CLL-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Impair T-Cell Activation and Foster T-Cell Exhaustion via Multiple Immunological Checkpoints

Boettcher M, Boettcher-Loschinski R, Kahlfuss S, Aigner M, Gießl A, Mackensen A, Schlötzer-Schrehardt U, Tueting T, Bruns H, Mougiakakos D (2022)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2022

Journal

Book Volume: 11

Journal Issue: 14

DOI: 10.3390/cells11142176

Abstract

Background: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by the clonal expansion of malignant B-cells and multiple immune defects. This leads, among others, to severe infectious complications and inefficient immune surveillance. T-cell deficiencies in CLL include enhanced immune(-metabolic) exhaustion, impaired activation and cytokine production, and immunological synapse malformation. Several studies have meanwhile reported CLL-cell-T-cell interactions that culminate in T-cell dysfunction. However, the complex entirety of their interplay is incompletely understood. Here, we focused on the impact of CLL cell-derived vesicles (EVs), which are known to exert immunoregulatory effects, on T-cell function. Methods: We characterized EVs secreted by CLL-cells and determined their influence on T-cells in terms of survival, activation, (metabolic) fitness, and function. Results: We found that CLL-EVs hamper T-cell viability, proliferation, activation, and metabolism while fostering their exhaustion and formation of regulatory T-cell subsets. A detailed analysis of the CLL-EV cargo revealed an abundance of immunological checkpoints (ICs) that could explain the detected T-cell dysregulations. Conclusions: The identification of a variety of ICs loaded on CLL-EVs may account for T-cell defects in CLL patients and could represent a barrier for immunotherapies such as IC blockade or adoptive T-cell transfer. Our findings could pave way for improving antitumor immunity by simultaneously targeting EV formation or multiple ICs.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Boettcher, M., Boettcher-Loschinski, R., Kahlfuss, S., Aigner, M., Gießl, A., Mackensen, A.,... Mougiakakos, D. (2022). CLL-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Impair T-Cell Activation and Foster T-Cell Exhaustion via Multiple Immunological Checkpoints. Cells, 11(14). https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11142176

MLA:

Boettcher, Martin, et al. "CLL-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Impair T-Cell Activation and Foster T-Cell Exhaustion via Multiple Immunological Checkpoints." Cells 11.14 (2022).

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