PD-L1/CD80 and PD-L1/PD-1 Signaling Reciprocally Regulate Alloreactive CD8+ T Cell Glycolysis, Proliferation, Apoptosis and Gvhd-Inducing Capacity

Graft versus host disease (GVHD) remains the major obstacle for widespread application of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), a curative therapy for hematological malignancies. We and others have reported that while sorted CD4 + T cells induce severe acute GVHD, the same numbers of CD8 + T cells induce no acute GVHD. CD8 + T cells can facilitate donor cell engraftment and mediate graft versus leukemia (GVL) effect in the absence of GVHD, but the mechanisms remain largely unknown. Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) interacts with both CD80 and PD-1. We have recently reported that simultaneous PD-L1/CD80 and PD-L1/PD-1 signaling augments activated alloreactive CD4 + T cell proliferation and apoptosis and ameliorates acute GVHD. However, the impact of this PD-L1-mediated signaling on alloreactive CD8 + T cells has not been investigated. In addition, T cell glycolytic metabolism has been recently reported to be able to regulate acute GVHD, and PD-L1/PD-1 signaling inhibits CD4 + T cell glycolytic flux, but how PD-L1/CD80 modulates T cell metabolism remains unstudied. In the current studies, we evaluated the role of PD-L1/CD80 and PD-L1/PD-1 signaling on alloreactive CD8 + T cell glycolysis, proliferation, apoptosis and GVHD-inducing capacity, using a MHC-mismatched murine HCT model of C57BL/6 (H-2b) donor to BABL/c recipient (H-2d). We have observed the following early (3-5 days) after HCT: 1) In wild-type (WT) recipients, PD-1 -/- CD8 + T cells significantly upregulate expression of Glucose Transporter I (Glut1) and exhibit much higher rates of glycolytic flux; PD-1 -/- CD8 + T cells also show markedly enhanced proliferation and reduced apoptosis as well as up-regulation of gut tissue homing and chemokine receptors (i.e. α4β7 and CCR9) and induce lethal GVHD, as compared to WT CD8 + T cells that induce little signs of GVHD. 2) In PD-L1 -/- recipients, PD-1 -/- CD8 + T cells reduce expression of Glut1 and no longer exhibit enhanced glycolytic flux or reduced apoptosis; PD-1 -/- CD8 + T cells transplanted into PD-L1 -/- recipients also induce little GVHD, similar to WT CD8 + T cells. 3) After injection of anti-PD-L1 mAb (clone 43H12) that specifically blocks PD-L1/CD80 interaction and preserves PD-L1/PD-1 interaction, WT CD8 + T cells in WT recipients show drastically reduced expansion, as compared to control recipients treated with rat-IgG. Blockade of PD-L1/CD80 interaction reduces phosphorylation of key elements in the TCR signaling cascade and CD28 co-stimulatory pathway including ZAP-70, AKT, mTOR and rpS6. Taken together, these studies indicate that 1) PD-L1/CD80 signaling alone augments alloreactive CD8 + T cell expansion and GVHD-inducing capacity; 2) PD-L1/CD80 and PD-L1/PD-1 signaling reciprocally regulate CD8 + T cell glycolysis, proliferation, and apoptosis as well as their GVHD-inducing capacity, and a balance of the two signaling pathways would be required to allow donor CD8 + T cells to facilitate engraftment and mediate GVL effect without causing GVHD. This work was supported by Institutional Funds of The Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.