Enhancing Tumor Immunity with IL-12 and PD-1 Blockade: A Strategy for Inducing Robust Central Memory T Cell Responses in Resistant Cancer Model

<b>Background:</b> Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have demonstrated efficacy in treating advanced cancers, their therapeutic success remains limited for many patients, with initial responders often experiencing resistance and relapse. Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a powerful cy...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Fentian Chen, Kexin Wu, Shiqi Lin, Jinlong Cui, Xiaoqing Chen, Zhiren Zeng, Na Yuan, Mujin Fang, Xue Liu, Yuanzhi Chen, Wenxin Luo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Antibodies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4468/13/4/94
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:<b>Background:</b> Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have demonstrated efficacy in treating advanced cancers, their therapeutic success remains limited for many patients, with initial responders often experiencing resistance and relapse. Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a powerful cytokine for antitumor immunotherapy, enhancing both lymphocyte recruitment into tumors and immune cell activation. <b>Methods:</b> In this study, we successfully produced mouse interleukin-12 (mIL12) through eukaryotic recombinant expression. In vivo, mIL12 exhibited significant control of tumor immunity in ICI-resistant and aggressive tumor models. Further mechanistic analysis indicated that treatment with mIL12 led to a substantial increase in tumor-infiltrating CD4<sup>+</sup> T, CD8<sup>+</sup> T, cDC1, and CD103<sup>+</sup> cDC1 cells. <b>Results:</b> Our data underscore the potential of a combined therapeutic strategy involving IL-12 with PD-1 and CTLA-4 blockade to elicit a potent antitumor immune response. Notably, the co-administration of mIL12 and PD-1 blockade significantly enhanced the presence of central memory T cells (T<sub>CM</sub>) within tumors. <b>Conclusions:</b> This study is the first to provide evidence that the combination of mIL12 and PD-1 blockers promotes the generation of T<sub>CM</sub>, potentially contributing to a robust and durable antitumor effect.
ISSN:2073-4468