Antibodies targeting BTLA or TIM-3 enhance HIV-1 specific T cell responses in combination with PD-1 blockade

Publication date: Available online 4 September 2017
Source:Clinical Immunology
Author(s): Katharina Grabmeier-Pfistershammer, Carmen Stecher, Markus Zettl, Sandra Rosskopf, Armin Rieger, Gerhard J. Zlabinger, Peter Steinberger
Persistent stimulation with antigens derived from viruses that establish chronic infections or tumour antigens results in the exhaustion of T cells. Coinhibitory receptors like PD-1 and CTLA-4 function as immune checkpoints on exhausted T cells. Blocking these molecules with antibodies improve immunity to cancer cells. Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting other coinhibitory receptors might have a similar role in improving T cell function and thus also utility in cancer therapy.Using HIV-specific T cells as a model for exhaustion we have evaluated the capacity of antibodies targeting TIM-3, BTLA, CD160, LAG-3 and CTLA-4 alone or in combination with a PD-1 antibody to enhance proliferation and cytokine production in response to Gag and Nef peptides.Antibodies targeting BTLA and TIM-3 enhanced CD8 T cell proliferation. Moreover, our results indicate that blocking BTLA and TIM-3 in combination with PD-1 might be especially effective in enhancing responses of exhausted human T cells.

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