Go to The Journal of Clinical Investigation
  • About
  • Editors
  • Consulting Editors
  • For authors
  • Publication ethics
  • Publication alerts by email
  • Transfers
  • Advertising
  • Job board
  • Contact
  • Physician-Scientist Development
  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • By specialty
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Immunology
    • Metabolism
    • Nephrology
    • Oncology
    • Pulmonology
    • All ...
  • Videos
  • Collections
    • In-Press Preview
    • Resource and Technical Advances
    • Clinical Research and Public Health
    • Research Letters
    • Editorials
    • Perspectives
    • Physician-Scientist Development
    • Reviews
    • Top read articles

  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • Specialties
  • In-Press Preview
  • Resource and Technical Advances
  • Clinical Research and Public Health
  • Research Letters
  • Editorials
  • Perspectives
  • Physician-Scientist Development
  • Reviews
  • Top read articles
  • About
  • Editors
  • Consulting Editors
  • For authors
  • Publication ethics
  • Publication alerts by email
  • Transfers
  • Advertising
  • Job board
  • Contact

Submit a comment

Natural killer cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes are required to clear solid tumor in a patient-derived xenograft
Duy Tri Le, Tridu R. Huynh, Bryan Burt, George Van Buren, Shawn A. Abeynaike, Cristina Zalfa, Rana Nikzad, Farrah Kheradmand, John J. Tyner, Silke Paust
Duy Tri Le, Tridu R. Huynh, Bryan Burt, George Van Buren, Shawn A. Abeynaike, Cristina Zalfa, Rana Nikzad, Farrah Kheradmand, John J. Tyner, Silke Paust
View: Text | PDF
Resource and Technical Advance Immunology

Natural killer cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes are required to clear solid tumor in a patient-derived xenograft

  • Text
  • PDF
Abstract

Existing patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models of solid tumors lack a fully tumor donor–matched, syngeneic, and functional immune system. We developed a model that overcomes these limitations by engrafting lymphopenic recipient mice with a fresh, undisrupted piece of solid tumor, whereby tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) persisted in the recipient mice for several weeks. Successful tumor engraftment was achieved in 83% to 89% of TIL-PDX mice, and these were seen to harbor exhausted immuno-effector as well as functional immunoregulatory cells persisting for at least 6 months postengraftment. Combined treatment with interleukin-15 stimulation and immune checkpoint inhibition resulted in complete or partial tumor response in this model. Further, depletion of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and/or natural killer cells before combined immunotherapy revealed that both cell types were required for maximal tumor regression. Our TIL-PDX model provides a valuable resource for powerful mechanistic and therapeutic studies in solid tumors.

Authors

Duy Tri Le, Tridu R. Huynh, Bryan Burt, George Van Buren, Shawn A. Abeynaike, Cristina Zalfa, Rana Nikzad, Farrah Kheradmand, John J. Tyner, Silke Paust

×

Guidelines

The Editorial Board will only consider comments that are deemed relevant and of interest to readers. The Journal will not post data that have not been subjected to peer review; or a comment that is essentially a reiteration of another comment.

  • Comments appear on the Journal’s website and are linked from the original article’s web page.
  • Authors are notified by email if their comments are posted.
  • The Journal reserves the right to edit comments for length and clarity.
  • No appeals will be considered.
  • Comments are not indexed in PubMed.

Specific requirements

  • Maximum length, 400 words
  • Entered as plain text or HTML
  • Author’s name and email address, to be posted with the comment
  • Declaration of all potential conflicts of interest (even if these are not ultimately posted); see the Journal’s conflict-of-interest policy
  • Comments may not include figures
This field is required
This field is required
This field is required
This field is required
This field is required
This field is required

Copyright © 2026 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN 2379-3708

Sign up for email alerts