Abstract PO2-03-11: A novel peripheral CD4+ T cell immune network associated with response to PD-1 inhibitor in early-stage triple negative breast cancer
Authors: Wang Zehao , Shao Zhibo , Xiu Bingqiu , Wu Jiong 
Published: May 2024

A novel peripheral CD4+ T cell immune network associated with response to PD-1 inhibitor in early-stage triple negative breast cancer Background: Immunotherapy has showed benefits in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (eTNBC). However, there is an urgent need to identify novel biomarkers that can guide stratification for immunotherapy in eTNBC. Anti-tumor immunity is a systemic response that encompasses the mobilization of dendritic cells, lymphocytes, and myeloid cells involving the tumor, blood, and lymph nodes. The activation of anti-tumor immune responses via immunotherapy is expected to reflect in the subset change of circulation. Combined with advantage of dynamic monitoring by liquid biopsy, we detected peripheral blood in the eTNBC patients under immunotherapy to explore potential immune therapeutic predictive subsets. Methods: Single-cell (sc) RNA sequencing was utilized to determine the transcriptomics of immune cells in the peripheral blood. Meanwhile scTCR sequencing was used to trace the dynamic changes of clonetypes under multi-therapy. Nanostring analysis of primary tumor and in vivo models were used to validate the mechanism of immune crosstalk. Prediction index was built based on the proportion of immune subsets at each time point and change of tumor size in each patient. Results: 12 eTNBC patients who participated in neoadjuvant chemotherapy in combination with PD-1 inhibitor (Toripalimab) clinical trial were included in this study. The clinical trial consists of two stages. All eligible patients received four cycles of EC (cyclophosphamide plus epirubicin) regimen and followed four cycles of nab-paclitaxel plus PD-1 inhibitor. Among the 12 patients, 5 patients achieved pCR, while the remaining 7 patients were non-pCR. Peripheral blood samples were collected at baseline, after chemotherapy induction, and on PD-1 inhibitor treatment for scRNA- and scTCR-sequencing. Through prediction index, a novel predictive pattern based on ratio of memory T cells (central memory T and resident memory T) to effective T cells in the peripheral was vividly defined, by which the patients could be classified into C-type (memory T cells dominated) and E-type (effective T cells dominated). The C-type indicated better efficacy of immunotherapy combination therapy, while the E-type suggested better efficacy of chemotherapy alone. Meanwhile, a novel peripheral CD4+Trm (resident-memory-like) subset that possessed both strong differentiation potential and memory function was higher in pCR group at baseline. TCR-tracing analysis revealed that the new clones induced by chemotherapy mainly belong to the CD4+ Trm and CD8+ CD161+ Tcm (central memory) subsets, and the upregulation of CD8+ CD161+ Tcm during therapy was a dynamic predictor for immunotherapy benefits. Besides, most of CD4+Trm transitioned into CD4+Th1-like cells as an activated status, which considered CD4+Trm as a group of reservoirs with polyclonality and differentiation potential for tumor-killing. Meanwhile, the increase in CD5+ cDC2 (type 2 conventional dendritic cell) after chemotherapy was associated with enhanced antigen-presenting function and cell communication and co-stimulation with CD4+ Trm cells which helped the activated transition from CD4+Trm into CD4+Th1-like cells in lymph nodes. Moreover, CD4+Th1-like cells increased secretion of Th1 cytokines thus leading to promote CD8+CD161+ Tcm upregulation and tumor-infiltration after immunotherapy. Conclusions: A novel peripheral pattern based on subsets of T cells as C-type and E-type was established as potential predictors for immunotherapy stratification in eTNBC patients. Meanwhile, a novel peripheral CD4+Trm immune network was identified, in which CD5+cDC2 activated the transition of CD4+Trm into CD4+Th1-like subset leading to activation and tumor-infiltration of CD8+CD161+Tcm. All the above provided potential therapeutic targets for enhancing immunotherapy.

Citation Format: Zehao Wang, Zhibo Shao, Bingqiu Xiu, Jiong Wu. A novel peripheral CD4+ T cell immune network associated with response to PD-1 inhibitor in early-stage triple negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO2-03-11.