Reduction of myeloid-derived suppressor cells reinforces the anti-solid tumor effect of recipient leukocyte infusion in murine neuroblastoma-bearing allogeneic bone marrow chimeras

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is an emerging treatment option for solid tumors because of its capacity to elicit immune graft-versus-tumor effects. However, these are often limited and associated with GvHD. Adoptive recipient leukocyte infusion (RLI) was shown to enhance anti-tumor responses of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in murine neuroblastoma (Neuro2A)-bearing chimeras. In contrast to the clinically used donor leukocyte infusion, the RLI anti-tumor effect—elicited by host-versus-graft lymphohematopoietic reactivity—does not cause GvHD; however, the tumor growth-inhibitory effect is incomplete, because overall survival is not prolonged. Here, we studied the anti-solid tumor mechanisms of RLI with the objective to improve its efficacy. Host-versus-graft reactivity following RLI was associated with a systemic cytokine storm, lymph node DC activation, and systemic expansion of host-derived IFN-γ-expressing CD4⁺ T cells and IFN-γ-and granzyme B-expressing CD8⁺ T cells, which acquired killing activity against Neuro2A and third-party tumor cells. The tumor showed up-regulation of MHC class I and a transient accumulation of IFN-γ-and granzyme B-expressing CD8⁺ T cells: the intra-tumor decline in cytotoxic CD8⁺ T cells coincided with a systemic—and to a lesser extent intra-tumoral—expansion of MDSC. In vivo MDSC depletion with 5-FU significantly improved the local tumor growth-inhibitory effect of RLI as well as overall survival. In conclusion, the RLI-induced alloreactivity gives rise to a host-derived cytotoxic T-cell anti-neuroblastoma response, but also drives an expansion of host-type MDSC that counteracts the anti-tumor effect. This finding identifies MDSC as a novel target to increase the effectiveness of RLI, and possibly other cancer immunotherapies.