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Alečković M, Li Z, Zhou N, Qiu X, Lulseged B, Foidart P, Huang XY, Garza K, Shu S, Kesten N, Li R, Lim K, Garrido-Castro AC, Guerriero JL, Qi J, Long HW, Polyak K. Combination Therapies to Improve the Efficacy of Immunotherapy in Triple-negative Breast Cancer. Mol Cancer Ther 2023; 22:1304-1318. [PMID: 37676980 PMCID: PMC10618734 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-23-0303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibition combined with chemotherapy is currently approved as first-line treatment for patients with advanced PD-L1-positive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, a significant proportion of metastatic TNBC is PD-L1-negative and, in this population, chemotherapy alone largely remains the standard-of-care and novel therapeutic strategies are needed to improve clinical outcomes. Here, we describe a triple combination of anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade, epigenetic modulation thorough bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) bromodomain inhibition (BBDI), and chemotherapy with paclitaxel that effectively inhibits both primary and metastatic tumor growth in two different syngeneic murine models of TNBC. Detailed cellular and molecular profiling of tumors from single and combination treatment arms revealed increased T- and B-cell infiltration and macrophage reprogramming from MHCIIlow to a MHCIIhigh phenotype in mice treated with triple combination. Triple combination also had a major impact on gene expression and chromatin profiles shifting cells to a more immunogenic and senescent state. Our results provide strong preclinical evidence to justify clinical testing of BBDI, paclitaxel, and immune checkpoint blockade combination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maša Alečković
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Zheqi Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ningxuan Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Xintao Qiu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Bethlehem Lulseged
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Pierre Foidart
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Xiao-Yun Huang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kodie Garza
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Shaokun Shu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Nikolas Kesten
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Rong Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Klothilda Lim
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Ana C. Garrido-Castro
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jennifer L. Guerriero
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Surgery, Division of Breast Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jun Qi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Henry W. Long
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Kornelia Polyak
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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52
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Dutta RK, Jun J, Du K, Diehl AM. Hedgehog Signaling: Implications in Liver Pathophysiology. Semin Liver Dis 2023; 43:418-428. [PMID: 37802119 DOI: 10.1055/a-2187-3382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this review is to summarize current knowledge about the role of the Hedgehog signaling pathway in liver homeostasis and disease. Hedgehog is a morphogenic signaling pathway that is active in development. In most healthy tissues, pathway activity is restricted to stem and/or stromal cell compartments, where it enables stem cell self-renewal and tissue homeostasis. Aberrant over-activation of Hedgehog signaling occurs in many cancers, including hepatocellular and cholangio-carcinoma. The pathway is also activated transiently in stromal cells of injured tissues and orchestrates normal wound healing responses, including inflammation, vascular remodeling, and fibrogenesis. In liver, sustained Hedgehog signaling in stromal cells plays a major role in the pathogenesis of cirrhosis. Hedgehog signaling was thought to be silenced in healthy hepatocytes. However, recent studies show that targeted disruption of the pathway in hepatocytes dysregulates lipid, cholesterol, and bile acid metabolism, and promotes hepatic lipotoxicity, insulin resistance, and senescence. Hepatocytes that lack Hedgehog activity also produce a secretome that activates Hedgehog signaling in cholangiocytes and neighboring stromal cells to induce inflammatory and fibrogenic wound healing responses that drive progressive fibrosis. In conclusion, Hedgehog signaling must be precisely controlled in adult liver cells to maintain liver health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - JiHye Jun
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Kuo Du
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Anna Mae Diehl
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
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53
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Suvakov S, Kattah AG, Gojkovic T, Enninga EAL, Pruett J, Jayachandran M, Sousa C, Santos J, Abou Hassan C, Gonzales-Suarez M, Garovic VD. Impact of Aging and Cellular Senescence in the Pathophysiology of Preeclampsia. Compr Physiol 2023; 13:5077-5114. [PMID: 37770190 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c230003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
The incidence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy is increasing, which may be due to several factors, including an increased age at pregnancy and more comorbid health conditions during reproductive years. Preeclampsia, the most severe hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, has been associated with an increased risk of future disease, including cardiovascular and kidney diseases. Cellular senescence, the process of cell cycle arrest in response to many physiologic and maladaptive stimuli, may play an important role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia and provide a mechanistic link to future disease. In this article, we will discuss the pathophysiology of preeclampsia, the many mechanisms of cellular senescence, evidence for the involvement of senescence in the development of preeclampsia, as well as evidence that cellular senescence may link preeclampsia to the risk of future disease. Lastly, we will explore how a better understanding of the role of cellular senescence in preeclampsia may lead to therapeutic trials. © 2023 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 13:5077-5114, 2023.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Suvakov
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Andrea G Kattah
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Tamara Gojkovic
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Elizabeth A L Enninga
- Division of Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Jacob Pruett
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Ciria Sousa
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Janelle Santos
- Division of Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Coline Abou Hassan
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Vesna D Garovic
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Division of Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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Tangudu NK, Buj R, Wang H, Wang J, Cole AR, Uboveja A, Fang R, Amalric A, Sajjakulnukit P, Lyons MA, Cooper K, Hempel N, Snyder NW, Lyssiotis CA, Chandran UR, Aird KM. De novo purine metabolism is a metabolic vulnerability of cancers with low p16 expression. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.15.549149. [PMID: 37503050 PMCID: PMC10369956 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.15.549149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
p16 is a tumor suppressor encoded by the CDKN2A gene whose expression is lost in ~50% of all human cancers. In its canonical role, p16 inhibits the G1-S phase cell cycle progression through suppression of cyclin dependent kinases. Interestingly, p16 also has roles in metabolic reprogramming, and we previously published that loss of p16 promotes nucleotide synthesis via the pentose phosphate pathway. Whether other nucleotide metabolic genes and pathways are affected by p16/CDKN2A loss and if these can be specifically targeted in p16/CDKN2A-low tumors has not been previously explored. Using CRISPR KO libraries in multiple isogenic human and mouse melanoma cell lines, we determined that many nucleotide metabolism genes are negatively enriched in p16/CDKN2A knockdown cells compared to controls. Indeed, many of the genes that are required for survival in the context of low p16/CDKN2A expression based on our CRISPR screens are upregulated in p16 knockdown melanoma cells and those with endogenously low CDKN2A expression. We determined that cells with low p16/Cdkn2a expression are sensitive to multiple inhibitors of de novo purine synthesis, including anti-folates. Tumors with p16 knockdown were more sensitive to the anti-folate methotrexate in vivo than control tumors. Together, our data provide evidence to reevaluate the utility of these drugs in patients with p16/CDKN2A-low tumors as loss of p16/CDKN2A may provide a therapeutic window for these agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveen Kumar Tangudu
- Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Raquel Buj
- Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Jiefei Wang
- Department of Biomedical Informatics and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Aidan R. Cole
- Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Apoorva Uboveja
- Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Richard Fang
- Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Amandine Amalric
- Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Peter Sajjakulnukit
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, and Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Maureen A. Lyons
- Genomics Facility UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Kristine Cooper
- Biostatistics Facility UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Nadine Hempel
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Nathaniel W. Snyder
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Aging + Cardiovascular Discovery Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Costas A. Lyssiotis
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, and Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Uma R. Chandran
- Department of Biomedical Informatics and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Katherine M. Aird
- Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
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55
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Adlat S, Vázquez Salgado AM, Lee M, Yin D, Wangensteen KJ. Emerging and potential use of CRISPR in human liver disease. Hepatology 2023:01515467-990000000-00538. [PMID: 37607734 PMCID: PMC10881897 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR is a gene editing tool adapted from naturally occurring defense systems from bacteria. It is a technology that is revolutionizing the interrogation of gene functions in driving liver disease, especially through genetic screens and by facilitating animal knockout and knockin models. It is being used in models of liver disease to identify which genes are critical for liver pathology, especially in genetic liver disease, hepatitis, and in cancer initiation and progression. It holds tremendous promise in treating human diseases directly by editing DNA. It could disable gene function in the case of expression of a maladaptive protein, such as blocking transthyretin as a therapy for amyloidosis, or to correct gene defects, such as restoring the normal functions of liver enzymes fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase or alpha-1 antitrypsin. It is also being studied for treatment of hepatitis B infection. CRISPR is an exciting, evolving technology that is facilitating gene characterization and discovery in liver disease and holds the potential to treat liver diseases safely and permanently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salah Adlat
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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Rusu B, Kukreja B, Wu T, Dan SJ, Feng MY, Kalish BT. Single-Nucleus Profiling Identifies Accelerated Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cell Senescence in a Mouse Model of Down Syndrome. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0147-23.2023. [PMID: 37491366 PMCID: PMC10449487 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0147-23.2023] [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: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS), the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability, is associated with lifelong cognitive deficits. However, the mechanisms by which triplication of chromosome 21 genes drive neuroinflammation and cognitive dysfunction are poorly understood. Here, using the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS, we performed an integrated single-nucleus ATAC and RNA-sequencing (snATAC-seq and snRNA-seq) analysis of the adult cortex. We identified cell type-specific transcriptional and chromatin-associated changes in the Ts65Dn cortex, including regulators of neuroinflammation, transcription and translation, myelination, and mitochondrial function. We discovered enrichment of a senescence-associated transcriptional signature in Ts65Dn oligodendrocyte (OL) precursor cells (OPCs) and epigenetic changes consistent with a loss of heterochromatin. We found that senescence is restricted to a subset of OPCs concentrated in deep cortical layers. Treatment of Ts65Dn mice with a senescence-reducing flavonoid rescued cortical OPC proliferation, restored microglial homeostasis, and improved contextual fear memory. Together, these findings suggest that cortical OPC senescence may be an important driver of neuropathology in DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Rusu
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1A8, Canada
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Bharti Kukreja
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Taiyi Wu
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Sophie J Dan
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1A8, Canada
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1A8, Canada
| | - Min Yi Feng
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1A8, Canada
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Brian T Kalish
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1A8, Canada
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
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57
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Hom LM, Sun S, Campbell J, Liu P, Culbert S, Murphy IM, Schafer ZT. A role for fibroblast-derived SASP factors in the activation of pyroptotic cell death in mammary epithelial cells. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:104922. [PMID: 37321449 PMCID: PMC10404679 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In normal tissue homeostasis, bidirectional communication between different cell types can shape numerous biological outcomes. Many studies have documented instances of reciprocal communication between fibroblasts and cancer cells that functionally change cancer cell behavior. However, less is known about how these heterotypic interactions shape epithelial cell function in the absence of oncogenic transformation. Furthermore, fibroblasts are prone to undergo senescence, which is typified by an irreversible cell cycle arrest. Senescent fibroblasts are also known to secrete various cytokines into the extracellular space; a phenomenon that is termed the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). While the role of fibroblast-derived SASP factors on cancer cells has been well studied, the impact of these factors on normal epithelial cells remains poorly understood. We discovered that treatment of normal mammary epithelial cells with conditioned media from senescent fibroblasts (SASP CM) results in a caspase-dependent cell death. This capacity of SASP CM to cause cell death is maintained across multiple senescence-inducing stimuli. However, the activation of oncogenic signaling in mammary epithelial cells mitigates the ability of SASP CM to induce cell death. Despite the reliance of this cell death on caspase activation, we discovered that SASP CM does not cause cell death by the extrinsic or intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Instead, these cells die by an NLRP3, caspase-1, and gasdermin D-dependent induction of pyroptosis. Taken together, our findings reveal that senescent fibroblasts can cause pyroptosis in neighboring mammary epithelial cells, which has implications for therapeutic strategies that perturb the behavior of senescent cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Hom
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Seunghoon Sun
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Jamie Campbell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Pinyan Liu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Shannon Culbert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Ireland M Murphy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Zachary T Schafer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA.
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58
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Warde KM, Smith LJ, Liu L, Stubben CJ, Lohman BK, Willett PW, Ammer JL, Castaneda-Hernandez G, Imodoye SO, Zhang C, Jones KD, Converso-Baran K, Ekiz HA, Barry M, Clay MR, Kiseljak-Vassiliades K, Giordano TJ, Hammer GD, Basham KJ. Senescence-induced immune remodeling facilitates metastatic adrenal cancer in a sex-dimorphic manner. NATURE AGING 2023; 3:846-865. [PMID: 37231196 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00420-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Aging markedly increases cancer risk, yet our mechanistic understanding of how aging influences cancer initiation is limited. Here we demonstrate that the loss of ZNRF3, an inhibitor of Wnt signaling that is frequently mutated in adrenocortical carcinoma, leads to the induction of cellular senescence that remodels the tissue microenvironment and ultimately permits metastatic adrenal cancer in old animals. The effects are sexually dimorphic, with males exhibiting earlier senescence activation and a greater innate immune response, driven in part by androgens, resulting in high myeloid cell accumulation and lower incidence of malignancy. Conversely, females present a dampened immune response and increased susceptibility to metastatic cancer. Senescence-recruited myeloid cells become depleted as tumors progress, which is recapitulated in patients in whom a low myeloid signature is associated with worse outcomes. Our study uncovers a role for myeloid cells in restraining adrenal cancer with substantial prognostic value and provides a model for interrogating pleiotropic effects of cellular senescence in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate M Warde
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Lorenzo J Smith
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Lihua Liu
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Chris J Stubben
- Bioinformatics Shared Resource, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Brian K Lohman
- Bioinformatics Shared Resource, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Parker W Willett
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Julia L Ammer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Sikiru O Imodoye
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Chenge Zhang
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Kara D Jones
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Kimber Converso-Baran
- Frankel Cardiovascular Center Physiology and Phenotyping Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - H Atakan Ekiz
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, Urla Izmir, Turkey
| | - Marc Barry
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Michael R Clay
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado School of Medicine at Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Katja Kiseljak-Vassiliades
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine at Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Thomas J Giordano
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Endocrine Oncology Program, Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Gary D Hammer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Endocrine Oncology Program, Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kaitlin J Basham
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
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59
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Stieg DC, Parris JLD, Yang THL, Mirji G, Reiser SK, Murali N, Werts M, Barnoud T, Lu DY, Shinde R, Murphy ME, Claiborne DT. The African-centric P47S Variant of TP53 Confers Immune Dysregulation and Impaired Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibition. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:1200-1211. [PMID: 37441266 PMCID: PMC10335007 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-23-0149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
The tumor suppressor TP53 is the most frequently mutated gene in cancer and is mutationally inactivated in 50% of sporadic tumors. Inactivating mutations in TP53 also occur in Li Fraumeni syndrome (LFS). In addition to germline mutations in TP53 in LFS that completely inactivate this protein, there are many more germline mutant forms of TP53 in human populations that partially inactivate this protein: we call these partially inactivating mutations "hypomorphs." One of these hypomorphs is a SNP that exists in 6%-10% of Africans and 1%-2% of African Americans, which changes proline at amino acid 47 to serine (Pro47Ser; P47S). We previously showed that the P47S variant of p53 is intrinsically impaired for tumor suppressor function, and that this SNP is associated with increased cancer risk in mice and humans. Here we show that this SNP also influences the tumor microenvironment, and the immune microenvironment profile in P47S mice is more protumorigenic. At basal levels, P47S mice show impaired memory T-cell formation and function, along with increased anti-inflammatory (so-called "M2") macrophages. We show that in tumor-bearing P47S mice, there is an increase in immunosuppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells and decreased numbers of activated dendritic cells, macrophages, and B cells, along with evidence for increased T-cell exhaustion in the tumor microenvironment. Finally, we show that P47S mice demonstrate an incomplete response to anti-PD-L1 therapy. Our combined data suggest that the African-centric P47S variant leads to both intrinsic and extrinsic defects in tumor suppression. Significance Findings presented here show that the P47S variant of TP53 influences the immune microenvironment, and the immune response to cancer. This is the first time that a naturally occurring genetic variant of TP53 has been shown to negatively impact the immune microenvironment and the response to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C. Stieg
- Program in Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Joshua L. D. Parris
- Program in Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Tyler Hong Loong Yang
- Program in Immunology, Microenvironment, and Metastasis, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Gauri Mirji
- Program in Immunology, Microenvironment, and Metastasis, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Sarah Kim Reiser
- Program in Immunology, Microenvironment, and Metastasis, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Nivitha Murali
- Program in Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Madison Werts
- Program in Immunology, Microenvironment, and Metastasis, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Thibaut Barnoud
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - David Y. Lu
- Program in Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Rahul Shinde
- Program in Immunology, Microenvironment, and Metastasis, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Maureen E. Murphy
- Program in Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Daniel T. Claiborne
- Program in Immunology, Microenvironment, and Metastasis, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Prieto LI, Sturmlechner I, Goronzy JJ, Baker DJ. Senescent cells as thermostats of antitumor immunity. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eadg7291. [PMID: 37285401 PMCID: PMC10362799 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adg7291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Harnessing the immunogenic potential of senescent cells may be a viable but context-dependent opportunity to boost antitumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis I Prieto
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Ines Sturmlechner
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Jörg J Goronzy
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
- Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Darren J Baker
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
- Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
- Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research at Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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Oesterreich S, Aird KM. Senescence and Immunotherapy: Redundant Immunomodulatory Pathways Promote Resistance. Cancer Immunol Res 2023; 11:401-404. [PMID: 36826438 PMCID: PMC11221415 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-23-0051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Senescent cancer cells alter their microenvironment through secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines called the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and upregulation of immunoinhibitory proteins such as CD80 and programmed death-ligand 1. The senescence field is just beginning to explore the role of these changes on antitumor immunity and response to immunotherapy. In this Perspective, we highlight a new study that aimed to determine how senescent breast cancer cells are shielded from immunosurveillance via upregulation of redundant immunoinhibitory proteins in two distinct senescent populations. We also discuss recent articles regarding how the SASP alters the tumor immune microenvironment and response to immunotherapy. As many therapies used to treat cancers induce senescence, future work will need to better refine the composition of the SASP and heterogeneity of senescence in the tumor microenvironment to more completely understand how the immune compartment is regulated by senescent tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffi Oesterreich
- Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Magee-Women’s Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Katherine M. Aird
- Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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Hasegawa T, Oka T, Son HG, Oliver-García VS, Azin M, Eisenhaure TM, Lieb DJ, Hacohen N, Demehri S. Cytotoxic CD4 + T cells eliminate senescent cells by targeting cytomegalovirus antigen. Cell 2023; 186:1417-1431.e20. [PMID: 37001502 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.02.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Senescent cell accumulation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of aging-associated diseases, including cancer. The mechanism that prevents the accumulation of senescent cells in aging human organs is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that a virus-immune axis controls the senescent fibroblast accumulation in the human skin. Senescent fibroblasts increased in old skin compared with young skin. However, they did not increase with advancing age in the elderly. Increased CXCL9 and cytotoxic CD4+ T cells (CD4 CTLs) recruitment were significantly associated with reduced senescent fibroblasts in the old skin. Senescent fibroblasts expressed human leukocyte antigen class II (HLA-II) and human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B (HCMV-gB), becoming direct CD4 CTL targets. Skin-resident CD4 CTLs eliminated HCMV-gB+ senescent fibroblasts in an HLA-II-dependent manner, and HCMV-gB activated CD4 CTLs from the human skin. Collectively, our findings demonstrate HCMV reactivation in senescent cells, which CD4 CTLs can directly eliminate through the recognition of the HCMV-gB antigen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuya Hasegawa
- Center for Cancer Immunology, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Shiseido Global Innovation Center, Yokohama, Japan.
| | - Tomonori Oka
- Center for Cancer Immunology, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Heehwa G Son
- Center for Cancer Immunology, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Valeria S Oliver-García
- Center for Cancer Immunology, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marjan Azin
- Center for Cancer Immunology, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - David J Lieb
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nir Hacohen
- Center for Cancer Immunology, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Shadmehr Demehri
- Center for Cancer Immunology, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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63
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Hanna A, Balko JM. No rest for the wicked: Tumor cell senescence reshapes the immune microenvironment. Cancer Cell 2023; 41:831-833. [PMID: 37059102 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Senescence induces key phenotypic changes that can modulate immune responses. Four recent publications in Cancer Discovery, Nature, and Nature Cancer highlight how senescent cells (aged normal or chemotherapy-treated cells) express antigen presentation machinery, present antigens, and interact with T cells and dendritic cells to robustly activate the immune system and promote anti-tumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Hanna
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Justin M Balko
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Breast Cancer Research Program, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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Wu Z, Uhl B, Gires O, Reichel CA. A transcriptomic pan-cancer signature for survival prognostication and prediction of immunotherapy response based on endothelial senescence. J Biomed Sci 2023; 30:21. [PMID: 36978029 PMCID: PMC10045484 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-023-00915-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The microvascular endothelium inherently controls nutrient delivery, oxygen supply, and immune surveillance of malignant tumors, thus representing both biological prerequisite and therapeutic vulnerability in cancer. Recently, cellular senescence emerged as a fundamental characteristic of solid malignancies. In particular, tumor endothelial cells have been reported to acquire a senescence-associated secretory phenotype, which is characterized by a pro-inflammatory transcriptional program, eventually promoting tumor growth and formation of distant metastases. We therefore hypothesize that senescence of tumor endothelial cells (TEC) represents a promising target for survival prognostication and prediction of immunotherapy efficacy in precision oncology. METHODS Published single-cell RNA sequencing datasets of different cancer entities were analyzed for cell-specific senescence, before generating a pan-cancer endothelial senescence-related transcriptomic signature termed EC.SENESCENCE.SIG. Utilizing this signature, machine learning algorithms were employed to construct survival prognostication and immunotherapy response prediction models. Machine learning-based feature selection algorithms were applied to select key genes as prognostic biomarkers. RESULTS Our analyses in published transcriptomic datasets indicate that in a variety of cancers, endothelial cells exhibit the highest cellular senescence as compared to tumor cells or other cells in the vascular compartment of malignant tumors. Based on these findings, we developed a TEC-associated, senescence-related transcriptomic signature (EC.SENESCENCE.SIG) that positively correlates with pro-tumorigenic signaling, tumor-promoting dysbalance of immune cell responses, and impaired patient survival across multiple cancer entities. Combining clinical patient data with a risk score computed from EC.SENESCENCE.SIG, a nomogram model was constructed that enhanced the accuracy of clinical survival prognostication. Towards clinical application, we identified three genes as pan-cancer biomarkers for survival probability estimation. As therapeutic perspective, a machine learning model constructed on EC.SENESCENCE.SIG provided superior pan-cancer prediction for immunotherapy response than previously published transcriptomic models. CONCLUSIONS We here established a pan-cancer transcriptomic signature for survival prognostication and prediction of immunotherapy response based on endothelial senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengquan Wu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ludwigs-Maximilians-University Medical Centre, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Walter Brendel Centre of Experimental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Bernd Uhl
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ludwigs-Maximilians-University Medical Centre, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Walter Brendel Centre of Experimental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Olivier Gires
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ludwigs-Maximilians-University Medical Centre, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Christoph A Reichel
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ludwigs-Maximilians-University Medical Centre, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany.
- Walter Brendel Centre of Experimental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
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65
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Chiu FY, Kvadas RM, Mheidly Z, Shahbandi A, Jackson JG. Could senescence phenotypes strike the balance to promote tumor dormancy? Cancer Metastasis Rev 2023; 42:143-160. [PMID: 36735097 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-023-10089-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
After treatment and surgery, patient tumors can initially respond followed by a rapid relapse, or respond well and seemingly be cured, but then recur years or decades later. The state of surviving cancer cells during the long, undetected period is termed dormancy. By definition, the dormant tumor cells do not proliferate to create a mass that is detectable or symptomatic, but also never die. An intrinsic state and microenvironment that are inhospitable to the tumor would bias toward cell death and complete eradication, while conditions that favor the tumor would enable growth and relapse. In neither case would clinical dormancy be observed. Normal cells and tumor cells can enter a state of cellular senescence after stress such as that caused by cancer therapy. Senescence is characterized by a stable cell cycle arrest mediated by chromatin modifications that cause gene expression changes and a secretory phenotype involving many cytokines and chemokines. Senescent cell phenotypes have been shown to be both tumor promoting and tumor suppressive. The balance of these opposing forces presents an attractive model to explain tumor dormancy: phenotypes of stable arrest and immune suppression could promote survival, while reversible epigenetic programs combined with cytokines and growth factors that promote angiogenesis, survival, and proliferation could initiate the emergence from dormancy. In this review, we examine the phenotypes that have been characterized in different normal and cancer cells made senescent by various stresses and how these might explain the characteristics of tumor dormancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Yen Chiu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Raegan M Kvadas
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Zeinab Mheidly
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Ashkan Shahbandi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - James G Jackson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
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Hom LM, Sun S, Campbell J, Liu P, Culbert S, Murphy IM, Schafer ZT. A role for fibroblast-derived SASP factors in the activation of pyroptotic cell death in mammary epithelial cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.21.529458. [PMID: 36865231 PMCID: PMC9980130 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.21.529458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
In normal tissue homeostasis, bidirectional communication between different cell types can shape numerous biological outcomes. Many studies have documented instances of reciprocal communication between fibroblasts and cancer cells that functionally change cancer cell behavior. However, less is known about how these heterotypic interactions shape epithelial cell function in the absence of oncogenic transformation. Furthermore, fibroblasts are prone to undergo senescence, which is typified by an irreversible cell cycle arrest. Senescent fibroblasts are also known to secrete various cytokines into the extracellular space; a phenomenon that is termed the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). While the role of fibroblast derived SASP factors on cancer cells has been well studied, the impact of these factors on normal epithelial cells remains poorly understood. We discovered that treatment of normal mammary epithelial cells with conditioned media (CM) from senescent fibroblasts (SASP CM) results in a caspase-dependent cell death. This capacity of SASP CM to cause cell death is maintained across multiple senescence-inducing stimuli. However, the activation of oncogenic signaling in mammary epithelial cells mitigates the ability of SASP CM to induce cell death. Despite the reliance of this cell death on caspase activation, we discovered that SASP CM does not cause cell death by the extrinsic or intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Instead, these cells die by an NLRP3, caspase-1, and gasdermin D (GSDMD)-dependent induction of pyroptosis. Taken together, our findings reveal that senescent fibroblasts can cause pyroptosis in neighboring mammary epithelial cells, which has implications for therapeutic strategies that perturb the behavior of senescent cells.
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67
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Liu Y, Pagacz J, Wolfgeher DJ, Bromerg KD, Gorman JV, Kron SJ. Senescent cancer cell vaccines induce cytotoxic T cell responses targeting primary tumors and disseminated tumor cells. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e005862. [PMID: 36792123 PMCID: PMC9933761 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune tolerance contributes to resistance to conventional cancer therapies such as radiation. Radiotherapy induces immunogenic cell death, releasing a burst of tumor antigens, but this appears insufficient to stimulate an effective antitumor immune response. Radiation also increases infiltration of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), but their effector function is short lived. Although CTL exhaustion may be at fault, combining immune checkpoint blockade with radiation is insufficient to restore CTL function in most patients. An alternative model is that antigen presentation is the limiting factor, suggesting a defect in dendritic cell (DC) function. METHODS Building on our prior work showing that cancer cells treated with radiation in the presence of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 inhibitor veliparib undergo immunogenic senescence, we reexamined senescent cells (SnCs) as preventative or therapeutic cancer vaccines. SnCs formed in vitro were cocultured with splenocytes and evaluated by scRNA-seq to examine immunogenicity. Immature bone-marrow-derived DCs cocultured with SnCs were examined for maturation and activation by flow cytometry and T cell proliferation assays. Viable SnCs or SnC-activated DCs were injected subcutaneously, and vaccine effects were evaluated by analysis of immune response, prevention of tumor engraftment, regression of established tumors and/or potentiation of immunotherapy or radiotherapy. RESULTS Murine CT26 colon carcinoma or 4T1 mammary carcinoma cells treated with radiation and veliparib form SnCs that promote DC maturation and activation in vitro, leading to efficient, STING-dependent CTL priming. Injecting mice with SnCs induces antigen-specific CTLs and confers protection from tumor engraftment. Injecting immunogenic SnCs into tumor-bearing mice increases inflammation with activated CTLs, suppresses tumor growth, potentiates checkpoint blockade, enhances radiotherapy and blocks colonization by disseminated tumor cells. Addressing the concern that reinjecting tumor cells into patients may be impractical, DCs activated with SnCs in vitro were similarly effective to SnCs in suppressing established tumors and blocking metastases. CONCLUSIONS Therapeutic vaccines based on senescent tumor cells and/or SnC-activated DCs have the potential to improve genotoxic and immune therapies and limit recurrence or metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Liu
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology and Committee on Cancer Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Joanna Pagacz
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology and Committee on Cancer Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Donald J Wolfgeher
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology and Committee on Cancer Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Jacob V Gorman
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie, North Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Stephen J Kron
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology and Committee on Cancer Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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69
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Cellular Senescence in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Passenger or the Driver? Cells 2022; 12:cells12010132. [PMID: 36611926 PMCID: PMC9818733 DOI: 10.3390/cells12010132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
With the high morbidity and mortality, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a major yet growing burden for our global community. The relapse-prone nature and drug resistance of HCC are regarded as the consequence of varying intracellular processes and extracellular interplay, which actively participate in tumor microenvironment remodeling. Amongst them, cellular senescence is regarded as a fail-safe program, leading to double-sword effects of both cell growth inhibition and tissue repair promotion. Particularly, cellular senescence serves a pivotal role in the progression of chronic inflammatory liver diseases, ultimately leading to carcinogenesis. Given the current challenges in improving the clinical management and outcome of HCC, senescence may exert striking potential in affecting anti-cancer strategies. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have emerged to investigate senescence-associated hepatocarcinogenesis and its derived therapies. In this review, we intend to provide an up-to-date understanding of liver cell senescence and its impacts on treatment modalities of HCC.
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Abstract
Cancer therapy often induces senescence in some cancer cells. Senescent cells, due to their profoundly altered biology, may conceivably interact with the adaptive immune system in novel ways that may boost cancer immunosurveillance, triggering the clearance of both senescent and non-senescent neoplastic cells. In this regard, we have recently reported that senescent cancer cells exhibit potent antigenicity and adjuvanticity and can elicit strong CD8+ T cell-dependent anticancer effects when used as vaccination agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Marin
- Aging and Metabolism Programme, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Manuel Serrano
- Aging and Metabolism Programme, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain,Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona08010, Spain,CONTACT Manuel Serrano Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Baldiri Reixac 10, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Federico Pietrocola
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge14157, Sweden,Federico Pietrocola Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Blickagången 16, Huddinge, 14157, Sweden
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Sedrak MS, Cohen HJ. The Aging-Cancer Cycle: Mechanisms and Opportunities for Intervention. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2022:6895370. [PMID: 36512079 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glac247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is the largest risk factor for the development of cancer. A a growing body of literature indicates that aging and cancer often play a somewhat reciprocal relationship at various times. On the one hand, aging is a "driver" of cancer, and on the other, cancer is a "disease driver" of aging. Here, we synthesize our reflections on the current literature linking cancer and aging, with an eye on fundamental aging processes, such as cellular senescence. Additionally, we consider how interventions that target fundamental aging processes can potentially transform cancer care, from preventing cancer development and progression to reducing the burden of accelerated aging in cancer survivors. Finally, we conclude with a reflection highlighting our vision for future directions to advance the science of cancer and aging and its applicability to improve the care of older adults with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina S Sedrak
- City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
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