Figure 5. Modulation of Trm by TGFβ neutralization decreases cancer vaccine efficacy.

Mice were i.n. immunized (prime-boost) by STxB-E7 and treated in parallel by an anti-TGFβ or its isotype control. Treatment was stopped 1 week after the boost. Trm and effector CD8⁺T cells were measured 30 days after the boost in the BAL (a) and effector CD8⁺T cells were counted in the spleen 30 days after the boost (b). Mice were grafted with TC1 cells in the tongue 30 days after the boost, and 5 days later the number of Trm was measured in the tongue submucosae by flow cytometry to enumerate the absolute number of Trm in the presence or absence of anti-TGFβ (c). (d) Survival analysis of mice immunized by STxB-E7 combined or not with the anti-TGFβ treatment and grafted 30 days after the boost with TC1 cells. Experiments were performed with at least six mice per immunization group and repeated three times. Statistical analysis for (a–c) used non-parametric Mann–Whitney test and for (d) a Log-rank test. *P<0.05. Error bars indicates s.e.m. NS, not significant.