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1
Gorecki, Grace, Lan Gardner Coffman, Sarah E. Taylor, and Tullia C. Bruno. "Tertiary lymphoid structure prevalence and prognostic value in cervical cancer." Journal of Clinical Oncology 41, no. 16_suppl (June 1, 2023): e17521-e17521. http://dx.doi.org/10.1200/jco.2023.41.16_suppl.e17521.
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e17521 Background: Recurrent or progressive cervical cancer have limited second-line treatment options. Response rates are often poor to second-line therapy (average response rate of 15%). Identification of factors which predict response to immunotherapy and targets to enhance the immune response are critically needed in cervical cancer. Chronic inflammation can initiate an immune response in non-secondary lymphoid organs (SLO) and form a Tertiary Lymphoid Structure (TLS). TLS is composed of immune cells clustered and organized and responsible for immune cell chemotaxis, which impacts cancer therapeutic response. Chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) is related to B cell attraction and TLS formation. Recent work from our group demonstrated human papilloma virus (HPV) positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) exhibited greater tumor infiltrating B cells (TIL-Bs) and TLS vs HPV negative disease indicating a role for viral infection in immune infiltration. Most cervical cancer is caused by HPV infection, therefore we investigated prognostic significance of immune infiltration in cervix cancer. Methods: A cohort analysis was conducted on 43 patients diagnosed with early stage cervical cancer. The presence of B cells, CD8 T cells, and CXCL13 was analyzed using singleplex immunohistochemistry staining. We separated infiltration into high infiltration and low infiltration, defined by their median value. TLS was identified using a multiplex immunofluorescence for TLS maturity panel. Histological findings were associated with cohort data. Results: High intratumoral infiltration of CD8 T cells was associated with longer overall survival in cancer patients. Median survival was 45 months for low infiltration group, whereas it was not reached by higher T cell infiltration (p < 0.05). The prognostic value of T cell infiltration was stronger in adenocarcinoma, typically associated with worse outcomes, than in squamous cell carcinoma. In adenocarcinoma, median survival was 58 months for low T cell infiltration, it was not reached by high infiltration group. CXCL13 levels were prognostic for recurrence-free survival, with median survival of 53 months in low expression group and not reached in high CXCL13 presence group (p < 0.05). The presence of TLS compared to low B cell infiltration was associated to higher survival, with 0% of deaths in the TLS group vs 40% in low B cell infiltration. While there was no correlation between TIL-B and patient outcomes, the presence of B cells in the aggregation process and higher CXCL13 levels were associated with improved survival, with 9% deaths vs 36% in low B cell group, possibly due to the support of TLS formation by B cell aggregation surrounded by CXCL13. Conclusions: Our study suggests that the presence of TLS, whether forming or established, is linked to improved clinical outcomes in cervical cancer. Further research is necessary to investigate the response of this cancer type to immunotherapy.
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Zou, Ji’an, Yingzhe Zhang, Yue Zeng, Yurong Peng, Junqi Liu, Chaoyue Xiao, and Fang Wu. "Tertiary Lymphoid Structures: A Potential Biomarker for Anti-Cancer Therapy." Cancers 14, no. 23 (December 2, 2022): 5968. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cancers14235968.
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A tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) is a special component in the immune microenvironment that is mainly composed of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), including T cells, B cells, DC cells, and high endothelial venules (HEVs). For cancer patients, evaluation of the immune microenvironment has a predictive effect on tumor biological behavior, treatment methods, and prognosis. As a result, TLSs have begun to attract the attention of researchers as a new potential biomarker. However, the composition and mechanisms of TLSs are still unclear, and clinical detection methods are still being explored. Although some meaningful results have been obtained in clinical trials, there is still a long way to go before such methods can be applied in clinical practice. However, we believe that with the continuous progress of basic research and clinical trials, TLS detection and related treatment can benefit more and more patients. In this review, we generalize the definition and composition of TLSs, summarize clinical trials involving TLSs according to treatment methods, and describe possible methods of inducing TLS formation.
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Lynch, Kevin T., Samuel J. Young, Max O. Meneveau, Nolan A. Wages, Victor H. Engelhard, Craig L. Slingluff Jr, and Ileana S. Mauldin. "Heterogeneity in tertiary lymphoid structure B-cells correlates with patient survival in metastatic melanoma." Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer 9, no. 6 (June 2021): e002273. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jitc-2020-002273.
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BackgroundTertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) are immune aggregates in peripheral tissues that may support adaptive immune responses. Their presence has been associated with clinical response to checkpoint blockade therapy (CBT), but it is unknown whether TLS have prognostic significance independent of CBT in melanoma. We hypothesized that TLS in melanoma metastases would be associated with increased intratumoral lymphocyte infiltration, but that the intra-TLS immunological milieu would be distinct from the intratumoral immunological milieu. We also hypothesized that the presence of TLS would be associated with improved survival, and that TLS maturation or intra-TLS lymphocyte activity would also correlate with survival.MethodsCutaneous melanoma metastases (CMM) from 64 patients were evaluated by multiplex immunofluorescence for the presence and maturation status of TLS. Intra-TLS lymphocyte density, proliferation and B-cell Ig somatic hypermutation (AID+) were analyzed, as were markers of T-cell exhaustion and Th1/Tc1 differentiation. Associations between TLS maturation and intra-TLS immunologic activity were assessed, as well as associations with intratumoral immune cell infiltration. Independent associations with overall survival (OS) were assessed using log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazards models.ResultsTLS were identified in 30 (47%) of 64 CMM (TLS+) and were associated with increased intratumoral lymphocyte infiltration. However, proliferation of intra-TLS lymphocytes did not correlate with intratumoral lymphocyte proliferation. Most were early TLS; however, subsets of primary or secondary follicle-like TLS were also present. TLS+ lesions were associated with lower risk of tumor recurrence after metastasectomy and with improved OS in multivariate analyses (HR 0.51, p=0.04). OS was longer for TLS with low fractions of CD21+ B-cells (HR 0.29, p=0.02) and shorter for those with low AID+ fraction of B-cells (HR 2.74, p=0.03).ConclusionsThe presence of TLS in CMMs is associated with improved OS in patients treated with surgery before CBT, but TLS vary widely in maturation state, in proportions of proliferating T and B cells, and in markers of B cell function, including AID and CD21. Importantly, these features have additional prognostic significance, which suggest that some TLS may have regulatory function, while others functioning to support antigen-driven immune responses, depending on the cellular composition and activation status.
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Nayar, Saba, Joana Campos, Charlotte G. Smith, Valentina Iannizzotto, David H. Gardner, Frédéric Mourcin, David Roulois, et al. "Immunofibroblasts are pivotal drivers of tertiary lymphoid structure formation and local pathology." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116, no. 27 (June 18, 2019): 13490–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1905301116.
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Resident fibroblasts at sites of infection, chronic inflammation, or cancer undergo phenotypic and functional changes to support leukocyte migration and, in some cases, aggregation into tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS). The molecular programming that shapes these changes and the functional requirements of this population in TLS development are unclear. Here, we demonstrate that external triggers at mucosal sites are able to induce the progressive differentiation of a population of podoplanin (pdpn)-positive stromal cells into a network of immunofibroblasts that are able to support the earliest phases of TLS establishment. This program of events, that precedes lymphocyte infiltration in the tissue, is mediated by paracrine and autocrine signals mainly regulated by IL13. This initial fibroblast network is expanded and stabilized, once lymphocytes are recruited, by the local production of the cytokines IL22 and lymphotoxin. Interfering with this regulated program of events or depleting the immunofibroblasts in vivo results in abrogation of local pathology, demonstrating the functional role of immunofibroblasts in supporting TLS maintenance in the tissue and suggesting novel therapeutic targets in TLS-associated diseases.
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Yu, Jinglu, Yabin Gong, Xiaowei Huang, and Yufang Bao. "Prognostic and therapeutic potential of gene profiles related to tertiary lymphoid structures in colorectal cancer." PeerJ 12 (October 31, 2024): e18401. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18401.
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The role of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in oncology is gaining interest, particularly in colorectal carcinoma, yet a thorough analysis remains elusive. This study pioneered a novel TLS quantification system for prognostic and therapeutic response prediction in colorectal carcinoma, alongside a comprehensive depiction of the TLS landscape. Utilizing single-cell sequencing, we established a TLS score within the Tumor Immune Microenvironment (TIME). Analysis of tertiary lymphoid structure-related genes (TLSRGs) in 1,184 patients with colon adenocarcinoma/rectum adenocarcinoma (COADREAD) from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases led to the identification of two distinct molecular subtypes. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) further segregated these patients into gene subtypes. A TLS score was formulated using gene set variation analysis (GSVA) and its efficacy in predicting immunotherapy outcomes was validated in two independent cohorts. High-scoring patients exhibited a ‘hot’ immune phenotype, correlating with enhanced immunotherapy efficacy. Key genes in our model, including C5AR1, APOE, CYR1P1, and SPP1, were implicated in COADREAD cell proliferation, invasion, and PD-L1 expression. These insights offer a novel approach to colorectal carcinoma treatment, emphasizing TLS targeting as a potential anti-tumor strategy.
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Gonzalez, Ricardo A. Chaurio, Kyle K. Payne, Carmen Maria Anadon Galindo, Tara Lee Costich, Carly Harro, Subir Birwas, Kristen Rigolizzo, et al. "Satb1 deficiency licenses TFH-differentiation and Tertiary Lymphoid Structure formation in cancer." Journal of Immunology 204, no. 1_Supplement (May 1, 2020): 89.2. http://dx.doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.204.supp.89.2.
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Abstract Tertiary Lymphoid Structures (TLS) are commonly identified in human tumors with improved outcome, but how they are orchestrated remains elusive. Here we show that silencing of the master genomic organizer Satb1 results in enhanced antigen-specific T Follicular Helper (TFH) differentiation. Increased TFH thereby promoted antigen-specific intra-tumoral CD19+B220+ B cell responses and spontaneous TLS assembly upon ovarian tumor challenge. Mechanistically, Satb1 deficiency drives increased TFH formation through de-repression of ICOS and PD-1. Accordingly, TGF-β1-driven downregulation of Satb1 licenses activated human CD4+ T-cells for enhanced antigen-specific T Follicular Helper (TFH) differentiation. Furthermore, Satb1 deficiency abrogates the generation of PD-1highCXCR5+Foxp3+ T Follicular Regulatory (TFR) cells during the TFH differentiation process. Importantly, functional TFH cell accumulation, in the absence of Satb1 specifically in CD4+ T cells, resulted in corresponding isotype-switched B cell responses and spontaneous formation of TLS, while B cell depletion accelerated malignant progression. Our results indicate that the formation of TLS in cancer depends on enhanced B cell responses driven by TFH cells generated through Satb1 down-regulation.
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Thelen, M., MA García-Márquez, T. Nestler, S. Wagener-Ryczek, J. Lehmann, E. Staib, F. Popp, et al. "P03.03 Organization, function and gene expression of tertiary lymphoid structures in PDAC resembles lymphoid follicles in secondary lymphoid organs." Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer 8, Suppl 2 (October 2020): A23.1—A23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jitc-2020-itoc7.43.
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BackgroundSecondary lymphoid organs (SLO) are involved in induction and enhancement of anti-tumor immune responses on different tumor entities. Recent evidence suggests that anti-tumor immune responses may also be induced or enhanced in the tumor microenvironment in so called tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS). It is assumed that TLS represent a hotspot for T cell priming, B cell activation, and differentiation, leading to cellular and humoral anti-tumor immune response.MethodsFFPE-slides of 120 primary pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients were immunohistochemically (IHC) stained for CD20, CD3, CD8 and HLA-ABC to analyze spatial distribution of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. 5-color immunofluorescence staining was performed to further investigate structural components of TLS in comparison to lymphoid follicles in SLOs. Microscope-based laser microdissection and Nanostring-base RNA expression analysis were used to compare gene expression in PDAC, TLS, SLOs and normal pancreatic tissue.ResultsTLS were frequently detected in PDAC and were mainly localized along the invasive tumor margin. In less than 10% of the cases TLS were infiltrating the tumors. Interestingly, 20% of the patients had no TLS. Results of TLS will be correlated with clinical parameters, Immunoscore and immune escape mechanisms. 5-color Immunofluorescence staining revealed similar organization and function of TLS and SLO. Finally, gene expression analyzed by Nanostring revealed largely overlapping expression patterns in TLS and SLO.ConclusionsThe results clearly demonstrate close similarities between SLO and TLS in terms of composition, distribution and gene expression Patterns.Disclosure InformationM. Thelen: None. M.A. García-Márquez: None. T. Nestler: None. S. Wagener-Ryczek: None. J. Lehmann: None. E. Staib: None. F. Popp: None. F. Gebauer: None. P. Lohneis: None. M. Odenthal: None. S. Merkelbach-Bruse: None. C. Bruns: None. K. Wennhold: None. M. von Bergwelt-Baildon: None. H.A. Schlößer: None.
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Zou, Yi, Jing Zhao, Fengbo Huang, Xueping Xiang, and Yang Xia. "Decreased Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in Lung Adenocarcinomas with ALK Rearrangements." Journal of Clinical Medicine 11, no. 19 (October 8, 2022): 5935. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jcm11195935.
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Purpose: This study sought to characterize the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of lung adenocarcinomas with ALK rearrangements (ALK+ LUAD), which responds poorly to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy. Materials and methods: Immune score evaluation and immunohistochemical (IHC) validation of B cells, cytotoxic, helper, regulatory T cells, dendritic cells, and tumor-associated macrophages were performed on the TCGA cohort and the whole tissue sections of our matched surgical samples, respectively, between ALK+ and ALK− LUAD. The formation and spatial organization of TLS, intra- and extra-TLS immune cell features, and tumor PD-L1 expression were analyzed independently. Results: Immune scores and TLS-signature gene levels were found to be lower in ALK+ TCGA LUAD. Quantitative IHC comparison confirmed the lower densities of TLS (0.10/mm2 vs. 0.34/mm2, p = 0.026) and intra-TLS immune cells (CD4+ helper T cells: 57.65/mm2 vs. 274.82/mm2, p = 0.026; CD8+ cytotoxic T cells: 22.46/mm2 vs. 172.83/mm2, p = 0.018; and CD20+ B cells: 36.08/mm2 vs. 207.29/mm2, p = 0.012) in ALK+ surgical samples. The TLS formation was negatively correlated with tumor progression in ALK+ tumors. The proportion of intra-TLS CD8+ cytotoxic T cells was the independent protective factors of node metastasis (HR: 0.599, 95% CI: 0.414–0.868, p = 0.007), and the density of intra-TLS CD20+ B cells was the independent protective factor of pStage (HR: 0.641, 95% CI: 0.446–0.922, p = 0.016). Tumors with intratumoral TLS showed significantly higher expression of PD-L1 (p = 0.029). Conclusion: ALK+ LUAD harbored a cold TIME featured by decreased TLS formation, which closely correlated to tumor progression and might contribute to the poor efficiency of ICIs.
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Sofronii, Doïna, Francine Padonou, Mireille Langouo, Noemie Thomas, Anais Boisson, Alexandre De Wind, Denis Larsimont, Ahmad Awada, Soizic Garaud, and Karen Willard-Gallo. "Abstract 4618: Biomarkers of functionally active tertiary lymphoid structures in human breast cancer." Cancer Research 83, no. 7_Supplement (April 4, 2023): 4618. http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.am2023-4618.
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Abstract The clinical relevance of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in breast cancer (BC) is now widely accepted and being implemented in clinical practice. Our lab previously demonstrated that 60% of BC organize some of their TIL in tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS). TLS have been detected in a wide variety of solid tumors with their prognostic value and importance in the response to immunotherapy increasingly accepted. Reliable biomarkers to identify and characterize TLS and their immune activities in tumors are needed. The specific aim of this project was to perform a comprehensive analysis across the spectrum of TLS states to identify biomarkers associated with active and inactive TLS, where the former are associated with functional anti-tumor immunity and improved responses to treatment and long-term survival. This study analyzed FFPE tissues from 38 primary untreated HER2+ and triple negative (TN) BC patients. Patients were divided into two groups based on a TLS score evaluating CD3/CD20 and PD-1/Ki-67 dual IHC-stained tumor tissues: 1) BC containing a majority of active TLS (tumors with only active TLS have never been observed), defined by the presence of a germinal center (GCpos ; Ki-67+ follicular B cells) and 2) BC with only inactive TLS (GCneg ; Ki-67− follicular B cells). Controls included normal breast tissues, BC without TLS and lymphoid tissues (reactive tonsils for GCpos and spleens for GCneg TLS). RNA extracts from microdissected tissues (N=100), including active TLS, inactive TLS and lymphoid B follicles, were sequenced. DESeq2 and CIBERSORT were employed to quantify differentially expressed genes and immune cell subpopulations, respectively. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis was used for additional data interpretation and pathway identification. Tumors from patients with active TLS were characterized by increased naïve and plasma B cell TIL compared to tumors with only inactive TLS. Preliminary analysis of the differentially expressed genes in active TLS (vs inactive TLS) revealed upregulation of key B cell differentiation, somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination genes, which paralleled their respective lymphoid controls. These gene upregulations were linked with a GC presence in active TLS. A specific set of immunoglobulin genes were also differentially expressed in active TLS. Continued analysis of the TLS data, including their cellular composition, location, maturation and functionality, along with data confirmation (RT-PCR and multiplex IHC), and assessment of their functional and clinical relevance is ongoing. Our preliminary results suggest that active B cell differentiation and Ig production contribute to TLS functionality. In lymphoid tissues, the GC plays important roles in orchestrating the molecular and cellular programs of humoral immunity. Our data suggest that active GC-containing TLS foster an immune microenvironment in BC that favors positive clinical outcomes. Citation Format: Doïna Sofronii, Francine Padonou, Mireille Langouo, Noemie Thomas, Anais Boisson, Alexandre De Wind, Denis Larsimont, Ahmad Awada, Soizic Garaud, Karen Willard-Gallo. Biomarkers of functionally active tertiary lymphoid structures in human breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4618.
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Luo, Ran, Dan Chang, Nanhui Zhang, Yichun Cheng, Shuwang Ge, and Gang Xu. "T Follicular Helper Cells in Tertiary Lymphoid Structure Contribute to Renal Fibrosis by IL-21." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 24, no. 16 (August 8, 2023): 12535. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms241612535.
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Tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) represents lymphocyte clusters in non-lymphoid organs. The formation and maintenance of TLS are dependent on follicular helper T (TFH) cells. However, the role of TFH cells during renal TLS formation and the renal fibrotic process has not been comprehensively elucidated in chronic kidney disease. Here, we detected the circulating TFH cells from 57 IgAN patients and found that the frequency of TFH cells was increased in IgA nephropathy patients with renal TLS and also increased in renal tissues from the ischemic-reperfusion-injury (IRI)-induced TLS model. The inducible T-cell co-stimulator (ICOS) is one of the surface marker molecules of TFH. Remarkably, the application of an ICOS-neutralizing antibody effectively prevented the upregulation of TFH cells and expression of its canonical functional mediator IL-21, and also reduced renal TLS formation and renal fibrosis in IRI mice in vivo. In the study of this mechanism, we found that recombinant IL-21 could directly promote renal fibrosis and the expression of p65. Furthermore, BAY 11-7085, a p65 selective inhibitor, could effectively alleviate the profibrotic effect induced by IL-21 stimulation. Our results together suggested that TFH cells contribute to TLS formation and renal fibrosis by IL-21. Targeting the ICOS-signaling pathway network could reduce TFH cell infiltration and alleviate renal fibrosis.
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Vaghjiani, Raj G., and Joseph J. Skitzki. "Tertiary Lymphoid Structures as Mediators of Immunotherapy Response." Cancers 14, no. 15 (August 1, 2022): 3748. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cancers14153748.
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Since its first application in the treatment of cancer during the 1800s, immunotherapy has more recently become the leading edge of novel treatment strategies. Even though the efficacy of these agents can at times be predicted by more traditional metrics and biomarkers, often patient responses are variable. TLS are distinct immunologic structures that have been identified on pathologic review of various malignancies and are emerging as important determinants of patient outcome. Their presence, location, composition, and maturity are critically important in a host’s response to malignancy. Because of their unique immunogenic niche, they are also prime candidates, not only to predict and measure the efficacy of immunotherapy agents, but also to be potentially inducible gatekeepers to increase therapeutic efficacy. Herein, we review the mechanistic underpinnings of TLS formation, the data on its relationship to various malignancies, and the emerging evidence for the role of TLS in immunotherapy function.
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He, Miao, Qihua He, Xiuyu Cai, Jun Liu, Hongshen Deng, Feng Li, Ran Zhong, et al. "Intratumoral tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) maturation is influenced by draining lymph nodes of lung cancer." Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer 11, no. 4 (April 2023): e005539. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jitc-2022-005539.
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BackgroundTertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) is an organized infiltration of immune cells, showing features of germinal center (GC) commonly seen in secondary lymphoid organs. However, its relationship with tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) has not been studied and we hypothesized that TDLN may influence maturation of intratumoral TLS in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).MethodsTissue slides of 616 patients that had undergone surgeries were examined. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to assess risk factors of patients’ survival, and logistic regression model was used for their relationship with TLS. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) was employed to explore transcriptomic features of TDLNs. Immunohistochemistry, multiplex immunofluorescence and flow cytometry were performed to analyze cellular composition. Cellular components of NSCLC samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas database were inferred with Microenvironment Cell Populations-counter (MCP-counter) method. Murine NSCLC models were used to dissect underlying mechanisms for relationship between TDLN and TLS maturation.ResultsWhile GC+TLS was associated with better prognosis, GC−TLS was not. TDLN metastasis reduced the prognostic relevance of TLS, and was associated with less GC formation. Primary tumor sites showed reduced B cell infiltration in TDLN-positive patients, and scRNA-seq revealed diminished memory B cell formation in tumor-invaded TDLNs, together with an emphasis on weakened interferon (IFN)-γ response. Murine NSCLC models revealed that IFN-γ signaling is involved in memory B cell differentiation in TDLNs and GC formation in primary tumors.ConclusionsOur research emphasizes the influence of TDLN on intratumoral TLS maturation and suggests a role of memory B cells and IFN-γ signaling in this communication.
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Mizuta, Ryo, Daisuke Muraoka, Ayako Okamura, Takanari Okamoto, Shota Nohira, Yoshihiro Otani, Joji Ishida, Kentaro Fujii, Isao Date, and Hirokazu Matsushita. "10036-IM-3 SPATIAL AND GENOMIC ANALYSES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF TERTIARY LYMPHOID STRUCTURE IN GLIOBLASTOMA." Neuro-Oncology Advances 5, Supplement_5 (December 1, 2023): v5—v6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/noajnl/vdad141.020.
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Abstract BACKGROUND Recently, the presence of tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS), composed mainly of intratumoral B cells, has been reported as a favorable prognostic factor in various types of cancer. However, in glioblastoma, TLS has not been well studied though increased B-cell infiltration was likely to be related to improved prognosis. In this study, we performed spatial and genomic analyses in human glioblastoma, focusing on TLS. METHODS We evaluated lymphocytic infiltration by immunostaining in 54 cases. Flow cytometry was conducted on 12 prospective samples. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed in 43 cases to compare those with and without TLS by differential gene expression (DGE) analysis and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). RESULTS TLS was detected in 5 (9.3%) of the 54 cases. Flow cytometry showed that 3 cases with TLS by immunostaining had higher numbers of T and B cells than those without TLS. DGE analysis showed increased gene expression related to the T cell activation marker (TNFRSF9), chemokine (CCL5), etc., in patients with TLS. GSEA also confirmed the activation of immune responses such as adaptive immune response and B cell receptor signaling pathway. We are currently validating these data with spatial transcriptome analysis and investigating the TLS formation in detail. DISCUSSION Although several TLS signatures and TLS components have been reported so far, the formation mechanism of TLS is still unknown. In addition, to our knowledge, there are no reports yet on spatial transcriptome analysis in multiple cases of glioblastoma focusing on the presence of TLS. CONCLUSION We analyzed a total of 54 glioblastoma cases by immunostaining. RNA-seq and spatial transcriptome analysis were performed to assess TLS in glioblastoma comprehensively.
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Trajkovski, Gjorgji, Ljubomir Ognjenovic, Zoran Karadzov, Gjorgji Jota, Dragan Hadzi-Manchev, Ognen Kostovski, Goce Volcevski, et al. "Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in Colorectal Cancers and Their Prognostic Value." Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences 6, no. 10 (October 9, 2018): 1824–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2018.341.
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Abstract
Introduction: Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in tumor stroma are considered to be involved in elimination of malignant cells and in prevention of metastasis formation. TIL are consisted of T lymphocytes including cytotoxic lymphocytes that are a constituent part of the effector mechanism of anti-tumor immunity and B lymphocytes that can form tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS). TLS have been described in several solid tumors and in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) and they influence on the local and systemic anti-cancer response.
The aim of this study was to quantify the presence of TLS in CRC patients and to determine their role in tumor progression.
Patients and methods: The study included 103 patients with CRC who underwent surgery at the University Clinic of Digestive Surgery in Skopje, whose operative material was analyzed at the Institute of Pathology, Medical Faculty in Skopje. The density of TLS was determined and correlated with neoplasm status of local growth (T), positive lymph nodes, lymphatic invasion, stage of the disease and tumor grade.
Results: The density of TLS was significantly higher in patients with higher stage, lower T status, negative lymph nodes, in patients with no lymphatic invasion and with better differentiated tumors.
Conclusion: The density of TLS plays an important role in controlling the tumor growth and it can be a parameter for neoplasm progression in CRC patients. The density of TLS has influence on the control of tumor progression.
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Filderman, Jessica, and Walter Storkus. "Therapeutic vascular normalization to promote tumor-associated tertiary lymphoid structures." Journal of Immunology 204, no. 1_Supplement (May 1, 2020): 89.6. http://dx.doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.204.supp.89.6.
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Abstract Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are non-encapsulated immune cell aggregates that form at sites of chronic inflammation. Recent studies have shown that the presence of TLS in human tumors indicates positive clinical outcome. However, many tumors have poorly organized and leaky vasculature that impedes entry of immune effector cells into tumors and consequently TLS formation. Recently, studies have shown that low doses of antiangiogenic agents normalize tumor vasculature, leading us to hypothesize that treating tumors with low doses of vascular normalizing (VN) therapies will improve immune cell infiltration and TLS formation within the tumor microenvironment (TME). To test this hypothesis, tumor-bearing mice were treated intratumorally with VN agents. RNA was isolated from digested tumors and transcript levels of TLS-promoting factors and markers of inflammation/immune cell infiltration were measured and compared to PBS treated controls. Changes in tumor vasculature were evaluated using immunofluorescence microscopy. Additionally, primary cultures of murine T cells and DCs and the BPR melanoma cell line were treated in vitro with VN agents. We observed that the VN agents dasatinib, STING agonist, bevacizumab, and agonist anti-TNFR1 antibody each induced global changes in the TME that are potentially supportive of immune cell infiltration and TLS formation. In vitro, dasatinib induced DCs and BPR melanoma cells to express higher levels of co-stimulatory receptors, MHC class I and II, and TLS-promoting chemokines. Treatment with a STING agonist was able to enhance T cell activation, while treatment with dasatinib inhibited T cell activation.
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Adoke, Kasimu, and Sanusi Haruna. "10 Tertiary lymphoid structure in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; a potential target in an immunologically inert malignancy." Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer 9, Suppl 2 (November 2021): A10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jitc-2021-sitc2021.010.
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BackgroundTertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) are immune aggregates with various degrees of organization that forms outside of secondary lymphoid organ in response to chronic inflammation, infection or tumours.1 2 TLS like secondary lymphoid organ, has defined T cell zones, B cell zones, high endothelial venules (HEV) and matured dendritic cells. They have been shown to correlate with increase patient survival in many tumours. Pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDAC) is generally believed to be immunologically inert, low tumour mutation burden (TMB) and poor response to checkpoint blockade. Recent findings in some patients with PDAC shows significant intratumoral cytotoxic T cell infiltration and a high Inflammatory signature. Since current immunotherapy aim to enhance CD 8+ T cells, we aim to investigate the contribution of humoral immunity in patients with TLS in PDAC.MethodsTissue blocks were obtained from departmental archive and sections were cut and stained with routine H&E of all patients who underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer from 2015–2021 at Federal Medical Centre Birnin Kebbi. Serial sections were done at 5µ and four immunohistochemical stains CD 3, CD8, CD20 and PD-L1 were used. Statistical analysis was done using spss version 24.ResultsA total of nine cases of PDAC were diagnosed during the period with a Male Female ratio of 1:1.25 with an age range of 40–68 years and a mean age of 57.7±8.4. Five cases (55.6%) of PDAC showed TLS with marked expression of CD20 B+ cells seen in all five cases (figures 1 and 2). Also expressed are CD 8+ cytotoxic T cells and PD-L1. Prognosis was better in patients with TLS compare with those without TLS.Abstract 10 Figure 1TLS in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.Abstract 10 Figure 2CD 20 stain in TLSConclusionsTLS can be a potential therapeutic target to explore in the future for treatment of some cancers including PDAC through induction of TLS formation in inert tumours or B lymphocyte specific target.ReferencesPitzalis C, Jones GW, Bombardieri M, Jones S. Ectopic lymphoid like structures in infection, cancer and autoimmunity. Nat Rev Immunol 2014; 14: 447–462.Neyt K, Perros F, Geurtsvan C, Hammad H. Lambrecht B. Tertiary lymphoid organs in infection and autoimmunity. Trends Immunol 2012; 33: 297–305.Ethics ApprovalEthical Approval was obtained for this study with Ethics number KSHREC Registration Number:104:6/2019ConsentN/A
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Krull, Jordan, Anjali Byappanahalli, Yi Jiang, Andrew Gunderson, and Qin Ma. "Abstract 4879: Delineating lymphocyte aggregates from tertiary lymphoid structures using spatial transcriptomics." Cancer Research 84, no. 6_Supplement (March 22, 2024): 4879. http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.am2024-4879.
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Abstract Tertiary Lymphoid Structures (TLSs) are ectopic lymphoid structures that form in chronically inflamed non-lymphoid tissue. The presence of TLSs in tumors is largely associated with favorable outcomes among patients and also exhibit positive associations with response to immune checkpoint blockade. Although mainly comprised of lymphocytes (B cells and T cells), they are considered a separate entity from lymphocyte aggregates within tissue. Lymphocyte aggregates are fairly routine to identify in H&E stained tissue sections, but delineating TLSs from simple lymphocyte aggregates is subjective and not clearly defined. Additionally, the definition of TLSs is only recently being elucidated, so a clear molecular definition of both TLSs and lymphocyte aggregates is needed. To address this problem, we leveraged open-source spatial transcriptomics (ST) data from 17 samples across 7 cancer types. High resolution H&E images were manually evaluated for lymphocyte aggregates by identifying dense pockets of lymphocytic-appearing nuclei. Suspected aggregates were detected in 10 of 17 samples. We then applied a visium spot-level signature scoring method for 4 well published TLS signatures. Of the spots identified, 62% had enhanced signature expression for at least 2 of the signatures, although most of the incorrect annotations came from the lone gastric cancer sample. Differential expression between a TLS-sig- suspected lymphoid aggregate and a TLS-sig+ region not identified by H&E enriched primarily for B cell identity genes, suggesting B-cell-rich TLSs may not always appear as lymphoid aggregates in histology. [AG1] Strikingly, ST revealed strongly positive enhancements in the TLS signatures, where no annotations were made, and no obvious lymphoid aggregation was present, suggesting manual annotation from H&E is inadequate for identifying TLSs. Together, these results demonstrate that literature derived TLS signatures can correctly identify lymphoid aggregates as TLSs and that cellular and molecular differences between standard lymphoid aggregates and TLSs may be smaller than is currently accepted. Citation Format: Jordan Krull, Anjali Byappanahalli, Yi Jiang, Andrew Gunderson, Qin Ma. Delineating lymphocyte aggregates from tertiary lymphoid structures using spatial transcriptomics [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 4879.
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Tao, Ping, Zhenyu Wang, Jiongyuan Wang, Jun Chen, Liang Hong, Lijie Ma, Yong Zhang, and Hanxing Tong. "Integrated multi-omics analysis reveals immune landscape of tertiary lymphoid structure in retroperitoneal liposarcoma." Journal of Clinical Oncology 42, no. 16_suppl (June 1, 2024): 11563. http://dx.doi.org/10.1200/jco.2024.42.16_suppl.11563.
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11563 Background: Retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RPLS) is a rare type of mesenchymal tumor characterized by difficult surgical management, immune desert, poor response to immunotherapy and high local recurrence rate. However, how tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) dictates complex biological processes such as antitumor immunity remains unknown. Thus, we aimed to investigate the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of TLS formation, maturation, and functional involvement in TIME, and the clinical value of TLS in multiple retrospective RPLS clinical cohorts. Methods: 330 patients were retrospectively enrolled into five independent cohorts from the two largest retroperitoneal tumor research centers in China and the TCGA database. Single-cell RNA sequencing (sc-RNA seq) (n=4) and spatial transcriptome seq (n=2) were performed for the estimation of TIME based on treatment-naive RPLS. Transcriptomic profiles of 309 cases in five cohorts were obtained from the ZSFD, GEO, and TCGA databases. TLS was quantified in three different anatomic subregions (intra-tumor, invasion margin and peri-tumor) and correlated with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) by Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC) was performed to characterize and validate the spatial composition of TLS in another treatment-naive RPLS cohort (n=16), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n=12) and neoadjuvant radiotherapy (n=20) RPLS cohorts. Results: The joint scoring system of T and P scores stratified RPLS into four immune classes with different TLS distribution patterns and prognoses (p<0.001). The immune class C-index was significantly higher than the TNM staging system (0.798 vs. 0.62, p=0.005). Importantly, mIHC revealed that regulatory T cells (Tregs) and M2 phenotype tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) were significantly increased in intra-tumoral TLS in DDLPS compared to WDLPS, showing an immunosuppressive pattern. Strikingly, neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy could block this status of immunosuppressive, induced TLS formation and restore the antitumor immune balance with significantly more CD38+IgG+ plasma cells (PCs) in responsive RPLS, whereas non-responsive RPLS deteriorated into a more suppressive one. Sc-RNA Seq and ST analysis further revealed significant intra- and inter-tumoral TIME heterogeneity and identified the underlying transcriptomic programs driving each phenotype. Conclusions: Our study provides a high-resolution map of TIME in treatment-naive and neoadjuvant chemotherapy/radiotherapy RPLS. Effective neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy can induce TLS formation and restore the antitumor immune balance in RPLS.
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Weinstein, Aliyah M., Lu Chen, and Walter J. Storkus. "Modulation of tumor vasculature promotes tertiary lymphoid organogenesis." Journal of Immunology 196, no. 1_Supplement (May 1, 2016): 213.11. http://dx.doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.196.supp.213.11.
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Abstract The tumor vasculature has been shown to have pro-tumorigenic effects, leading to the use of anti-angiogenic drugs as therapy. However, the importance of tumor vasculature in recruiting immune cells to the tumor microenvironment (TME), leading to the formation of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) within the TME, has also been shown. TLS are aggregates of immune cells that develop at site of chronic inflammation and function as local sites of immune priming. The presence of TLS in the TME is a positive prognostic marker in many human tumors, suggesting that modulation of the tumor vasculature to promote increased TLS formation may serve as a novel therapeutic modality for solid tumors. We have previously shown that intratumorally-injected dendritic cells (DC) engineered to overexpress the Type 1 transactivator Tbet (DC.Tbet) slow tumor progression in a mouse model dependent on T and NK cell recruitment to the TME. Our recent work indicates that DC.Tbet treatment of established murine sarcomas and colon carcinomas leads to an upregulation by d5 following treatment of peripheral node addressin (PNAd) on CD31+ vascular endothelial cells, marking high endothelial venules (HEV) similar to those found in lymph nodes. Dense infiltrates of T cells and DC surround these HEV; however, T cells and DC are observed proximal to tumor vasculature before PNAd upregulation is observed, indicating that while HEV mark mature TLS, PNAd does not initiate TLS formation. Instead, we observe that DC.Tbet but not unmodified DC express CCL21, CXCL13, lymphotoxin (LT) α, and LIGHT. In vivo these can recruit and activate DC, T cells, NK cells, and B cells, which can modulate the vasculature via LT signaling axes to upregulate PNAd and propagate immune cell recruitment to TLS.
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Chelvanambi, Manoj, Jennifer L. Taylor, Ronald J. Fecek, and Walter J. Storkus. "Therapeutic Induction of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in Melanoma using STING Agonists." Journal of Immunology 202, no. 1_Supplement (May 1, 2019): 194.27. http://dx.doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.202.supp.194.27.
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Abstract Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are non-encapsulated functional aggregates of T cells, B cells, dendritic cells (DC) and high endothelial venules (HEV) located in peripheral sites of chronic inflammation. TLS may serve as sites of local antigen presentation and immune priming that may protect against tumor progression. Homeostatic chemokines CCL19, CCL21 and CXCL13 produced by DCs and/or stromal cells are known to support secondary lymphoid organogenesis and also play key roles in TLS formation. Other DC-associated pro-inflammatory cytokines including lymphotoxin α, IL-36γ and type I interferons also appear to aid in organizing TLS. Hence, we hypothesize that appropriate therapeutic activation of DCs within the tumor microenvironment may serve to nucleate TLS in vivo, leading to slowed tumor progression. We found that activation of the cytosolic DNA sensor STING using ML-RR-S2-CDA, a murine and human STING agonist, leads to not only an expected increased production of type I interferons by CD11c+ DCs in vitro but also leads to increased transcript levels of TLS-associated cytokines/chemokines via activation of pIRF3 and pIRF7. In mice harboring B16.F10 melanomas, provision of STING agonists slows tumor growth in a host STING dependent manner. Further using immunofluorescence microscopy, we observed increased infiltration and clustering of CD3+ T cells and CD11c+ DCs and the induction of HEVs in treated tumors within tumor-associated TLS as early as 5 days post-treatment. Future studies will determine how TLS shape the local versus systemic protective T cell repertoire in treated animals.
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Filderman, Jessica, Manoj Chelvanambi, and Walter Storkus. "584 Therapeutic vascular normalization to promote tumor-associated tertiary lymphoid structures." Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer 8, Suppl 3 (November 2020): A619. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jitc-2020-sitc2020.0584.
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BackgroundTertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are non-encapsulated immune cell aggregates that form at sites of chronic inflammation, including in and around tumors. Recent studies have shown that the presence of TLS in human tumors is an indicator of positive clinical outcome. However, due to dysregulated angiogenesis, many tumors have a poorly-organized and leaky vasculature that impedes entry of immune effector cells into tumors and consequently, TLS formation. It has been shown in pre-clinical studies that low doses of antiangiogenic agents normalize the tumor vasculature, leading us to hypothesize that treating tumors with low-doses (well below drug MTD) of vascular normalizing (VN) therapies will improve immune cell infiltration and TLS formation within the tumor microenvironment (TME).MethodsTo test this hypothesis, melanoma-bearing mice were treated intratumorally with VN agents. Five days post-treatment, tumors were digested into single cell suspensions and RNA was isolated and used for RT-PCR. Transcript levels of TLS-promoting factors (CCL19, CCL21, CXCL13) and markers of vascular normalization (HIF1A, GLUT1) and inflammation/immune cell infiltration (CXCL10, VCAM1, CD8A) were measured and compared to PBS treated controls. Changes in tumor vasculature were evaluated using immunofluorescence microscopy (IFM) of tumor sections stained with CD31, PNAd, and PDGFRβ. Fluorescently-labeled lectin was injected into the mice to observe tumor perfusion. TLS formation was evaluated in tumor sections using IFM, with TLS being defined as PNAd+ vessels surrounded by clusters of CD45+ cells.ResultsWe observed that the VN agents dasatinib, STING agonist, bevacizumab, and agonist anti-TNFR1 antibody each induced global changes in the TME that are consistent with enhanced immune cell infiltration and TLS formation. These changes include increases in expression of CCL19, CCL21, and VCAM1. Dasatinib and STING agonists were shown to promote VN, as demonstrated by improved lectin perfusion into the tumor and increased pericyte coverage of blood vessels on-treatment.ConclusionsVN agents induce global changes in immune cell infiltration and TLS-promoting factors in the TME. In vivo, these agents induce VN in the TME and promote TLS formation. This knowledge can be used to develop optimal combination immunotherapy designs in the cancer setting.
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Cai, Daming, Heng Yu, Xingzhou Wang, Yonghuan Mao, Mengjie Liang, Xiaofeng Lu, Xiaofei Shen, and Wenxian Guan. "Turning Tertiary Lymphoid Structures (TLS) into Hot Spots: Values of TLS in Gastrointestinal Tumors." Cancers 15, no. 2 (January 5, 2023): 367. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cancers15020367.
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Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) are ectopic lymphocyte aggregation structures found in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Emerging evidence shows that TLSs are significantly correlated with the progression of gastrointestinal tumors, patients’ prognosis, and the efficacy of adjuvant therapy. Besides, there are still some immunosuppressive factors in the TLSs that may affect the anti-tumor responses of TLSs, including negative regulators of anti-tumor immune responses, the immune checkpoint molecules, and inappropriate tumor metabolism. Therefore, a more comprehensive understanding of TLSs’ responses in gastrointestinal tumors is essential to fully understand how TLSs can fully exert their anti-tumor responses. In addition, targeting TLSs with immune checkpoint inhibitors and vaccines to establish mature TLSs is currently being developed to reprogram the TME, further benefiting cancer immunotherapies. This review summarizes recent findings on the formation of TLSs, the mechanisms of their anti-tumor immune responses, and the association between therapeutic strategies and TLSs, providing a novel perspective on tumor-associated TLSs in gastrointestinal tumors.
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Berthe, Julie, Sriram Sridhar, Felix Segerer, Marco Testori, Megha Saraiya, Lorenz Rognoni, Harald Hessel, et al. "39 A multi-modal analysis approach leveraging multiplexed spatial phenotyping and multi-omics analysis to better understand the prognostic value of tertiary lymphoid structures in NSCLC." Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer 9, Suppl 2 (November 2021): A46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jitc-2021-sitc2021.039.
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BackgroundTertiary Lymphoid Structures (TLS) are highly organized ectopic lymphoid structures found in inflamed or tumor tissues, acting as sites of lymphoid recruitment and immune activation. A high TLS density within the tumor is commonly associated with an increased prognostic effect of TILs and with an improved disease free survival and overall survival for patients.1 However, the existence of conflicting studies suggest that multiple TLS features should be taken into account when assessing their prognostic value, such as their location, cellular composition, maturation stage and spatial organisation, as those may affect their functionalities.2MethodsWith the aim of gaining insights into TLS biology and evaluating the prognostic role of TLS in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma according to their multiple features, we developed a TLS multiplex immunofluorescent (mIF) panel that includes T cells (CD3, CD8), B cells (CD20), Follicular Dendritic cells (CD21, CD23) and mature dendritic cells (DC-LAMP) markers. We deployed this panel across a cohort of primary tumors from NSCLC patients (n=408) and established a mIF image analysis workstream to assess the status and spatial location of each cell within the tissue. A H&E staining of the same tissue section was performed to evaluate mIF spatial data in relation to the tumor context. Additional multi-omics assessments were conducted across the same cohort including; whole exome sequencing, NanoString transcriptomics, and immunohistochemistry (e.g. PD-L1, FOXP3, NKp46, LKB1, CTLA4). We have leveraged clinical metadata, including demographics (e.g. age, sex, smoking status) and clinical risk factors (e.g. stage, grade, Standard of Care treatment) with clinical follow up (e.g. OS, PFS) for prevalence analysis, novel biomarker identification, and survival association.ResultsAssessment of the prevalence of each cell phenotype within the tumor tissue and TLS, the cell-cell interactions, the distance between each cell type, and the distance of non-TLS immune cells to the closest TLS will be described, demonstrating the different types of lymphoid aggregates and TLS and their functional status. An integrative analysis combining spatial biology data with multi-omics and clinical data will be presented evaluating the prognostic value of TLS composition, maturation status and spatial organization, in correlation with additional biomarkers and clinical characteristics.ConclusionsThis exploratory study using cutting-edge technologies enables us to better understand how TLS orchestrate an organised anti-tumour response, defining TLS spatial biomarker signatures, TLS gene signatures, and TLS features associated with patient outcomes to evaluate in the clinic.ReferencesMarie-Caroline Dieu-Nosjean, Jérémy Goc, Nicolas A Giraldo, Catherine Sautès-Fridman, Wolf Herman Fridman. Tertiary lymphoid structures in cancer and beyond. Trends Immunol 2014;35(11):571–580.Catherine Sautès-Fridman, Florent Petitprez, Julien Calderaro, Wolf Herman Fridman. Tertiary lymphoid structures in the era of cancer immunotherapy. Nat Rev Cancer 2019;19(6):307–325.Ethics ApprovalThe study was approved by AstraZeneca.
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An, Disi, Guoying Chen, Wei Wang, Katja Mohrs, David DiLillo, Christopher Daly, Gavin Thurston, et al. "Abstract 4134: Boosting anti-tumor immunity by promoting high endothelial venule and tertiary lymphoid structure formation in solid tumors via LTBR agonism." Cancer Research 83, no. 7_Supplement (April 4, 2023): 4134. http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.am2023-4134.
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Abstract High endothelial venules (HEV) are specialized blood vessels that mediate lymphocyte trafficking to lymph nodes. Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are ectopic lymphoid formations that develop in inflamed, infected or tumoral tissues. TLS contain HEV and B cell follicles surrounded by a T-cell zone and are characterized by abundant chemokine expression. The presence of TLS and HEV in solid tumors is positively correlated with patient survival in many cancer types, and may even be predictive of better response to immune-checkpoint blockade. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the intratumoral HEV and TLS formation remain unclear. Using murine syngeneic tumor models, we found that systemic activation of lymphotoxin beta receptor (LTBR) with an agonistic antibody induced tumor-specific HEV formation, increased dendritic cell (DC) and T cell infiltration, and enhanced T cell activation in the tumor. In vitro assays revealed that LTBR agonism directly upregulated activation and maturation markers in bone marrow-derived DCs and promoted DC-mediated CD4 and CD8 T cell activation. Single agent LTBR agonist treatment attenuated Colon26 tumor growth in a CD8 T cell-dependent manner. In combination treatment studies, LTBR agonism further augmented anti-tumor efficacy of anti-PD1 and of CAR-T therapy. Notably, LTBR agonist mAb treatment upregulated the expression of TLS-related chemokines and induced TLS-like structures in approximately 20% of treated tumors. To enhance TLS induction, we generated syngeneic tumor models engineered to express several cytokines/chemokines and performed an in vivo screen for tumor-associated TLS formation. We identified some factors that in combination with LTBR agonism induced B cell enrichment and immature TLS formation, while others promoted robust TLS induction and anti-tumor effect. TLS formation induced by combined LTBR agonism and cytokine expression is associated with augmented anti-tumor responses to anti-CTLA-4 treatment. By studying anti-tumor mechanisms of LTBR agonism-mediated HEV and TLS formation, this work informs the future therapeutic strategies to boost T cell infiltration and activation in solid tumors. Citation Format: Disi An, Guoying Chen, Wei Wang, Katja Mohrs, David DiLillo, Christopher Daly, Gavin Thurston, John Lin, Namita Gupta, Mickey Atwal, Frank Kuhnert. Boosting anti-tumor immunity by promoting high endothelial venule and tertiary lymphoid structure formation in solid tumors via LTBR agonism. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4134.
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Huang, Ta-Chen, Cher-Wei Liang, Yu-I. Li, Jhe-Cyuan Guo, Chia-Chi Lin, Jang-Ming Lee, Yin-Kai Chao, and Chih-Hung Hsu. "Abstract 2211: The prognostic role of tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) in locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)." Cancer Research 83, no. 7_Supplement (April 4, 2023): 2211. http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.am2023-2211.
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Abstract Introduction: The presence of TLS in tumors is associated with improved efficacy of immunotherapy in various types of cancer. The significance of TLS in patients with ESCC has been sporadically reported. The study aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of TLS in patients with locally advanced ESCC receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Patients and Methods: We included two cohorts of locally advanced ESCC patients from two referral centers of Taiwan. Cohort A consisted of 99 patients treated with paclitaxel/cisplatin-based CRT, 69 of them being neoadjuvant CRT and 30 of them being definitive CRT, between 2002 and 2015; cohort B consisted of 67 patients treated with paclitaxel/carboplatin-based neoadjuvant CRT between 2012 and 2018. Primary tumor tissues were retrospectively collected for immunohistochemical stains by CD20 (clone L26; Zytomed, Berlin, Germany) and CD23 (clone DAK-CD23; agilent Dako, California, U.S.A.). TLS was defined as aggregation of CD20 B cells, and mature TLS was defined as TLS with CD23-positively stained germinal center. Patients’ characteristics were compared between those with or without TLS or mature TLS. The impact of TLS or mature TLS on patients’ overall survival (OS) was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method and log rank test. Results: In cohort A (median age of 56 years, M:F= 88:11), no TLS, immature TLS, and mature TLS were seen in 52, 35, and 12 patients, respectively. In cohort B (median age of 55 years, M:F= 64:3), no TLS, immature TLS, and mature TLS were seen in 27, 25, and 15, respectively. In cohort A, the presence of TLS is more commonly seen in ESCC with the primary site at upper (58%) and lower segments (63%) than middle segment of esophagus (35%) (p=0.039), and the mature TLS is more commonly seen at lower segment (25%) than other segments (8%) (p=0.033). The pathological complete response (pCR) was not significant different between patients with vs without TLS in cohort A (39% vs 43 %, p= 0.75), but trended to be lower in patients with TLS than without in cohort B (28% vs 52 %, p= 0.061). Besides, pCR rate trended to be lower in patients with mature TLS than without in both cohorts (13% vs 45 %, p= 0.080, for cohort A; 28% vs 43 %, p= 0.23, for cohort B). As patients with or without TLS did not differ in their OS in both cohorts, patients with mature TLS trended to have worse overall survival in both cohort A (HR: 1.4 [95% CI 0.33-3.05], p=0.29) and cohort B (HR: 1.6 [95% CI 0.81-2.98], p=0.15). Conclusion: In two independent cohorts of locally advanced ESCC patients receiving paclitaxel/platinum-based CRT, we did not find the correlation of the presence of TLS or mature TLS in pre-treatment primary ESCC tumor tissue with the favorable treatment outcomes. (The study was supported by the grant NTUH 110-S5021, the grant MOST 108-2314-B-002-076-MY3, and grant MOHW 111-TDU-B-221-114006) Citation Format: Ta-Chen Huang, Cher-Wei Liang, Yu-I Li, Jhe-Cyuan Guo, Chia-Chi Lin, Jang-Ming Lee, Yin-Kai Chao, Chih-Hung Hsu. The prognostic role of tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) in locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 2211.
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Livanova, Alexandra, Andrey Tyshevich, Andrey Kravets, Stanislav Kurpe, Nadezhda Lukashevich, Dmitry Ivchenkov, Daniil Dymov, et al. "Abstract 4909: An RNA-based model for tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) prediction and classification in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC)." Cancer Research 84, no. 6_Supplement (March 22, 2024): 4909. http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.am2024-4909.
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Abstract Although TLS status possesses prognostic significance in PDAC and can potentially affect chemotherapy outcomes, there is currently a notable lack of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) models that specialize in TLS identification and classification in PDAC. Here, we developed a model for predicting TLS status (high or low) based on RNA-seq data. Design: Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) whole slide images of PDAC samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA, n = 118) and Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC, n = 129) were used to detect intratumoral and borderline TLSs followed by TLS density measurements (units/mm2) by an experienced pathologist. The samples were then stratified into TLS-high and TLS-low groups based on median density values. Next, we used deconvolution by Kassandra algorithm to identify cell subtypes enriched in each TLS group based on gene expression (RNA-seq) data. Calculation of ssGSEA scores for gene signatures corresponding to cell subtypes and TLS structures was performed, along with survival analysis. Differential expression analysis between TLS-high and TLS-low samples, followed by functional enrichment (|logFC| > 2; padj < 0.01), was conducted. The LightGBM gradient boosting classifier was then trained on ranked expression data with sequential feature selection to predict TLS-high and TLS-low groups. We trained the model with H&E staining annotations and ranked RNA expression data from TCGA or CPTAC samples (total n = 167). The remaining 80 were designated as hold-out samples. The weighted F1 score was computed as a performance metric. Findings: Median density of detected TLSs in the TCGA and CPTAC samples was 0.012 units/mm2. Kassandra deconvolution revealed B-cell enrichment, but fibroblast and M2 macrophage depletion in the TLS-high group. Our calculated ssGSEA scores of previously described TLS gene signatures, along with those of different B-cell subtypes and follicular dendritic cells, showed significant association with the TLS-high group. Genes associated with B-cell proliferation, differentiation, and signaling (CD19, CD22, CD79A, CD79B, and CR2) were also upregulated in this group. Comparing the performance of our RNA-based model on the validation dataset with manual TLS classification by a pathologist, we obtained an F1 weighted score of 0.72 and ROC-AUC score of 0.77. Thus, the TLS predictions by our model concurred with the TLS classification based on H&E annotations and pathological evaluation. Moreover, patients in the predicted TLS-low group had worse overall survival (OS) compared to the TLS-high group (Log(HR) = 0.76; 95% CI [0.04; 1.48]; p<0.05). We present an RNA-based model that stratifies PDAC samples as TLS-high or TLS-low, with predictions that conform to pathological findings. We also found TLS-low samples to associate with worse OS, thus offering an objective means to predict prognoses of PDAC patients based on TLS status. Citation Format: Alexandra Livanova, Andrey Tyshevich, Andrey Kravets, Stanislav Kurpe, Nadezhda Lukashevich, Dmitry Ivchenkov, Daniil Dymov, Anna Belozerova, Kirill Kryukov, Aleksandr Sarachakov, Viktor Svekolkin, Vladimir Kushnarev. An RNA-based model for tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) prediction and classification in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 4909.
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Li, Songyun, Zhuo Wang, Hsien-Da Huang, and Tzong-Yi Lee. "Machine Learning-Based Characterization and Identification of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures Using Spatial Transcriptomics Data." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 25, no. 7 (March 30, 2024): 3887. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms25073887.
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Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) are organized aggregates of immune cells in non-lymphoid tissues and are associated with a favorable prognosis in tumors. However, TLS markers remain inconsistent, and the utilization of machine learning techniques for this purpose is limited. To tackle this challenge, we began by identifying TLS markers through bioinformatics analysis and machine learning techniques. Subsequently, we leveraged spatial transcriptomic data from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and built two support vector classifier models for TLS prediction: one without feature selection and the other using the marker genes. The comparable performances of these two models confirm the efficacy of the selected markers. The majority of the markers are immunoglobulin genes, demonstrating their importance in the identification of TLSs. Our research has identified the markers of TLSs using machine learning methods and constructed a model to predict TLS location, contributing to the detection of TLS and holding the promising potential to impact cancer treatment strategies.
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Shu, Daniel H., Won Jin Ho, Luciane T. Kagohara, Alexander Girgis, Sarah M. Shin, Ludmila Danilova, Jae W. Lee, et al. "Abstract 2661: Identification of a novel morphology of tertiary lymphoid structure in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockade." Cancer Research 84, no. 6_Supplement (March 22, 2024): 2661. http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.am2024-2661.
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Abstract Background: Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are ectopic lymphoid follicles that arise in non-lymphoid tissue. TLS may contribute to response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in solid tumors, but understanding of the life cycle of these structures, particularly the circumstances of their resolution and the functional contribution of this stage to the adaptive immune response, remains incomplete. Methods: We employed a multi-omics approach to evaluate TLS in the tumors of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with neoadjuvant ICB (n = 19) and untreated controls (n = 14). TLS density was assessed by immunohistochemistry and correlated with pathologic response, relapse free survival, and overall survival. Imaging mass cytometry was used to characterize distinct TLS morphologies in areas of tumor regression bed and viable tumor. Individual TLS from treated tumors were microdissected and characterized by T cell receptor (TCR) and immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) sequencing, and TCR clonotypes identified in TLS were further characterized by comparison against matched single cell RNA and TCR sequencing of peripheral blood and TIL. Results: Intratumoral TLS density was significantly increased in HCC tumors treated with neoadjuvant ICB compared to untreated controls (p = 0.05). Tumors with major or complete pathologic response to treatment had significantly higher intratumoral TLS density compared to tumors with partial pathologic response (p = 0.000246) and non-response (p = 0.0129). In the treatment group, patients with tumors in the top tertile of intratumoral TLS density had significantly longer relapse free survival (p = 0.021 by log-rank test). In the regression bed of treated tumors, an involuted TLS morphology was identified which was notable for dispersion of the B cell germinal center, retention of a T cell zone enriched for T-DC interactions, and increased expression of markers of T cell memory. In a subset of patients, immune repertoire sequencing demonstrated increased TCRβ clonality and BCR somatic hypermutation at involuted TLS. Highly expanded T cell clonotypes identified in TLS were found in the GZMK+ and GZMB+ CD8 T effector memory clusters in matched single cell data. Conclusions: These data suggest that in HCC tumors treated with neoadjuvant ICB, treatment may induce formation of intratumoral TLS, which are associated with superior pathologic response and relapse free survival. An involuted TLS morphology is identified in tumor regression bed with features consistent with dissolution of the B cell germinal center, persistent antigen presentation to T cells, and increased T cell memory formation. Taken together, these findings suggest a potential role for late-stage TLS in supporting consolidation of the intratumoral T cell repertoire after elimination of viable tumor. Citation Format: Daniel H. Shu, Won Jin Ho, Luciane T. Kagohara, Alexander Girgis, Sarah M. Shin, Ludmila Danilova, Jae W. Lee, Dimitrios N. N. Sidiropoulos, Sarah Mitchell, Kabeer Munjal, Kathryn Howe, Kayla J. Bendinelli, Hanfei Qi, Guanglan Mo, Janelle Montagne, Tamara Y. Lopez-Vidal, Qingfeng Zhu, Amanda L. Huff, Xuan Yuan, Alexei Hernandez, Erin M. Coyne, Neeha Zaidi, Daniel J. Zabransky, Logan L. Engle, Aleksandra Ogurtsova, Marina Baretti, Daniel Laheru, Jennifer N. Durham, Hao Wang, Robert Anders, Elizabeth M. Jaffee, Elana J. Fertig, Mark Yarchoan. Identification of a novel morphology of tertiary lymphoid structure in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockade [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2661.
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RIFFARD, Clemence, Jean-Luc TEILLAUD, and Marie-Caroline DIEU-NOSJEAN. "LTi-like type 3 innate lymphoid cells are associated with the transient induction of tertiary lymphoid structures in inflamed pulmonary tissue." Journal of Immunology 208, no. 1_Supplement (May 1, 2022): 62.09. http://dx.doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.208.supp.62.09.
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Abstract Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are ectopic lymphoid aggregates observed in inflamed tissues. Their presence in pulmonary tissue has been associated with good prognosis in patients with lung cancer. Although TLS formation shares common features with secondary lymphoid organogenesis, the mechanisms underlying this process are yet to be fully elucidated. Presence of ILC3 in the vicinity of tumor-associated TLS correlates with the density of lymphoid structures. We hypothesized that RORγt+ ILC3 play a major role in TLS induction in inflamed lungs, as do RORγt+ fetal lymphoid tissue inducer cells (LTi) during lymph node formation. We developed a murine model of pulmonary inflammation induced by LPS intranasal instillation that triggers TLS formation. ILC3 presence in lungs was observed with a specific flow cytometry antibody panel. Three RORgt+ILC3 subsets (NCR− CCR6−, NCR−CCR6+, NCR+CCR6−) were detected. In particular, NCR−CCR6+ LTi-like cells represented about 25% of CD117+CD127+ILC (ILC2/ILC3) and less than 0.04% among CD45+ cells. Analyses of ILC subsets at different time points following LPS instillation showed an increase in the number and % (up to 0.59%) of ILC3 among CD45+ cells, as well as an increase in the % of LTi-like ILC3 among CD45+ cells, that peaked around day 10 (from 0.02% up to 0.15%). Quantification of TLS by histochemistry showed that they are induced in lung tissue in an LPS dose-dependent manner. TLS density increases between days 3 and 10 and decreases thereafter. They were no longer detected at day 25, while LTi-like ILC3 % returned to baseline. Gene expression analysis and functional assays of sorted LTi-like ILC3 are essential to determine if these cells are key players in TLS induction. Supported by grants from La Ligue Nationale contre le cancer (TAHG21042) and Fondation ARC (R19232DD).
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Nader, Noor, Elaine Byrnes, Sheryl Kunning, Thomas Pearce, Gabriel Sica, Timothy Burns, Laura Stabile, Xiaoran Zhang, and Tullia Bruno. "Abstract B005: Lymphoid aggregates dictate immune activity in melanoma and lung brain metastases." Cancer Research 84, no. 5_Supplement_1 (March 4, 2024): B005. http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.brain23-b005.
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Abstract Brain metastasis is the cause of death of more than 40% of all cancer patients and is five times more prevalent than primary brain tumors. Melanoma, lung, and breast cancers are the three most common cancers metastasizing to the brain. Currently, radiation and chemotherapy are the gold standard for the treatment of brain metastasis. However, despite the efficacy of current T cell-based immunotherapies in primary cancers, recent clinical trials have demonstrated little to no benefit in brain metastasis patients. Thus, we predict that tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) could provide the cellular niches for increased T cell influx and activity. TLS are ectopic lymphoid structures consisting of clusters of B and CD4+ T cells with the presence of high endothelial venules (HEVs) and follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) as hallmarks of TLS formation. B cells and TLS correlate with superior response to immunotherapies and greater overall survival in solid tumors. Despite the positive prognostics of TLS and B cells in solid primary tumors, they are critically understudied in brain metastasis. However, the expression of CXCL13, a key initiating factor of TLS, has been shown to correlate with greater overall survival in melanoma brain metastasis patients. In this study, we hypothesize that B cell infiltration and TLS signatures in brain metastases would correlate with improved anti-tumor immunity and better overall survival. Utilizing multispectral imaging, we demonstrate that despite lacking TLS with canonical hallmarks (HEVs and FDCs), brain metastasis patients have specialized lymphoid structures consisting of proliferating B and T cells, potentially early TLS. We observed that the presence of these lymphoid structures correlates with increased CD8+ T cell infiltration. More specifically, CD8+ T cells are more likely to localize intratumorally in melanoma brain metastasis and in non-tumor regions in LBM patients. Additionally, we identified more active lymphoid aggregates by Ki67 staining in melanoma-brain metastasis patients relative to lung-brain metastasis, suggesting that the primary tumor could influence the type of lymphoid structures in the brain. We also found a correlation between TLS at the primary tumor site and increased B cell infiltration and early TLS formation at the metastatic site in lung cancer patients. Utilizing spatial proteomics and transcriptomics, we aim to carry out an in-depth analysis of the immune activation of the lymphoid structures and key molecular pathways in the tumors of brain metastasis. In conclusion, uncovering differences in B cells and lymphoid aggregates will set the ground truth for structure formation in brain metastases, which will help elucidate key immune targets related to TLS function in these immunologically unique tumors. Citation Format: Noor Nader, Elaine Byrnes, Sheryl Kunning, Thomas Pearce, Gabriel Sica, Timothy Burns, Laura Stabile, Xiaoran Zhang, Tullia Bruno. Lymphoid aggregates dictate immune activity in melanoma and lung brain metastases [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Brain Cancer; 2023 Oct 19-22; Minneapolis, Minnesota. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(5 Suppl_1):Abstract nr B005.
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Mori, Natsumi, Gendensuren Dorjkhorloo, Takuya Shiraishi, Bilguun Erkhem-Ochir, Haruka Okami, Arisa Yamaguchi, Ikuma Shioi, et al. "A Mature Tertiary Lymphoid Structure with a Ki-67-Positive Proliferating Germinal Center Is Associated with a Good Prognosis and High Intratumoral Immune Cell Infiltration in Advanced Colorectal Cancer." Cancers 16, no. 15 (July 28, 2024): 2684. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cancers16152684.
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Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) are complex lymphocyte clusters that arise in non-lymphoid tissues due to inflammation or cancer. A mature TLS with proliferating germinal centers is associated with a favorable prognosis in various cancers. However, the effect of TLS maturity on advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unexplored. We analyzed the significance of TLS maturity and tumor Ki-67 expression in surgically resected tumors from 78 patients with pathological T4 CRC. Mature TLS was defined as the organized infiltration of T and B cells with Ki-67-positive proliferating germinal centers. We analyzed the relationship between TLS maturity and intratumoral immune cell infiltration. Mature TLS with germinal center Ki-67 expression was associated with microsatellite instability and improved survival; however, high tumor Ki-67 expression was associated with poor survival in the same cohort. Multivariate analysis identified the absence of mature TLS as an independent predictor of poor post-recurrence overall survival. Intratumoral infiltration of T lymphocytes and macrophages was significantly elevated in tumors with mature TLS compared to those lacking it. High Ki-67 levels and absent mature TLS were identified as poor prognostic factors in advanced CRC. Mature TLS could serve as a promising marker for patients at high-risk of CRC.
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Chen, Yulu, Yuhao Wu, Guorong Yan, and Guolong Zhang. "Tertiary lymphoid structures in cancer: maturation and induction." Frontiers in Immunology 15 (April 16, 2024). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1369626.
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Tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) is an ectopic lymphocyte aggregate formed in peripheral non-lymphoid tissues, including inflamed or cancerous tissue. Tumor-associated TLS serves as a prominent center of antigen presentation and adaptive immune activation within the periphery, which has exhibited positive prognostic value in various cancers. In recent years, the concept of maturity regarding TLS has been proposed and mature TLS, characterized by well-developed germinal centers, exhibits a more potent tumor-suppressive capacity with stronger significance. Meanwhile, more and more evidence showed that TLS can be induced by therapeutic interventions during cancer treatments. Thus, the evaluation of TLS maturity and the therapeutic interventions that induce its formation are critical issues in current TLS research. In this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive summary of the existing classifications for TLS maturity and therapeutic strategies capable of inducing its formation in tumors.
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Salem, Deepak, Manoj Chelvanambi, Walter J. Storkus, and Ronald J. Fecek. "Cutaneous Melanoma: Mutational Status and Potential Links to Tertiary Lymphoid Structure Formation." Frontiers in Immunology 12 (March 4, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.629519.
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Recent advances in immunotherapy have enabled rapid evolution of novel interventional approaches designed to reinvigorate and expand patient immune responses against cancer. An emerging approach in cancer immunology involves the conditional induction of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS), which are non-encapsulated ectopic lymphoid structures forming at sites of chronic, pathologic inflammation. Cutaneous melanoma (CM), a highly-immunogenic form of solid cancer, continues to rise in both incidence and mortality rate, with recent reports supporting a positive correlation between the presence of TLS in melanoma and beneficial treatment outcomes amongst advanced-stage patients. In this context, TLS in CM are postulated to serve as dynamic centers for the initiation of robust anti-tumor responses within affected regions of active disease. Given their potential importance to patient outcome, significant effort has been recently devoted to gaining a better understanding of TLS neogenesis and the influence these lymphoid organs exert within the tumor microenvironment. Here, we briefly review TLS structure, function, and response to treatment in the setting of CM. To uncover potential tumor-intrinsic mechanisms that regulate TLS formation, we have taken the novel perspective of evaluating TLS induction in melanomas impacted by common driver mutations in BRAF, PTEN, NRAS, KIT, PRDM1, and MITF. Through analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we show expression of DNA repair proteins (DRPs) including BRCA1, PAXIP, ERCC1, ERCC2, ERCC3, MSH2, and PMS2 to be negatively correlated with expression of pro-TLS genes, suggesting DRP loss may favor TLS development in support of improved patient outcome and patient response to interventional immunotherapy.
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Vaccaro, Alessandra, Tiarne van de Walle, Mohanraj Ramachandran, Magnus Essand, and Anna Dimberg. "Of mice and lymphoid aggregates: modeling tertiary lymphoid structures in cancer." Frontiers in Immunology 14 (October 26, 2023). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1275378.
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Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are lymph node-like aggregates that can form in association with chronic inflammation or cancer. Mature TLS are organized into B and T cell zones, and are not encapsulated but include all cell types necessary for eliciting an adaptive immune response. TLS have been observed in various cancer types and are generally associated with a positive prognosis as well as increased sensitivity to cancer immunotherapy. However, a comprehensive understanding of the roles of TLS in eliciting anti-tumor immunity as well as the mechanisms involved in their formation and function is still lacking. Further studies in orthotopic, immunocompetent cancer models are necessary to evaluate the influence of TLS on cancer therapies, and to develop new treatments that promote their formation in cancer. Here, we review key insights obtained from functional murine studies, discuss appropriate models that can be used to study cancer-associated TLS, and suggest guidelines on how to identify TLS and distinguish them from other antigen-presenting niches.
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Khanal, Shrijan, Andreas Wieland, and Andrew J. Gunderson. "Mechanisms of tertiary lymphoid structure formation: cooperation between inflammation and antigenicity." Frontiers in Immunology 14 (September 21, 2023). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1267654.
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To mount an effective anti-tumor immune response capable of controlling or eliminating disease, sufficient numbers of lymphocytes must be recruited to malignant tissue and allowed to sustain their effector functions. Indeed, higher infiltration of T and B cells in tumor tissue, often referred to as “hot tumors”, is prognostic for patient survival and predictive of response to immunotherapy in almost all cancer types. The organization of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in solid tumors is a unique example of a hot tumor whereby T and B lymphocytes aggregate with antigen presenting cells and high endothelial venules reflecting the cellular organization observed in lymphoid tissue. Many groups have reported that the presence of preexisting TLS in tumors is associated with a superior adaptive immune response, response to immunotherapy, and improved survivorship over those without TLS. Accordingly, there is significant interest into understanding the mechanisms of how and why TLS organize so that they can be elicited therapeutically in patients with few or no TLS. Unfortunately, the most commonly used mouse models of cancer do not spontaneously form TLS, thus significantly restricting our understanding of TLS biology. This brief review will summarize our current state of knowledge of TLS neogenesis and address the current gaps in the field.
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Li, Qunxing, Xiangqi Liu, Dikan Wang, Yanqiong Wang, Huanzi Lu, Shuqiong Wen, Juan Fang, Bin Cheng, and Zhi Wang. "Prognostic value of tertiary lymphoid structure and tumour infiltrating lymphocytes in oral squamous cell carcinoma." International Journal of Oral Science 12, no. 1 (September 15, 2020). http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41368-020-00092-3.
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Abstract Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are ectopic lymphoid structures in cancers that are largely associated with favourable prognosis. However, the prognostic value of TLSs in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is largely unknown, and the association between tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and TLSs has been rarely explored in OSCC. In this study, associated markers of TLS, including peripheral node address (PNAd) in high endothelial venules, CD20 in B cells and CD3 in T cells, were examined in 168 OSCC patients, and survival analysis was performed between TLS-positive and TLS-negative cohorts. We detected the presence of TILs by staining CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and CD57+ NK cells as well. TLSs appeared as highly organized structures in 45 (26.8%) cases. TLS-positive patients had a better 5-year overall survival (OS) rate (88.9% vs. 56.1%, P < 0.001) and relapse-free survival (RFS) rate (88.9% vs. 63.4%, P = 0.002). Moreover, the presence of TLS was an independent prognostic factor for both the 5-year OS rate (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.784; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.498–9.562) and RFS rate (HR = 3.296; 95% CI, 1.279–8.490) in multivariate analysis. Furthermore, a higher density of CD8+ T cells and CD57+ NK cells was found in TLS-positive sections than in TLS-negative counterparts (P < 0.001), and their combination provided a higher predictive accuracy (AUC = 0.730; 95% CI, 0.654–0.805). In conclusion, our results suggest that TLS is an independent positive prognostic factor for OSCC patients. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the future diagnostic and therapeutic value of TLSs in OSCC treatment.
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Schumacher, Ton N., and Daniela S. Thommen. "Tertiary lymphoid structures in cancer." Science 375, no. 6576 (January 7, 2022). http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abf9419.
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Tertiary lymphoid structures in cancer Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) are lymphoid formations that are found in nonlymphoid tissues. TLS can develop in inflamed tissues and are associated with chronic inflammatory disorders, autoimmunity, and cancer. In the setting of tumors, TLSs facilitate the influx of immune cells into the tumor site and have therefore attracted interest as a means of improving anticancer immunity and favorable treatment response in patients. Schumacher and Thommen review the biology of TLSs and outline recent advances in TLS research. They discuss how TLSs are detected and defined, the mechanism(s) of formation in cancer, and the potential of targeting TLSs for therapeutic benefit. —PNK
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You, Xin, Kristina Koop, and Andreas Weigert. "Heterogeneity of tertiary lymphoid structures in cancer." Frontiers in Immunology 14 (December 4, 2023). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1286850.
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The success of immunotherapy approaches, such as immune checkpoint blockade and cellular immunotherapy with genetically modified lymphocytes, has firmly embedded the immune system in the roadmap for combating cancer. Unfortunately, the majority of cancer patients do not yet benefit from these therapeutic approaches, even when the prognostic relevance of the immune response in their tumor entity has been demonstrated. Therefore, there is a justified need to explore new strategies for inducing anti-tumor immunity. The recent connection between the formation of ectopic lymphoid aggregates at tumor sites and patient prognosis, along with an effective anti-tumor response, suggests that manipulating the occurrence of these tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) may play a critical role in activating the immune system against a growing tumor. However, mechanisms governing TLS formation and a clear understanding of their substantial heterogeneity are still lacking. Here, we briefly summarize the current state of knowledge regarding the mechanisms driving TLS development, outline the impact of TLS heterogeneity on clinical outcomes in cancer patients, and discuss appropriate systems for modeling TLS heterogeneity that may help identify new strategies for inducing protective TLS formation in cancer patients.
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Komura, Kazumasa, Satoshi Tokushige, Mitsuaki Ishida, Kensuke Hirosuna, Shogo Yamazaki, Kazuki Nishimura, Masahiko Ajiro, et al. "Tertiary lymphoid structure and neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio coordinately predict outcome of pembrolizumab." Cancer Science, September 26, 2023. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cas.15976.
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AbstractEmerging evidence suggests that the presence of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) and neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in peripheral blood is associated with the treatment response to checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs), whereas there is limited knowledge regarding whether these factors reciprocally impact the treatment outcomes of CPIs in metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC). Herein, we investigated treatment outcomes of platinum‐refractory mUC patients (50 cases with whole‐exome and transcriptome sequencing) treated with pembrolizumab. The pathological review identified 24% of cases of TLS in the specimens. There was no significant difference in the NLR between the TLS− and TLS+ groups (p = 0.153). In the lower NLR group, both overall survival and progression‐free survival were significantly longer in patients with TLS than in those without TLS, whereas the favorable outcomes associated with TLS were not observed in patients in the higher NLR group. We explored transcriptomic differences in UC with TLS. The TLS was comparably observed between luminal (20%) and basal (25%) tumor subtypes (p = 0.736). Exploring putative immune‐checkpoint genes revealed that ICOSLG (B7‐H2) was significantly increased in tumors with lower NLR. KRT expression levels exhibited higher basal cell markers (KRT5 and KRT17) in the higher NLR group and lower differentiated cell markers (KRT8 and KRT18) in patients with TLS. In conclusion, the improved outcomes of pembrolizumab treatment in mUC are restricted to patients with lower NLR. Our findings begin to elucidate a distinct molecular pattern for the presence of TLS according to the NLR in peripheral blood.
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Yu, Aoyang, Menghan Cao, Kaile Zhang, Yule Yang, Luyao Ma, Xinran Zhang, Yang Zhao, et al. "The prognostic value of the tertiary lymphoid structure in gastrointestinal cancers." Frontiers in Immunology 14 (October 6, 2023). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1256355.
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BackgroundNumerous studies and research papers have provided evidence suggesting that tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) play a crucial role in combating and suppressing tumor growth and progression. Despite the wealth of information on the significance of TLS in various types of cancer, their prognostic value in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers remains uncertain. Therefore, this meta-analysis investigated the prognostic value of TLS in GI cancers.MethodsWe searched Web of science, Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane Library for studies that met the requirements as of May 1, 2023, and the hazard ratio (HR) and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were included in the analysis. The bioinformatics analysis results based on the TCGA database are used to supplement our research.ResultsThe meta-analysis included 32 studies involving 5778 patients. The results of comprehensive analysis showed that TLS-High is associated with prolonged OS (HR=0.525,95%CI:0.447-0.616 (P < 0.001), RFS (HR=0.546,95%CI:0.461-0.647, P < 0.001), DFS (HR=0.519,95%CI:0.417-0.646, P < 0.001) and PFS (HR=0.588,95%CI:0.406-0.852, P=0.005) in GI cancer. Among the patients who received immunotherapy, TLS-High is associated with significantly prolonged OS (HR=0.475, 95%CI:0.282-0.799, P=0.005) and PFS(HR=0.576, 95%CI:0.381-0.871, P=0.009). It is worth noting that subgroup analysis showed that there was no significant relationship between TLS and OS(HR=0.775, 95%CI:0.570-1.053,P=0.103) in CRC. And when Present is used as the cut-off criteria of TLS, there is no significant correlation between TLS and OS (HR=0.850, 95%CI:0.721-1.002, P=0.053)in HCC.ConclusionTLS is a significant predictor of the prognosis of GI cancers and has the potential to become a prognostic biomarker of immunotherapy-related patients.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/#recordDetails, identifier CRD42023443562.
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Li, Ruiqi, Fan Gu, Linlin Peng, Tingting Huan, Zhuo Zhou, Yaling Song, Jinmei He, et al. "Tertiary Lymphoid Structure in Dental Pulp: The Role in Combating Bacterial Infections." Advanced Science, October 28, 2024. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/advs.202406684.
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AbstractTertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) is associated with various pathologies, including those of cancers and chronic infections. Depending on the organ, multiple factors regulate the formation of TLS. However, the role of TLS in immune response and the molecules that drive its formation remain uncertain. The dental pulp, includes a few immune cells surrounded by rigid mineralized tissue, and opens to the outside through the apical foramen. Owing to this special organization, the dental pulp generates a directional immune response to bacterial infection. Considering this aspect, the dental pulp is an ideal model for comprehensively studying the TLS. In the present study, single‐cell RNA sequencing of healthy and inflamed human dental pulp reveals known markers of TLS, including C‐C motif chemokine ligand 19 (CCL19), lysosome‐associated membrane glycoprotein 3 (LAMP3), CC chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7), and CD86, present in inflamed dental pulp. Compared with the healthy pulp, types and proportions of immune cells increase, along with enhanced cellular communication. Multiple immunofluorescence staining reveals that typical TLS emerges in dental pulp with pulpitis, consistent with the high expression of CC chemokine ligand 3 (CCL3), which may be a key driver of TLS formation. Moreover, TLS is also observed in a mouse model of pulpitis. These findings collectively offer insights into the formation and function of TLS in response to infection.
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Wu, Sixuan, Junfan Pan, Qihong Pan, Lijun Zeng, Renji Liang, and Yuehua Li. "Multi-omics profiling and experimental verification of tertiary lymphoid structure-related genes: molecular subgroups, immune infiltration, and prognostic implications in lung adenocarcinoma." Frontiers in Immunology 15 (September 19, 2024). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1453220.
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Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), characterized by a low 5-year survival rate, is the most common and aggressive type of lung cancer. Recent studies have shown that tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS), which resemble lymphoid structures, are closely linked to the immune response and tumor prognosis. The functions of the tertiary lymphoid structure-related genes (TLS-RGs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are poorly understood. Based on publicly available data, we conducted a comprehensive study of the function of TLS-RGs in LUAD. Initially, we categorized LUAD patients into two TLS and two gene subtypes. Subsequently, risk scores were calculated, and prognostic models were constructed using seven genes (CIITA, FCRL2, GBP1, BIRC3, SCGB1A1, CLDN18, and S100P). To enhance the clinical application of TLS scores, we have developed a precise nomogram. Furthermore, drug sensitivity, tumor mutational burden (TMB), and the cancer stem cell (CSC) index were found to be substantially correlated with the TLS scores. Single-cell sequencing results reflected the distribution of TLS-RGs in cells. Finally, we took the intersection of overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and progression-free interval (PFI) prognosis-related genes and then further validated the expression of these genes by qRT-PCR. Our in-depth investigation of TLS-RGs in LUAD revealed their possible contributions to the clinicopathological features, prognosis, and characteristics of TME. These findings underscore the potential of TLS-RGs as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for LUAD, thereby paving the way for personalized treatment strategies.
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Zhao, Ruibo, Jinghe Zhang, Jialu Ma, Yali Qu, Zhenrong Yang, Zhinan Yin, Fengyin Li, et al. "cGAS-activated endothelial cell–T cell cross-talk initiates tertiary lymphoid structure formation." Science Immunology 9, no. 98 (August 2, 2024). http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciimmunol.adk2612.
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Aberrant activation of the cyclic guanosine monophosphate–adenosine monophosphate synthase–stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway causes autoimmunity in humans and mice; however, the exact mechanism by which the cGAS-STING pathway initiates adaptive immunity and tissue pathology is still not fully understood. Here, we used a cGAS knockin (KI) mouse model that develops systemic autoimmunity. In the lungs of cGAS-KI mice, blood vessels were enclosed by organized lymphoid tissues that resemble tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs). Cell-intrinsic cGAS induction promoted up-regulation of CCR5 in CD8 + T cells and led to CCL5 production in vascular endothelial cells. Peripheral CD8 + T cells were recruited to the lungs and produced CXCL13 and interferon-γ. The latter triggered endothelial cell death, potentiated CCL5 production, and was essential for TLS establishment. Blocking CCL5 or CCR5, or depleting CD8 + T cells, impaired TLS formation. cGAS-mediated TLS formation also enhanced humoral and antitumor responses. These data demonstrate that cGAS signaling drives a specialized lymphoid structure that underlies autoimmune tissue pathology.
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Li, Shuling, Kuifei Chen, Zhenwei Sun, Meng Chen, Wenhu Pi, Suna Zhou, and Haihua Yang. "Radiation drives tertiary lymphoid structures to reshape TME for synergized antitumour immunity." Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine 26 (2024). http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/erm.2024.27.
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Abstract Radiotherapy (RT) plays a key role in the tumour microenvironment (TME), impacting the immune response via cellular and humoral immunity. RT can induce local immunity to modify the TME. It can stimulate dendritic cell maturation and T-cell infiltration. Moreover, B cells, macrophages and other immune cells may also be affected. Tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) is a unique structure within the TME and a class of aggregates containing T cells, B cells and other immune cells. The maturation of TLS is determined by the presence of mature dendritic cells, the density of TLS is determined by the number of immune cells. TLS maturation and density both affect the antitumour immune response in the TME. This review summarized the recent research on the impact and the role of RT on TLS, including the changes of TLS components and formation conditions and the mechanism of how RT affects TLS and transforms the TME. RT may promote TLS maturation and density to modify the TME regarding enhanced antitumour immunity.
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Xi, Ningyuan, Xiaoxiang Xu, Mingyuan Xu, Nanhui Wu, Yuhao Wu, Jiashe Chen, Shuyi Liu, et al. "The clinical and pathological significance of tertiary lymphoid structure in extramammary Paget's disease." Frontiers in Immunology 15 (November 15, 2024). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1435629.
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BackgroundTumor-associated tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) are functional immune-responsive aggregates, which have been reported to be associated with better prognosis in various tumors. However, their exact characteristics and prognostic value in extramammary Paget’s disease (EMPD) remain unknown.ObjectiveTo explore the features of TLSs in EMPD and their association with clinicopathological characteristics.MethodsIn total, 171 EMPD patients from 2015 to 2023, retrospective, single center cohort were collected to assess the presence, maturation status, and location of TLSs by immunohistochemistry. Then, their clinicopathologic association and prognostic significance were further examined.ResultsTLSs were detected in 97 cases (57%) of 171 EMPD patients, including high-density TLSs in 88 cases (91%), peritumoral TLSs (pTLSs) in 89 cases (92%), TLSs around appendages (aTLSs) in 23 cases (24%), and mature TLSs in 16 cases (16%). Secondary EMPD was more likely to produce TLS (Secondary: 16/21 [76%]; Primary: 81/150 [54%]; P = 0.06), and more likely to produce Mature TLS (Secondary: 5/10 [50%]; Primary: 11/80 [14%]; P = 0.02). The subjective symptoms of EMPD patients did not seem to correlate with the presence of TLS. EMPD patients with tumor invasion were more likely to form mature TLS (Invasion: 8/32 [25%]; In situ: 8/65 [12%]; P = 0.06), recurrent EMPD patients were more likely to form TLS (Recurrent: 34/50 [68%]; Initial: 63/121 [52%]; P = 0.06) especially mature TLS (Recurrent: 8/34 [24%]; Initial: 8/63 [13%]; P = 0.04). The depth of tumor invasion in EMPD patients with mature TLS was mostly less than or equal to 4mm (mature TLS+: 7/8 [88%]; TLS-: 6/17 [35%]; P = 0.05), aTLS were less common in EMPD patients with skin appendage invasion (aTLS+: 4/23 [17%]; aTLS-: 32/74 [43%]; P = 0.03). The same EMPD patients relapse after, the existence of TLS increased [TLS+ (initial): 9/17 (53%); TLS+ (recurrence):14/17 (82%); P =.07].LimitationsRetrospective study design.ConclusionsMature TLS is a positive prognostic factor for invasive EMPD and may serve as a new biomarker and therapeutic target for EMPD.
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Tang, Han, Zhengwei Su, Qingming Huang, Yongpeng Li, Rongchao Chen, Chengjie Ban, Chanzhen Liu, Haoyuan Lu, Xian-lin Yi, and Yong Tang. "A model of tertiary lymphatic structure-related prognosis for penile squamous cell carcinoma." BMC Urology 24, no. 1 (August 2, 2024). http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12894-024-01532-6.
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Abstract Background We investigated the feasibility of the tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) as a prognostic marker for penile squamous cell carcinoma(SCC). Methods We retrospectively collected data from 83 patients with penile squamous cell carcinoma. H&E-stained slides were reviewed for TLS density. In addition, clinical parameters were analyzed, the prognostic value of these parameters on overall survival (OS) was evaluated using ‒ Kaplan–Meier survival curves, and the prognostic value of influencing factors was evaluated using Cox multifactor design nomogram analysis. Result BMI, T, N, and M are significant in the survival curve with or without tertiary lymphoid structure. BMI, T, N, M and TLS were used to construct a prognostic model for penile squamous cell carcinoma, and the prediction accuracy reached a consensus of 0.884(0.835–0.932), and the decision consensus reached 0.581(0.508–0.655). Conclusion TLS may be a positive prognostic factor for penile squamous cell carcinoma, and the combination of BMI, T, N and M can better evaluate the prognosis of patients.
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Shen, Shaoping, Yong Cui, Mingxiao Li, Kefu Yu, Qinghui Zhu, Xiaokang Zhang, Weicheng Shen, et al. "TLR agonists promote formation of Tertiary Lymphoid Structure and improve anti-glioma immunity." Neuro-Oncology, August 27, 2024. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/neuonc/noae167.
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Abstract Background Glioma, characterized by limited lymphocytic infiltration, constitutes an "immune-desert" tumor displaying insensitivity to various immunotherapies. This study aims to explore therapeutic strategies for inducing tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) formation within the glioma microenvironment (GME) to transition it from an immune-resistant to an activated state. Methods TLS formation in GME was successfully induced by intracranial administration of Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists (OK-432, TLR2/4/9 agonist) and glioma antigens (i.c. αTLR-mix). We employed staining analysis, antibody neutralization, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq), and BCR/TCR sequencing to investigate the underlying mechanisms of TLS formation and its role in anti-glioma immunity. Additionally, a preliminary translational clinical study was conducted. Results TLS formation correlated with increased lymphocyte infiltration in GME and led to improved prognosis in glioma-bearing mice. In the study of TLS induction mechanisms, certain macrophages/microglia and Th17 displayed markers of "LTo" and "LTi" cells, respectively, interaction through LTα/β-LTβR promoted TLS induction. Post-TLS formation, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells but not CD19+ B cells contributed to anti-glioma immunity. Comparative analysis of B/T cells between brain and lymph node showed that brain B/T cells unveiled switch from naïve to mature, some B cells highlighted an enrichment of CSR-associated genes, V gene usage and clonotype bias were observed. In related clinical studies, i.c. αTLR-mix treatment exhibited tolerability, and chemokines/cytokines assay provided preliminary evidence supporting TLS formation in GME. Conclusion TLS induction in GME enhanced anti-glioma immunity, improved the immune microenvironment, and controlled glioma growth, suggesting potential therapeutic avenues for treating glioma in the future.
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Wang, Qianyu, Wentao Zhong, Xiaofei Shen, Zechen Hao, Meng Wan, Xiaopeng Yang, Ran An, et al. "Tertiary lymphoid structures predict survival and response to neoadjuvant therapy in locally advanced rectal cancer." npj Precision Oncology 8, no. 1 (March 2, 2024). http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41698-024-00533-w.
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AbstractTertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) contributes to the anti-tumor immune response, and predicts the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients. However, the potential impact of TLS in shaping the immune status of rectal adenocarcinoma, and the intrinsic relationship between TLS and neoadjuvant therapies (neoTx) remain unclear. We performed hematoxylin-eosin staining, immunohistochemical and biomolecular analyses to investigate TLS and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in 221 neoTx-treated and 242 treatment-naïve locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients. High TLS density was significantly associated with the absence of vascular invasion, a lower neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, increased TLS maturity, a longer recurrence-free survival (RFS) (hazard ratio [HR] 0.2985 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.1894–0.4706, p < 0.0001) and enhanced infiltration of adaptive immune cells. Biomolecular analysis showed that high TLS-score was strongly associated with more infiltration of immune cells and increased activation of immune-related pathways. TLS+ tumors in pre-treatment specimens were associated with a higher proportion of good respond (62.5% vs. 29.8%, p < 0.0002) and pathological complete remission (pCR) (40.0% vs. 11.1%, p < 0.0001), and significantly increased RFS (HR 0.3574 95%CI 0.1489–0.8578 p = 0.0213) compared with TLS- tumors in the neoTx cohort, which was confirmed in GSE119409 and GSE150082. Further studies showed that neoTx significantly reduced TLS density and maturity, and abolished the prognostic value of TLS. Our study illustrates that TLS may have a key role in mediating the T-cell-inflamed tumor microenvironment, which also provides a new direction for neoTx, especially neoadjuvant immunotherapy, in LRAC patients.
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Horeweg, Nanda, Hagma H. Workel, Dominik Loiero, David N. Church, Lisa Vermij, Alicia Léon-Castillo, Ricki T. Krog, et al. "Tertiary lymphoid structures critical for prognosis in endometrial cancer patients." Nature Communications 13, no. 1 (March 16, 2022). http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29040-x.
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AbstractB-cells play a key role in cancer suppression, particularly when aggregated in tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS). Here, we investigate the role of B-cells and TLS in endometrial cancer (EC). Single cell RNA-sequencing of B-cells shows presence of naïve B-cells, cycling/germinal center B-cells and antibody-secreting cells. Differential gene expression analysis shows association of TLS with L1CAM overexpression. Immunohistochemistry and co-immunofluorescence show L1CAM expression in mature TLS, independent of L1CAM expression in the tumor. Using L1CAM as a marker, 378 of the 411 molecularly classified ECs from the PORTEC-3 biobank are evaluated, TLS are found in 19%. L1CAM expressing TLS are most common in mismatch-repair deficient (29/127, 23%) and polymerase-epsilon mutant EC (24/47, 51%). Multivariable Cox regression analysis shows strong favorable prognostic impact of TLS, independent of clinicopathological and molecular factors. Our data suggests a pivotal role of TLS in outcome of EC patients, and establishes L1CAM as a simple biomarker.
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Germain, Claire, Priyanka Devi-Marulkar, Samantha Knockaert, Jérôme Biton, Hélène Kaplon, Laïla Letaïef, Jérémy Goc, et al. "Tertiary Lymphoid Structure-B Cells Narrow Regulatory T Cells Impact in Lung Cancer Patients." Frontiers in Immunology 12 (March 8, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.626776.
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The presence of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in the tumor microenvironment is associated with better clinical outcome in many cancers. In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we have previously showed that a high density of B cells within TLS (TLS-B cells) is positively correlated with tumor antigen-specific antibody responses and increased intratumor CD4+ T cell clonality. Here, we investigated the relationship between the presence of TLS-B cells and CD4+ T cell profile in NSCLC patients. The expression of immune-related genes and proteins on B cells and CD4+ T cells was analyzed according to their relationship to TLS-B density in a prospective cohort of 56 NSCLC patients. We observed that tumor-infiltrating T cells showed marked differences according to TLS-B cell presence, with higher percentages of naïve, central-memory, and activated CD4+ T cells and lower percentages of both immune checkpoint (ICP)-expressing CD4+ T cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the TLS-Bhigh tumors. A retrospective study of 538 untreated NSCLC patients showed that high TLS-B cell density was even able to counterbalance the deleterious impact of high Treg density on patient survival, and that TLS-Bhigh Treglow patients had the best clinical outcomes. Overall, the correlation between the density of TLS-Bhigh tumors with early differentiated, activated and non-regulatory CD4+ T cell cells suggest that B cells may play a central role in determining protective T cell responses in NSCLC patients.