Global pannexin 1 deletion increases tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes in the BRAF/Pten mouse melanoma model

Immunotherapies for malignant melanoma seek to boost the anti‐tumoral response of CD8+ T cells, but have a limited patient response rate, in part due to limited tumoral immune cell infiltration. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of the pannexin 1 (PANX1) channel‐forming protein is known to decrease melanoma cell tumorigenic properties in vitro and ex vivo. Here, we crossed Panx1 knockout (Panx1−/−) mice with the inducible melanoma model BrafCA, PtenloxP, Tyr::CreERT2 (BPC). We found that deleting the Panx1 gene in mice does not reduce BRAF(V600E)/Pten‐driven primary tumor formation or improve survival. However, tumors in BPC‐Panx1−/− mice exhibited a significant increase in the infiltration of CD8+ T lymphocytes, with no changes in the expression of early T‐cell activation marker CD69, lymphocyte activation gene 3 protein (LAG‐3) checkpoint receptor, or programmed cell death ligand‐1 (PD‐L1) in tumors when compared to the BPC‐Panx1+/+ genotype. Our results suggest that, although Panx1 deletion does not overturn the aggressive BRAF/Pten‐driven melanoma progression in vivo, it does increase the infiltration of effector immune T‐cell populations in the tumor microenvironment. We propose that PANX1‐targeted therapy could be explored as a strategy to increase tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes to boost anti‐tumor immunity.