Host conditioning has emerged as an important component of effective adoptive cell transfer–based immunotherapy for cancer. High levels of IL-1β are induced by host conditioning, but its impact on the antitumor function of T cells remains unclear. We found that the administration of IL-1β increased the population size and functionality of adoptively transferred T cells within the tumor. Most importantly, IL-1β enhanced the ability of tumor-specific T cells to trigger the regression of large, established B16 melanoma tumors in mice. Mechanistically, we showed that the increase in T cell numbers was associated with superior tissue homing and survival abilities and was largely mediated by IL-1β–stimulated host cells. In addition, IL-1β enhanced T cell functionality indirectly via its actions on radio-resistant host cells in an IL-2– and IL-15–dependent manner. Our findings not only underscore the potential of provoking inflammation to enhance antitumor immunity but also uncover novel host regulations of T cell responses.

Here, we show that interleukin-1 (IL-1) enhances antigen-driven CD8 T cell responses. When administered to recipients of OT-I T cell receptor transgenic CD8 T cells specific for an ovalbumin (OVA) peptide, IL-1 results in an increase in the numbers of wild-type but not IL1R1 −/− OT-I cells, particularly in spleen, liver, and lung, upon immunization with OVA and lipopolysaccharide. IL-1 administration also results in an enhancement in the frequency of antigen-specific cells that are granzyme B + , have cytotoxic activity, and/ or produce interferon γ (IFN-γ). Cells primed in the presence of IL-1 display enhanced expression of granzyme B and increased capacity to produce IFN-γ when rechallenged 2 mo after priming. In three in vivo models, IL-1 enhances the protective value of weak immunogens. Thus, IL-1 has a marked enhancing effect on antigen-specific CD8 T cell expansion, differentiation, migration to the periphery, and memory.

“Memory-like T cells” are a subset of thymic cells that acquire effector function through the maturation process rather than interaction with specific antigen. Disruption of genes encoding T cell signaling proteins or transcription factors have provided insights into the differentiation of such cells. In this study, we show that in BALB/c, but not C57BL/6, mice, a large portion of thymic CD4 - CD8 + T cells exhibit a memory-like phenotype. In BALB/c mice, IL-4 secreted by invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells is both essential and sufficient for the generation of memory-like T cells. In C57BL/6 mice, iNKT cells are less abundant, producing IL-4 that is insufficient to induce thymic memory-like CD8 + T cells. BALB/c mice deficient in the transcription factor Kruppel-like factor (KLF) 13 have comparable numbers of iNKT cells to C57BL/6 mice and extremely low levels of thymic memory-like CD8 + T cells. This work documents the impact of a small number of KLF13-dependent iNKT cells on the generation of memory-like CD8 + T cells.

Using mice in which the eGfp gene replaced the first exon of the Il4 gene (G4 mice), we examined production of interleukin (IL)-4 during infection by the intestinal nematode Nippostrongylus brasiliensis (Nb). Nb infection induced green fluorescent protein (GFP) pos cells that were FcεRI pos , CD49b bright , c-kit neg , and Gr1 neg . These cells had lobulated nuclei and granules characteristic of basophils. They were found mainly in the liver and lung, to a lesser degree in the spleen, but not in the lymph nodes. Although some liver basophils from naive mice express GFP, Nb infection enhanced GFP expression and increased the number of tissue basophils. Similar basophil GFP expression was found in infected Stat6 −/− mice. Basophils did not increase in number in infected Rag2 −/− mice; Rag2 −/− mice reconstituted with CD4 T cells allowed significant basophil accumulation, indicating that CD4 T cells can direct both tissue migration of basophils and enhanced IL-4 production. IL-4 production was immunoglobulin independent and only partially dependent on IL-3. Thus, infection with a parasite that induces a “Th2-type response” resulted in accumulation of tissue basophils, and these cells, stimulated by a non-FcR cross-linking mechanism, are a principal source of in vivo IL-4 production.

T helper cell (Th)1-primed CD4 T cells from wild-type donors make little interleukin (IL)-4 when restimulated under Th2 conditions. However, such restimulation of Th1-primed cells from interferon (IFN)-γ 2/− or IFN-γ receptor (IFN-γR) −/− mice resulted in substantial production of IL-4 and other Th2 cytokines. Adding IFN-γ to the priming culture markedly diminished the capacity of Th1-primed IFN-γ 2/− cells to express IL-4. Even IFN-γ–producing cells from IFN-γR −/− mice could acquire IL-4–producing capacity. Thus, IFN-γ is not required for the development of IFN-γ–producing capacity, but it plays a critical role in suppressing the IL-4–producing potential of Th1 cells.

Interleukin (IL)-18 has been well characterized as a costimulatory factor for the induction of IL-12–mediated interferon (IFN)-γ production by T helper (Th)1 cells, but also can induce IL-4 production and thus facilitate the differentiation of Th2 cells. To determine the mechanisms by which IL-18 might regulate these diametrically distinct immune responses, we have analyzed the role of cytokines in the regulation of IL-18 receptor α chain (IL-18Rα) expression. The majority of peripheral CD4 + T cells constitutively expressed the IL-18Rα. Upon antigen stimulation in the presence of IL-12, marked enhancement of IL-18Rα expression was observed. IL-12–mediated upregulation of IL-18Rα required IFN-γ. Activated CD4 + T cells that expressed low levels of IL-18Rα could produce IFN-γ when stimulated with the combination of IL-12 and IL-18, while CD4 + cells which expressed high levels of IL-18Rα could respond to IL-18 alone. In contrast, T cell stimulation in the presence of IL-4 resulted in a downregulation of IL-18Rα expression. Both IL-4 −/ − and signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat)6 −/ − T cells expressed higher levels of IL-18Rα after TCR stimulation. Furthermore, activated T cells from Stat6 −/ − mice produced more IFN-γ in response to IL-18 than wild-type controls. Thus, positive/negative regulation of the IL-18Rα by the major inductive cytokines (IL-12 and IL-4) determines the capacity of IL-18 to polarize an immune response.

Interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-12 together with T cell receptor (TCR) engagement are crucial for the differentiation of CD4 + T cells into T helper (Th)2 or Th1 cells, respectively. Although IL-4 receptors (IL-4Rs) but not IL-12Rs are expressed on naive CD4 + T cells, IL-4 has no apparent advantage over IL-12 in driving naive T cell differentiation when the cells are primed with both IL-4 and IL-12 in vitro. It was found that IL-4–induced phosphorylation of Janus kinases 1 and 3, IL-4Rα, signal transducer and activator of transcription 6, and insulin receptor substrate 2 was strikingly but transiently inhibited by TCR ligation both in conventional and TCR transgenic T cells. TCR engagement also blocked the expression of an IL-4–inducible gene. Signals induced by other cytokines, including IL-2, IL-6, and interferon α, but not by insulin-like growth factor 1, were also blocked by TCR engagement. The capacity of various inhibitors to reverse TCR-mediated inhibition of IL-4 signaling suggested that activation of the Ras–mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and of the calcineurin pathway contribute to desensitizing IL-4R. IL-4 responsiveness returned at about the time (∼12 h) that IL-12–mediated signaling was first observed. Thus, through different mechanisms, neither IL-4R nor IL-12R has any clear advantage in polarizing cells; rather, the availability of cytokine is probably the limiting factor in this process.