Tumour-retained activated CCR7⁺ dendritic cells are heterogeneous and regulate local anti-tumour cytolytic activity.

Abstract

Tumour dendritic cells (DCs) internalise antigen and upregulate CCR7, which directs their migration to tumour-draining lymph nodes (dLN). CCR7 expression is coupled to an activation programme enriched in regulatory molecule expression, including PD-L1. However, the spatio-temporal dynamics of CCR7⁺ DCs in anti-tumour immune responses remain unclear. Here, we use photoconvertible mice to precisely track DC migration. We report that CCR7⁺ DCs are the dominant DC population that migrate to the dLN, but a subset remains tumour-resident despite CCR7 expression. These tumour-retained CCR7⁺ DCs are phenotypically and transcriptionally distinct from their dLN counterparts and heterogeneous. Moreover, they progressively downregulate the expression of antigen presentation and pro-inflammatory transcripts with more prolonged tumour dwell-time. Tumour-residing CCR7⁺ DCs co-localise with PD-1⁺CD8⁺ T cells in human and murine solid tumours, and following anti-PD-L1 treatment, upregulate stimulatory molecules including OX40L, thereby augmenting anti-tumour cytolytic activity. Altogether, these data uncover previously unappreciated heterogeneity in CCR7⁺ DCs that may underpin a variable capacity to support intratumoural cytotoxic T cells.