51
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Zahid KR, Raza U, Tumbath S, Jiang L, Xu W, Huang X. Neutrophils: Musketeers against immunotherapy. Front Oncol 2022; 12:975981. [PMID: 36091114 PMCID: PMC9453237 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.975981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils, the most copious leukocytes in human blood, play a critical role in tumorigenesis, cancer progression, and immune suppression. Recently, neutrophils have attracted the attention of researchers, immunologists, and oncologists because of their potential role in orchestrating immune evasion in human diseases including cancer, which has led to a hot debate redefining the contribution of neutrophils in tumor progression and immunity. To make this debate fruitful, this review seeks to provide a recent update about the contribution of neutrophils in immune suppression and tumor progression. Here, we first described the molecular pathways through which neutrophils aid in cancer progression and orchestrate immune suppression/evasion. Later, we summarized the underlying molecular mechanisms of neutrophil-mediated therapy resistance and highlighted various approaches through which neutrophil antagonism may heighten the efficacy of the immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Finally, we have highlighted several unsolved questions and hope that answering these questions will provide a new avenue toward immunotherapy revolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kashif Rafiq Zahid
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Umar Raza
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Soumya Tumbath
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Lingxiang Jiang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Wenjuan Xu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Xiumei Huang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- *Correspondence: Xiumei Huang,
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52
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Tokaz MC, Baik CS, Houghton AM, Tseng D. New Immuno-oncology Targets and Resistance Mechanisms. Curr Treat Options Oncol 2022; 23:1201-1218. [PMID: 35980521 DOI: 10.1007/s11864-022-01005-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OPINION STATEMENT Immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) has revolutionized the field of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); currently, most patients with advanced disease receive upfront ICI either alone or in combination with chemotherapy. These advances have recently extended into early-stage NSCLC, with ICI incorporation into neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment regimens. However, despite these successes, immunotherapy (IO) resistance remains a fundamental challenge in NSCLC, introducing a central quandary of how to precisely select the appropriate IO therapy or IO combination therapy for each individual patient. To address this vital need in the field, there has been an explosion of research in immuno-oncology to identify mechanisms of resistance, ranging from genomic alterations in the tumor to immunosuppressive conditions in the tumor microenvironment (TME). There remain many questions about how this complex interplay between the tumor and the immune microenvironment translates into clinical phenotypes of primary and acquired resistance. In NSCLC, a number of novel therapeutics are being developed to prevent and overcome resistance to ICI. Particular promise has been shown with therapeutics targeting novel T cell immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeting innate immune cells in the TME, chief among these cells are natural killer cells, neutrophils, and macrophages. Further research into tissue-based and non-invasive biomarkers that can be prospectively integrated into therapeutic trial design will be critical to advance the field's understanding of individual resistance patterns and enable the ultimate goal of precision immuno-oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly C Tokaz
- Division of Medical Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Christina S Baik
- Division of Medical Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - A McGarry Houghton
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA.,Division of Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Diane Tseng
- Division of Medical Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. .,Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA. .,Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Mail Stop LG-540, 825 Eastlake Ave E., Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.
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53
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Yan M, Zheng M, Niu R, Yang X, Tian S, Fan L, Li Y, Zhang S. Roles of tumor-associated neutrophils in tumor metastasis and its clinical applications. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:938289. [PMID: 36060811 PMCID: PMC9428510 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.938289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis, a primary cause of death in patients with malignancies, is promoted by intrinsic changes in both tumor and non-malignant cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). As major components of the TME, tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) promote tumor progression and metastasis through communication with multiple growth factors, chemokines, inflammatory factors, and other immune cells, which together establish an immunosuppressive TME. In this review, we describe the potential mechanisms by which TANs participate in tumor metastasis based on recent experimental evidence. We have focused on drugs in chemotherapeutic regimens that target TANs, thereby providing a promising future for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Yan
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Minying Zheng
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Rui Niu
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaohui Yang
- Nankai University School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Shifeng Tian
- Graduate School, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Linlin Fan
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuwei Li
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Shiwu Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Shiwu Zhang,
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54
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Talaat IM, Kim B. A brief glimpse of a tangled web in a small world: Tumor microenvironment. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:1002715. [PMID: 36045917 PMCID: PMC9421133 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1002715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A tumor is a result of stepwise accumulation of genetic and epigenetic alterations. This notion has deepened the understanding of cancer biology and has introduced the era of targeted therapies. On the other hand, there have been a series of attempts of using the immune system to treat tumors, dating back to ancient history, to sporadic reports of inflamed tumors undergoing spontaneous regression. This was succeeded by modern immunotherapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors. The recent breakthrough has broadened the sight to other players within tumor tissue. Tumor microenvironment is a niche or a system orchestrating reciprocal and dynamic interaction of various types of cells including tumor cells and non-cellular components. The output of this complex communication dictates the functions of the constituent elements present within it. More complicated factors are biochemical and biophysical settings unique to TME. This mini review provides a brief guide on a range of factors to consider in the TME research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iman M. Talaat
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Byoungkwon Kim
- Department of Pathology, H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Specialty Hospital, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
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55
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Cristinziano L, Modestino L, Capone M, Madonna G, Mallardo D, Giannarelli D, D’Angelo G, Ferrara AL, Loffredo S, Varricchi G, Vanella V, Festino L, Ascierto PA, Galdiero MR. PD-L1+ neutrophils as novel biomarkers for stage IV melanoma patients treated with nivolumab. Front Immunol 2022; 13:962669. [PMID: 36016960 PMCID: PMC9398490 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.962669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Melanoma displays a rising incidence, and the mortality associated with metastatic form remains high. Monoclonal antibodies that block programmed death (PD-1) and PD Ligand 1 (PD-L1) network have revolutionized the history of metastatic disease. PD-L1 is expressed on several immune cells and can be also expressed on human neutrophils (PMNs). The role of peripheral blood PMNs as predictive biomarkers in anti-PD-1 therapy of melanoma is largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to determine activation status and PD-L1 expression on human neutrophils as possible novel biomarkers in stage IV melanoma patients (MPs). We found that PMNs from MPs displayed an activated phenotype and increased PD-L1 levels compared to healthy controls (HCs). Patients with lower PD-L1+ PMN frequencies displayed better progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to patients with high PD-L1+ PMN frequencies. Multivariate analysis showed that PD-L1+ PMNs predicted patient outcome in BRAF wild type MP subgroup but not in BRAF mutated MPs. PD-L1+ PMN frequency emerges as a novel biomarker in stage IV BRAF wild type MPs undergoing anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. Our findings suggest further evaluation of the role of neutrophil subsets and their mediators in melanoma patients undergoing immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Cristinziano
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences (DiSMeT), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- Center for Basic and Clinical Immunology Research, Interdipartimental Center for basic and Clinical Immunology Research (CISI), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- World Allergy Organization (WAO) Center of Excellence, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Luca Modestino
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences (DiSMeT), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- Center for Basic and Clinical Immunology Research, Interdipartimental Center for basic and Clinical Immunology Research (CISI), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- World Allergy Organization (WAO) Center of Excellence, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Mariaelena Capone
- Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy, and Development Therapeutics Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione “G. Pascale”, Naples, Italy
| | - Gabriele Madonna
- Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy, and Development Therapeutics Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione “G. Pascale”, Naples, Italy
| | - Domenico Mallardo
- Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy, and Development Therapeutics Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione “G. Pascale”, Naples, Italy
| | - Diana Giannarelli
- Clinical Trial Center, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Unit, Scientific Direction, Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Grazia D’Angelo
- Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy, and Development Therapeutics Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione “G. Pascale”, Naples, Italy
| | - Anne Lise Ferrara
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences (DiSMeT), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- Center for Basic and Clinical Immunology Research, Interdipartimental Center for basic and Clinical Immunology Research (CISI), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- World Allergy Organization (WAO) Center of Excellence, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology, Istituto per l'Endocrinologia e l'Oncologia Sperimentale (IEOS), National Research Council (CNR), Naples, Italy
| | - Stefania Loffredo
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences (DiSMeT), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- Center for Basic and Clinical Immunology Research, Interdipartimental Center for basic and Clinical Immunology Research (CISI), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- World Allergy Organization (WAO) Center of Excellence, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology, Istituto per l'Endocrinologia e l'Oncologia Sperimentale (IEOS), National Research Council (CNR), Naples, Italy
| | - Gilda Varricchi
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences (DiSMeT), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- Center for Basic and Clinical Immunology Research, Interdipartimental Center for basic and Clinical Immunology Research (CISI), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- World Allergy Organization (WAO) Center of Excellence, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology, Istituto per l'Endocrinologia e l'Oncologia Sperimentale (IEOS), National Research Council (CNR), Naples, Italy
| | - Vito Vanella
- Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy, and Development Therapeutics Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione “G. Pascale”, Naples, Italy
| | - Lucia Festino
- Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy, and Development Therapeutics Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione “G. Pascale”, Naples, Italy
| | - Paolo Antonio Ascierto
- Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy, and Development Therapeutics Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione “G. Pascale”, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Rosaria Galdiero
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences (DiSMeT), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- Center for Basic and Clinical Immunology Research, Interdipartimental Center for basic and Clinical Immunology Research (CISI), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- World Allergy Organization (WAO) Center of Excellence, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology, Istituto per l'Endocrinologia e l'Oncologia Sperimentale (IEOS), National Research Council (CNR), Naples, Italy
- *Correspondence: Maria Rosaria Galdiero,
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56
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Moutafi M, Martinez-Morilla S, Divakar P, Vathiotis I, Gavrielatou N, Aung TN, Yaghoobi V, Fernandez AI, Zugazagoitia J, Herbst RS, Schalper KA, Rimm DL. Discovery of Biomarkers of Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Blockade in NSCLC Using High-Plex Digital Spatial Profiling. J Thorac Oncol 2022; 17:991-1001. [PMID: 35490853 PMCID: PMC9356986 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2022.04.009] [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: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite the clinical efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in NSCLC, only approximately 20% of patients remain disease-free at 5 years. Here, we use digital spatial profiling to find candidate biomarker proteins associated with ICI resistance. METHODS Pretreatment samples from 56 patients with NSCLC treated with ICI were analyzed using the NanoString GeoMx digital spatial profiling method. A panel of 71 photocleavable oligonucleotide-labeled primary antibodies was used for protein detection in four molecular compartments (tumor, leukocytes, macrophages, and immune stroma). Promising candidates were orthogonally validated with quantitative immunofluorescence. Available pretreatment samples from 39 additional patients with NSCLC who received ICI and 236 non-ICI-treated patients with operable NSCLC were analyzed to provide independent cohort validation. RESULTS Biomarker discovery using the protein-based molecular compartmentalization strategy allows 284 protein variables to be assessed for association with ICI resistance by univariate analysis using continuous log-scaled data. Of the 71 candidate protein biomarkers, CD66b in the CD45+CD68 molecular compartment (immune stroma) predicted significantly shorter overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio [HR] 1.31, p = 0.016) and was chosen for validation. Orthogonal validation by quantitative immunofluorescence illustrated that CD66b was associated with resistance to ICI therapy but not prognostic for poor outcomes in untreated NSCLC (discovery cohort [OS HR 2.49, p = 0.026], validation cohort [OS HR 2.05, p = 0.046], non-ICI-treated cohort [OS HR 1.67, p = 0.06]). CONCLUSIONS Using the technique, we have discovered that CD66b expression is indicative of resistance to ICI therapy in NSCLC. Given that CD66b identifies neutrophils, further studies are warranted to characterize the role of neutrophils in ICI resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myrto Moutafi
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | | | - Ioannis Vathiotis
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Niki Gavrielatou
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Thazin Nwe Aung
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Vesal Yaghoobi
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Aileen I Fernandez
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Jon Zugazagoitia
- Section of Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - Roy S Herbst
- Section of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Kurt A Schalper
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Section of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - David L Rimm
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Section of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
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57
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Yang H, Messina-Pacheco J, Corredor ALG, Gregorieff A, Liu JL, Nehme A, Najafabadi HS, Riazalhosseini Y, Gao B, Gao ZH. An integrated model of acinar to ductal metaplasia-related N7-methyladenosine regulators predicts prognosis and immunotherapy in pancreatic carcinoma based on digital spatial profiling. Front Immunol 2022; 13:961457. [PMID: 35979350 PMCID: PMC9377277 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.961457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM) is a recently recognized, yet less well-studied, precursor lesion of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) developed in the setting of chronic pancreatitis. Through digital spatial mRNA profiling, we compared ADM and adjacent PDAC tissues from patient samples to unveil the bridging genes during the malignant transformation of pancreatitis. By comparing the bridging genes with the 7-methylguanosine (m7G)-seq dataset, we screened 19 m7G methylation genes for a subsequent large sample analysis. We constructed the “m7G score” model based on the RNA-seq data for pancreatic cancer in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Tumors with a high m7G score were characterized by increased immune cell infiltration, increased genomic instability, higher response rate to combined immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), and overall poor survival. These findings indicate that the m7G score is associated with tumor invasiveness, immune cell infiltration, ICI treatment response, and overall patients’ survival. We also identified FN1 and ITGB1 as core genes in the m7Gscore model, which affect immune cell infiltration and genomic instability not only in pancreatic cancer but also in pan-cancer. FN1 and ITGB1 can inhibit immune T cell activition by upregulation of macrophages and neutrophils, thereby leading to immune escape of pancreatic cancer cells and reducing the response rate of ICI treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yang
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Julia Messina-Pacheco
- Department of Pathology, McGill University and the Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Andrea Liliam Gomez Corredor
- Department of Pathology, McGill University and the Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Alex Gregorieff
- Department of Pathology, McGill University and the Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jun-li Liu
- MeDic Program, The Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, & Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ali Nehme
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- McGill University Genome Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Hamed S. Najafabadi
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- McGill University Genome Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Yasser Riazalhosseini
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- McGill University Genome Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Bo Gao
- Department of General Surgery, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Zu-hua Gao, ; Bo Gao,
| | - Zu-hua Gao
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, British Columbia (BC) Cancer Research Center, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Zu-hua Gao, ; Bo Gao,
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58
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Baci D, Cekani E, Imperatori A, Ribatti D, Mortara L. Host-Related Factors as Targetable Drivers of Immunotherapy Response in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients. Front Immunol 2022; 13:914890. [PMID: 35874749 PMCID: PMC9298844 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.914890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite some significant therapeutic breakthroughs leading to immunotherapy, a high percentage of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) do not respond to treatment on relapse, thus experiencing poor prognosis and survival. The unsatisfying results could be related to the features of the tumor immune microenvironment and the dynamic interactions between a tumor and immune infiltrate. Host-tumor interactions strongly influence the course of disease and response to therapies. Thus, targeting host-associated factors by restoring their physiologic functions altered by the presence of a tumor represents a new therapeutic approach to control tumor development and progression. In NSCLC, the immunogenic tumor balance is shifted negatively toward immunosuppression due to the release of inhibitory factors as well as the presence of immunosuppressive cells. Among these cells, there are myeloid-derived suppressor cells, regulatory T cells that can generate a tumor-permissive milieu by reprogramming the cells of the hosts such as tumor-associated macrophages, tumor-associated neutrophils, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, and mast cells that acquire tumor-supporting phenotypes and functions. This review highlights the current knowledge of the involvement of host-related factors, including innate and adaptive immunity in orchestrating the tumor cell fate and the primary resistance mechanisms to immunotherapy in NSCLC. Finally, we discuss combinational therapeutic strategies targeting different aspects of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) to prime the host response. Further research dissecting the characteristics and dynamic interactions within the interface host-tumor is necessary to improve a patient fitness immune response and provide answers regarding the immunotherapy efficacy, with the aim to develop more successful treatments for NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denisa Baci
- Molecular Cardiology Laboratory, IRCCS-Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Milan, Italy.,Immunology and General Pathology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Elona Cekani
- Medical Oncology Clinic, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Imperatori
- Center for Thoracic Surgery, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Domenico Ribatti
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro Medical School, Bari, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Mortara
- Immunology and General Pathology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
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59
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[Neutrophil plasticity: A new key in the understanding of onco-immunology]. Rev Mal Respir 2022; 39:587-594. [PMID: 35871052 DOI: 10.1016/j.rmr.2022.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer mortality in France. Research has shown that immune cells play a major role in tumor growth, angiogenesis and promotion of metastasis. While the density of intra-tumoral adaptive immune cell infiltrate is associated with a favorable prognosis, the presence of polynuclear neutrophils (innate immune cells) is associated in different types of cancer with a poor prognosis. The reviewed studies underline the abundance of intra-tumoral neutrophils involved in tumor progression by their immunosuppressive activity. More specifically, it has been shown that the neutrophil/lymphocyte (N/L) ratio is a prognostic marker. Different mechanisms promoting tumor progression have been identified, particularly the pro-angiogenic and immunosuppressive activities of neutrophils. However, under certain conditions, they can also exert effective anti-tumor activity through their interactions with the adaptive immune system. The complexity of the role of neutrophils in oncology resides in the diversity of subpopulations and their plasticity under the influence of the tumor environment. In this review, we will discuss the different properties of neutrophils not only as pro- and anti-tumor effector cells, but also as immunomodulatory cells, and we will conclude by considering therapeutic perspectives in lung cancer.
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60
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Chang Y, Syahirah R, Wang X, Jin G, Torregrosa-Allen S, Elzey BD, Hummel SN, Wang T, Li C, Lian X, Deng Q, Broxmeyer HE, Bao X. Engineering chimeric antigen receptor neutrophils from human pluripotent stem cells for targeted cancer immunotherapy. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111128. [PMID: 35858579 PMCID: PMC9327527 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils, the most abundant white blood cells in circulation, are closely related to cancer development and progression. Healthy primary neutrophils present potent cytotoxicity against various cancer cell lines through direct contact and via generation of reactive oxygen species. However, due to their short half-life and resistance to genetic modification, neutrophils have not yet been engineered with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) to enhance their antitumor cytotoxicity for targeted immunotherapy. Here, we genetically engineered human pluripotent stem cells with synthetic CARs and differentiated them into functional neutrophils by implementing a chemically defined platform. The resulting CAR neutrophils present superior and specific cytotoxicity against tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, we established a robust platform for massive production of CAR neutrophils, paving the way to myeloid cell-based therapeutic strategies that would boost current cancer-treatment approaches. Neutrophils are important innate immune cells that mediate both protumor and antitumor activities. Chang et al. genetically engineer human pluripotent stem cells to produce chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) neutrophils that display superior antitumor activities and improve survival in an in situ glioblastoma xenograft model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Chang
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Ramizah Syahirah
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Xuepeng Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Gyuhyung Jin
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | | | - Bennett D Elzey
- Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Sydney N Hummel
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Tianqi Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Can Li
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Xiaojun Lian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Qing Deng
- Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
| | - Hal E Broxmeyer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Xiaoping Bao
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
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Co-dependencies in the tumor immune microenvironment. Oncogene 2022; 41:3821-3829. [PMID: 35817840 PMCID: PMC9893036 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02406-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Activated oncogenes and disrupted tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) not only endow aspiring cancer cells with new biological capabilities but also influence the composition and function of host cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). These non-cancer host cells can in turn provide cancer cells with growth support and protection from the anti-tumor immune response. In this ecosystem, geospatially heterogenous "subTME" adds to the complexity of the "global" TME which bestows tumors with increased tumorigenic ability and resistance to therapy. This review highlights how specific genetic alterations in cancer cells establish various symbiotic co-dependencies with surrounding host cells and details the cooperative role of the host cells in tumor biology. These essential interactions expand the repertoire of targets for the development of precision cancer treatments.
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62
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Gunjur A, Manrique‐Rincón AJ, Klein O, Behren A, Lawley TD, Welsh SJ, Adams DJ. 'Know thyself' - host factors influencing cancer response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. J Pathol 2022; 257:513-525. [PMID: 35394069 PMCID: PMC9320825 DOI: 10.1002/path.5907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionised oncology and are now standard-of-care for the treatment of a wide variety of solid neoplasms. However, tumour responses remain unpredictable, experienced by only a minority of ICI recipients across malignancy types. Therefore, there is an urgent need for better predictive biomarkers to identify a priori the patients most likely to benefit from these therapies. Despite considerable efforts, only three such biomarkers are FDA-approved for clinical use, and all rely on the availability of tumour tissue for immunohistochemical staining or genomic assays. There is emerging evidence that host factors - for example, genetic, metabolic, and immune factors, as well as the composition of one's gut microbiota - influence the response of a patient's cancer to ICIs. Tantalisingly, some of these factors are modifiable, paving the way for co-therapies that may enhance the therapeutic index of these treatments. Herein, we review key host factors that are of potential biomarker value for response to ICI therapy, with a particular focus on the proposed mechanisms for these influences. © 2022 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashray Gunjur
- Experimental Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Sanger InstituteHinxtonUK,Olivia Newton‐John Cancer Research InstituteLa Trobe University School of Cancer MedicineHeidelbergAustralia
| | - Andrea J Manrique‐Rincón
- Experimental Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Sanger InstituteHinxtonUK,Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease, Department of MedicineUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Oliver Klein
- Olivia Newton‐John Cancer Research InstituteLa Trobe University School of Cancer MedicineHeidelbergAustralia,Department of Medical OncologyAustin HealthHeidelbergAustralia
| | - Andreas Behren
- Olivia Newton‐John Cancer Research InstituteLa Trobe University School of Cancer MedicineHeidelbergAustralia,Department of MedicineUniversity of MelbourneParkvilleAustralia
| | | | - Sarah J Welsh
- Department of SurgeryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK,Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustCambridgeUK
| | - David J Adams
- Experimental Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Sanger InstituteHinxtonUK
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Hadjigol S, Shah BA, O’Brien-Simpson NM. The 'Danse Macabre'-Neutrophils the Interactive Partner Affecting Oral Cancer Outcomes. Front Immunol 2022; 13:894021. [PMID: 35784290 PMCID: PMC9243430 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.894021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past few decades, tremendous advances in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer have taken place. However for head and neck cancers, including oral cancer, the overall survival rate is below 50% and they remain the seventh most common malignancy worldwide. These cancers are, commonly, aggressive, genetically complex, and difficult to treat and the delay, which often occurs between early recognition of symptoms and diagnosis, and the start of treatment of these cancers, is associated with poor prognosis. Cancer development and progression occurs in concert with alterations in the surrounding stroma, with the immune system being an essential element in this process. Despite neutrophils having major roles in the pathology of many diseases, they were thought to have little impact on cancer development and progression. Recent studies are now challenging this notion and placing neutrophils as central interactive players with other immune and tumor cells in affecting cancer pathology. This review focuses on how neutrophils and their sub-phenotypes, N1, N2, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, both directly and indirectly affect the anti-tumor and pro-tumor immune responses. Emphasis is placed on what is currently known about the interaction of neutrophils with myeloid innate immune cells (such as dendritic cells and macrophages), innate lymphoid cells, natural killer cells, and fibroblasts to affect the tumor microenvironment and progression of oral cancer. A better understanding of this dialog will allow for improved therapeutics that concurrently target several components of the tumor microenvironment, increasing the possibility of constructive and positive outcomes for oral cancer patients. For this review, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched for manuscripts using keywords and combinations thereof of "oral cancer, OSCC, neutrophils, TANs, MDSC, immune cells, head and neck cancer, and tumor microenvironment" with a focus on publications from 2018 to 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Hadjigol
- ACTV Research Group, Division of Basic and Clinical Oral Sciences, Centre for Oral Health Research, Melbourne Dental School, Royal Dental Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Neil M. O’Brien-Simpson
- ACTV Research Group, Division of Basic and Clinical Oral Sciences, Centre for Oral Health Research, Melbourne Dental School, Royal Dental Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC, Australia
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64
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Kasichayanula S, Mandlekar S, Shivva V, Patel M, Girish S. Evolution of Preclinical Characterization and Insights into Clinical Pharmacology of Checkpoint Inhibitors Approved for Cancer Immunotherapy. Clin Transl Sci 2022; 15:1818-1837. [PMID: 35588531 PMCID: PMC9372426 DOI: 10.1111/cts.13312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has significantly advanced the treatment paradigm in oncology, with approvals of immuno‐oncology agents for over 16 indications, many of them first line. Checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) are recognized as an essential backbone for a successful anticancer therapy regimen. This review focuses on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory approvals of major CPIs and the evolution of translational advances since their first approval close to a decade ago. In addition, critical preclinical and clinical pharmacology considerations, an overview of the pharmacokinetic and dose/regimen aspects, and a discussion of the future of CPI translational and clinical pharmacology as combination therapy becomes a mainstay of industrial immunotherapy development and in clinical practice are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Vittal Shivva
- Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, 94080, CA
| | - Maulik Patel
- AbbVie Inc., 1000 Gateway Blvd, South San Francisco, 94080, CA
| | - Sandhya Girish
- Gilead Sciences, 310 Lakeside Drive, Foster City, 94404, CA
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65
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Raskov H, Orhan A, Gaggar S, Gögenur I. Neutrophils and polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells: an emerging battleground in cancer therapy. Oncogenesis 2022; 11:22. [PMID: 35504900 PMCID: PMC9065109 DOI: 10.1038/s41389-022-00398-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils are central mediators of innate and adaptive immunity and first responders to tissue damage. Although vital to our health, their activation, function, and resolution are critical to preventing chronic inflammation that may contribute to carcinogenesis. Cancers are associated with the expansion of the neutrophil compartment with an escalation in the number of polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSC) in the peripheral circulation and tumor microenvironment. Although phenotypically similar to classically activated neutrophils, PMN-MDSC is pathologically activated and immunosuppressive in nature. They dynamically interact with other cell populations and tissue components and convey resistance to anticancer therapies while accelerating disease progression and metastatic spread. Cancer-associated neutrophilia and tumor infiltration of neutrophils are significant markers of poor outcomes in many cancers. Recently, there has been significant progress in the identification of molecular markers of PMN-MDSC providing insights into the central role of PMN-MDSC in the local tumor microenvironment as well as the systemic immune response in cancer. Further advances in sequencing and proteomics techniques will improve our understanding of their diverse functionalities and the complex molecular mechanisms at play. Targeting PMN-MDSC is currently one of the major focus areas in cancer research and several signaling pathways representing possible treatment targets have been identified. Positive results from preclinical studies clearly justify the current investigation in drug development and thus novel therapeutic strategies are being evaluated in clinical trials. In this review, we discuss the involvement of PMN-MDSC in cancer initiation and progression and their potential as therapeutic targets and clinical biomarkers in different cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Raskov
- Center for Surgical Science, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, Denmark.
| | - Adile Orhan
- Center for Surgical Science, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, Denmark.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Shruti Gaggar
- Center for Surgical Science, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, Denmark
| | - Ismail Gögenur
- Center for Surgical Science, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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66
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Xu J, Tao P, Lü D, Jiang Y, Xia Q. Role of high-mobility group box 1 in cancer. ZHONG NAN DA XUE XUE BAO. YI XUE BAN = JOURNAL OF CENTRAL SOUTH UNIVERSITY. MEDICAL SCIENCES 2022; 47:505-511. [PMID: 35545346 PMCID: PMC10930161 DOI: 10.11817/j.issn.1672-7347.2022.210679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a non-histone nuclear protein in most eukaryocytes. Inside the nucleus, HMGB1 plays an important role in several DNA events such as DNA repair, transcription, telomere maintenance, and genome stability. While outside the nucleus, it fulfils more complicated functions, including promoting cell proliferation, inflammation, angiogenesis, immune tolerance and immune escape, which may play a pro-tumoral role.Meanwhile, HMGB1 acts as an anti-tumoral protein by regulating immune cell recruitment and inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD) during the carcinogenesis process. Therefore, abnormal expression of HMGB1 is associated with oncogenesis, development, and metastasis of cancer, which may play a dual role of pro-tumor and anti-tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Xu
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, People's Hospital of Guandu District, Kunming 650200.
| | - Pengzuo Tao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Yunan Cancer Hospital/Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650118
| | - Dongjin Lü
- Third Department of Internal Medicine, Yunan Cancer Hospital/Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650118, China
| | - Yu'e Jiang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Yunan Cancer Hospital/Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650118
| | - Quansong Xia
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Yunan Cancer Hospital/Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650118.
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67
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Leslie J, Mackey JBG, Jamieson T, Ramon-Gil E, Drake TM, Fercoq F, Clark W, Gilroy K, Hedley A, Nixon C, Luli S, Laszczewska M, Pinyol R, Esteban-Fabró R, Willoughby CE, Haber PK, Andreu-Oller C, Rahbari M, Fan C, Pfister D, Raman S, Wilson N, Müller M, Collins A, Geh D, Fuller A, McDonald D, Hulme G, Filby A, Cortes-Lavaud X, Mohamed NE, Ford CA, Raffo Iraolagoitia XL, McFarlane AJ, McCain MV, Ridgway RA, Roberts EW, Barry ST, Graham GJ, Heikenwälder M, Reeves HL, Llovet JM, Carlin LM, Bird TG, Sansom OJ, Mann DA. CXCR2 inhibition enables NASH-HCC immunotherapy. Gut 2022; 71:gutjnl-2021-326259. [PMID: 35477863 PMCID: PMC9484388 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2021-326259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasingly associated with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). HCC immunotherapy offers great promise; however, recent data suggests NASH-HCC may be less sensitive to conventional immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI). We hypothesised that targeting neutrophils using a CXCR2 small molecule inhibitor may sensitise NASH-HCC to ICI therapy. DESIGN Neutrophil infiltration was characterised in human HCC and mouse models of HCC. Late-stage intervention with anti-PD1 and/or a CXCR2 inhibitor was performed in murine models of NASH-HCC. The tumour immune microenvironment was characterised by imaging mass cytometry, RNA-seq and flow cytometry. RESULTS Neutrophils expressing CXCR2, a receptor crucial to neutrophil recruitment in acute-injury, are highly represented in human NASH-HCC. In models of NASH-HCC lacking response to ICI, the combination of a CXCR2 antagonist with anti-PD1 suppressed tumour burden and extended survival. Combination therapy increased intratumoural XCR1+ dendritic cell activation and CD8+ T cell numbers which are associated with anti-tumoural immunity, this was confirmed by loss of therapeutic effect on genetic impairment of myeloid cell recruitment, neutralisation of the XCR1-ligand XCL1 or depletion of CD8+ T cells. Therapeutic benefit was accompanied by an unexpected increase in tumour-associated neutrophils (TANs) which switched from a protumour to anti-tumour progenitor-like neutrophil phenotype. Reprogrammed TANs were found in direct contact with CD8+ T cells in clusters that were enriched for the cytotoxic anti-tumoural protease granzyme B. Neutrophil reprogramming was not observed in the circulation indicative of the combination therapy selectively influencing TANs. CONCLUSION CXCR2-inhibition induces reprogramming of the tumour immune microenvironment that promotes ICI in NASH-HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Leslie
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- The Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | | | - Erik Ramon-Gil
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- The Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Thomas M Drake
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | | | | | | | - Ann Hedley
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
| | - Colin Nixon
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
| | - Saimir Luli
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- The Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Preclinical In Vivo Imaging Facility, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Maja Laszczewska
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- The Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Roser Pinyol
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roger Esteban-Fabró
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Catherine E Willoughby
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Philipp K Haber
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Carmen Andreu-Oller
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mohammad Rahbari
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Chaofan Fan
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dominik Pfister
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Shreya Raman
- Department of Pathology, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Niall Wilson
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- The Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | - Amy Collins
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- The Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Daniel Geh
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- The Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Andrew Fuller
- Flow Cytometry Facility, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - David McDonald
- Flow Cytometry Facility, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Gillian Hulme
- Flow Cytometry Facility, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Andrew Filby
- Flow Cytometry Facility, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- Innovation, Methodology and Innovation (IMA) theme, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Misti V McCain
- The Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | | | - Simon T Barry
- Bioscience, Early Oncology, AstraZeneca, Macclesfield, UK
| | - Gerard J Graham
- Chemokine Research Group, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Mathias Heikenwälder
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Surgery, University Hospital Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Helen L Reeves
- The Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Josep M Llovet
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Leo M Carlin
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Thomas G Bird
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Owen J Sansom
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Glasgow, UK
| | - Derek A Mann
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- The Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Fibrofind Ltd, William Leech Building, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, School of Medicine, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
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Yuan B, Clowers MJ, Velasco WV, Peng S, Peng Q, Shi Y, Ramos-Castaneda M, Zarghooni M, Yang S, Babcock RL, Chang SH, Heymach JV, Zhang J, Ostrin EJ, Watowich SS, Kadara H, Moghaddam SJ. Targeting IL-1β as an immune preventive and therapeutic modality for K-ras mutant lung cancer. JCI Insight 2022; 7:157788. [PMID: 35471938 PMCID: PMC9220853 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.157788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
K-ras–mutant lung adenocarcinoma (KM-LUAD) is associated with abysmal prognosis and is tightly linked to tumor-promoting inflammation. A human mAb, canakinumab, targeting the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β, significantly decreased the risk of lung cancer in the Canakinumab Anti-inflammatory Thrombosis Outcomes Study. Interestingly, we found high levels of IL-1β in the lungs of mice with K-rasG12D–mutant tumors (CC-LR mice). Here, we blocked IL-1β using an anti–IL-1β mAb in cohorts of 6- or 14-week-old CC-LR mice to explore its preventive and therapeutic effect, respectively. IL-1β blockade significantly reduced lung tumor burden, which was associated with reprogramming of the lung microenvironment toward an antitumor phenotype characterized by increased infiltration of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells (with high IFN-γ and granzyme B expression but low programmed cell death 1 [PD-1] expression) while suppressing neutrophils and polymorphonuclear (PMN) myeloid-derived suppressor cells. When querying the Cancer Genome Atlas data set, we found positive correlations between IL1B expression and infiltration of immunosuppressive PMNs and expression of their chemoattractant, CXCL1, and PDCD1 expressions in patients with KM-LUAD. Our data provide evidence that IL-1β blockade may be a preventive strategy for high-risk individuals and an alternative therapeutic approach in combination with currently available treatments for KM-LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Yuan
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Michael J Clowers
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Walter V Velasco
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Stephen Peng
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Qian Peng
- Department of General Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Yewen Shi
- Department of Head & Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Marco Ramos-Castaneda
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Melody Zarghooni
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Shuanying Yang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Rachel L Babcock
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Seon Hee Chang
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - John V Heymach
- Department of Thoracic Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Edwin J Ostrin
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Stephanie S Watowich
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Humam Kadara
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Seyed Javad Moghaddam
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
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69
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Yang M, Wang B, Hou W, Yu H, Zhou B, Zhong W, Liu Z, Li J, Zeng H, Liu C, Qin H, Lin T, Huang J. Negative Effects of Stromal Neutrophils on T Cells Reduce Survival in Resectable Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder. Front Immunol 2022; 13:827457. [PMID: 35386697 PMCID: PMC8978967 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.827457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) is a major type of bladder cancer with a distinct tumor microenvironment (TME). Although neutrophils are the main component of myeloid cells in the TME, the clinical significance and function of the neutrophils remain unclear in UCB. Here, we observed CD66b+ neutrophils were predominantly enriched in the stroma of UCB tissues and their levels emerged as an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (P = 0.006, n = 237), and were positively associated with age (P = 0.033), tumor stage (P < 0.0001), nodal metastasis (P = 0.045), and histological grade (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, we found that CD66b+ neutrophils were frequently co-localized with CD4+ T cells (R=0.35, P = 0.0067), CD8+ T cells (R=0.52, P<0.0001) and Cleaved Caspase-3+ apoptosis cells (R=0.44, P = 0.0007) in the stroma of UCB tissue. In addition, better effects of T cells on patients’ survival were markedly reduced by neutrophils and T cells co-infiltration. Moreover, we confirmed bladder tumor cell supernatant treated neutrophils suppressed T cell proliferation and activation, and promoted T cell apoptosis through GM-CSF induced PD-L1 in vitro. The expression of PD-L1 by neutrophils was also detected in fresh UCB tissues by using flow cytometric analysis. These data suggested that stromal CD66b+ neutrophils may potentially represent a reliable marker of poor prognosis for UCB patients, and neutrophils might play an immunosuppressive role on T cell immunity partially via the expression of PD-L1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meihua Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weibin Hou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hao Yu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bingkun Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenlong Zhong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhuowei Liu
- Department of Urology, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinqing Li
- Department of Urology, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hong Zeng
- Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cheng Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haide Qin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tianxin Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University, Guangzhou, China
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70
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Rocha P, Zhang J, Laza-Briviesca R, Cruz-Bermúdez A, Bota-Rabassedas N, Sanchez-Espiridion B, Yoshimura K, Behrens C, Lu W, Tang X, Pataer A, Parra ER, Haymaker C, Fujimoto J, Swisher SG, Heymach JV, Gibbons DL, Lee JJ, Sepesi B, Cascone T, Solis LM, Provencio M, Wistuba II, Kadara H. Distinct immune gene programs associated with host tumor immunity, neoadjuvant chemotherapy and chemoimmunotherapy in resectable NSCLC. Clin Cancer Res 2022; 28:2461-2473. [PMID: 35394499 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-21-3207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Our understanding of the immunopathology of resectable NSCLC is still limited. Here, we explore immune programs that inform of tumor immunity and response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and chemoimmunotherapy in localized NSCLC. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Targeted immune gene sequencing using the HTG Precision Immuno-Oncology panel was performed in localized NSCLCs from three cohorts based on treatment: naïve (n=190), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n=38) and neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy (n=21). Tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) phenotypes based on the location of CD8+ T cells (inflamed, cold, excluded), tumoral PD-L1 expression (<1% and {greater than or equal to}1%), and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Immune programs and signatures were statistically analyzed based on tumoral PD-L1 expression, immune phenotypes, pathological response and were cross-compared across the three cohorts. RESULTS PD-L1 positive tumors exhibited increased signature scores for various lymphoid and myeloid cell subsets (p<0.05). TIME phenotypes exhibited disparate frequencies by stage, PD-L1 expression, and mutational burden. Inflamed and PD-L1+/TILs+ NSCLCs displayed overall significantly heightened levels of immune signatures, with the excluded group representing an intermediate state. A cytotoxic T cell signature was associated with favorable survival in neoadjuvant chemotherapy-treated NSCLCs (p<0.05). Pathological response to chemoimmunotherapy was positively associated with higher expression of genes involved in immune activation, chemotaxis, as well as T and NK cells (p<0.05 for all). Among the three cohorts, chemoimmunotherapy-treated NSCLCs exhibited highest scores for various immune cell subsets including T effector and B cells (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight immune gene programs that may underlie host tumor immunity and response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and chemoimmunotherapy in resectable NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Rocha
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States
| | - Jiexin Zhang
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States
| | | | - Alberto Cruz-Bermúdez
- Servicio de Oncología Médica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Puerta de Hierro, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro-Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain., Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Katsuhiro Yoshimura
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Carmen Behrens
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Wei Lu
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Ximing Tang
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States
| | - Apar Pataer
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, houston, Texas, United States
| | - Edwin R Parra
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Cara Haymaker
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States
| | - Junya Fujimoto
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Stephen G Swisher
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - John V Heymach
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Don L Gibbons
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - J Jack Lee
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States
| | - Boris Sepesi
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Tina Cascone
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Luisa M Solis
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Mariano Provencio
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain., Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio I Wistuba
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Humam Kadara
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
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71
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Geh D, Leslie J, Rumney R, Reeves HL, Bird TG, Mann DA. Neutrophils as potential therapeutic targets in hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 19:257-273. [PMID: 35022608 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-021-00568-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The success of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab treatment contributed to a shift in systemic therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) towards combinations that include cancer immunotherapeutic agents. Thus far, the principal focus of cancer immunotherapy has been on interrupting immune checkpoints that suppress antitumour lymphocytes. As well as lymphocytes, the HCC environment includes numerous other immune cell types, among which neutrophils are emerging as an important contributor to the pathogenesis of HCC. A growing body of evidence supports neutrophils as key mediators of the immunosuppressive environment in which some cancers develop, as well as drivers of tumour progression. If neutrophils have a similar role in HCC, approaches that target or manipulate neutrophils might have therapeutic benefits, potentially including sensitization of tumours to conventional immunotherapy. Several neutrophil-directed therapies for patients with HCC (and other cancers) are now entering clinical trials. This Review outlines the evidence in support of neutrophils as drivers of HCC and details their mechanistic roles in development, progression and metastasis, highlighting the reasons that neutrophils are well worth investigating despite the challenges associated with studying them. Neutrophil-modulating anticancer therapies entering clinical trials are also summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Geh
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Jack Leslie
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Rob Rumney
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Helen L Reeves
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- The Liver Unit, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Multidisciplinary Team, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Thomas G Bird
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Derek A Mann
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, School of Medicine, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey.
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72
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Raftopoulou S, Valadez-Cosmes P, Mihalic ZN, Schicho R, Kargl J. Tumor-Mediated Neutrophil Polarization and Therapeutic Implications. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:3218. [PMID: 35328639 PMCID: PMC8951452 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils are immune cells with reported phenotypic and functional plasticity. Tumor-associated neutrophils display many roles during cancer progression. Several tumor microenvironment (TME)-derived factors orchestrate neutrophil release from the bone marrow, recruitment and functional polarization, while simultaneously neutrophils are active stimulators of the TME by secreting factors that affect immune interactions and subsequently tumor progression. Successful immunotherapies for many cancer types and stages depend on the targeting of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Neutrophils impact the success of immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint blockade therapies, by displaying lymphocyte suppressive properties. The identification and characterization of distinct neutrophil subpopulations or polarization states with pro- and antitumor phenotypes and the identification of the major TME-derived factors of neutrophil polarization would allow us to harness the full potential of neutrophils as complementary targets in anticancer precision therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Julia Kargl
- Division of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria; (S.R.); (P.V.-C.); (Z.N.M.); (R.S.)
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73
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Abstract
Neutrophils are the most abundant myeloid cells in human blood and are emerging as important regulators of cancer. However, their functional importance has often been overlooked on the basis that they are short-lived, terminally differentiated and non-proliferative. Recent studies of their prominent roles in cancer have led to a paradigm shift in our appreciation of neutrophil functional diversity. This Review describes how neutrophil diversification, which in some contexts can lead to opposing functions, is generated within the tumour microenvironment as well as systemically. We compare neutrophil heterogeneity in cancer and in other pathophysiological contexts to provide an updated overview of our current knowledge of the functions of neutrophils in cancer.
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74
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Qureshi HA, Zhu X, Yang GH, Steadele M, Pierce RH, Futran ND, Lee SM, Méndez E, Houghton AM. Impact of HPV status on immune responses in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Oral Oncol 2022; 127:105774. [PMID: 35219073 DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2022.105774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The main objective of our study was to understand the impact of immune cell composition and the tumor-reactivity of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in HPV-positive (HPV+) and HPV-negative (HPV-) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). TIL cultures were established from primary HNSCC tumors, the T cell subsets were phenotypically characterized using flow cytometry, and Interferon (IFN)-γ ELISA assay was used to determine TIL function. NanoString Immune Profiler was used to determine an immune signature by HPV-status, and multiplex immunohistochemistry (MIHC) was used to quantify immune cell distributions and their spatial relationships. Results showed that HPV+ and HPV- HNSCC had similar capacity to expand IFN-γ reactive TIL populations, and these TIL populations had similar characteristics. NanoString analysis revealed increased differential expression of genes related to B cell functions in HPV+ HNSCC, which were significant at a Benjamini-Yekutieli adjusted p-value of < 0.001. MIHC also displayed increased CD8+ T cell and CD19/CD20+ B cell densities in the tumor region of HPV+ HNSCC as opposed to HPV- HNSCC (p < 0.01). Increases in a combined metric of tumor B cell content and stromal plasma cell content was associated with increased progression-free survival in HPV- HNSCC patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy (p = 0.03). In summary, TIL populations expanded from HPV+ and HPV- HNSCC displayed similar IFN-γ reactivity. However, we identified a strong B-cell signature present within HPV+ HNSCC, and higher B and plasma cell content associated with improved PFS in HPV- HNSCC patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannan A Qureshi
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States; Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Division, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Xiaodong Zhu
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Division, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Grace H Yang
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Division, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Melissa Steadele
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Division, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Robert H Pierce
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Division, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Neal D Futran
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Sylvia M Lee
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Division, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Eduardo Méndez
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States; Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Division, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - A McGarry Houghton
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Division, Seattle, WA, United States; Pulmonary and Critical Care Division, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.
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75
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Yang D, Ma X, Song P. A prognostic model of non small cell lung cancer based on TCGA and ImmPort databases. Sci Rep 2022; 12:437. [PMID: 35013450 PMCID: PMC8748945 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04268-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioinformatics methods are used to construct an immune gene prognosis assessment model for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to screen biomarkers that affect the occurrence and prognosis of NSCLC. The transcriptomic data and clinicopathological data of NSCLC and cancer-adjacent normal tissues were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and the immune-related genes were obtained from the IMMPORT database (http://www.immport.org/); then, the differentially expressed immune genes were screened out. Based on these genes, an immune gene prognosis model was constructed. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used for univariate and multivariate analyses. Further, the correlations among the risk score, clinicopathological characteristics, tumor microenvironment, and the prognosis of NSCLC were analyzed. A total of 193 differentially expressed immune genes related to NSCLC were screened based on the "wilcox.test" in R language, and Cox single factor analysis showed that 19 differentially expressed immune genes were associated with the prognosis of NSCLC (P < 0.05). After including 19 differentially expressed immune genes with P < 0.05 into the Cox multivariate analysis, an immune gene prognosis model of NSCLC was constructed (it included 13 differentially expressed immune genes). Based on the risk score, the samples were divided into the high-risk and low-risk groups. The Kaplan–Meier survival curve results showed that the 5-year overall survival rate in the high-risk group was 32.4%, and the 5-year overall survival rate in the low-risk group was 53.7%. The receiver operating characteristic model curve confirmed that the prediction model had a certain accuracy (AUC = 0.673). After incorporating multiple variables into the Cox regression analysis, the results showed that the immune gene prognostic risk score was an independent predictor of the prognosis of NSCLC patients. There was a certain correlation between the risk score and degree of neutrophil infiltration in the tumor microenvironment. The NSCLC immune gene prognosis assessment model was constructed based on bioinformatics methods, and it can be used to calculate the prognostic risk score of NSCLC patients. Further, this model is expected to provide help for clinical judgment of the prognosis of NSCLC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongliang Yang
- Department of General Education, Cangzhou Medical College, Cangzhou, 061001, China
| | - Xiaobin Ma
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 252200, China
| | - Peng Song
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 252200, China.
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76
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Kang YK, Morita S, Satoh T, Ryu MH, Chao Y, Kato K, Chung HC, Chen JS, Muro K, Kang WK, Yeh KH, Yoshikawa T, Oh SC, Bai LY, Tamura T, Lee KW, Hamamoto Y, Kim JG, Chin K, Oh DY, Minashi K, Cho JY, Tsuda M, Sameshima H, Chen LT, Boku N. Exploration of predictors of benefit from nivolumab monotherapy for patients with pretreated advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer: post hoc subanalysis from the ATTRACTION-2 study. Gastric Cancer 2022; 25:207-217. [PMID: 34480657 PMCID: PMC8732926 DOI: 10.1007/s10120-021-01230-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The phase 3 ATTRACTION-2 study demonstrated that nivolumab monotherapy was superior to placebo for patients with pretreated advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer, but early progression of tumors in some patients was of concern. METHODS This post hoc analysis statistically explored the baseline characteristics of the ATTRACTION-2 patients and extracted a single-factor and double-factor combinations associated with early disease progression or early death. In the extracted patient subgroups, the 3-year restricted mean survival times of progression-free survival and overall survival were compared between the nivolumab and placebo arms. RESULTS Two single factors (age and peritoneal metastasis) were extracted as independent predictors of early progression, but none of them, as a single factor, stratified patients into two subgroups with significant differences in restricted mean survival time. In contrast, two double-factor combinations (serum sodium level and white blood cell count; serum sodium level and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio) stratifying patients into two subgroups with significant differences in the restricted mean survival time were extracted. Additional exploratory analysis of a triple-factor combination showed that patients aged < 60 years with peritoneal metastasis and low serum sodium levels (approximately 7% of all patients) might receive less benefit from nivolumab, and patients aged ≥ 60 years with no peritoneal metastasis and normal serum sodium levels might receive higher benefit. CONCLUSIONS A combination of age, peritoneal metastasis, and serum sodium level might predict benefit from nivolumab as salvage therapy in advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer patients, especially less benefit for patients having all three risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoon-Koo Kang
- grid.267370.70000 0004 0533 4667Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Satoshi Morita
- grid.258799.80000 0004 0372 2033Department of Biomedical Statistics and Bioinformatics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Taroh Satoh
- grid.136593.b0000 0004 0373 3971Frontier Science for Cancer and Chemotherapy, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Min-Hee Ryu
- grid.267370.70000 0004 0533 4667Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yee Chao
- grid.278247.c0000 0004 0604 5314Department of Oncology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ken Kato
- grid.272242.30000 0001 2168 5385Division of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hyun Cheol Chung
- grid.15444.300000 0004 0470 5454Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jen-Shi Chen
- grid.145695.a0000 0004 1798 0922Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Kei Muro
- grid.410800.d0000 0001 0722 8444Department of Clinical Oncology, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Won Ki Kang
- grid.264381.a0000 0001 2181 989XDivision of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kun-Huei Yeh
- grid.412094.a0000 0004 0572 7815Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Takaki Yoshikawa
- grid.414944.80000 0004 0629 2905Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama, Japan ,grid.272242.30000 0001 2168 5385Present Address: Department of Gastric Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sang Cheul Oh
- grid.222754.40000 0001 0840 2678Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Li-Yuan Bai
- grid.254145.30000 0001 0083 6092Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Takao Tamura
- grid.258622.90000 0004 1936 9967Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Kindai University, Osakasayama, Japan ,grid.258622.90000 0004 1936 9967Present Address: Department of Medical Oncology, Kindai University Nara Hospital, Ikoma, Japan
| | - Keun-Wook Lee
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, South Korea
| | - Yasuo Hamamoto
- grid.26091.3c0000 0004 1936 9959Keio Cancer Center, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jong Gwang Kim
- grid.258803.40000 0001 0661 1556Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Keisho Chin
- grid.410807.a0000 0001 0037 4131Department of Gastroenterology, Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Do-Youn Oh
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905Seoul National University Hospital, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Integrated Major in Innovative Medical Science, Seoul National University Graduate School, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Keiko Minashi
- grid.418490.00000 0004 1764 921XDepartment of Clinical Trial Promotion, Chiba Cancer Center, Chiba, Japan
| | - Jae Yong Cho
- grid.15444.300000 0004 0470 5454Department of Medical Oncology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Masahiro Tsuda
- grid.417755.50000 0004 0378 375XDepartment of Gastroenterological Oncology, Hyogo Cancer Center, Akashi, Japan
| | - Hiroki Sameshima
- grid.459873.40000 0004 0376 2510Medical Affairs, Ono Pharmaceutical, Co. Ltd., Osaka, Japan
| | - Li-Tzong Chen
- grid.59784.370000000406229172National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan, Taiwan ,grid.412019.f0000 0000 9476 5696Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Narikazu Boku
- grid.272242.30000 0001 2168 5385Division of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
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Han ZJ, Li YB, Yang LX, Cheng HJ, Liu X, Chen H. Roles of the CXCL8-CXCR1/2 Axis in the Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 27:molecules27010137. [PMID: 35011369 PMCID: PMC8746913 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27010137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In humans, Interleukin-8 (IL-8 or CXCL8) is a granulocytic chemokine with multiple roles within the tumor microenvironment (TME), such as recruiting immunosuppressive cells to the tumor, increasing tumor angiogenesis, and promoting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). All of these effects of CXCL8 on individual cell types can result in cascading alterations to the TME. The changes in the TME components such as the cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the immune cells, the extracellular matrix, the blood vessels, or the lymphatic vessels further influence tumor progression and therapeutic resistance. Emerging roles of the microbiome in tumorigenesis or tumor progression revealed the intricate interactions between inflammatory response, dysbiosis, metabolites, CXCL8, immune cells, and the TME. Studies have shown that CXCL8 directly contributes to TME remodeling, cancer plasticity, and the development of resistance to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Further, clinical data demonstrate that CXCL8 could be an easily measurable prognostic biomarker in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors. The blockade of the CXCL8-CXCR1/2 axis alone or in combination with other immunotherapy will be a promising strategy to improve antitumor efficacy. Herein, we review recent advances focusing on identifying the mechanisms between TME components and the CXCL8-CXCR1/2 axis for novel immunotherapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Jian Han
- The Key Laboratory of the Digestive System Tumors of Gansu Province, Tumor Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Y.-B.L.); (L.-X.Y.); (H.-J.C.)
- Correspondence: (Z.-J.H.); (H.C.); Tel.: +86-186-9310-9388 (Z.-J.H.); +86-150-0946-7790 (H.C.)
| | - Yang-Bing Li
- The Key Laboratory of the Digestive System Tumors of Gansu Province, Tumor Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Y.-B.L.); (L.-X.Y.); (H.-J.C.)
| | - Lu-Xi Yang
- The Key Laboratory of the Digestive System Tumors of Gansu Province, Tumor Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Y.-B.L.); (L.-X.Y.); (H.-J.C.)
| | - Hui-Juan Cheng
- The Key Laboratory of the Digestive System Tumors of Gansu Province, Tumor Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Y.-B.L.); (L.-X.Y.); (H.-J.C.)
| | - Xin Liu
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China;
| | - Hao Chen
- The Key Laboratory of the Digestive System Tumors of Gansu Province, Tumor Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Y.-B.L.); (L.-X.Y.); (H.-J.C.)
- Correspondence: (Z.-J.H.); (H.C.); Tel.: +86-186-9310-9388 (Z.-J.H.); +86-150-0946-7790 (H.C.)
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78
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Ruan DY, Chen YX, Wei XL, Wang YN, Wang ZX, Wu HX, Xu RH, Yuan SQ, Wang FH. Elevated peripheral blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is associated with an immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment and decreased benefit of PD-1 antibody in advanced gastric cancer. Gastroenterol Rep (Oxf) 2021; 9:560-570. [PMID: 34925853 PMCID: PMC8677531 DOI: 10.1093/gastro/goab032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Due to its limited efficacy and potential toxicity, anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody is not suitable for all advanced gastric cancer (AGC) patients and predictive biomarkers identifying patients who can benefit from it are urgently needed. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive and prognostic value of inflammatory markers in the context of the systemic inflammatory status and tumour microenvironment. Methods The study included 58 patients from a prospective study investigating the safety and efficacy of toripalimab in chemorefractory AGC patients. Patient characteristics, treatment outcomes, and haematological parameters were analysed. Immune-cell infiltration and gene expression in tumour tissue were examined using transcriptome sequencing. Results In this cohort, the median follow-up time was 4.5 months, the median progression-free survival was 1.9 months, and the median overall survival (OS) was 4.8 months. The objective response rate was 12.1% and th disease control rate (DCR) was 39.7%. Both the baseline blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (bNLR) with a cut-point of 2.7 and the early elevated dynamic change of the bNLR (dNLR) with a cut-point of 1.5 were prognostic factors of survival. Patients in the high bNLR or dNLR group had remarkably poor DCR (25.8% vs 59.1%, P = 0.023; 15.8% vs 54.6%, P = 0.008). In multivariate analysis, bNLR and tumour mutational burden were independent prognostic factors of OS. Tumour RNA-seq analysis revealed enriched neutrophil infiltration and a higher tumour NLR in the bNLR-high group. Corresponding tumour gene-expression profiles were associated with neutrophil recruitment and inflammatory cytokine aggregation. Conclusions Our study demonstrated the potential clinical utility of NLR as a biomarker for patient selection and clinical management in predicting the prognosis of AGC patients as well as response to anti-PD-1 therapy. In addition, high bNLR reflected the imbalance of tumour-tissue-infiltrating neutrophils and lymphocytes, and was associated with an immunosuppressive and pro-tumour microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan-Yun Ruan
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China.,Department of Medical Oncology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Yan-Xing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Li Wei
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Ying-Nan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China.,Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Zi-Xian Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Hao-Xiang Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Rui-Hua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China.,Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Shu-Qiang Yuan
- Department of Gastric Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Feng-Hua Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
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79
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Duits DEM, de Visser KE. Impact of cancer cell-intrinsic features on neutrophil behavior. Semin Immunol 2021; 57:101546. [PMID: 34887163 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2021.101546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Neutrophils are multifaceted innate immune cells that play a significant role in the progression of cancer by exerting both pro- and anti-tumorigenic functions. The crosstalk between cancer cells and neutrophils is complex and emerging evidence is pointing at cancer cell-intrinsic programs regulating neutrophil abundance, phenotype and function. Cancer cell-derived soluble mediators are key players in modulating the interaction with neutrophils. Here, we review how intrinsic features of cancer cells, including cancer cell genetics, epigenetics, signaling, and metabolism, manipulate neutrophil behavior and how to target these processes to impact cancer progression. A molecular understanding of cancer cell-intrinsic properties that shape the crosstalk with neutrophils will provide novel therapeutic strategies for personalized immunomodulation in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danique E M Duits
- Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066CX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karin E de Visser
- Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066CX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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80
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Siwicki M, Pittet MJ. Versatile neutrophil functions in cancer. Semin Immunol 2021; 57:101538. [PMID: 34876331 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2021.101538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Neutrophils have historically been considered a singular, terminally-differentiated cell population, replete with pre-formed granules, poised to react quickly, aggressively, and somewhat non-specifically in the face of a microbial challenge or tissue injury. However, in recent years, neutrophil biologists have started revisiting this simplistic conception. Many studies have identified complexities in neutrophil biology, and these findings have led the field to redefine neutrophil heterogeneity from multiple angles including their development and maturation, their tissue location, and their ability to respond to various (pathological) stimuli. In this review, we discuss the importance of this reassessment within the context of cancer. Experimental evidence supports that neutrophil behavior is diverse, context-dependent, and manipulable; cutting-edge technologies have enabled the identification of neutrophil heterogeneity with high resolution and in an unbiased manner, revealing what may be critical underpinnings of these diverse behaviors, and enabling sophisticated computational assessments of specific programs and interactions. We are coming ever closer to delineating a holistic picture of neutrophil heterogeneity and how it may interplay with cancer stage, tumor microenvironment, and therapy. All of this together paints a promising picture when considering how clinical practice may harness the heterogeneity of these cells, for biomarkers or therapeutic approaches, leveraging what we are learning about these powerful and plentiful immune effectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Siwicki
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute and Harvard, USA.
| | - Mikael J Pittet
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute and Harvard, USA; Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Switzerland; AGORA Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland; Swiss Cancer Center Leman, Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Oncology, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Center for Translational Research in Onco-Hematology, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
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81
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Alessi JV, Ricciuti B, Alden SL, Bertram AA, Lin JJ, Sakhi M, Nishino M, Vaz VR, Lindsay J, Turner MM, Pfaff K, Sharma B, Felt KD, Rodig SJ, Gainor JF, Awad MM. Low peripheral blood derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) is associated with increased tumor T-cell infiltration and favorable outcomes to first-line pembrolizumab in non-small cell lung cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:jitc-2021-003536. [PMID: 34824161 PMCID: PMC8627393 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-003536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND An elevated peripheral blood derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) is a negative prognostic marker for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Whether dNLR is also associated with clinical outcomes to first-line pembrolizumab among patients with NSCLC and a programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) of ≥50% is uncertain. How dNLR relates to the tumor immune microenvironment is also unclear. METHODS In two participating academic centers, we retrospectively analyzed the dNLR (defined as the absolute neutrophil count/white cell count - absolute neutrophil count) prior to initiation of first-line pembrolizumab in patients with metastatic NSCLC and a PD-L1 TPS ≥50% and lacking genomic alterations in EGFR and ALK. An unbiased recursive partitioning algorithm was used to investigate an optimal dNLR cut-off with respect to objective response rate (ORR). Multiplexed immunofluorescence for CD8+, FOXP3+, PD-1+, and PD-L1 was performed on a separate cohort of NSCLCs to determine the immunophenotype associated with dNLR. RESULTS A total of 221 patients treated with first-line pembrolizumab were included in this study. The optimal dNLR cut-off to differentiate treatment responders from non-responders was 2.6. Compared with patients with a dNLR ≥2.6 (n=97), patients with dNLR <2.6 (n=124) had a significantly higher ORR (52.4% vs 24.7%, p<0.001), a significantly longer median progression-free survival (mPFS 10.4 vs 3.4 months, HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.66, p<0.001), and a significantly longer median overall survival (mOS 36.6 vs 9.8 months, HR 0.34, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.49, p<0.001). After adjusting for age, sex, tobacco use, performance status, histology, serum albumin level, oncogenic driver status, and PD-L1 distribution (50%-89% vs ≥90%), a dNLR <2.6 was confirmed to be an independent predictor of longer mPFS (HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.67, p<0.001) and mOS (HR 0.32, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.49, p<0.001). Among advanced NSCLC samples with a PD-L1 TPS of ≥50%, those with a dNLR <2.6 had significantly higher numbers of tumor-associated CD8+, FOXP3+, PD-1 +immune cells, and PD-1 +CD8+T cells than those with a dNLR ≥2.6. CONCLUSIONS Among patients with NSCLC and a PD-L1 TPS ≥50%, a low dNLR has a distinct immune tumor microenvironment and more favorable outcomes to first-line pembrolizumab.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joao V Alessi
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Biagio Ricciuti
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Stephanie L Alden
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Arrien A Bertram
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jessica J Lin
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mustafa Sakhi
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mizuki Nishino
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Victor R Vaz
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - James Lindsay
- Knowledge Systems Group, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Madison M Turner
- ImmunoProfile, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kathleen Pfaff
- ImmunoProfile, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bijaya Sharma
- ImmunoProfile, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kristen D Felt
- ImmunoProfile, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Scott J Rodig
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Center for Immuno-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Justin F Gainor
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mark M Awad
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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82
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Zhao J, Dong L, Huo T, Cheng J, Li X, Huangfu X, Sun S, Wang H, Li L. O-GlcNAc Transferase (OGT) Protects Cerebral Neurons from Death During Ischemia/Reperfusion (I/R) Injury by Modulating Drp1 in Mice. Neuromolecular Med 2021; 24:299-310. [PMID: 34705256 DOI: 10.1007/s12017-021-08688-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that increased O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) level could promote cell survival following environmental stresses. This study aimed to explore the role of O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) during cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. The mouse model with cerebral I/R injury was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R). The expression of ogt in brain tissues was detected by qRT-PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining assay. Neurological deficit was evaluated using a modified scoring system. The infarct volume was assessed by TTC staining assay. Neuronal apoptosis in brain tissues was evaluated by TUNEL staining assay. The level of cleaved caspase-3 in brain tissues was detected by Western blot and IHC staining assay. The expression of critical proteins involved in mitochondrial fission, including OPA1, Mfn1, and Mfn2, as well as Mff and Drp1 was detected by Western blot and IHC, respectively. The expression of ogt during cerebral I/R injury was significantly upregulated. Ogt knockdown significantly increased neurological score and infarct volume in I/R-induced mice. Meanwhile, ogt knockdown significantly enhanced neuronal apoptosis and cleaved caspase-3 level in brain tissues of I/R-induced mice. In addition, ogt knockdown markedly decreased serine 637 phosphorylation level of mitochondrial fission protein dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) and promoted Drp1 translocation from the cytosol to the mitochondria. Moreover, the specific Drp1 inhibitor mdivi-1 effectively attenuated ogt knockdown-induced brain injury of I/R-stimulated mice in vivo. Our study revealed that OGT protects against cerebral I/R injury by inhibiting the function of Drp1 in mice, suggesting that ogt may be a potential therapeutic target for cerebral I/R injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingru Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Hebei General Hospital, No.348 Heping West Road, Shijiazhuang, 050051, Hebei, P. R. China
| | - Lipeng Dong
- Department of Neurology, Hebei General Hospital, No.348 Heping West Road, Shijiazhuang, 050051, Hebei, P. R. China
| | - Tiantian Huo
- Department of Neurology, Hebei General Hospital, No.348 Heping West Road, Shijiazhuang, 050051, Hebei, P. R. China
| | - Jinming Cheng
- Department of Neurology, Hebei General Hospital, No.348 Heping West Road, Shijiazhuang, 050051, Hebei, P. R. China
| | - Xiaojuan Li
- Department of Neurology, Hebei General Hospital, No.348 Heping West Road, Shijiazhuang, 050051, Hebei, P. R. China
| | - Xiaojuan Huangfu
- Department of Neurology, Hebei General Hospital, No.348 Heping West Road, Shijiazhuang, 050051, Hebei, P. R. China
| | - Sujuan Sun
- Department of Neurology, Hebei General Hospital, No.348 Heping West Road, Shijiazhuang, 050051, Hebei, P. R. China
| | - Hebo Wang
- Department of Neurology, Hebei General Hospital, No.348 Heping West Road, Shijiazhuang, 050051, Hebei, P. R. China
| | - Litao Li
- Department of Neurology, Hebei General Hospital, No.348 Heping West Road, Shijiazhuang, 050051, Hebei, P. R. China.
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83
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Li X, Yang Y, Huang Q, Deng Y, Guo F, Wang G, Liu M. Crosstalk Between the Tumor Microenvironment and Cancer Cells: A Promising Predictive Biomarker for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:738373. [PMID: 34692696 PMCID: PMC8529050 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.738373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have changed the landscape of cancer treatment and are emerging as promising curative treatments in different type of cancers. However, only a small proportion of patients have benefited from ICIs and there is an urgent need to find robust biomarkers for individualized immunotherapy and to explore the causes of immunotherapy resistance. In this article, we review the roles of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and discuss the effects of ICIs on these cell populations. We discuss the potential of the functional interaction between the TME and cancer cells as a predictive biomarker for ICIs. Furthermore, we outline the potential personalized strategies to improve the effectiveness of ICIs with precision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoying Li
- Department of Abdominal Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yueyao Yang
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qian Huang
- Department of Abdominal Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yu Deng
- School of Basic Medical Science, Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
| | - Fukun Guo
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Gang Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ming Liu
- Department of Abdominal Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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84
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Xie L, Cheng S, Fan Z, Sang H, Li Q, Wu S. SKA3, negatively regulated by miR-128-3p, promotes the progression of non-small-cell lung cancer. Per Med 2021; 19:193-205. [PMID: 34533066 DOI: 10.2217/pme-2020-0095] [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]
Abstract
Aim: To investigate the effects of SKA3 on cell proliferation and metastasis in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its underlying mechanism. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was employed to analyze the expression of SKA3 in NSCLC. CCK-8 assay, EdU assay, Transwell assay and flow cytometry analysis were employed to assess cell proliferation, metastatic potential and apoptosis in vitro, respectively. A lung metastasis model was used to evaluate metastasis of NSCLC cells in vivo. A luciferase reporter gene assay was conducted to verify the targeting relationship. Results: SKA3 exhibited high expression in NSCLC tissues and cells. Overexpression of SKA3 remarkably accelerated cell proliferation and metastasis and suppressed apoptosis of NSCLC cells and promoted lung metastasis in a mouse model. miR-128-3p repressed SKA3 expression by targeting it. Conclusion: miR-128-3p inhibited the progression of NSCLC through targeting SKA3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Xie
- Department of Foundation Courses, Anhui Medical College, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Shaofei Cheng
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 201308, China
| | - Zhengyang Fan
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 201308, China
| | - Hongyang Sang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 201308, China
| | - Qianping Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 201308, China
| | - Song Wu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 201308, China
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85
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Kienzl M, Hasenoehrl C, Maitz K, Sarsembayeva A, Taschler U, Valadez-Cosmes P, Kindler O, Ristic D, Raftopoulou S, Santiso A, Bärnthaler T, Brcic L, Hahnefeld L, Gurke R, Thomas D, Geisslinger G, Kargl J, Schicho R. Monoacylglycerol lipase deficiency in the tumor microenvironment slows tumor growth in non-small cell lung cancer. Oncoimmunology 2021; 10:1965319. [PMID: 34527428 PMCID: PMC8437460 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2021.1965319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL) expressed in cancer cells influences cancer pathogenesis but the role of MGL in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is less known. Using a syngeneic tumor model with KP cells (KrasLSL-G12D/p53fl/fl; from mouse lung adenocarcinoma), we investigated whether TME-expressed MGL plays a role in tumor growth of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In sections of human and experimental NSCLC, MGL was found in tumor cells and various cells of the TME including macrophages and stromal cells. Mice treated with the MGL inhibitor JZL184 as well as MGL knock-out (KO) mice exhibited a lower tumor burden than the controls. The reduction in tumor growth was accompanied by an increased number of CD8+ T cells and eosinophils. Naïve CD8+ T cells showed a shift toward more effector cells in MGL KOs and an increased expression of granzyme-B and interferon-γ, indicative of enhanced tumoricidal activity. 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) was increased in tumors of MGL KO mice, and dose-dependently induced differentiation and migration of CD8+ T cells as well as migration and activation of eosinophils in vitro. Our results suggest that next to cancer cell-derived MGL, TME cells expressing MGL are responsible for maintaining a pro-tumorigenic environment in tumors of NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Kienzl
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed, Graz, Austria
| | - Carina Hasenoehrl
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Kathrin Maitz
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Arailym Sarsembayeva
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Ulrike Taschler
- Institute Of Molecular Biosciences, University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Paulina Valadez-Cosmes
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Oliver Kindler
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Dusica Ristic
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Sofia Raftopoulou
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Ana Santiso
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Thomas Bärnthaler
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Luka Brcic
- Diagnostic And Research Institute Of Pathology, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Lisa Hahnefeld
- Institute Of Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Robert Gurke
- Institute Of Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute For Translational Medicine And Pharmacology ITMP, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Dominique Thomas
- Institute Of Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Gerd Geisslinger
- Institute Of Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute For Translational Medicine And Pharmacology ITMP, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Julia Kargl
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Rudolf Schicho
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed, Graz, Austria
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86
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de Klerk LK, Patel AK, Derks S, Pectasides E, Augustin J, Uduman M, Raman N, Akarca FG, McCleary NJ, Cleary JM, Rubinson DA, Clark JW, Fitzpatrick B, Brais LK, Cavanaugh ME, Rode AJ, Jean MG, Lizotte PH, Nazzaro MJ, Severgnini M, Zheng H, Fuchs CS, Enzinger PC, Bass AJ. Phase II study of pembrolizumab in refractory esophageal cancer with correlates of response and survival. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:e002472. [PMID: 34593617 PMCID: PMC8487210 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-002472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized cancer treatment, but the benefits in refractory patients with esophageal cancer have been modest. Predictors of response as well as new targets for novel therapeutic combinations are needed. In this phase 2 clinical trial, we tested single-agent pembrolizumab in patients with advanced esophageal cancer, who received at least one prior line of therapy. METHODS Pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks was tested in 49 patients with refractory esophageal cancer: 39 with adenocarcinoma and 10 with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Major endpoints were radiological response by Immune-related Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors and survival. Tumor samples were evaluated for programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, tumor mutational burden (TMB), and immune contexture by both NanoString mRNA expression analysis and flow cytometry. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells and a panel of circulating chemokines were also analyzed. RESULTS The overall response rate (ORR) was 8% (4 of 49 patients; 95% CI 2.3% to 19.6%). Median overall survival (OS) was 5.8 months (95% CI 4.0 to 9.5). ORR and OS were not associated with histology. For PD-L1-positive patients, ORR was 13.3% (95% CI 1.7% to 40.5%) and median OS was 7.9 months (95% CI 4.7 to 15.5). A trend toward improved OS was observed in seven patients with a TMB ≥10 mut/Mb (p=0.086). Tumors with a PD-L1 Combined Positive Score ≥1 showed enrichment of LAG3 (p=0.005) and IDO1 (p=0.04) gene expression. Baseline levels of circulating CXCL10, interleukin 2 (IL2) receptor α (IL2RA) and IL6 were associated with survival: CXCL10 favorably, (HR 0.37, p=0.002 (progression-free survival); HR 0.55, p=0.018 (OS)); IL2RA and IL6 unfavorably (HR 1.57, p=0.020 for IL6 (OS); HR 2.36, p=0.025 for IL2RA (OS)). CONCLUSIONS Pembrolizumab monotherapy was modestly effective in refractory esophageal cancer. Circulating CXCL10 at baseline appeared to be a robust predictor of response. Other T cell exhaustion markers are upregulated in PD-L1-positive patients, suggesting that immunotherapy combinations such as anti-LAG3/programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) or anti-IDO1/PD-1 may be of promise in refractory esophageal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie K de Klerk
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC - Location VUmc, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anuj K Patel
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sarah Derks
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC - Location VUmc, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eirini Pectasides
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jeremy Augustin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mohamed Uduman
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nihal Raman
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Fahire G Akarca
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nadine J McCleary
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - James M Cleary
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Douglas A Rubinson
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jeffrey W Clark
- Department of Medical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bridget Fitzpatrick
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lauren K Brais
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Megan E Cavanaugh
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Amanda J Rode
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Melissa G Jean
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Patrick H Lizotte
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Matthew J Nazzaro
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mariano Severgnini
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hui Zheng
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Charles S Fuchs
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Peter C Enzinger
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Adam J Bass
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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87
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Mapping lung squamous cell carcinoma pathogenesis through in vitro and in vivo models. Commun Biol 2021; 4:937. [PMID: 34354223 PMCID: PMC8342622 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02470-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: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the main cause of cancer death worldwide, with lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) being the second most frequent subtype. Preclinical LUSC models recapitulating human disease pathogenesis are key for the development of early intervention approaches and improved therapies. Here, we review advances and challenges in the generation of LUSC models, from 2D and 3D cultures, to murine models. We discuss how molecular profiling of premalignant lesions and invasive LUSC has contributed to the refinement of in vitro and in vivo models, and in turn, how these systems have increased our understanding of LUSC biology and therapeutic vulnerabilities.
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88
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Punjabi A, Barrett E, Cheng A, Mulla A, Walls G, Johnston D, McAleese J, Moore K, Hicks J, Blyth K, Denholm M, Magee L, Gilligan D, Silverman S, Qureshi M, Clinch H, Hatton M, Philipps L, Brown S, O'Brien M, McDonald F, Faivre-Finn C, Hiley C, Evison M. Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio and Absolute Lymphocyte Count as Prognostic Markers in Patients Treated with Curative-intent Radiotherapy for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol) 2021; 33:e331-e338. [PMID: 33863615 DOI: 10.1016/j.clon.2021.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
AIMS The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) have been proposed as prognostic markers in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The objective of this study was to examine the association of NLR/ALC before and after curative-intent radiotherapy for NSCLC on disease recurrence and overall survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective study of consecutive patients who underwent curative-intent radiotherapy for NSCLC across nine sites in the UK from 1 October 2014 to 1 October 2016. A multivariate analysis was carried out to assess the ability of pre-treatment NLR/ALC, post-treatment NLR/ALC and change in NLR/ALC, adjusted for confounding factors using the Cox proportional hazards model, to predict disease recurrence and overall survival within 2 years of treatment. RESULTS In total, 425 patients were identified with complete blood parameter values. None of the NLR/ALC parameters were independent predictors of disease recurrence. Higher pre-NLR, post-NLR and change in NLR plus lower post-ALC were all independent predictors of worse survival. Receiver operator curve analysis found a pre-NLR > 2.5 (odds ratio 1.71, 95% confidence interval 1.06-2.79, P < 0.05), a post-NLR > 5.5 (odds ratio 2.36, 95% confidence interval 1.49-3.76, P < 0.001), a change in NLR >3.6 (odds ratio 2.41, 95% confidence interval 1.5-3.91, P < 0.001) and a post-ALC < 0.8 (odds ratio 2.86, 95% confidence interval 1.76-4.69, P < 0.001) optimally predicted poor overall survival on both univariate and multivariate analysis when adjusted for confounding factors. Median overall survival for the high-versus low-risk groups were: pre-NLR 770 versus 1009 days (P = 0.34), post-NLR 596 versus 1287 days (P ≤ 0.001), change in NLR 553 versus 1214 days (P ≤ 0.001) and post-ALC 594 versus 1287 days (P ≤ 0.001). CONCLUSION NLR and ALC, surrogate markers for systemic inflammation, have prognostic value in NSCLC patients treated with curative-intent radiotherapy. These simple and readily available parameters may have a future role in risk stratification post-treatment to inform the intensity of surveillance protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Punjabi
- Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - E Barrett
- Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - A Cheng
- Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - A Mulla
- Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - G Walls
- Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - D Johnston
- Northern Ireland Cancer Centre, Belfast, UK
| | - J McAleese
- Northern Ireland Cancer Centre, Belfast, UK
| | - K Moore
- NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - J Hicks
- NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - K Blyth
- NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - M Denholm
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - L Magee
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - D Gilligan
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - S Silverman
- University College London Hospital, London, UK
| | - M Qureshi
- Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - H Clinch
- The University of Sheffield Medical School, Sheffield, UK
| | - M Hatton
- Weston Park Hospital, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - S Brown
- The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | | | - C Faivre-Finn
- The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - C Hiley
- CRUK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, UCL Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | - M Evison
- Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
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89
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Li R, Salehi-Rad R, Crosson W, Momcilovic M, Lim RJ, Ong SL, Huang ZL, Zhang T, Abascal J, Dumitras C, Jing Z, Park SJ, Krysan K, Shackelford DB, Tran LM, Liu B, Dubinett SM. Inhibition of Granulocytic Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells Overcomes Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Inhibition in LKB1-Deficient Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Cancer Res 2021; 81:3295-3308. [PMID: 33853830 PMCID: PMC8776246 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-3564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
LKB1 inactivating mutations are commonly observed in patients with KRAS-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although treatment of NSCLC with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has resulted in improved overall survival in a subset of patients, studies have revealed that co-occurring KRAS/LKB1 mutations drive primary resistance to ICIs in NSCLC. Effective therapeutic options that overcome ICI resistance in LKB1-mutant NSCLC are limited. Here, we report that loss of LKB1 results in increased secretion of the C-X-C motif (CXC) chemokines with an NH2-terminal Glu-Leu-Arg (ELR) motif in premalignant and cancerous cells, as well as in genetically engineered murine models (GEMM) of NSCLC. Heightened levels of ELR+ CXC chemokines in LKB1-deficient murine models of NSCLC positively correlated with increased abundance of granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (G-MDSC) locally within the tumor microenvironment and systemically in peripheral blood and spleen. Depletion of G-MDSCs with antibody or functional inhibition via all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) led to enhanced antitumor T-cell responses and sensitized LKB1-deficent murine tumors to PD-1 blockade. Combination therapy with anti-PD-1 and ATRA improved local and systemic T-cell proliferation and generated tumor-specific immunity. Our findings implicate ELR+ CXC chemokine-mediated enrichment of G-MDSCs as a potential mediator of immunosuppression in LKB1-deficient NSCLC and provide a rationale for using ATRA in combination with anti-PD-1 therapy in patients with LKB1-deficient NSCLC refractory to ICIs. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings show that accumulation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in LKB1-deficient non-small cell lung cancer can be overcome via treatment with all-trans-retinoic acid, sensitizing tumors to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Li
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 43-229 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1690, USA
| | - Ramin Salehi-Rad
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 43-229 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1690, USA,Department of Medicine, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA
| | - William Crosson
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 650 Charles E. Young Drive South, 23-120 CHS, Box 951735, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1735, USA
| | - Milica Momcilovic
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 43-229 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1690, USA
| | - Raymond J. Lim
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 650 Charles E. Young Drive South, 23-120 CHS, Box 951735, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1735, USA
| | - Stephanie L. Ong
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 43-229 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1690, USA
| | - Zi Ling Huang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 43-229 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1690, USA
| | - Tianhao Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 650 Charles E. Young Drive South, 23-120 CHS, Box 951735, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1735, USA
| | - Jensen Abascal
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 43-229 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1690, USA
| | - Camelia Dumitras
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 43-229 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1690, USA
| | - Zhe Jing
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 43-229 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1690, USA
| | - Stacy J. Park
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 43-229 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1690, USA
| | - Kostyantyn Krysan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 43-229 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1690, USA
| | - David B. Shackelford
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 43-229 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1690, USA,Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 650 Charles E. Young Drive South, 23-120 CHS, Box 951735, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1735, USA
| | - Linh M. Tran
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 43-229 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1690, USA
| | - Bin Liu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 43-229 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1690, USA,Corresponding authors: Bin Liu and Steven M. Dubinett. David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 43-229 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1690, USA. Phone: 310-267-2725; ;
| | - Steven M. Dubinett
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 43-229 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1690, USA,Department of Medicine, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA,Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 650 Charles E. Young Drive South, 23-120 CHS, Box 951735, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1735, USA,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 757 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA,Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA, 8-684 Factor Building, Box 951781, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1781, USA,Corresponding authors: Bin Liu and Steven M. Dubinett. David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 43-229 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1690, USA. Phone: 310-267-2725; ;
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Gorchs L, Kaipe H. Interactions between Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and T Cells in the Pancreatic Tumor Microenvironment and the Role of Chemokines. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:2995. [PMID: 34203869 PMCID: PMC8232575 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13122995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Less than 10% of patients diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) survive 5 years or more, making it one of the most fatal cancers. Accumulation of T cells in pancreatic tumors is associated with better prognosis, but immunotherapies to enhance the anti-tumor activity of infiltrating T cells are failing in this devastating disease. Pancreatic tumors are characterized by a desmoplastic stroma, which mainly consists of activated cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Pancreatic CAFs have emerged as important regulators of the tumor microenvironment by contributing to immune evasion through the release of chemokines, cytokines, and growth factors, which alters T-cell migration, differentiation and cytotoxic activity. However, recent discoveries have also revealed that subsets of CAFs with diverse functions can either restrain or promote tumor progression. Here, we discuss our current knowledge about the interactions between CAFs and T cells in PDAC and summarize different therapy strategies targeting the CAF-T cell axis with focus on CAF-derived soluble immunosuppressive factors and chemokines. Identifying the functions of different CAF subsets and understanding their roles in T-cell trafficking within the tumor may be fundamental for the development of an effective combinational treatment for PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Gorchs
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helen Kaipe
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden
- Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden
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91
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Chi A, He X, Hou L, Nguyen NP, Zhu G, Cameron RB, Lee JM. Classification of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer's Tumor Immune Micro-Environment and Strategies to Augment Its Response to Immune Checkpoint Blockade. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13122924. [PMID: 34208113 PMCID: PMC8230820 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13122924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has become a major treatment for lung cancer. Better understanding of the tumor immune micro-environment (TIME) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is urgently needed to better treat it with this type of therapy. In this review, we describe and explore how NSCLC’s TIME relates to response to ICB, as well as how to treat those with unresponsive types of TIME, which will significantly impact future research in lung cancer immunotherapy. Abstract Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) with checkpoint inhibitors has led to significant and durable response in a subset of patients with advanced stage EGFR and ALK wild-type non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This has been consistently shown to be correlated with the unique characteristics of each patient’s tumor immune micro-environment (TIME), including the composition and distribution of the tumor immune cell infiltrate; the expression of various checkpoints by tumor and immune cells, such as PD-L1; and the presence of various cytokines and chemokines. In this review, the classification of various types of TIME that are present in NSCLC and their correlation with response to ICB in NSCLC are discussed. This is conducted with a focus on the characteristics and identifiable biomarkers of different TIME subtypes that may also be used to predict NSCLC’s clinical response to ICB. Finally, treatment strategies to augment response to ICB in NSCLC with unresponsive types of TIME are explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Chi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 101100, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Correspondence: (A.C.); (X.H.)
| | - Xia He
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Correspondence: (A.C.); (X.H.)
| | - Lin Hou
- Center for Statistical Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
| | - Nam P. Nguyen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Howard University, Washington, DC 20060, USA;
| | - Guangying Zhu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China;
| | - Robert B. Cameron
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (R.B.C.); (J.M.L.)
| | - Jay M. Lee
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (R.B.C.); (J.M.L.)
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92
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Anderson R, Blidner AG, Rapoport BL. Frontiers in Pharmacology: Review Manuscript Targeting of the Neutrophil as an Adjunctive Strategy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:676399. [PMID: 34168563 PMCID: PMC8218630 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.676399] [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: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for around 85% of cases. Of particular concern is the poor responsiveness of this malignancy to therapy, resulting in a very low 5-year survival rate (17.4%) and a prominent tendency to progress to metastatic disease. A number of very recent studies, both pre-clinical and clinical, have implicated the neutrophil in both the pathogenesis and unsatisfactory response to therapy of NSCLC. In this context, movement of neutrophils into the tumor microenvironment (TME) is a common feature of NSCLC. Indeed neutrophils are the dominant type of immune cell in the NSCLC TME, creating a highly immunosuppressive milieu that is not only conducive to tumor growth and spread, but also represents a significant obstacle to the success of anti-tumor therapy, especially novel immunotherapies. The clinically relevant adverse impact of a neutrophil predominance both systemically and in the TME of patients with NSCLC is underscored by the negative prognostic value of both a persistent neutrophilia and, in particular, a high (≥5) neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio. On a more positive note, however, recognition of the involvement of the neutrophil in both the pathophysiology of NSCLC and treatment failure has enabled identification of neutrophil-targeted strategies that have the potential to serve as adjuncts to standard anti-cancer therapies, including immunotherapy. These strategies together with a consideration of the immunosuppressive, pro-tumorigenic properties of the neutrophil represent the major thrusts of this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Anderson
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ada Gabriela Blidner
- Laboratory of Immunopathology, Institute of Biology and Experimental Medicine CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Bernardo Leon Rapoport
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,The Medical Oncology Centre of Rosebank, Johannesburg, South Africa
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93
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Mezquita L, Preeshagul I, Auclin E, Saravia D, Hendriks L, Rizvi H, Park W, Nadal E, Martin-Romano P, Ruffinelli JC, Ponce S, Audigier-Valette C, Carnio S, Blanc-Durand F, Bironzo P, Tabbò F, Reale ML, Novello S, Hellmann MD, Sawan P, Girshman J, Plodkowski AJ, Zalcman G, Majem M, Charrier M, Naigeon M, Rossoni C, Mariniello A, Paz-Ares L, Dingemans AM, Planchard D, Cozic N, Cassard L, Lopes G, Chaput N, Arbour K, Besse B. Predicting immunotherapy outcomes under therapy in patients with advanced NSCLC using dNLR and its early dynamics. Eur J Cancer 2021; 151:211-220. [PMID: 34022698 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2021.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND dNLR at the baseline (B), defined by neutrophils/[leucocytes-neutrophils], correlates with immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) outcomes in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (aNSCLC). However, dNLR is dynamic under therapy and its longitudinal assessment may provide data predicting efficacy. We sought to examine the impact of dNLR dynamics on ICI efficacy and understand its biological significance. PATIENTS AND METHODS aNSCLC patients receiving ICI at 17 EU/US centres were included [Feb/13-Jun/18]. As chemotherapy-only group was evaluated (NCT02105168). dNLR was determined at (B) and at cycle2 (C2) [dNLR≤3 = low]. B+C2 dNLR were combined in one score: good = low (B+C2), poor = high (B+C2), intermediate = other situations. In 57 patients, we prospectively explored the immunophenotype of circulating neutrophils, particularly the CD15+CD244-CD16lowcells (immature) by flow cytometry. RESULTS About 1485 patients treatment with ICI were analysed. In ICI-treated patients, high dNLR (B) (~1/3rd) associated with worse progression-free (PFS)/overall survival (OS) (HR 1.56/HR 2.02, P < 0.0001) but not with chemotherapy alone (N = 173). High dNLR at C2 was associated with worse PFS/OS (HR 1.64/HR 2.15, P < 0.0001). When dNLR at both time points were considered together, those with persistently high dNLR (23%) had poor survival (mOS = 5 months (mo)), compared with high dNLR at one time point (22%; mOS = 9.2mo) and persistently low dNLR (55%; mOS = 18.6mo) (P < 0.0001). The dNLR impact remained significant after PD-L1 adjustment. By cytometry, high rate of immature neutrophils (B) (30/57) correlated with poor PFS/OS (P = 0.04; P = 0.0007), with a 12-week death rate of 49%. CONCLUSION The dNLR (B) and its dynamics (C2) under ICI associate with ICI outcomes in aNSCLC. Persistently high dNLR (B+C2) correlated with early ICI failure. Immature neutrophils may be a key subpopulation on ICI resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Mezquita
- Cancer Medicine Department, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France; Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain; Translational Genomics and Targeted Therapeutics in Solid Tumors, August Pi I Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain. https://twitter.com/LauraMezquitaMD
| | - Isabel Preeshagul
- Department of Medicine, Thoracic Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center NY, USA
| | - Edouard Auclin
- Medical and Gastrointestinal Oncology Department, Georges Pompidou Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Diana Saravia
- Medical Oncology Department Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami
| | - Lizza Hendriks
- Cancer Medicine Department, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France; Pulmonary Diseases GROW- School for Oncology and Biology, Maastricht UMC+, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Hira Rizvi
- Department of Medicine, Thoracic Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center NY, USA
| | - Wungki Park
- Medical Oncology Department Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami
| | - Ernest Nadal
- Medical Oncology Department, Catalan Institute of Oncology, L'Hospitalet, Barcelona Spain
| | | | - Jose C Ruffinelli
- Medical Oncology Department, Catalan Institute of Oncology, L'Hospitalet, Barcelona Spain
| | - Santiago Ponce
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital 12 Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Simona Carnio
- Thoracic Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology, University of Turin, AOU San Luigi, Orbassano (TO) Italy
| | | | - Paolo Bironzo
- Thoracic Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology, University of Turin, AOU San Luigi, Orbassano (TO) Italy
| | - Fabrizio Tabbò
- Thoracic Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology, University of Turin, AOU San Luigi, Orbassano (TO) Italy
| | - Maria Lucia Reale
- Thoracic Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology, University of Turin, AOU San Luigi, Orbassano (TO) Italy
| | - Silvia Novello
- Thoracic Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology, University of Turin, AOU San Luigi, Orbassano (TO) Italy
| | - Matthew D Hellmann
- Department of Medicine, Thoracic Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center NY, USA
| | - Peter Sawan
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center NY, USA
| | - Jeffrey Girshman
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center NY, USA
| | | | - Gerard Zalcman
- Thoracic Oncology Department, CIC1425/CLIP2 Paris-Nord, Hôpital Bichat- Claude Bernard, Paris, France
| | - Margarita Majem
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital San Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Melinda Charrier
- Laboratory of Immunomonitoring in Oncology, UMS3655 CNRS US 23 INSERM, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
| | - Marie Naigeon
- Laboratory of Immunomonitoring in Oncology, UMS3655 CNRS US 23 INSERM, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
| | | | - AnnaPaola Mariniello
- Thoracic Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology, University of Turin, AOU San Luigi, Orbassano (TO) Italy
| | - Luis Paz-Ares
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital 12 Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - David Planchard
- Cancer Medicine Department, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
| | | | - Lydie Cassard
- Laboratory of Immunomonitoring in Oncology, UMS3655 CNRS US 23 INSERM, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
| | - Gilberto Lopes
- Medical Oncology Department Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami
| | - Nathalie Chaput
- Laboratory of Immunomonitoring in Oncology, UMS3655 CNRS US 23 INSERM, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France; University Paris-Saclay, School of Pharmacy, France
| | - Kathryn Arbour
- Department of Medicine, Thoracic Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center NY, USA
| | - Benjamin Besse
- Cancer Medicine Department, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France; University Paris-Saclay, School of Medicine, France.
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94
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Single-cell profiling of tumor heterogeneity and the microenvironment in advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2540. [PMID: 33953163 PMCID: PMC8100173 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22801-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 306] [Impact Index Per Article: 102.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease. Cancer cells and cells within the tumor microenvironment together determine disease progression, as well as response to or escape from treatment. To map the cell type-specific transcriptome landscape of cancer cells and their tumor microenvironment in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we analyze 42 tissue biopsy samples from stage III/IV NSCLC patients by single cell RNA sequencing and present the large scale, single cell resolution profiles of advanced NSCLCs. In addition to cell types described in previous single cell studies of early stage lung cancer, we are able to identify rare cell types in tumors such as follicular dendritic cells and T helper 17 cells. Tumors from different patients display large heterogeneity in cellular composition, chromosomal structure, developmental trajectory, intercellular signaling network and phenotype dominance. Our study also reveals a correlation of tumor heterogeneity with tumor associated neutrophils, which might help to shed light on their function in NSCLC. Comprehensive profiles of tumour and microenvironment are critical to understand heterogeneity in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, the authors profile 42 late-stage NSCLC patients with single-cell RNA-seq, revealing immune landscapes that are associated with cancer subtype or heterogeneity.
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95
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Ng MSF, Tan L, Wang Q, Mackay CR, Ng LG. Neutrophils in cancer-unresolved questions. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2021; 64:1829-1841. [PMID: 33661490 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-020-1853-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
There is growing recognition that neutrophils play an important role in cancer initiation, progression and metastasis. Although they are typically characterized as short-lived effector cells, neutrophils have been shown to acquire immunosuppressive and pro-tumorigenic functions that promote tumor progression and escape. As such, inhibition of their function or depletion of neutrophils are being explored as potential cancer therapies. However, growing evidence of neutrophil diversification in cancer and their potential anti-tumor roles raise many unresolved questions. Here, we review recent advances that address the definition, origin and function of neutrophils in cancer, and elaborate on obstacles that make the study of neutrophils challenging. We envision that this review will provide the groundwork for focused design of therapeutics that will specifically target "tumorreprogrammed" neutrophils while sparing normal neutrophils to improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa S F Ng
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), Biopolis, 138648, Singapore.
| | - Leonard Tan
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), Biopolis, 138648, Singapore
| | - Quanbo Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong Analysis and Test Center, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Charles R Mackay
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong Analysis and Test Center, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Lai Guan Ng
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), Biopolis, 138648, Singapore. .,State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, 300020, China.
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96
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Brady L, Kriner M, Coleman I, Morrissey C, Roudier M, True LD, Gulati R, Plymate SR, Zhou Z, Birditt B, Meredith R, Geiss G, Hoang M, Beechem J, Nelson PS. Inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity of metastatic prostate cancer determined by digital spatial gene expression profiling. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1426. [PMID: 33658518 PMCID: PMC7930198 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21615-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic prostate cancer (mPC) comprises a spectrum of diverse phenotypes. However, the extent of inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity is not established. Here we use digital spatial profiling (DSP) technology to quantitate transcript and protein abundance in spatially-distinct regions of mPCs. By assessing multiple discrete areas across multiple metastases, we find a high level of intra-patient homogeneity with respect to tumor phenotype. However, there are notable exceptions including tumors comprised of regions with high and low androgen receptor (AR) and neuroendocrine activity. While the vast majority of metastases examined are devoid of significant inflammatory infiltrates and lack PD1, PD-L1 and CTLA4, the B7-H3/CD276 immune checkpoint protein is highly expressed, particularly in mPCs with high AR activity. Our results demonstrate the utility of DSP for accurately classifying tumor phenotype, assessing tumor heterogeneity, and identifying aspects of tumor biology involving the immunological composition of metastases. The inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity of metastatic prostate cancer (mPC) is underexplored. Here the authors use Digital Spatial Profiling to study gene and protein expression heterogeneity in 27 mPC patients, finding variation in associated pathways and potential immunotherapy targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Brady
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Ilsa Coleman
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Roman Gulati
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Stephen R Plymate
- University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,VAPSHCS-GRECC, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Zoey Zhou
- NanoString Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | - Gary Geiss
- NanoString Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | - Peter S Nelson
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA. .,University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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97
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Niu M, Yi M, Li N, Luo S, Wu K. Predictive biomarkers of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy in NSCLC. Exp Hematol Oncol 2021; 10:18. [PMID: 33653420 PMCID: PMC7923338 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-021-00211-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy, especially anti-programmed cell death protein 1/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) treatment has significantly improved the survival of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. However, the overall response rate remains unsatisfactory. Many factors affect the outcome of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment, such as PD-L1 expression level, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), tumor mutation burden (TMB), neoantigens, and driver gene mutations. Further exploration of biomarkers would be favorable for the best selection of patients and precisely predict the efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment. In this review, we summarized the latest advances in this field, and discussed the potential applications of these laboratory findings in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengke Niu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China.,Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Ming Yi
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Ning Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China
| | - Suxia Luo
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China.
| | - Kongming Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China. .,Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
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98
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Fang C, Xu D, Su J, Dry JR, Linghu B. DeePaN: deep patient graph convolutional network integrating clinico-genomic evidence to stratify lung cancers for immunotherapy. NPJ Digit Med 2021; 4:14. [PMID: 33531613 PMCID: PMC7854753 DOI: 10.1038/s41746-021-00381-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Immuno-oncology (IO) therapies have transformed the therapeutic landscape of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, patient responses to IO are variable and influenced by a heterogeneous combination of health, immune, and tumor factors. There is a pressing need to discover the distinct NSCLC subgroups that influence response. We have developed a deep patient graph convolutional network, we call "DeePaN", to discover NSCLC complexity across data modalities impacting IO benefit. DeePaN employs high-dimensional data derived from both real-world evidence (RWE)-based electronic health records (EHRs) and genomics across 1937 IO-treated NSCLC patients. DeePaN demonstrated effectiveness to stratify patients into subgroups with significantly different (P-value of 2.2 × 10-11) overall median survival of 20.35 months and 9.42 months post-IO therapy. Significant differences in IO outcome were not seen from multiple non-graph-based unsupervised methods. Furthermore, we demonstrate that patient stratification from DeePaN has the potential to augment the emerging IO biomarker of tumor mutation burden (TMB). Characterization of the subgroups discovered by DeePaN indicates potential to inform IO therapeutic insight, including the enrichment of mutated KRAS and high blood monocyte count in the IO beneficial and IO non-beneficial subgroups, respectively. Our work has proven the concept that graph-based AI is feasible and can effectively integrate high-dimensional genomic and EHR data to meaningfully stratify cancer patients on distinct clinical outcomes, with potential to inform precision oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Fang
- Translational Medicine, Research and Early Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dong Xu
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Christopher S Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Jing Su
- Department of Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
- Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
| | - Jonathan R Dry
- Translational Medicine, Research and Early Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Bolan Linghu
- Translational Medicine, Research and Early Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Boston, MA, USA.
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99
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Kalafati L, Mitroulis I, Verginis P, Chavakis T, Kourtzelis I. Neutrophils as Orchestrators in Tumor Development and Metastasis Formation. Front Oncol 2020; 10:581457. [PMID: 33363012 PMCID: PMC7758500 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.581457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Several lines of clinical and experimental evidence suggest that immune cell plasticity is a central player in tumorigenesis, tumor progression, and metastasis formation. Neutrophils are able to promote or inhibit tumor growth. Through their interaction with tumor cells or their crosstalk with other immune cell subsets in the tumor microenvironment, they modulate tumor cell survival. Here, we summarize current knowledge with regards to the mechanisms that underlie neutrophil–mediated effects on tumor establishment and metastasis development. We also discuss the tumor-mediated effects on granulopoiesis and neutrophil precursors in the bone marrow and the involvement of neutrophils in anti-tumor therapeutic modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Kalafati
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,National Center for Tumor Diseases, Partner Site Dresden and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ioannis Mitroulis
- National Center for Tumor Diseases, Partner Site Dresden and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Hematology and Laboratory of Molecular Hematology, Department of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Panayotis Verginis
- University of Crete, School of Medicine, Heraklion, Greece.,Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Triantafyllos Chavakis
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ioannis Kourtzelis
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Hull York Medical School, University of York, York, United Kingdom
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100
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Garg SK, Welsh EA, Fang B, Hernandez YI, Rose T, Gray J, Koomen JM, Berglund A, Mulé JJ, Markowitz J. Multi-Omics and Informatics Analysis of FFPE Tissues Derived from Melanoma Patients with Long/Short Responses to Anti-PD1 Therapy Reveals Pathways of Response. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12123515. [PMID: 33255891 PMCID: PMC7768436 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Immune based therapies have benefited many melanoma patients, but many patients still do not respond. This study analyzes biospecimens obtained from patients undergoing a type of immune based therapy called anti-PD-1 to understand mechanisms of response and resistance to this treatment. The operational definition of good response utilized in this investigation permitted us to examine the biochemical pathways that are facilitating anti-PD-1 responses independent of prior therapies received by patients. Currently, there are no clinically available tests to reliably test for the outcome of patients treated with anti-PD-1 therapy. The purpose of this study was to facilitate the development of prospective biomarker-directed trials to guide therapy, as even though the side effect profile is favorable for anti-PD-1 therapy, some patients do not respond to therapy with significant toxicity. Each patient may require testing for the pathways upregulated in the tumor to predict optimal benefit to anti-PD-1 treatment. Abstract Anti-PD-1 based immune therapies are thought to be dependent on antigen processing and presentation mechanisms. To characterize the immune-dependent mechanisms that predispose stage III/IV melanoma patients to respond to anti-PD-1 therapies, we performed a multi-omics study consisting of expression proteomics and targeted immune-oncology-based mRNA sequencing. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples were obtained from stage III/IV patients with melanoma prior to anti-PD-1 therapy. The patients were first stratified into poor and good responders based on whether their tumors had or had not progressed while on anti-PD-1 therapy for 1 year. We identified 263 protein/gene candidates that displayed differential expression, of which 223 were identified via proteomics and 40 via targeted-mRNA analyses. The downstream analyses of expression profiles using MetaCore software demonstrated an enrichment of immune system pathways involved in antigen processing/presentation and cytokine production/signaling. Pathway analyses showed interferon (IFN)-γ-mediated signaling via NF-κB and JAK/STAT pathways to affect immune processes in a cell-specific manner and to interact with the inducible nitric oxide synthase. We review these findings within the context of available literature on the efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy. The comparison of good and poor responders, using efficacy of PD-1-based therapy at 1 year, elucidated the role of antigen presentation in mediating response or resistance to anti-PD-1 blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurabh K. Garg
- Department of Cutaneous Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; (S.K.G.); (Y.I.H.)
| | - Eric A. Welsh
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
| | - Bin Fang
- Proteomics & Metabolomics Core, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; (B.F.); (J.M.K.)
| | - Yuliana I. Hernandez
- Department of Cutaneous Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; (S.K.G.); (Y.I.H.)
| | - Trevor Rose
- Department of Radiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
- Department of Oncologic Sciences, University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (J.G.); (A.B.); (J.J.M.)
| | - Jhanelle Gray
- Department of Oncologic Sciences, University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (J.G.); (A.B.); (J.J.M.)
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - John M. Koomen
- Proteomics & Metabolomics Core, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; (B.F.); (J.M.K.)
- Department of Oncologic Sciences, University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (J.G.); (A.B.); (J.J.M.)
| | - Anders Berglund
- Department of Oncologic Sciences, University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (J.G.); (A.B.); (J.J.M.)
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - James J. Mulé
- Department of Oncologic Sciences, University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (J.G.); (A.B.); (J.J.M.)
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Joseph Markowitz
- Department of Cutaneous Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; (S.K.G.); (Y.I.H.)
- Department of Oncologic Sciences, University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (J.G.); (A.B.); (J.J.M.)
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-813-745-8581
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