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Janji B, Hasmim M, Parpal S, De Milito A, Berchem G, Noman MZ. Lighting up the fire in cold tumors to improve cancer immunotherapy by blocking the activity of the autophagy-related protein PIK3C3/VPS34. Autophagy 2020; 16:2110-2111. [PMID: 32892693 PMCID: PMC7595609 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2020.1815439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy based on Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is a promising strategy to treat patients with advanced highly aggressive therapy-resistant tumors. Unfortunately, the clinical reality is that only a small number of patients benefit from the remarkable clinical remissions achieved by ICB. Experimental and clinical evidence claimed that durable clinical benefit observed using ICB depends on the immune status of tumors, notably the presence of cytotoxic effector immune cells. In our paper, we revealed that genetically targeting the autophagy-related protein PIK3C3/VPS34 in melanoma and colorectal tumor cells, or treating tumor-bearing mice with selective inhibitors of the PIK3C3/VPS34 kinase activity, reprograms cold immune desert tumors into hot, inflamed immune infiltrated tumors. Such reprograming results from the establishment of a proinflammatory signature characterized by the release of CCL5 and CXCL10 in the tumor microenvironment, and the subsequent recruitment of natural killer (NK) and CD8+ T cells into the tumor bed. Furthermore, we reported that combining pharmacological inhibitors of PIK3C3/VPS34 improves the therapeutic benefit of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy. Our results provided the proof-of-concept to set-up innovative clinical trials for cold ICB-unresponsive tumors by combining PIK3C3/VPS34 inhibitors with anti-PDCD1/PD-1 and anti-CD274/PD-L1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bassam Janji
- Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) Group , Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Meriem Hasmim
- Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) Group , Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Santiago Parpal
- Sprint Bioscience , Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Oncology-Pathology, Cancer Center Karolinska, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Angelo De Milito
- Sprint Bioscience , Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Oncology-Pathology, Cancer Center Karolinska, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Guy Berchem
- Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) Group , Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.,Department of Hemato-oncology, Centre Hospitalier Du Luxembourg , Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Muhammad Zaeem Noman
- Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) Group , Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
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152
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Simpson JE, Gammoh N. The impact of autophagy during the development and survival of glioblastoma. Open Biol 2020; 10:200184. [PMID: 32873152 PMCID: PMC7536068 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.200184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive adult brain tumour, with poor median survival and limited treatment options. Following surgical resection and chemotherapy, recurrence of the disease is inevitable. Genomic studies have identified key drivers of glioblastoma development, including amplifications of receptor tyrosine kinases, which drive tumour growth. To improve treatment, it is crucial to understand survival response processes in glioblastoma that fuel cell proliferation and promote resistance to treatment. One such process is autophagy, a catabolic pathway that delivers cellular components sequestered into vesicles for lysosomal degradation. Autophagy plays an important role in maintaining cellular homeostasis and is upregulated during stress conditions, such as limited nutrient and oxygen availability, and in response to anti-cancer therapy. Autophagy can also regulate pro-growth signalling and metabolic rewiring of cancer cells in order to support tumour growth. In this review, we will discuss our current understanding of how autophagy is implicated in glioblastoma development and survival. When appropriate, we will refer to findings derived from the role of autophagy in other cancer models and predict the outcome of manipulating autophagy during glioblastoma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Noor Gammoh
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
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153
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Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy based on anti-PD-1/PD-L1 blockade is particularly effective in responding to patients with hot tumors. These tumors are characterized by the accumulation of proinflammatory cytokines and T cell infiltration. In our recent report published in Science Advances, we demonstrate that targeting the autophagy-related protein Vps34 switched cold immune desert tumors into hot inflamed immune-infiltrated tumors and enhanced the efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1. Our study provides the preclinical rationale to set up combination immunotherapy clinical trials using selective Vps34 inhibitors and immune checkpoint blockers in melanoma and CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bassam Janji
- Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) Group, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Meriem Hasmim
- Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) Group, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Santiago Parpal
- Sprint Bioscience, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Oncology-Pathology, Cancer Center Karolinska, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Guy Berchem
- Department of Hemato-oncology, Centre Hospitalier du Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Muhammad Zaeem Noman
- Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) Group, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
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154
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Arensman MD, Yang XS, Zhong W, Bisulco S, Upeslacis E, Rosfjord EC, Deng S, Abraham RT, Eng CH. Anti-tumor immunity influences cancer cell reliance upon ATG7. Oncoimmunology 2020; 9:1800162. [PMID: 32923161 PMCID: PMC7458662 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2020.1800162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Macroautophagy (autophagy) is an essential cellular catabolic process required for survival under conditions of starvation. The role of autophagy in cancer is complex, context-dependent and at times contradictory, as it has been shown to inhibit, promote or be dispensable for tumor progression. In this study, we evaluated the contribution of the immune system to the reliance of tumors on autophagy by depleting autophagy-related 7 (ATG7) in murine tumor cells and grafting into immunocompetent versus immunodeficient hosts. Although loss of ATG7 did not affect tumor growth in vitro or in immunodeficient mice, our studies revealed that cancer cell reliance on autophagy was influenced by anti-tumor immune responses, including those mediated by CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, we provide insights into possible mechanisms by which autophagy disruption can enhance anti-tumor immune responses and suggest that autophagy disruption may further benefit patients with immunoreactive tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xiaoran S. Yang
- Pfizer, Oncology Research & Development, Pearl River, NY, USA
| | - Wenyan Zhong
- Pfizer, Oncology Research & Development, Pearl River, NY, USA
| | | | - Erik Upeslacis
- Pfizer, Oncology Research & Development, Pearl River, NY, USA
| | | | - Shibing Deng
- Pfizer, Oncology Research & Development, San Diego, CA, USA
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155
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Gan LL, Hii LW, Wong SF, Leong CO, Mai CW. Molecular Mechanisms and Potential Therapeutic Reversal of Pancreatic Cancer-Induced Immune Evasion. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12071872. [PMID: 32664564 PMCID: PMC7408947 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12071872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer ranks high among the causes of cancer-related mortality. The prognosis of this grim condition has not improved significantly over the past 50 years, despite advancement in imaging techniques, cancer genetics and treatment modalities. Due to the relative difficulty in the early detection of pancreatic tumors, as low as 20% of patients are eligible for potentially curative surgery; moreover, chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT) do not confer a great benefit in the overall survival of the patients. Currently, emerging developments in immunotherapy have yet to bring a significant clinical advantage among pancreatic cancer patients. In fact, pancreatic tumor-driven immune evasion possesses one of the greatest challenges leading to immunotherapeutic resistance. Most of the immune escape pathways are innate, while poor priming of hosts' immune response and immunoediting constitute the adaptive immunosuppressive machinery. In this review, we extensively discuss the pathway perturbations undermining the anti-tumor immunity specific to pancreatic cancer. We also explore feasible up-and-coming therapeutic strategies that may restore immunity and address therapeutic resistance, bringing hope to eliminate the status quo in pancreatic cancer prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Lian Gan
- School of Postgraduate Study, International Medical University, 126, Jalan Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia; (L.-L.G.); (L.-W.H.)
| | - Ling-Wei Hii
- School of Postgraduate Study, International Medical University, 126, Jalan Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia; (L.-L.G.); (L.-W.H.)
- School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, 126, Jalan Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia;
| | - Shew-Fung Wong
- School of Medicine, International Medical University, 126, Jalan Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia;
- Centre for Environmental and Population Health, Institute for Research, Development and Innovation (IRDI), International Medical University, 126, Jalan Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia
| | - Chee-Onn Leong
- School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, 126, Jalan Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia;
- Centre for Cancer and Stem Cells Research, Institute for Research, Development and Innovation (IRDI), International Medical University, 126, Jalan Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia
| | - Chun-Wai Mai
- School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, 126, Jalan Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia;
- Centre for Cancer and Stem Cells Research, Institute for Research, Development and Innovation (IRDI), International Medical University, 126, Jalan Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +60-3-2731-7596
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