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Naskar S, Sriraman N, Sarkar A, Mahajan N, Sarkar K. Tumor antigen presentation and the associated signal transduction during carcinogenesis. Pathol Res Pract 2024; 261:155485. [PMID: 39088877 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2024.155485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 07/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/03/2024]
Abstract
Numerous developments have been achieved in the study and treatment of cancer throughout the decades that it has been common. After decades of research, about 100 different kinds of cancer have been found, each with unique subgroups within certain organs. This has significantly expanded our understanding of the illness. A mix of genetic, environmental, and behavioral variables contribute to the complicated and diverse process of cancer formation. Mutations, or changes in the DNA sequence, are crucial to the development of cancer. These mutations have the ability to downregulate the expression and function of Major Histocompatibility Complex class I (MHC I) and MHCII receptors, as well as activate oncogenes and inactivate tumor suppressor genes. Cancer cells use this tactic to avoid being recognized by cytotoxic CD8+T lymphocytes, which causes issues with antigen presentation and processing. This review goes into great length into the PI3K pathway, changes to MHC I, and positive impacts of tsMHC-II on disease-free survival and overall survival and the involvement of dendritic cells (DCs) in different tumor microenvironments. The vital functions that the PI3K pathway and its link to the mTOR pathway are highlighted and difficulties in developing effective cancer targeted therapies and feedback systems has also been mentioned, where resistance mechanisms include RAS-mediated oncogenic changes and active PI3K signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sohom Naskar
- Department of Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu 603203, India
| | - Nawaneetan Sriraman
- Department of Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu 603203, India
| | - Ankita Sarkar
- Department of Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu 603203, India
| | - Nitika Mahajan
- Department of Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu 603203, India
| | - Koustav Sarkar
- Department of Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu 603203, India.
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Boland CR, Koi M, Hawn MT, Carethers JM, Yurgelun MB. Serendipity Strikes: How Pursuing Novel Hypotheses Shifted the Paradigm Regarding the Genetic Basis of Colorectal Cancer and Changed Cancer Therapy. Dig Dis Sci 2023; 68:3504-3513. [PMID: 37402979 PMCID: PMC11262588 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-023-08006-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
In this installment of the "Paradigm Shifts in Perspective" series, the authors, all scientists who have been involved in colorectal cancer (CRC) research for most or all of their careers, have watched the field develop from early pathological descriptions of tumor formation to the current understanding of tumor pathogenesis that informs personalized therapies. We outline how our understanding of the pathogenetic basis of CRC began with seemingly isolated discoveries-initially with the mutations in RAS and the APC gene, the latter of which was initially found in the context of intestinal polyposis, to the more complex process of multistep carcinogenesis, to the chase for tumor suppressor genes, which led to the unexpected discovery of microsatellite instability (MSI). These discoveries enabled the authors to better understand how the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) system not only recognizes DNA damage but also responds to damage by DNA repair or by triggering apoptosis in the injured cell. This work served, in part, to link the earlier findings on the pathogenesis of CRC to the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors, which has been transformative-and curative-for certain types of CRCs and other cancers as well. These discoveries also highlight the circuitous routes that scientific progress takes, which can include thoughtful hypothesis testing and at other times recognizing the importance of seemingly serendipitous observations that substantially change the flow and direction of the discovery process. What has happened over the past 37 years was not predictable when this journey began, but it does speak to the power of careful scientific experimentation, following the facts, perseverance in the face of opposition, and the willingness to think outside of established paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mary T Hawn
- Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, CJ Huang Bldg, Palo Alto, CA, 94306, USA
| | | | - Matthew B Yurgelun
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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3
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Sun J, Wang L, Zhou X, Hu L, Yuan S, Bian Z, Chen J, Zhu Y, Farrington SM, Campbell H, Ding K, Zhang D, Dunlop MG, Theodoratou E, Li X. Cross-cancer pleiotropic analysis identifies three novel genetic risk loci for colorectal cancer. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 32:2093-2102. [PMID: 36928917 PMCID: PMC10244225 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To understand the shared genetic basis between colorectal cancer (CRC) and other cancers and identify potential pleiotropic loci for compensating the missing genetic heritability of CRC. METHODS We conducted a systematic genome-wide pleiotropy scan to appraise associations between cancer-related genetic variants and CRC risk among European populations. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-set analysis was performed using data from the UK Biobank and the Study of Colorectal Cancer in Scotland (10 039 CRC cases and 30 277 controls) to evaluate the overlapped genetic regions for susceptibility of CRC and other cancers. The variant-level pleiotropic associations between CRC and other cancers were examined by CRC genome-wide association study meta-analysis and the pleiotropic analysis under composite null hypothesis (PLACO) pleiotropy test. Gene-based, co-expression and pathway enrichment analyses were performed to explore potential shared biological pathways. The interaction between novel genetic variants and common environmental factors was further examined for their effects on CRC. RESULTS Genome-wide pleiotropic analysis identified three novel SNPs (rs2230469, rs9277378 and rs143190905) and three mapped genes (PIP4K2A, HLA-DPB1 and RTEL1) to be associated with CRC. These genetic variants were significant expressions quantitative trait loci in colon tissue, influencing the expression of their mapped genes. Significant interactions of PIP4K2A and HLA-DPB1 with environmental factors, including smoking and alcohol drinking, were observed. All mapped genes and their co-expressed genes were significantly enriched in pathways involved in carcinogenesis. CONCLUSION Our findings provide an important insight into the shared genetic basis between CRC and other cancers. We revealed several novel CRC susceptibility loci to help understand the genetic architecture of CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Sun
- Department of Big Data in Health Science School of Public Health, and Center of Clinical Big Data and Analytics of The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Lijuan Wang
- Department of Big Data in Health Science School of Public Health, and Center of Clinical Big Data and Analytics of The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Centre for Global Health, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK
| | - Xuan Zhou
- Department of Big Data in Health Science School of Public Health, and Center of Clinical Big Data and Analytics of The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Lidan Hu
- The Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou 310005, China
| | - Shuai Yuan
- Unit of Cardiovascular and Nutritional Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
| | - Zilong Bian
- Department of Big Data in Health Science School of Public Health, and Center of Clinical Big Data and Analytics of The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Big Data in Health Science School of Public Health, and Center of Clinical Big Data and Analytics of The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Yingshuang Zhu
- Colorectal Surgery and Oncology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Susan M Farrington
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Harry Campbell
- Centre for Global Health, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK
| | - Kefeng Ding
- Colorectal Surgery and Oncology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Dongfeng Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, The School of Public Health of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Malcolm G Dunlop
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Evropi Theodoratou
- Centre for Global Health, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Big Data in Health Science School of Public Health, and Center of Clinical Big Data and Analytics of The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
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Jeong S, Jang N, Kim M, Choi IK. CD4 + cytotoxic T cells: an emerging effector arm of anti-tumor immunity. BMB Rep 2023; 56:140-144. [PMID: 36863358 PMCID: PMC10068340 DOI: 10.5483/bmbrep.2023-0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
While CD8+ cytotoxic T cells have long been considered the primary effector in controlling tumors, the involvement of CD4+ "helper" T cells in anti-tumor immunity has been underappreciated. The investigations of intra-tumoral T cells, fueled by the recent advances in genomic technologies, have led to a rethinking of the indirect role of CD4+ T cells that have traditionally been described as a "helper". Accumulating evidence from preclinical and clinical studies indicates that CD4+ T cells can acquire intrinsic cytotoxic properties and directly kill various types of tumor cells in a major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II)-dependent manner, as opposed to the indirect "helper" function, thus underscoring a potentially critical contribution of CD4+ cytotoxic T cells to immune responses against a wide range of tumor types. Here, we discuss the biological properties of anti-tumor CD4+ T cells with cytotoxic capability and highlight the emerging observations suggesting their more significant role in anti-tumor immunity than previously appreciated. [BMB Reports 2023; 56(3): 140-144].
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Affiliation(s)
- Seongmin Jeong
- Department of New Biology, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Nawon Jang
- Department of New Biology, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Minchae Kim
- Department of New Biology, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Il-Kyu Choi
- Department of New Biology, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Korea
- New Biology Research Center (NBRC), Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Korea
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Chen X, Han M, Li Y, Li X, Zhang J, Zhu Y. Identification of functional gene modules by integrating multi-omics data and known molecular interactions. Front Genet 2023; 14:1082032. [PMID: 36760999 PMCID: PMC9902936 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1082032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Multi-omics data integration has emerged as a promising approach to identify patient subgroups. However, in terms of grouping genes (or gene products) into co-expression modules, data integration methods suffer from two main drawbacks. First, most existing methods only consider genes or samples measured in all different datasets. Second, known molecular interactions (e.g., transcriptional regulatory interactions, protein-protein interactions and biological pathways) cannot be utilized to assist in module detection. Herein, we present a novel data integration framework, Correlation-based Local Approximation of Membership (CLAM), which provides two methodological innovations to address these limitations: 1) constructing a trans-omics neighborhood matrix by integrating multi-omics datasets and known molecular interactions, and 2) using a local approximation procedure to define gene modules from the matrix. Applying Correlation-based Local Approximation of Membership to human colorectal cancer (CRC) and mouse B-cell differentiation multi-omics data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Clinical Proteomics Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and ProteomeXchange database, we demonstrated its superior ability to recover biologically relevant modules and gene ontology (GO) terms. Further investigation of the colorectal cancer modules revealed numerous transcription factors and KEGG pathways that played crucial roles in colorectal cancer progression. Module-based survival analysis constructed four survival-related networks in which pairwise gene correlations were significantly correlated with colorectal cancer patient survival. Overall, the series of evaluations demonstrated the great potential of Correlation-based Local Approximation of Membership for identifying modular biomarkers for complex diseases. We implemented Correlation-based Local Approximation of Membership as a user-friendly application available at https://github.com/free1234hm/CLAM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqing Chen
- Basic Medical School, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, China
| | - Mingfei Han
- National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, China
| | - Yingxing Li
- Central Research Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Li
- National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaqi Zhang
- National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, China
| | - Yunping Zhu
- Basic Medical School, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Yunping Zhu,
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Lamberti MJ, Montico B, Ravo M, Nigro A, Giurato G, Iorio R, Tarallo R, Weisz A, Stellato C, Steffan A, Dolcetti R, Casolaro V, Faè DA, Dal Col J. Integration of miRNA:mRNA Co-Expression Revealed Crucial Mechanisms Modulated in Immunogenic Cancer Cell Death. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10081896. [PMID: 36009442 PMCID: PMC9405340 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10081896] [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: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunogenic cell death (ICD) in cancer represents a functionally unique therapeutic response that can induce tumor-targeting immune responses. ICD is characterized by the exposure and release of numerous damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), which confer adjuvanticity to dying cancer cells. The spatiotemporally defined emission of DAMPs during ICD has been well described, whereas the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate ICD hallmarks have not yet been deeply elucidated. Here, we aimed to examine the involvement of miRNAs and their putative targets using well-established in vitro models of ICD. To this end, B cell lymphoma (Mino) and breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cell lines were exposed to two different ICD inducers, the combination of retinoic acid (RA) and interferon-alpha (IFN-α) and doxorubicin, and to non ICD inducers such as gamma irradiation. Then, miRNA and mRNA profiles were studied by next generation sequencing. Co-expression analysis identified 16 miRNAs differentially modulated in cells undergoing ICD. Integrated miRNA-mRNA functional analysis revealed candidate miRNAs, mRNAs, and modulated pathways associated with Immune System Process (GO Term). Specifically, ICD induced a distinctive transcriptional signature hallmarked by regulation of antigen presentation, a crucial step for proper activation of immune system antitumor response. Interestingly, the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) pathway was upregulated whereas class II (MHC-II) was downregulated. Analysis of MHC-II associated transcripts and HLA-DR surface expression confirmed inhibition of this pathway by ICD on lymphoma cells. miR-4284 and miR-212-3p were the strongest miRNAs upregulated by ICD associated with this event and miR-212-3p overexpression was able to downregulate surface expression of HLA-DR. It is well known that MHC-II expression on tumor cells facilitates the recruitment of CD4+ T cells. However, the interaction between tumor MHC-II and inhibitory coreceptors on tumor-associated lymphocytes could provide an immunosuppressive signal that directly represses effector cytotoxic activity. In this context, MHC-II downregulation by ICD could enhance antitumor immunity. Overall, we found that the miRNA profile was significantly altered during ICD. Several miRNAs are predicted to be involved in the regulation of MHC-I and II pathways, whose implication in ICD is demonstrated herein for the first time, which could eventually modulate tumor recognition and attack by the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Julia Lamberti
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, SA, Italy
- INBIAS, CONICET-UNRC, Río Cuarto, Córdoba 5800, Argentina
- Correspondence: (M.J.L.); (J.D.C.); Tel.: +54-358-4676437 (M.J.L.); +39-089-965210 (J.D.C.)
| | - Barbara Montico
- Immunopathology and Cancer Biomarkers, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Maria Ravo
- Genomix Life Srl, 84081 Baronissi, SA, Italy
| | - Annunziata Nigro
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, SA, Italy
| | - Giorgio Giurato
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Genomics, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, SA, Italy
| | | | - Roberta Tarallo
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Genomics, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, SA, Italy
| | - Alessandro Weisz
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Genomics, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, SA, Italy
| | - Cristiana Stellato
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, SA, Italy
| | - Agostino Steffan
- Immunopathology and Cancer Biomarkers, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Riccardo Dolcetti
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Vincenzo Casolaro
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, SA, Italy
| | - Damiana Antonia Faè
- Immunopathology and Cancer Biomarkers, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Jessica Dal Col
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, SA, Italy
- Correspondence: (M.J.L.); (J.D.C.); Tel.: +54-358-4676437 (M.J.L.); +39-089-965210 (J.D.C.)
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Regulation of the antigen presentation machinery in cancer and its implication for immune surveillance. Biochem Soc Trans 2022; 50:825-837. [PMID: 35343573 PMCID: PMC9162455 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Evading immune destruction is one of the hallmarks of cancer. A key mechanism of immune evasion deployed by tumour cells is to reduce neoantigen presentation through down-regulation of the antigen presentation machinery. MHC-I and MHC-II proteins are key components of the antigen presentation machinery responsible for neoantigen presentation to CD8+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes, respectively. Their expression in tumour cells is modulated by a complex interplay of genomic, transcriptomic and post translational factors involving multiple intracellular antigen processing pathways. Ongoing research investigates mechanisms invoked by cancer cells to abrogate MHC-I expression and attenuate anti-tumour CD8+ cytotoxic T cell response. The discovery of MHC-II on tumour cells has been less characterized. However, this finding has triggered further interest in utilising tumour-specific MHC-II to harness sustained anti-tumour immunity through the activation of CD4+ T helper cells. Tumour-specific expression of MHC-I and MHC-II has been associated with improved patient survival in most clinical studies. Thus, their reactivation represents an attractive way to unleash anti-tumour immunity. This review provides a comprehensive overview of physiologically conserved or novel mechanisms utilised by tumour cells to reduce MHC-I or MHC-II expression. It outlines current approaches employed at the preclinical and clinical trial interface towards reversing these processes in order to improve response to immunotherapy and survival outcomes for patients with cancer.
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Balakrishnan CK, Tye GJ, Balasubramaniam SD, Kaur G. CD74 and HLA-DRA in Cervical Carcinogenesis: Potential Targets for Antitumour Therapy. Medicina (B Aires) 2022; 58:medicina58020190. [PMID: 35208514 PMCID: PMC8877221 DOI: 10.3390/medicina58020190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Abnormal expressions of CD74 and human leukocyte antigen-DR alpha (HLA-DRA) have been reported in various cancers, though their roles in cervical cancer remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the gene and protein expressions of CD74 and HLA-DRA in the progression from normal cervix to precancerous cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and finally to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Materials and Methods: The gene expression profiles of CD74 and HLA-DRA were determined in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues, with three samples each from normal cervixes, human papillomavirus type 16/18-positive, low-grade CIN (LGCIN), high-grade CIN (HGCIN), and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) using Human Transcriptome Array 2.0. Immunohistochemical expression of the proteins was semi-quantitatively assessed in another cohort of tissue microarray samples comprising 7 normal cervix cases, 10 LGCIN, 10 HGCIN, and 95 SCC. Results: The transcriptomics profile and proteins’ expression demonstrated similar trends of upregulation of CD74 and HLA-DRA from normal cervix to CIN and highest in SCC. There was a significant difference in both proteins’ expression between the histological groups (p = 0.0001). CD74 and HLA-DRA expressions were significantly associated with CIN grade (p = 0.001 and p = 0.030, respectively) but not with the subjects’ age or SCC stage. Further analysis revealed a positive correlation between CD74 and HLA-DRA proteins. Conclusions: CD74 appears to promote cervical carcinogenesis via oncogenic signalling mechanisms and may serve as a potential antitumour target. Additionally, the upregulation of HLA-DRA, often associated with stronger immunogenicity, could be a promising biomarker for developing immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol K. Balakrishnan
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden 11800, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia; (C.K.B.); (G.J.T.); (S.D.B.)
| | - Gee Jun Tye
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden 11800, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia; (C.K.B.); (G.J.T.); (S.D.B.)
| | - Shandra Devi Balasubramaniam
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden 11800, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia; (C.K.B.); (G.J.T.); (S.D.B.)
- Unit of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, AIMST University, Bedong 08100, Semeling, Malaysia
| | - Gurjeet Kaur
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden 11800, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia; (C.K.B.); (G.J.T.); (S.D.B.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +604-6534865
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Meyer S, Handke D, Mueller A, Biehl K, Kreuz M, Bukur J, Koehl U, Lazaridou MF, Berneburg M, Steven A, Massa C, Seliger B. Distinct Molecular Mechanisms of Altered HLA Class II Expression in Malignant Melanoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13153907. [PMID: 34359808 PMCID: PMC8345549 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13153907] [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: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II molecules are constitutively expressed in some melanoma, but the underlying molecular mechanisms have not yet been characterized. METHODS The expression of HLA class II antigen processing machinery (APM) components was determined in melanoma samples by qPCR, Western blot, flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemical and TCGA datasets were used for correlation of HLA class II expression to tumor grading, T-cell infiltration and patients' survival. RESULTS The heterogeneous HLA class II expression in melanoma samples allowed us to characterize four distinct phenotypes. Phenotype I totally lacks constitutive HLA class II surface expression, which is inducible by interferon-gamma (IFN-γ); phenotype II expresses low basal surface HLA class II that is further upregulated by IFN-γ; phenotype III lacks constitutive and IFN-γ controlled HLA class II expression, but could be induced by epigenetic drugs; and in phenotype IV, lack of HLA class II expression is not recovered by any drug tested. High levels of HLA class II APM component expression were associated with an increased intra-tumoral CD4+ T-cell density and increased patients' survival. CONCLUSIONS The heterogeneous basal expression of HLA class II antigens and/or APM components in melanoma cells is caused by distinct molecular mechanisms and has clinical relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Meyer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (S.M.); (M.B.)
| | - Diana Handke
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany; (D.H.); (A.M.); (K.B.); (J.B.); (M.-F.L.); (A.S.); (C.M.)
| | - Anja Mueller
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany; (D.H.); (A.M.); (K.B.); (J.B.); (M.-F.L.); (A.S.); (C.M.)
| | - Katharina Biehl
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany; (D.H.); (A.M.); (K.B.); (J.B.); (M.-F.L.); (A.S.); (C.M.)
| | - Markus Kreuz
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Perlickstr. 1, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (M.K.); (U.K.)
| | - Jürgen Bukur
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany; (D.H.); (A.M.); (K.B.); (J.B.); (M.-F.L.); (A.S.); (C.M.)
| | - Ulrike Koehl
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Perlickstr. 1, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (M.K.); (U.K.)
| | - Maria-Filothei Lazaridou
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany; (D.H.); (A.M.); (K.B.); (J.B.); (M.-F.L.); (A.S.); (C.M.)
| | - Mark Berneburg
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (S.M.); (M.B.)
| | - André Steven
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany; (D.H.); (A.M.); (K.B.); (J.B.); (M.-F.L.); (A.S.); (C.M.)
| | - Chiara Massa
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany; (D.H.); (A.M.); (K.B.); (J.B.); (M.-F.L.); (A.S.); (C.M.)
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany; (D.H.); (A.M.); (K.B.); (J.B.); (M.-F.L.); (A.S.); (C.M.)
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Perlickstr. 1, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (M.K.); (U.K.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-(0)-345-557-4054
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10
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de Sousa E, Lérias JR, Beltran A, Paraschoudi G, Condeço C, Kamiki J, António PA, Figueiredo N, Carvalho C, Castillo-Martin M, Wang Z, Ligeiro D, Rao M, Maeurer M. Targeting Neoepitopes to Treat Solid Malignancies: Immunosurgery. Front Immunol 2021; 12:592031. [PMID: 34335558 PMCID: PMC8320363 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.592031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful outcome of immune checkpoint blockade in patients with solid cancers is in part associated with a high tumor mutational burden (TMB) and the recognition of private neoantigens by T-cells. The quality and quantity of target recognition is determined by the repertoire of ‘neoepitope’-specific T-cell receptors (TCRs) in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), or peripheral T-cells. Interferon gamma (IFN-γ), produced by T-cells and other immune cells, is essential for controlling proliferation of transformed cells, induction of apoptosis and enhancing human leukocyte antigen (HLA) expression, thereby increasing immunogenicity of cancer cells. TCR αβ-dependent therapies should account for tumor heterogeneity and availability of the TCR repertoire capable of reacting to neoepitopes and functional HLA pathways. Immunogenic epitopes in the tumor-stroma may also be targeted to achieve tumor-containment by changing the immune-contexture in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Non protein-coding regions of the tumor-cell genome may also contain many aberrantly expressed, non-mutated tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) capable of eliciting productive anti-tumor immune responses. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) and/or RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) of cancer tissue, combined with several layers of bioinformatic analysis is commonly used to predict possible neoepitopes present in clinical samples. At the ImmunoSurgery Unit of the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown (CCU), a pipeline combining several tools is used for predicting private mutations from WES and RNA-Seq data followed by the construction of synthetic peptides tailored for immunological response assessment reflecting the patient’s tumor mutations, guided by MHC typing. Subsequent immunoassays allow the detection of differential IFN-γ production patterns associated with (intra-tumoral) spatiotemporal differences in TIL or peripheral T-cells versus TIL. These bioinformatics tools, in addition to histopathological assessment, immunological readouts from functional bioassays and deep T-cell ‘adaptome’ analyses, are expected to advance discovery and development of next-generation personalized precision medicine strategies to improve clinical outcomes in cancer in the context of i) anti-tumor vaccination strategies, ii) gauging mutation-reactive T-cell responses in biological therapies and iii) expansion of tumor-reactive T-cells for the cellular treatment of patients with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric de Sousa
- ImmunoSurgery Unit, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joana R Lérias
- ImmunoSurgery Unit, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Antonio Beltran
- Department of Pathology, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Carolina Condeço
- ImmunoSurgery Unit, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jéssica Kamiki
- ImmunoSurgery Unit, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Nuno Figueiredo
- Digestive Unit, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Carlos Carvalho
- Digestive Unit, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Zhe Wang
- Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute (JITRI), Applied Adaptome Immunology Institute, Nanjing, China
| | - Dário Ligeiro
- Lisbon Centre for Blood and Transplantation, Instituto Português do Sangue e Transplantação (IPST), Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Martin Rao
- ImmunoSurgery Unit, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Markus Maeurer
- ImmunoSurgery Unit, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal.,I Medical Clinic, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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11
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Microsatellite Instability in Colorectal Cancers: Carcinogenesis, Neo-Antigens, Immuno-Resistance and Emerging Therapies. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13123063. [PMID: 34205397 PMCID: PMC8235567 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13123063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary A deficient mismatch repair system (dMMR) results in microsatellite instability (MSI). The MSI status of a tumor predicts the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) that are now approved in patients with dMMR/MSI metastatic colorectal cancers. In addition to the mechanisms through which MSI can activate the immune system via particular neo-antigens, this review reports the clinical and pre-clinical strategies being developed in the case of resistance to ICI, including emerging therapies and new biomarkers. Abstract A defect in the DNA repair system through a deficient mismatch repair system (dMMR) leads to microsatellite instability (MSI). Microsatellites are located in both coding and non-coding sequences and dMMR/MSI tumors are associated with a high mutation burden. Some of these mutations occur in coding sequences and lead to the production of neo-antigens able to trigger an anti-tumoral immune response. This explains why non-metastatic MSI tumors are associated with high immune infiltrates and good prognosis. Metastatic MSI tumors result from tumor escape to the immune system and are associated with poor prognosis and chemoresistance. Consequently, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are highly effective and have recently been approved in dMMR/MSI metastatic colorectal cancers (mCRC). Nevertheless, some patients with dMMR/MSI mCRC have primary or secondary resistance to ICI. This review details carcinogenesis and the mechanisms through which MSI can activate the immune system. After which, we discuss mechanistic hypotheses in an attempt to explain primary and secondary resistances to ICI and emerging strategies being developed to overcome this phenomenon by targeting other immune checkpoints or through vaccination and modification of microbiota.
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12
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Abidi A, Gorris MAJ, Brennan E, Jongmans MCJ, Weijers DD, Kuiper RP, de Voer RM, Hoogerbrugge N, Schreibelt G, de Vries IJM. Challenges of Neoantigen Targeting in Lynch Syndrome and Constitutional Mismatch Repair Deficiency Syndrome. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:2345. [PMID: 34067951 PMCID: PMC8152233 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13102345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Lynch syndrome (LS) and constitutional mismatch repair deficiency (CMMRD) are hereditary disorders characterised by a highly increased risk of cancer development. This is due to germline aberrations in the mismatch repair (MMR) genes, which results in a high mutational load in tumours of these patients, including insertions and deletions in genes bearing microsatellites. This generates microsatellite instability and cause reading frameshifts in coding regions that could lead to the generation of neoantigens and opens up avenues for neoantigen targeting immune therapies prophylactically and therapeutically. However, major obstacles need to be overcome, such as the heterogeneity in tumour formation within and between LS and CMMRD patients, which results in considerable variability in the genes targeted by mutations, hence challenging the choice of suitable neoantigens. The machine-learning methods such as NetMHC and MHCflurry that predict neoantigen- human leukocyte antigen (HLA) binding affinity provide little information on other aspects of neoantigen presentation. Immune escape mechanisms that allow MMR-deficient cells to evade surveillance combined with the resistance to immune checkpoint therapy make the neoantigen targeting regimen challenging. Studies to delineate shared neoantigen profiles across patient cohorts, precise HLA binding algorithms, additional therapies to counter immune evasion and evaluation of biomarkers that predict the response of these patients to immune checkpoint therapy are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asima Abidi
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (A.A.); (M.A.J.G.); (E.B.); (G.S.)
| | - Mark A. J. Gorris
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (A.A.); (M.A.J.G.); (E.B.); (G.S.)
| | - Evan Brennan
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (A.A.); (M.A.J.G.); (E.B.); (G.S.)
| | - Marjolijn C. J. Jongmans
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands; (M.C.J.J.); (D.D.W.); (R.P.K.)
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dilys D. Weijers
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands; (M.C.J.J.); (D.D.W.); (R.P.K.)
| | - Roland P. Kuiper
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands; (M.C.J.J.); (D.D.W.); (R.P.K.)
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Richarda M. de Voer
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (R.M.d.V.); (N.H.)
| | - Nicoline Hoogerbrugge
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (R.M.d.V.); (N.H.)
| | - Gerty Schreibelt
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (A.A.); (M.A.J.G.); (E.B.); (G.S.)
| | - I. Jolanda M. de Vries
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (A.A.); (M.A.J.G.); (E.B.); (G.S.)
- Department of Medical Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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13
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Fathi M, Pustokhina I, Kuznetsov SV, Khayrullin M, Hojjat-Farsangi M, Karpisheh V, Jalili A, Jadidi-Niaragh F. T-cell immunoglobulin and ITIM domain, as a potential immune checkpoint target for immunotherapy of colorectal cancer. IUBMB Life 2021; 73:726-738. [PMID: 33686787 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The importance of the tumor microenvironment in cancer progression has been well studied for many years. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are regarded as potential strategies in enhancing the immune responses in patients with cancer, particularly colorectal cancer (CRC). Notably, CRCs are extraordinarily heterogeneous and mostly are microsatellite-stable (MSS) or cold tumors, which means that the immune response is not usually as strong as that of foreign cells. T-cell immunoglobulin and ITIM domain (TIGIT) is a new immune checkpoint receptor overexpressed inside the CRC tumor-immune microenvironments. Moreover, several studies have shown that TIGIT in combination with other ICIs and/or conventional treatments, can lead to a robust anti-tumor response in CRC. This review looks deep inside TIGIT expression patterns, their various functions, and possible immunotherapy strategies to increase survival rates and decrease immune-related adverse events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehrdad Fathi
- Cancer and Immunology Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.,Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | | | - Sergey V Kuznetsov
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Mars Khayrullin
- Department of Research Management, K.G. Razumovsky Moscow State, University of Technologies and Management (The First Cossack University), Moscow, Russian Federation
| | | | - Vahid Karpisheh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ali Jalili
- Cancer and Immunology Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.,Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Farhad Jadidi-Niaragh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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14
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HLA class I loss in colorectal cancer: implications for immune escape and immunotherapy. Cell Mol Immunol 2021; 18:556-565. [PMID: 33473191 PMCID: PMC8027055 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-021-00634-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
T cell-mediated immune therapies have emerged as a promising treatment modality in different malignancies including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, only a fraction of patients currently respond to treatment. Understanding the lack of responses and finding biomarkers with predictive value is of great importance. There is evidence that CRC is a heterogeneous disease and several classification systems have been proposed that are based on genomic instability, immune cell infiltration, stromal content and molecular subtypes of gene expression. Human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA-I) plays a pivotal role in presenting processed antigens to T lymphocytes, including tumour antigens. These molecules are frequently lost in different types of cancers, including CRC, resulting in tumour immune escape from cytotoxic T lymphocytes during the natural history of cancer development. The aim of this review is to (i) summarize the prevalence and molecular mechanisms behind HLA-I loss in CRC, (ii) discuss HLA-I expression/loss in the context of the newly identified CRC molecular subtypes, (iii) analyze the HLA-I phenotypes of CRC metastases disseminated via blood or the lymphatic system, (iv) discuss strategies to recover/circumvent HLA-I expression/loss and finally (v) review the role of HLA class II (HLA-II) in CRC prognosis.
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15
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Vainer ED, Kania-Almog J, Zatara G, Levin Y, Vainer GW. Novel Proteome Extraction Method Illustrates a Conserved Immunological Signature of MSI-H Colorectal Tumors. Mol Cell Proteomics 2020; 19:1619-1631. [PMID: 32641473 PMCID: PMC8015011 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.ra120.002152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Using a simple, environment friendly proteome extraction (TOP), we were able to optimize the analysis of clinical samples. Using our TOP method we analyzed a clinical cohort of microsatellite stable (MSS) and unstable (MSI-H) colorectal carcinoma (CRC). We identified a tumor cell specific, STAT1-centered, immune signature expressed by the MSI-H tumor cells. We then showed that long, but not short, exposure to Interferon-γ induces a similar signature in vitro We identified 10 different temporal protein expression patterns, classifying the Interferon-γ protein temporal regulation in CRC. Our data sheds light on the changes that tumor cells undergo under long-term immunological pressure in vivo, the importance of STAT proteins in specific biological scenarios. The data generated could help find novel clinical biomarkers and therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elez D Vainer
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Juliane Kania-Almog
- Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ghadeer Zatara
- Department of Pathology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yishai Levin
- De Botton Institute for Protein Profiling, The Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Gilad W Vainer
- Department of Pathology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
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16
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Cerretelli G, Ager A, Arends MJ, Frayling IM. Molecular pathology of Lynch syndrome. J Pathol 2020; 250:518-531. [PMID: 32141610 DOI: 10.1002/path.5422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Lynch syndrome (LS) is characterised by predisposition to colorectal, endometrial, and other cancers and is caused by inherited pathogenic variants affecting the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2. It is probably the most common predisposition to cancer, having an estimated prevalence of between 1/100 and 1/180. Resources such as the International Society for Gastrointestinal Hereditary Cancer's MMR gene variant database, the Prospective Lynch Syndrome Database (PLSD), and the Colon Cancer Family Register (CCFR), as well as pathological and immunological studies, are enabling advances in the understanding of LS. These include defined criteria by which to interpret gene variants, the function of MMR in the normal control of apoptosis, definition of the risks of the various cancers, and the mechanisms and pathways by which the colorectal and endometrial tumours develop, including the critical role of the immune system. Colorectal cancers in LS can develop along three pathways, including flat intramucosal lesions, which depend on the underlying affected MMR gene. This gives insights into the limitations of colonoscopic surveillance and highlights the need for other forms of anti-cancer prophylaxis in LS. Finally, it shows that the processes of autoimmunisation and immunoediting fundamentally constrain the development of tumours in LS and explain the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade therapy in MMR-deficient tumours. © 2020 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guia Cerretelli
- Division of Pathology, Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ann Ager
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine and Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Mark J Arends
- Division of Pathology, Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian M Frayling
- Inherited Tumour Syndromes Research Group, Institute of Cancer & Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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17
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Picard E, Verschoor CP, Ma GW, Pawelec G. Relationships Between Immune Landscapes, Genetic Subtypes and Responses to Immunotherapy in Colorectal Cancer. Front Immunol 2020; 11:369. [PMID: 32210966 PMCID: PMC7068608 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 273] [Impact Index Per Article: 68.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is highly heterogeneous at the genetic and molecular level, which has major repercussions on the efficacy of immunotherapy. A small subset of CRCs exhibit microsatellite instability (MSI), a molecular indicator of defective DNA mismatch repair (MMR), but the majority are microsatellite-stable (MSS). The high tumor mutational burden (TMB) and neoantigen load in MSI tumors favors the infiltration of immune effector cells, and antitumor immune responses within these tumors are strong relative to their MSS counterparts. MSI has emerged as a major predictive marker for the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade over the last few years and nivolumab or pembrolizumab targeting PD-1 has been approved for patients with MSI refractory or metastatic CRC. However, some MSS tumors show DNA polymerase epsilon (POLE) mutations that also confer a very high TMB and may also be heavily infiltrated by immune cells making them amenable to respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). In this review we discuss the role of the different immune landscapes in CRC and their relationships with defined CRC genetic subtypes. We discuss potential reasons why immune checkpoint blockade has met with limited success for the majority of CRC patients, despite the finding that immune cell infiltration of primary non-metastatic tumors is a strong predictive, and prognostic factor for relapse and survival. We then consider in which ways CRC cells develop mechanisms to resist ICI. Finally, we address the latest advances in CRC vaccination and how a personalized neoantigen vaccine strategy might overcome the resistance of MSI and MSS tumors in patients for whom immune checkpoint blockade is not a treatment option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Picard
- Health Sciences North Research Institute, Sudbury, ON, Canada
| | | | - Grace W Ma
- Department of Surgery, Health Sciences North, Sudbury, ON, Canada
| | - Graham Pawelec
- Health Sciences North Research Institute, Sudbury, ON, Canada.,Department of Immunology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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18
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Axelrod ML, Cook RS, Johnson DB, Balko JM. Biological Consequences of MHC-II Expression by Tumor Cells in Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2019; 25:2392-2402. [PMID: 30463850 PMCID: PMC6467754 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-18-3200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 273] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has emerged as a key pillar of cancer treatment. To build upon the recent successes of immunotherapy, intense research efforts are aimed at a molecular understanding of antitumor immune responses, identification of biomarkers of immunotherapy response and resistance, and novel strategies to circumvent resistance. These studies are revealing new insight into the intricacies of tumor cell recognition by the immune system, in large part through MHCs. Although tumor cells widely express MHC-I, a subset of tumors originating from a variety of tissues also express MHC-II, an antigen-presenting complex traditionally associated with professional antigen-presenting cells. MHC-II is critical for antigen presentation to CD4+ T lymphocytes, whose role in antitumor immunity is becoming increasingly appreciated. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that tumor-specific MHC-II associates with favorable outcomes in patients with cancer, including those treated with immunotherapies, and with tumor rejection in murine models. Herein, we will review current research regarding tumor-enriched MHC-II expression and regulation in a range of human tumors and murine models, and the possible therapeutic applications of tumor-specific MHC-II.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret L Axelrod
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Cancer Biology Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Rebecca S Cook
- Cancer Biology Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Douglas B Johnson
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Justin M Balko
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
- Cancer Biology Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, Tennessee
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19
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Grasso CS, Giannakis M, Wells DK, Hamada T, Mu XJ, Quist M, Nowak JA, Nishihara R, Qian ZR, Inamura K, Morikawa T, Nosho K, Abril-Rodriguez G, Connolly C, Escuin-Ordinas H, Geybels MS, Grady WM, Hsu L, Hu-Lieskovan S, Huyghe JR, Kim YJ, Krystofinski P, Leiserson MDM, Montoya DJ, Nadel BB, Pellegrini M, Pritchard CC, Puig-Saus C, Quist EH, Raphael BJ, Salipante SJ, Shin DS, Shinbrot E, Shirts B, Shukla S, Stanford JL, Sun W, Tsoi J, Upfill-Brown A, Wheeler DA, Wu CJ, Yu M, Zaidi SH, Zaretsky JM, Gabriel SB, Lander ES, Garraway LA, Hudson TJ, Fuchs CS, Ribas A, Ogino S, Peters U. Genetic Mechanisms of Immune Evasion in Colorectal Cancer. Cancer Discov 2018; 8:730-749. [PMID: 29510987 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-17-1327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 341] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Revised: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
To understand the genetic drivers of immune recognition and evasion in colorectal cancer, we analyzed 1,211 colorectal cancer primary tumor samples, including 179 classified as microsatellite instability-high (MSI-high). This set includes The Cancer Genome Atlas colorectal cancer cohort of 592 samples, completed and analyzed here. MSI-high, a hypermutated, immunogenic subtype of colorectal cancer, had a high rate of significantly mutated genes in important immune-modulating pathways and in the antigen presentation machinery, including biallelic losses of B2M and HLA genes due to copy-number alterations and copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity. WNT/β-catenin signaling genes were significantly mutated in all colorectal cancer subtypes, and activated WNT/β-catenin signaling was correlated with the absence of T-cell infiltration. This large-scale genomic analysis of colorectal cancer demonstrates that MSI-high cases frequently undergo an immunoediting process that provides them with genetic events allowing immune escape despite high mutational load and frequent lymphocytic infiltration and, furthermore, that colorectal cancer tumors have genetic and methylation events associated with activated WNT signaling and T-cell exclusion.Significance: This multi-omic analysis of 1,211 colorectal cancer primary tumors reveals that it should be possible to better monitor resistance in the 15% of cases that respond to immune blockade therapy and also to use WNT signaling inhibitors to reverse immune exclusion in the 85% of cases that currently do not. Cancer Discov; 8(6); 730-49. ©2018 AACR.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 663.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine S Grasso
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California. .,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, California
| | - Marios Giannakis
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Daniel K Wells
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, California
| | - Tsuyoshi Hamada
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Xinmeng Jasmine Mu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Michael Quist
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California.,Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Jonathan A Nowak
- Program in MPE Molecular Pathological Epidemiology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Reiko Nishihara
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Program in MPE Molecular Pathological Epidemiology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Zhi Rong Qian
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kentaro Inamura
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Teppei Morikawa
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Katsuhiko Nosho
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Gabriel Abril-Rodriguez
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, California
| | - Charles Connolly
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Helena Escuin-Ordinas
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, California
| | - Milan S Geybels
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - William M Grady
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington.,Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Li Hsu
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Siwen Hu-Lieskovan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, California
| | - Jeroen R Huyghe
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Yeon Joo Kim
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, California
| | - Paige Krystofinski
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, California
| | - Mark D M Leiserson
- Department of Computer Science and Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Dennis J Montoya
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Brian B Nadel
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Matteo Pellegrini
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Colin C Pritchard
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Cristina Puig-Saus
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, California
| | - Elleanor H Quist
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, California
| | - Ben J Raphael
- Department of Computer Science and Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Stephen J Salipante
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Daniel Sanghoon Shin
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, California
| | - Eve Shinbrot
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Brian Shirts
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Sachet Shukla
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Statistics, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
| | - Janet L Stanford
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington.,Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Wei Sun
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Jennifer Tsoi
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Alexander Upfill-Brown
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, California
| | - David A Wheeler
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Catherine J Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Ming Yu
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Syed H Zaidi
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, MaRS Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jesse M Zaretsky
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, California
| | | | - Eric S Lander
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Levi A Garraway
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Thomas J Hudson
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, MaRS Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,AbbVie Inc., Redwood City, California
| | - Charles S Fuchs
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Smilow Cancer Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Antoni Ribas
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, California
| | - Shuji Ogino
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Program in MPE Molecular Pathological Epidemiology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ulrike Peters
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington.,Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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20
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Janikovits J, Müller M, Krzykalla J, Körner S, Echterdiek F, Lahrmann B, Grabe N, Schneider M, Benner A, Doeberitz MVK, Kloor M. High numbers of PDCD1 (PD-1)-positive T cells and B2M mutations in microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancer. Oncoimmunology 2017; 7:e1390640. [PMID: 29308317 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2017.1390640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA mismatch repair (MMR)-deficient cancers accumulate high numbers of coding microsatellite mutations, which lead to the generation of highly immunogenic frameshift peptide (FSP) neoantigens. MMR-deficient cells can grow out to clinically manifest cancers either if they evade immune cell attack or if local T-cells get exhausted. Therefore, a subset of MSI cancer patients responds particularly well to treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors. We analyzed whether immune evasion in MMR-deficient cancer mediated by loss of HLA class I or II antigens is related to local immune cell activation status. Microsatellites located in Beta2-microglobulin (B2M) and the HLA class II-regulatory genes RFX5 and CIITA were analyzed for mutations in MMR-deficient colorectal cancers (n = 53). The results were related to CD3-positive and PDCD1 (PD-1)-positive T-cell infiltration. PDCD1 (PD-1)-positive T-cell counts were significantly higher in B2M-mutant compared to B2M-wild type tumors (median: 22.2 cells per 0.25 mm2 vs. 2.0 cells per 0.25 mm2, Wilcoxon test p = 0.002). Increasing PDCD1 (PD-1)-positive T-cell infiltration was significantly related to an increased likelihood of B2M mutations (OR = 1.81). HLA class II antigen expression status was significantly associated with enhanced overall T-cell infiltration, but not related to PDCD1 (PD-1)-positive T-cells. These results suggest that immune evasion mediated by B2M mutation-induced loss of HLA class I antigen expression predominantly occurs in an environment of activated PDCD1 (PD-1)-positive T cell infiltration. If B2M mutations interfere with anti-PDCD1 (PD-1)/CD274 (PD-L1) therapy success, we predict that resistance towards anti-PDCD1 (PD-1) therapy may - counterintuitively - be particularly common in patients with MMR-deficient cancers that show high PDCD1 (PD-1)-positive T cell infiltration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Janikovits
- Department of Applied Tumour Biology, Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany, and Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumour Biology, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, and Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit (MMPU), Heidelberg University Hospital and EMBL Heidelberg
| | - Meike Müller
- Department of Applied Tumour Biology, Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany, and Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumour Biology, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, and Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit (MMPU), Heidelberg University Hospital and EMBL Heidelberg
| | - Julia Krzykalla
- Division of Biostatistics, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sandrina Körner
- Department of Applied Tumour Biology, Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany, and Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumour Biology, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, and Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit (MMPU), Heidelberg University Hospital and EMBL Heidelberg
| | - Fabian Echterdiek
- Department of Applied Tumour Biology, Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany, and Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumour Biology, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, and Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit (MMPU), Heidelberg University Hospital and EMBL Heidelberg
| | - Bernd Lahrmann
- Hamamatsu Tissue Imaging and Analysis (TIGA) Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Niels Grabe
- Hamamatsu Tissue Imaging and Analysis (TIGA) Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin Schneider
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Axel Benner
- Division of Biostatistics, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Magnus von Knebel Doeberitz
- Department of Applied Tumour Biology, Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany, and Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumour Biology, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, and Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit (MMPU), Heidelberg University Hospital and EMBL Heidelberg
| | - Matthias Kloor
- Department of Applied Tumour Biology, Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany, and Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumour Biology, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, and Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit (MMPU), Heidelberg University Hospital and EMBL Heidelberg
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21
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Seliger B, Kloor M, Ferrone S. HLA class II antigen-processing pathway in tumors: Molecular defects and clinical relevance. Oncoimmunology 2017; 6:e1171447. [PMID: 28344859 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2016.1171447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Revised: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II antigen-processing machinery (APM) presents to cognate CD4+ T-cells antigenic peptides mainly generated from exogeneous proteins in the endocytic compartment. These CD4+ T cells exert helper function, but may also act as effector cells, thereby recognizing HLA class II antigen-expressing tumor cells. Thus, HLA class II antigen expression by tumor cells influences the tumor antigen (TA)-specific immune responses and, depending on the cancer type, the clinical course of the disease. Many types of human cancers express HLA class II antigens, although with marked differences in their frequency. Some types of cancer lack HLA class II antigen expression, which could be due to structural defects or deregulation affecting different components of the complex HLA class II APM and/or from lack of cytokine(s) in the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we have summarized the information about HLA class II antigen distribution in normal tissues, the structural organization of the HLA class II APM, their expression and regulation in malignant cells, the defects, which have been identified in malignant cells, and their functional and clinical relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Seliger
- Martin Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Medical Immunology , Halle, Germany
| | - Matthias Kloor
- Department of Applied Tumor Biology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Biology, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) , Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Departments of Surgery and Orthopedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School , Boston, MA, USA
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22
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Opportunities for immunotherapy in microsatellite instable colorectal cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2016; 65:1249-59. [PMID: 27060000 PMCID: PMC5035655 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-016-1832-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Microsatellite instability (MSI), the somatic accumulation of length variations in repetitive DNA sequences called microsatellites, is frequently observed in both hereditary and sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC). It has been established that defects in the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) pathway underlie the development of MSI in CRC. After the inactivation of the DNA MMR pathway, misincorporations, insertions and deletions introduced by DNA polymerase slippage are not properly recognized and corrected. Specific genomic regions, including microsatellites, are more prone for DNA polymerase slippage and, therefore, more susceptible for the introduction of these mutations if the DNA MMR capacity is lost. Some of these susceptible genomic regions are located within the coding regions of genes. Insertions and deletions in these regions may alter their reading frame, potentially resulting in the transcription and translation of frameshift peptides with c-terminally altered amino acid sequences. These frameshift peptides are called neoantigens and are highly immunogenic, which explains the enhanced immunogenicity of MSI CRC. Neoantigens contribute to increased infiltration of tumor tissue with activated neoantigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes, a hallmark of MSI tumors. Currently, neoantigen-based vaccination is being studied in a clinical trial for Lynch syndrome and in a trial for sporadic MSI CRC of advanced stage. In this Focussed Research Review, we summarize current knowledge on molecular mechanisms and address immunological features of tumors with MSI. Finally, we describe their implications for immunotherapeutic approaches and provide an outlook on next-generation immunotherapy involving neoantigens and combinatorial therapies in the setting of MSI CRC.
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23
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Echterdiek F, Janikovits J, Staffa L, Müller M, Lahrmann B, Frühschütz M, Hartog B, Nelius N, Benner A, Tariverdian M, von Knebel Doeberitz M, Grabe N, Kloor M. Low density of FOXP3-positive T cells in normal colonic mucosa is related to the presence of beta2-microglobulin mutations in Lynch syndrome-associated colorectal cancer. Oncoimmunology 2015; 5:e1075692. [PMID: 27057447 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2015.1075692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2015] [Revised: 07/10/2015] [Accepted: 07/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Microsatellite instability (MSI-H) is caused by DNA mismatch repair deficiency and occurs in 15% of colorectal cancers. MSI-H cancers generate highly immunogenic frameshift peptide (FSP) antigens, which elicit pronounced local immune responses. A subset of MSI-H colorectal cancers develops in frame of Lynch syndrome, which represents an ideal human model for studying the concept of immunoediting. Immunoediting describes how continuous anti-tumoral immune surveillance of the host eventually leads to the selection of tumor cells that escape immune cell recognition and destruction. Between 30 and 40% of Lynch syndrome-associated colorectal cancers display loss of HLA class I antigen expression as a result of Beta2-microglobulin (B2M) mutations. Whether B2M mutations result from immunoediting has been unknown. To address this question, we related B2M mutation status of Lynch syndrome-associated colorectal cancer specimens (n = 30) to CD3-positive, CD8-positive and FOXP3-positive T cell infiltration in both tumor and normal mucosa. No significant correlation between B2M mutations and immune cell infiltration was observed in tumor tissue. However, FOXP3-positive T cell infiltration was significantly lower in normal mucosa adjacent to B2M-mutant (mt) compared to B2M-wild type (wt) tumors (mean: 0.98% FOXP3-positive area/region of interest (ROI) in B2M-wt vs. 0.52% FOXP3-positive area/ROI in B2M-mt, p = 0.023). Our results suggest that in the absence of immune-suppressive regulatory T cells (Treg), the outgrowth of less immunogenic B2M-mt tumor cells is favored. This finding supports the immunoediting concept in human solid cancer development and indicates a critical role of the immune milieu in normal colonic mucosa for the course of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Echterdiek
- Department of Applied Tumour Biology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, and Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumour Biology, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg, Germany, and Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, University Hospital Heidelberg and EMBL Heidelberg , Germany
| | - Jonas Janikovits
- Department of Applied Tumour Biology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, and Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumour Biology, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg, Germany, and Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, University Hospital Heidelberg and EMBL Heidelberg , Germany
| | - Laura Staffa
- Department of Applied Tumour Biology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, and Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumour Biology, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg, Germany, and Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, University Hospital Heidelberg and EMBL Heidelberg , Germany
| | - Meike Müller
- Department of Applied Tumour Biology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, and Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumour Biology, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg, Germany, and Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, University Hospital Heidelberg and EMBL Heidelberg , Germany
| | - Bernd Lahrmann
- Hamamatsu Tissue Imaging and Analysis (TIGA) Center , Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Monika Frühschütz
- Department of Applied Tumour Biology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, and Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumour Biology, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg, Germany, and Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, University Hospital Heidelberg and EMBL Heidelberg , Germany
| | - Benjamin Hartog
- Department of Applied Tumour Biology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, and Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumour Biology, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg, Germany, and Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, University Hospital Heidelberg and EMBL Heidelberg , Germany
| | - Nina Nelius
- Department of Applied Tumour Biology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, and Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumour Biology, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg, Germany, and Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, University Hospital Heidelberg and EMBL Heidelberg , Germany
| | - Axel Benner
- Division of Biostatistics, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) , Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mirjam Tariverdian
- Department of General, Visceral and Accident Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg , Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Magnus von Knebel Doeberitz
- Department of Applied Tumour Biology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, and Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumour Biology, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg, Germany, and Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, University Hospital Heidelberg and EMBL Heidelberg , Germany
| | - Niels Grabe
- Hamamatsu Tissue Imaging and Analysis (TIGA) Center , Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Matthias Kloor
- Department of Applied Tumour Biology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, and Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumour Biology, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg, Germany, and Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, University Hospital Heidelberg and EMBL Heidelberg , Germany
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24
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[Pathogenesis of microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancer. Evaluation of new diagnostic and therapeutic options]. DER PATHOLOGE 2014; 34 Suppl 2:277-81. [PMID: 24196629 DOI: 10.1007/s00292-013-1826-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The molecular pathogenesis of colorectal cancer is heterogeneous. Whereas the majority of colorectal cancers follow the classical adenoma-carcinoma sequence and display chromosomal instability, a subset of approximately 15 % of colorectal cancers show a deficiency of the DNA mismatch repair system. These carcinomas present with numerous mutations at repetitive DNA stretches, a phenotype termed high-level microsatellite instability (MSI-H). The pathogenesis of MSI-H cancers is driven by mismatch repair deficiency-induced insertion/deletion mutations affecting microsatellites located in the coding region of tumor suppressor genes, such as TGFBR2. The MSI-induced mutations of tumor suppressor genes not only lead to functional inactivation but also to shifts of the translational reading frame and consequently to the generation of frameshift peptides (FSPs). These FSPs can be recognized as foreign by the host immune system. It could be shown that in the majority of MSI-H colorectal cancer patients, FSP-specific T cell-mediated immune responses can be detected. These tumor antigen-specific immune responses are regarded as a major reason for the dense local lymphocyte infiltration which is typical of MSI-H colorectal cancer. A further characteristic feature of MSI-H cancers is the occurrence of alterations affecting the cellular antigen presentation mechanism where beta2-microglobulin (B2M) mutations that directly result from DNA mismatch repair deficiency represent the most common mechanism. It could be demonstrated that B2M mutations are associated with M0 stage and a very favorable prognosis. The characterization of the particular immunological properties of MSI-H tumors have paved the way for the initiation of a clinical trial in which FSP vaccination is currently being clinically evaluated in patients with MSI-H colorectal cancer.
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25
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HLA class II antigen expression in colorectal carcinoma tumors as a favorable prognostic marker. Neoplasia 2014; 16:31-42. [PMID: 24563618 DOI: 10.1593/neo.131568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2013] [Revised: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 12/19/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The goal of this study was to determine the frequency of HLA class II antigen expression in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) tumors, its association with the clinical course of the disease, and the underlying mechanism(s). Two tissue microarrays constructed with 220 and 778 CRC tumors were stained with HLA-DR, DQ, and DP antigen-specific monoclonal antibody LGII-612.14, using the immunoperoxidase staining technique. The immunohistochemical staining results were correlated with the clinical course of the disease. The functional role of HLA class II antigens expressed on CRC cells was analyzed by investigating their in vitro interactions with immune cells. HLA class II antigens were expressed in about 25% of the 220 and 21% of the 778 tumors analyzed with an overall frequency of 23%. HLA class II antigens were detected in 19% of colorectal adenomas. Importantly, the percentage of stained cells and the staining intensity were significantly lower than those detected in CRC tumors. However, HLA class II antigen staining was weakly detected only in 5.4% of 37 normal mucosa tissues. HLA class II antigen expression was associated with a favorable clinical course of the disease. In vitro stimulation with interferon gamma (IFNγ) induced HLA class II antigen expression on two of the four CRC cell lines tested. HLA class II antigen expression on CRC cells triggered interleukin-1β (IL-1β) production by resting monocytes. HLA class II antigen expression in CRC tumors is a favorable prognostic marker. This association may reflect stimulation of IL-1β production by monocytes.
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26
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Gujar SA, Lee PWK. Oncolytic virus-mediated reversal of impaired tumor antigen presentation. Front Oncol 2014; 4:77. [PMID: 24782988 PMCID: PMC3989761 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2014.00077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2014] [Accepted: 03/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Anti-tumor immunity can eliminate existing cancer cells and also maintain a constant surveillance against possible relapse. Such an antigen-specific adaptive response begins when tumor-specific T cells become activated. T-cell activation requires two signals on antigen presenting cells (APCs): antigen presentation through major histocombatibility complex (MHC) molecules and co-stimulation. In the absence of one or both these signals, T cells remain inactivated or can even become tolerized. Cancer cells and their associated microenvironment strategically hinder the processing and presentation of tumor antigens and consequently prevent the development of anti-tumor immunity. Many studies, however, demonstrate that interventions that over-turn tumor-associated immune evasion mechanisms can establish anti-tumor immune responses of therapeutic potential. One such intervention is oncolytic virus (OV)-based anti-cancer therapy. Here, we discuss how OV-induced immunological events override tumor-associated antigen presentation impairment and promote appropriate T cell–APC interaction. Detailed understanding of this phenomenon is pivotal for devising the strategies that will enhance the efficacy of OV-based anti-cancer therapy by complementing its inherent oncolytic activities with desired anti-tumor immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shashi A Gujar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University , Halifax, NS , Canada ; Strategy and Organizational Performance, IWK Health Centre , Halifax, NS , Canada
| | - Patrick W K Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University , Halifax, NS , Canada ; Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University , Halifax, NS , Canada
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27
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Kidane D, Chae WJ, Czochor J, Eckert KA, Glazer PM, Bothwell ALM, Sweasy JB. Interplay between DNA repair and inflammation, and the link to cancer. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2014; 49:116-39. [PMID: 24410153 DOI: 10.3109/10409238.2013.875514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
DNA damage and repair are linked to cancer. DNA damage that is induced endogenously or from exogenous sources has the potential to result in mutations and genomic instability if not properly repaired, eventually leading to cancer. Inflammation is also linked to cancer. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONs) produced by inflammatory cells at sites of infection can induce DNA damage. RONs can also amplify inflammatory responses, leading to increased DNA damage. Here, we focus on the links between DNA damage, repair, and inflammation, as they relate to cancer. We examine the interplay between chronic inflammation, DNA damage and repair and review recent findings in this rapidly emerging field, including the links between DNA damage and the innate immune system, and the roles of inflammation in altering the microbiome, which subsequently leads to the induction of DNA damage in the colon. Mouse models of defective DNA repair and inflammatory control are extensively reviewed, including treatment of mouse models with pathogens, which leads to DNA damage. The roles of microRNAs in regulating inflammation and DNA repair are discussed. Importantly, DNA repair and inflammation are linked in many important ways, and in some cases balance each other to maintain homeostasis. The failure to repair DNA damage or to control inflammatory responses has the potential to lead to cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawit Kidane
- Departments of Therapeutic Radiology and Genetics
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28
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Mullins CS, Walter A, Schmitt M, Classen CF, Linnebacher M. Tumor antigen and MHC expression in glioma cells for immunotherapeutic interventions. World J Immunol 2013; 3:62-67. [DOI: 10.5411/wji.v3.i3.62] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2013] [Revised: 09/15/2013] [Accepted: 11/03/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM: To investigate the expression of tumor-antigens and major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-machinery components in glioblastoma multiforme cell lines flow cytometry staining methods were applied.
METHODS: Ten GBM cell lines (three commercially available: U-87 MG, U-138-MG and GMS-10 as well as seven newly established cell lines from individual patients in low-passages: HROG02, HROG04, HROG05, HROG06, HROG10, HROG13 and HROG17) were analyzed for expression of (I) general and (II) GBM-related tumor antigens as well as of (III) components of the MHC machinery by flow cytometry.
RESULTS: All cell lines expressed MHC class I with seven out of the ten being HLA-A02 positive. Four of the seven primary cell lines additionally expressed MHC class II in a constitutive manner. Of note, after interferon gamma (IFN-γ) treatment, all seven cell lines expressed MHC class II. The tumor associated antigens (TAA) EGFR and survivin were expressed at high levels in all cell lines; whereas MART-1, RHAMM, WT-1 and IL-13Rα were expressed by at least half of the cell lines and HER2/neu, MAGE-1 and tyrosinase were expressed only by few cell lines. However, all cell lines expressed at least two of the candidate antigens included into this analysis.
CONCLUSION: No obvious differences between commercially available and newly-established cell lines were observed. Thus, the latter in low-passages are interesting for (therapy-) screening and immunotherapeutic strategies.
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29
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Tougeron D, Maby P, Elie N, Fauquembergue E, Le Pessot F, Cornic M, Sabourin JC, Michel P, Frébourg T, Latouche JB. Regulatory T lymphocytes are associated with less aggressive histologic features in microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancers. PLoS One 2013; 8:e61001. [PMID: 23613769 PMCID: PMC3626697 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2012] [Accepted: 03/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Colorectal cancers (CRCs) with microsatellite instability (MSI) are associated with a good prognosis and a high density of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). We have undertaken to determine the link between TIL densities and MSI CRC histologic features. Patients and Methods Using tissue microarrays, T-cell sub-population infiltration, including T cells (CD3), cytotoxic T cells (CD8) and regulatory T cells (FoxP3) were studied in 86 MSI CRCs. We separately analyzed TILs of the stromal and epithelial compartments in the tumor center, the tumoral invasion margin and associated normal tissue. Results For FoxP3+ TIL density in the tumor center stromal compartment, we found a strong negative correlation with T4 stage (p = 0.01), node invasion (p<0.001) and VELIPI (vascular emboli, lymphatic invasion and perinervous invasion) criteria (p = 0.002). Conclusion The strong correlation between regulatory T cell density and the absence of VELIPI criteria suggests that this sub-group of T cells is preferentially associated with less invasive tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Tougeron
- Inserm, U1079, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Medical Research, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France.
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quốc Lu’o’ng KV, Nguyễn LTH. The roles of beta-adrenergic receptors in tumorigenesis and the possible use of beta-adrenergic blockers for cancer treatment: possible genetic and cell-signaling mechanisms. Cancer Manag Res 2012; 4:431-45. [PMID: 23293538 PMCID: PMC3534394 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s39153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is the leading cause of death in the USA, and the incidence of cancer increases dramatically with age. Beta-adrenergic blockers appear to have a beneficial clinical effect in cancer patients. In this paper, we review the evidence of an association between β-adrenergic blockade and cancer. Genetic studies have provided the opportunity to determine which proteins link β-adrenergic blockade to cancer pathology. In particular, this link involves the major histocompatibility complex class II molecules, the renin-angiotensin system, transcription factor nuclear factor-kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1, vascular endothelial growth factor, and the reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase. Beta-adrenergic blockers also exert anticancer effects through non-genomic factors, including matrix metalloproteinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, prostaglandins, cyclooxygenase-2, oxidative stress, and nitric oxide synthase. In conclusion, β-adrenergic blockade may play a beneficial role in cancer treatment. Additional investigations that examine β-adrenergic blockers as cancer therapeutics are required to further elucidate this role.
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31
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Schlom J. Therapeutic cancer vaccines: current status and moving forward. J Natl Cancer Inst 2012; 104:599-613. [PMID: 22395641 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djs033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 197] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Concurrent with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the first therapeutic cancer vaccine, a wide spectrum of other cancer vaccine platforms that target a diverse range of tumor-associated antigens is currently being evaluated in randomized phase II and phase III trials. The profound influence of the tumor microenvironment and other immunosuppressive entities, however, can limit the effectiveness of these vaccines. Numerous strategies are currently being evaluated both preclinically and clinically to counteract these immunosuppressive entities, including the combined use of vaccines with immune checkpoint inhibitors, certain chemotherapeutics, small-molecule targeted therapies, and radiation. The potential influence of the appropriate patient population and clinical trial endpoint in vaccine therapy studies is discussed, as well as the potential importance of biomarkers in future directions of this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Schlom
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Dr, Rm 8B09, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Absent in Melanoma 2 (AIM2) is an important mediator of interferon-dependent and -independent HLA-DRA and HLA-DRB gene expression in colorectal cancers. Oncogene 2011; 31:1242-53. [PMID: 21804607 PMCID: PMC3307062 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2011.320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Absent in Melanoma 2 (AIM2) is a member of the HIN-200 family of hematopoietic, IFN-inducible, nuclear proteins, associated with both, infection defense and tumor pathology. Recently, AIM2 was found to act as a DNA sensor in innate immunity. In addition, we and others have previously demonstrated a high frequency of AIM2-alterations in microsatellite unstable (MSI-H) tumors. To further elucidate AIM2 function in colorectal tumors, we here addressed AIM2-responsive target genes by microarray based gene expression profiling of 22 244 human genes. A total of 111 transcripts were significantly upregulated, whereas 80 transcripts turned out to be significantly downregulated in HCT116 cells, constitutively expressing AIM2, compared with AIM2-negative cells. Among the upregulated genes that were validated by quantitative PCR and western blotting we recognized several interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs: IFIT1, IFIT2, IFIT3, IFI6, IRF7, ISG15, HLA-DRA, HLA-DRB, TLR3 and CIITA), as well as genes involved in intercellular adhesion and matrix remodeling. Expression of ISGs correlated with expression of AIM2 in 10 different IFN-γ treated colorectal cancer cell lines. Moreover, small interfering RNA-mediated knock-down of AIM2 resulted in reduced expression of HLA-DRA, HLA-DRB and CIITA in IFN-γ-treated cells. IFN-γ independent induction of HLA-DR genes and their encoded proteins was also demonstrated upon doxycyclin-regulated transient induction of AIM2. Luciferase reporter assays revealed induction of the HLA-DR promoter upon AIM2 transfection in different cell lines. STAT-signaling was not involved in IFN-γ independent induction of ISGs, arguing against participation of cytokines released in an autostimulating manner. Our data indicate that AIM2 mediates both IFN-γ dependent and independent induction of several ISGs, including genes encoding the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigens HLA-DR-α and -β. This suggests a novel role of the IFN/AIM2/ISG cascade likewise in cancer cells.
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Li J, Chen QY, Mo H, Zhang YL, Huang ZF, Zeng YX. Immunophenotyping at the time of diagnosis distinguishes two groups of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients: implications for adoptive immunotherapy. Int J Biol Sci 2011; 7:607-17. [PMID: 21614153 PMCID: PMC3101529 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.7.607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2011] [Accepted: 05/08/2011] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Adoptive immunotherapy with EBV-specific CTLs (EBV-CTL) has been used to treat EBV-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) but only a fraction of the patients shows noticeable clinical response. Patients and Methods: Sixty-seven newly diagnosed NPC patients from 2005 to 2007 and 21 healthy donors were collected. Immunological parameters and immune function of PBMCs and EBV-CTL were analyzed by flow cytometer analysis (FACS) and 51Cr releasing experiment; Molecular characteristics on NPC tumor cells were investigated by immunochemical staining and statistic analysis. Results: NPC patients can be classified into two groups based on the percentage of CD3+ T cells in peripheral blood before accepted any treatment, (>52.6%, mean-2SE from healthy controls, NPC Group 1; <52.6%, NPC Group 2). The patients in Group 2 showed a significant decrease of CD3+CD8+ T-cells, CD3+CD4+ T-cells and CD3+CD45RO+ memory T cells, and increase of CD3-CD16+ NK cells compared to Group 1 patients and healthy controls (P<0.001). EBV-specific T cell responses, were weaker in this group of patients and their tumor cells expressed lower levels of the EBV encoded latent membrane protein (LMP)-1 and HLA class II protein compared with the patients of NPC Group 1 (P<0.05) . Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that NPC patients could be distinguished on the basis of their immune status which will affect the efficacy of EBV-CTL immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
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Campoli M, Ferrone S. HLA antigen and NK cell activating ligand expression in malignant cells: a story of loss or acquisition. Semin Immunopathol 2011; 33:321-34. [PMID: 21523560 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-011-0270-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2011] [Accepted: 03/31/2011] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Malignant transformation of cells is often associated with changes in classical and non-classical HLA class I antigen, HLA class II antigen as well as NK cell activating ligand (NKCAL) expression. These changes are believed to play a role in the clinical course of the disease since these molecules are critical to the interactions between tumor cells and components of both innate and adaptive immune system. For some time, it has been assumed that alterations in the expression profile of HLA antigens and NKCAL on malignant cells represented loss of classical HLA class I antigen and induction of HLA class II antigen, non-classical HLA class I antigen and/or NKCAL expression. In contrast to these assumptions, experimental evidence suggests that in some cases dysplastic and malignant cells can acquire classical HLA class I antigen expression and/or lose the ability to express HLA class II antigens. In light of the latter findings as well as of the revival of the cancer immune surveillance theory, a reevaluation of the interpretation of changes in HLA antigen and NKCAL expression in malignant lesions is warranted. In this article, we first briefly describe the conventional types of changes in HLA antigen and NKCAL expression that have been identified in malignant cells to date. Second, we discuss the evidence indicating that, in at least some cell types, classical HLA class I antigen expression can be acquired and/or the ability to express HLA class II antigens is lost. Third, we review the available evidence for the role of immune selective pressure in the generation of malignant lesions with changes in HLA antigen expression. This information contributes to our understanding of the role of the immune system in the control of tumor development and to the optimization of the design of immunotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Campoli
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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