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Wang D, Kaniowski D, Jacek K, Su YL, Yu C, Hall J, Li H, Feng M, Hui S, Kaminska B, DeFranciscis V, Esposito CL, DiRuscio A, Zhang B, Marcucci G, Kuo YH, Kortylewski M. Bi-functional CpG-STAT3 decoy oligonucleotide triggers multilineage differentiation of acute myeloid leukemia in mice. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2024; 35:102268. [PMID: 39171140 PMCID: PMC11338104 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2024.102268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells resist differentiation stimuli despite high expression of innate immune receptors, such as Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). We previously demonstrated that targeting Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) using TLR9-targeted decoy oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG-STAT3d) increases immunogenicity of human and mouse AML cells. Here, we elucidated molecular mechanisms of inv(16) AML reprogramming driven by STAT3-inhibition/TLR9-activation in vivo. At the transcriptional levels, AML cells isolated from mice after intravenous administration of CpG-STAT3d or leukemia-targeted Stat3 silencing and TLR9 co-stimulation, displayed similar upregulation of myeloid cell differentiation (Irf8, Cebpa, Itgam) and antigen-presentation (Ciita, Il12a, B2m)-related genes with concomitant reduction of leukemia-promoting Runx1. Single-cell transcriptomics revealed that CpG-STAT3d induced multilineage differentiation of AML cells into monocytes/macrophages, erythroblastic and B cell subsets. As shown by an inducible Irf8 silencing in vivo, IRF8 upregulation was critical for monocyte-macrophage differentiation of leukemic cells. TLR9-driven AML cell reprogramming was likely enabled by downregulation of STAT3-controlled methylation regulators, such as DNMT1 and DNMT3. In fact, the combination of DNA methyl transferase (DNMT) inhibition using azacitidine with CpG oligonucleotides alone mimicked CpG-STAT3d effects, resulting in AML cell differentiation, T cell activation, and systemic leukemia regression. These findings highlight immunotherapeutic potential of bi-functional oligonucleotides to unleash TLR9-driven differentiation of leukemic cells by concurrent STAT3 and/or DNMT inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongfang Wang
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Damian Kaniowski
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Karol Jacek
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Yu-Lin Su
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Chunsong Yu
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Jeremy Hall
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Haiqing Li
- Integrative Genomics Core, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Mingye Feng
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Susanta Hui
- Department of Radiation Oncology, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Bożena Kaminska
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Carla Lucia Esposito
- Institute for Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology "Gaetano Salvatore" (IEOS), CNR, 80100 Naples, Italy
| | - Annalisa DiRuscio
- Harvard Medical School Initiative for RNA Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
- Gehr Family Center for Leukemia Research, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Guido Marcucci
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
- Gehr Family Center for Leukemia Research, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Ya-Huei Kuo
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
- Gehr Family Center for Leukemia Research, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Marcin Kortylewski
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
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Witalisz-Siepracka A, Denk CM, Zdársky B, Hofmann L, Edtmayer S, Harm T, Weiss S, Heindl K, Hessenberger M, Summer S, Dutta S, Casanova E, Obermair GJ, Győrffy B, Putz EM, Sill H, Stoiber D. STAT3 in acute myeloid leukemia facilitates natural killer cell-mediated surveillance. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1374068. [PMID: 39034990 PMCID: PMC11257888 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1374068] [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: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogenous disease characterized by the clonal expansion of myeloid progenitor cells. Despite recent advancements in the treatment of AML, relapse still remains a significant challenge, necessitating the development of innovative therapies to eliminate minimal residual disease. One promising approach to address these unmet clinical needs is natural killer (NK) cell immunotherapy. To implement such treatments effectively, it is vital to comprehend how AML cells escape the NK-cell surveillance. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), a component of the Janus kinase (JAK)-STAT signaling pathway, is well-known for its role in driving immune evasion in various cancer types. Nevertheless, the specific function of STAT3 in AML cell escape from NK cells has not been deeply investigated. In this study, we unravel a novel role of STAT3 in sensitizing AML cells to NK-cell surveillance. We demonstrate that STAT3-deficient AML cell lines are inefficiently eliminated by NK cells. Mechanistically, AML cells lacking STAT3 fail to form an immune synapse as efficiently as their wild-type counterparts due to significantly reduced surface expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1). The impaired killing of STAT3-deficient cells can be rescued by ICAM-1 overexpression proving its central role in the observed phenotype. Importantly, analysis of our AML patient cohort revealed a positive correlation between ICAM1 and STAT3 expression suggesting a predominant role of STAT3 in ICAM-1 regulation in this disease. In line, high ICAM1 expression correlates with better survival of AML patients underscoring the translational relevance of our findings. Taken together, our data unveil a novel role of STAT3 in preventing AML cells from escaping NK-cell surveillance and highlight the STAT3/ICAM-1 axis as a potential biomarker for NK-cell therapies in AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Witalisz-Siepracka
- Division Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Microbiology, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems, Austria
| | - Clio-Melina Denk
- Division Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Microbiology, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems, Austria
| | - Bernhard Zdársky
- Division Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Microbiology, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems, Austria
| | - Lorenz Hofmann
- Division Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Microbiology, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems, Austria
| | - Sophie Edtmayer
- Division Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Microbiology, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems, Austria
| | - Theresa Harm
- Division Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Microbiology, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems, Austria
| | - Stefanie Weiss
- Division Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Microbiology, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems, Austria
| | - Kerstin Heindl
- Division Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Microbiology, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems, Austria
| | - Manuel Hessenberger
- Division Physiology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Microbiology, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems, Austria
| | - Sabrina Summer
- Department for Biomedical Research, University for Continuing Education Krems, Krems, Austria
| | | | - Emilio Casanova
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology & Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Hematology and Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerald J. Obermair
- Division Physiology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Microbiology, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems, Austria
| | - Balázs Győrffy
- Department of Bioinformatics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
- Cancer Biomarker Research Group, Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eva Maria Putz
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Heinz Sill
- Division of Hematology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Dagmar Stoiber
- Division Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Microbiology, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems, Austria
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Kovecses O, Mercier FE, McKeague M. Nucleic acid therapeutics as differentiation agents for myeloid leukemias. Leukemia 2024; 38:1441-1454. [PMID: 38424137 PMCID: PMC11216999 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-024-02191-0] [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: 09/09/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Differentiation therapy has proven to be a success story for patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia. However, the remaining subtypes of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are treated with cytotoxic chemotherapies that have limited efficacy and a high likelihood of resistance. As differentiation arrest is a hallmark of AML, there is increased interest in developing differentiation-inducing agents to enhance disease-free survival. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of current reports and future avenues of nucleic acid therapeutics for AML, focusing on the use of targeted nucleic acid drugs to promote differentiation. Specifically, we compare and discuss the precision of small interfering RNA, small activating RNA, antisense oligonucleotides, and aptamers to modulate gene expression patterns that drive leukemic cell differentiation. We delve into preclinical and clinical studies that demonstrate the efficacy of nucleic acid-based differentiation therapies to induce leukemic cell maturation and reduce disease burden. By directly influencing the expression of key genes involved in myeloid maturation, nucleic acid therapeutics hold the potential to induce the differentiation of leukemic cells towards a more mature and less aggressive phenotype. Furthermore, we discuss the most critical challenges associated with developing nucleic acid therapeutics for myeloid malignancies. By introducing the progress in the field and identifying future opportunities, we aim to highlight the power of nucleic acid therapeutics in reshaping the landscape of myeloid leukemia treatment.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Cell Differentiation/drug effects
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology
- Nucleic Acids/therapeutic use
- Animals
- Leukemia, Myeloid/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myeloid/genetics
- Leukemia, Myeloid/pathology
- RNA, Small Interfering/genetics
- RNA, Small Interfering/therapeutic use
- Oligonucleotides, Antisense/therapeutic use
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Kovecses
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, H3G 1Y6, QC, Canada
| | - François E Mercier
- Division of Hematology and Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, H3T 1E2, QC, Canada
| | - Maureen McKeague
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, H3G 1Y6, QC, Canada.
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, H3A 0B8, QC, Canada.
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4
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Perzolli A, Koedijk JB, Zwaan CM, Heidenreich O. Targeting the innate immune system in pediatric and adult AML. Leukemia 2024; 38:1191-1201. [PMID: 38459166 PMCID: PMC11147779 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-024-02217-7] [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: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
While the introduction of T cell-based immunotherapies has improved outcomes in many cancer types, the development of immunotherapies for both adult and pediatric AML has been relatively slow and limited. In addition to the need to identify suitable target antigens, a better understanding of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment is necessary for the design of novel immunotherapy approaches. To date, most immune characterization studies in AML have focused on T cells, while innate immune lineages such as monocytes, granulocytes and natural killer (NK) cells, received less attention. In solid cancers, studies have shown that innate immune cells, such as macrophages, myeloid-derived suppressor cells and neutrophils are highly plastic and may differentiate into immunosuppressive cells depending on signals received in their microenvironment, while NK cells appear to be functionally impaired. Hence, an in-depth characterization of the innate immune compartment in the TME is urgently needed to guide the development of immunotherapeutic interventions for AML. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the innate immune compartment in AML, and we discuss how targeting its components may enhance T cell-based- and other immunotherapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Perzolli
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Erasmus MC/Sophia Children's Hospital, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joost B Koedijk
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Erasmus MC/Sophia Children's Hospital, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C Michel Zwaan
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Erasmus MC/Sophia Children's Hospital, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Olaf Heidenreich
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
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5
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Chen M, Wang S. Preclinical development and clinical studies of targeted JAK/STAT combined Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 130:111717. [PMID: 38387193 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.111717] [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: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) binds to its ligand to help tumours evade the immune system and promote tumour progression. Although anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapies show powerful effects in some patients, most patients are unable to benefit from this treatment due to treatment resistance. Therefore, it is important to overcome tumour resistance to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. There is substantial evidence suggesting that the JAK/STAT signalling pathway plays a significant role in PD-1/PD-L1 expression and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment. Herein, we describe the effects of the JAK/STAT signalling pathway on PD-1/PD-L1. Subsequently, the relationship between molecular mutations in the JAK/STAT signalling pathway and immune resistance was analysed. Finally, the latest advancements in drugs targeting the JAK/STAT pathway combined with PD1/PD-L1 inhibitors are summarised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaomiao Chen
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, China
| | - Siliang Wang
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, China.
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6
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Hall J, Zhang Z, Bhattacharya S, Wang D, Alcantara M, Liang Y, Swiderski P, Forman S, Kwak L, Vaidehi N, Kortylewski M. Oligo-PROTAC strategy for cell-selective and targeted degradation of activated STAT3. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2024; 35:102137. [PMID: 38384444 PMCID: PMC10879796 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2024.102137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Decoy oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) allow targeting undruggable transcription factors, such as STAT3, but their limited potency and lack of delivery methods hampered translation. To overcome these challenges, we conjugated a STAT3-specific decoy to thalidomide, a ligand to cereblon in E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, to generate a proteolysis-targeting chimera (STAT3DPROTAC). STAT3DPROTAC downregulated STAT3 in target cells, but not STAT1 or STAT5. Computational modeling of the STAT3DPROTAC ternary complex predicted two surface lysines, K601 and K626, in STAT3 as potential ubiquitination sites. Accordingly, K601/K626 point mutations in STAT3, as well as proteasome inhibition or cereblon deletion, alleviated STAT3DPROTAC effect. Next, we conjugated STAT3DPROTAC to a CpG oligonucleotide targeting Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) to generate myeloid/B cell-selective C-STAT3DPROTAC. Naked C-STAT3DPROTAC was spontaneously internalized by TLR9+ myeloid cells, B cells, and human and mouse lymphoma cells but not by T cells. C-STAT3DPROTAC effectively decreased STAT3 protein levels and also STAT3-regulated target genes critical for lymphoma cell proliferation and/or survival (BCL2L1, CCND2, and MYC). Finally, local C-STAT3DPROTAC administration to human Ly3 lymphoma-bearing mice triggered tumor regression, while control C-STAT3D and C-SCR treatments had limited effects. Our results underscore the feasibility of using a PROTAC strategy for cell-selective, decoy oligonucleotide-based STAT3 targeting of and potentially other tumorigenic transcription factors for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Hall
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Zhuoran Zhang
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Supriyo Bhattacharya
- Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Dongfang Wang
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Marice Alcantara
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Yong Liang
- DNA/RNA Synthesis Core Facility, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Piotr Swiderski
- DNA/RNA Synthesis Core Facility, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Stephen Forman
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Larry Kwak
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Nagarajan Vaidehi
- Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Marcin Kortylewski
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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Khan F, Pandey P, Verma M, Upadhyay TK. Terpenoid-Mediated Targeting of STAT3 Signaling in Cancer: An Overview of Preclinical Studies. Biomolecules 2024; 14:200. [PMID: 38397437 PMCID: PMC10886526 DOI: 10.3390/biom14020200] [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: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer has become one of the most multifaceted and widespread illnesses affecting human health, causing substantial mortality at an alarming rate. After cardiovascular problems, the condition has a high occurrence rate and ranks second in terms of mortality. The development of new drugs has been facilitated by increased research and a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind the emergence and advancement of the disease. Numerous preclinical and clinical studies have repeatedly demonstrated the protective effects of natural terpenoids against a range of malignancies. Numerous potential bioactive terpenoids have been investigated in natural sources for their chemopreventive and chemoprotective properties. In practically all body cells, the signaling molecule referred to as signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is widely expressed. Numerous studies have demonstrated that STAT3 regulates its downstream target genes, including Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, cyclin D1, c-Myc, and survivin, to promote the growth of cells, differentiation, cell cycle progression, angiogenesis, and immune suppression in addition to chemotherapy resistance. Researchers viewed STAT3 as a primary target for cancer therapy because of its crucial involvement in cancer formation. This therapy primarily focuses on directly and indirectly preventing the expression of STAT3 in tumor cells. By explicitly targeting STAT3 in both in vitro and in vivo settings, it has been possible to explain the protective effect of terpenoids against malignant cells. In this study, we provide a complete overview of STAT3 signal transduction processes, the involvement of STAT3 in carcinogenesis, and mechanisms related to STAT3 persistent activation. The article also thoroughly summarizes the inhibition of STAT3 signaling by certain terpenoid phytochemicals, which have demonstrated strong efficacy in several preclinical cancer models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahad Khan
- Center for Global Health Research, Saveetha Medical College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai 602105, India;
| | - Pratibha Pandey
- University Centre for Research and Development, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali 140413, India
| | - Meenakshi Verma
- University Centre for Research and Development, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali 140413, India
- Department of Chemistry, University Institute of Sciences, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali 140413, India
| | - Tarun Kumar Upadhyay
- Department of Biotechnology, Parul Institute of Applied Sciences and Research and Development Cell, Parul University, Vadodara 391760, India;
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8
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Hall J, Zhang Z, Wang D, Bhattacharya S, Alcantara M, Liang Y, Swiderski P, Forman S, Kwak L, Vaidehi N, Kortylewski M. Oligo-PROTAC strategy for cell-selective and targeted degradation of activated STAT3. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.01.551552. [PMID: 37577590 PMCID: PMC10418257 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.01.551552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Decoy-oligodeoxynucleotides (D-ODNs) can target undruggable transcription factors, such as STAT3. However, challenges in D-ODN delivery and potency hampered their translation. To overcome these limitations, we conjugated STAT3-specific D-ODN to thalidomide (Tha), a known ligand to cereblon (CRBN, a component of E3 ubiquitin ligase) to generate a proteolysis-targeting chimera (STAT3D PROTAC ). STAT3D PROTAC downregulated STAT3, but not STAT1 or STAT5, in target cells. Computational modeling of the STAT3D PROTAC ternary complex predicted two surface lysines on STAT3, K601 and K626 as potential ubiquitination sites for the PROTAC bound E3 ligase. Accordingly, K601/K626 point mutations in STAT3, as well as proteasome inhibitors, and CRBN deletion alleviated STAT3D PROTAC effect. Next, we conjugated STAT3D PROTAC to a CpG ligand targeting Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) to generate myeloid/B-cell-selective C-STAT3D PROTAC conjugate. Naked C-STAT3D PROTAC was spontaneously internalized by TLR9 + myeloid cells, B cells as well as human Ly18 and mouse A20 lymphoma cells, but not by T cells. C-STAT3D PROTAC decreased STAT3 levels to 50% at 250 nM and over 85% at 2 µM dosing in myeloid cells. We also observed significantly improved downregulation of STAT3 target genes involved in lymphoma cell proliferation and/or survival ( BCL2L1, CCND2, MYC ). Finally, we assessed the antitumor efficacy of C-STAT3D PROTAC compared to C-STAT3D or scrambled control (C-SCR) against human lymphoma xenotransplants. Local C-STAT3D PROTAC administration triggered lymphoma regression while control treatments had limited effects. Our results underscore feasibility of using PROTAC strategy for cell-selective, decoy oligonucleotide-based targeting of STAT3 and potentially other tumorigenic transcription factors for cancer therapy.
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9
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Sun Y, Yu D, Geng X, Ding D, Yang Y, Liu Z, Xiao Z, Wang R, Tan W. Artificial Base-Directed In Vivo Assembly of an Albumin-siRNA Complex for Tumor-Targeting Delivery. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:8872-8883. [PMID: 36751121 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c19075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) mediated by short interfering RNA (siRNA) is a promising method for cancer treatment, but the clinical application is hampered by several limitations, including metabolic instability, lack of tumor specificity, and poor cellular uptake. To meet these challenges, we have explored the possibility of structure modification of siRNA with artificial bases for property optimization. A series of siRNAs functionalized with different numbers of hydrophobic base F are prepared for screening. The interactions of plasma proteins with F-base-modified siRNA (F-siRNA) are investigated, and it is identified that the interaction with serum albumin is dominant. Experiments revealed that the introduction of F bases conferred modified siRNA with improved tumor-specific accumulation, prolonged circulatory retention time, and better tissue permeability. Mechanistic studies indicated that the F base induces the formulation of a stable siRNA-albumin complex, which transports siRNA to tumor tissues selectively owing to an enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect of albumin. The F base also facilitates the binding of siRNA to transport-associated proteins on the cell membrane, enabling its cellular internalization. Together, these data demonstrate that F base modification confers siRNA-enhanced cellular uptake and biostability and specific accumulation in tumor tissue, which provides a new approach for the development of siRNA-based cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Sun
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Die Yu
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xinyao Geng
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Ding Ding
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yu Yang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Zhuang Liu
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials Laboratory (FUNSOM), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zeyu Xiao
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Ruowen Wang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Weihong Tan
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, Hunan, China
- Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310022, Zhejiang, China
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Yang M, Zhang Y, Liu G, Zhao Z, Li J, Yang L, Liu K, Hu W, Lou Y, Jiang J, Liu Q, Zhao P. TIPE1 inhibits osteosarcoma tumorigenesis and progression by regulating PRMT1 mediated STAT3 arginine methylation. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:815. [PMID: 36151091 PMCID: PMC9508122 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-05273-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Osteosarcoma (OS), the most common primary malignancy of the bone, has a poor prognosis due to its high mortality rate and high potential for metastasis. Thus, it is urgently necessary to explore functional molecular targets of therapeutic strategies for osteosarcoma. Here, we reported that TIPE1 expression was decreased in osteosarcoma tissues compared to normal and adjacent nontumor tissues, and its expression was negatively related to tumor stage and tumor size. Functional assays showed that TIPE1 inhibited osteosarcoma carcinogenesis and metastatic potential both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, we investigated that the STAT3 signaling pathway was significantly downregulated after TIPE1 overexpression. Mechanistically, TIPE1 bind to the catalytic domain of PRMT1, which deposits an asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) mark on histone/non-histone proteins, and thus inhibited PRMT1 mediated STAT3 methylation at arginine (R) residue 688. This abolished modification decreased STAT3 transactivation and expression, by which subsequently suppressed osteosarcoma malignancy. Taken together, these data showed that TIPE1 inhibits the malignant transformation of osteosarcoma through PRMT1-mediated STAT3 arginine methylation and ultimately decreases the development and metastasis of osteosarcoma. TIPE1 might be a potential molecular therapeutic target and an early biomarker for osteosarcoma diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghao Yang
- grid.452240.50000 0004 8342 6962Department of Radiology, Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264100 PR China
| | - Yuzhu Zhang
- grid.477019.cCenter of Translational Medicine, Zibo Central Hospital Affiliated to Binzhou Medical University, Zibo, 255036 PR China
| | - Guangping Liu
- grid.477019.cCenter of Translational Medicine, Zibo Central Hospital Affiliated to Binzhou Medical University, Zibo, 255036 PR China
| | - Ziqian Zhao
- grid.13394.3c0000 0004 1799 3993The Second Medical College, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830092 PR China
| | - Jigang Li
- grid.477019.cCenter of Translational Medicine, Zibo Central Hospital Affiliated to Binzhou Medical University, Zibo, 255036 PR China
| | - Le Yang
- grid.460018.b0000 0004 1769 9639Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250117 PR China
| | - Kui Liu
- grid.477019.cCenter of Translational Medicine, Zibo Central Hospital Affiliated to Binzhou Medical University, Zibo, 255036 PR China
| | - Wei Hu
- grid.477019.cCenter of Translational Medicine, Zibo Central Hospital Affiliated to Binzhou Medical University, Zibo, 255036 PR China
| | - Yunwei Lou
- grid.412990.70000 0004 1808 322XSchool of Laboratory Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003 PR China
| | - Jie Jiang
- grid.452240.50000 0004 8342 6962Department of Radiology, Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264100 PR China
| | - Qing Liu
- grid.412509.b0000 0004 1808 3414School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049 PR China
| | - Peiqing Zhao
- grid.477019.cCenter of Translational Medicine, Zibo Central Hospital Affiliated to Binzhou Medical University, Zibo, 255036 PR China
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11
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Zhou M, Zhang P, Da M, Yang R, Ma Y, Zhao J, Ma T, Xia J, Shen G, Chen Y, Chen D. A pan-cancer analysis of the expression of STAT family genes in tumors and their relationship to the tumor microenvironment. Front Oncol 2022; 12:925537. [PMID: 36176415 PMCID: PMC9513395 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.925537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundThe signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) protein family, a group of seven members (STAT1, STAT2, STAT3, STAT4, STAT5A, STAT5B, and STAT6), has been widely used to investigate numerous biological functions including cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and immune regulation. However, not much is known about the role of the STAT family genes in pan-cancer.MethodsTumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), Sangerbox, cBioPortal, GSCALite, Xena Shiny, GeneMANIA, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), and Metascape were used to analyze the relationship between STAT gene expression, clinical outcome, gene variation, methylation status, pathway activity, tumor immune infiltration, and microenvironment in different cancer types and screened drugs that could potentially influence STATs.ResultsThe Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) pan-cancer data showed that most STAT family genes were extensively changed in most tumors compared to the adjacent normal tissues. We also found that STAT gene expression could be used to predict patient survival in various cancers. The STAT gene family formed a network of interaction networks that was associated with several pathways. By mining the of Genomics Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) database, we discovered a number of potential drugs that might target STAT regulators. Importantly, the close correlation between STATs and immunocell infiltration suggested the important role of dysregulation of STATs in tumor immune escape. Finally, the relation between STAT gene expression and the tumor microenvironment (TME) indicated that the higher expression of STAT regulators, the higher the degree of tumor stem cells.ConclusionConsidering these genomic alterations and clinical features of STAT family members across cancer types, it will be possible to change the relationship between STATs and tumorigenesis. It was beneficial to treat cancer by targeting these STAT regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhou
- Department of Breast Surgery, The Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Ping Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgery, The Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Mengting Da
- Breast Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University and Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Rui Yang
- Research Institute for Reproductive Health and Genetic Diseases, The Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Yulian Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haidong No.2 People’s Hospital of Qinghai Province, Haidong, China
| | - Jiuda Zhao
- Breast Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University and Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Tao Ma
- Department of Breast Surgery, The Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Jiazeng Xia
- Department of General Surgery and Translational Medicine Center, The Affiliated Wuxi No.2 People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Guoshuang Shen
- Breast Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University and Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Qinghai University, Xining, China
- *Correspondence: Yu Chen, ; Guoshuang Shen, ; Daozhen Chen,
| | - Yu Chen
- Research Institute for Reproductive Health and Genetic Diseases, The Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
- *Correspondence: Yu Chen, ; Guoshuang Shen, ; Daozhen Chen,
| | - Daozhen Chen
- Department of Breast Surgery, The Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
- Research Institute for Reproductive Health and Genetic Diseases, The Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haidong No.2 People’s Hospital of Qinghai Province, Haidong, China
- *Correspondence: Yu Chen, ; Guoshuang Shen, ; Daozhen Chen,
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12
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Hashimoto S, Hashimoto A, Muromoto R, Kitai Y, Oritani K, Matsuda T. Central Roles of STAT3-Mediated Signals in Onset and Development of Cancers: Tumorigenesis and Immunosurveillance. Cells 2022; 11:cells11162618. [PMID: 36010693 PMCID: PMC9406645 DOI: 10.3390/cells11162618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the time of Rudolf Virchow in the 19th century, it has been well-known that cancer-associated inflammation contributes to tumor initiation and progression. However, it remains unclear whether a collapse of the balance between the antitumor immune response via the immunological surveillance system and protumor immunity due to cancer-related inflammation is responsible for cancer malignancy. The majority of inflammatory signals affect tumorigenesis by activating signal transducer and activation of transcription 3 (STAT3) and nuclear factor-κB. Persistent STAT3 activation in malignant cancer cells mediates extremely widespread functions, including cell growth, survival, angiogenesis, and invasion and contributes to an increase in inflammation-associated tumorigenesis. In addition, intracellular STAT3 activation in immune cells causes suppressive effects on antitumor immunity and leads to the differentiation and mobilization of immature myeloid-derived cells and tumor-associated macrophages. In many cancer types, STAT3 does not directly rely on its activation by oncogenic mutations but has important oncogenic and malignant transformation-associated functions in both cancer and stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). We have reported a series of studies aiming towards understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the proliferation of various types of tumors involving signal-transducing adaptor protein-2 as an adaptor molecule that modulates STAT3 activity, and we recently found that AT-rich interactive domain-containing protein 5a functions as an mRNA stabilizer that orchestrates an immunosuppressive TME in malignant mesenchymal tumors. In this review, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of the functional role of STAT3 in tumor progression and introduce novel molecular mechanisms of cancer development and malignant transformation involving STAT3 activation that we have identified to date. Finally, we discuss potential therapeutic strategies for cancer that target the signaling pathway to augment STAT3 activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeru Hashimoto
- Division of Molecular Psychoimmunology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0815, Japan
- Correspondence: (S.H.); (T.M.)
| | - Ari Hashimoto
- Department of Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan
| | - Ryuta Muromoto
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Yuichi Kitai
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Kenji Oritani
- Department of Hematology, International University of Health and Welfare, Narita 286-8686, Japan
| | - Tadashi Matsuda
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
- Correspondence: (S.H.); (T.M.)
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Wei J, Song R, Sabbagh A, Marisetty A, Shukla N, Fang D, Najem H, Ott M, Long J, Zhai L, Lesniak MS, James CD, Platanias L, Curran M, Heimberger AB. Cell-directed aptamer therapeutic targeting for cancers including those within the central nervous system. Oncoimmunology 2022; 11:2062827. [PMID: 35433114 PMCID: PMC9009928 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2022.2062827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Osteopontin (OPN) is produced by tumor cells as well as by myeloid cells and is enriched in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of many cancers. Given the roles of OPN in tumor progression and immune suppression, we hypothesized that targeting OPN with aptamers that have high affinity and specificity could be a promising therapeutic strategy. Bi-specific aptamers targeting ligands for cellular internalization were conjugated to siRNAs to suppress OPN were created, and therapeutic leads were selected based on target engagement and in vivo activity. Aptamers as carriers for siRNA approaches were created including a cancer targeting nucleolin aptamer Ncl-OPN siRNA and a myeloid targeting CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN)-OPN siRNA conjugate. These aptamers were selected as therapeutic leads based on 70–90% OPN inhibition in cancer (GL261, 344SQ, 4T1B2b) and myeloid (DC2.4) cells relative to scramble controls. In established immune competent 344SQ lung cancer and 4T1B2b breast cancer models, these aptamers, including in combination, demonstrate therapeutic activity by inhibiting tumor growth. The Ncl-OPN siRNA aptamer demonstrated efficacy in an immune competent orthotopic glioma model administered systemically secondary to the ability of the aptamer to access the glioma TME. Therapeutic activity was demonstrated using both aptamers in a breast cancer brain metastasis model. Targeted inhibition of OPN in tumor cells and myeloid cells using bifunctional aptamers that are internalized by specific cell types and suppress OPN expression once internalized may have clinical potential in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wei
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Renduo Song
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Aria Sabbagh
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Anantha Marisetty
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Neal Shukla
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Dexing Fang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hinda Najem
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Martina Ott
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - James Long
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lijie Zhai
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Maciej S. Lesniak
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Charles David James
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Leonidas Platanias
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center and Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Medicine, Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Michael Curran
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Amy B. Heimberger
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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14
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Brooks J, Zuro D, Song JY, Madabushi SS, Sanchez JF, Guha C, Kortylewski M, Chen BT, Gupta K, Storme G, Froelich J, Hui SK. Longitudinal Preclinical Imaging Characterizes Extracellular Drug Accumulation After Radiation Therapy in the Healthy and Leukemic Bone Marrow Vascular Microenvironment. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2022; 112:951-963. [PMID: 34767936 PMCID: PMC9038217 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2021.10.146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Recent initial findings suggest that radiation therapy improves blood perfusion and cellular chemotherapy uptake in mice with leukemia. However, the ability of radiation therapy to influence drug accumulation in the extracellular bone marrow tissue is unknown, due in part to a lack of methodology. This study developed longitudinal quantitative multiphoton microscopy (L-QMPM) to characterize the bone marrow vasculature (BMV) and drug accumulation in the extracellular bone marrow tissue before and after radiation therapy in mice bearing leukemia. METHODS AND MATERIALS We developed a longitudinal window implant for L-QMPM imaging of the calvarium BMV before, 2 days after, and 5 days after total body irradiation (TBI). Live time-lapsed images of a fluorescent drug surrogate were used to obtain measurements, including tissue wash-in slope (WIStissue) to measure extracellular drug accumulation. We performed L-QMPM imaging on healthy C57BL/6 (WT) mice, as well as mice bearing acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). RESULTS Implants had no effects on calvarium dose, and parameters for wild-type untreated mice were stable during imaging. We observed decreased vessel diameter, vessel blood flow, and WIStissue with the onset of AML and ALL. Two to 10 Gy TBI increased WIStissue and vessel diameter 2 days after radiation therapy in all 3 groups of mice and increased single-vessel blood flow in mice bearing ALL and AML. Increased WIStissue was observed 5 days after 10 Gy TBI or 4 Gy split-dose TBI (2 treatments of 2 Gy spaced 3 days apart). CONCLUSIONS L-QMPM provides stable functional assessments of the BMV. Nonmyeloablative and myeloablative TBI increases extracellular drug accumulation in the leukemic bone marrow 2 to 5 days posttreatment, likely through improved blood perfusion and drug exchange from the BMV to the extravascular tissue. Our data show that neo-adjuvant TBI at doses from 2 Gy to 10 Gy conditions the BMV to improve drug transport to the bone marrow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamison Brooks
- Department of Radiation Oncology, City of Hope, Duarte, California; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Darren Zuro
- Department of Radiation Oncology, City of Hope, Duarte, California; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Joo Y Song
- Department of Pathology, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | | | - James F Sanchez
- Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Chandan Guha
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York
| | - Marcin Kortylewski
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Bihong T Chen
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - Kalpna Gupta
- Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine and Southern California Institute for Research and Education, VA Medical Center, North Hills, California; Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Guy Storme
- Department of Radiotherapy, UZ Brussel, Jette, Belgium
| | - Jerry Froelich
- Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Susanta K Hui
- Department of Radiation Oncology, City of Hope, Duarte, California; Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California.
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15
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Yang X, Ma L, Zhang X, Huang L, Wei J. Targeting PD-1/PD-L1 pathway in myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia. Exp Hematol Oncol 2022; 11:11. [PMID: 35236415 PMCID: PMC8889667 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-022-00263-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are clonal hematopoietic stem cell diseases arising from the bone marrow (BM), and approximately 30% of MDS eventually progress to AML, associated with increasingly aggressive neoplastic hematopoietic clones and poor survival. Dysregulated immune microenvironment has been recognized as a key pathogenic driver of MDS and AML, causing high rate of intramedullary apoptosis in lower-risk MDS to immunosuppression in higher-risk MDS and AML. Immune checkpoint molecules, including programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), play important roles in oncogenesis by maintaining an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Recently, both molecules have been examined in MDS and AML. Abnormal inflammatory signaling, genetic and/or epigenetic alterations, interactions between cells, and treatment of patients all have been involved in dysregulating PD-1/PD-L1 signaling in these two diseases. Furthermore, with the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway activated in immune microenvironment, the milieu of BM shift to immunosuppressive, contributing to a clonal evolution of blasts. Nevertheless, numerous preclinical studies have suggested a potential response of patients to PD-1/PD-L1 blocker. Current clinical trials employing these drugs in MDS and AML have reported mixed clinical responses. In this paper, we focus on the recent preclinical advances of the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling in MDS and AML, and available and ongoing outcomes of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor in patients. We also discuss the novel PD-1/PD-L1 blocker-based immunotherapeutic strategies and challenges, including identifying reliable biomarkers, determining settings, and exploring optimal combination therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingcheng Yang
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.,Immunotherapy Research Center for Hematologic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Ling Ma
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Xiaoying Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.,Immunotherapy Research Center for Hematologic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Liang Huang
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China. .,Immunotherapy Research Center for Hematologic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
| | - Jia Wei
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China. .,Immunotherapy Research Center for Hematologic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
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STAT3 Signaling in Breast Cancer: Multicellular Actions and Therapeutic Potential. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14020429. [PMID: 35053592 PMCID: PMC8773745 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14020429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Many signaling pathways are overactive in breast cancer, and among them is the STAT3 signaling pathway. STAT3 is activated by secreted factors within the breast tumor, many of which are elevated and correlate to advanced disease and poor survival outcomes. This review examines how STAT3 signaling is activated in breast cancer by the proinflammatory, gp130 cytokines, interleukins 6 and 11. We evaluate how this signaling cascade functions in the various cells of the tumor microenvironment to drive disease progression and metastasis. We discuss how our understanding of these processes may lead to the development of novel therapeutics to tackle advanced disease. Abstract Interleukin (IL)-6 family cytokines, such as IL-6 and IL-11, are defined by the shared use of the gp130 receptor for the downstream activation of STAT3 signaling and the activation of genes which contribute to the “hallmarks of cancer”, including proliferation, survival, invasion and metastasis. Increased expression of these cytokines, or the ligand-specific receptors IL-6R and IL-11RA, in breast tumors positively correlate to disease progression and poorer patient outcome. In this review, we examine evidence from pre-clinical studies that correlate enhanced IL-6 and IL-11 mediated gp130/STAT3 signaling to the progression of breast cancer. Key processes by which the IL-6 family cytokines contribute to the heterogeneous nature of breast cancer, immune evasion and metastatic potential, are discussed. We examine the latest research into the therapeutic targeting of IL-6 family cytokines that inhibit STAT3 transcriptional activity as a potential breast cancer treatment, including current clinical trials. The importance of the IL-6 family of cytokines in cellular processes that promote the development and progression of breast cancer warrants further understanding of the molecular basis for its actions to help guide the development of future therapeutic targets.
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Liu Z, Wen J, Hu F, Wang J, Hu C, Zhang W. Thrombospondin-1 induced programmed death-ligand 1-mediated immunosuppression by activating the STAT3 pathway in osteosarcoma. Cancer Sci 2021; 113:432-445. [PMID: 34927311 PMCID: PMC8819289 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Thrombospondin‐1 (TSP1) is generally assumed to suppress the growth of osteosarcoma through inhibiting angiogenesis; however, it is unclear whether TSP1 could affect the antitumor immunity against osteosarcoma. We aimed to explore the immune‐related tumor‐promoting effects of TSP1 and decipher its underlying mechanism. First, we identified that TSP1 regulated programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) expression, which was related to the CD8+ T cells anergy in osteosarcoma cells. The exact role of PD‐L1 in the immunosuppressive effect of TSP1 was then further confirmed by the addition of the PD‐L1 neutralizing Ab. With the addition of PD‐L1 neutralizing Abs during cocultivation, the inhibition of CD8+ T cells was abolished to a certain extent. Further mechanistic investigations showed that TSP1‐induced PD‐L1 upregulation was achieved by activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway. In vivo experiments also indicated that TSP1 overexpression could promote the growth of primary lesions, whereas TSP1 knockdown effectively inhibits the growth of the primary lesion as well as lung metastasis by restoring the antitumor immunity. Thrombospondin‐1 knockdown combined with PD‐L1 neutralizing Ab achieved a more pronounced antitumor effect. Taken together, our study showed that TSP1 upregulates PD‐L1 by activating the STAT3 pathway and, therefore, impairs the antitumor immunity against osteosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuochao Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Junxiang Wen
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Fangqiong Hu
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chuanzhen Hu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weibin Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Current Limitations and Perspectives of Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T-Cells in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13246157. [PMID: 34944782 PMCID: PMC8699597 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13246157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most frequent type of acute leukemia in adults. Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) has been the only potentially curative treatment for the majority of patients. The ability of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T-cell therapy directed against the CD19 antigen to induce durable remissions in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has provided optimism that this novel treatment paradigm can be extrapolated to AML. In this review, we provide an overview of candidate target antigens for CAR-T-cells in AML, an update on recent progress in preclinical and clinical development of investigational CAR-T-cell products, and discuss challenges for the clinical implementation of CAR-T-cell therapy in AML. Abstract Adoptive transfer of gene-engineered chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cells has emerged as a powerful immunotherapy for combating hematologic cancers. Several target antigens that are prevalently expressed on AML cells have undergone evaluation in preclinical CAR-T-cell testing. Attributes of an ‘ideal’ target antigen for CAR-T-cell therapy in AML include high-level expression on leukemic blasts and leukemic stem cells (LSCs), and absence on healthy tissues, normal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). In contrast to other blood cancer types, where CAR-T therapies are being similarly studied, only a rather small number of AML patients has received CAR-T-cell treatment in clinical trials, resulting in limited clinical experience for this therapeutic approach in AML. For curative AML treatment, abrogation of bulk blasts and LSCs is mandatory with the need for hematopoietic recovery after CAR-T administration. Herein, we provide a critical review of the current pipeline of candidate target antigens and corresponding CAR-T-cell products in AML, assess challenges for clinical translation and implementation in routine clinical practice, as well as perspectives for overcoming them.
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Abdelaal AM, Kasinski AL. Ligand-mediated delivery of RNAi-based therapeutics for the treatment of oncological diseases. NAR Cancer 2021; 3:zcab030. [PMID: 34316717 PMCID: PMC8291076 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcab030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi)-based therapeutics (miRNAs, siRNAs) have great potential for treating various human diseases through their ability to downregulate proteins associated with disease progression. However, the development of RNAi-based therapeutics is limited by lack of safe and specific delivery strategies. A great effort has been made to overcome some of these challenges resulting in development of N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) ligands that are being used for delivery of siRNAs for the treatment of diseases that affect the liver. The successes achieved using GalNAc-siRNAs have paved the way for developing RNAi-based delivery strategies that can target extrahepatic diseases including cancer. This includes targeting survival signals directly in the cancer cells and indirectly through targeting cancer-associated immunosuppressive cells. To achieve targeting specificity, RNAi molecules are being directly conjugated to a targeting ligand or being packaged into a delivery vehicle engineered to overexpress a targeting ligand on its surface. In both cases, the ligand binds to a cell surface receptor that is highly upregulated by the target cells, while not expressed, or expressed at low levels on normal cells. In this review, we summarize the most recent RNAi delivery strategies, including extracellular vesicles, that use a ligand-mediated approach for targeting various oncological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed M Abdelaal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA
| | - Andrea L Kasinski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA
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Lüke F, Harrer DC, Hahn J, Grube M, Pukrop T, Herr W, Reichle A, Heudobler D. Continuous Complete Remission in Two Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Severe Fungal Infection Following Short-Term, Dose-Reduced Chemotherapy. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:599552. [PMID: 34149402 PMCID: PMC8206565 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.599552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous remission in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a rare phenomenon, which typically involves a pattern of feverish or septic disease followed by quick but mostly transient remission. We report on two male patients (46-year-old (pt. 1) and 19-year-old (pt. 2)) with CD20 positive, BCR-ABL negative common B-ALL. Patient 1 had received dexamethasone and cyclophosphamide (1.2 g) as a prephase therapy, followed by rituximab and a cumulative dose of 200 mg daunorubicin combined with 2 mg vincristine as an induction therapy. Patient 2 was treated with a reduced therapy regimen (Vincristine 1 mg, dexamethasone and 80 mg daunorubicin, 12-month mercaptopurine maintenance) due to (alcohol-related) toxic liver failure and pontine myelinolysis. Both patients developed severe septic disease just few days into induction treatment. Patient 1 suffered from pulmonary mycosis, which had to be resected eventually. Histological work-up revealed invasive mucor mycosis. Patient 2 presented with elevated serum aspergillus antigen and radiographic pulmonary lesions, indicative of pulmonary mycosis. In both patients, chemotherapy had to be interrupted and could not be resumed. Both patients recovered under broad antimicrobial, antifungal and prophylactic antiviral therapy and achieved molecular complete remission. At data cut-off remissions had been on-going for 34 months (pt. 1) and 8 years (pt. 2). Short-term, reduced intensity induction chemotherapy accompanied by severe fungal infections was followed by long-lasting continuous complete remissions in ALL. Thus, we hypothesize that infection-associated immunogenic responses may not only prevent early relapse of ALL but could also eradicate minimal residual disease. The effects of combined cytotoxic therapy and severe infection may also be mimicked by biomodulatory treatment strategies aiming at reorganizing pathologically altered cellular signaling networks. This could reduce toxicity and comorbidity in adult patients requiring leukemia treatment. Therefore, these two cases should encourage systematic studies on how leukemia stroma interaction can be harnessed to achieve long lasting control of ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Lüke
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Dennis C Harrer
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Hahn
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Grube
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Pukrop
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Herr
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Albrecht Reichle
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Heudobler
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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21
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Tsuchiya H, Shiota G. Immune evasion by cancer stem cells. Regen Ther 2021; 17:20-33. [PMID: 33778133 PMCID: PMC7966825 DOI: 10.1016/j.reth.2021.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor immunity represents a new avenue for cancer therapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have successfully improved outcomes in several tumor types. In addition, currently, immune cell-based therapy is also attracting significant attention. However, the clinical efficacy of these treatments requires further improvement. The mechanisms through which cancer cells escape the immune response must be identified and clarified. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a central role in multiple aspects of malignant tumors. CSCs can initiate tumors in partially immunocompromised mice, whereas non-CSCs fail to form tumors, suggesting that tumor initiation is a definitive function of CSCs. However, the fact that non-CSCs also initiate tumors in more highly immunocompromised mice suggests that the immune evasion property may be a more fundamental feature of CSCs rather than a tumor-initiating property. In this review, we summarize studies that have elucidated how CSCs evade tumor immunity and create an immunosuppressive milieu with a focus on CSC-specific characteristics and functions. These profound mechanisms provide important clues for the development of novel tumor immunotherapies.
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Key Words
- ADCC, antibody-dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity
- ALDH, alcohol dehydrogenase
- AML, acute myeloid leukemia
- ARID3B, AT-rich interaction domain-containing protein 3B
- CCR7, C–C motif chemokine receptor 7
- CIK, cytokine-induced killer cell
- CMV, cytomegalovirus
- CSC, cancer stem cell
- CTL, cytotoxic T lymphocytes
- CTLA-4, cytotoxic T-cell-associated antigen-4
- Cancer stem cells
- DC, dendritic cell
- DNMT, DNA methyltransferase
- EMT, epithelial–mesenchymal transition
- ETO, fat mass and obesity associated protein
- EV, extracellular vesicle
- HNSCC, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
- Immune checkpoints
- Immune evasion
- KDM4, lysine-specific demethylase 4C
- KIR, killer immunoglobulin-like receptor
- LAG3, lymphocyte activation gene 3
- LILR, leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor
- LMP, low molecular weight protein
- LOX, lysyl oxidase
- MDSC, myeloid-derived suppressor cell
- MHC, major histocompatibility complex
- MIC, MHC class I polypeptide-related sequence
- NGF, nerve growth factor
- NK cells
- NK, natural killer
- NOD, nonobese diabetic
- NSG, NOD/SCID IL-2 receptor gamma chain null
- OCT4, octamer-binding transcription factor 4
- PD-1, programmed death receptor-1
- PD-L1/2, ligands 1/2
- PI9, protease inhibitor 9
- PSME3, proteasome activator subunit 3
- SCID, severe combined immunodeficient
- SOX2, sex determining region Y-box 2
- T cells
- TAM, tumor-associated macrophage
- TAP, transporter associated with antigen processing
- TCR, T cell receptor
- Treg, regulatory T cell
- ULBP, UL16 binding protein
- uPAR, urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Tsuchiya
- Division of Medical Genetics and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Genomic Medicine and Regenerative Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 86 Nishi-cho, Yonago, Tottori, 683-8503, Japan
| | - Goshi Shiota
- Division of Medical Genetics and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Genomic Medicine and Regenerative Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 86 Nishi-cho, Yonago, Tottori, 683-8503, Japan
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Liu H, Meng S, Yang N, Chen J, Yao H, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Lei B, Wang X, Chen S, Wang T, Wang Y, Wang J, Zhang W. Identification and functional study of novel oligonucleotides: CpG Seq 13 and CpG Seq 19. Immunotherapy 2021; 13:571-585. [PMID: 33781095 DOI: 10.2217/imt-2019-0197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: This study explored new immunoadjuvants with stronger immune activity to enhance therapeutic effects against leukemia. Materials & methods: Whole blood and bone marrow of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients and healthy volunteers were collected. Isolated mononuclear cells were treated with two newly designed CpG oligodeoxynucleotides, CpG sequence 13 and 19, and known CpG oligodeoxynucleotides and analyzed via flow cytometry. Results: CpG Seq 13 and 19 possess strong immune activation and enhance the proliferation, degranulation and cytotoxicity of T cells. They also inhibit AML cell proliferation. When CpG Seq 13/19 are combined with anti-OX40 antibodies, the cytotoxicity of T cells on AML cells are further enhanced. Conclusion: CpG Seq 13 and 19 are strong immune adjuvant candidates for AML treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailing Liu
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Shan Meng
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Nan Yang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Jinqiu Chen
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Huan Yao
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Bo Lei
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Xugeng Wang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Sheping Chen
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Yueli Wang
- Department of Hematology, South Hospital, Tongchuan People's Hospital, Tongchuan, 727000, China
| | - Jin Wang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Wanggang Zhang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
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23
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Swatler J, Turos-Korgul L, Kozlowska E, Piwocka K. Immunosuppressive Cell Subsets and Factors in Myeloid Leukemias. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13061203. [PMID: 33801964 PMCID: PMC7998753 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13061203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Effector immune system cells have the ability to kill tumor cells. However, as a cancer (such as leukemia) develops, it inhibits and evades the effector immune response. Such a state of immunosuppression can be driven by several factors – receptors, soluble cytokines, as well as by suppressive immune cells. In this review, we describe factors and cells that constitute immunosuppressive microenvironment of myeloid leukemias. We characterize factors of direct leukemic origin, such as inhibitory receptors, enzymes and extracellular vesicles. Furthermore, we describe suppressive immune cells, such as myeloid derived suppressor cells and regulatory T cells. Finally, we sum up changes in these drivers of immune evasion in myeloid leukemias during therapy. Abstract Both chronic myeloid leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia evade the immune response during their development and disease progression. As myeloid leukemia cells modify their bone marrow microenvironment, they lead to dysfunction of cytotoxic cells, such as CD8+ T cells or NK cells, simultaneously promoting development of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells and suppressive myeloid cells. This facilitates disease progression, spreading of leukemic blasts outside the bone marrow niche and therapy resistance. The following review focuses on main immunosuppressive features of myeloid leukemias. Firstly, factors derived directly from leukemic cells – inhibitory receptors, soluble factors and extracellular vesicles, are described. Further, we outline function, properties and origin of main immunosuppressive cells - regulatory T cells, myeloid derived suppressor cells and macrophages. Finally, we analyze interplay between recovery of effector immunity and therapeutic modalities, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors and chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Swatler
- Laboratory of Cytometry, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (J.S.); (L.T.-K.)
| | - Laura Turos-Korgul
- Laboratory of Cytometry, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (J.S.); (L.T.-K.)
| | - Ewa Kozlowska
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, University of Warsaw, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Katarzyna Piwocka
- Laboratory of Cytometry, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (J.S.); (L.T.-K.)
- Correspondence:
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24
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Zhou Y, Chen JJ. STAT3 plays an important role in DNA replication by turning on WDHD1. Cell Biosci 2021; 11:10. [PMID: 33413624 PMCID: PMC7792067 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-020-00524-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a transcription factor that plays a key role in many cellular processes such as cell growth and cancer. However, the functions and mechanisms by which STAT3 regulates cellular processes are not fully understood. RESULTS Here we describe a novel function of STAT3. We demonstrated that STAT3 plays an important role in DNA replication. Specifically, knockdown of STAT3 reduced DNA replication while activation and ectopic expression of STAT3 promoted DNA replication. We further identified the WD repeat and HMG-box DNA-binding protein 1 (WDHD1), which plays an important role in DNA replication initiation, as a novel STAT3 target gene that mediated the DNA replication function of STAT3. We showed that STAT3 bind the promoter/up regulatory region of WDHD1 gene. CONCLUSIONS These studies identified a novel function of STAT3 that is mediated by its newly identified target gene WDHD1 and have important implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunying Zhou
- Medical Research & Laboratory Diagnostic Center, Jinan Central Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Medical Research & Laboratory Diagnostic Center, Central Hospital Affiliated To Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.,The Cancer Research Center, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Jason J Chen
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China. .,The Cancer Research Center, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
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25
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Wang Z, Li K, Chen W, Wang X, Huang Y, Wang W, Wu W, Cai Z, Huang W. Modulation of SRSF2 expression reverses the exhaustion of TILs via the epigenetic regulation of immune checkpoint molecules. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:3441-3452. [PMID: 31838573 PMCID: PMC7426320 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03362-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The elevated expression of immune checkpoints by the tumor microenvironment is associated with poor prognosis in several cancers due to the exhaustion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and the effective suppression of the expression of these genes is key to reversing the exhaustion of TILs. Herein, we determined that serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 2 (SRSF2) is a target for blocking the tumor microenvironment-associated immunosuppressive effects. We found that the expression of SRSF2 was increased in exhausted T cells and that SRSF2 was involved in multiple immune checkpoint molecules mediating TILs' exhaustion. Furthermore, SRSF2 was revealed to regulate the transcription of these immune checkpoint genes by associating with an acyl-transferases P300/CBP complex and altering the H3K27Ac level near these genes, thereafter influencing the recruitment of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) to these gene promoters. Collectively, our data indicated that SRSF2 functions as a modulator of the anti-tumor response of T cells and may be a therapeutic target for reversing the exhaustion of TILs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqiang Wang
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, 518039, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology for Urogenital Tumors, Shenzhen, 518035, China
| | - Kun Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, The First Hospital Affiliated with Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, 518039, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology for Urogenital Tumors, Shenzhen, 518035, China
| | - Xiaoxia Wang
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, 518039, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology for Urogenital Tumors, Shenzhen, 518035, China
| | - Yikun Huang
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, 518039, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology for Urogenital Tumors, Shenzhen, 518035, China
| | - Weiming Wang
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, 518039, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology for Urogenital Tumors, Shenzhen, 518035, China
| | - Wanjun Wu
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, 518039, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology for Urogenital Tumors, Shenzhen, 518035, China
| | - Zhiming Cai
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, 518039, China.
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology for Urogenital Tumors, Shenzhen, 518035, China.
| | - Weiren Huang
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, 518039, China.
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology for Urogenital Tumors, Shenzhen, 518035, China.
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26
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Liu Y, Xu P, Liu H, Fang C, Guo H, Chen X, Tan M, Zhang Y, Min W. Silencing IDO2 in dendritic cells: A novel strategy to strengthen cancer immunotherapy in a murine lung cancer model. Int J Oncol 2020; 57:587-597. [PMID: 32468023 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2020.5073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
While dendritic cell (DC)‑based immunotherapy has achieved satisfactory results in animal models, its effects were not satisfactory as initially expected in clinical applications, despite the safety and varying degrees of effectiveness in various types of cancer. Improving the efficacy of the DC‑based vaccine is essential for cancer immunotherapy. The present study aimed to investigate methods with which to amplify and enhance the antitumor immune response of a DC‑based tumor vaccine by silencing the expression of indoleamine 2,3‑dioxygenase 2 (IDO2), a tryptophan rate‑limiting metabolic enzyme in DCs. In vitro experiments revealed that the silencing of IDO2 in DCs did not affect the differentiation of DCs, whereas it increased their expression of costimulatory molecules following stimulation with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‑α and tumor lysate from Lewis lung cancer (LLC) cells. In a mixed co‑culture system, the IDO2‑silenced DCs promoted the proliferation of T‑cells and reduced the induction of regulatory T‑cells (Tregs). Further in vivo experiments revealed that the silencing of IDO2 in DCs markedly suppressed the growth of tumor cells. Moreover, treatment with the IDO2‑silenced DC‑based cancer vaccine enhanced cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity, whereas it decreased T‑cell apoptosis and the percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs. On the whole, the present study provides evidence that the silencing of the tryptophan rate‑limiting metabolic enzyme, IDO2, has the potential to enhance the efficacy of DC‑based cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanling Liu
- Medical Laboratory, Jiangxi University of Technology, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330098, P.R. China
| | - Ping Xu
- Medical Laboratory, Jiangxi University of Technology, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330098, P.R. China
| | - Huan Liu
- Medical Laboratory, Jiangxi University of Technology, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330098, P.R. China
| | - Chunjuan Fang
- Medical Laboratory, Jiangxi University of Technology, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330098, P.R. China
| | - Haihe Guo
- Medical Laboratory, Jiangxi University of Technology, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330098, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoyan Chen
- Medical Laboratory, Jiangxi University of Technology, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330098, P.R. China
| | - Manman Tan
- Institute of Immunotherapy, Nanchang University and Jiangxi Academy of Medical Science, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330098, P.R. China
| | - Yujuan Zhang
- Institute of Immunotherapy, Nanchang University and Jiangxi Academy of Medical Science, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330098, P.R. China
| | - Weiping Min
- Institute of Immunotherapy, Nanchang University and Jiangxi Academy of Medical Science, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330098, P.R. China
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Zhou B, Yan J, Guo L, Zhang B, Liu S, Yu M, Chen Z, Zhang K, Zhang W, Li X, Xu Y, Xiao Y, Zhou J, Fan J, Hung MC, Li H, Ye Q. Hepatoma cell-intrinsic TLR9 activation induces immune escape through PD-L1 upregulation in hepatocellular carcinoma. Theranostics 2020; 10:6530-6543. [PMID: 32483468 PMCID: PMC7255037 DOI: 10.7150/thno.44417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A TLR9 agonist in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor produced powerful antitumor responses in a clinical trial despite TLR9 agonists as monotherapies failing to generate systemic antitumor immune responses due to immunosuppressive effects. However, the mechanism involved in the improved response induced by their combination remains unknown. Methods: Subcutaneous and orthotopic Hepa1-6 tumor model was used for single-drug and combined-drug treatment. We used TLR9 agonist stimulation or lentiviral vectors to overexpress TLR9 and activate TLR9 signaling. We next investigated the crosstalk between PARP1 autoPARylation and ubiquitination and between STAT3 PARylation and phosphorylation mediated by TLR9. Tissue chips were used to analyze the relationships among TLR9, PARP1, p-STAT3 and PD-L1 expression. Results: In this study, we found that the TLR9 agonist in combination with anti-PD-1 therapy or anti-PD-L1 therapy yielded an additive effect that inhibited HCC growth in mice. Mechanistically, we found that TLR9 promoted PD-L1 transcription by enhancing STAT3 Tyr705 phosphorylation. Then, we observed that TLR9 negatively regulated PARP1 expression, which mediated a decrease in STAT3 PARylation and an increase in STAT3 Tyr705 phosphorylation. Moreover, we found that TLR9 enhanced PARP1 autoPARylation by inhibiting PARG expression, which then promoted the RNF146-mediated ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of PARP1. Finally, we observed positive associations between TLR9 and p-STAT3 (Tyr705) or PD-L1 expression and negative associations between TLR9 and PARP1 in HCC patient samples. Conclusions: We showed that hepatoma cell-intrinsic TLR9 activation regulated the crosstalk between PARP1 autoPARylation and ubiquitination and between STAT3 PARylation and phosphorylation, which together upregulated PD-L1 expression and finally induces immune escape. Therefore, combination therapy with a TLR9 agonist and an anti-PD-1 antibody or anti-PD-L1 had much better antitumor efficacy than either monotherapy in HCC.
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28
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A self-designed CpG ODN enhanced the anti-melanoma effect of pimozide. Int Immunopharmacol 2020; 83:106397. [PMID: 32220805 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2020.106397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Melanomas represent the deadliest form of skin cancers. Due to the intricacy of tumorigenesis, it is emergent to find effective therapies for melanomas. Researches have proved that pimozide inhibits the growth of melanoma, but the limited curing effect needs to be further improved. Nowadays, tumor immunotherapy has been widely recognized as the sole therapy that can eradicate cancers. Cytosine-phosphate-guanine oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG ODN), TLR9 receptor agonist, can significantly enhance anti-tumor immune responses. This study explored the therapeutic effect of pimozide combined with CpG ODN on melanoma-bearing mice. The results showed that pimozide combined with CpG ODN effectively inhibited the growth of melanoma and prolonged the survival of melanoma-bearing mice, inhibited the expression of MMP2 and p-Stat5, increased the infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in tumor, raised the ratios of CD4+, CD8+ T cells and NK cells. These all indicated that the combination treatment improved the anti-tumor effect of pimozide on mice. The anti-tumor mechanism might be attributed to cell apoptosis induction, invasion inhibition, and immune regulation. A more effective combination treatment concerning with pimozide is being under investigation.
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mTOR and STAT3 Pathway Hyper-Activation is Associated with Elevated Interleukin-6 Levels in Patients with Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome: Further Evidence of Lymphoid Lineage Impairment. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12030597. [PMID: 32150944 PMCID: PMC7139896 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12030597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Shwachman–Diamond syndrome (SDS) is a rare inherited bone marrow failure syndrome, resulting in neutropenia and a risk of myeloid neoplasia. A mutation in a ribosome maturation factor accounts for almost all of the cases. Lymphoid involvement in SDS has not been well characterized. We recently reported that lymphocyte subpopulations are reduced in SDS patients. We have also shown that the mTOR-STAT3 pathway is hyper-activated in SDS myeloid cell populations. Here we show that mTOR-STAT3 signaling is markedly upregulated in the lymphoid compartment of SDS patients. Furthermore, our data reveal elevated IL-6 levels in cellular supernatants obtained from lymphoblasts, bone marrow mononuclear and mesenchymal stromal cells, and plasma samples obtained from a cohort of 10 patients. Of note, everolimus-mediated inhibition of mTOR signaling is associated with basal state of phosphorylated STAT3. Finally, inhibition of mTOR-STAT3 pathway activation leads to normalization of IL-6 expression in SDS cells. Altogether, our data strengthen the hypothesis that SDS affects both lymphoid and myeloid blood compartment and suggest everolimus as a potential therapeutic agent to reduce excessive mTOR-STAT3 activation in SDS.
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Huang R, Jing X, Huang X, Pan Y, Fang Y, Liang G, Liao Z, Wang H, Chen Z, Zhang Y. Bifunctional Naphthoquinone Aromatic Amide-Oxime Derivatives Exert Combined Immunotherapeutic and Antitumor Effects through Simultaneous Targeting of Indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase and Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3. J Med Chem 2020; 63:1544-1563. [PMID: 31999451 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) are important targets in the tumor microenvironment for cancer therapy. In the present study, a set of naphthoquinone aromatic amide-oxime derivatives were designed, which stimulated the immune response via IDO1 inhibition and simultaneously displayed powerful antitumor activity against three selected cancer cell lines through suppressing STAT3 signaling. The representative compound 8u bound effectively to IDO1, with greater inhibitory activity relative to the commercial IDO1 inhibitor 4-amino-N-(3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)-N'-hydroxy-1,2,5-oxadiazole-3-carboximidamide (IDO5L) in addition to the efficient suppression of nuclear translocation of STAT3. Consistently, in vivo assays demonstrated a higher antiproliferative activity of compound 8u in both wild-type B16-F10 isograft tumors and an athymic HepG2 xenograft model relative to 1-methyl-l-tryptophan (1-MT) and doxorubicin (DOX). This bifunctional compound with dual immunotherapeutic and anticancer efficacy may represent a new generation of highly efficacious drug candidates for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rizhen Huang
- State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Ministry of Education of China) , School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Guangxi Normal University , Guilin 541004 , China.,School of Pharmacy , Guilin Medical University , Guilin 541004 , China.,Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Southeast University , Nanjing 211189 , China
| | - Xiaoteng Jing
- State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Ministry of Education of China) , School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Guangxi Normal University , Guilin 541004 , China
| | - Xiaochao Huang
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Southeast University , Nanjing 211189 , China
| | - Yingming Pan
- State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Ministry of Education of China) , School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Guangxi Normal University , Guilin 541004 , China
| | - Yilin Fang
- State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Ministry of Education of China) , School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Guangxi Normal University , Guilin 541004 , China
| | - Guibin Liang
- State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Ministry of Education of China) , School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Guangxi Normal University , Guilin 541004 , China
| | - Zhixin Liao
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Southeast University , Nanjing 211189 , China
| | - Hengshan Wang
- State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Ministry of Education of China) , School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Guangxi Normal University , Guilin 541004 , China
| | - Zhenfeng Chen
- State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Ministry of Education of China) , School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Guangxi Normal University , Guilin 541004 , China
| | - Ye Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Ministry of Education of China) , School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Guangxi Normal University , Guilin 541004 , China.,School of Pharmacy , Guilin Medical University , Guilin 541004 , China
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Verhoeven Y, Tilborghs S, Jacobs J, De Waele J, Quatannens D, Deben C, Prenen H, Pauwels P, Trinh XB, Wouters A, Smits EL, Lardon F, van Dam PA. The potential and controversy of targeting STAT family members in cancer. Semin Cancer Biol 2020; 60:41-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2019.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Brachet-Botineau M, Polomski M, Neubauer HA, Juen L, Hédou D, Viaud-Massuard MC, Prié G, Gouilleux F. Pharmacological Inhibition of Oncogenic STAT3 and STAT5 Signaling in Hematopoietic Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E240. [PMID: 31963765 PMCID: PMC7016966 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12010240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) 3 and 5 are important effectors of cellular transformation, and aberrant STAT3 and STAT5 signaling have been demonstrated in hematopoietic cancers. STAT3 and STAT5 are common targets for different tyrosine kinase oncogenes (TKOs). In addition, STAT3 and STAT5 proteins were shown to contain activating mutations in some rare but aggressive leukemias/lymphomas. Both proteins also contribute to drug resistance in hematopoietic malignancies and are now well recognized as major targets in cancer treatment. The development of inhibitors targeting STAT3 and STAT5 has been the subject of intense investigations during the last decade. This review summarizes the current knowledge of oncogenic STAT3 and STAT5 functions in hematopoietic cancers as well as advances in preclinical and clinical development of pharmacological inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Brachet-Botineau
- Leukemic Niche and Oxidative metabolism (LNOx), CNRS ERL 7001, University of Tours, 37000 Tours, France;
| | - Marion Polomski
- Innovation Moléculaire et Thérapeutique (IMT), EA 7501, University of Tours, 37000 Tours, France; (M.P.); (L.J.); (D.H.); (M.-C.V.-M.); (G.P.)
| | - Heidi A. Neubauer
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, A-1210 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Ludovic Juen
- Innovation Moléculaire et Thérapeutique (IMT), EA 7501, University of Tours, 37000 Tours, France; (M.P.); (L.J.); (D.H.); (M.-C.V.-M.); (G.P.)
| | - Damien Hédou
- Innovation Moléculaire et Thérapeutique (IMT), EA 7501, University of Tours, 37000 Tours, France; (M.P.); (L.J.); (D.H.); (M.-C.V.-M.); (G.P.)
| | - Marie-Claude Viaud-Massuard
- Innovation Moléculaire et Thérapeutique (IMT), EA 7501, University of Tours, 37000 Tours, France; (M.P.); (L.J.); (D.H.); (M.-C.V.-M.); (G.P.)
| | - Gildas Prié
- Innovation Moléculaire et Thérapeutique (IMT), EA 7501, University of Tours, 37000 Tours, France; (M.P.); (L.J.); (D.H.); (M.-C.V.-M.); (G.P.)
| | - Fabrice Gouilleux
- Leukemic Niche and Oxidative metabolism (LNOx), CNRS ERL 7001, University of Tours, 37000 Tours, France;
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Beird HC, Khan M, Wang F, Alfayez M, Cai T, Zhao L, Khoury J, Futreal PA, Konopleva M, Pemmaraju N. Features of non-activation dendritic state and immune deficiency in blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN). Blood Cancer J 2019; 9:99. [PMID: 31811114 PMCID: PMC6898719 DOI: 10.1038/s41408-019-0262-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare, male-predominant hematologic malignancy with poor outcomes and with just one recently approved agent (tagraxofusp). It is characterized by the abnormal proliferation of precursor plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) with morphologic and molecular similarities to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)/chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) in its presentation within the bone marrow and peripheral blood. To identify disease-specific molecular features of BPDCN, we profiled the bone marrow, peripheral blood, and serum samples from primary patient samples using an in-house hematologic malignancy panel ("T300" panel), transcriptome microarray, and serum multiplex immunoassays. TET2 mutations (5/8, 63%) were the most prevalent in our cohort. Using the transcriptome microarray, genes specific to pDCs (LAMP5, CCDC50) were more highly expressed in BPDCN than in AML specimens. Finally, the serum cytokine profile analysis showed significantly elevated levels of eosinophil chemoattractants eotaxin and RANTES in BPDCN as compared with AML. Along with the high levels of PTPRS and dendritic nature of the tumor cells, these findings suggest a possible pre-inflammatory context of this disease, in which BPDCN features nonactivated pDCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah C Beird
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maliha Khan
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Feng Wang
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mansour Alfayez
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Tianyu Cai
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Li Zhao
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Joseph Khoury
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - P Andrew Futreal
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Marina Konopleva
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Naveen Pemmaraju
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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Su YL, Swiderski P, Marcucci G, Kortylewski M. Targeted Delivery of miRNA Antagonists to Myeloid Cells In Vitro and In Vivo. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1974:141-150. [PMID: 31099000 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9220-1_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Elevated levels of microRNAs in cancer cells are often associated with oncogenic effects and thus provide potential therapeutic targets. However, the lack of efficient delivery methods for synthetic miRNA inhibitors, antagomiR, or anti-miR oligonucleotides hindered clinical translation of such strategies. We recently developed an approach for targeted delivery of synthetic, 2'-O-methyl-modified antagomiR molecules to normal and malignant myeloid cells and B cells by tethering to the single-stranded, phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides (PSO). The PSO-antagomiR are rapidly internalized through scavenger receptor-mediated endocytosis by human monocytes, dendritic cells, B cells, as well as myeloid leukemia and B-cell lymphoma cells, but not by T cells. Following internalization, the unformulated PSO-antagomiR potently reduces levels of target miRNA and modulates expression of downstream protein targets, both in vitro and in vivo. The simple design of PSO-antagomiR conjugates enable adaptation of this strategy for targeting oncogenic miRNAs in nonmalignant and malignant myeloid cells and B cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Lin Su
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Piotr Swiderski
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Guido Marcucci
- Hematologic Malignancies, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Marcin Kortylewski
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA.
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Abstract
The RNA interference (RNAi) pathway regulates mRNA stability and translation in nearly all human cells. Small double-stranded RNA molecules can efficiently trigger RNAi silencing of specific genes, but their therapeutic use has faced numerous challenges involving safety and potency. However, August 2018 marked a new era for the field, with the US Food and Drug Administration approving patisiran, the first RNAi-based drug. In this Review, we discuss key advances in the design and development of RNAi drugs leading up to this landmark achievement, the state of the current clinical pipeline and prospects for future advances, including novel RNAi pathway agents utilizing mechanisms beyond post-translational RNAi silencing.
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Targeting STAT3 in Cancer with Nucleotide Therapeutics. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11111681. [PMID: 31671769 PMCID: PMC6896109 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11111681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) plays a critical role in promoting the proliferation and survival of tumor cells. As a ubiquitously-expressed transcription factor, STAT3 has commonly been considered an "undruggable" target for therapy; thus, much research has focused on targeting upstream pathways to reduce the expression or phosphorylation/activation of STAT3 in tumor cells. Recently, however, novel approaches have been developed to directly inhibit STAT3 in human cancers, in the hope of reducing the survival and proliferation of tumor cells. Several of these agents are nucleic acid-based, including the antisense molecule AZD9150, CpG-coupled STAT3 siRNA, G-quartet oligodeoxynucleotides (GQ-ODNs), and STAT3 decoys. While the AZD9150 and CpG-STAT3 siRNA interfere with STAT3 expression, STAT3 decoys and GQ-ODNs target constitutively activated STAT3 and modulate its ability to bind to target genes. Both STAT3 decoy and AZD9150 have advanced to clinical testing in humans. Here we will review the current understanding of the structures, mechanisms, and potential clinical utilities of the nucleic acid-based STAT3 inhibitors.
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JAKs to STATs: A tantalizing therapeutic target in acute myeloid leukemia. Blood Rev 2019; 40:100634. [PMID: 31677846 DOI: 10.1016/j.blre.2019.100634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The Janus Associated Kinase-Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in hematopoietic growth factor signaling. Hyperactive JAK-STAT signaling is implicated in the pathogenesis of myeloid malignancies, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The significant headway in understanding the biology of AML has led to an explosion of novel therapeutics with mechanistic rationale for the treatment of newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory (R/R) AML. Most importantly, selective targeting of the JAK-STAT pathway has proven to be an effective therapeutic strategy in myeloproliferative neoplasms and is also being evaluated in related myeloid malignancies, including AML. This comprehensive review will focus on the apparent and evolving potential of JAK-STAT pathway inhibition in AML with emphasis on JAK inhibitors, highlighting both success and failure with this experimental approach in the clinic, and identifying rationally based combinatorial approaches.
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Höpken UE, Rehm A. Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment of Leukemia and Lymphoma. Trends Cancer 2019; 5:351-364. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2019.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Chernikov IV, Vlassov VV, Chernolovskaya EL. Current Development of siRNA Bioconjugates: From Research to the Clinic. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:444. [PMID: 31105570 PMCID: PMC6498891 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) acting via RNA interference mechanisms are able to recognize a homologous mRNA sequence in the cell and induce its degradation. The main problems in the development of siRNA-based drugs for therapeutic use are the low efficiency of siRNA delivery to target cells and the degradation of siRNAs by nucleases in biological fluids. Various approaches have been proposed to solve the problem of siRNA delivery in vivo (e.g., viruses, cationic lipids, polymers, nanoparticles), but all have limitations for therapeutic use. One of the most promising approaches to solve the problem of siRNA delivery to target cells is bioconjugation; i.e., the covalent connection of siRNAs with biogenic molecules (lipophilic molecules, antibodies, aptamers, ligands, peptides, or polymers). Bioconjugates are "ideal nanoparticles" since they do not need a positive charge to form complexes, are less toxic, and are less effectively recognized by components of the immune system because of their small size. This review is focused on strategies and principles for constructing siRNA bioconjugates for in vivo use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan V Chernikov
- Laboratory of Nucleic Acids Biochemistry, Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Valentin V Vlassov
- Laboratory of Nucleic Acids Biochemistry, Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Elena L Chernolovskaya
- Laboratory of Nucleic Acids Biochemistry, Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
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Ramishetti S, Peer D. Engineering lymphocytes with RNAi. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2019; 141:55-66. [PMID: 30529305 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Lymphocytes are the gatekeepers of the body's immune system and are involved in pathogenesis if their surveillance is stalled by inhibitory molecules or when they act as mediators for viral entry. Engineering lymphocytes in order to restore their functions is an unmet need in immunological disorders, cancer and in lymphotropic viral infections. Recently, the FDA approved several therapeutic antibodies for blocking inhibitory signals on T cells. This has revolutionized the field of solid tumor care, together with chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy that did the same for hematological malignancies. RNA interference (RNAi) is a promising approach where gene function can be inhibited in almost all types of cells. However, manipulation of genes in lymphocyte subsets are difficult due to their hard-to-transfect nature and in vivo targeting remains challenging as they are dispersed throughout the body. The ability of RNAi molecules to gain entry into cells is almost impossible without delivery strategy. Nanotechnology approaches are rapidly growing and their impact in the field of drug and gene delivery applications to transport payloads inside cells have been extensively studied. Here we discuss various technologies available for RNAi delivery to lymphocytes. We shed light on the importance of targeting molecules in order to target lymphocytes in vivo. In addition, we discuss recent developments of RNAi delivery to lymphocyte subsets, and detail the potential implication for the future of molecular medicine in leukocytes implicated diseases.
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Moreira D, Adamus T, Zhao X, Su YL, Zhang Z, White SV, Swiderski P, Lu X, DePinho RA, Pal SK, Kortylewski M. STAT3 Inhibition Combined with CpG Immunostimulation Activates Antitumor Immunity to Eradicate Genetically Distinct Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancers. Clin Cancer Res 2018; 24:5948-5962. [PMID: 30337279 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-18-1277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Prostate cancers show remarkable resistance to emerging immunotherapies, partly due to tolerogenic STAT3 signaling in tumor-associated myeloid cells. Here, we describe a novel strategy combining STAT3 inhibition with Toll-like Receptor 9 (TLR9) stimulation to unleash immune response against prostate cancers regardless of the genetic background. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We developed and validated a conjugate of the STAT3 antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) tethered to immunostimulatory TLR9 agonist (CpG oligonucleotide) to improve targeting of human and mouse prostate cancer and myeloid immune cells, such as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC). RESULTS CpG-STAT3ASO conjugates showed improved biodistribution and potency of STAT3 knockdown in target cells in vitro and in vivo. Systemic administration of CpG-STAT3ASO (5 mg/kg) eradicated bone-localized, Ras/Myc-driven, and Ptenpc -/- Smad4pc -/- Trp53c -/- prostate tumors in the majority of treated mice. These antitumor effects were primarily immune-mediated and correlated with an increased ratio of CD8+ to regulatory T cells and reduced pSTAT3+/PD-L1+ MDSCs. Both innate and adaptive immunity contributed to systemic antitumor responses as verified by the depletion of Gr1+ myeloid cells and CD8+ and CD4+ T cells, respectively. Importantly, only the bifunctional CpG-STAT3ASO, but not control CpG oligonucleotides, STAT3ASO alone, or the coinjection of both oligonucleotides, succeeded in recruiting neutrophils and CD8+ T cells into tumors. Thus, the concurrence of TLR9 activation with STAT3 inhibition in the same cellular compartment is indispensable for overcoming tumor immune tolerance and effective antitumor immunity against prostate cancer. CONCLUSIONS The bifunctional, immunostimulatory, and tolerance-breaking design of CpG-STAT3ASO offers a blueprint for the development of effective and safer oligonucleotide strategies for treatment of immunologically "cold" human cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dayson Moreira
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, California
| | - Tomasz Adamus
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, California
| | - Xingli Zhao
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, California
| | - Yu-Lin Su
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, California
| | - Zhuoran Zhang
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, California
| | - Seok Voon White
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, California
| | - Piotr Swiderski
- DNA/RNA Synthesis Core Laboratory, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, California
| | - Xin Lu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana
| | - Ronald A DePinho
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Sumanta K Pal
- Medical Oncology and Experimental Therapeutics, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, California.
| | - Marcin Kortylewski
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, California. .,Center for Gene Therapy, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, California
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STAT3 in Breast Cancer Onset and Progression: A Matter of Time and Context. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19092818. [PMID: 30231553 PMCID: PMC6163512 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19092818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is responsible for mediating the transcriptional programs downstream of several cytokine, growth factor, and oncogenic stimuli. Its expression and activity are consistently linked to cellular transformation, as well as tumor initiation and progression. Due to this central role, STAT3 is widely considered a good target for anti-cancer therapy; however, the success of these approaches has been, so far, very limited. Notably, on one side, STAT3 is aberrantly active in many breast cancers, on the other, at the physiological level, it is the main mediator of epithelial cell death during post-lactation mammary-gland involution, thus strongly suggesting that its biological functions are highly context-specific. One of the most peculiar features of STAT3 is that it can act both in cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous manners, simultaneously modulating the phenotypes of the tumor cells and their microenvironment. Here, we focus on the role of STAT3 in breast cancer progression, discussing the potential contrasting roles of STAT3 activation in the establishment of locally recurrent and distant metastatic disease. Based on the most recent literature, depending on the tumor cell type, the local microenvironment status, and the stage of the disease, either STAT3 activation or inactivation can support disease progression. Accordingly, cancer cells dynamically exploit STAT3 activity to carry out transcriptional programs somehow contrasting and complementary, such as supporting survival and growth, dormancy and awakening, stem cell-like features, and inflammation, immune response, and immune evasion. As a consequence, to achieve clinical efficacy, the conception and testing of anti-STAT3 targeted therapies will need a very careful evaluation of these opposing roles and of the most appropriate tumor context, disease stage and patient population to treat.
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Su YL, Banerjee S, White SV, Kortylewski M. STAT3 in Tumor-Associated Myeloid Cells: Multitasking to Disrupt Immunity. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19061803. [PMID: 29921770 PMCID: PMC6032252 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19061803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Myeloid immune cells, such as dendritic cells, monocytes, and macrophages, play a central role in the generation of immune responses and thus are often either disabled or even hijacked by tumors. These new tolerogenic activities of tumor-associated myeloid cells are controlled by an oncogenic transcription factor, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). STAT3 multitasks to ensure tumors escape immune detection by impairing antigen presentation and reducing production of immunostimulatory molecules while augmenting the release of tolerogenic mediators, thereby reducing innate and adaptive antitumor immunity. Tumor-associated myeloid cells and STAT3 signaling in this compartment are now commonly recognized as an attractive cellular target for improving efficacy of standard therapies and immunotherapies. Hereby, we review the importance and functional complexity of STAT3 signaling in this immune cell compartment as well as potential strategies for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Lin Su
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, 91010 CA, USA.
| | - Shuvomoy Banerjee
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, 91010 CA, USA.
| | - Seok Voon White
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, 91010 CA, USA.
| | - Marcin Kortylewski
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, 91010 CA, USA.
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Abstract
The IL-6/JAK/STAT3 pathway is aberrantly hyperactivated in many types of cancer, and such hyperactivation is generally associated with a poor clinical prognosis. In the tumour microenvironment, IL-6/JAK/STAT3 signalling acts to drive the proliferation, survival, invasiveness, and metastasis of tumour cells, while strongly suppressing the antitumour immune response. Thus, treatments that target the IL-6/JAK/STAT3 pathway in patients with cancer are poised to provide therapeutic benefit by directly inhibiting tumour cell growth and by stimulating antitumour immunity. Agents targeting IL-6, the IL-6 receptor, or JAKs have already received FDA approval for the treatment of inflammatory conditions or myeloproliferative neoplasms and for the management of certain adverse effects of chimeric antigen receptor T cells, and are being further evaluated in patients with haematopoietic malignancies and in those with solid tumours. Novel inhibitors of the IL-6/JAK/STAT3 pathway, including STAT3-selective inhibitors, are currently in development. Herein, we review the role of IL-6/JAK/STAT3 signalling in the tumour microenvironment and the status of preclinical and clinical investigations of agents targeting this pathway. We also discuss the potential of combining IL-6/JAK/STAT3 inhibitors with currently approved therapeutic agents directed against immune-checkpoint inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E. Johnson
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rachel A. O’Keefe
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer R. Grandis
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Soldevilla MM, Pastor F. Decoy-Based, Targeted Inhibition of STAT3: A New Step forward for B Cell Lymphoma Immunotherapy. Mol Ther 2018; 26:675-677. [PMID: 29475733 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2018.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mario M Soldevilla
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Center for Applied Medical Research, CIMA, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Fernando Pastor
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Center for Applied Medical Research, CIMA, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain.
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Zhao X, Zhang Z, Moreira D, Su YL, Won H, Adamus T, Dong Z, Liang Y, Yin HH, Swiderski P, Pillai RK, Kwak L, Forman S, Kortylewski M. B Cell Lymphoma Immunotherapy Using TLR9-Targeted Oligonucleotide STAT3 Inhibitors. Mol Ther 2018; 26:695-707. [PMID: 29433938 PMCID: PMC5910676 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2018.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence links the aggressiveness of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, especially the activated B cell-like type diffuse large B cell lymphomas (ABC-DLBCLs) to Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9)/MyD88 and STAT3 transcription factor signaling. Here, we describe a dual-function molecule consisting of a clinically relevant TLR9 agonist (CpG7909) and a STAT3 inhibitor in the form of a high-affinity decoy oligodeoxynucleotide (dODN). The CpG-STAT3dODN blocked STAT3 DNA binding and activity, thus reducing expression of downstream target genes, such as MYC and BCL2L1, in human and mouse lymphoma cells. We further demonstrated that injections (i.v.) of CpG-STAT3dODN inhibited growth of human OCI-Ly3 lymphoma in immunodeficient mice. Moreover, systemic CpG-STAT3dODN administration induced complete regression of the syngeneic A20 lymphoma, resulting in long-term survival of immunocompetent mice. Both TLR9 stimulation and concurrent STAT3 inhibition were critical for immune-mediated therapeutic effects, since neither CpG7909 alone nor CpG7909 co-injected with unconjugated STAT3dODN extended mouse survival. The CpG-STAT3dODN induced expression of genes critical to antigen-processing/presentation and Th1 cell activation while suppressing survival signaling. These effects resulted in the generation of lymphoma cell-specific CD8/CD4-dependent T cell immunity protecting mice from tumor rechallenge. Our results suggest that CpG-STAT3dODN as a systemic/local monotherapy or in combination with PD1 blockade can provide an opportunity for treating patients with B cell NHL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingli Zhao
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China
| | - Zhuoran Zhang
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Dayson Moreira
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Yu-Lin Su
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Haejung Won
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Tomasz Adamus
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Zhenyuan Dong
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Yong Liang
- DNA/RNA Synthesis Core Facility, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Hongwei H Yin
- Molecular Pathology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Piotr Swiderski
- DNA/RNA Synthesis Core Facility, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Raju K Pillai
- Molecular Pathology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Larry Kwak
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Stephen Forman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Marcin Kortylewski
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.
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Marcucci F, Rumio C, Corti A. Tumor cell-associated immune checkpoint molecules - Drivers of malignancy and stemness. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2017; 1868:571-583. [PMID: 29056539 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2017.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Inhibitory or stimulatory immune checkpoint molecules are expressed on a sizeable fraction of tumor cells in different tumor types. It was thought that the main function of tumor cell-associated immune checkpoint molecules would be the modulation (down- or upregulation) of antitumor immune responses. In recent years, however, it has become clear that the expression of immune checkpoint molecules on tumor cells has important consequences on the biology of the tumor cells themselves. In particular, a causal relationship between the expression of these molecules and the acquisition of malignant traits has been demonstrated. Thus, immune checkpoint molecules have been shown to promote the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of tumor cells, the acquisition of tumor-initiating potential and resistance to apoptosis and antitumor drugs, as well as the propensity to disseminate and metastasize. Herein, we review this evidence, with a main focus on PD-L1, the most intensively investigated tumor cell-associated immune checkpoint molecule and for which most information is available. Then, we discuss more concisely other tumor cell-associated immune checkpoint molecules that have also been shown to induce the acquisition of malignant traits, such as PD-1, B7-H3, B7-H4, Tim-3, CD70, CD28, CD137, CD40 and CD47. Open questions in this field as well as some therapeutic approaches that can be derived from this knowledge, are also addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Marcucci
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, via Trentacoste 2, Milan, Italy.
| | - Cristiano Rumio
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, via Trentacoste 2, Milan, Italy.
| | - Angelo Corti
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, DIBIT-Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina 58, Milan, Italy.
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Tan M, Rong Y, Su Q, Chen Y. Artesunate induces apoptosis via inhibition of STAT3 in THP-1 cells. Leuk Res 2017; 62:98-103. [PMID: 29031126 DOI: 10.1016/j.leukres.2017.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Revised: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Our objective was to explore STAT3 expression in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), assess the anti-proliferative effects of artesunate (ART) on THP-1 cells in vivo and in vitro, and investigate the underlying mechanisms. METHODS In this study, we examined 30 patients with acute myeloid leukaemia diagnosed in our hospital from January 2015 to January 2016. The 20 control group patients had non-haematological diseases and were hospitalized for the same period. We extracted 2ml bone marrow, separated the mononuclear cells, obtained total proteins, and detected STAT3 protein levels with Western blot analyses. The THP-1 cells were treated with different concentrations of ART(0, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200μM). Then, THP-1 cell viability was detected with CCK-8 assays, apoptosis was measured with flow cytometry, and the STAT3, caspase-3 and caspase-8 protein levels were assessed using Western blot analyses. THP-1 cells in logarithmic growth phase were subcutaneously injected into the necks of 5-week-old nude mice. The control group was subcutaneously injected with 0.1ml PBS. After the nude mouse tumours grew, the mice were divided into the control group and drug intervention groups (ART 100μM group, ART 200μM group). The mice in the intervention groups were intraperitoneally injected with ART, and the control group was injected with the same amount of normal saline. Then, changes in the tumours were observed. After the drug intervention, the total protein was extracted, and STAT3 expression was detected by Western blot analysis. RESULTS Compared with the control group, the AML patients had significantly increased STAT3 protein levels (P<0.01). ART significantly inhibited the proliferation of THP-1 cells in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. ART also increased THP-1cell apoptosis. After treatment with ART, STAT3 protein was significantly down-regulated, and apoptosis of the cells was induced by the activation of caspase-3 and caspse-8. CONCLUSION AML patients had higher expression of STAT3 than that of the controls. ART induced apoptosis in THP-1 cells and inhibited the growth of xenografts in nude mice, and we also observed that ART down-regulated the expression of STAT3 and activated the caspase-3 and caspase-8. We speculated that the effect of ART on THP-1 cells may be related to inhibition of STAT3 and activation of caspase3 and caspase-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Tan
- Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Ying Rong
- Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Qiong Su
- Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College, Zunyi, Guizhou, China.
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Kondo K, Shaim H, Thompson PA, Burger JA, Keating M, Estrov Z, Harris D, Kim E, Ferrajoli A, Daher M, Basar R, Muftuoglu M, Imahashi N, Alsuliman A, Sobieski C, Gokdemir E, Wierda W, Jain N, Liu E, Shpall EJ, Rezvani K. Ibrutinib modulates the immunosuppressive CLL microenvironment through STAT3-mediated suppression of regulatory B-cell function and inhibition of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. Leukemia 2017; 32:960-970. [PMID: 28972595 DOI: 10.1038/leu.2017.304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Ibrutinib, a covalent inhibitor of Bruton Tyrosine Kinase (BTK), is approved for treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory or treatment-naïve chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Besides directly inhibiting BTK, ibrutinib possesses immunomodulatory properties through targeting multiple signaling pathways. Understanding how this ancillary property of ibrutinib modifies the CLL microenvironment is crucial for further exploration of immune responses in this disease and devising future combination therapies. Here, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the immunomodulatory properties of ibrutinib. In peripheral blood samples collected prospectively from CLL patients treated with ibrutinib monotherapy, we observed selective and durable downregulation of PD-L1 on CLL cells by 3 months post-treatment. Further analysis showed that this effect was mediated through inhibition of the constitutively active signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in CLL cells. Similar downregulation of PD-1 was observed in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. We also demonstrated reduced interleukin (IL)-10 production by CLL cells in patients receiving ibrutinib, which was also linked to suppression of STAT3 phosphorylation. Taken together, these findings provide a mechanistic basis for immunomodulation by ibrutinib through inhibition of the STAT3 pathway, critical in inducing and sustaining tumor immune tolerance. The data also merit testing of combination treatments combining ibrutinib with agents capable of augmenting its immunomodulatory effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Kondo
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - H Shaim
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - P A Thompson
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - J A Burger
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - M Keating
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Z Estrov
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - D Harris
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - E Kim
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - A Ferrajoli
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - M Daher
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - R Basar
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - M Muftuoglu
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - N Imahashi
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - A Alsuliman
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - C Sobieski
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - E Gokdemir
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - W Wierda
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - N Jain
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - E Liu
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - E J Shpall
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - K Rezvani
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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Functionalized bioengineered spider silk spheres improve nuclease resistance and activity of oligonucleotide therapeutics providing a strategy for cancer treatment. Acta Biomater 2017; 59:221-233. [PMID: 28694238 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2017.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cell-selective delivery and sensitivity to serum nucleases remain major hurdles to the clinical application of RNA-based oligonucleotide therapeutics, such as siRNA. Spider silk shows great potential as a biomaterial due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability. Self-assembling properties of silk proteins allow for processing into several different morphologies such as fibers, scaffolds, films, hydrogels, capsules and spheres. Moreover, bioengineering of spider silk protein sequences can functionalize silk by adding peptide moieties with specific features including binding or cell recognition domains. We demonstrated that modification of silk protein by adding the nucleic acid binding domain enabled the development of a novel oligonucleotide delivery system that can be utilized to improve pharmacokinetics of RNA-based therapeutics, such as CpG-siRNA. The MS2 bioengineered silk was functionalized with poly-lysine domain (KN) to generate hybrid silk MS2KN. CpG-siRNA efficiently bound to MS2KN in contrary to control MS2. Both MS2KN complexes and spheres protected CpG-siRNA from degradation by serum nucleases. CpG-siRNA molecules encapsulated into MS2KN spheres were efficiently internalized and processed by TLR9-positive macrophages. Importantly, CpG-STAT3siRNA loaded in silk spheres showed delayed and extended target gene silencing compared to naked oligonucleotides. The prolonged Stat3 silencing resulted in the more pronounced downregulation of interleukin 6 (IL-6), a proinflammatory cytokine and upstream activator of STAT3, which limits the efficacy of TLR9 immunostimulation. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using spider silk spheres as a carrier of therapeutic nucleic acids. Moreover, the modified kinetic and activity of the CpG-STAT3siRNA embedded into silk spheres is likely to improve immunotherapeutic effects in vivo. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE We demonstrated that modification of silk protein by adding the nucleic acid binding domain enabled the development of a novel oligonucleotide delivery system that can be utilized to improve pharmacokinetics of RNA-based therapeutics. Although, the siRNA constructs have already given very promising results in the cancer therapy, the in vivo application of RNA-based oligonucleotide therapeutics still is limited due to their sensitivity to serum nucleases and some toxicity. We propose a carrier for RNA-based therapeutics that is made of bioengineered spider silk. We showed that functionalized bioengineered spider silk spheres not only protected RNA-based therapeutics from degradation by serum nucleases, but what is more important the embedding of siRNA into silk spheres delayed and extended target gene silencing compared with naked oligonucleotides. Moreover, we showed that plain silk spheres did not have unspecific effect on target gene levels proving not only to be non-cytotoxic but also very neutral vehicles in terms of TLR9/STAT3 activation in macrophages. We demonstrated advantages of novel delivery technology in safety and efficacy comparing with delivery of naked CpG-STAT3siRNA therapeutics.
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