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Zhang M, Lam KP, Xu S. Natural Killer Cell Engagers (NKCEs): a new frontier in cancer immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1207276. [PMID: 37638058 PMCID: PMC10450036 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1207276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural Killer (NK) cells are a type of innate lymphoid cells that play a crucial role in immunity by killing virally infected or tumor cells and secreting cytokines and chemokines. NK cell-mediated immunotherapy has emerged as a promising approach for cancer treatment due to its safety and effectiveness. NK cell engagers (NKCEs), such as BiKE (bispecific killer cell engager) or TriKE (trispecific killer cell engager), are a novel class of antibody-based therapeutics that exhibit several advantages over other cancer immunotherapies harnessing NK cells. By bridging NK and tumor cells, NKCEs activate NK cells and lead to tumor cell lysis. A growing number of NKCEs are currently undergoing development, with some already in clinical trials. However, there is a need for more comprehensive studies to determine how the molecular design of NKCEs affects their functionality and manufacturability, which are crucial for their development as off-the-shelf drugs for cancer treatment. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on NKCE development and discuss critical factors required for the production of effective NKCEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minchuan Zhang
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kong-Peng Lam
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shengli Xu
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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2
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Guo R, Liu G, Li C, Liu X, Xu Y, Yang W, Wang F. B7 homolog 6 promotes the progression of cervical cancer. Exp Ther Med 2021; 22:774. [PMID: 34055073 PMCID: PMC8145428 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
B7 homolog 6 (B7-H6) was recently discovered to act as a co-stimulatory molecule. In particular, the expression of B7-H6 has been found to play an important biological role in several types of tumors. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of B7-H6 in cervical cancer. Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the expression levels of B7-H6 in cervical precancerous and cancerous tissues. Furthermore, the expression of B7-H6 was knocked down in HeLa cells using short hairpin RNA and the effects of B7-H6 on HeLa cell proliferation, migration and invasion were determined using Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation, wound healing and Transwell invasion assays, respectively. In addition, flow cytometry was used to analyze the levels of cell apoptosis and the cell cycle distribution. The results of the immunohistochemical staining revealed that the expression levels of B7-H6 were upregulated in cervical lesions. Furthermore, the expression levels of B7-H6 were positively associated with the clinical stage of the cervical lesions. B7-H6 knockdown suppressed the invasive, migratory and proliferative abilities of HeLa cells, and promoted G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. In conclusion, the findings of the present study suggested that B7-H6 may serve as a novel oncogene and may hold promise as a potential therapeutic target for cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruimeng Guo
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, P.R. China
| | - Guoyan Liu
- Department of Gynecology, The General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300053, P.R. China
| | - Changying Li
- Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, P.R. China
| | - Xuejing Liu
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, P.R. China
| | - Yanying Xu
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, P.R. China
| | - Weina Yang
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, P.R. China
| | - Fang Wang
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, P.R. China
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Descalzi-Montoya D, Montel RA, Smith K, Dziopa E, Darwich A, Yang Z, Bitsaktsis C, Korngold R, Sabatino D. Synthetic Antibody Mimics Based on Cancer-Targeting Immunostimulatory Peptides. Chembiochem 2021; 22:1589-1596. [PMID: 32964656 PMCID: PMC8191480 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000407] [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: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
De novo cancer-targeting immunostimulatory peptides have been designed and developed as synthetic antibody mimics. A series of bifunctional peptides incorporating NKp30-binding and NK-cell-activating domains were synthesized as linear dimers and then extended into branching trimeric peptides by the incorporation of GRP78-targeting and tumor-cell-binding sequences. A selected trimeric peptide from this small set of peptides displayed binding capabilities on GRP78+ HepG2 and A549 target cells. Cell binding diminished in the presence of an anti-GRP78 peptide blocker, thus suggesting GRP78-binding dependence. Similarly, the selected trimeric peptide was also found to exhibit NK cell binding in an NKp30-dependent manner, which translated into NK cell activation as indicated by cytokine secretion. In co-culture, fluorescence microscopy revealed that the target GFP-expressing A549 cells were visibly associated with the effector NK cells when pre-activated with lead trimeric peptide. Accordingly, A549 cells were found to be compromised, as evidenced by the loss of GFP signal and notable detection of early-/late-stage apoptosis. Investigation of the immunological markers related to toxicity revealed detectable secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-8. Furthermore, administration of peptide-activated NK cells into A549-tumor-bearing mice resulted in a consistent decrease in tumor growth when compared to the untreated control group. Taken together, the identification of a lead trimeric peptide capable of targeting and activating NK cells' immunotoxicity directly towards GRP78+ /B7H6- tumors provides a novel proof-of-concept for the development of cancer-targeting immunostimulatory peptide ligands that mimic antibody-targeting and -activating functions related to cancer immunotherapy applications.
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MESH Headings
- Adjuvants, Immunologic/chemistry
- Adjuvants, Immunologic/pharmacology
- Adjuvants, Immunologic/therapeutic use
- Animals
- Antibodies/chemistry
- Antibodies/immunology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cytokines/metabolism
- Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP/immunology
- Female
- Humans
- Immunotherapy/methods
- Killer Cells, Natural/drug effects
- Killer Cells, Natural/immunology
- Killer Cells, Natural/metabolism
- Lymphocyte Activation/drug effects
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred NOD
- Mice, SCID
- Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Neoplasms/pathology
- Peptides/chemical synthesis
- Peptides/chemistry
- Peptides/pharmacology
- Peptides/therapeutic use
- Transplantation, Heterologous
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Affiliation(s)
- Dante Descalzi-Montoya
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack-Meridian Health, 340 Kingsland Street, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
| | - Rachel A Montel
- Department of Biological Sciences and Chemistry and Biochemistry, Seton Hall University, 400 South Orange Avenue, South Orange, NJ 07079, USA
| | - Keith Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences and Chemistry and Biochemistry, Seton Hall University, 400 South Orange Avenue, South Orange, NJ 07079, USA
| | - Eugenia Dziopa
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack-Meridian Health, 340 Kingsland Street, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
| | - Andrieh Darwich
- Department of Biological Sciences and Chemistry and Biochemistry, Seton Hall University, 400 South Orange Avenue, South Orange, NJ 07079, USA
| | - Zheng Yang
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack-Meridian Health, 340 Kingsland Street, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
| | - Constantine Bitsaktsis
- Department of Biological Sciences and Chemistry and Biochemistry, Seton Hall University, 400 South Orange Avenue, South Orange, NJ 07079, USA
| | - Robert Korngold
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack-Meridian Health, 340 Kingsland Street, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
| | - David Sabatino
- Department of Biological Sciences and Chemistry and Biochemistry, Seton Hall University, 400 South Orange Avenue, South Orange, NJ 07079, USA
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Banu N, Riera-Leal A, Haramati J, Ortiz-Lazareno PC, Panikar SS, Bastidas-Ramirez BE, Gutierrez-Silerio GY, Solorzano-Ibarra F, Tellez-Bañuelos MC, Gutierrez-Franco J, Bueno-Topete MR, Pereira-Suarez AL, Del Toro-Arreola S. B7-H6, an immunoligand for the natural killer cell activating receptor NKp30, reveals inhibitory effects on cell proliferation and migration, but not apoptosis, in cervical cancer derived-cell lines. BMC Cancer 2020; 20:1083. [PMID: 33172426 PMCID: PMC7654602 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-020-07608-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although great progress has been made in treatment regimens, cervical cancer remains as one of the most common cancer in women worldwide. Studies focusing on molecules that regulate carcinogenesis may provide potential therapeutic strategies for cervical cancer. B7-H6, an activating immunoligand expressed by several tumor cells, is known to activate NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity once engaged with its natural receptor NKp30. However, the opposite, that is, the effects in the tumor cell triggered by B7-H6 after interacting with NKp30 has not yet been well explored. Methods In this study, we evaluated the surface expression of B7-H6 by flow cytometry. Later, we stimulated B7-H6 positive cervical cancer derived-cell lines (HeLa and SiHa) with recombinant soluble NKp30 (sNKp30) protein and evaluated biological effects using the impedance RTCA system for cell proliferation, the scratch method for cell migration, and flow cytometry for apoptosis. Cellular localization of B7-H6 was determined using confocal microscopy. Results Notably, we observed that the addition of sNKp30 to the cervical cancer cell lines decreased tumor cell proliferation and migration rate, but had no effect on apoptosis. We also found that B7-H6 is selectively maintained in tumor cell lines, and that efforts to sort and purify B7-H6 negative or positive cells were futile, as negative cells, when cultured, regained the expression of B7-H6 and B7-H6 positive cells, when sorted and cultivated, lost a percentage of B7-H6 expression. Conclusions Our results suggest that B7-H6 has an important, as of yet undescribed, role in the biology of the cervical tumor cells themselves, suggesting that this protein might be a promising target for anti-tumor therapy in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nehla Banu
- Instituto de Enfermedades Crónico Degenerativas, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Genómica, CUCS, Universidad de Guadalajara, Sierra Mojada # 950, Colonia Independencia, CP, 44340, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.,Laboratorio de Inmunología, Departamento de Fisiología, CUCS, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Annie Riera-Leal
- Institute for Regenerative Cures, Department of Dermatology, University of California-Davis, Davis, USA
| | - Jesse Haramati
- Laboratorio de Inmunobiología, Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, CUCBA, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | | | - Sandeep Surendra Panikar
- Centro de Física Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Blanca Estela Bastidas-Ramirez
- Instituto de Enfermedades Crónico Degenerativas, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Genómica, CUCS, Universidad de Guadalajara, Sierra Mojada # 950, Colonia Independencia, CP, 44340, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Gloria Yareli Gutierrez-Silerio
- Instituto de Enfermedades Crónico Degenerativas, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Genómica, CUCS, Universidad de Guadalajara, Sierra Mojada # 950, Colonia Independencia, CP, 44340, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.,Laboratorio de Inmunología, Departamento de Fisiología, CUCS, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Fabiola Solorzano-Ibarra
- Instituto de Enfermedades Crónico Degenerativas, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Genómica, CUCS, Universidad de Guadalajara, Sierra Mojada # 950, Colonia Independencia, CP, 44340, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Martha Cecilia Tellez-Bañuelos
- Laboratorio de Inmunobiología, Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, CUCBA, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Jorge Gutierrez-Franco
- Unidad Académica de Ciencias Químico Biológicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit, Tepic, Mexico
| | - Miriam Ruth Bueno-Topete
- Instituto de Enfermedades Crónico Degenerativas, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Genómica, CUCS, Universidad de Guadalajara, Sierra Mojada # 950, Colonia Independencia, CP, 44340, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Ana Laura Pereira-Suarez
- Laboratorio de Inmunología, Departamento de Fisiología, CUCS, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Susana Del Toro-Arreola
- Instituto de Enfermedades Crónico Degenerativas, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Genómica, CUCS, Universidad de Guadalajara, Sierra Mojada # 950, Colonia Independencia, CP, 44340, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. .,Laboratorio de Inmunología, Departamento de Fisiología, CUCS, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico.
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Sabatino D. Medicinal Chemistry and Methodological Advances in the Development of Peptide-Based Vaccines. J Med Chem 2020; 63:14184-14196. [PMID: 32990437 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of rapidly proliferating infectious and tumorigenic diseases has resulted in an urgent need to develop new and improved intervention strategies. Among the many therapeutic strategies at our disposal, our immune system remains the gold-standard in disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Vaccines have played an important role in eradicating or mitigating the spread of infectious diseases by bolstering our immunity. Despite their utility, the design and development of new, more effective vaccines remains a public health necessity. Peptide-based vaccines have been developed for a wide range of established and emerging infectious and tumorigenic diseases. New innovations in epitope design and selection, synthesis, and formulation as well as screening techniques against immunological targets have led to more effective peptide vaccines. Current and future work is geared toward the translation of peptide vaccines from preclinical to clinical utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Sabatino
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey 07079, United States
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Pinheiro PF, Justino GC, Marques MM. NKp30 - A prospective target for new cancer immunotherapy strategies. Br J Pharmacol 2020; 177:4563-4580. [PMID: 32737988 PMCID: PMC7520444 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are an important arm of the innate immune system. They constitutively express the NKp30 receptor. NKp30-mediated responses are triggered by the binding of specific ligands e.g. tumour cell-derived B7-H6 and involve the secretion of cytotoxic mediators including TNF-α, IFN-γ, perforins and granzymes. The latter two constitute a target cell-directed response that is critical in the process of immunosurveillance. The structure of NKp30 is presented, focusing on the ligand-binding site, on the ligand-induced structural changes and on the experimental data available correlating structure and binding affinity. The translation of NKp30 structural changes to disease progression is also reviewed. NKp30 role in immunotherapy has been explored in chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy. However, antibodies or small ligands targeting NKp30 have not yet been developed. The data reviewed herein unveil the key structural aspects that must be considered for drug design in order to develop novel immunotherapy approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro F. Pinheiro
- Centro de Química Estrutural, Instituto Superior TécnicoUniversidade de LisboaLisbonPortugal
| | - Gonçalo C. Justino
- Centro de Química Estrutural, Instituto Superior TécnicoUniversidade de LisboaLisbonPortugal
| | - M. Matilde Marques
- Centro de Química Estrutural, Instituto Superior TécnicoUniversidade de LisboaLisbonPortugal
- Departamento de Engenharia Química, Instituto Superior TécnicoUniversidade de LisboaLisbonPortugal
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Hu Y, Zeng T, Xiao Z, Hu Q, Li Y, Tan X, Yue H, Wang W, Tan H, Zou J. Immunological role and underlying mechanisms of B7-H6 in tumorigenesis. Clin Chim Acta 2020; 502:191-198. [PMID: 31904350 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2019.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
B7 homolog 6 (B7-H6) has been identified as involved in tumorigenesis. Elucidating its role and potential mechanism of action is essential for understanding tumorigenesis and the potential development of an effective clinical strategy. Abnormal overexpression of B7-H6 in various types of tumors was reported to be linked with poor prognosis. B7-H6 suppresses the initiation of the "caspase cascade" and induces anti-apoptosis by STAT3 pathway activation to provoke tumorigenesis. B7-H6 facilitates tumor proliferation and cell cycle progression by regulating apoptosis suppressors. B7-H6 induces cellular cytotoxicity, secretion of TNF-α and IFN-γ and B7-H6-specific BiTE triggers T cells to accelerate tumorigenesis. B7-H6 induces abnormal immunological progression by HER2-scFv mediated ADCC and NKp30 immune escape to promote tumorigenesis. B7-H6 promotes tumorigenesis via apoptosis inhibition, proliferation and immunological progression. B7-H6 may a valuable potential biomarker and therapeutic strategy for diagnostics, prognostics and treatment in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxuan Hu
- Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Cellular & Molecular Pathology, Cancer Research Institute, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China
| | - Tian Zeng
- Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Cellular & Molecular Pathology, Cancer Research Institute, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China
| | - Zheng Xiao
- Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Cellular & Molecular Pathology, Cancer Research Institute, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China
| | - Qihao Hu
- Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China
| | - Yukun Li
- Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Cellular & Molecular Pathology, Cancer Research Institute, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China
| | - Xiongjin Tan
- The Second Department of Orthopaedic, 922 Hospital of PLA, Hengyang, Hunan 410011, PR China
| | - Haiyan Yue
- Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Cellular & Molecular Pathology, Cancer Research Institute, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China; Department of Pathology, The Central Hospital of Shaoyang, Shaoyang, Hunan 422000, PR China
| | - Wensong Wang
- Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Cellular & Molecular Pathology, Cancer Research Institute, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China
| | - Hui Tan
- Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Cellular & Molecular Pathology, Cancer Research Institute, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China.
| | - Juan Zou
- Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Cellular & Molecular Pathology, Cancer Research Institute, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China.
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