Regression of a mammary adenocarcinoma in STAT6-/- mice is dependent on the presence of STAT6-reactive T cells

J Immunol. 2003 Feb 15;170(4):2014-21. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.170.4.2014.

Abstract

Polarization of the immune response toward a type 1 cytokine profile has been posited to be associated with a therapeutic antitumor immune response. STAT6-/- mice are unable to generate a type 2 immune response, and instead mount an enhanced type 1 response. STAT6-/- mice are significantly more resistant to 4T1, a mammary adenocarcinoma cell line, resisting a 10-fold higher tumor dose compared with wild-type (wt) BALB/c mice. An analysis of the T cells from tumor-bearing STAT6-/- mice revealed that they contained a population primed by a peptide (STAT6(531-539)) of the STAT6 protein expressed in 4T1. The adoptive transfer of T cells from STAT6(531-539)-vaccinated STAT6-/- mice significantly reduced the number of 4T1 pulmonary metastases in recipient mice. Additionally, the role of these STAT6(531-539)-reactive T cells against s.c. 4T1 tumor challenge was determined by tumor-challenging wt BALB/c mice reconstituted with STAT6-/- bone marrow, thereby assessing whether a polarized type 1 immune response in the absence of STAT6-reactive T cells was sufficient to reject a 4T1 tumor challenge. T cells from the STAT6-/- bone marrow chimeras failed to recognize the STAT6(531-539), and these mice proved to be as susceptible as wt BALB/c mice to 4T1 challenge. This demonstrated that the absence of STAT6(531-539)-reactive T cells correlated with the inability to reject 4T1 challenge. Additionally, these data emphasize that the enhanced ability to mount a type 1-polarized immune response is inconsequential if a sufficient antitumor immune response is not primed by the tumor.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics
  • Adenocarcinoma / immunology*
  • Adenocarcinoma / metabolism
  • Adenocarcinoma / therapy*
  • Adoptive Transfer
  • Animals
  • Cancer Vaccines / administration & dosage
  • Cancer Vaccines / immunology
  • Female
  • Graft Rejection / genetics
  • Graft Rejection / immunology
  • Injections, Subcutaneous
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / genetics
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / immunology*
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / metabolism
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / prevention & control*
  • Melanoma, Experimental
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Peptide Fragments / administration & dosage
  • Peptide Fragments / immunology
  • Peptide Fragments / metabolism
  • STAT6 Transcription Factor
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / transplantation
  • Th1 Cells / immunology
  • Th1 Cells / metabolism
  • Trans-Activators / administration & dosage
  • Trans-Activators / biosynthesis
  • Trans-Activators / deficiency*
  • Trans-Activators / genetics
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured / transplantation

Substances

  • Cancer Vaccines
  • Peptide Fragments
  • STAT6 Transcription Factor
  • Stat6 protein, mouse
  • Trans-Activators