Dual modulation of cytotoxic and checkpoint receptors tunes the efficacy of adoptive Delta One T cell therapy against colorectal cancer

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a challenge for current immunotherapies. V delta 1+ gamma delta T cells offer a promising alternative because of their HLA-I-independent cytotoxicity and natural tissue tropism. We developed Delta One T (DOT) cells, a V delta 1+ gamma delta T cell-based adoptive cell therapy clinically explored for hematological malignancies but not yet for solid tumors. Here we demonstrate the capacity of DOT cells to target CRC cell lines and patient-derived specimens and organoids in vitro and to control tumor growth in an orthotopic xenograft model of CRC. Notwithstanding, we found tumor-infiltrating DOT cells to exhibit a dysregulated balance of cytotoxic and inhibitory receptors that paralleled that of endogenous V delta 1+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and limited their cytotoxicity. To maximize efficacy, we unveil two strategies, increasing targeting through upregulation of NKG2D ligands upon butyrate administration and blocking the checkpoints TIGIT and PD1, which synergistically unleashed DOT cell cytotoxicity. These findings support DOT cell-based combinatorial approaches for CRC treatment.