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C3d regulates immune checkpoint blockade and enhances antitumor immunity
Jeffrey L. Platt, … , Michael C. Carroll, Marilia Cascalho
Jeffrey L. Platt, … , Michael C. Carroll, Marilia Cascalho
Published May 4, 2017
Citation Information: JCI Insight. 2017;2(9):e90201. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.90201.
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Research Article Immunology

C3d regulates immune checkpoint blockade and enhances antitumor immunity

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Abstract

Despite expression of immunogenic polypeptides, tumors escape immune surveillance by engaging T cell checkpoint regulators and expanding Tregs, among other mechanisms. What orchestrates these controls is unknown. We report that free C3d, a fragment of the third component of complement, inside tumor cells — or associated with irradiated tumor cells and unattached to antigen — recruits, accelerates, and amplifies antitumor T cell responses, allowing immunity to reverse or even to prevent tumor growth. C3d enhances antitumor immunity independently of B cells, NK cells, or antibodies, but it does so by increasing tumor infiltrating CD8+ lymphocytes, by depleting Tregs, and by suppressing expression of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) by T cells. These properties of C3d appear specific for the tumor and dependent on complement receptor 2, and they incur no obvious systemic toxicity. The heretofore unrecognized properties of free C3d suggest that protein might determine the effectiveness of immune surveillance and that increasing availability of the protein might prove advantageous in the treatment or prevention of cancer and premalignant conditions.

Authors

Jeffrey L. Platt, Inês Silva, Samuel J. Balin, Adam R. Lefferts, Evan Farkash, Ted M. Ross, Michael C. Carroll, Marilia Cascalho

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Figure 2

Adaptive immunity evoked by vaccination with killed C3d+ tumor cells protects against lymphoma and melanoma.

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Adaptive immunity evoked by vaccination with killed C3d+ tumor cells pro...
Mice were vaccinated with 1 × 107 C3d+ (n = 10) or C3d– (n = 10) killed lymphoma followed by administration of living 5 × 103 C3d+ or C3d– lymphoma cells 35 days later (A and B), or with 1 × 107 C3d+ (n = 10) or C3d– (n = 10) killed melanoma cells followed by transfer of 2 × 105 live melanoma cells 35 days later (C–F). (A) Survival of mice vaccinated with killed C3d+ lymphoma cells. (B) Survival of mice vaccinated with killed C3d– lymphoma cells. Note, the C3d-positive tumor and C3d-negative tumor groups in (A) and (B) are the same data as presented in Figure 1A. The data were not collected contemporaneously as the other groups in (A) and (B), but are shown here for reference. (C) Photographs of C3d– melanoma tumors excised at indicated days after tumor inoculation in mice vaccinated with C3d+ or C3d– irradiated melanoma cells. Shown also is a photograph of an incipient tumor growing s.c. (inset) in mice vaccinated with C3d+ melanoma cells, 21 days after tumor inoculation. (D) Impact of C3d+ or C3d– vaccine on growth of C3d– melanoma. Data represent mean ± SEM. Analysis was by Mann Whitney 2-tailed test. (E) Prevention of C3d– melanoma by vaccination with killed C3d+ or C3d– melanoma cells. Shown are Kaplan-Meier plots, and differences between curves were analyzed by the log rank Mantel-Cox test. (F) Impact of vaccination on growth of C3d– melanoma estimated by tumor size at death (sacrifice) or at 21 days in mice that were alive at 21 days. All nonvaccinated mice and 8 of 10 mice vaccinated with C3d– melanoma died or were sacrificed at 18 or 19 days for humane reasons. Four of 10 C3d+-vaccinated mice either had no apparent tumors or smaller tumors at sacrifice (21 days). Data represent mean ± SEM. Analysis was by Mann Whitney 2-tailed test.

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