Polyfunctional KLRG-1+CD57+ Senescent CD4+ T Cells Infiltrate Tumors and Are Expanded in Peripheral Blood From Breast Cancer Patients

PONCE, NICOLAS

Frontiers in immunology

Frontiers

Año: 2021 vol. 12

enescent T cells have been described during aging, chronic infections, and cancer; however, a comprehensive study of the phenotype, function, and transcriptional program of this T cell population in breast cancer (BC) patients is missing. Compared to healthy donors (HDs), BC patients exhibit an accumulation of KLRG-1+CD57+ CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood. These T cells infiltrate tumors and tumor-draining lymph nodes. KLRG-1+CD57+ CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from BC patients and HDs exhibit features of senescence, and despite their inhibitory receptor expression, they produce more effector cytokines and exhibit higher expression of Perforin, Granzyme B, and CD107a than non-senescent subsets. When compared to blood counterparts, tumor-infiltrating senescent CD4+ T cells show similar surface phenotype but reduced cytokine production. Transcriptional profiling of senescent CD4+ T cells from the peripheral blood of BC patients reveals enrichment in genes associated with NK or CD8+-med