Table 1.
Summary of ex vivo results.
| Organism Tested/Cancer Type | Method of MAIT Detection | Subjects/Tumors Assessed | MAIT Cells in Blood | MAIT Cells in Disease Site | Functionality Changes? | Association with Survival or Disease Progression | Tumor-Promoting/Tumor-Killing/Inconclusive | Reference/Year Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human, Brain and Kidney | Vα7.2-Jα33 TCR | 8 brain, 11 kidney |
MAITs detected | MAITs and MR1 detected | N/A | N/A | Inconclusive | [5]/2008 |
| Human, CRC | CD3+, CD26+, Vα7.2+ | 35 CRC, 35 HAT |
N/A | ↑MAITs in CRC compared to HAT | N/A | ↑MAITs in tumor = poor prognosis | Tumor-Promoting | [6]/2015 |
| Human, CRC | CD45+, CD3+, CD4−, TCRγ𝛿−, CD161high, Vα7.2+ | 44 CRC, 44 HAT | No difference in MAITs between CRC and HC | ↑MAITs in CRC compared to HAT (↑DN and ↓CD8+ compared to HAT) | ↓IFN-γ-producing MAITs compared to HAT. No change in TNF-α or IL-17. | N/A | Inconclusive–Tumor impairs MAIT functionality | [7]/2015 |
| Human, CRC | CD3+, TCRγδ−, CD161+, Vα7.2+ |
48 CRC, 22 HC | ↑CD4+, ↓CD8+, ↓total MAITs compared to HC | ↑MAITs in CRC compared to HC | ↓IFN-γ, ↓TNF-α, ↑IL-17A in blood MAITs compared to HC | ↑MAITs in early stage CRC compared to advanced CRC | Inconclusive–MAITs infiltrate tumor, tumor impairs MAIT functionality | [9]/2016 |
| Human, MAC (colon, gastric, lung) | CD3+, TCRγδ−, CD161high, Vα7.2+ |
99 MAC, 9 HAT, 20 HC |
↓MAITs compared to HC and non-mucosal cancers | ↑ in CRC compared to blood and HAT | Normal cytokine profile. CCL20 and CXCL16 mRNA↑ in MAC tissue compared to HAT. ↑ corresponding CCR6 and CXCR6 on blood MAITs | ↓Circulating MAITs = ↑N staging, ↑CEA | Tumor-Killing–MAITs infiltrate tumor | [10]/2016 |
| Human, CRC | CD3ε+, CD161++, Vα7.2+, MR1-tet+ |
21 CRC, 21 HAT |
Abundant MAITs detected | ↓MAITs in CRLM compared to HAT | ↓IFN-γ in CRLM MAITs compared to liver HAT | N/A | Inconclusive | [23]/2017 |
| Human, CRC | CD45+, CD3+, TCRγδ−, CD4−, Vα7.2+, CD161high |
35 CRC 35 HAT, 6 HC |
No change between tumor and blood | ↑MAITs in CRC compared to HAT | CRC MAITs had ↑ GZM B compared to blood, ↑ PFN compared to HAT. Cytotoxicity potential unchanged. | N/A | Inconclusive | [8]/2019 |
| Human, CRC, NSCLC, RCC | Va7.2+ MR1-tet+ |
24 CRC, 11 NSCLC, 9 RCC |
No difference between cancer types | ↑MAITs in CRC compared to NSCLC and RCC. CRC had ↑ CD4+ Foxp3+ MAITs compared to HAT and blood. | CRC MAITs ↑TCR signaling and neg. apoptotic regulation pathways, and ↑CD69, CD103, CD38, and CD39 compared to blood and HAT. ↑PD-1 and CTLA-4 ON CD39+ subset. | N/A | Inconclusive–Tumor impairs MAIT functionality | [24]/2020 |
| Human, HCC | TRAV1-2/TRAJ33, TRAV1-2/TRAJ20, or TRAV1-2/TRAJ12 |
6 HCC, 6 HAT |
N/A | ↓MAITs in HCC compared to HAT | N/A | ↓MAITs = poor prognosis | Inconclusive | [11]/2017 |
| Human, MM | CD3+, CD161+, Vα7.2+ |
14 NDMM, 14 HC | ↓ Total, CD8+ and DN MAITs compared to HC, CD4+ MAITs unchanged |
↓ Total, CD8+ and DN MAITs in BM compared to HC. CD4+ MAITs unchanged. | ↓IFN-γ and ↓TNF-α compared to HC. ↑PD-1 in NDMM BM and blood compared to HC. | N/A | Inconclusive–Tumor impairs MAIT functionality | [12]/2017 |
| Human, MM | TRAV1-2+, MR1-tet+ |
30 MM, 26 HC |
NDMM had ↑CD4+ and DN, ↓ total and CD8+ |
No change in BM | NDMM MAITs had ↓IFN-γ and ↓CD27 compared to HC | N/A | Inconclusive–tumor impairs MAIT functionality | [20]/2018 |
| Human, LCH | CD3+, Vα7.2+, CD161+, MR1-tet+ |
16 LCH 17 HC |
↓ Total MAITs, ↑CD4+ MAITs compared to HC | ↓MAITs compared to HC, MR1 detected in lesions | Normal cytokine profile | N/A | Inconclusive | [21]/2018 |
| Human, HCC | CD3+, CD4−, CD161+, Vα7.2+, MR1-tet+ |
257 HCC, 257 HAT |
↓CD4− MAITs compared to HC | ↓CD4−MAITs compared to HAT | HCC MAITs had ↑PD-1, ↑CTLA-4, ↑TIM-3, ↑IL-18, ↓IFN-γ, ↓IL-17, ↓GZM B, ↓PFN compared to HAT and HC. ↑CCR6, ↑CXCR6, and ↑CCR9 in HCC blood compared to HCC tumor and liver |
↑MAITs in tumor = poor prognosis | Tumor-Promoting | [19]/2019 |
| Human, CC | CD3+, TCRγ𝛿−, Vα7.2+, CD161++ |
47 CC, 39 HC | ↓MAITs in CC than in HC | N/A | N/A | Trend of ↓MAITs = more advanced stages; Trend of ↓MAITs = poor PFS | Inconclusive/Tumor-Killing | [13]/2019 |
| Human, CC | CD3+, CD161+, Vα7.2+ | 36 CC, 35 controls with UL | ↑IL-18, ↑CCL3/5, ↑CCR5, ↑Mo-MDSCs, ↑Tregs, ↑CD8+/↑CD4+/↑CD38+CD8+ MAITs, ↓DN MAITs, ↓DN/PD-1+ MAITs in CC | N/A | N/A | ↑Total MAITs = ↑Mo-MDSCs, ↑PD-1 DN MAITs = ↑ PFS |
Tumor Promoting/ Inconclusive–Depends on MAIT subset |
[27]/2021 |
| Human, EAC | CD3+, CD161high, Vα7.2+ |
79 OAC, 35 BO, 14 HC | ↓ MAITs in EAC and BE compared to HC | ↑ MAITs in BE and EAC compared to HAT |
|
↓Tumor MAITs = ↑Risk of death | Tumor-Killing/ inconclusive–tumor impairs MAIT functionality |
[14]/2019 |
| Human, M | CD3+, CD8+, Vα7.2+, CD161+ | 28 M on anti-PD-1 TX | ↑MAITs in responders to PD-1 TX | ↑MAITs in the TME of responders compared to non-responders | MAITs from responders had ↑CXCR4 and GZMB | ↑MAITs in blood = Better response to TX | Tumor-Killing | [28]/2021 |
BC = Breast Carcinoma, BM = Bone Marrow, BE = Barrett’s Esophagus, CC = Cervical Cancer, CEA = Carcinoembryonic Antigen, CRC = Colorectal Cancer, CRLM = Colorectal Liver Metastasis, DN = Double Negative (CD4−CD8−), GZN = Granzyme, EAC = Esophageal Adenocarcinoma, HAT = Healthy Adjacent Tissue, HBD = Healthy Breast Donors, HC = Healthy Controls, HCC = Hepatocellular Carcinoma, LCH = Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, MAC = Mucosal Associated Cancer, M = melanoma, MM = Multiple myeloma, Mo-MDSCs = Monocytic Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells, NDMM = Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma, NSCLC = Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma, PFN = Perforin, PFS = Progression Free Survival, RCC = Renal Cell Carcinoma, TM = Tumor Margin, TX = Treatment, UL = Uterine Leiomyoma. The ↑ symbol indicates an increase in frequency or expression levels, and the ↓ indicates a decrease in frequency or expression levels.