Hypoxia-inducible factor activity promotes antitumor effector function and tissue residency by [CD8.sup.+] T cells

Adoptive T cell therapies (ACTs) hold great promise in cancer treatment, but low overall response rates in patients with solid tumors underscore remaining challenges in realizing the potential of this cellular immunotherapy approach. Promoting [CD8.sup.+] T cell adaptation to tissue residency represents an underutilized but promising strategy to improve tumor- infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) function. Here, we report that deletion of the HIF negative regulator von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) in [CD8.sup.+] T cells induced HIF-1[alpha]/HIF-2[alpha]-dependent differentiation of tissue-resident memory-like (Trm-like) TILs in mouse models of malignancy. VHL-deficient TILs accumulated in tumors and exhibited a core Trm signature despite an exhaustion- associated phenotype, which led to retained polyfunctionality and response to [alpha]PD-1 immunotherapy, resulting in tumor eradication and protective tissue-resident memory. VHL deficiency similarly facilitated enhanced accumulation of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells with a Trm-like phenotype in tumors. Thus, HIF activity in [CD8.sup.+] TILs promotes accumulation and antitumor activity, providing a new strategy to enhance the efficacy of ACTs.
Introduction Immunotherapy is evolving rapidly to provide new strategies for the treatment of cancer. Current immunotherapeutic modalities, including enhancing endogenous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) by checkpoint blockade or adoptive transfer of [...]