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Yu X, Guo J, Zhou Q, Huang W, Xu C, Long X. A novel immune-related prognostic index for predicting breast cancer overall survival. Breast Cancer 2021; 28:434-447. [PMID: 33146847 DOI: 10.1007/s12282-020-01175-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To find immune-related genes with prognostic value in breast cancer, and construct a prognostic risk assessment model to make a more accurate assessment. Moreover, looking for potential immune markers for breast cancer immunotherapy. METHODS The breast cancer (BC) data were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database as a training set. Through the Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), Kaplan-Meier (KM) analysis, lasso regression analysis and stepwise backward Cox regression analysis, screening for prognosis-related immune genes, a prognostic index was built, and external validation with two data sets of Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was performed. Transcription factor (TF) regulatory network was constructed to identify key transcription factors that regulate prognostic immune genes. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to explore the signal pathways differences between high and low-risk groups, estimate package and TIMER database were used to evaluate the relationship between risk score and tumor immune microenvironment. RESULTS We obtained 10 prognosis-related immune genes, and the index showed accurate prognostic value. We also identified 7 prognostic transcription factors. Multiple signaling pathways that inhibit tumor progression were enriched in the low-risk group, and risk score was significantly negatively related to the degree of immune infiltration and the expression level of immune checkpoint genes. CONCLUSION We successfully constructed an independent prognostic index, which not only has a stronger predictive ability than the tumor pathological stage, but also can reflect the immune infiltration of breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaosi Yu
- Department of Labortory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Juan Guo
- Department of Labortory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Qian Zhou
- Department of Labortory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Wenjie Huang
- Department of Labortory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Chen Xu
- Department of Labortory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Xinghua Long
- Department of Labortory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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Thomas R, Al-Khadairi G, Decock J. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Treatment: Promising Future Prospects. Front Oncol 2021; 10:600573. [PMID: 33718107 PMCID: PMC7947906 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.600573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has emerged as the fifth pillar of cancer treatment alongside surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are the current superheroes of immunotherapy, unleashing a patient's own immune cells to kill tumors and revolutionizing cancer treatment in a variety of cancers. Although breast cancer was historically believed to be immunologically silent, treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors has been shown to induce modest responses in metastatic breast cancer. Given the inherent heterogeneity of breast tumors, this raised the question whether certain breast tumors might benefit more from immune-based interventions and which cancer cell-intrinsic and/or microenvironmental factors define the likelihood of inducing a potent and durable anti-tumor immune response. In this review, we will focus on triple negative breast cancer as immunogenic breast cancer subtype, and specifically discuss the relevance of tumor mutational burden, the plethora and diversity of tumor infiltrating immune cells in addition to the immunoscore, the presence of immune checkpoint expression, and the microbiome in defining immune checkpoint blockade response. We will highlight the current immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment options, either as monotherapy or in combination with standard-of-care treatment modalities such as chemotherapy and targeted therapy. In addition, we will look into the potential of immunotherapy-based combination strategies using immune checkpoint inhibitors to enhance both innate and adaptive immune responses, or to establish a more immune favorable environment for cancer vaccines. Finally, the review will address the need for unambiguous predictive biomarkers as one of the main challenges of immune checkpoint blockade. To conclude, the potential of immune checkpoint blockade for triple negative breast cancer treatment could be enhanced by exploration of aforementioned factors and treatment strategies thereby providing promising future prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remy Thomas
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), Doha, Qatar
| | - Ghaneya Al-Khadairi
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), Doha, Qatar
| | - Julie Decock
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), Doha, Qatar
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Liu Y, Chen P, Wang H, Wu S, Zhao S, He Y, Zhou C, Hirsch FR. The landscape of immune checkpoints expression in non-small cell lung cancer: a narrative review. Transl Lung Cancer Res 2021; 10:1029-1038. [PMID: 33718041 PMCID: PMC7947413 DOI: 10.21037/tlcr-20-1019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
With the increasing clinical potential of tumor immunotherapy, more and more clinical trials are undergoing with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Immune checkpoints (ICs) have been identified as crucial regulators of the immune response and have improved ICIs-inhibitor therapeutic strategies. The most important ICs in lung cancer include programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3), major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II), T cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing-3 (TIM-3), and Galectin-9 (GAL-9), OX-40, OX40L. However, the expression and prognostic value of these ICs are still controversial. Among them, high expression of PD-L1 on tumor cells (>50%) predicts a better therapeutic effect of anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody compared to patients with low PD-L1 expression. However, only 20–30% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients seem to get benefit from immunotherapy. In order to improve the immunotherapy outcomes, more and more attention is paid to combination immunotherapy. Analyzing the co-expression of ICs can give us a more comprehensive basis for combination immunotherapy. This review article summarized our comprehensive expression of ICs based on our previous research, and analyzed their correlation with prognosis in NSCLC patients. We also provided suggestions for potentially personalized combination immunotherapy in NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Shanghai, China.,School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Peixin Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Shanghai, China.,School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Shanghai, China.,School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shengyu Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Shanghai, China.,School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sha Zhao
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Shanghai, China.,School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yayi He
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Caicun Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Fred R Hirsch
- Center for Thoracic Oncology, Mount Sinai Cancer, New York, NY, USA
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Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor remodels tumor microenvironment by upregulating LAG-3 in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Lung Cancer 2021; 153:143-149. [PMID: 33508527 DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2021.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Previous clinical investigations have demonstrated that patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation have moderate responses to programmed cell death-1 and it's ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitors, while some patients who failed EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy could benefit from immunotherapy. As a result, we have explored alterations in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) before and after EGFR-TKI treatment to detect the chances and proper timing of immunotherapy among patients. METHODS We identified 16 paired tissue samples pre- and post-EGFR-TKI treatment. Sections 4 μm thick were utilized to evaluate CD8, PD-L1, PD-1, LAG-3, and TIM-3 expressions by multiplexed fluorescent immunohistochemical staining. Five to ten representative original multispectral images of each sample were employed in the analysis. RESULTS Patients with positive CD8 + T-cell infiltration accounted for 37.5 % at baseline. Positive expression of PD-L1, PD1, LAG-3, and TIM-3 cells were observed in seven (43.8 %), four (25 %), one (6.25 %) and five (31.25 %) of the patients, respectively. PD-1 expression and infiltration of CD8+PD-1+-exhausted T cells increased significantly in patients with EGFR L858R mutation compared to patients with EGFR 19DEL. Patients who acquired T790 M after TKI treatment had less infiltrations of CD8+PD-1+ T cells and CD8+TIM-3+ T cells in the TIME at baseline. Positive expression of checkpoint proteins-including PD-1, TIM-3, and LAG-3-significantly correlated with shorter progression-free survival. LAG-3 was significantly upregulated after TKI treatment (p = 0.003), while other checkpoint proteins remained stationary. CONCLUSION The present study is the first work to report LAG-3 upregulation after EGFR-TKI failure in advanced NSCLC, which proposed novel insights for rational use of LAG-3 inhibitors in advanced NSCLC patients with EGFR mutation.
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Mediratta K, El-Sahli S, D’Costa V, Wang L. Current Progresses and Challenges of Immunotherapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E3529. [PMID: 33256070 PMCID: PMC7761500 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
With improved understanding of the immunogenicity of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), immunotherapy has emerged as a promising candidate to treat this lethal disease owing to the lack of specific targets and effective treatments. While immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) has been effectively used in immunotherapy for several types of solid tumor, monotherapies targeting programmed death 1 (PD-1), its ligand PD-L1, or cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) have shown little efficacy for TNBC patients. Over the past few years, various therapeutic candidates have been reviewed, attempting to improve ICI efficacy on TNBC through combinatorial treatment. In this review, we describe the clinical limitations of ICI and illustrate candidates from an immunological, pharmacological, and metabolic perspective that may potentiate therapy to improve the outcomes of TNBC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karan Mediratta
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; (K.M.); (S.E.-S.)
- Centre for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Sara El-Sahli
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; (K.M.); (S.E.-S.)
- Centre for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Vanessa D’Costa
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; (K.M.); (S.E.-S.)
- Centre for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Lisheng Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; (K.M.); (S.E.-S.)
- Centre for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
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Shen C, Yang C, Xia B, You M. Long non-coding RNAs: Emerging regulators for chemo/immunotherapy resistance in cancer stem cells. Cancer Lett 2020; 500:244-252. [PMID: 33242560 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subpopulation of tumor cells critical for tumor development. Their unique abilities, such as self-renewal, have resulted in tumor resistance to various cancer treatments, including traditional chemotherapy and latest immunotherapy. CSCs-targeting therapy is a promising treatment to overcome the therapeutic resistances to different tumors. However, despite their significance, the regulatory mechanism generating therapy-resistant CSCs is still obscure. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators in various biological processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. Recent studies have revealed that lncRNAs play an important role in the therapeutic resistance of CSCs. Here we summarize the latest studies on the regulatory role of lncRNAs in sustaining the stemness of CSCs, and discuss the associated mechanisms behind these behavior changes in CSCs-related chemo- and immune-resistance. Future research implications are also discussed, shedding light on the potential CSCs-targeted strategies to break through the resistance of current therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chongyang Shen
- Basic Medicine School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China; Key Laboratory of Xin'an Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Anhui, 230038, China
| | - Chuan Yang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China; Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunology and Inflammation, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Bing Xia
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, 310002, China
| | - Mingliang You
- Hangzhou Cancer Institute, Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, 310002, China.
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57
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Song PN, Mansur A, Dugger KJ, Davis TR, Howard G, Yankeelov TE, Sorace AG. CD4 T-cell immune stimulation of HER2 + breast cancer cells alters response to trastuzumab in vitro. Cancer Cell Int 2020; 20:544. [PMID: 33292267 PMCID: PMC7654187 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-020-01625-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The HER2 + tumor immune microenvironment is composed of macrophages, natural killer cells, and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, which produce pro-inflammatory cytokines. Determining the effect of T-cells on HER2 + cancer cells during therapy could guide immunogenic therapies that trigger antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. This study utilized longitudinal in vitro time-resolved microscopy to measure T-cell influence on trastuzumab in HER2 + breast cancer. Methods Fluorescently-labeled breast cancer cells (BT474, SKBR3, MDA-MB-453, and MDA-MB-231) were co-cultured with CD4 + T-cells (Jurkat cell line) and longitudinally imaged to quantify cancer cell viability when treated with or without trastuzumab (10, 25, 50 and 100 μg/mL). The presence and timing of T-cell co-culturing was manipulated to determine immune stimulation of trastuzumab-treated HER2 + breast cancer. HER2 and TNF-α expression were evaluated with western blot and ELISA, respectively. Significance was calculated using a two-tailed parametric t-test. Results The viability of HER2 + cancer cells significantly decreased when exposed to 25 μg/mL trastuzumab and T-cells, compared to cancer cells exposed to trastuzumab without T-cells (p = 0.01). The presence of T-cells significantly increased TNF-α expression in trastuzumab-treated cancer cells (p = 0.02). Conversely, cancer cells treated with TNF-α and trastuzumab had a similar decrease in viability as trastuzumab-treated cancer cells co-cultured with T-cells (p = 0.32). Conclusions The presence of T-cells significantly increases the efficacy of targeted therapies and suggests trastuzumab may trigger immune mediated cytotoxicity. Increased TNF-α receptor expression suggest cytokines may interact with trastuzumab to create a state of enhanced response to therapy in HER2 + breast cancer, which has potential to reducing tumor burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick N Song
- Department of Radiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1670 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA
| | - Ameer Mansur
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1670 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA
| | - Kari J Dugger
- Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Tessa R Davis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Grant Howard
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Thomas E Yankeelov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.,Department of Diagnostic Medicine, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.,Department of Oncology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.,Livestrong Cancer Institutes, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.,Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Anna G Sorace
- Department of Radiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1670 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1670 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA. .,O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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Kürten CHL, Deuß E, Lei YL, Höing B, Kramer B, Lang S, Ferris RL, Kansy BA. [Stimulatory and inhibitory signaling pathways of the T cell-APC interaction and the effect of TLR agonists on APCs]. HNO 2020; 68:916-921. [PMID: 33128107 DOI: 10.1007/s00106-020-00960-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND CD8+ cells are key players in the identification and elimination of cancer cells. Cancers can escape an effective T cell response by inducing an exhausted cell state, which limits the cytotoxic capacity of the effector cells. Among other mechanisms, new checkpoint inhibitors reactivate exhausted, dysfunctional T cells. CD8+ T cells can eliminate tumor cells after presentation of tumor-specific antigens via antigen-presenting cells (APCs). APC-mediated tumor recognition is mainly stimulated by Toll-like receptors (TLRs). OBJECTIVE This study investigates the effect of TLR agonists on APCs as well as stimulatory and inhibitory signaling pathways of the T cell-APC interaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS Gene expression of interleukin (IL)12 and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) was analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) after 0, 8, 24, and 48 h of CD14+ cell stimulation with CpG. Protein expression of inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B (IκBα) after CpG stimulation was investigated by western blot. CD8+ T cells were stimulated for 72 h with or without programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) checkpoint blockade and analyzed for expression of PD‑1, Tim‑3, CTLA4, and Lag3 by flow cytometry. RESULTS TLR stimulation (by unmethylated CpG DNA) of APCs upregulates immunostimulatory signals such as IL12 expression but also activates immunoinhibitory signaling pathways such as PD-L1 expression. This signaling is NF-κB dependent. After blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway, overexpression of other immune checkpoint inhibitory receptors was observed-a potential explanation for lacking therapeutic responses after TLR stimulation with PD‑1 checkpoint blockade. CONCLUSION TLR stimulation causes APCs in the tumor microenvironment to upregulate PD-L1 in an NF-κB-mediated fashion, thereby contributing to CD8+ T cell exhaustion. The effect of PD‑1 blockade after TLR stimulation might be impaired due to upregulation of other checkpoint inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- C H L Kürten
- Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde, Kopf- und Halschirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45147, Essen, Deutschland
| | - E Deuß
- Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde, Kopf- und Halschirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45147, Essen, Deutschland
| | - Y L Lei
- Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Graduate Program in Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - B Höing
- Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde, Kopf- und Halschirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45147, Essen, Deutschland
| | - B Kramer
- Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde, Kopf- und Halschirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Mannheim, Deutschland
| | - S Lang
- Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde, Kopf- und Halschirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45147, Essen, Deutschland
| | - R L Ferris
- Cancer Immunology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - B A Kansy
- Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde, Kopf- und Halschirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45147, Essen, Deutschland.
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Blockade of PD-1, PD-L1, and TIM-3 Altered Distinct Immune- and Cancer-Related Signaling Pathways in the Transcriptome of Human Breast Cancer Explants. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11060703. [PMID: 32616706 PMCID: PMC7349021 DOI: 10.3390/genes11060703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are yet to have a major advantage over conventional therapies, as only a fraction of patients benefit from the currently approved ICIs and their response rates remain low. We investigated the effects of different ICIs—anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), anti-programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1), and anti-T cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing-3 (TIM-3)—on human primary breast cancer explant cultures using RNA-Seq. Transcriptomic data revealed that PD-1, PD-L1, and TIM-3 blockade follow unique mechanisms by upregulating or downregulating distinct pathways, but they collectively enhance immune responses and suppress cancer-related pathways to exert anti-tumorigenic effects. We also found that these ICIs upregulated the expression of other IC genes, suggesting that blocking one IC can upregulate alternative ICs, potentially giving rise to compensatory mechanisms by which tumor cells evade anti-tumor immunity. Overall, the transcriptomic data revealed some unique mechanisms of the action of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting PD-1, PD-L1, and TIM-3 in human breast cancer explants. However, further investigations and functional studies are warranted to validate these findings.
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Zhang Y, Li Z, Chen M, Chen H, Zhong Q, Liang L, Li B. lncRNA TCL6 correlates with immune cell infiltration and indicates worse survival in breast cancer. Breast Cancer 2020; 27:573-585. [PMID: 31960363 DOI: 10.1007/s12282-020-01048-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) T-cell leukemia/lymphoma 6 (TCL6) has been reported as a potential tumor suppressor. However, its expression and function in breast cancer remain unknown. This study was performed to investigate the expression of lncRNA TCL6 in breast cancer and its clinical significance. METHODS The survival and clinical molecular roles of TCL6 in breast cancer were analyzed. The underlying mechanism modulated by TCL6 and its correlation with immune-infiltrating cells were investigated. Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets were further used to confirm the prognostic role of TCL6. RESULTS TCL6 low expression was not correlated with age, clinical stage, T stage, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, human epidermal growth factor 2 status, but was associated with estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor (PR) status and was an independent factor for worse survival (HR 1.876, P = 0.016). Specifically, low TCL6 expression correlated with worse prognosis in PR-negative patients. TCL6 could predict worse survival in luminal B breast cancer based on intrinsic subtypes. Immune-related pathways such as Janus kinase-signal transducer of activators of transcription were regulated by TCL6. Further finding revealed that TCL6 correlated with immune infiltrating cells such as B cells (r = 0.25, P < 0.001), CD8+ T cells (r = 0.23, P < 0.001), CD4+ T cells (r = 0.25, P < 0.001), neutrophils (r = 0.21, P < 0.001), and dendritic cells (r = 0.27, P < 0.001). TCL6 was also positively correlated with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes infiltration and PD-1, PD-L1, PD-L2, and CTLA-4 immune checkpoint molecules (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that lncRNA TCL6 correlates with immune infiltration and may act as a useful prognostic molecular marker in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqiong Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Taizhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Taizhou College, No. 999 Donghai Road, Jiaojiang District, Taizhou, 318000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhaoyun Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Taizhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Taizhou College, No. 999 Donghai Road, Jiaojiang District, Taizhou, 318000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Meifang Chen
- Taizhou Hospital, Taizhou, 318000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hanjun Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Taizhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Taizhou College, No. 999 Donghai Road, Jiaojiang District, Taizhou, 318000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qianyi Zhong
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Taizhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Taizhou College, No. 999 Donghai Road, Jiaojiang District, Taizhou, 318000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lingzhi Liang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Taizhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Taizhou College, No. 999 Donghai Road, Jiaojiang District, Taizhou, 318000, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Ultrasound, Taizhou Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Medical College of Taizhou University, No. 381 Zhongshan East Road, Jiaojiang District, Taizhou, 318000, Zhejiang, China.
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