Lymphoma B-cell responsiveness to CpG-DNA depends on the tumor microenvironment

Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists have important properties that can be exploited for immunotherapy against tumors. Locally injected immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotides containing CpG motifs (CpG-ODNs), which are TLR9 agonists, have shown promise in cancer models. Several studies have demonstrated that these motifs have immunologic effects similar to those of bacterial DNA and can stimulate monocytes, macrophages, dendritic, and B cells, which then produce several proinflammatory cytokines. However, these CpG-ODNs appear to produce opposite effects on tumor B cells.

In this study, we investigated the direct effects of a murine class B CpG (1826) ODNs on lymphoma B cells in vitro and in vivo, using mouse models of non-Hodgkin B lymphomas developing in immunoprivileged sites, specifically the brain and the eye, and in subcutaneous sites.

In vitro, CpG-ODNs produced antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects on lymphoma B cells. In vivo, it had an antitumor effect when injected into tumors in murine models of subcutaneous lymphoma (SCL) and primary cerebral lymphoma (PCL). However, its intravitreal administration into a primary intraocular lymphoma (PIOL) mouse model did not produce an antitumor effect. In vitro experiments using supernatant from mouse PIOL samples demonstrated that the PIOL molecular microenvironment inhibits the antiproliferative effect of CpG-ODNs on lymphoma B-cells.

Responsiveness to CpG stimulation differs in subcutaneous, cerebral, and ocular tumors, according to the tumoral and molecular microenvironment, and this should be considered for further therapeutic approaches.