Biology subjects

Minowa, T.

Publications and source records attributed to Minowa, T..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Spatial immune hubs defined by conserved activated dendritic cells are remodeled by immunotherapy

Dendritic cells (DCs) orchestrate anti-tumor immune responses, yet the full extent of their phenotypic diversity, and spatial dynamics within the tumor microenvironment (TME) remains incompletely understood. Here, we constructed an integrated atlas of tumor-infiltrating DCs by harmonizing single-cell transcriptomic data from 12 murine tumor studies and 28 published human cancer datasets, together with newly generated single-cell-resolved multiplexed tissue imaging across immunotherapy conditions in a murine model. We noted conserved transcriptional states across species, including canonical conventional type 1 DCs (cDC1s), diverse type 2 DC (cDC2) subpopulations, and two activation states characterized by CCR7 expression (CCR7+ DCs) or interferon-stimulated gene expression (ISG DCs). Spatial transcriptomics analyses from human TMEs revealed that CCR7+ DCs and ISG DCs reside in distinct T cell-enriched regions that are embedded within distinct signaling environments. High-dimensional multiplexed proteomic imaging demonstrated that these DC-T cell niches undergo divergent remodeling across multiple immunotherapy conditions. Notably, this spatial reorganization occurred despite minimal detectable changes in DC transcriptional states. This study delineates conserved DC activation states and their spatial organization within tumors and captures the therapy-dependent remodeling, providing a framework for studying therapy-associated remodeling of DC immune programs in cancer.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2026

Antigen presentation requirements for effective cDC1-based cancer immunotherapy

Type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1s) are important for generating and sustaining antitumor immunity. Accordingly, the abundance of cDC1s in human tumors correlates with improved outcomes in cancer. Capitalizing on this role, we previously demonstrated that vaccination with in vitro-derived murine cDC1s elicits durable tumor control in multiple preclinical models; however, the immunological mechanisms underlying the efficacy of cDC1 vaccination remain unclear. Here, we examined whether in vitro-derived cDC1s resemble tumor-infiltrating DC populations and whether MHC-I and MHC-II antigen presentation contribute to cDC1-mediated tumor control following vaccination in melanoma. As expected, MHC-I- or MHC-II-deficiency had minimal impact on the transcriptional state of cDC1s in homeostasis or following stimulation with the adjuvant poly dI:dC. Moreover, in vitro-derived cDC1s cultured under steady-state conditions closely resembled tumor-infiltrating cDC1s, whereas their poly dI:dC-stimulated counterparts resembled CCR7+ tumor-infiltrating DC populations, also referred to as mregDCs or LAMP3+ DCs. Our data further show that both MHC-I and MHC-II contribute to tumor control upon cDC1 vaccination, and coexpression of MHC-I and MHC-II on the same cDC1 is necessary for a robust vaccine response. We also identified an important function for host cDC1s in supporting the efficacy of vaccination with in vitro-derived cDC1s, as judged by impaired tumor control in Irf8+32-/- mice, which lack endogenous cDC1s. Overall, these results indicate that effective antitumor responses depend on MHC-I and MHC-II antigen presentation by vaccine-delivered cDC1s, with additional contributions from host cDC1s. Key pointsO_LIIn vitro-generated cDC1s resemble intratumoral DC populations found in mice and humans. C_LIO_LIMHC-I and MHC-II antigen presentation by vaccine-delivered cDC1s contribute to antitumor efficacy. C_LIO_LICoexpression of MHC-I and MHC-II on the same cDC1 enhances vaccine responses. C_LIO_LIAntitumor responses reflect the activity of vaccine and endogenous cDC1s. C_LI

immunology↗

bioRxiv2025

Bhlhe40 Coordinates T Cell Programs with Distinct CD4 and CD8 T Cell Requirements for Anti-PD-1 Versus Anti-CTLA-4

The transcriptional programs enabling T cells to mediate anti-tumor immunity remain incompletely defined. Here, we identify Bhlhe40 as a key transcriptional regulator that coordinates both CD4 and CD8 T cell effector programs, revealing divergent cell-specific requirements during anti-PD-1 versus anti-CTLA-4 immune checkpoint therapy (ICT). Using conditional knockout mice, we show that anti-PD-1 efficacy depends on CD8 T cell-intrinsic Bhlhe40, whereas anti-CTLA-4 remains effective through Bhlhe40-dependent CD4 T cell Th1 programs that buffer impaired effector function in Bhlhe40-deficient CD8 T cells. Mechanistically, loss of Bhlhe40 reduces IFN-{gamma} production and skews CD8 T cells toward TCF-1-expressing progenitor exhausted/stem-like states at the expense of effector differentiation, impairing glycolytic fitness under both therapies and mitochondrial function during anti-PD-1 treatment, thereby revealing a Bhlhe40-dependent coupling between effector differentiation, cytokine production, and metabolic fitness that is particularly critical for anti-PD-1 efficacy. CD8 T cell-intrinsic Bhlhe40 also promotes critical ICT-induced remodeling from M2-like CX3CR1 macrophages to inflammatory iNOS macrophages. Analysis of human cancer datasets supported our preclinical observations, revealing that BHLHE40 is enriched in tumor-reactive and activated/exhausted CD8 T cells, where its expression is inversely correlated with TCF7 (TCF-1) and positively associated with TOX, GZMB, and IFNG. Moreover, persistent CD8 T cell clones from basal cell carcinoma responders exhibited significantly higher BHLHE40 expression at pre-treatment than those from non-responders to PD-1 blockade. Together, these findings establish Bhlhe40 not only as a transcriptional coordinator of T cell effector programs, but also as a therapy-specific, subset-dependent determinant that differentially governs CD4 and CD8 T cell contributions to anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 efficacy.

immunology↗