Article
作者: Mayer, Chanté D ; Wick, Wolfgang ; Thommek, Calvin ; Berghoff, Anna S. ; Schadendorf, Dirk ; Messmer, Julia M. ; Effern, Maike ; Messmer, Julia M ; Venkataramani, Varun ; Karreman, Matthia A ; Westphal, Dana ; Helfrich, Iris ; Schubert, Marc ; Winkler, Frank ; Wehner, Rebekka ; Hölzel, Michael ; Piechutta, Manuel ; Berghoff, Anna S ; Hinze, Daniel ; Karreman, Matthia A. ; Mayer, Chanté D.
To improve immunotherapy for brain tumors, it is important to determine the principal intracranial site of T cell recruitment from the bloodstream and their intracranial route to brain tumors. Using intravital microscopy in mouse models of intracranial melanoma, we discovered that circulating T cells preferably adhered and extravasated at a distinct type of venous blood vessel in the tumor vicinity, peritumoral venous vessels (PVVs). Other vascular structures were excluded as alternative T cell routes to intracranial melanomas. Anti-PD-1/CTLA-4 immune checkpoint inhibitors increased intracranial T cell motility, facilitating migration from PVVs to the tumor and subsequently inhibiting intracranial tumor growth. The endothelial adhesion molecule ICAM-1 was particularly expressed on PVVs, and, in samples of human brain metastases, ICAM-1 positivity of PVV-like vessels correlated with intratumoral T cell infiltration. These findings uncover a distinct mechanism by which the immune system can access and control brain tumors and potentially influence other brain pathologies.