Novel process of intrathymic tumor-immune tolerance through CCR2-mediated recruitment of Sirpα+ dendritic cells: a murine model

PLoS One. 2012;7(7):e41154. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041154. Epub 2012 Jul 16.

Abstract

Immune surveillance system can detect more efficiently secretory tumor-specific antigens, which are superior as a target for cancer immunotherapy. On the contrary, immune tolerance can be induced in the thymus when a tumor antigen is massively secreted into circulation. Thus, the secretion of tumor-specific antigen may have contradictory roles in tumor immunity in a context-dependent manner. However, it remains elusive on the precise cellular mechanism of intrathymic immune tolerance against tumor antigens. We previously demonstrated that a minor thymic conventional dendritic cell (cDC) subset, CD8α(-)Sirpα(+) cDCs, but not the major subset, CD8α(+)Sirpα(-) cDCs can selectively capture blood-borne antigens and crucially contribute to the self-tolerance. In the present study, we further demonstrated that Sirpα(+) cDCs can capture a blood-borne antigen leaking inside the interlobular vascular-rich regions (IVRs). Blood-borne antigen selectively captured by Sirpα(+) cDCs can induce antigen-specific Treg generation or negative selection, depending on the immunogenicity of the presented antigen. Furthermore, CCR2 expression by thymic Sirpα(+) cDCs and abundant expression of its ligands, particularly, CCL2 by tumor-bearing mice prompted us to examine the function of thymic Sirpα(+) cDCs in tumor-bearing mice. Interestingly, tumor-bearing mice deposited CCL2 inside IVRs in the thymus. Moreover, tumor formation induced the accumulation of Sirpα(+) cDCs in IVRs under the control of CCR2-CCL2 axis and enhanced their capacity to take up antigens, resulting in the shift from Treg differentiation to negative selection. Finally, intrathymic negative selection similarly ensued in CCR2-competent mice once the tumor-specific antigen was secreted into bloodstream. Thus, we demonstrated that thymic Sirpα(+) cDCs crucially contribute to this novel process of intrathymic tumor immune tolerance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Differentiation / biosynthesis*
  • CD11 Antigens / biosynthesis
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • Dendritic Cells / metabolism*
  • Gene Deletion
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Immune Tolerance*
  • Interleukin-2 / metabolism
  • Ligands
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence / methods
  • Protein Binding
  • Receptors, CCR2 / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Immunologic / biosynthesis*
  • Thymocytes / cytology

Substances

  • Antigens, Differentiation
  • CCR2 protein, human
  • CD11 Antigens
  • Ccr2 protein, mouse
  • Interleukin-2
  • Ligands
  • Sirpa protein, mouse
  • Receptors, CCR2
  • Receptors, Immunologic
  • SIRPA protein, human
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins