Exploring the dual role of B cells in solid tumors: implications for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Frontiers in Immunology

Immunology

Annika C. Betzler¹  Cornelia Brunner¹  Jiantong Bao²  Jochen Hess³ 

[1] Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Ulm, Head & Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany;Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Ulm, Head & Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany;School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China;Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany;Molecular Mechanisms of Head and Neck Tumors, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany;

关键词: head and neck cancer;    tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes;    regulatory B cells;    tertiary lymphoid structures;    tumor microenvironment;    immunotherapy;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fimmu.2023.1233085

 received in 2023-06-01, accepted in 2023-09-06,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

In the tumor milieu of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), distinct B cell subpopulations are present, which exert either pro- or anti-tumor activities. Multiple factors, including hypoxia, cytokines, interactions with tumor cells, and other immune infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), alter the equilibrium between the dual roles of B cells leading to cancerogenesis. Certain B cell subsets in the tumor microenvironment (TME) exhibit immunosuppressive function. These cells are known as regulatory B (Breg) cells. Breg cells suppress immune responses by secreting a series of immunosuppressive cytokines, including IL-10, IL-35, TGF-β, granzyme B, and adenosine or dampen effector TILs by intercellular contacts. Multiple Breg phenotypes have been discovered in human and mouse cancer models. However, when compartmentalized within a tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS), B cells predominantly play anti-tumor effects. A mature TLS contains a CD20+ B cell zone with several important types of B cells, including germinal-center like B cells, antibody-secreting plasma cells, and memory B cells. They kill tumor cells via antibody-dependent cytotoxicity and phagocytosis, and local complement activation effects. TLSs are also privileged sites for local T and B cell coordination and activation. Nonetheless, in some cases, TLSs may serve as a niche for hidden tumor cells and indicate a bad prognosis. Thus, TIL-B cells exhibit bidirectional immune-modulatory activity and are responsive to a variety of immunotherapies. In this review, we discuss the functional distinctions between immunosuppressive Breg cells and immunogenic effector B cells that mature within TLSs with the focus on tumors of HNSCC patients. Additionally, we review contemporary immunotherapies that aim to target TIL-B cells. For the development of innovative therapeutic approaches to complement T-cell-based immunotherapy, a full understanding of either effector B cells or Breg cells is necessary.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Bao, Betzler, Hess and Brunner