Exploring the interactions between peritoneal dendritic cells and T cells: Implications for cancer metastasis

Abstract. Ovarian Cancer (OC) is a formidable challenge as a gynecological malignancy with ascites, the abnormal accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity, serving as a clinical hallmark of advancement and metastasis. While OC immune analyses focus on solid tumors, little is known about malignant ascites inhabitants during peritoneal metastasis. Here, we focused on a single-cell landscape of the OC ecosystem in malignant ascites with comparison to tumor sites. Our data analysis reveals that compared to the immunosuppressed tumor, ascites contained less exhausted, more memory-like T cells, which correlated with prolonged survival in stages III/IV OC. Furthermore, we characterized the substantial interactions between dendritic cells and T cells. Lastly, an in vitro dendritic cell culture system from blood cells for potential novel cancer vaccine design was explored. Taken together, this study reveals T cell memory and effector potential amidst immunosuppressive pressures in ascites and provides valuable insight into the cross-talk between dendritic cells and T cells that potentially contributes to the unique T cell profile in the ascites ecosystem.