The signaling lymphocyte activation molecule family [SLAMF] of cell surface receptors partakes in both the development of several immunocyte lineages and innate and adaptive immune responses in humans and mice. For instance, the homophilic molecule SLAMF6 (CD352) is in part involved in natural killer T cell development, but also modulates T follicular helper cell and germinal B cell interactions. Here we report that upon transplantation of a well-defined aggressive murine B220+CD5+ Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) cell clone, TCL1-192, into SCID mice one injection of a monoclonal antibody directed against SLAMF6 (αSlamf6) abrogates tumor progression in the spleen, bone marrow and blood. Similarly, progression of a murine B cell lymphoma, LMP2A/λMyc, was also eliminated by αSlamf6. But, surprisingly, αSLAMF6 neither eliminated TCL1-192 nor LMP2A/λMyc cells, which resided in the peritoneal cavity or omentum. This appeared to be dependent upon the tumor environment, which affected the frequency of sub-populations of the TCL1-192 clone or the inability of peritoneal macrophages to induce Antibody Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity (ADCC). However, co-administering αSlamf6 with the Bruton tyrosine kinase (Btk) inhibitor, ibrutinib, synergized to efficiently eliminate the tumor cells in the spleen, bone marrow, liver and the peritoneal cavity. Because an anti-human SLAMF6 mAb efficiently killed human CLL cells in vitro and in vivo, we propose that a combination of αSlamf6 with ibrutinib should be considered as a novel therapeutic approach for CLL and other B cell tumors.

Signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM)-associated protein (SAP) plays an essential role in the immune system mediating the function of several members of the SLAM family (SLAMF) of receptors, whose expression is essential for T, NK, and B-cell responses. Additionally, the expression of SAP in double-positive thymocytes is mandatory for natural killer T (NKT) cells and, in mouse, for innate CD8(+) T cell development. To date, only two members of the SLAMF of receptors, Slamf1 and Slamf6, have been shown to positively cooperate during NKT cell differentiation in mouse. However, it is less clear whether other members of this family may also participate in the development of these innate T cells. Here, we show that Slamf[1 + 6](-/-) and Slamf[1 + 5 + 6](-/-) B6 mice have ~70% reduction of NKT cells compared to wild-type B6 mice. Unexpectedly, the proportion of innate CD8(+) T cells slightly increased in the Slamf[1 + 5 + 6](-/-) , but not in the Slamf[1 + 6](-/-) strain, suggesting that Slamf5 may function as a negative regulator of innate CD8(+) T cell development. Accordingly, Slamf5(-/-) B6 mice showed an exclusive expansion of innate CD8(+) T cells, but not NKT cells. Interestingly, the SAP-independent Slamf7(-/-) strain showed an expansion of both splenic innate CD8(+) T cells and thymic NKT cells. On the other hand, and similar to what was recently shown in Slamf3(-/-) BALB/c mice, the proportions of thymic promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF(hi)) NKT cells and innate CD8(+) T cells significantly increased in the SAP-independent Slamf8(-/-) BALB/c strain. In summary, these results show that NKT and innate CD8(+) T cell development can be regulated in a SAP-dependent and -independent fashion by SLAMF receptors, in which Slamf1, Slamf6, and Slamf8 affect development of NKT cells, and that Slamf5, Slamf7, and Slamf8 affect the development of innate CD8(+) T cells.