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Zhang Z, Chen X, Gao S, Fang X, Ren S. 3D bioprinted tumor model: a prompt and convenient platform for overcoming immunotherapy resistance by recapitulating the tumor microenvironment. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2024; 47:1113-1126. [PMID: 38520648 PMCID: PMC11322267 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-024-00935-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer immunotherapy is receiving worldwide attention for its induction of an anti-tumor response. However, it has had limited efficacy in some patients who acquired resistance. The dynamic and sophisticated complexity of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is the leading contributor to this clinical dilemma. Through recapitulating the physiological features of the TME, 3D bioprinting is a promising research tool for cancer immunotherapy, which preserves in vivo malignant aggressiveness, heterogeneity, and the cell-cell/matrix interactions. It has been reported that application of 3D bioprinting holds potential to address the challenges of immunotherapy resistance and facilitate personalized medication. CONCLUSIONS AND PERSPECTIVES In this review, we briefly summarize the contributions of cellular and noncellular components of the TME in the development of immunotherapy resistance, and introduce recent advances in 3D bioprinted tumor models that served as platforms to study the interactions between tumor cells and the TME. By constructing multicellular 3D bioprinted tumor models, cellular and noncellular crosstalk is reproduced between tumor cells, immune cells, fibroblasts, adipocytes, and the extracellular matrix (ECM) within the TME. In the future, by quickly preparing 3D bioprinted tumor models with patient-derived components, information on tumor immunotherapy resistance can be obtained timely for clinical reference. The combined application with tumoroid or other 3D culture technologies will also help to better simulate the complexity and dynamics of tumor microenvironment in vitro. We aim to provide new perspectives for overcoming cancer immunotherapy resistance and inspire multidisciplinary research to improve the clinical application of 3D bioprinting technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhanyi Zhang
- Bethune Third Clinical Medical College, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Xuebo Chen
- Department of Gastrointestinal, Colorectal and Anal Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, NO. 126, Xiantai Street, Changchun, 130033, China
| | - Sujie Gao
- Department of Anesthesiology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130033, China
| | - Xuedong Fang
- Department of Gastrointestinal, Colorectal and Anal Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, NO. 126, Xiantai Street, Changchun, 130033, China.
| | - Shengnan Ren
- Department of Breast Surgery, Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, NO. 519, Kunzhou Street, Kunming, 650118, China.
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Lai F, Zheng W, Zhong C, Chen Z. Pan-cancer analysis of disulfidptosis with potential implications in prognosis, immune microenvironment, and drug resistance in human cancer. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:10997-11017. [PMID: 38968580 PMCID: PMC11272104 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
To get a systematic assessment of disulfidptosis-related genes across human cancers and explore the predictive role of disulfidptosis in cancer drug sensitivity. We developed a score-level model to quantify the level of disulfidptosis in 33 human cancers using TCGA data. The mRNA expression and protein levels of disulfidptosis-related genes in human cancer cells and tissues were detected and retrieved from the Human Protein Atlas. Multiomics bioinformatic analyses were performed to evaluate disulfidptosis-related gene characteristics as well as the effect of disulfidptosis on the cancer immune microenvironment and drug resistance. Thirty cancers showed significantly different expression levels of disulfidptosis-related genes between normal and tumor samples. The mRNA expression and protein level of disulfidptosis-related genes were consistent with TCGA databases in lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. We also found that altered levels of the disulfidptosis score expression were usually related to patient prognosis, and high expression of disulfidptosis-related genes was associated with drug resistance in different cancer types. Our study illustrates the characterization of disulfidptosis in multiple cancer types and highlights its potential value as a predictive biomarker of drug response, which can pave the way for further investigation of the prognostic and therapeutic potential of disulfidptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fobao Lai
- Department of Oncology, Longyan First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Longyan 364000, Fujian, China
| | - Wanrong Zheng
- College of Medical Nursing, Minxi Vocational and Technical College, Longyan 364000, Fujian, China
| | - Chengqian Zhong
- Department of Digestive Endoscopy Center, Longyan First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Longyan 364000, Fujian, China
| | - Zhiyong Chen
- Department of Oncology, Longyan First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Longyan 364000, Fujian, China
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Ren C, Chen X, Hao X, Wu C, Xie L, Liu X. Integrated machine learning algorithms reveal a bone metastasis-related signature of circulating tumor cells in prostate cancer. Sci Data 2024; 11:701. [PMID: 38937469 PMCID: PMC11211408 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03551-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Bone metastasis is an essential factor affecting the prognosis of prostate cancer (PCa), and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are closely related to distant tumor metastasis. Here, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and Cytoscape application were used to identify diagnostic markers for metastatic events in PCa. We screened ten hub genes, eight of which had area under the ROC curve (AUC) values > 0.85. Subsequently, we aim to develop a bone metastasis-related model relying on differentially expressed genes in CTCs for accurate risk stratification. We developed an integrative program based on machine learning algorithm combinations to construct reliable bone metastasis-related genes prognostic index (BMGPI). On the basis of BMGPI, we carefully evaluated the prognostic outcomes, functional status, tumor immune microenvironment, somatic mutation, copy number variation (CNV), response to immunotherapy and drug sensitivity in different subgroups. BMGPI was an independent risk factor for disease-free survival in PCa. The high risk group demonstrated poor survival as well as higher immune scores, higher tumor mutation burden (TMB), more frequent co-occurrence mutation, and worse efficacy of immunotherapy. This study highlights a new prognostic signature, the BMGPI. BMGPI is an independent predictor of prognosis in PCa patients and is closely associated with the immune microenvironment and the efficacy of immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congzhe Ren
- Department of Urology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiangyu Chen
- Department of Urology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuexue Hao
- Department of Urology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Changgui Wu
- Department of Urology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Lijun Xie
- Department of Urology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Liu
- Department of Urology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
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Molina OE, LaRue H, Simonyan D, Hovington H, Vittrant B, Têtu B, Fradet V, Lacombe L, Bergeron A, Fradet Y. Regulatory and memory T lymphocytes infiltrating prostate tumors predict long term clinical outcomes. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1372837. [PMID: 38887294 PMCID: PMC11180786 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1372837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The localization, density but mostly the phenotype of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) provide important information on the initial interaction between the host immune system and the tumor. Our objective was to assess the prognostic significance of T (CD3+), T regulatory (Treg) (FoxP3+) and T memory (Tmem) (CD45RO+) infiltrating lymphocytes and of genes associated with TIL in prostate cancer (PCa). Methods Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to assess the infiltration of CD3+, FoxP3+ and CD45RO+ cells in the tumor area, tumor margin and adjacent normal-like epithelium of a series of 98 PCa samples with long clinical follow-up. Expression of a panel of 31 TIL-associated genes was analyzed by Taqman Low-Density Array (TLDA) technology in another series of 50 tumors with long clinical follow-up. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were performed to determine association of these markers with biochemical recurrence (BCR), need for definitive androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) or lethal PCa. Results TIL subtypes were present at different densities in the tumor, tumor margin and adjacent normal-like epithelium, but their density and phenotype in the tumor area were the most predictive of clinical outcomes. In multivariate analyses, a high density of Treg (high FoxP3+/CD3+ cell ratio) predicted a higher risk for need of definitive ADT (HR=7.69, p=0.001) and lethal PCa (HR=4.37, p=0.04). Conversely, a high density of Tmem (high CD45RO+/CD3+ cell ratio) predicted a reduced risk of lethal PCa (HR=0.06, p=0.04). TLDA analyses showed that a high expression of FoxP3 was associated with a higher risk of lethal PCa (HR=5.26, p=0.02). Expression of CTLA-4, PD-1, TIM-3 and LAG-3 were correlated with that of FoxP3. Amongst these, only a high expression of TIM-3 was associated with a significant higher risk for definitive ADT in univariate Cox regression analysis (HR=3.11, p=0.01). Conclusion These results show that the proportion of Treg and Tmem found within the tumor area is a strong and independent predictor of late systemic progression of PCa. Our results also suggest that inhibition of TIM-3 might be a potential approach to counter the immunosuppressive functions of Treg in order to improve the anti-tumor immune response against PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Eduardo Molina
- Axe oncologie, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche sur le cancer de l’Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Hélène LaRue
- Axe oncologie, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche sur le cancer de l’Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - David Simonyan
- Plateforme de recherche clinique et évaluative, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Hélène Hovington
- Axe oncologie, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche sur le cancer de l’Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Benjamin Vittrant
- Axe oncologie, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche sur le cancer de l’Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Bernard Têtu
- Axe oncologie, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche sur le cancer de l’Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Département de pathologie, CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Vincent Fradet
- Axe oncologie, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche sur le cancer de l’Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Département de chirurgie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Louis Lacombe
- Axe oncologie, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche sur le cancer de l’Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Département de chirurgie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Alain Bergeron
- Axe oncologie, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche sur le cancer de l’Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Département de chirurgie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Yves Fradet
- Axe oncologie, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche sur le cancer de l’Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Département de chirurgie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
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Cin S, Aki SH, Elverdi T, Ozmen D, Salihoglu A. Is There an Immunohistochemical PD-L1 Cut-Off Point That Serves as a Prognostic Indicator for Large B-Cell Lymphomas? Diagnostics (Basel) 2024; 14:1167. [PMID: 38893691 PMCID: PMC11172057 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14111167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study is to investigate whether there is a cut-off value for PD-L1 expression in large B-cell lymphomas that predicts prognosis, and to clarify the relationship between PD-L1 expression and histopathological as well as clinical parameters. The study included a total of 130 patients who were diagnosed with large B-cell lymphoma at Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Pathology Department. Biopsy samples were assessed using the PD-L1 immunohistochemical antibody (Dako, 22C3 clone). The patients had a mean age of 54 ± 17 years, with a median age of 56 years. No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of survival when the 30% cut-off value was used. However, a noteworthy discrepancy in survival became apparent when the cut-off point was established at 70%. Among the diffuse large B-cell lymphoma-not otherwise specified (DLBCL-NOS) category, the activated B-cell-like (ABC-like) phenotype showed higher PD-L1 expression compared to the germinal center B-cell-like (GCB-like) phenotype. Immunohistochemical PD-L1 expression emerged as a prognostic factor, particularly significant in the ABC-like phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selcuk Cin
- Department of Pathology, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, 34098 Istanbul, Turkey;
| | - Suat Hilal Aki
- Department of Pathology, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, 34098 Istanbul, Turkey;
| | - Tugrul Elverdi
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, 34320 Istanbul, Turkey; (T.E.); (D.O.); (A.S.)
| | - Deniz Ozmen
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, 34320 Istanbul, Turkey; (T.E.); (D.O.); (A.S.)
| | - Ayse Salihoglu
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, 34320 Istanbul, Turkey; (T.E.); (D.O.); (A.S.)
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Zhou L, Velegraki M, Wang Y, Mandula JK, Chang Y, Liu W, Song NJ, Kwon H, Xiao T, Bolyard C, Hong F, Xin G, Ma Q, Rubinstein MP, Wen H, Li Z. Spatial and functional targeting of intratumoral Tregs reverses CD8+ T cell exhaustion and promotes cancer immunotherapy. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e180080. [PMID: 38787791 PMCID: PMC11245154 DOI: 10.1172/jci180080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Intratumoral Tregs are key mediators of cancer immunotherapy resistance, including anti-programmed cell death (ligand) 1 [anti-PD-(L)1] immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). The mechanisms driving Treg infiltration into the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the consequence on CD8+ T cell exhaustion remain elusive. Here, we report that heat shock protein gp96 (also known as GRP94) was indispensable for Treg tumor infiltration, primarily through the roles of gp96 in chaperoning integrins. Among various gp96-dependent integrins, we found that only LFA-1 (αL integrin), and not αV, CD103 (αE), or β7 integrin, was required for Treg tumor homing. Loss of Treg infiltration into the TME by genetic deletion of gp96/LFA-1 potently induced rejection of tumors in multiple ICB-resistant murine cancer models in a CD8+ T cell-dependent manner, without loss of self-tolerance. Moreover, gp96 deletion impeded Treg activation primarily by suppressing IL-2/STAT5 signaling, which also contributed to tumor regression. By competing for intratumoral IL-2, Tregs prevented the activation of CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, drove thymocyte selection-associated high mobility group box protein (TOX) induction, and induced bona fide CD8+ T cell exhaustion. By contrast, Treg ablation led to striking CD8+ T cell activation without TOX induction, demonstrating clear uncoupling of the 2 processes. Our study reveals that the gp96/LFA-1 axis plays a fundamental role in Treg biology and suggests that Treg-specific gp96/LFA-1 targeting represents a valuable strategy for cancer immunotherapy without inflicting autoinflammatory conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhou
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Maria Velegraki
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Yi Wang
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - J K Mandula
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Yuzhou Chang
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics
| | - Weiwei Liu
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - No-Joon Song
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Hyunwoo Kwon
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, USA
| | - Tong Xiao
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Chelsea Bolyard
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Feng Hong
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, USA
| | - Gang Xin
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, USA
| | - Qin Ma
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics
| | - Mark P. Rubinstein
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, USA
| | - Haitao Wen
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, USA
| | - Zihai Li
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, USA
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Wu K, Zhang G, Shen C, Zhu L, Yu C, Sartorius K, Ding W, Jiang Y, Lu Y. Role of T cells in liver metastasis. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:341. [PMID: 38755133 PMCID: PMC11099083 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06726-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
The liver is a major metastatic site (organ) for gastrointestinal cancers (such as colorectal, gastric, and pancreatic cancers) as well as non-gastrointestinal cancers (such as lung, breast, and melanoma cancers). Due to the innate anatomical position of the liver, the apoptosis of T cells in the liver, the unique metabolic regulation of hepatocytes and other potential mechanisms, the liver tends to form an immunosuppressive microenvironment and subsequently form a pre-metastatic niche (PMN), which can promote metastasis and colonization by various tumor cells(TCs). As a result, the critical role of immunoresponse in liver based metastasis has become increasingly appreciated. T cells, a centrally important member of adaptive immune response, play a significant role in liver based metastases and clarifying the different roles of the various T cells subsets is important to guide future clinical treatment. In this review, we first introduce the predisposing factors and related mechanisms of liver metastasis (LM) before introducing the PMN and its transition to LM. Finally, we detail the role of different subsets of T cells in LM and advances in the management of LM in order to identify potential therapeutic targets for patients with LM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kejia Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
| | - Guozhu Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
| | - Changbing Shen
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Taizhou Second People's Hospital Affiliated with Yangzhou University, Taizhou, China
| | - Li Zhu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
| | - Chongyuan Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
| | - Kurt Sartorius
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Molecular Sciences, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Africa Hepatopancreatobiliary Cancer Consortium, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Wei Ding
- Department of General Surgery, Wujin Hospital Affiliated with Jiangsu University, Changzhou, China.
- Department of General Surgery, The Wujin Clinical College of Xuzhou Medical University, Changzhou, China.
- Changzhou Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, China.
| | - Yong Jiang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China.
| | - Yunjie Lu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
- Africa Hepatopancreatobiliary Cancer Consortium, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
- Department of General Surgery, Wujin Hospital Affiliated with Jiangsu University, Changzhou, China.
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8
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Semancik CS, Zhao N, Koestler DC, Boerwinkle E, Bressler J, Buchsbaum RJ, Kelsey KT, Platz EA, Michaud DS. DNA Methylation-Derived Immune Cell Proportions and Cancer Risk, Including Lung Cancer, in Black Participants. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.05.09.24307118. [PMID: 38766207 PMCID: PMC11100922 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.09.24307118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Prior cohort studies assessing cancer risk based on immune cell subtype profiles have predominantly focused on White populations. This limitation obscures vital insights into how cancer risk varies across race. Immune cell subtype proportions were estimated using deconvolution based on leukocyte DNA methylation markers from blood samples collected at baseline on participants without cancer in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Over a mean of 17.5 years of follow-up, 668 incident cancers were diagnosed in 2,467 Black participants. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine immune cell subtype proportions and overall cancer incidence and site-specific incidence (lung, breast, and prostate cancers). Higher T regulatory cell proportions were associated with statistically significantly higher lung cancer risk (hazard ratio = 1.22, 95% confidence interval = 1.06-1.41 per percent increase). Increased memory B cell proportions were associated with significantly higher risk of prostate cancer (1.17, 1.04-1.33) and all cancers (1.13, 1.05-1.22). Increased CD8+ naïve cell proportions were associated with significantly lower risk of all cancers in participants ≥55 years (0.91, 0.83-0.98). Other immune cell subtypes did not display statistically significant associations with cancer risk. These results in Black participants align closely with prior findings in largely White populations. Findings from this study could help identify those at high cancer risk and outline risk stratifying to target patients for cancer screening, prevention, and other interventions. Further studies should assess these relationships in other cancer types, better elucidate the interplay of B cells in cancer risk, and identify biomarkers for personalized risk stratification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher S. Semancik
- Department of Public Health & Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Naisi Zhao
- Department of Public Health & Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Devin C. Koestler
- The University of Kansas Cancer Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
- Department of Biostatistics & Data Science, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Eric Boerwinkle
- Human Genetics Center, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jan Bressler
- Human Genetics Center, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Karl T. Kelsey
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Platz
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dominique S. Michaud
- Department of Public Health & Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
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9
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Su QY, Li HC, Jiang XJ, Jiang ZQ, Zhang Y, Zhang HY, Zhang SX. Exploring the therapeutic potential of regulatory T cell in rheumatoid arthritis: Insights into subsets, markers, and signaling pathways. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 174:116440. [PMID: 38518605 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic disease characterized by an imbalance between immunological reactivity and immune tolerance. Regulatory T cells (Tregs), which play a crucial role in controlling ongoing autoimmunity and maintaining peripheral tolerance, have shown great potential for the treatment of autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases such as RA. This review aims to provide an updated summary of the latest insights into Treg-targeting techniques in RA. We focus on current therapeutic strategies for targeting Tregs based on discussing their subsets, surface markers, suppressive function, and signaling pathways in RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin-Yi Su
- The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Department of Rheumatology, Taiyuan, China; Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Rheumatism Immune Microecology, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China; Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology at Shanxi Medical University, Ministry of Education, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Huan-Cheng Li
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Rheumatism Immune Microecology, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China; Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology at Shanxi Medical University, Ministry of Education, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Xiao-Jing Jiang
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Rheumatism Immune Microecology, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China; Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology at Shanxi Medical University, Ministry of Education, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Zhong-Qing Jiang
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Rheumatism Immune Microecology, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China; Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology at Shanxi Medical University, Ministry of Education, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Rheumatism Immune Microecology, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China; Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology at Shanxi Medical University, Ministry of Education, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
| | - He-Yi Zhang
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Rheumatism Immune Microecology, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China; Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology at Shanxi Medical University, Ministry of Education, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Sheng-Xiao Zhang
- The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Department of Rheumatology, Taiyuan, China; Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Rheumatism Immune Microecology, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China; Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology at Shanxi Medical University, Ministry of Education, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China.
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10
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Kumagai S, Itahashi K, Nishikawa H. Regulatory T cell-mediated immunosuppression orchestrated by cancer: towards an immuno-genomic paradigm for precision medicine. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2024; 21:337-353. [PMID: 38424196 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-024-00870-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicates that aberrant signalling stemming from genetic abnormalities in cancer cells has a fundamental role in their evasion of antitumour immunity. Immune escape mechanisms include enhanced expression of immunosuppressive molecules, such as immune-checkpoint proteins, and the accumulation of immunosuppressive cells, including regulatory T (Treg) cells, in the tumour microenvironment. Therefore, Treg cells are key targets for cancer immunotherapy. Given that therapies targeting molecules predominantly expressed by Treg cells, such as CD25 or GITR, have thus far had limited antitumour efficacy, elucidating how certain characteristics of cancer, particularly genetic abnormalities, influence Treg cells is necessary to develop novel immunotherapeutic strategies. Hence, Treg cell-targeted strategies based on the particular characteristics of cancer in each patient, such as the combination of immune-checkpoint inhibitors with molecularly targeted agents that disrupt the immunosuppressive networks mediating Treg cell recruitment and/or activation, could become a new paradigm of cancer therapy. In this Review, we discuss new insights on the mechanisms by which cancers generate immunosuppressive networks that attenuate antitumour immunity and how these networks confer resistance to cancer immunotherapy, with a focus on Treg cells. These insights lead us to propose the concept of 'immuno-genomic precision medicine' based on specific characteristics of cancer, especially genetic profiles, that correlate with particular mechanisms of tumour immune escape and might, therefore, inform the optimal choice of immunotherapy for individual patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shogo Kumagai
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Chiba, Japan
- Division of Cellular Signalling, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kota Itahashi
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Nishikawa
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan.
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Chiba, Japan.
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
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11
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Yang S, Yang X, Hou Z, Zhu L, Yao Z, Zhang Y, Chen Y, Teng J, Fang C, Chen S, Jia M, Liu Z, Kang S, Chen Y, Li G, Niu Y, Cai Q. Rationale for immune checkpoint inhibitors plus targeted therapy for advanced renal cell carcinoma. Heliyon 2024; 10:e29215. [PMID: 38623200 PMCID: PMC11016731 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a frequent urological malignancy characterized by a high rate of metastasis and lethality. The treatment strategy for advanced RCC has moved through multiple iterations over the past three decades. Initially, cytokine treatment was the only systemic treatment option for patients with RCC. With the development of medicine, antiangiogenic agents targeting vascular endothelial growth factor and mammalian target of rapamycin and immunotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have emerged and received several achievements in the therapeutics of advanced RCC. However, ICIs have still not brought completely satisfactory results due to drug resistance and undesirable side effects. For the past years, the interests form researchers have been attracted by the combination of ICIs and targeted therapy for advanced RCC and the angiogenesis and immunogenic tumor microenvironmental variations in RCC. Therefore, we emphasize the potential principle and the clinical progress of ICIs combined with targeted treatment of advanced RCC, and summarize the future direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siwei Yang
- Department of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xianrui Yang
- Department of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zekai Hou
- Department of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Liang Zhu
- Department of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhili Yao
- Department of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | | | - Yanzhuo Chen
- Department of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jie Teng
- Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Cheng Fang
- Taihe County People's Hospital, Anhui, China
| | - Songmao Chen
- Department of Urology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fujian, China
- Provincial Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fujian, China
| | - Mingfei Jia
- Department of Urology, North China University of Science and Technology Affiliated Hospital, Hebei, China
| | - Zhifei Liu
- Department of Urology, Tangshan People's Hospital, Hebei, China
| | - Shaosan Kang
- Department of Urology, North China University of Science and Technology Affiliated Hospital, Hebei, China
| | - Yegang Chen
- Department of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuanjie Niu
- Department of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Qiliang Cai
- Department of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
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12
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He J, Miao R, Chen Y, Wang H, Liu M. The dual role of regulatory T cells in hepatitis B virus infection and related hepatocellular carcinoma. Immunology 2024; 171:445-463. [PMID: 38093705 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major contributor to cancer-related deaths worldwide. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major etiologic factor leading to HCC. While there have been significant advancements in controlling HBV replication, achieving a complete cure for HBV-related HCC (HBV-HCC) remains an intricate challenge. HBV persistence is attributed to a myriad of mechanisms, encompassing both innate and adaptive immune responses. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are pivotal in upholding immune tolerance and modulating excessive immune activation. During HBV infection, Tregs mediate specific T cell suppression, thereby contributing to both persistent infection and the mitigation of liver inflammatory responses. Studies have demonstrated an augmented expression of circulating and intrahepatic Tregs in HBV-HCC, which correlates with impaired CD8+ T cell function. Consequently, Tregs play a dual role in the context of HBV infection and the progression of HBV-HCC. In this comprehensive review, we discuss pertinent studies concerning Tregs in HBV infection, HBV-related cirrhosis and HCC. Furthermore, we summarize Treg responses to antiviral therapy and provide Treg-targeted therapies specific to HBV and HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinan He
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Rui Miao
- Guangzhou Women and Children Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yao Chen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Northeast Yunnan Regional Central Hospital, Zhaotong, Yunan, China
| | - Han Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Mei Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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13
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Huang W, Kim BS, Zhang Y, Lin L, Chai G, Zhao Z. Regulatory T cells subgroups in the tumor microenvironment cannot be overlooked: Their involvement in prognosis and treatment strategy in melanoma. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38530049 DOI: 10.1002/tox.24247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer, presents substantial challenges despite effective surgical interventions for in situ lesions. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) wield a pivotal immunomodulatory influence within the tumor microenvironment, yet their impact on melanoma prognosis and direct molecular interactions with melanoma cells remain elusive. This investigation employs single-cell analysis to unveil the intricate nature of Tregs in human melanoma. METHODS Single-cell RNA and bulk sequencing data, alongside clinical information, were obtained from public repositories. Initially, GO and GSEA analyses were employed to delineate functional disparities among distinct cell subsets. Pseudotime and cell-cell interconnection analyses were conducted, followed by an endeavor to construct a prognostic model grounded in Treg-associated risk scores. This model's efficacy was demonstrated via PCA and K-M analyses, with multivariate Cox regression affirming its independent prognostic value in melanoma patients. Furthermore, immune infiltration analysis, immune checkpoint gene expression scrutiny, and drug sensitivity assessments were performed to ascertain the clinical relevance of this prognostic model. RESULTS Following batch effect correction, 80 025 cells partitioned into 31 clusters, encompassing B cells, plasma cells, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, melanoma cells, monocytes, macrophages, and T_NK cells. Within these, 4240 CD4+ T cells were subclassified into seven distinct types. Functional analysis underscored the immunomodulatory function of Tregs within the melanoma tumor microenvironment, elucidating disparities among Treg subpopulations. Notably, the ITGB2 signaling pathway emerged as a plausible molecular nexus linking Tregs to melanoma cells. Our prognostic signature exhibited robust predictive capacities for melanoma prognosis and potential implications in evaluating immunotherapy response. CONCLUSION Tregs exert a critical role in immune suppression within the melanoma tumor microenvironment, revealing a potential molecular-level association with melanoma cells. Our innovative Treg-centered signature introduces a promising prognostic marker for melanoma, holding potential for future clinical prognostic assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyi Huang
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai 9th People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Byeong Seop Kim
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai 9th People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yichi Zhang
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai 9th People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Lin
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai 9th People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Stomatology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- National Center for Translational Medicine(Shanghai) SHU Branch, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Gang Chai
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai 9th People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhijie Zhao
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai 9th People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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Chen J, Pang L, He L, Li T, Cheng X. Whether specific genetic feature predicted immunotherapy efficacy: A case report. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e36922. [PMID: 38215117 PMCID: PMC10783361 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000036922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
RATIONALE Blockade of programmed death protein 1 (PD-1), have been observed to have quite good efficacy in recurrent and metastatic cervical cancer. Generally, we believe that the biomarkers of PD-1 inhibitors are programmed cell death-ligand 1, tumor mutational burden, high microsatellite instability, or deficient mismatch repair. However, in the case reported below, we observed that the patient with negative existing predictive biomarkers have significant benefits after zimberelimab monotherapy, indicating that there were other biomarkers that may predict immunotherapy efficacy. However, currently, no one has explored and studied the other potential biomarkers of PD-1 inhibitors. PATIENT CONCERNS A 51-year-old patient, diagnosed with cervical adenocarcinoma nearly 11 years ago, requested treatment. DIAGNOSES The next-generation sequencing has shown PIK3CA E545K, SMAD4 1309-1G, and ALK E717K gene mutations, receptor tyrosine kinase 2 (ErbB-2) amplification, microsatellite stability, and low tumor mutational burden of 6.3 mutations per megabase. And immunohistochemistry revealed that the tumor was programmed cell death-ligand 1 negative. INTERVENTION Zimberelimab monotherapy was accepted as third-line treatment. OUTCOMES The patient had received zimberelimab for nearly 10 months, the best tumor response was PR (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours) and no noticeable adverse reactions were observed. LESSONS PIK3CA-E542K, ErbB2 amplification, and SMAD4 mutations could be potential biomarkers for PD-1 inhibitors, but a single instance is insufficient to validate the hypotheses. A larger number of patients or more clinical data will be necessary to determine whether these gene mutations are appropriate biomarkers for patients when treatment with PD-1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Chen
- Cancer Chemoradiotherapy Center, The Affiliated People’s Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Linrong Pang
- Cancer Chemoradiotherapy Center, The Affiliated People’s Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Lianxiang He
- Medical Affairs Department, Guangzhou Gloria Biosciences Co. Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Ting Li
- Medical Affairs Department, Guangzhou Gloria Biosciences Co. Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Xiaochun Cheng
- Cancer Chemoradiotherapy Center, The Affiliated People’s Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
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15
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Krishnamurthy N, Nishizaki D, Lippman SM, Miyashita H, Nesline MK, Pabla S, Conroy JM, DePietro P, Kato S, Kurzrock R. High CTLA-4 transcriptomic expression correlates with high expression of other checkpoints and with immunotherapy outcome. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2024; 16:17588359231220510. [PMID: 38188465 PMCID: PMC10771755 DOI: 10.1177/17588359231220510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background CTLA-4 impedes the immune system's antitumor response. There are two Food and Drug Administration-approved anti-CTLA-4 agents - ipilimumab and tremelimumab - both used together with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 agents. Objective To assess the prognostic implications and immunologic correlates of high CTLA-4 in tumors of patients on immunotherapy and those on non-immunotherapy treatments. Design/methods We evaluated RNA expression levels in a clinical-grade laboratory and clinical correlates of CTLA-4 and other immune checkpoints in 514 tumors, including 489 patients with advanced/metastatic cancers and full outcome annotation. A reference population (735 tumors; 35 histologies) was used to normalize and rank transcript abundance (0-100 percentile) to internal housekeeping gene profiles. Results The most common tumor types were colorectal (140/514, 27%), pancreatic (55/514, 11%), breast (49/514, 10%), and ovarian cancers (43/514, 8%). Overall, 87 of 514 tumors (16.9%) had high CTLA-4 transcript expression (⩾75th percentile rank). Cancers with the largest proportion of high CTLA-4 transcripts were cervical cancer (80% of patients), small intestine cancer (33.3%), and melanoma (33.3%). High CTLA-4 RNA independently/significantly correlated with high PD-1, PD- L2, and LAG3 RNA levels (and with high PD-L1 in univariate analysis). High CTLA-4 RNA expression was not correlated with survival from the time of metastatic disease [N = 272 patients who never received immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)]. However, in 217 patients treated with ICIs (mostly anti-PD-1/anti-PD- L1), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were significantly longer among patients with high versus non-high CTLA-4 expression [hazard ratio, 95% confidence interval: 0.6 (0.4-0.9) p = 0.008; and 0.5 (0.3-0.8) p = 0.002, respectively]; results were unchanged when 18 patients who received anti-CTLA-4 were omitted. Patients whose tumors had high CTLA-4 and high PD-L1 did best; those with high PD-L1 but non-high CTLA-4 and/or other expression patterns had poorer outcomes for PFS (p = 0.004) and OS (p = 0.009) after immunotherapy. Conclusion High CTLA-4, especially when combined with high PD-L1 transcript expression, was a significant positive predictive biomarker for better outcomes (PFS and OS) in patients on immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nithya Krishnamurthy
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA
| | - Daisuke Nishizaki
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Scott M. Lippman
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Hirotaka Miyashita
- Dartmouth Cancer Center, Hematology and Medical Oncology, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Shumei Kato
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Razelle Kurzrock
- MCW Cancer Center and Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- WIN Consortium, Paris, France
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16
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Wu Q, Fang C, Wang X, Huang S, Weng G. CHEK2 is a potential prognostic biomarker associated with immune infiltration in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21928. [PMID: 38081888 PMCID: PMC10713979 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49316-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Checkpoint kinase 2 (CHEK2) plays a crucial role in responding to DNA damage and is linked to diverse cancer types. However, its significance in the prediction of prognosis and impacts on the immune status of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains unclear. This study aimed to identify the role of CHEK2 in prognosis and immune microenvironment of ccRCC. We analyzed transcriptome and clinicopathological data from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database and conducted functional enrichment analysis to explore molecular mechanisms. The relationship between CHEK2 and immune infiltration was evaluated, and drug sensitivity analysis was performed using the CellMiner database. The results showed that CHEK2 was an independent predictor of ccRCC prognosis and was closely associated with immune-related processes. Additionally, high expression of CHEK2 was linked to resistance to certain targeted drugs. These findings suggest that CHEK2 could serve as a biomarker for ccRCC, providing insights into tumor immune microenvironment alterations and immunotherapeutic response. Further investigation is needed to fully understand the potential of CHEK2 as a prognostic predictor and therapeutic target for ccRCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qihang Wu
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Cheng Fang
- Department of Urology, Ningbo Yinzhou No. 2 Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xue Wang
- Urology and Nephrology Institute of Ningbo University, Ningbo Yinzhou No. 2 Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shuaishuai Huang
- Urology and Nephrology Institute of Ningbo University, Ningbo Yinzhou No. 2 Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guobin Weng
- Department of Urology, Ningbo Yinzhou No. 2 Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
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17
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Cha S, Kim MY. The role of cellular prion protein in immune system. BMB Rep 2023; 56:645-650. [PMID: 37817440 PMCID: PMC10761747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have investigated the cellular prion protein (PrPC) since its discovery. These investigations have explained that its structure is predominantly composed of alpha helices and short beta sheet segments, and when its abnormal scrapie isoform (PrPSc) is infected, PrPSc transforms the PrPC, leading to prion diseases, including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans and bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle. Given its ubiquitous distribution across a variety of cellular types, the PrPC manifests a diverse range of biological functions, including cell-cell adhesion, neuroprotection, signalings, and oxidative stress response. PrPC is also expressed in immune tissues, and its functions in these tissues include the activation of immune cells and the formation of secondary lymphoid tissues, such as the spleen and lymph nodes. Moreover, high expression of PrPC in immune cells plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of prion diseases. In addition, it affects inflammation and the development and progression of cancer via various mechanisms. In this review, we discuss the studies on the role of PrPC from various immunological perspectives. [BMB Reports 2023; 56(12): 645-650].
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Affiliation(s)
- Seunghwa Cha
- Department of Bioinformatics and Life Science, Soongsil University, Seoul 06978, Korea
| | - Mi-Yeon Kim
- Department of Bioinformatics and Life Science, Soongsil University, Seoul 06978, Korea
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18
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Schardey J, Lu C, Neumann J, Wirth U, Li Q, Jiang T, Zimmermann P, Andrassy J, Bazhin AV, Werner J, Kühn F. Differential Immune Infiltration Profiles in Colitis-Associated Colorectal Cancer versus Sporadic Colorectal Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4743. [PMID: 37835436 PMCID: PMC10571767 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15194743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic inflammation is a significant factor in colorectal cancer (CRC) development, especially in colitis-associated CRC (CAC). T-cell exhaustion is known to influence inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) progression and antitumor immunity in IBD patients. This study aimed to identify unique immune infiltration characteristics in CAC patients. METHODS We studied 20 CAC and 20 sporadic CRC (sCRC) patients, who were matched by tumor stage, grade, and location. Immunohistochemical staining targeted various T-cell markers (CD3, CD4, CD8, and FOXP3), T-cell exhaustion markers (TOX and TIGIT), a B-cell marker (CD20), and a neutrophil marker (CD66b) in tumor and tumor-free mucosa from both groups. The quantification of the tumor immune stroma algorithm assessed immune-infiltrating cells. RESULTS CAC patients had significantly lower TOX+ cell infiltration than sCRC in tumors (p = 0.02) and paracancerous tissues (p < 0.01). Right-sided CAC showed increased infiltration of TOX+ cells (p = 0.01), FOXP3+ regulatory T-cells (p < 0.01), and CD20+ B-cells (p < 0.01) compared to left-sided CAC. In sCRC, higher tumor stages (III and IV) had significantly lower TIGIT+ infiltrate than stages I and II. In CAC, high CD3+ (p < 0.01) and CD20+ (p < 0.01) infiltrates correlated with improved overall survival. In sCRC, better survival was associated with decreased TIGIT+ cells (p < 0.038) and reduced CD8+ infiltrates (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION In CAC, high CD3+ and CD20+ infiltrates relate to improved survival, while this association is absent in sCRC. The study revealed marked differences in TIGIT and TOX expression, emphasizing distinctions between CAC and sCRC. T-cell exhaustion appears to have a different role in CAC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josefine Schardey
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Can Lu
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Department of Colorectal Surgery and Oncology (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for CANCER & Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jens Neumann
- Department of Pathology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Ulrich Wirth
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Qiang Li
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Tianxiao Jiang
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Petra Zimmermann
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Joachim Andrassy
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Alexandr V. Bazhin
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Jens Werner
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Florian Kühn
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
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19
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Levis M, Gastino A, De Giorgi G, Mantovani C, Bironzo P, Mangherini L, Ricci AA, Ricardi U, Cassoni P, Bertero L. Modern Stereotactic Radiotherapy for Brain Metastases from Lung Cancer: Current Trends and Future Perspectives Based on Integrated Translational Approaches. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4622. [PMID: 37760591 PMCID: PMC10526239 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15184622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain metastases (BMs) represent the most frequent metastatic event in the course of lung cancer patients, occurring in approximately 50% of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and in up to 70% in patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Thus far, many advances have been made in the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, allowing improvements in the prognosis of these patients. The modern approach relies on the integration of several factors, such as accurate histological and molecular profiling, comprehensive assessment of clinical parameters and precise definition of the extent of intracranial and extracranial disease involvement. The combination of these factors is pivotal to guide the multidisciplinary discussion and to offer the most appropriate treatment to these patients based on a personalized approach. Focal radiotherapy (RT), in all its modalities (radiosurgery (SRS), fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT), adjuvant stereotactic radiotherapy (aSRT)), is the cornerstone of BM management, either alone or in combination with surgery and systemic therapies. We review the modern therapeutic strategies available to treat lung cancer patients with brain involvement. This includes an accurate review of the different technical solutions which can be exploited to provide a "state-of-art" focal RT and also a detailed description of the systemic agents available as effective alternatives to SRS/SRT when a targetable molecular driver is present. In addition to the validated treatment options, we also discuss the future perspective for focal RT, based on emerging clinical reports (e.g., SRS for patients with many BMs from NSCLC or SRS for BMs from SCLC), together with a presentation of innovative and promising findings in translational research and the combination of novel targeted agents with SRS/SRT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Levis
- Radiation Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (M.L.); (A.G.); (G.D.G.); (C.M.); (U.R.)
| | - Alessio Gastino
- Radiation Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (M.L.); (A.G.); (G.D.G.); (C.M.); (U.R.)
| | - Greta De Giorgi
- Radiation Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (M.L.); (A.G.); (G.D.G.); (C.M.); (U.R.)
| | - Cristina Mantovani
- Radiation Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (M.L.); (A.G.); (G.D.G.); (C.M.); (U.R.)
| | - Paolo Bironzo
- Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, University of Turin, 10043 Orbassano, Italy;
| | - Luca Mangherini
- Pathology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (L.M.); (A.A.R.); (P.C.)
| | - Alessia Andrea Ricci
- Pathology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (L.M.); (A.A.R.); (P.C.)
| | - Umberto Ricardi
- Radiation Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (M.L.); (A.G.); (G.D.G.); (C.M.); (U.R.)
| | - Paola Cassoni
- Pathology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (L.M.); (A.A.R.); (P.C.)
| | - Luca Bertero
- Pathology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (L.M.); (A.A.R.); (P.C.)
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20
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Sun XX, Nosrati Z, Ko J, Lee CM, Bennewith KL, Bally MB. Induced Vascular Normalization-Can One Force Tumors to Surrender to a Better Microenvironment? Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2022. [PMID: 37631236 PMCID: PMC10458586 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15082022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has changed the way many cancers are being treated. Researchers in the field of immunotherapy and tumor immunology are investigating similar questions: How can the positive benefits achieved with immunotherapies be enhanced? Can this be achieved through combinations with other agents and if so, which ones? In our view, there is an urgent need to improve immunotherapy to make further gains in the overall survival for those patients that should benefit from immunotherapy. While numerous different approaches are being considered, our team believes that drug delivery methods along with appropriately selected small-molecule drugs and drug candidates could help reach the goal of doubling the overall survival rate that is seen in some patients that are given immunotherapeutics. This review article is prepared to address how immunotherapies should be combined with a second treatment using an approach that could realize therapeutic gains 10 years from now. For context, an overview of immunotherapy and cancer angiogenesis is provided. The major targets in angiogenesis that have modulatory effects on the tumor microenvironment and immune cells are highlighted. A combination approach that, for us, has the greatest potential for success involves treatments that will normalize the tumor's blood vessel structure and alter the immune microenvironment to support the action of immunotherapeutics. So, this is reviewed as well. Our focus is to provide an insight into some strategies that will engender vascular normalization that may be better than previously described approaches. The potential for drug delivery systems to promote tumor blood vessel normalization is considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Xin Sun
- Experimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada; (Z.N.); (J.K.); (C.-M.L.); (K.L.B.); (M.B.B.)
- Interdisciplinary Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada
- NanoMedicines Innovation Network, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Cuprous Pharmaceuticals, Vancouver, BC V6N 3P8, Canada
| | - Zeynab Nosrati
- Experimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada; (Z.N.); (J.K.); (C.-M.L.); (K.L.B.); (M.B.B.)
- Interdisciplinary Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada
- Cuprous Pharmaceuticals, Vancouver, BC V6N 3P8, Canada
| | - Janell Ko
- Experimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada; (Z.N.); (J.K.); (C.-M.L.); (K.L.B.); (M.B.B.)
| | - Che-Min Lee
- Experimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada; (Z.N.); (J.K.); (C.-M.L.); (K.L.B.); (M.B.B.)
- Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Kevin L. Bennewith
- Experimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada; (Z.N.); (J.K.); (C.-M.L.); (K.L.B.); (M.B.B.)
- Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Marcel B. Bally
- Experimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada; (Z.N.); (J.K.); (C.-M.L.); (K.L.B.); (M.B.B.)
- Interdisciplinary Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada
- NanoMedicines Innovation Network, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Cuprous Pharmaceuticals, Vancouver, BC V6N 3P8, Canada
- Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
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21
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Wang Y, Yang S, Wan L, Ling W, Chen H, Wang J. New developments in the mechanism and application of immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer therapy (Review). Int J Oncol 2023; 63:86. [PMID: 37326100 PMCID: PMC10308343 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2023.5534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has been demonstrated in the treatment of numerous types of cancer and ICIs have remained a key focus of cancer research. However, improvements in survival rates only occur in a subset of patients, due to the complexity of drug resistance. Therefore, further investigations are required to identify predictive biomarkers that distinguish responders and non‑responders. Combined therapeutics involving ICIs and other modalities demonstrate potential in overcoming resistance to ICIs; however, further preclinical and clinical trials are required. Concurrently, prompt recognition and intervention of immune‑related adverse events are crucial to optimize the use of ICIs in clinical treatment. The present study aimed to review the current literature surrounding the mechanisms and application of ICIs, with the aim of providing a theoretical basis for clinicians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjun Wang
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510062
| | - Shuo Yang
- Department of Hematology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080
- Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518036
| | - Li Wan
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060
| | - Wei Ling
- Department of Hematology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China
| | - Jinghua Wang
- Department of Hematology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080
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22
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Műzes G, Sipos F. Autoimmunity and Carcinogenesis: Their Relationship under the Umbrella of Autophagy. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11041130. [PMID: 37189748 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11041130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The immune system and autophagy share a functional relationship. Both innate and adaptive immune responses involve autophagy and, depending on the disease’s origin and pathophysiology, it may have a detrimental or positive role on autoimmune disorders. As a “double-edged sword” in tumors, autophagy can either facilitate or impede tumor growth. The autophagy regulatory network that influences tumor progression and treatment resistance is dependent on cell and tissue types and tumor stages. The connection between autoimmunity and carcinogenesis has not been sufficiently explored in past studies. As a crucial mechanism between the two phenomena, autophagy may play a substantial role, though the specifics remain unclear. Several autophagy modifiers have demonstrated beneficial effects in models of autoimmune disease, emphasizing their therapeutic potential as treatments for autoimmune disorders. The function of autophagy in the tumor microenvironment and immune cells is the subject of intensive study. The objective of this review is to investigate the role of autophagy in the simultaneous genesis of autoimmunity and malignancy, shedding light on both sides of the issue. We believe our work will assist in the organization of current understanding in the field and promote additional research on this urgent and crucial topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Györgyi Műzes
- Immunology Division, Department of Internal Medicine and Hematology, Semmelweis University, 1088 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Sipos
- Immunology Division, Department of Internal Medicine and Hematology, Semmelweis University, 1088 Budapest, Hungary
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23
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Ibrahim YS, Amin AH, Jawhar ZH, Alghamdi MA, Al-Awsi GRL, Shbeer AM, Al-Ghamdi HS, Gabr GA, Ramírez-Coronel AA, Almulla AF. "To be or not to Be": Regulatory T cells in melanoma. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 118:110093. [PMID: 37023699 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.110093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
In spite of progresses in the therapy of different malignancies, melanoma still remains as one of lethal types of skin tumor. Melanoma is almost easily treatable by surgery alone with higher overall survival rates when it is diagnosed at early stages. However, survival rates are decreased remarkably upon survival if the tumor is progressed to advanced metastatic stages. Immunotherapeutics have been prosperous in the development of anti-tumor responses in patients with melanoma through promotion of the tumor-specific effector T cells in vivo; nonetheless, suitable clinical outcomes have not been satisfactory. One of the underlying causes of the unfavorable clinical outcomes might stem from adverse effects of regulatory T (Treg) cell, which is a prominent mechanism of tumor cells to escape from tumor-specific immune responses. Evidence shows that a poor prognosis and low survival rate in patients with melanoma can be attributed to a higher Treg cell number and function in these subjects. As a result, to promote melanoma-specific anti-tumor responses, depletion of Treg cells appears to be a promising approach; even though the clinical efficacy of different approaches to attain appropriate Treg cell depletion has been inconsistent. Here in this review, the main purpose is to assess the role of Treg cells in the initiation and perpetuation of melanoma and to discuss effective strategies for Treg cell modulation with the aim of melanoma therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yousif Saleh Ibrahim
- Department of Medical Laboratory Techniques, Al-maarif University College, Ramadi, Al-Anbar, Iraq
| | - Ali H Amin
- Deanship of Scientific Research, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia; Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Zanko Hassan Jawhar
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Health Sciences, Lebanese French University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq; Clinical Biochemistry Department, College of Health Sciences, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
| | - Mohammad A Alghamdi
- Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Albaha University, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Abdullah M Shbeer
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hasan S Al-Ghamdi
- Internal Medicine Department, Division of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Albaha University, Albaha City, Saudi Arabia
| | - Gamal A Gabr
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia; Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute (AGERI), Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt.
| | - Andrés Alexis Ramírez-Coronel
- Catholic University of Cuenca, Azogues Campus, Ecuador; University of Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National University of Education, Azogues, Ecuador; CES University, Colombia
| | - Abbas F Almulla
- Medical Laboratory Technology Department, College of Medical Technology, The Islamic University, Najaf, Iraq
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24
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Sugiyama D, Hinohara K, Nishikawa H. Significance of regulatory T cells in cancer immunology and immunotherapy. Exp Dermatol 2023; 32:256-263. [PMID: 36458459 DOI: 10.1111/exd.14721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Immunosuppression in the tumour microenvironment (TME) attenuates antitumor immunity, consequently hindering protective immunosurveillance and preventing effective antitumor immunity induced by cancer immunotherapy. Multiple mechanisms including immune checkpoint molecules, such as CTLA-4, PD-1, and LAG-3, and immunosuppressive cells are involved in the immunosuppression in the TME. Regulatory T (Treg) cells, a population of immunosuppressive cells, play an important role in inhibiting antitumor immunity. Therefore, Treg cells in the TME correlate with an unfavourable prognosis in various cancer types. Thus, Treg cell is considered to become a promising target for cancer immunotherapy. Elucidating Treg cell functions in cancer patients is therefore crucial for developing optimal Treg cell-targeted immunotherapy. Here, we describe Treg cell functions and phenotypes in the TME from the perspective of Treg cell-targeted immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Sugiyama
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kunihiko Hinohara
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
- Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Nishikawa
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
- Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Chuo-ku, Japan
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25
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Iglesias-Escudero M, Arias-González N, Martínez-Cáceres E. Regulatory cells and the effect of cancer immunotherapy. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:26. [PMID: 36739406 PMCID: PMC9898962 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01714-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 52.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Several mechanisms and cell types are involved in the regulation of the immune response. These include mostly regulatory T cells (Tregs), regulatory macrophages (Mregs), myeloid suppressor cells (MDSCs) and other regulatory cell types such as tolerogenic dendritic cells (tolDCs), regulatory B cells (Bregs), and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). These regulatory cells, known for their ability to suppress immune responses, can also suppress the anti-tumor immune response. The infiltration of many regulatory cells into tumor tissues is therefore associated with a poor prognosis. There is growing evidence that elimination of Tregs enhances anti-tumor immune responses. However, the systemic depletion of Treg cells can simultaneously cause deleterious autoimmunity. Furthermore, since regulatory cells are characterized by their high level of expression of immune checkpoints, it is also expected that immune checkpoint inhibitors perform part of their function by blocking these molecules and enhancing the immune response. This indicates that immunotherapy does not only act by activating specific effector T cells but can also directly or indirectly attenuate the suppressive activity of regulatory cells in tumor tissues. This review aims to draw together our current knowledge about the effect of immunotherapy on the various types of regulatory cells, and how these effects may be beneficial in the response to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Iglesias-Escudero
- Immunology Division, LCMN, Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital and Research Institute, Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain. .,Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
| | - Noelia Arias-González
- grid.411438.b0000 0004 1767 6330Immunology Division, LCMN, Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital and Research Institute, Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain
| | - Eva Martínez-Cáceres
- Immunology Division, LCMN, Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital and Research Institute, Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain. .,Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
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26
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Hino C, Xu Y, Xiao J, Baylink DJ, Reeves ME, Cao H. The potential role of the thymus in immunotherapies for acute myeloid leukemia. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1102517. [PMID: 36814919 PMCID: PMC9940763 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1102517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the factors which shape T-lymphocyte immunity is critical for the development and application of future immunotherapeutic strategies in treating hematological malignancies. The thymus, a specialized central lymphoid organ, plays important roles in generating a diverse T lymphocyte repertoire during the infantile and juvenile stages of humans. However, age-associated thymic involution and diseases or treatment associated injury result in a decline in its continuous role in the maintenance of T cell-mediated anti-tumor/virus immunity. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematologic malignancy that mainly affects older adults, and the disease's progression is known to consist of an impaired immune surveillance including a reduction in naïve T cell output, a restriction in T cell receptor repertoire, and an increase in frequencies of regulatory T cells. As one of the most successful immunotherapies thus far developed for malignancy, T-cell-based adoptive cell therapies could be essential for the development of a durable effective treatment to eliminate residue leukemic cells (blasts) and prevent AML relapse. Thus, a detailed cellular and molecular landscape of how the adult thymus functions within the context of the AML microenvironment will provide new insights into both the immune-related pathogenesis and the regeneration of a functional immune system against leukemia in AML patients. Herein, we review the available evidence supporting the potential correlation between thymic dysfunction and T-lymphocyte impairment with the ontogeny of AML (II-VI). We then discuss how the thymus could impact current and future therapeutic approaches in AML (VII). Finally, we review various strategies to rejuvenate thymic function to improve the precision and efficacy of cancer immunotherapy (VIII).
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Hino
- Department of Internal Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - Yi Xu
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States.,Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States.,Loma Linda University Cancer Center, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - Jeffrey Xiao
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - David J Baylink
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - Mark E Reeves
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States.,Loma Linda University Cancer Center, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - Huynh Cao
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States.,Loma Linda University Cancer Center, Loma Linda, CA, United States
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27
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Long J, Cong F, Wei Y, Liu J, Tang W. Increased Kremen2 predicts worse prognosis in colon cancer. Pathol Oncol Res 2023; 29:1611082. [PMID: 37123533 PMCID: PMC10130194 DOI: 10.3389/pore.2023.1611082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Background: Colon cancer (CC) is the fifth most prevalent cancer around the globe and poses a major risk to human health. Even though Kremen2 serves as a prognostic indicator in individuals with malignant tumours, its role in evaluating the prognosis of individuals with colon cancer has not been confirmed. Methods: Here, we examined the protein expression of Kremen2 in CC tissues and paired adjacent normal tissues by immunohistochemistry (IHC), then analyzed the clinical and RNA-seq data presented in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to confirm the relationship between Kremen2 levels and CC. In addition, the associations between Kremen2 mRNA expression and infiltrating immune cells were examined. Results: The study showed that the mRNA expression and protein level of Kremen2 were increased in CC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. According to Kaplan-Meier analysis, high Kremen2 expression in CC was linked to poor overall survival and progression-free survival. Clinical correlation analysis highlighted that a high level of Kremen2 expression was strongly linked with tumour progression, particularly lymph node metastasis. Cox regression analysis highlighted that Kremen2 was an independent prognostic indicator for CC. Bioinformatic studies highlighted that Kremen2 might be associated with the immune status in CC. Conclusion: Increased Kremen2 could serve as a potential prognostic CC biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junxian Long
- Division of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Fengyun Cong
- Division of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
- Department of Gastroenteroanal Surgery, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Yousheng Wei
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Jungang Liu
- Division of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Colorectal Cancer, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Weizhong Tang
- Division of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Colorectal Cancer, Nanning, Guangxi, China
- *Correspondence: Weizhong Tang,
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28
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Drug Repurposing at the Interface of Melanoma Immunotherapy and Autoimmune Disease. Pharmaceutics 2022; 15:pharmaceutics15010083. [PMID: 36678712 PMCID: PMC9865219 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15010083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells have a remarkable ability to evade recognition and destruction by the immune system. At the same time, cancer has been associated with chronic inflammation, while certain autoimmune diseases predispose to the development of neoplasia. Although cancer immunotherapy has revolutionized antitumor treatment, immune-related toxicities and adverse events detract from the clinical utility of even the most advanced drugs, especially in patients with both, metastatic cancer and pre-existing autoimmune diseases. Here, the combination of multi-omics, data-driven computational approaches with the application of network concepts enables in-depth analyses of the dynamic links between cancer, autoimmune diseases, and drugs. In this review, we focus on molecular and epigenetic metastasis-related processes within cancer cells and the immune microenvironment. With melanoma as a model, we uncover vulnerabilities for drug development to control cancer progression and immune responses. Thereby, drug repurposing allows taking advantage of existing safety profiles and established pharmacokinetic properties of approved agents. These procedures promise faster access and optimal management for cancer treatment. Together, these approaches provide new disease-based and data-driven opportunities for the prediction and application of targeted and clinically used drugs at the interface of immune-mediated diseases and cancer towards next-generation immunotherapies.
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29
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Zangouei AS, Tolue Ghasaban F, Dalili A, Akhlaghipour I, Moghbeli M. MicroRNAs as the pivotal regulators of Forkhead box protein family during gastrointestinal tumor progression and metastasis. GENE REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2022.101694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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30
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Kalim KW, Yang JQ, Wunderlich M, Modur V, Nguyen P, Li Y, Wen T, Davis AK, Verma R, Lu QR, Jegga AG, Zheng Y, Guo F. Targeting of Cdc42 GTPase in regulatory T cells unleashes antitumor T-cell immunity. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2022-004806. [PMID: 36427906 PMCID: PMC9703354 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-004806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer immunotherapy has taken center stage in cancer treatment. However, the current immunotherapies only benefit a small proportion of patients with cancer, necessitating better understanding of the mechanisms of tumor immune evasion and improved cancer immunotherapy strategies. Regulatory T (Treg) cells play an important role in maintaining immune tolerance through inhibiting effector T-cell function. In the tumor microenvironment, Treg cells are used by tumor cells to counteract effector T cell-mediated tumor suppression. Targeting Treg cells may thus unleash the antitumor activity of effector T cells. While systemic depletion of Treg cells can cause excessive effector T-cell responses and subsequent autoimmune diseases, controlled targeting of Treg cells may benefit patients with cancer. METHODS Treg cells from Treg cell-specific heterozygous Cdc42 knockout mice, C57BL/6 mice treated with a Cdc42 inhibitor CASIN, and control mice were examined for their homeostasis and stability by flow cytometry. The autoimmune responses in Treg cell-specific heterozygous Cdc42 knockout mice, CASIN-treated C57BL/6 mice, and control mice were assessed by H&E staining and ELISA. Antitumor T-cell immunity in Treg cell-specific heterozygous Cdc42 knockout mice, CASIN-treated C57BL/6 mice, humanized NSGS mice, and control mice was assessed by challenging the mice with MC38 mouse colon cancer cells, KPC mouse pancreatic cancer cells, or HCT116 human colon cancer cells. RESULTS Treg cell-specific heterozygous deletion or pharmacological targeting of Cdc42 with CASIN does not affect Treg cell numbers but induces Treg cell instability, leading to antitumor T-cell immunity without detectable autoimmune reactions. Cdc42 targeting causes an additive effect on immune checkpoint inhibitor anti-programmed cell death protein-1 antibody-induced T-cell response against mouse and human tumors. Mechanistically, Cdc42 targeting induces Treg cell instability and unleashes antitumor T-cell immunity through carbonic anhydrase I-mediated pH changes. CONCLUSIONS Rational targeting of Cdc42 in Treg cells holds therapeutic promises in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalid W Kalim
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Jun-Qi Yang
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Mark Wunderlich
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Vishnu Modur
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Phuong Nguyen
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Yuan Li
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Ting Wen
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Ashley Kuenzi Davis
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Ravinder Verma
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Qing Richard Lu
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Anil G Jegga
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Yi Zheng
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Fukun Guo
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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Deng Y, Guo K, Tang Z, Feng Y, Cai S, Ye J, Xi Y, Li J, Liu R, Cai C, Tan Z, Zhang Y, Han Z, Zeng G, Zhong W. Identification and experimental validation of a tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes-related long noncoding RNA signature for prognosis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1046790. [PMID: 36505457 PMCID: PMC9730408 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1046790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a common aggressive malignant tumor of the urinary system. Given the heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment, immunotherapy may not fully exert its role in the treatment of advanced patients. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) has been reported to be critically associated with the differentiation and maturation of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), which work against tumor cells. In this study, we identified 10 TIL-related lncRNAs (AL590094.1, LINC02027, LINC00460, AC147651.1, AC026401.3, LINC00944, LINC01615, AP000439.2, AL162586.1, and AC084876.1) by Pearson correlation, univariate Cox regression, Lasso regression, and multivariate Cox regression based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. A risk score model was established based on these lncRNAs. Next, a nomogram was constructed to predict the overall survival. By employing differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between groups with high and low risk scores, gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis was performed to identify the major biological processes (BP) related to immune DEGs. We analyzed the mutation data of the groups and demonstrated that SETD2 and BAP1 had the highest mutation frequency in the high-risk group. The "CIBERSORT" R package was used to detect the abundance of TILs in the groups. The expression of lymphocyte markers was compared. We also determined the expression of two lncRNAs (AC084876.1 and AC026401.3) and their relationship with lymphocyte markers in the kidney tissue of ccRCC patients and showed that there was a positive correlation between AC084876.1 and FoxP3. Proliferation, migration, and invasion of AC084876.1-downregulated ccRCC cell lines were inhibited, and the expression of PD-L1 and TGF-β secretion decreased. To our knowledge, this is the first bioinformatics study to establish a prognostic model for ccRCC using TIL-related lncRNAs. These lncRNAs were associated with T-cell activities and may serve as biomarkers of disease prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulin Deng
- Department of Urology, Minimally Invasive Surgery Center, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Urology, Guangzhou Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Kai Guo
- Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhenfeng Tang
- Department of Urology, Minimally Invasive Surgery Center, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Urology, Guangzhou Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuanfa Feng
- Department of Urology, Minimally Invasive Surgery Center, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Urology, Guangzhou Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shanghua Cai
- Department of Urology, Minimally Invasive Surgery Center, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Urology, Guangzhou Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China,Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jianheng Ye
- Department of Urology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Clinical Molecular Medicine and Diagnostics, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuanxue Xi
- Department of Urology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Clinical Molecular Medicine and Diagnostics, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jinchuang Li
- Department of Urology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Clinical Molecular Medicine and Diagnostics, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ren Liu
- Department of Urology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Clinical Molecular Medicine and Diagnostics, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Chao Cai
- Department of Urology, Minimally Invasive Surgery Center, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Urology, Guangzhou Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zeheng Tan
- Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yixun Zhang
- Department of Urology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Clinical Molecular Medicine and Diagnostics, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhaodong Han
- Department of Urology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Clinical Molecular Medicine and Diagnostics, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China,*Correspondence: Weide Zhong, ; Guohua Zeng, ; Zhaodong Han,
| | - Guohua Zeng
- Department of Urology, Minimally Invasive Surgery Center, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Urology, Guangzhou Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China,*Correspondence: Weide Zhong, ; Guohua Zeng, ; Zhaodong Han,
| | - Weide Zhong
- Department of Urology, Minimally Invasive Surgery Center, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Urology, Guangzhou Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China,Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China,Department of Urology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Clinical Molecular Medicine and Diagnostics, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China,State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicines, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, Macau SAR, China,*Correspondence: Weide Zhong, ; Guohua Zeng, ; Zhaodong Han,
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Reale A, Khong T, Spencer A. Extracellular Vesicles and Their Roles in the Tumor Immune Microenvironment. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11236892. [PMID: 36498469 PMCID: PMC9737553 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11236892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor cells actively incorporate molecules (e.g., proteins, lipids, RNA) into particles named extracellular vesicles (EVs). Several groups have demonstrated that EVs can be transferred to target (recipient) cells, making EVs an important means of intercellular communication. Indeed, EVs are able to modulate the functions of target cells by reprogramming signaling pathways. In a cancer context, EVs promote the formation of a supportive tumor microenvironment (TME) and (pre)metastatic niches. Recent studies have revealed that immune cells, tumor cells and their secretome, including EVs, promote changes in the TME and immunosuppressive functions of immune cells (e.g., natural killer, dendritic cells, T and B cells, monocytes, macrophages) that allow tumor cells to establish and propagate. Despite the growing knowledge on EVs and on their roles in cancer and as modulators of the immune response/escape, the translation into clinical practice remains in its early stages, hence requiring improved translational research in the EVs field. Here, we comprehensively review the current knowledge and most recent research on the roles of EVs in tumor immune evasion and immunosuppression in both solid tumors and hematological malignancies. We also highlight the clinical utility of EV-mediated immunosuppression targeting and EV-engineering. Importantly, we discuss the controversial role of EVs in cancer biology, current limitations and future perspectives to further the EV knowledge into clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Reale
- Myeloma Research Group, Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University—Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- Correspondence: (A.R.); (A.S.)
| | - Tiffany Khong
- Myeloma Research Group, Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University—Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Andrew Spencer
- Myeloma Research Group, Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University—Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- Malignant Haematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Department of Haematology, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- Department of Clinical Hematology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- Correspondence: (A.R.); (A.S.)
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Yang X, Yu Y, Wang Z, Wu P, Su X, Wu Z, Gan J, Zhang D. NOX4 has the potential to be a biomarker associated with colon cancer ferroptosis and immune infiltration based on bioinformatics analysis. Front Oncol 2022; 12:968043. [PMID: 36249057 PMCID: PMC9554470 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.968043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Colon cancer (CC) is a common tumor, but its pathogenesis is still not well understood. Competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) theory, ferroptosis and tumor immune infiltration may be the mechanisms of the development of cancer. The purpose of the study is to seek genes connected with both immunity and ferroptosis, and provide important molecular basis for early noninvasive diagnosis and immunotherapy of CC. Methods We extracted messenger RNA (mRNA), microRNA (miRNA), and long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) data of CC from The Cancer Genome Atlas database (TCGA), identified the differentially expressed mRNA (DEmRNA), miRNA (DEmiRNA) and lncRNA (DElncRNA), then constructed a ceRNA network. Venn overlap analysis was used to identify genes associated with immunity and ferroptosis in ceRNA network. The expression and prognosis of target genes were analyzed via Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) and PrognoScan database, and we analysed the related functions and signaling pathways of target genes by enrichment analysis. The correlation between target genes and tumor immune infiltrating was explored by CIBERSORT and spearman correlation analysis. Finally, the expression of target genes was detected via quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) in CC and normal colon tissues. Results Results showed that there were 4 DElncRNA, 4 DEmiRNA and 126 DEmRNA in ceRNA network. NADPH oxidase 4 protein (NOX4) was a DEmRNA associated with immunity and ferroptosis in ceRNA network. NOX4 was highly expressed in CC and connected with unfavourable prognosis. NOX4 was obviously enriched in pathways connected with carcinogenesis and significantly correlated with six kinds of immune cells. Immune checkpoints and NOX4 spearman correlation analysis showed that the expression of NOX4 was positively related to programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)-PDCD1, programmed cell death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1)-CD274 and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4). Conclusions To conclude, our study suggests that NOX4 is associated with both ferroptosis and tumor immunity, and might be a biomarker associated with the carcinogenesis, prognosis of CC and a potential target of CC immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoping Yang
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yi Yu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zirui Wang
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Pingfan Wu
- Department of Pathology, The 940th Hospital of the Joint Logistic Support of the People’s Liberation Army, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaolu Su
- Department of Pathology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhiping Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jianxin Gan
- Department of general surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China
| | - Dekui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Dekui Zhang,
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Ruoff F, Kersten N, Anderle N, Jerbi S, Stahl A, Koch A, Staebler A, Hartkopf A, Brucker SY, Hahn M, Schenke-Layland K, Schmees C, Templin MF. Protein Profiling of Breast Carcinomas Reveals Expression of Immune-Suppressive Factors and Signatures Relevant for Patient Outcome. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14184542. [PMID: 36139700 PMCID: PMC9496820 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14184542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In cancer, the complex interplay between tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment results in the modulation of signaling processes. By assessing the expression of a multitude of proteins and protein variants in cancer tissue, wide-ranging information on signaling pathway activation and the status of the immunological landscape is obtainable and may provide viable information on the treatment response. Archived breast cancer tissues from a cohort of 84 patients (no adjuvant therapy) were analyzed by high-throughput Western blotting, and the expression of 150 proteins covering central cancer pathways and immune cell markers was examined. By assessing CD8α, CD11c, CD16 and CD68 expression, immune cell infiltration was determined and revealed a strong correlation between event-free patient survival and the infiltration of immune cells. The presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes was linked to the pronounced activation of the Jak/Stat signaling pathway and apoptotic processes. The elevated phosphorylation of PPARγ (pS112) in non-immune-infiltrated tumors suggests a novel immune evasion mechanism in breast cancer characterized by increased PPARγ phosphorylation. Multiplexed immune cell marker assessment and the protein profiling of tumor tissue provide functional signaling data facilitating breast cancer patient stratification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Ruoff
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Nicolas Kersten
- FZI Research Center for Information Technology, Intelligent Systems and Production Engineering (ISPE), 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
- Interfaculty Institute for Biomedical Informatics (IBMI), University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Nicole Anderle
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Sandra Jerbi
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Aaron Stahl
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
| | - André Koch
- Department of Women’s Health, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Annette Staebler
- Institute of Pathology and Neuropathology, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Hartkopf
- Department of Women’s Health, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Women’s Health, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Sara Y. Brucker
- Department of Women’s Health, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Markus Hahn
- Department of Women’s Health, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Katja Schenke-Layland
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department for Medical Technologies and Regenerative Medicine, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Christian Schmees
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Markus F. Templin
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-7121-51530-828
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Ghosh M, Lenkiewicz AM, Kaminska B. The Interplay of Tumor Vessels and Immune Cells Affects Immunotherapy of Glioblastoma. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10092292. [PMID: 36140392 PMCID: PMC9496044 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10092292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapies with immune checkpoint inhibitors or adoptive cell transfer have become powerful tools to treat cancer. These treatments act via overcoming or alleviating tumor-induced immunosuppression, thereby enabling effective tumor clearance. Glioblastoma (GBM) represents the most aggressive, primary brain tumor that remains refractory to the benefits of immunotherapy. The immunosuppressive immune tumor microenvironment (TME), genetic and cellular heterogeneity, and disorganized vasculature hinder drug delivery and block effector immune cell trafficking and activation, consequently rendering immunotherapy ineffective. Within the TME, the mutual interactions between tumor, immune and endothelial cells result in the generation of positive feedback loops, which intensify immunosuppression and support tumor progression. We focus here on the role of aberrant tumor vasculature and how it can mediate hypoxia and immunosuppression. We discuss how immune cells use immunosuppressive signaling for tumor progression and contribute to the development of resistance to immunotherapy. Finally, we assess how a positive feedback loop between vascular normalization and immune cells, including myeloid cells, could be targeted by combinatorial therapies with immune checkpoint blockers and sensitize the tumor to immunotherapy.
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Radej S, Szewc M, Maciejewski R. Prostate Infiltration by Treg and Th17 Cells as an Immune Response to Propionibacterium acnes Infection in the Course of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and Prostate Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23168849. [PMID: 36012113 PMCID: PMC9408129 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23168849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa) belong to the most frequent diseases in ageing men. It has been proposed that prostate chronic inflammation is a risk factor for the development of both BPH and PCa. However, potential stimuli that cause or maintain inflammation in the prostate gland are still poorly characterized. Bacterial infections seems to be one of the potential sources of prostatitis. Recent studies show that Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) is the most prevalent microorganism in the prostate gland and may be a predisposing factor for inflammation of prostatic tissue. It indicates that P. acnes may contribute to cancer development by enhancing proinflammatory responses, as well as by modifying the prostate extracellular environment. In this review, we discuss the potential role of P. acnes in the development of BPH and PCa and highlight the importance of regulatory T CD4(+)FoxP3(+) (Treg) and Th17 cells in response to P. acnes infection in the context of both prostate diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Radej
- Department of Normal Anatomy, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Monika Szewc
- Department of Normal Anatomy, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
- Correspondence:
| | - Ryszard Maciejewski
- Department of Normal Anatomy, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
- Institute of Health Sciences, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, 20-708 Lublin, Poland
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An anti-CTLA-4 heavy chain-only antibody with enhanced T reg depletion shows excellent preclinical efficacy and safety profile. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2200879119. [PMID: 35925889 PMCID: PMC9371702 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2200879119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The value of anti-CTLA-4 antibodies in cancer therapy is well established. However, the broad application of currently available anti-CTLA-4 therapeutic antibodies is hampered by their narrow therapeutic index. It is therefore challenging and attractive to develop the next generation of anti-CTLA-4 therapeutics with improved safety and efficacy. To this end, we generated fully human heavy chain-only antibodies (HCAbs) against CTLA-4. The hIgG1 Fc domain of the top candidate, HCAb 4003-1, was further engineered to enhance its regulatory T (Treg) cell depletion effect and to decrease its half-life, resulting in HCAb 4003-2. We tested these HCAbs in in vitro and in vivo experiments in comparison with ipilimumab and other anti-CTLA4 antibodies. The results show that human HCAb 4003-2 binds human CTLA-4 with high affinity and potently blocks the binding of B7-1 (CD80) and B7-2 (CD86) to CTLA-4. The results also show efficient tumor penetration. HCAb 4003-2 exhibits enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity function, lower serum exposure, and more potent anti-tumor activity than ipilimumab in murine tumor models, which is partly driven by a substantial depletion of intratumoral Tregs. Importantly, the enhanced efficacy combined with the shorter serum half-life and less systemic drug exposure in vivo potentially provides an improved therapeutic window in cynomolgus monkeys and preliminary clinical applications. With its augmented efficacy via Treg depletion and improved safety profile, HCAb 4003-2 is a promising candidate for the development of next generation anti-CTLA-4 therapy.
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Zheng S, Liu B, Guan X. The Role of Tumor Microenvironment in Invasion and Metastasis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:911285. [PMID: 35814365 PMCID: PMC9257257 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.911285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common cancers in the world, with a high rate of morbidity. The invasion and metastasis of ESCC is the main reason for high mortality. More and more evidence suggests that metastasized cancer cells require cellular elements that contribute to ESCC tumor microenvironment (TME) formation. TME contains many immune cells and stromal components, which are critical to epithelial–mesenchymal transition, immune escape, angiogenesis/lymphangiogenesis, metastasis niche formation, and invasion/metastasis. In this review, we will focus on the mechanism of different microenvironment cellular elements in ESCC invasion and metastasis and discuss recent therapeutic attempts to restore the tumor-suppressing function of cells within the TME. It will represent the whole picture of TME in the metastasis and invasion process of ESCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyue Zheng
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Beilei Liu
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xinyuan Guan
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Xinyuan Guan,
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Chen Y, Yi X, Sun N, Guo W, Li C. Epigenetics Regulates Antitumor Immunity in Melanoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:868786. [PMID: 35693795 PMCID: PMC9174518 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.868786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is the most malignant skin cancer, which originates from epidermal melanocytes, with increasing worldwide incidence. The escape of immune surveillance is a hallmark of the tumor, which is manifested by the imbalance between the enhanced immune evasion of tumor cells and the impaired antitumor capacity of infiltrating immune cells. According to this notion, the invigoration of the exhausted immune cells by immune checkpoint blockades has gained encouraging outcomes in eliminating tumor cells and significantly prolonged the survival of patients, particularly in melanoma. Epigenetics is a pivotal non-genomic modulatory paradigm referring to heritable changes in gene expression without altering genome sequence, including DNA methylation, histone modification, non-coding RNAs, and m6A RNA methylation. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated how the dysregulation of epigenetics regulates multiple biological behaviors of tumor cells and contributes to carcinogenesis and tumor progression in melanoma. Nevertheless, the linkage between epigenetics and antitumor immunity, as well as its implication in melanoma immunotherapy, remains elusive. In this review, we first introduce the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and therapeutic innovations of melanoma. Then, the tumor microenvironment and the functions of different types of infiltrating immune cells are discussed, with an emphasis on their involvement in antitumor immunity in melanoma. Subsequently, we systemically summarize the linkage between epigenetics and antitumor immunity in melanoma, from the perspective of distinct paradigms of epigenetics. Ultimately, the progression of the clinical trials regarding epigenetics-based melanoma immunotherapy is introduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhan Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiuli Yi
- Department of Dermatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Ningyue Sun
- Department of Dermatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Weinan Guo
- Department of Dermatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Chunying Li
- Department of Dermatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
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40
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The role of plasma exosomal lnc-SNAPC5-3:4 in monitoring the efficacy of anlotinib in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2022; 148:2867-2879. [DOI: 10.1007/s00432-022-04071-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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41
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Zhao LP, Hu JH, Hu D, Wang HJ, Huang CG, Luo RH, Zhou ZH, Huang XY, Xie T, Lou JS. Hyperprogression, a challenge of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors treatments: potential mechanisms and coping strategies. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 150:112949. [PMID: 35447545 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.112949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy is now a mainstay in cancer treatments. Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies have opened up a new venue of advanced cancer immunotherapy. However, hyperprogressive disease (HPD) induced by PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors caused a significant decrease in the overall survival (OS) of the patients, which compromise the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Therefore, HPD has become an urgent issue to be addressed in the clinical uses of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. The mechanisms of HPD remain unclear, and possible predictive factors of HPD are not well understood. In this review, we summarized the potential mechanisms of HPD and coping strategies that can effectively reduce the occurrence and development of HPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Ping Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Zhejiang 311121, China; Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China
| | - Jun-Hu Hu
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Zhejiang 311121, China; Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China
| | - Die Hu
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Zhejiang 311121, China; Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China
| | - Hao-Jie Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Zhejiang 311121, China; Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China
| | - Chang-Gang Huang
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Zhejiang 311121, China; Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China
| | - Ru-Hua Luo
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Zhejiang 311121, China; Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China
| | - Zhao-Huang Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Zhejiang 311121, China; Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China
| | - Xin-Yun Huang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Tian Xie
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Zhejiang 311121, China; Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China.
| | - Jian-Shu Lou
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China; Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Zhejiang 311121, China; Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China.
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Li YJ, Chen Z. Cell-based therapies for rheumatoid arthritis: opportunities and challenges. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis 2022; 14:1759720X221100294. [PMID: 35634355 PMCID: PMC9131381 DOI: 10.1177/1759720x221100294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common immune-mediated inflammatory disease characterized by chronic synovitis that hardly resolves spontaneously. The current treatment of RA consists of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), glucocorticoids, conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (cDMARDs), biologic and targeted synthetic DMARDs. Although the treat-to-target strategy has been intensively applied in the past decade, clinical unmet needs still exist since a substantial proportion of patients are refractory or even develop severe adverse effects to current therapies. In recent years, with the deeper understanding of immunopathogenesis of the disease, cell-based therapies have exhibited effective and promising interventions to RA. Several cell-based therapies, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), adoptive transfer of regulatory T cells (Treg), and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy as well as their beneficial effects have been documented and verified so far. In this review, we summarize the current evidence and discuss the prospect as well as challenges for these three types of cellular therapies in RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Jing Li
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Second Clinical Medical School, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, China
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Sakowska J, Arcimowicz Ł, Jankowiak M, Papak I, Markiewicz A, Dziubek K, Kurkowiak M, Kote S, Kaźmierczak-Siedlecka K, Połom K, Marek-Trzonkowska N, Trzonkowski P. Autoimmunity and Cancer-Two Sides of the Same Coin. Front Immunol 2022; 13:793234. [PMID: 35634292 PMCID: PMC9140757 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.793234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Autoimmune disease results from the immune response against self-antigens, while cancer develops when the immune system does not respond to malignant cells. Thus, for years, autoimmunity and cancer have been considered as two separate fields of research that do not have a lot in common. However, the discovery of immune checkpoints and the development of anti-cancer drugs targeting PD-1 (programmed cell death receptor 1) and CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4) pathways proved that studying autoimmune diseases can be extremely helpful in the development of novel anti-cancer drugs. Therefore, autoimmunity and cancer seem to be just two sides of the same coin. In the current review, we broadly discuss how various regulatory cell populations, effector molecules, genetic predisposition, and environmental factors contribute to the loss of self-tolerance in autoimmunity or tolerance induction to cancer. With the current paper, we also aim to convince the readers that the pathways involved in cancer and autoimmune disease development consist of similar molecular players working in opposite directions. Therefore, a deep understanding of the two sides of immune tolerance is crucial for the proper designing of novel and selective immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna Sakowska
- Department of Medical Immunology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Łukasz Arcimowicz
- International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Martyna Jankowiak
- Department of Medical Immunology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Ines Papak
- International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Markiewicz
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Dziubek
- International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Kurkowiak
- International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Sachin Kote
- International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | | | - Karol Połom
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Natalia Marek-Trzonkowska
- International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Cellular Therapies, Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Piotr Trzonkowski
- Department of Medical Immunology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
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Goda N, Sasada S, Shigematsu H, Masumoto N, Arihiro K, Nishikawa H, Sakaguchi S, Okada M, Kadoya T. The ratio of CD8 + lymphocytes to tumor-infiltrating suppressive FOXP3 + effector regulatory T cells is associated with treatment response in invasive breast cancer. Discov Oncol 2022; 13:27. [PMID: 35438346 PMCID: PMC9018954 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-022-00482-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE FOXP3 + and CD8 + are recognized markers of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) for breast cancer. FOXP3 + TILs are composed of effector Tregs (eTregs) and other subpopulations that are classified by their differences in suppressive function. In this prospective study, we evaluated Treg subpopulations and CD8 + TILs in breast cancer. METHODS 84 patients with breast cancer were enrolled. Fresh TILs were extracted andTregs were classified into eTregs (CD4+FOXP3highCD45RA-), other FOXP3+ Treg subsets (naïve and non-Tregs), and total CD8+CD4- TILs using flow cytometry. The suppression strength of each Treg subpopulation was analyzed. The association between TIL subpopulations, clinicopathological characteristics, and response to chemotherapy was evaluated. RESULTS The mean CD8/eTreg ratio value was 7.86 (interquartile range: 4.08-12.80). The proliferation function of eTregs was significantly suppressed compared with that of the other subpopulations (proliferation rates: control: 89.3%, + naiiveTreg: 64.2%, + non-Treg: 78.2% vs eTreg 1.93%; all P < 0.05). The patients with high with a high CD8 + /eTreg ratio achieved excellent pathological complete response (pCR) rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (90.2%) and the CD8/eTreg ratio were independent predictive factors for pCR (odds ratio:18.7(confidence interval 1.25-279) P < 0.05). A detailed assessment of the CD8/eTreg ratio for each patient who underwent NAC revealed that high CD8/eTreg ratio showed a significantly higher pCR rate compared to patients with a low CD8/FOXP3 ratio (39.6% vs 13.3, P < 0.05) in triple negative subtype patients with stromal TILs < 50%. CONCLUSIONS A high CD8/eTreg ratio enhances pCR rate in patients with invasive breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriko Goda
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Sasada
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hideo Shigematsu
- Department of Breast Surgery, National Hospital Organization Kure Medical Center and Chugoku Cancer Center, Kure, Japan
| | - Norio Masumoto
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Koji Arihiro
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Nishikawa
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Chiba, Japan
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Shimon Sakaguchi
- Experimental Immunology, WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Morihito Okada
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Takayuki Kadoya
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
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Revenko A, Carnevalli LS, Sinclair C, Johnson B, Peter A, Taylor M, Hettrick L, Chapman M, Klein S, Solanki A, Gattis D, Watt A, Hughes AM, Magiera L, Kar G, Ireland L, Mele DA, Sah V, Singh M, Walton J, Mairesse M, King M, Edbrooke M, Lyne P, Barry ST, Fawell S, Goldberg FW, MacLeod AR. Direct targeting of FOXP3 in Tregs with AZD8701, a novel antisense oligonucleotide to relieve immunosuppression in cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2021-003892. [PMID: 35387780 PMCID: PMC8987763 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-003892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Regulatory T cell (Treg) lineage is defined by the transcription factor FOXP3, which controls immune-suppressive gene expression profiles. Tregs are often recruited in high frequencies to the tumor microenvironment where they can suppress antitumor immunity. We hypothesized that pharmacological inhibition of FOXP3 by systemically delivered, unformulated constrained ethyl-modified antisense oligonucleotides could modulate the activity of Tregs and augment antitumor immunity providing therapeutic benefit in cancer models and potentially in man. METHODS We have identified murine Foxp3 antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and clinical candidate human FOXP3 ASO AZD8701. Pharmacology and biological effects of FOXP3 inhibitors on Treg function and antitumor immunity were tested in cultured Tregs and mouse syngeneic tumor models. Experiments were controlled by vehicle and non-targeting control ASO groups as well as by use of multiple independent FOXP3 ASOs. Statistical significance of biological effects was evaluated by one or two-way analysis of variance with multiple comparisons. RESULTS AZD8701 demonstrated a dose-dependent knockdown of FOXP3 in primary Tregs, reduction of suppressive function and efficient target downregulation in humanized mice at clinically relevant doses. Surrogate murine FOXP3 ASO, which efficiently downregulated Foxp3 messenger RNA and protein levels in primary Tregs, reduced Treg suppressive function in immune suppression assays in vitro. FOXP3 ASO promoted more than 70% reduction in FOXP3 levels in Tregs in vitro and in vivo, strongly modulated Treg effector molecules (eg, ICOS, CTLA-4, CD25 and 4-1BB), and augmented CD8+ T cell activation and produced antitumor activity in syngeneic tumor models. The combination of FOXP3 ASOs with immune checkpoint blockade further enhanced antitumor efficacy. CONCLUSIONS Antisense inhibitors of FOXP3 offer a promising novel cancer immunotherapy approach. AZD8701 is being developed clinically as a first-in-class FOXP3 inhibitor for the treatment of cancer currently in Ph1a/b clinical trial (NCT04504669).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ben Johnson
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, California, USA
| | | | | | | | - Melissa Chapman
- Clinical Pharmacology and Safety Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | - Andrew Watt
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, California, USA
| | | | | | - Gozde Kar
- Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Vasu Sah
- Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Waltham, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Paul Lyne
- Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Waltham, MA, USA
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Peña-Romero AC, Orenes-Piñero E. Dual Effect of Immune Cells within Tumour Microenvironment: Pro- and Anti-Tumour Effects and Their Triggers. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:1681. [PMID: 35406451 PMCID: PMC8996887 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14071681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Our body is constantly exposed to pathogens or external threats, but with the immune response that our body can develop, we can fight off and defeat possible attacks or infections. Nevertheless, sometimes this threat comes from an internal factor. Situations such as the existence of a tumour also cause our immune system (IS) to be put on alert. Indeed, the link between immunology and cancer is evident these days, with IS being used as one of the important targets for treating cancer. Our IS is able to eliminate those abnormal or damaged cells found in our body, preventing the uncontrolled proliferation of tumour cells that can lead to cancer. However, in several cases, tumour cells can escape from the IS. It has been observed that immune cells, the extracellular matrix, blood vessels, fat cells and various molecules could support tumour growth and development. Thus, the developing tumour receives structural support, irrigation and energy, among other resources, making its survival and progression possible. All these components that accompany and help the tumour to survive and to grow are called the tumour microenvironment (TME). Given the importance of its presence in the tumour development process, this review will focus on one of the components of the TME: immune cells. Immune cells can support anti-tumour immune response protecting us against tumour cells; nevertheless, they can also behave as pro-tumoural cells, thus promoting tumour progression and survival. In this review, the anti-tumour and pro-tumour immunity of several immune cells will be discussed. In addition, the TME influence on this dual effect will be also analysed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Esteban Orenes-Piñero
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology-A, University of Murcia, 30120 Murcia, Spain;
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CHEN TT, DU SL, WANG SJ, WU L, YIN L. Dahuang Zhechong pills inhibit liver cancer growth in a mouse model by reversing Treg/Th1 balance. Chin J Nat Med 2022; 20:102-110. [DOI: 10.1016/s1875-5364(22)60160-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Puleo J, Polyak K. A Darwinian perspective on tumor immune evasion. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2022; 1877:188671. [PMID: 34933050 PMCID: PMC8818030 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Evading immune-mediated destruction is a critical step of tumor evolution and the immune system is one of the strongest selective pressures during tumorigenesis. Analyzing tumor immune evasion from a Darwinian perspective may provide critical insight into the mechanisms of primary immune escape and acquired resistance to immunotherapy. Here, we review the steps required to mount an anti-tumor immune response, describe how each of these steps is disrupted during tumorigenesis, list therapeutic strategies to restore anti-tumor immunity, and discuss each mechanism of immune and therapeutic evasion from a Darwinian perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julieann Puleo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kornelia Polyak
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Chen Y, Zheng X, Wu C. The Role of the Tumor Microenvironment and Treatment Strategies in Colorectal Cancer. Front Immunol 2021; 12:792691. [PMID: 34925375 PMCID: PMC8674693 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.792691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) has the second highest mortality rate among all cancers worldwide. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, molecular targeting and other treatment methods have significantly prolonged the survival of patients with CRC. Recently, the emergence of tumor immunotherapy represented by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has brought new immunotherapy options for the treatment of advanced CRC. As the efficacy of ICIs is closely related to the tumor immune microenvironment (TME), it is necessary to clarify the relationship between the immune microenvironment of CRC and the efficacy of immunotherapy to ensure that the appropriate drugs are selected. We herein review the latest research progress in the immune microenvironment and strategies related to immunotherapy for CRC. We hope that this review helps in the selection of appropriate treatment strategies for CRC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaping Chen
- Department of Tumor Biological Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
| | - Xiao Zheng
- Department of Tumor Biological Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
| | - Changping Wu
- Department of Tumor Biological Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China.,Department of Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
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50
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Lamplugh Z, Fan Y. Vascular Microenvironment, Tumor Immunity and Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2021; 12:811485. [PMID: 34987525 PMCID: PMC8720970 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.811485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy holds great promise for treating cancer. Nonetheless, T cell-based immunotherapy of solid tumors has remained challenging, largely due to the lack of universal tumor-specific antigens and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) that inhibits lymphocyte infiltration and activation. Aberrant vascularity characterizes malignant solid tumors, which fuels the formation of an immune-hostile microenvironment and induces tumor resistance to immunotherapy, emerging as a crucial target for adjuvant treatment in cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we discuss the molecular and cellular basis of vascular microenvironment-mediated tumor evasion of immune responses and resistance to immunotherapy, with a focus on vessel abnormality, dysfunctional adhesion, immunosuppressive niche, and microenvironmental stress in tumor vasculature. We provide an overview of opportunities and challenges related to these mechanisms. We also propose genetic programming of tumor endothelial cells as an alternative approach to recondition the vascular microenvironment and to overcome tumor resistance to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yi Fan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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