Autotaxin 通过抑制 CD8(+) T 细胞的趋化性和肿瘤浸润来阻碍抗肿瘤免疫

Autotaxin (ATX; ENPP2) produces lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) that regulates multiple biological functions via cognate G protein-coupled receptors LPAR1-6. ATX/LPA promotes tumor cell migration and metastasis via LPAR1 and T cell motility via LPAR2, yet its actions in the tumor immune microenvironment remain unclear.

Here, we show that ATX secreted by melanoma cells is chemorepulsive for tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and circulating CD8 + T cells ex vivo, with ATX functioning as an LPA-producing chaperone.

Mechanistically, T cell repulsion predominantly involves Gα 12/13 -coupled LPAR6. Upon anti-cancer vaccination of tumor-bearing mice, ATX does not affect the induction of systemic T cell responses but, importantly, suppresses tumor infiltration of cytotoxic CD8 + T cells and thereby impairs tumor regression.

Moreover, single-cell data from melanoma tumors are consistent with intratumoral ATX acting as a T cell repellent.

These findings highlight an unexpected role for the pro-metastatic ATX-LPAR axis in suppressing CD8 + T cell infiltration to impede anti-tumor immunity, suggesting new therapeutic opportunities.