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IL-15 is a component of the inflammatory milieu in the tumor microenvironment promoting antitumor responses
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

IL-15 is a component of the inflammatory milieu in the tumor microenvironment promoting antitumor responses

Rosa M Santana Carrero, Figen Beceren-Braun, Sarai C Rivas, Shweta M Hegde, Achintyan Gangadharan, Devin Plote, Gabriel Pham, Scott M Anthony and Kimberly S Schluns
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS, Vol.116(2), pp.599-608
01/08/2019
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1814642116
PMCID: PMC6329954
PMID: 30587590
url
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1814642116View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Previous studies have provided evidence that IL-15 expression within human tumors is crucial for optimal antitumor responses; however, the regulation of IL-15 within the tumor microenvironment (TME) is unclear. We report herein, in analyses of mice implanted with various tumor cell lines, soluble IL-15/IL-15Rα complexes (sIL-15 complexes) are abundant in the interstitial fluid of tumors with expression preceding the infiltration of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Moreover, IL-15 as well as type I IFN, which regulates IL-15, was required for establishing normal numbers of CD8 T cells and natural killer cells in tumors. Depending on tumor type, both the tumor and the stroma are sources of sIL-15 complexes. In analyses of IL-15 reporter mice, most myeloid cells in the TME express IL-15 with CD11b+Ly6Chi cells being the most abundant, indicating there is a large source of IL-15 protein in tumors that lies sequestered within the tumor stroma. Despite the abundance of IL-15–expressing cells, the relative levels of sIL-15 complexes are low in advanced tumors but can be up-regulated by local stimulator of IFN genes (STING) activation. Furthermore, while treatment of tumors with STING agonists leads to tumor regression, optimal STING-mediated immunity and regression of distant secondary tumors required IL-15 expression. Overall, our study reveals the dynamic regulation of IL-15 in the TME and its importance in antitumor immunity. These findings provide insight into an unappreciated attribute of the tumor landscape that contributes to antitumor immunity, which can be manipulated therapeutically to enhance antitumor responses.
Animals Cell Line, Tumor Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic - immunology Inflammation - genetics Inflammation - immunology Inflammation - pathology Interleukin-15 - genetics Interleukin-15 - immunology Melanoma - genetics Melanoma - immunology Melanoma - pathology Membrane Proteins - genetics Membrane Proteins - immunology Mice Mice, Knockout Neoplasm Proteins - genetics Neoplasm Proteins - immunology Receptors, Interleukin-15 - genetics Receptors, Interleukin-15 - immunology Tumor Microenvironment - genetics Tumor Microenvironment - immunology

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