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Updated: Jun 13, 2026
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Analysis of Lymph Node Volume by Ultra-High-Frequency Ultrasound Imaging in the Braf/Pten Genetically Engineered Mouse Model of Melanoma
Published on: September 8, 2021
Longitudinal spatial neutrophil profiling during ACT in murine melanoma reveals distinct lymph node infiltration
Gemma van der Voort1,2,3, Maike Effern1, Michelle C R Yong1
1Institute for Experimental Oncology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
NPJ Systems Biology and Applications
|June 11, 2026
Summary
Reactive neutrophils in lymph nodes can limit CD8+ T cell therapy effectiveness. This study reveals differences in neutrophil behavior between tumor-draining and non-tumor-draining lymph nodes during adoptive T cell therapy.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cancer Therapy
- Cellular Dynamics
Background:
- Reactive neutrophil infiltration can impede CD8+ T cell expansion during adoptive T cell therapy (ACT).
- The precise spatiotemporal regulation of neutrophils in lymph nodes during ACT is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively assess immune cell dynamics in tumor-draining lymph nodes (tdLN) and non-tumor-draining lymph nodes (non-tdLN) during ACT.
- To investigate the influence of innate immune signaling on neutrophil behavior and CD8+ T cell expansion in lymph nodes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized flow cytometry and multiplex immunofluorescence.
- Performed time-resolved quantitative assessment of immune cell dynamics.
- Studied a melanoma mouse model undergoing ACT.
Main Results:
- Transferred tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells accumulated and expanded early in the tdLN, exhibiting a favorable central memory phenotype.
- Enhanced innate immune signaling in tumors increased neutrophil influx into lymph nodes, particularly non-tdLNs.
- Neutrophils were enriched in the T cell zone of tdLNs, co-localizing with the largest CD8+ T cell reservoir.
Conclusions:
- tdLNs and non-tdLNs exhibit distinct early neutrophil dynamics and compartmentalization patterns during ACT.
- Neutrophil localization within the tdLN T cell zone may influence CD8+ T cell expansion.
- The strength of innate immune signaling in the tumor impacts neutrophil infiltration and distribution in lymph nodes during ACT.
