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Commensal Bifidobacterium promotes antitumor immunity and facilitates anti–PD-L1 efficacy
Ayelet Sivan1,*, Leticia Corrales1,*, Nathaniel Hubert2, Jason B. Williams1, Keston Aquino-Michaels3, Zachary M. Earley2, Franco W. Benyamin1, Yuk Man Lei2, Bana Jabri2, Maria-Luisa Alegre2, Eugene B. Chang2, Thomas F. Gajewski1,2,†
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Author Affiliations
1Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
2Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
3Section of Genetic Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
↵* These authors contributed equally to this work.
Abstract
T cell infiltration of solid tumors is associated with favorable patient outcomes, yet the mechanisms underlying variable immune responses between individuals are not well understood. One possible modulator could be the intestinal microbiota. We compared melanoma growth in mice harboring distinct commensal microbiota and observed differences in spontaneous antitumor immunity, which were eliminated upon cohousing or following fecal transfer. 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing identified Bifidobacterium as associated with the antitumor effects. Oral administration of Bifidobacterium alone improved tumor control to the same degree as anti–PD-L1 therapy (checkpoint blockade), and combination treatment nearly abolished tumor outgrowth. Augmented dendritic cell function leading to enhanced CD8+ T cell priming and accumulation in the tumor microenvironment mediated the effect. Our data suggest that manipulating the microbiota may modulate cancer immunotherapy.