Author:
Kamada Takahiro,Togashi Yosuke,Tay Christopher,Ha Danbee,Sasaki Akinori,Nakamura Yoshiaki,Sato Eiichi,Fukuoka Shota,Tada Yasuko,Tanaka Atsushi,Morikawa Hiromasa,Kawazoe Akihito,Kinoshita Takahiro,Shitara Kohei,Sakaguchi Shimon,Nishikawa Hiroyoshi
Abstract
PD-1 blockade is a cancer immunotherapy effective in various types of cancer. In a fraction of treated patients, however, it causes rapid cancer progression called hyperprogressive disease (HPD). With our observation of HPD in ∼10% of anti–PD-1 monoclonal antibody (mAb)-treated advanced gastric cancer (GC) patients, we explored how anti–PD-1 mAb caused HPD in these patients and how HPD could be treated and prevented. In the majority of GC patients, tumor-infiltrating FoxP3highCD45RA−CD4+ T cells [effector Treg (eTreg) cells], which were abundant and highly suppressive in tumors, expressed PD-1 at equivalent levels as tumor-infiltrating CD4+ or CD8+ effector/memory T cells and at much higher levels than circulating eTreg cells. Comparison of GC tissue samples before and after anti–PD-1 mAb therapy revealed that the treatment markedly increased tumor-infiltrating proliferative (Ki67+) eTreg cells in HPD patients, contrasting with their reduction in non-HPD patients. Functionally, circulating and tumor-infiltrating PD-1+ eTreg cells were highly activated, showing higher expression of CTLA-4 than PD-1− eTreg cells. PD-1 blockade significantly enhanced in vitro Treg cell suppressive activity. Similarly, in mice, genetic ablation or antibody-mediated blockade of PD-1 in Treg cells increased their proliferation and suppression of antitumor immune responses. Taken together, PD-1 blockade may facilitate the proliferation of highly suppressive PD-1+ eTreg cells in HPDs, resulting in inhibition of antitumor immunity. The presence of actively proliferating PD-1+ eTreg cells in tumors is therefore a reliable marker for HPD. Depletion of eTreg cells in tumor tissues would be effective in treating and preventing HPD in PD-1 blockade cancer immunotherapy.
Funder
Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
National Cancer Center Research and Development Fund
Naito Foundation
Ono Pharmaceutical
Takeda Medical Research Foundation
Kobayashi Foundation for Cancer Research
Novartis Research Grant
Bristol-Myers Squibb Research Grant
SGH Foundation
Publisher
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Cited by
617 articles.
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