Neoantigen landscape dynamics during human melanoma-T cell interactions

Nature. 2016 Aug 4;536(7614):91-5. doi: 10.1038/nature18945. Epub 2016 Jun 27.

Abstract

Recognition of neoantigens that are formed as a consequence of DNA damage is likely to form a major driving force behind the clinical activity of cancer immunotherapies such as T-cell checkpoint blockade and adoptive T-cell therapy. Therefore, strategies to selectively enhance T-cell reactivity against genetically defined neoantigens are currently under development. In mouse models, T-cell pressure can sculpt the antigenicity of tumours, resulting in the emergence of tumours that lack defined mutant antigens. However, whether the T-cell-recognized neoantigen repertoire in human cancers is constant over time is unclear. Here we analyse the stability of neoantigen-specific T-cell responses and the antigens they recognize in two patients with stage IV melanoma treated by adoptive T-cell transfer. The T-cell-recognized neoantigens can be selectively lost from the tumour cell population, either by overall reduced expression of the genes or loss of the mutant alleles. Notably, loss of expression of T-cell-recognized neoantigens was accompanied by development of neoantigen-specific T-cell reactivity in tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes. These data demonstrate the dynamic interactions between cancer cells and T cells, which suggest that T cells mediate neoantigen immunoediting, and indicate that the therapeutic induction of broad neoantigen-specific T-cell responses should be used to avoid tumour resistance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adoptive Transfer
  • Alleles
  • Animals
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / biosynthesis
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / genetics
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / immunology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • DNA Damage / genetics
  • DNA Damage / immunology*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Down-Regulation
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / biosynthesis
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / genetics
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / immunology
  • Humans
  • L Cells
  • Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / immunology
  • Melanoma / genetics
  • Melanoma / immunology*
  • Melanoma / pathology
  • Melanoma / therapy
  • Mice
  • Mutation
  • T-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Tumor Escape / immunology

Substances

  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte