Dysregulation of TFH-B-TRM lymphocyte cooperation is associated with unfavorable anti-PD-1 responses in EGFR-mutant lung cancer

Patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR ) mutations exhibit an unfavorable response to PD-1 inhibitor through unclear mechanisms. Hypothesizing that EGFR mutations alter tumor-immune interactions, we compare tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes between EGFR mutant (EGFR-MT) and wild type (EGFR-WT) tumors through single-cell transcriptomic analysis. We find that B cells, CXCL13-producing follicular helper CD4 + T (T FH )-like cells, and tissue-resident memory CD8 + T (T RM )-like cells decreased in EGFR-MT tumors. The NOTCH-RBPJ regulatory network, which is vital for persistence of T RM state, is perturbed, and the interactions between T FH and B cells through the CXCL13-CXCR5 axis disappear in EGFR-MT tumors. Notably, the proportion of T RM -like cells is predictive for anti-PD-1 response in NSCLC. Our findings suggest that the impairment of T FH -B-T RM cooperation in tertiary lymphoid structure formation, accompanied by the dysregulation of T RM homeostasis and the loss of T FH -B crosstalk, underlies unfavorable anti-PD-1 response in EGFR-MT lung tumors. EGFR mutant lung tumours do not respond favourably to immunotherapy. Here, using single cell sequencing, the authors find that tissue resident memory CD8 + T like cells are reduced in the immune landscape of EGFR mutant tumours in comparison to wild type tumours and the presence of these cells may predict response to immunotherapy.