated with poor patient survival. TCR RNA-sequencing analysis indicates trafficking between TDLNs and tumors and ongoing Tconv/Treg conversion. Overall, TDLN Tregs are functional and express a distinct pattern of druggable co-receptors, highlighting their potential as targets for cancer immunotherapy.
Project description:Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are critical mediators of peripheral tolerance and immune homeostasis. Tregs that express the IL-33 receptor ST2 are enriched in peripheral nonlymphoid tissues and can exert a variety of tissue-specific functions from metabolic regulation within adipose tissue to skeletal muscle repair. However, the relationship between ST2+ and ST2- Tregs within and across different tissues remains unclear. To compare murine ST2- and ST2+ Tregs within and across tissues, we performed RNA sequencing (RNAseq) of ST2-CD44hi and ST2+CD44hi Tregs from blood, spleen, lungs, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), colon, and skin. RNAseq was also performed on ST2- CD44lo CD62L+ Tregs from the spleen and lungs. We found that the tissue microenvironment was the major factor shaping the transcriptome of Tregs across tissues. Across the tissues studied, Treg transcriptomes displayed an ordered hierarchy that may represent graded levels of activation or differentiation across tissues. We also identified a core signature that distinguished ST2+ Tregs from ST2- Tregs across tissues and a large number of differentially expressed genes between ST2- and ST2+ Tregs within individual tissues that could support the tissue-specific adaptation and function of ST2+ Tregs. In summary, our work highlights the unique, tissue-specific phenotype of ST2+ Tregs and reveals a core ST2+ Treg transcriptional signature shared across tissues.
Project description:The effects of IL-33 on ST2+ Treg cells were not studied thouroughly. We FACS-sorted in vitro expanded ST2+ Treg cells from C57BL/6 Foxp3-IRES-mRFP (B6 FIR) mice. We next used RNA-seq techonology to define how recombinant IL-33 (rIL-33) may impact mouse Treg by to assessing the transcriptome of IL-33-stimulated ST2+ Treg cells compared to that of untreated ST2+ Treg cells. Our data revealed that ST2+ Treg stimulated with rIL-33 for 6 hours exhibited increased expression of Il10 and Il13 compared to unstimulated ST2+ Treg cells.
Project description:Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are enriched in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and suppress anti-tumor immunity. However, the origin of tumor-infiltrating (TI) Tregs and the molecular mechanism underlying their TME accumulation are poorly understood. Although IL-33 was reported to regulate the expansion and function of Tregs, its direct role on TI Tregs and its contribution to tumor progression remain uncertain. Firstly, we demonstrated TI Tregs were primarily thymus-derived. More importantly, we found using comparative transcriptome analysis that proliferation-related genes were prominently upregulated in TI Tregs compared with TI CD4+Foxp3− conventional T cells or splenic Tregs of same tumor-bearing mice. One of these genes, ST2, an interleukin-33 (IL-33) receptor, was identified as a potential factor driving Treg accumulation in the TME. Indeed, IL-33-directed ST2 signaling induced the preferential proliferation of TI Tregs and enhanced tumor progression, while genetic deletion of ST2 in Tregs limited their TME accumulation and delayed tumor growth. These data demonstrate the IL-33/ST2 axis in Tregs as one of the critical pathways for the preferential accumulation of thymus-derived Tregs in the TME and suggest the axis as a potential therapeutic target for cancer immunotherapy.
Project description:By RNA-sequencing, we compared four different bone marrow (BM)-derived Tregs, and found that the gene expression profile from No Tumor transplanted group and ST2-KO Tregs tansplanted group shown similar pattern, while WT Treg and Tbet-KO Tregs transplanted group shown the similar trend.