Radiation induces dynamic changes to the T cell repertoire in renal cell carcinoma patients

Strong evidence supports the tumor immune landscape as a determinant of patient responses to immunotherapy. Readily available therapies, including radiation, are being investigated as modifying agents with immune checkpoint blockade. However, surprisingly little is known regarding radiotherapy’s impact within the tumor microenvironment and intratumoral T cell repertoires of patients, leaving critical gaps to guided design of clinical protocols. Here, samples from renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients underwent high-throughput analysis to reveal transcriptional immune activation and increased clonality in irradiated tumors. Comparing transcriptomes of treatment-naïve, resected patient primary renal cell carcinoma (RCC) tumors versus patient primary RCC tumors treated with 1 x 15 Gy radiation by SBRT, followed by nephrectomy at 4 weeks post radiation.