NFATc1 promotes anti-tumoral effector functions and memory CD8+ T cell differentiation during non-small cell lung cancer development

Nuclear factor of activated T cells 1 (NFATc1) is a transcription factor activated by T cell receptor (TCR) and Ca2+-signaling that affects T cell activation and effector function. Upon tumor antigen challenge, TCR and calcium-release-activated channels are induced, promoting NFAT dephosphorylation and translocation into the nucleus. In this study, we report a progressive decrease of NFATc1 in lung tumor tissue and in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) of patients suffering from advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Mice harboring conditionally inactivated NFATc1 in T cells (NFATc1ΔCD4) showed increased lung tumor growth associated with impaired T cell activation and function. Furthermore, in the absence of NFATc1, reduced IL 2 influenced the development of memory CD8+ T cells. We found a reduction of effector memory and CD103+ tissue-resident memory (TRM) T cells in the lung of tumor-bearing NFATc1ΔCD4 mice, underlining an impaired cytotoxic T cell response and a reduced TRM tissue-homing capacity. In CD4+ICOS+ T cells, programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) was induced in the draining lymph nodes of these mice and associated with lung tumor cell growth. Targeting PD-1 resulted in NFATc1 induction in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in tumor-bearing mice and was associated with increased anti-tumor cytotoxic functions. This study reveals a role of NFATc1 in the activation and cytotoxic functions of T cells, in the development of memory CD8+ T cell subsets, and in the regulation of T cell exhaustion. These data underline the indispensability of NFATc1 for successful anti-tumor immune responses in NSCLC patients.

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