Pseudo-Exhaustion Of CD8+ T Cells in AML

The prognosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), particularly when associated with adverse chromosomal or molecular aberrations, is poor due to a high relapse rate after induction chemotherapy. Postremission therapy for elimination of minimal residual disease remains a major challenge. Immunotherapeutic strategies such as dendritic cell (DC) vaccination aim at the stimulation of AML-specific immunity, especially of CD8+ T cells. However, the functionality of these cells in AML patients is not well described. Recently, T cell exhaustion has been suggested to contribute to immune evasion in various solid and hematological malignancies. Primarily demonstrated in chronic viral infections, exhausted T cells are characterized by an increased expression of several inhibitory molecules, reduced proliferation and an impaired capability of cytokine secretion and cytotoxicity.