EPEN-22. SINGLE-CELL RNA SEQUENCING IDENTIFIES UPREGULATION OF IKZF1 IN PFA2 MYELOID SUBPOPULATION DRIVING AN ANTI-TUMOR PHENOTYPE

Abstract

We have previously shown immune gene phenotype variations between posterior fossa ependymoma subgroups. PFA1 tumors chronically secrete IL-6, which pushes the infiltrating myeloid cells to an immune suppressive function. In contrast, PFA2 tumors have a more immune activated phenotype and have a better prognosis. The objective of this study was to use single-cell(sc) RNAseq to descriptively characterize the infiltrating myeloid cells. We analyzed approximately 8500 cells from 21 PFA patient samples and used advanced machine learning techniques to identify distinct myeloid and lymphoid subpopulations. The myeloid compartment was difficult to interrupt as the data shows a continuum of gene expression profiles exist within PFA1 and PFA2. Through lineage tracing, we were able to tease out that PFA2 myeloid cells expressed more genes associated with an anti-viral response (MHC II, TNF-a, interferon-gamma signaling); while PFA1 myeloid cells had genes associated with an immune suppressive phenotype (angiogenesis, wound healing, IL-10). Specifically, we found expression of IKZF1 was upregulated in PFA2 myeloid cells. IKZF1 regulates differentiation of myeloid cells toward M1 or M2 phenotype through upregulation of either IRF5 or IRF4 respectively. IRF5 expression correlated with IKZF1, being predominately expressed in the PFA2 myeloid cell subset. IKZF1 is also involved in T-cell activation. While we have not completed our characterization of the T-cell subpopulation, we did find significantly more T-cell infiltration in PFA2 than PFA1. Moving forward these studies will provide us with valuable information regarding the molecular switches involved in the tumor-immune microenvironment and to better develop immunotherapy for PFA ependymoma.