PD-1 blockade therapy augments the antitumor effects of lymphodepletion and adoptive T cell transfer

Lymphodepleting cytotoxic regimens enhance the antitumor effects of adoptively transferred effector and naïve T cells. Although the mechanisms of antitumor immunity augmentation by lymphodepletion have been intensively investigated, the effects of lymphodepletion followed by T cell transfer on immune checkpoints in the tumor microenvironment remain unclear. The current study demonstrated that the expression of immune checkpoint molecules on transferred donor CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells was significantly decreased in lymphodepleted tumor-bearing mice. In contrast, lymphodepletion did not reduce immune checkpoint molecule levels on recipient CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells. Administration of anti-PD-1 antibodies after lymphodepletion and adoptive transfer of T cells significantly inhibited tumor progression. Further analysis revealed that transfer of both donor CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells was responsible for the antitumor effects of a combination therapy consisting of lymphodepletion, T cell transfer and anti-PD-1 treatment. Our findings indicate that a possible mechanism underlying the antitumor effects of lymphodepletion followed by T cell transfer is the prevention of donor T cell exhaustion and dysfunction. PD-1 blockade may reinvigorate exhausted recipient T cells and augment the antitumor effects of lymphodepletion and adoptive T cell transfer.