Effector T cells mediate protective tumor immunity. The goal of tumor immune therapy including check-point blockade and immune vaccination and adoptive effector T cell is to engender long-term protective effector T cell immunity, and cause tumor eradiation in patients with cancer. To this end, effector T cells must traffic into and retai within the tumor microenvironment. Interestingly, the central scientific efforts in the field of tuor immunology are focused on exploring, designing and determining the functional potency and therapeutic efficacy of effector T cells. However, our current knowledge of effector T cell tumor trafficking and retention, and its underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood in patients with cancer. This inadvertent deficiency significantly tempers our efforts toward understanding basic human effector T cell biology, establishing and evaluating immune therapeutic regimens and tumor vaccines in treating patients with cancer. It is essential to conduct comprehensive molecular and functional research on the nature of effector T cell tumor trafficking in the human tumor microenvironment. Th1-type chemokines CXCL9 and CXCL10 mediate effector T cell migration. CXCL9 and CXCL10 have been shown to be correlated with T cell density in human tumor and are associated positively with cancer patient survival. It is well known that IFN? stimulates the production of CXCL9 and CXCL10 in variety of cells. However, it is poorly understood how Th1-type chemokine expression is regulated in the human cancer microenvironment, and in turn how effector T cell tumor trafficking are controlled. Epigenetic silencing including histone modifications is important tumorigeneic mechanism in cancer. However, its role in tumor immunity remains to be defined. Using human primary ovarian cancer as a model, our preliminary studies demonstrated that a polycomb complex 2 (PRC2) protein, enhancer of zeste 2 (EZH2)-based histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) was selectively involved in the regulation of the tumor production of Th1-type chemokines CXCL9 and CXCL10, and might subsequently determine effector T cell trafficking to the tumor microenvironment. Based on this surprising and novel finding, we hypothesize that tumor epigenetic silencing is not only a crucial carcinogeneic mechanism, but also key circuits controlling Th1-type chemokine expression and consequently impact effector T cell tumor trafficking and tumor therapy. We propose two specific aims to mechanistically, functionally and clinically test our central hypothesis.
Aim 1 is to test our hypothesis that PRC2-signaling circuit controls Th1-type chemokine production in the tumor microenvironment.
Aim 2 is to test our hypothesis that PRC2-signaling circuit clinically and therapeutically associates with effector T cell tumor trafficking and tumor immunity.

Public Health Relevance

In this proposal we focus on the patients with ovarian cancer. We study the immunological mechanisms by which effector T cell trafficking into the tumor. The study will potentially lead to the development of preventive or therapeutic agents for patients with cancer.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01CA190176-03
Application #
9220730
Study Section
Transplantation, Tolerance, and Tumor Immunology (TTT)
Program Officer
Mccarthy, Susan A
Project Start
2015-03-01
Project End
2020-02-29
Budget Start
2017-03-01
Budget End
2018-02-28
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2017
Total Cost
$462,576
Indirect Cost
$164,140
Name
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Department
Surgery
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
073133571
City
Ann Arbor
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48109
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Wang, Weimin; Zou, Weiping; Liu, J Rebecca (2018) Tumor-infiltrating T cells in epithelial ovarian cancer: predictors of prognosis and biological basis of immunotherapy. Gynecol Oncol 151:1-3
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Bitler, Benjamin G; Wu, Shuai; Park, Pyoung Hwa et al. (2017) ARID1A-mutated ovarian cancers depend on HDAC6 activity. Nat Cell Biol 19:962-973
Maj, Tomasz; Wang, Wei; Crespo, Joel et al. (2017) Oxidative stress controls regulatory T cell apoptosis and suppressor activity and PD-L1-blockade resistance in tumor. Nat Immunol 18:1332-1341

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