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Mast cells impair the development of protective anti-tumor immunity

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Abstract

Mast cells have emerged as critical intermediaries in the regulation of peripheral tolerance. Their presence in many precancerous lesions and tumors is associated with a poor prognosis, suggesting mast cells may promote an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and impede the development of protective anti-tumor immunity. The studies presented herein investigate how mast cells influence tumor-specific T cell responses. Male MB49 tumor cells, expressing HY antigens, induce anti-tumor IFN-γ+ T cell responses in female mice. However, normal female mice cannot control progressive MB49 tumor growth. In contrast, mast cell-deficient c-KitWsh (Wsh) female mice controlled tumor growth and exhibited enhanced survival. The role of mast cells in curtailing the development of protective immunity was shown by increased mortality in mast cell-reconstituted Wsh mice with tumors. Confirmation of enhanced immunity in female Wsh mice was provided by (1) higher frequency of tumor-specific IFN-γ+ CD8+ T cells in tumor-draining lymph nodes compared with WT females and (2) significantly increased ratios of intratumoral CD4+ and CD8+ T effector cells relative to tumor cells in Wsh mice compared to WT. These studies are the first to reveal that mast cells impair both regional adaptive immune responses and responses within the tumor microenvironment to diminish protective anti-tumor immunity.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by NIH grants CA123079 and CA123079-03S2 (R. J. N.), and CA124515 (J. R. C.) and HL 083249 (R. V. S).

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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  1. Anna Wasiuk

    Present address: Cell and Developmental Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Mail Code L215, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, NH, USA

    Anna Wasiuk, Dyana K. Dalton, William L. Schpero, Radu V. Stan & Randolph J. Noelle

  2. The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Jose R. Conejo-Garcia

  3. King’s College London, King’s Health Partners, Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Transplantation, Guy’s Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, UK

    Randolph J. Noelle

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  1. Anna Wasiuk
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Correspondence to Randolph J. Noelle.

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Wasiuk, A., Dalton, D.K., Schpero, W.L. et al. Mast cells impair the development of protective anti-tumor immunity. Cancer Immunol Immunother 61, 2273–2282 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00262-012-1276-7

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