Cognate Nanovaccine Promotes Tertiary Lymphoid Structures Function and Strengthens Immune Cell Cross-Talk by Targeting Exhausted T Cells in Nonimmunogenic Cancers

Abstract

Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) serve as hubs for immune cell activation and coordination to generate qualitative local immune responses within tumors. However, the effect of TLSs in pancreatic adenocarcinoma is limited by a poorly immunogenic tumor microenvironment and severe T-cell exhaustion. In this study, we found that tumor-infiltrating T cells, particularly TLS-associated T cells, predominantly exhibit terminal exhaustion characterized by high T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3 (TIM-3) expression in patients with pancreatic cancer, affecting their contribution to antitumor immunity. Thus, we developed a therapeutic nanovaccine by fusing antigen-sensitized dendritic cell membranes with TIM-3-targeted lipid nanoparticles (MLP-aTIM-3) to synergistically reverse T-cell exhaustion. The prepared nanovaccine provides cognate antigens and costimulation to the exhausted T cells by the TIM-3/aTIM-3 interaction. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate that targeting T-cell exhaustion through the MLP-aTIM-3 not only restores T-cell reactivity but also promotes the formation and maturation of TLSs, leading to superior antitumor efficacy in an orthotopic pancreatic cancer model. Additionally, the therapeutic efficacy of MLP-aTIM-3 extends to other tumor models, such as liver metastasis and colorectal cancer. Our study suggests that targeting T-cell exhaustion while enhancing TLS function with MLP-aTIM-3 offers a promising strategy for improving the immune response in nonimmunogenic cancers.