Robust Iterative Stimulation with Self-Antigens Overcomes CD8+ T Cell Tolerance to Self- and Tumor Antigens.

The immune system adapts to constitutive antigens to preserve self-tolerance, which is a major barrier for anti-tumor immunity. Antigen-specific reversal of tolerance constitutes a major goal to spur therapeutic applications. Here, we show that robust, iterative, systemic stimulation targeting tissue-specific antigens in the context of acute infections reverses established CD8⁺ T cell tolerance to self, including in T cells that survive negative selection. This strategy results in large numbers of circulating and resident memory self-specific CD8⁺ T cells that are widely distributed and can be co-opted to control established malignancies bearing self-antigen without concomitant autoimmunity. Targeted expansion of both self- and tumor neoantigen-specific T cells acts synergistically to boost anti-tumor immunity and elicits protection against aggressive melanoma. Our findings demonstrate that T cell tolerance can be re-adapted to responsiveness through robust antigenic exposure, generating self-specific CD8⁺ T cells that can be used for cancer treatment. • Iterative stimulation with antigen and inflammation reverses CD8⁺ T cell tolerance • Tolerance reversal results in avidity maturation and enhanced antigen sensing • Expanded self-specific CD8⁺ T cells form T RM in lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues • Self-specific CD8⁺ T cells control tumor growth without concomitant autoimmunity Nelson et al. show that immune tolerance to self is not a fixed state and can be overcome with robust, iterative stimulation in the context of infection. Autoreactive CD8⁺ T cells expanded with this method can be co-opted to target tumors bearing shared self-antigen without associated autoimmunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]