HDAC11 plays an essential role in regulating OX40 ligand expression in Hodgkin lymphoma

Abstract In Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), the malignant cells are surrounded by a large number of reactive infiltrating inflammatory cells, including OX40-expressing T cells and interleukin 10 (IL-10)–producing regulatory T (T-reg) cells. These T-reg cells can suppress the immune response and thus contribute to the maintenance of immune tolerance and to insufficient antitumor response. The engagement of OX40L with the OX40 receptor is essential for the generation of antigen-specific memory T cells and for the induction of host antitumor immunity. In the present study, we investigated whether histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) may induce a favorable antitumor immune response by regulating the expression of OX40L in HL. We found that HDACis up-regulated OX40L surface expression in HL cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that selectively inhibited HDAC11 expression, significantly up-regulated OX40L and induced apoptosis in HL cell lines, and silencing HDAC11 transcripts increased the production of tumor necrosis-α (TNF-α) and IL-17 in the supernatants of HL cells. Furthermore, HDACI-induced OX40L inhibited the generation of IL-10–producing type 1 T-reg cells. These results demonstrate for the first time that HDAC11 plays an essential role in regulating OX40L expression. Pharmacologic inhibition of HDAC11 may produce a favorable antitumor immune response in patients with HL.