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It is currently accepted that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) participate in T-cell exclusion from tumor nests. To unbiasedly test this, we used single-cell RNA sequencing coupled with multiplex imaging on a large cohort of lung tumors. We identified four main CAF populations, two of which are associated with T-cell exclusion: (i) MYH11+αSMA+ CAF, which are present in early-stage tumors and form a single cell layer lining cancer aggregates, and (ii) FAP+αSMA+ CAF, which appear in more advanced tumors and organize in patches within the stroma or in multiple layers around tumor nests. Both populations orchestrate a particular structural tissue organization through dense and aligned fiber deposition compared with T cell–permissive CAF. Yet they produce distinct matrix molecules, including collagen IV (MYH11+αSMA+ CAF) and collagen XI/XII (FAP+αSMA+ CAF). Hereby, we uncovered unique molecular programs of CAF driving T-cell marginalization, whose targeting should increase immunotherapy efficacy in patients bearing T cell–excluded tumors. Significance: The cellular and molecular programs driving T-cell marginalization in solid tumors remain unclear. Here, we describe two CAF populations associated with T-cell exclusion in human lung tumors. We demonstrate the importance of pairing molecular and spatial analysis of the tumor microenvironment, a prerequisite to developing new strategies targeting T cell–excluding CAF. See related commentary by Sherman, p. 2501. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 2483

Supplementary Table from Spatial Positioning and Matrix Programs of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Promote T-cell Exclusion in Human Lung Tumors

Supplementary Figure from Spatial Positioning and Matrix Programs of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Promote T-cell Exclusion in Human Lung Tumors

It is currently accepted that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) participate in T-cell exclusion from tumor nests. To unbiasedly test this, we used single-cell RNA sequencing coupled with multiplex imaging on a large cohort of lung tumors. We identified four main CAF populations, two of which are associated with T-cell exclusion: (i) MYH11+αSMA+ CAF, which are present in early-stage tumors and form a single cell layer lining cancer aggregates, and (ii) FAP+αSMA+ CAF, which appear in more advanced tumors and organize in patches within the stroma or in multiple layers around tumor nests. Both populations orchestrate a particular structural tissue organization through dense and aligned fiber deposition compared with T cell–permissive CAF. Yet they produce distinct matrix molecules, including collagen IV (MYH11+αSMA+ CAF) and collagen XI/XII (FAP+αSMA+ CAF). Hereby, we uncovered unique molecular programs of CAF driving T-cell marginalization, whose targeting should increase immunotherapy efficacy in patients bearing T cell–excluded tumors.Significance:The cellular and molecular programs driving T-cell marginalization in solid tumors remain unclear. Here, we describe two CAF populations associated with T-cell exclusion in human lung tumors. We demonstrate the importance of pairing molecular and spatial analysis of the tumor microenvironment, a prerequisite to developing new strategies targeting T cell–excluding CAF.See related commentary by Sherman, p. 2501.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 2483

The histone variant macroH2A has been implicated as a tumor suppressor in melanoma and other cancers, yet its role in the tumor microenvironment remains unappreciated. Using an autochthonous, immunocompetent mouse model of melanoma, we demonstrate that mice devoid of macroH2A exhibit increased tumor burden compared to wild type counterparts. MacroH2A-deficient tumors display an accumulation of immunosuppressive monocytes and decreased functional cytotoxic T cells, and consistent with this compromised anti-tumor response, exhibit upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines including Ccl2, Cxcl1 and Il6. Through single cell transcriptomics of the entire melanoma microenvironment, we identify the source of these pro-tumor myeloid chemoattractants as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), whose frequency and activation increase in the absence of macroH2A. Furthermore, cytokine genes in CAFs lacking macroH2A are hyper-inducible and their regulatory elements present an altered epigenetic landscape. In sum, we reveal a tumor suppressive role for macroH2A variants through repression of inflammatory gene induction in the tumor stroma.

Checkpoint blockade therapies have improved cancer treatment, but such immunotherapy regimens fail in a large subset of patients. Conventional type 1 dendritic cells (DC1s) control the response to checkpoint blockade in preclinical models and are associated with better overall survival in patients with cancer, reflecting the specialized ability of these cells to prime the responses of CD8+ T cells1–3. Paradoxically, however, DC1s can be found in tumours that resist checkpoint blockade, suggesting that the functions of these cells may be altered in some lesions. Here, using single-cell RNA sequencing in human and mouse non-small-cell lung cancers, we identify a cluster of dendritic cells (DCs) that we name ‘mature DCs enriched in immunoregulatory molecules’ (mregDCs), owing to their coexpression of immunoregulatory genes (Cd274, Pdcd1lg2 and Cd200) and maturation genes (Cd40, Ccr7 and Il12b). We find that the mregDC program is expressed by canonical DC1s and DC2s upon uptake of tumour antigens. We further find that upregulation of the programmed death ligand 1 protein—a key checkpoint molecule—in mregDCs is induced by the receptor tyrosine kinase AXL, while upregulation of interleukin (IL)-12 depends strictly on interferon-γ and is controlled negatively by IL-4 signalling. Blocking IL-4 enhances IL-12 production by tumour-antigen-bearing mregDC1s, expands the pool of tumour-infiltrating effector T cells and reduces tumour burden. We have therefore uncovered a regulatory module associated with tumour-antigen uptake that reduces DC1 functionality in human and mouse cancers. After taking up tumour-associated antigens, dendritic cells in mouse and human tumours upregulate a regulatory gene program that limits dendritic cell immunostimulatory function, and modulating this program can rescue antitumor immunity in mice.

SUMMARYIt is currently accepted that activated cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) participate in T cell exclusion from tumor nests, but it remains unclear how they promote barrier phenotypes, and whether specific subsets are involved. Here, using single-cell RNA sequencing coupled with multiplex imaging on a large cohort of lung tumors, we identify four main CAF populations, of which only two are associated with T cell exclusion: (i) MYH11+αSMA+ CAF, which are present in early-stage tumors and form a single-cell layer lining cancer aggregates, and (ii) FAP+αSMA+ CAF, which appear in more advanced tumors and organize in patches within the stroma or in multiple layers around tumor nests. Both CAF populations show a contractility phenotype together with dense and aligned matrix fiber deposition compared to the T cell-permissive CAF. Yet they express distinct matrix genes, including COL4A1/COL9A1 (MYH11+αSMA+ CAF) and COL11A1/COL12A1 (FAP+αSMA+ CAF). Hereby, we uncovered unique molecular programs of CAF driving T cell marginalization, whose targeting should increase immunotherapy efficacy in patients bearing T cell-excluded tumors.SIGNIFICANCEThe cellular and molecular programs driving T cell marginalization in solid tumors remain unclear. Here, we describe two CAF populations associated with T cell exclusion in human lung tumors. We demonstrate the importance of pairing molecular and spatial analysis of the tumor microenvironment, a prerequisite to develop new strategies targeting T cell-excluding CAF.

Checkpoint blockade therapies have improved cancer treatment, but such immunotherapy regimens fail in a large subset of patients. Conventional type 1 dendritic cells (DC1s) control the response to checkpoint blockade in preclinical models and are associated with better overall survival in patients with cancer, reflecting the specialized ability of these cells to prime the responses of CD8

SUMMARYCaloric restriction is known to improve inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. However, the mechanisms by which reduced caloric intake modulates inflammation are poorly understood. Here we show that short-term fasting reduced monocyte metabolic and inflammatory activity and drastically reduced the number of circulating monocytes. Regulation of peripheral monocyte numbers was dependent on dietary glucose and protein levels. Specifically, we found that activation of the low-energy sensor 5’-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in hepatocytes and suppression of systemic CCL2 production by peroxisome proliferator-activator receptor alpha (PPARα) reduced monocyte mobilization from the bone marrow. Importantly, while caloric restriction improves chronic inflammatory diseases, fasting did not compromise monocyte emergency mobilization during acute infectious inflammation and tissue repair. These results reveal that caloric intake and liver energy sensors dictate the blood and tissue immune tone and link dietary habits to inflammatory disease outcome.HighlightsFasting reduces the numbers of peripheral pro-inflammatory monocytes in healthy humans and mice.A hepatic AMPK-PPARα energy-sensing axis controls homeostatic monocyte numbers via regulation of steady-state CCL2 production.Fasting reduces monocyte metabolic and inflammatory activity.Fasting improves chronic inflammatory diseases but does not compromise monocyte emergency mobilization during acute infectious inflammation and tissue repair.

Large numbers of melanoma lesions develop resistance to targeted inhibition of mutant BRAF or fail to respond to checkpoint blockade. We explored whether modulation of intratumoral antigen-presenting cells (APCs) could increase responses to these therapies. Using mouse melanoma models, we found that CD103(+) dendritic cells (DCs) were the only APCs transporting intact antigens to the lymph nodes and priming tumor-specific CD8(+) T cells. CD103(+) DCs were required to promote anti-tumoral effects upon blockade of the checkpoint ligand PD-L1; however, PD-L1 inhibition only led to partial responses. Systemic administration of the growth factor FLT3L followed by intratumoral poly I:C injections expanded and activated CD103(+) DC progenitors in the tumor, enhancing responses to BRAF and PD-L1 blockade and protecting mice from tumor rechallenge. Thus, the paucity of activated CD103(+) DCs in tumors limits checkpoint-blockade efficacy and combined FLT3L and poly I:C therapy can enhance tumor responses to checkpoint and BRAF blockade.

Summary: Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) is involved in several physiological mechanisms, including wound healing and tumor progression. We show that MMP-2 directly stimulates dendritic cells (DCs) to both upregulate OX40L on the cell surface and secrete inflammatory cytokines. The mechanism underlying DC activation includes physical association with Toll-like receptor-2 (TLR2), leading to NF-κB activation, OX40L upregulation on DCs, and ensuing TH2 differentiation. Significantly, MMP-2 polarizes T cells toward type 2 responses in vivo, in a TLR2-dependent manner. MMP-2-dependent type 2 polarization may represent a key immune regulatory mechanism for protection against a broad array of disorders, such as inflammatory, infectious, and autoimmune diseases, which can be hijacked by tumors to evade immunity. : Godefroy et al. now demonstrate that matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) directly interacts with and activates dendritic cells (DCs) via Toll-like receptor-2. MMP-2-exposed DCs upregulate OX40L, promoting type 2 polarization both in vitro and in vivo. This may represent a key immune regulatory mechanism involved in a variety of inflammatory disorders.

Caloric restriction is known to improve inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. However, the mechanisms by which reduced caloric intake modulates inflammation are poorly understood. Here we show that short-term fasting reduced monocyte metabolic and inflammatory activity and drastically reduced the number of circulating monocytes. Regulation of peripheral monocyte numbers was dependent on dietary glucose and protein levels. Specifically, we found that activation of the low-energy sensor 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in hepatocytes and suppression of systemic CCL2 production by peroxisome proliferator-activator receptor alpha (PPARα) reduced monocyte mobilization from the bone marrow. Importantly, we show that fasting improves chronic inflammatory diseases without compromising monocyte emergency mobilization during acute infectious inflammation and tissue repair. These results reveal that caloric intake and liver energy sensors dictate the blood and tissue immune tone and link dietary habits to inflammatory disease outcome.

miR-126 is a microRNA expressed predominately by endothelial cells and controls angiogenesis. We found miR-126 was required for the innate response to pathogen-associated nucleic acids and that miR-126-deficient mice had greater susceptibility to infection with pseudotyped HIV. Profiling of miRNA indicated that miR-126 had high and specific expression by plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). Moreover, miR-126 controlled the survival and function of pDCs and regulated the expression of genes encoding molecules involved in the innate response, including Tlr7, Tlr9 and Nfkb1, as well as Kdr, which encodes the growth factor receptor VEGFR2. Deletion of Kdr in DCs resulted in reduced production of type I interferon, which supports the proposal of a role for VEGFR2 in miR-126 regulation of pDCs. Our studies identify the miR-126-VEGFR2 axis as an important regulator of the innate response that operates through multiscale control of pDCs.

We introduce two large-scale resources for functional analysis of microRNA—a decoy/sponge library for inhibiting microRNA function and a sensor library for monitoring microRNA activity. To take advantage of the sensor library, we developed a high-throughput assay called Sensor-seq, which permits the activity of hundreds of microRNAs to be quantified simultaneously. Using this approach, we show that only the most abundant microRNAs within a cell mediate significant target suppression. Over 60% of detected microRNAs had no discernible activity, indicating that the functional ‘miRNome’ of a cell is considerably smaller than currently inferred from profiling studies. Moreover, some highly expressed microRNAs exhibit relatively weak activity, which in some cases correlated with a high target-to-microRNA ratio or increased nuclear localization of the microRNA. Finally, we show that the microRNA decoy library can be used for pooled loss-of-function studies. These tools provide valuable resources for studying microRNA biology and for microRNA-based therapeutics.

BACKGROUND Elevated TGF-β levels are associated with prostate cancer progression. Although TGF-β is a tumor suppressor for normal epithelial and early-stage cancer cells, it may act paradoxically as a tumor promoter in more advanced cancers, although its effects are largely cell and context dependent. This study analyzed prostate cancer responses to TGF-β signaling in an isogenic model of androgen-sensitive and castration-resistant prostate cancer cells. METHODS Phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of Smad2 and Smad3 were analyzed using immunoblotting. Proliferation and cell cycle responses to TGF-β1 (5 ng/ml) were assessed using growth assays and flow cytometry for DNA content, as well as Western blot and immunoprecipitation of cell cycle proteins. RESULTS Both androgen-sensitive (LNCaP) and castration-resistant (C4-2 and C4-2B) prostate cancer cell lines demonstrated TGF-β1-induced phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of Smad2/3 that was robust in metastatic lines. Smad phosphorylation was completely abrogated with inhibition of ALK-5 kinase activity using the kinase inhibitor, SB-431542. Increased sensitivity to TGF-β1-mediated growth inhibition was observed in C4-2 and C4-2B cells, as compared to LNCaP cells. This was paralleled with downregulation of Cyclin D and increased association of p15Ink4b or p27Kip with CDK's. Additionally, TGF-β1 inhibited motility and invasion of metastatic cell lines. CONCLUSIONS TGF-β-mediated suppression of growth and motility is enhanced in metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer cells. Enhanced TGF-β1-induced Smad2 and -3 signaling in prostate cancer cells may correlate with tumor suppressive activity. Therefore, the direct effects of TGF-β1 on prostate cancer cells post-castration may be anti-tumorigenic and growth-suppressive. Prostate 72:1339–1350, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.