Abstract A01: Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in murine melanoma: A new paradigm in cancer immunity

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), have emerged as novel important immune effector cells, playing a critical role also in tumor immune-surveillance. Recently, it was shown that the number of ILCs in patients with different types of cancer is significantly reduced after chemotherapy/radiotherapy as compared to healthy donors. However, so far, no data on ILC frequency, subset distribution and function in patients with melanoma are available. Therefore, we analyzed the frequency, subset distribution and function of ILCs in a murine model of melanoma with/without treatment, a parameter that is of paramount importance to understand the role of ILCs during melanoma and to assess the impact of current treatments on this type of cancer. Methods: C57/BL6 mice were injected with B16F10 murine melanoma cell line (1 x 106 cells/mouse, subcutaneous). Tumor growth monitored. Once tumors reached 12mm in size, the mice were sacrificed and tumor cells subjected to flow-cytometry and cell culture to identify the ILC subclasses in the tumor. Results: Our findings establish, for the first time in melanoma at diagnosis, base-line reference values for ILC frequency and function, as well as the ILC subtype distribution. Conclusion: Our studies extend previously published work on changes in innate lymphoid cells. Our findings will help better understanding of tumor microenvironment and its interaction with immune system. These values indicate the potential of ILCs as crucial players in the treatment of cancer, specifically melanoma. Citation Format: Blake Christianson, James Walker, Marsha Kocherla, Xu Qin, Jack C. Yu, Babak Baban. Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in murine melanoma: A new paradigm in cancer immunity. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fourth AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research; 2015 Oct 23-26; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(3 Suppl):Abstract nr A01.