Abstract
Unlike many other hematologic malignancies, Richter syndrome (RS), an aggressive B cell lymphoma originating from indolent chronic lymphocytic leukemia, is responsive to PD-1 blockade. To discover the determinants of response, we analyze single-cell transcriptome data generated from 17 bone marrow samples longitudinally collected from 6 patients with RS. Response is associated with intermediate exhausted CD8 effector/effector memory T cells marked by high expression of the transcription factor ZNF683, determined to be evolving from stem-like memory cells and divergent from terminally exhausted cells. This signature overlaps with that of tumor-infiltrating populations from anti-PD-1 responsive solid tumors. ZNF683 is found to directly target key T cell genes (TCF7, LMO2, CD69) and impact pathways of T cell cytotoxicity and activation. Analysis of pre-treatment peripheral blood from 10 independent patients with RS treated with anti-PD-1, as well as patients with solid tumors treated with anti-PD-1, supports an association of ZNF683high T cells with response.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 1803-1816.e8 |
Journal | Cancer Cell |
Volume | 41 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 9 Oct 2023 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Hobit
- PD-1
- Richter transformation
- ZNF683
- checkpoint blockade
- chronic lymphocytic leukemia
- immunotherapy
- single-cell RNA sequencing
- t cells
- tox
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Oncology
- Cancer Research