Synergism Between IL21 and Anti-PD-1 Combination Therapy is Underpinned by the Coordinated Reprogramming of the Immune Cellular Network in the Tumor Microenvironment

Abstract

T cell–stimulating cytokines and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are an ideal combination for increasing response rates of cancer immunotherapy. However, the results of clinical trials have not been satisfying. It is important to understand the mechanism of synergy between these two therapeutic modalities. Here, through integrated analysis of multiple single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets of human tumor-infiltrating immune cells, we demonstrate that IL21 is produced by tumor-associated T follicular helper cells and hyperactivated/exhausted CXCL13+CD4+ T cells in the human tumor microenvironment (TME). In the mouse model, the hyperactivated/exhausted CD4+ T cell–derived IL21 enhances the helper function of CD4+ T cells that boost CD8+ T cell–mediated immune responses during PD-1 blockade immunotherapy. In addition, we demonstrated that IL21’s antitumor activity did not require T-cell trafficking. Using scRNA-seq analysis of the whole tumor-infiltrating immune cells, we demonstrated that IL21 treatment in combination with anti-PD-1 blockade synergistically drives tumor antigen–specific CD8+ T cells to undergo clonal expansion and differentiate toward the hyperactive/exhausted functional state in the TME. In addition, IL21 treatment and anti-PD-1 blockade synergistically promote dendritic cell (DC) activation and maturation to mature DC as well as monocyte to type 1 macrophage (M1) differentiation in the TME. Furthermore, the combined treatment reprograms the immune cellular network by reshaping cell-cell communication in the TME. Our study establishes unique mechanisms of synergy between IL21 and PD-1–based ICI in the TME through the coordinated promotion of type 1 immune responses. Significance: This study reveals how cytokine and checkpoint inhibitor therapy can be combined to increase the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy.