MAIT Cells Promote Tumor Initiation, Grow and Metastases via Tumor MR1

Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are innate-like T cells that require MHC class I-related protein 1 (MR1) for their development. The role of MAIT cells in cancer is unclear, and to date no study has evaluated these cells in vivo in this context. Here, we demonstrated that tumor initiation, growth, and experimental lung metastasis were significantly reduced in Mr1(-/-) mice, compared with wild-type mice. The antitumor activity observed in Mr1(-/-) mice required natural killer (NK) and/or CD8(+) T cells and IFN gamma. Adoptive transfer of MAIT cells into Mr(-/-) mice reversed metastasis reduction. Similarly, MR1-blocking antibodies decreased lung metastases and suppressed tumor growth. Following MR1 ligand exposure, some, but not all, mouse and human tumor cell lines upregulated MR1. Pretreatment of tumor cells with the stimulatory ligand 5-OP-RU or inhibitory ligand Ac-6-FP increased or decreased lung metastases, respectively. MR1-deleted tumors resulted in fewer metastases compared with parental tumor cells. MAIT cell suppression of NK-cell effector function was tumor-MR1-dependent and partially required IL17A. Our studies indicate that MAIT cells display tumor-promoting function by suppressing T and/or NK cells and that blocking MR1 may represent a new therapeutic strategy for cancer immunotherapy. SIGNIFICANCE Contradicting the perception that MATT cells kill tumor cells, here MATT cells promoted tumor initiation, growth, and metastasis. MR1-expressing tumor cells activated MATT cells to reduce NK-cell effector function, partly in a host IL17A-dependent manner. MR1-blocking antibodies reduced tumor metastases and growth, and may represent a new class of cancer therapeutics.