Effective Cytotoxicity of Dendritic Cells against Established T Cell Lymphomas in Mice

T cell lymphomas arise in mice that constitutively express a single TCR in the absence of NK cells. Upon TCR engagement these lymphomas are able to corrupt tumor surveillance by decreasing NK cell numbers. In this study, we investigate the outcome of interactions between these T cell lymphomas and dendritic cells. Bone marrow-derived dendritic cells mediated effective killing of T cell lymphomas after activation with IFN-γ and TLR ligands in culture. This cytotoxicity was independent of MHC compatibility. Cell lysis was reduced by the presence of the peroxynitrite inhibitors FeTTPS and L-NMMA, whereas inhibitors of apoptosis, death receptors, and degranulation were without effect, suggesting NO metabolites as the main mediators. When injected together with GM-CSF and R848 into lymphoma-bearing mice, in vitro-expanded bone marrow-derived dendritic cells caused significant survival increases. These data show that dendritic cell adaptive immunotherapy can be used as treatment against T cell lymphomas in mice.