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Luo C, Wang P, He S, Zhu J, Shi Y, Wang J. Progress and Prospect of Immunotherapy for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:919072. [PMID: 35795050 PMCID: PMC9251310 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.919072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer (estimated 2.3 million new cases in 2020) and the leading cause of cancer death (estimated 685,000 deaths in 2020) in women globally. Breast cancers have been categorized into four major molecular subtypes based on the immunohistochemistry (IHC) expression of classic hormone and growth factor receptors including the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), as well as a proliferation marker Ki-67 protein expression. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a breast cancer subtype lacking ER, PR, and HER2 expression, is associated with a high metastatic potential and poor prognosis. TNBC accounts for approximately only 15%–20% of new breast cancer diagnoses; it is responsible for most breast cancer–related deaths due to the lack of targeted treatment options for this patient population, and currently, systemic chemotherapy, radiation, and surgical excision remain the major treatment modalities for these patients with TNBC. Although breast cancer patients in general do not have a robust response to the immunotherapy, a subset of TNBC has been demonstrated to have high tumor mutation burden and high tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, resembling the features observed on melanoma or lung cancers, which can benefit from the treatment of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Therefore, the immunogenic nature of this aggressive disease has presented an opportunity for the development of TNBC-targeting immunotherapies. The recent US Food and Drug Administration approval of atezolizumab in combination with the chemotherapeutic agent nab-paclitaxel for the treatment of PD-L1-positive unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic TNBC has led to a new era of immunotherapy in TNBC treatment. In addition, immunotherapy becomes an active research area, both in the cancer biology field and in the oncology field. In this review, we will extend our coverage on recent discoveries in preclinical research and early results in clinical trials from immune molecule-based therapy including cytokines, monoclonal antibodies, antibody–drug conjugates, bi-specific or tri-specific antibodies, ICIs, and neoantigen cancer vaccines; oncolytic virus-based therapies and adoptive immune cell transfer–based therapies including TIL, chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T), CAR-NK, CAR-M, and T-cell receptor-T. In the end, we will list a series of the challenges and opportunities in immunotherapy prospectively and reveal novel technologies such as high-throughput single-cell sequencing and CRISPR gene editing-based screening to generate new knowledges of immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyi Luo
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Peipei Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Siqi He
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jingjing Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanyuan Shi
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
- *Correspondence: Yuanyuan Shi, ; Jianxun Wang,
| | - Jianxun Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
- *Correspondence: Yuanyuan Shi, ; Jianxun Wang,
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de Avelar Júnior JT, Lima-Batista E, Castro Junior CJ, Pimenta AMDC, Dos Santos RG, Souza-Fagundes EM, De Lima ME. LyeTxI-b, a Synthetic Peptide Derived From a Spider Venom, Is Highly Active in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells and Acts Synergistically With Cisplatin. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:876833. [PMID: 35601827 PMCID: PMC9114809 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.876833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer that affects women globally and is among the leading cause of women’s death. Triple-negative breast cancer is more difficult to treat because hormone therapy is not available for this subset of cancer. The well-established therapy against triple-negative breast cancer is mainly based on surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. Among the drugs used in the therapy are cisplatin and carboplatin. However, they cause severe toxicity to the kidneys and brain and cause nausea. Therefore, it is urgent to propose new chemotherapy techniques that provide new treatment options to patients affected by this disease. Nowadays, peptide drugs are emerging as a class of promising new anticancer agents due to their lytic nature and, apparently, a minor drug resistance compared to other conventional drugs (reviewed in Jafari et al., 2022). We have recently reported the cytotoxic effect of the antimicrobial peptide LyeTx I-b against glioblastoma cells (Abdel-Salam et al., 2019). In this research, we demonstrated the cytotoxic effect of the peptide LyeTx I-b, alone and combined with cisplatin, against triple-negative cell lines (MDA-MD-231). LyeTx-I-b showed a selectivity index 70-fold higher than cisplatin. The peptide:cisplatin combination (P:C) 1:1 presented a synergistic effect on the cell death and a selective index value 16 times greater than the cisplatin alone treatment. Therefore, an equi-effective reduction of cisplatin can be reached in the presence of LyeTx I-b. Cells treated with P:C combinations were arrested in the G2/M cell cycle phase and showed positive staining for acridine orange, which was inhibited by bafilomycin A1, indicating autophagic cell death (ACD) as a probable cell death mechanism. Furthermore, Western blot experiments indicated a decrease in P21 expression and AKT phosphorylation. The decrease in AKT phosphorylation is indicative of ACD. However, other studies are still necessary to better elucidate the pathways involved in the cell death mechanism induced by the peptide and the drug combinations. These findings confirmed that the peptide LyeTx I-b seems to be a good candidate for combined chemotherapy to treat breast cancer. In addition, in vivo studies are essential to validate the use of LyeTx I-b as a therapeutic drug candidate, alone and/or combined with cisplatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joaquim Teixeira de Avelar Júnior
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Joaquim Teixeira de Avelar Júnior, ; Maria Elena De Lima,
| | - Edleusa Lima-Batista
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Célio José Castro Junior
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina e Biomedicina da Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | | | - Elaine Maria Souza-Fagundes
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Maria Elena De Lima
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina e Biomedicina da Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Joaquim Teixeira de Avelar Júnior, ; Maria Elena De Lima,
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Dogra P, Ramírez JR, Butner JD, Peláez MJ, Chung C, Hooda-Nehra A, Pasqualini R, Arap W, Cristini V, Calin GA, Ozpolat B, Wang Z. Translational Modeling Identifies Synergy between Nanoparticle-Delivered miRNA-22 and Standard-of-Care Drugs in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Pharm Res 2022; 39:511-528. [PMID: 35294699 PMCID: PMC8986735 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-022-03176-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Downregulation of miRNA-22 in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is associated with upregulation of eukaryotic elongation 2 factor kinase (eEF2K) protein, which regulates tumor growth, chemoresistance, and tumor immunosurveillance. Moreover, exogenous administration of miRNA-22, loaded in nanoparticles to prevent degradation and improve tumor delivery (termed miRNA-22 nanotherapy), to suppress eEF2K production has shown potential as an investigational therapeutic agent in vivo. Methods To evaluate the translational potential of miRNA-22 nanotherapy, we developed a multiscale mechanistic model, calibrated to published in vivo data and extrapolated to the human scale, to describe and quantify the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of miRNA-22 in virtual patient populations. Results Our analysis revealed the dose-response relationship, suggested optimal treatment frequency for miRNA-22 nanotherapy, and highlighted key determinants of therapy response, from which combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors was identified as a candidate strategy for improving treatment outcomes. More importantly, drug synergy was identified between miRNA-22 and standard-of-care drugs against TNBC, providing a basis for rational therapeutic combinations for improved response Conclusions The present study highlights the translational potential of miRNA-22 nanotherapy for TNBC in combination with standard-of-care drugs. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11095-022-03176-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prashant Dogra
- Mathematics in Medicine Program, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, 10065, USA
| | - Javier Ruiz Ramírez
- Mathematics in Medicine Program, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Joseph D Butner
- Mathematics in Medicine Program, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Maria J Peláez
- Mathematics in Medicine Program, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Caroline Chung
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Anupama Hooda-Nehra
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, 07101, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, 07103, USA
| | - Renata Pasqualini
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, 07101, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Division of Cancer Biology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, 07103, USA
| | - Wadih Arap
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, 07101, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, 07103, USA
| | - Vittorio Cristini
- Mathematics in Medicine Program, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 77230, USA
- Physiology, Biophysics, and Systems Biology Program, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, 10065, USA
| | - George A Calin
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Bulent Ozpolat
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Zhihui Wang
- Mathematics in Medicine Program, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA.
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, 10065, USA.
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Capeloa T, Krzystyniak J, Rodriguez AC, Payen VL, Zampieri LX, Pranzini E, Derouane F, Vazeille T, Bouzin C, Duhoux FP, Murphy MP, Porporato PE, Sonveaux P. MitoQ Prevents Human Breast Cancer Recurrence and Lung Metastasis in Mice. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14061488. [PMID: 35326639 PMCID: PMC8946761 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14061488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Entry in the metastatic phase is often devastating for cancer patients. Metastases originate from metastatic progenitor cells that are selected in the primary tumor and which simultaneously possess several phenotypic capabilities, including migration, invasion, and clonogenicity. We previously provided in vitro evidence that these features are collectively enforced by mitochondrial superoxide in a paradigm where mitochondria act as metabolic sensors of the tumor microenvironment and produce subcytotoxic levels of superoxide to prime metastatic progenitor cells. We also showed that these metastatic traits can be collectively countered by MitoQ, a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant that selectively deactivates mitochondrial superoxide. Here, we further establish that MitoQ prevents primary tumor recurrence after surgery, tumor take and metastasis as a whole, notably in a model of human breast cancer in mice. Since MitoQ already successfully passed Phase I clinical trials, our findings support the development of this drug as a preventive treatment against breast cancer metastasis. Abstract In oncology, the occurrence of distant metastases often marks the transition from curative to palliative care. Such outcome is highly predictable for breast cancer patients, even if tumors are detected early, and there is no specific treatment to prevent metastasis. Previous observations indicated that cancer cell mitochondria are bioenergetic sensors of the tumor microenvironment that produce superoxide to promote evasion. Here, we tested whether mitochondria-targeted antioxidant MitoQ is capable to prevent metastasis in the MDA-MB-231 model of triple-negative human breast cancer in mice and in the MMTV-PyMT model of spontaneously metastatic mouse breast cancer. At clinically relevant doses, we report that MitoQ not only prevented metastatic take and dissemination, but also local recurrence after surgery. We further provide in vitro evidence that MitoQ does not interfere with conventional chemotherapies used to treat breast cancer patients. Since MitoQ already successfully passed Phase I safety clinical trials, our preclinical data collectively provide a strong incentive to test this drug for the prevention of cancer dissemination and relapse in clinical trials with breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Capeloa
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (T.C.); (J.K.); (A.C.R.); (V.L.P.); (L.X.Z.); (T.V.)
| | - Joanna Krzystyniak
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (T.C.); (J.K.); (A.C.R.); (V.L.P.); (L.X.Z.); (T.V.)
| | - Amanda Canas Rodriguez
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (T.C.); (J.K.); (A.C.R.); (V.L.P.); (L.X.Z.); (T.V.)
| | - Valéry L. Payen
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (T.C.); (J.K.); (A.C.R.); (V.L.P.); (L.X.Z.); (T.V.)
| | - Luca X. Zampieri
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (T.C.); (J.K.); (A.C.R.); (V.L.P.); (L.X.Z.); (T.V.)
| | - Erica Pranzini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences Mario Serio, University of Florence, 50134 Firenze, Italy;
| | - Françoise Derouane
- Pole of Medical Imaging, Radiotherapy and Oncology, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (F.D.); (F.P.D.)
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Roi Albert II, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thibaut Vazeille
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (T.C.); (J.K.); (A.C.R.); (V.L.P.); (L.X.Z.); (T.V.)
| | - Caroline Bouzin
- IREC Imaging Platform (2IP), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - François P. Duhoux
- Pole of Medical Imaging, Radiotherapy and Oncology, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (F.D.); (F.P.D.)
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Roi Albert II, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Michael P. Murphy
- MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK;
| | - Paolo E. Porporato
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Science, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy;
| | - Pierre Sonveaux
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (T.C.); (J.K.); (A.C.R.); (V.L.P.); (L.X.Z.); (T.V.)
- Correspondence:
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Yang R, Li Y, Wang H, Qin T, Yin X, Ma X. Therapeutic progress and challenges for triple negative breast cancer: targeted therapy and immunotherapy. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2022; 3:8. [PMID: 35243562 PMCID: PMC8894518 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-022-00071-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer, with estrogen receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 and progesterone receptor negative. TNBC is characterized by high heterogeneity, high rates of metastasis, poor prognosis, and lack of therapeutic targets. Now the treatment of TNBC is still based on surgery and chemotherapy, which is effective only in initial stage but almost useless in advanced stage. And due to the lack of hormone target, hormonal therapies have little beneficial effects. In recent years, signaling pathways and receptor-specific targets have been reported to be effective in TNBC patients under specific clinical conditions. Now targeted therapies have been approved for many other cancers and even other subtypes of breast cancer, but treatment options for TNBC are still limited. Most of TNBC patients showed no response, which may be related to the heterogeneity of TNBC, therefore more effective treatments and predictive biomarkers are needed. In the present review, we summarize potential treatment opinions for TNBC based on the dysregulated receptors and signaling pathways, which play a significant role in multiple stages of TNBC development. We also focus on the application of immunotherapy in TNBC, and summarize the preclinical and clinical trials of therapy for patients with TNBC. We hope to accelerate the research and development of new drugs for TNBC by understanding the relevant mechanisms, and to improve survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoning Yang
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy,Cancer Center, West China Hospital, 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, PR, China.,Department of Breast Surgery, Clinical Research Center for Breast, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yueyi Li
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy,Cancer Center, West China Hospital, 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, PR, China
| | - Hang Wang
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy,Cancer Center, West China Hospital, 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, PR, China
| | - Taolin Qin
- West China Hospital, West China Medical School Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR, China
| | - Xiaomeng Yin
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy,Cancer Center, West China Hospital, 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, PR, China
| | - Xuelei Ma
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy,Cancer Center, West China Hospital, 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, PR, China.
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Alhesa A, Awad H, Bloukh S, Al-Balas M, El-Sadoni M, Qattan D, Azab B, Saleh T. PD-L1 expression in breast invasive ductal carcinoma with incomplete pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol 2022; 36:3946320221078433. [PMID: 35225058 PMCID: PMC8891930 DOI: 10.1177/03946320221078433] [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: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: To investigate the expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in breast cancer in association with incomplete pathological response (PR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Methods PD-L1 expression was evaluated using immunohistochemistry in post-operative, post-NAC samples of 60 patients (n = 60) diagnosed with breast invasive ductal carcinoma with incomplete PR to NAC, including 31 matched pre-NAC and post-NAC samples (n = 31). PD-L1 protein expression was assessed using three scoring approaches, including the tumor proportion score (TPS), the immune cell score (ICS), and the combined tumor and immune cell score (combined positive score, CPS) with a 1% cut-off. Results In the post-operative, post-NAC samples (n = 60), positive expression rate of PD-L1 was observed in 18.3% (11/60) of cases by TPS, 31.7% (19/60) by ICS, and 25% (15/60) by CPS. In matched samples, positive expression rate of PD-L1 was observed in 19.3% (6/31) of patients by TPS, 51.6% (16/31) by ICS, and 19.3% (6/31) by CPS in pre-NAC specimens, while it was observed in 22.6% (7/31) of matched post-NAC samples by TPS, 22.6% (7/31) by ICS, and 19.3% (6/31) by CPS. In the matched samples, there was a significant decrease in PD-L1 immunoexpression using ICS in post-NAC specimens (McNemar’s, p = 0.020), while no significant differences were found using TPS and CPS between pre- and post-NAC samples (p = 1.000, p = 0.617; respectively). PD-L1 immunoexpression determined by TPS or CPS was only significantly associated with ER status (p = 0.022, p = 0.021; respectively), but not with other clinicopathological variables. We could not establish a correlation between PD-L1 expression and the overall survival rate (p > 0.05). There were no significant differences in the tumor infiltrating lymphocytes count between the paired pre- and post-NAC samples (t = 0.581, p = 0.563 or Wilcoxon’s Signed Rank test; z = -0.625, p = 0.529). Conclusion Our findings indicate that PD-L1 protein expression in infiltrating immune cells was significantly reduced in breast tumors that developed incomplete PR following the exposure to NAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Alhesa
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Heyam Awad
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Sarah Bloukh
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Mahmoud Al-Balas
- Department of General and Specialized Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
| | - Mohammed El-Sadoni
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Duaa Qattan
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Bilal Azab
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tareq Saleh
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
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Rizzo A, Ricci AD. Biomarkers for breast cancer immunotherapy: PD-L1, TILs, and beyond. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2021; 31:549-555. [PMID: 34793275 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2022.2008354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have recently entered into the therapeutic scenario of metastatic breast cancer. However, only a proportion of patients benefit from ICIs and immune-based combinations, so the identification of reliable predictors of response remains an unmet need. AREAS COVERED We discuss potential predictors of response to ICIs in breast cancer, including PD-L1 expression, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), tumor mutational burden (TMB), and several other biomarkers and suggest future directions of research in this setting. A literature search was conducted in October 2021 of Pubmed/Medline, Cochrane library and Scopus databases; in addition, abstract of international cancer meetings were reviewed. EXPERT OPINION In terms of predictors of response to immunotherapy in TNBC patients, several biomarkers are being evaluated. Valuable data on predictive biomarkers have recently emerged, including host-related factors, immune-related cells, and protein and genetic markers. Data supporting immunotherapy in the metastatic triple-negative breast cancer setting are not concordant, but there have been some positive phase III trials including IMpassion130 and KEYNOTE-355. Phase II and III (neo)adjuvant trials are supportive of this therapeutic strategy. Further investigations are warranted in this challenging area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Rizzo
- Medical Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italia
| | - Angela Dalia Ricci
- Medical Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italia
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Hossain F, Majumder S, David J, Miele L. Precision Medicine and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Current Landscape and Future Directions. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13153739. [PMID: 34359640 PMCID: PMC8345034 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13153739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The implementation of precision medicine will revolutionize cancer treatment paradigms. Notably, this goal is not far from reality: genetically similar cancers can be treated similarly. The heterogeneous nature of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) made it a suitable candidate to practice precision medicine. Using TNBC molecular subtyping and genomic profiling, a precision medicine-based clinical trial is ongoing. This review summarizes the current landscape and future directions of precision medicine and TNBC. Abstract Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive and heterogeneous subtype of breast cancer associated with a high recurrence and metastasis rate that affects African-American women disproportionately. The recent approval of targeted therapies for small subgroups of TNBC patients by the US ‘Food and Drug Administration’ is a promising development. The advancement of next-generation sequencing, particularly somatic exome panels, has raised hopes for more individualized treatment plans. However, the use of precision medicine for TNBC is a work in progress. This review will discuss the potential benefits and challenges of precision medicine for TNBC. A recent clinical trial designed to target TNBC patients based on their subtype-specific classification shows promise. Yet, tumor heterogeneity and sub-clonal evolution in primary and metastatic TNBC remain a challenge for oncologists to design adaptive precision medicine-based treatment plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fokhrul Hossain
- Department of Genetics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC), New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; (S.M.); (L.M.)
- Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC), New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Samarpan Majumder
- Department of Genetics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC), New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; (S.M.); (L.M.)
- Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC), New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Justin David
- School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC), New Orleans, LA 70112, USA;
| | - Lucio Miele
- Department of Genetics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC), New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; (S.M.); (L.M.)
- Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC), New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC), New Orleans, LA 70112, USA;
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