ILT4 in Colorectal Cancer Cells Induces Suppressive T Cell Contexture and Disease Progression

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy shows little or no clinical benefit in most colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, due to the immunosuppressive T cell contexture in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Immunoglobulin-like transcript (ILT) 4 is an immunosuppressive molecule in myeloid cells. ILT4 is enriched in solid tumor cells, facilitating their proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. However, the regulatory role of ILT4 in T cell immunity of CRC is still undetermined. Here, we aimed to explore how tumor cell-derived ILT4 orchestrates T cell infiltration, subset distribution, and function in CRC.

A total of 145 paraffin-embedded cancer tissues and the corresponding clinicopathological information were collected from CRC patients. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and public database analyses determined the correlation of ILT4 expression with different T cell subset densities, IFN-γ levels, and patient outcomes. Paired Ig-like receptor B (PIR-B, ILT4 mouse ortholog)-overexpressing/-downregulated MC38 cells were subcutaneously injected into C57BL/6 mice as a CRC transplantation model. The frequencies, subsets, and IFN-γ levels of T cells in mouse blood and spleens were determined using flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry, respectively.

High ILT4 expression in CRC cells was associated with decreased T cell infiltration, disease progression, and poor patient survival. T cell subset analyses indicated that ILT4-high patients showed reduced CD8⁺ T cell but elevated FOXP3⁺ regulatory T (Treg) cell frequencies in the TME. High ILT4 levels predicted lower IFN-γ production by tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), especially by CD8⁺T cells in human CRC tissues. Moreover, PIR-B overexpression accelerated MC38 growth in mice, decreased CD3⁺/CD8⁺/IFN-γ⁺ T cell densities, and elevated Treg infiltration in the TME, blood, and spleens. PIR-B knockdown had the opposite effects.

ILT4 in CRC cells induced immunosuppressive T cell subset infiltration and impaired IFN-γ production in TILs, suggesting that ILT4 might be a potential immunotherapeutic target and prognostic biomarker.