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Regulation of antigen-specific T cell infiltration and spatial architecture in multiple myeloma and premalignancy
M. Hope Robinson, Nancy Y. Villa, David L. Jaye, Ajay K. Nooka, Alyssa Duffy, Samuel S. McCachren, Julia Manalo, Jeffrey M. Switchenko, Sierra Barnes, Sayalee Potdar, Maryam I. Azeem, Ava A. Horvat, Vaunita C. Parihar, Jingjing Gong, Yan Liang, Geoffrey H. Smith, Vikas A. Gupta, Lawrence H. Boise, Jonathan L. Kaufman, Craig C. Hofmeister, Nisha S. Joseph, Sagar Lonial, Kavita M. Dhodapkar, Madhav V. Dhodapkar
M. Hope Robinson, Nancy Y. Villa, David L. Jaye, Ajay K. Nooka, Alyssa Duffy, Samuel S. McCachren, Julia Manalo, Jeffrey M. Switchenko, Sierra Barnes, Sayalee Potdar, Maryam I. Azeem, Ava A. Horvat, Vaunita C. Parihar, Jingjing Gong, Yan Liang, Geoffrey H. Smith, Vikas A. Gupta, Lawrence H. Boise, Jonathan L. Kaufman, Craig C. Hofmeister, Nisha S. Joseph, Sagar Lonial, Kavita M. Dhodapkar, Madhav V. Dhodapkar
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Research Article Hematology Immunology

Regulation of antigen-specific T cell infiltration and spatial architecture in multiple myeloma and premalignancy

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Abstract

Entry of antigen-specific T cells into human tumors is critical for immunotherapy, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we combined high-dimensional spatial analyses with in vitro and in vivo modeling to study the mechanisms underlying immune infiltration in human multiple myeloma (MM) and its precursor monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Clustered tumor growth was a feature of MM but not MGUS biopsies, and this growth pattern was reproduced in humanized mouse models. MM biopsies exhibited intralesional as well as spatial heterogeneity, with coexistence of T cell–rich and T cell–sparse regions and the presence of areas of T cell exclusion. In vitro studies demonstrated that T cell entry into MM clusters was regulated by agonistic signals and CD2-CD58 interactions. Upon adoptive transfer, antigen-specific T cells localized to the tumor site but required in situ DC–mediated antigen presentation for tumor entry. C-type lectin domain family 9 member A–positive (CLEC9A+) DCs appeared to mark portals of entry for gradients of T cell infiltration in MM biopsies, and their proximity to T cell factor 1–positive (TCF1+) T cells correlated with disease state and risk status. These data illustrate a role for tumor-associated DCs and in situ activation in promoting the infiltration of antigen-specific T cells in MM and provide insights into spatial alterations in tumor/immune cells with malignant evolution.

Authors

M. Hope Robinson, Nancy Y. Villa, David L. Jaye, Ajay K. Nooka, Alyssa Duffy, Samuel S. McCachren, Julia Manalo, Jeffrey M. Switchenko, Sierra Barnes, Sayalee Potdar, Maryam I. Azeem, Ava A. Horvat, Vaunita C. Parihar, Jingjing Gong, Yan Liang, Geoffrey H. Smith, Vikas A. Gupta, Lawrence H. Boise, Jonathan L. Kaufman, Craig C. Hofmeister, Nisha S. Joseph, Sagar Lonial, Kavita M. Dhodapkar, Madhav V. Dhodapkar

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Figure 5

Spatial architecture of the myeloid compartment.

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Spatial architecture of the myeloid compartment.
mIF was performed on FF...
mIF was performed on FFPE sections (see Methods and Supplemental Figure 2 for multiplex panel BM3 used for staining). (A) Representative IHC images show a pattern of staining for S100A9, MPO, CD68, and CD138 in MM bone marrow. Note that while CD68+ myeloid cells infiltrated CD138+ tumor clusters, S100A9+ myeloid and MPO+ myeloid/neutrophilic cells were predominantly located outside the tumor clusters (original magnification, ×8; insets, ×28.8). (B) S100A9+ cell density in MGUS, SMM, and MM. Bar graphs show the mean ± SEM. Each dot represents a unique patient/sample. MGUS n = 13; SMM n = 11; MM n = 34. **P < 0.01, by unpaired t test with Welch’s correction.

Copyright © 2026 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)

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