TP53 Gain-of-Function Mutation Modulates the Immunosuppressive Microenvironment in Non-HPV-Associated Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Authors

Yewen Shi
Xiaoyong Ren
Shaolong Cao
Xi Chen
Bo Yuan
Fabio Henrique Brasil da Costa
Alanis E Rodriguez Rosario
Arnoldo Corona
Chieko Michikawa
Ratna Veeramachaneni
Abdullah A Osman
Tongxin Xie
Wenyi Wang
Andrew G Sikora
Jeffrey N Myers
Roberto Rangel

Publication Date

8-1-2023

Journal

The Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer

Abstract

BACKGROUND: TP53, the most mutated gene in solid cancers, has a profound impact on most hallmarks of cancer. Somatic TP53 mutations occur in high frequencies in head and neck cancers, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Our study aims to understand the role of TP53 gain-of-function mutation in modulating the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) in OSCC.

METHODS: Short hairpin RNA knockdown of mutant p53R172H in syngeneic oral tumors demonstrated changes in tumor growth between immunocompetent and immunodeficient mice. HTG EdgeSeq targeted messenger RNA sequencing was used to analyze cytokine and immune cell markers in tumors with inactivated mutant p53R172H. Flow cytometry and multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) confirmed the role of mutant p53R172H in the TIME. The gene expression of patients with OSCC was analyzed by CIBERSORT and mIF was used to validate the immune landscape at the protein level.

RESULTS: Mutant p53R172H contributes to a cytokine transcriptome network that inhibits the infiltration of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells and promotes intratumoral recruitment of regulatory T cells and M2 macrophages. Moreover, p53R172H also regulates the spatial distribution of immunocyte populations, and their distribution between central and peripheral intratumoral locations. Interestingly, p53R172H-mutated tumors are infiltrated with CD8+ and CD4+ T cells expressing programmed cell death protein 1, and these tumors responded to immune checkpoint inhibitor and stimulator of interferon gene 1 agonist therapy. CIBERSORT analysis of human OSCC samples revealed associations between immune cell populations and the TP53R175H mutation, which paralleled the findings from our syngeneic mouse tumor model.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that syngeneic tumors bearing the TP53R172H gain-of-function mutation modulate the TIME to evade tumor immunity, leading to tumor progression and decreased survival.

Keywords

Animals, Humans, Mice, Carcinoma, Squamous Cell, CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes, Cytokines, Disease Models, Animal, Gain of Function Mutation, Head and Neck Neoplasms, Mouth Neoplasms, Mutation, Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck, Tumor Microenvironment, Tumor Suppressor Protein p53, immunotherapy, cytokines, tumor microenvironment, head and neck neoplasms, immune checkpoint inhibitors

Comments

Supplementary Materials

Data Availability Statement

PMID: 37604640