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Xu X, Lin J, Wang J, Wang Y, Zhu Y, Wang J, Guo J. SPP1 expression indicates outcome of immunotherapy plus tyrosine kinase inhibition in advanced renal cell carcinoma. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2024; 20:2350101. [PMID: 38738709 PMCID: PMC11093034 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2024.2350101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Clinical guidelines have recently advised combination therapy involving immunotherapy (IO) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) as the first-line therapy approach for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Nevertheless, there is currently no available biomarker that can effectively distinguish the progression-free survival (PFS). RNA-sequencing and immunohistochemistry were conducted on our cohort of metastatic RCC patients, namely ZS-MRCC, who received combination therapy consisting of IO and TKI. We further applied RNA-sequencing, immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry to examine the immune cell infiltration and functionality inside the tumor microenvironment of high-risk localized RCC samples. SPP1 expression was significantly higher in non-responders to IO-TKI therapy. Elevated levels of SPP1 were associated with poor PFS in both the ZS-MRCC cohort (HR = 2.73, p = .018) and validated in the JAVELIN Renal 101 cohort (HR = 1.61, p = .004). By multivariate Cox analysis, SPP1 was identified as a significant independent prognosticator. Furthermore, there existed a negative correlation between elevated levels of SPP1 and the presence of GZMB+CD8+ T cells (Spearman's ρ= -0.48, p < .001). Conversely, SPP1 expression is associated with T cell exhaustion markers. A significant increase in the abundance of Tregs was observed in tumors with high levels of SPP1. Additionally, a machine-learning-based model was constructed to predict the benefit of IO-TKI treatment. High SPP1 is associated with therapeutic resistance and unfavorable PFS in IO-TKI therapy. SPP1 expression have also been observed to be indicative of malfunction and exhaustion in T cells. Increased SPP1 expression has the potential to serve as a potential biomarker for treatment selection of metastatic RCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianglai Xu
- Department of Urology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Urology, Zhongshan Hospital (Xiamen), Fudan University, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Clinical Research Center for Cancer Therapy, Zhongshan Hospital (Xiamen), Fudan University, Xiamen, China
| | - Jinglai Lin
- Department of Urology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Urology, Zhongshan Hospital (Xiamen), Fudan University, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Clinical Research Center for Cancer Therapy, Zhongshan Hospital (Xiamen), Fudan University, Xiamen, China
| | - Jiahao Wang
- Department of Urology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanjun Zhu
- Department of Urology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiajun Wang
- Department of Urology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianming Guo
- Department of Urology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Ghosh N, Mahalanobish S, Sil PC. Reprogramming of urea cycle in cancer: Mechanism, regulation and prospective therapeutic scopes. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 228:116326. [PMID: 38815626 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Hepatic urea cycle, previously known as ornithine cycle, is the chief biochemical pathway that deals with the disposal of excessive nitrogen in form of urea, resulted from protein breakdown and concomitant condensation of ammonia. Enzymes involved in urea cycle are expressed differentially outside hepatic tissue and are mostly involved in production of arginine from citrulline in arginine-depleted condition. Inline, cancer cells frequently adapt metabolic rewiring to support sufficient biomass production in order to sustain tumor cell survival, multiplication and subsequent growth. For the accomplishment of this aim, metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells is set in way so that cellular nitrogen and carbon repertoire can be utilized and channelized maximally towards anabolic reactions. A strategy to meet such outcome is to cut down unnecessary catabolic reactions and nitrogen elimination. Thus, transfigured urea cycle is a hallmark of neoplasia. During oncogenesis, altered expression and regulation of enzymes involved in urea cycle is a revolutionary approach meet to maximum incorporation of nitrogen for sustaining tumor specific biogenesis. Currently, we have reviewed neoplasm-specific deregulations of urea cycle-enzymes in different types and stages of cancers suggesting its context-oriented dynamic nature. Considering such insight to be valuable in terms of prospective cancer diagnosis and therapeutics adaptive evolution of deregulated urea cycle has been enlightened.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noyel Ghosh
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12, CIT Scheme VII M, Kolkata 700054, West Bengal, India
| | - Sushweta Mahalanobish
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12, CIT Scheme VII M, Kolkata 700054, West Bengal, India
| | - Parames C Sil
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12, CIT Scheme VII M, Kolkata 700054, West Bengal, India.
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Grobben Y. Targeting amino acid-metabolizing enzymes for cancer immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1440269. [PMID: 39211039 PMCID: PMC11359565 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1440269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the immune system's role in the detection and eradication of abnormal cells, cancer cells often evade elimination by exploitation of various immune escape mechanisms. Among these mechanisms is the ability of cancer cells to upregulate amino acid-metabolizing enzymes, or to induce these enzymes in tumor-infiltrating immunosuppressive cells. Amino acids are fundamental cellular nutrients required for a variety of physiological processes, and their inadequacy can severely impact immune cell function. Amino acid-derived metabolites can additionally dampen the anti-tumor immune response by means of their immunosuppressive activities, whilst some can also promote tumor growth directly. Based on their evident role in tumor immune escape, the amino acid-metabolizing enzymes glutaminase 1 (GLS1), arginase 1 (ARG1), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) and interleukin 4 induced 1 (IL4I1) each serve as a promising target for immunotherapeutic intervention. This review summarizes and discusses the involvement of these enzymes in cancer, their effect on the anti-tumor immune response and the recent progress made in the preclinical and clinical evaluation of inhibitors targeting these enzymes.
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Zamani R, Rezaei N. Immune-scoring in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a scoping review. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2024; 20:1009-1017. [PMID: 37750738 DOI: 10.1080/1744666x.2023.2262140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) have an increasing incidence, high recurrence, and an overall unfavorable prognosis despite numerous treatment options. The distinct immune landscape of HNSCC suggests a potential for immune-related biomarkers to aid classification and treatment planning. AREAS COVERED Immunoscore, a multiplex measure of tumor-infiltrating immune cells, is currently approved in colorectal carcinoma and is under investigation in various other cancer types. Recent studies have tried to implement the immunoscore and other novel immune cell-based scoring systems in HNSCC as predictors of survival. This study provides an overview of tumor-infiltrating immune cells and their prognostic significance, as well as a comparative summary of studies introducing an immunoscore in HNSCC. EXPERT OPINION With sufficient insight of the current literature, future studies could lead to the definition and validation of a new immune-based classification system for HNSCC. Such a classification strategy could be the basis for patient selection and, thus, optimize treatment outcomes and reduce unwanted complications. The heterogeneity of HNSCC subtypes, as well as the intratumoral variability of immune infiltrates, should be accounted for in the immunoscore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raha Zamani
- Students' Scientific Research Center (SSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Nima Rezaei
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
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5
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Moraly J, Kondo T, Benzaoui M, DuSold J, Talluri S, Pouzolles MC, Chien C, Dardalhon V, Taylor N. Metabolic dialogues: regulators of chimeric antigen receptor T cell function in the tumor microenvironment. Mol Oncol 2024; 18:1695-1718. [PMID: 38922759 PMCID: PMC11223614 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have demonstrated remarkable success in the treatment of relapsed/refractory melanoma and hematological malignancies, respectively. These treatments have marked a pivotal shift in cancer management. However, as "living drugs," their effectiveness is dependent on their ability to proliferate and persist in patients. Recent studies indicate that the mechanisms regulating these crucial functions, as well as the T cell's differentiation state, are conditioned by metabolic shifts and the distinct utilization of metabolic pathways. These metabolic shifts, conditioned by nutrient availability as well as cell surface expression of metabolite transporters, are coupled to signaling pathways and the epigenetic landscape of the cell, modulating transcriptional, translational, and post-translational profiles. In this review, we discuss the processes underlying the metabolic remodeling of activated T cells, the impact of a tumor metabolic environment on T cell function, and potential metabolic-based strategies to enhance T cell immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josquin Moraly
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer InstituteNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
- Université Sorbonne Paris CitéParisFrance
| | - Taisuke Kondo
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer InstituteNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Mehdi Benzaoui
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer InstituteNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
- Université de Montpellier, Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, CNRSMontpellierFrance
| | - Justyn DuSold
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer InstituteNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Sohan Talluri
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer InstituteNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Marie C. Pouzolles
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer InstituteNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Christopher Chien
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer InstituteNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Valérie Dardalhon
- Université de Montpellier, Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, CNRSMontpellierFrance
| | - Naomi Taylor
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer InstituteNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
- Université de Montpellier, Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, CNRSMontpellierFrance
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Huang Q, Chen H, Yin D, Wang J, Wang S, Yang F, Li J, Mu T, Li J, Zhao J, Yin R, Li W, Qiu M, Zhang E, Li X. Multi-omics analysis reveals NNMT as a master metabolic regulator of metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. NPJ Precis Oncol 2024; 8:24. [PMID: 38291241 PMCID: PMC10828394 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-024-00509-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Metabolic reprogramming has been observed in cancer metastasis, whereas metabolic changes required for malignant cells during lymph node metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are still poorly understood. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of paired ESCC tumor tissues and lymph nodes to uncover the reprogramming of tumor microenvironment (TME) and metabolic pathways. By integrating analyses of scRNA-seq data with metabolomics of ESCC tumor tissues and plasma samples, we found nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism pathway was dysregulated in ESCC patients with lymph node metastasis (LN+), exhibiting as significantly increased 1-methylnicotinamide (MNA) in both tumors and plasma. Further data indicated high expression of N-methyltransferase (NNMT), which converts active methyl groups from the universal methyl donor, S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), to stable MNA, contributed to the increased MNA in LN+ ESCC. NNMT promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis of ESCC in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting E-cadherin expression. Mechanically, high NNMT expression consumed too much active methyl group and decreased H3K4me3 modification at E-cadherin promoter and inhibited m6A modification of E-cadherin mRNA, therefore inhibiting E-cadherin expression at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. Finally, a detection method of lymph node metastasis was build based on the dysregulated metabolites, which showed good performance among ESCC patients. For lymph node metastasis of ESCC, this work supports NNMT is a master regulator of the cross-talk between cellular metabolism and epigenetic modifications, which may be a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Huang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450003, China
| | - Haiming Chen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, China
- Thoracic Oncology Institute, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Dandan Yin
- Clinical Research Center, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Zhong Fu Road, Gulou District, Nanjing, 210003, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Cancer Research, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital and Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, 21009, China
- Department of Science and Technology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital and Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, 21009, China
- Biobank of Lung Cancer, Jiangsu Biobank of Clinical Resources, Nanjing, 21009, China
| | - Shaodong Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, China
- Thoracic Oncology Institute, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Feng Yang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, China
- Thoracic Oncology Institute, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Jiawei Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450003, China
| | - Teng Mu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450003, China
| | - Jilun Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450003, China
| | - Jia Zhao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450003, China
| | - Rong Yin
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Cancer Research, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital and Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, 21009, China
- Department of Science and Technology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital and Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, 21009, China
- Biobank of Lung Cancer, Jiangsu Biobank of Clinical Resources, Nanjing, 21009, China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China.
| | - Mantang Qiu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, China.
- Thoracic Oncology Institute, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, China.
| | - Erbao Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China.
| | - Xiangnan Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450003, China.
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Chagovets V, Starodubtseva N, Tokareva A, Novoselova A, Patysheva M, Larionova I, Prostakishina E, Rakina M, Kazakova A, Topolnitskiy E, Shefer N, Kzhyshkowska J, Frankevich V, Sukhikh G. Specific changes in amino acid profiles in monocytes of patients with breast, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancers. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1332043. [PMID: 38259478 PMCID: PMC10800720 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1332043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Immunometabolism is essential factor of tumor progression, and tumor-associated macrophages are characterized by substantial changes in their metabolic status. In this study for the first time, we applied targeted amino acid LC-MS/MS analysis to compare amino acid metabolism of circulating monocytes isolated from patients with breast, ovarian, lung, and colorectal cancer. Methods Monocyte metabolomics was analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/ MS) analysis of amino acid extracts. The targeted analysis of 26 amino acids was conducted by LCMS/MS on an Agilent 6460 triple quadrupole mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ionization source and an Agilent 1260 II liquid chromatograph. Results Comparison of monocytes of cancer patients with monocytes of healthy control individuals demonstrated that in breast cancer most pronounced changes were identified for tryptophan (AUC = 0.76); for ovarian cancer, aminobutyric acid was significantly elevated (AUC= 1.00); for lung cancer significant changes we indented for citrulline (AUC = 0.70). In order to identify key amino acids that are characteristic for monocytes in specific cancer types, we compared each individual cancer with other 3 types of cancer. We found, that aspartic acid and citrulline are specific for monocytes of patients with colorectal cancer (p<0.001, FC = 1.40 and p=0.003, FC = 1.42 respectively). Citrulline, sarcosine and glutamic acid are ovarian cancer-specific amino acids (p = 0.003, FC = 0.78, p = 0.003, FC = 0.62, p = 0.02, FC = 0.78 respectively). Glutamine, methionine and phenylalanine (p = 0.048, FC = 1.39. p = 0.03, FC = 1.27 and p = 0.02, FC = 1.41) are lung cancer-specific amino acids. Ornithine in monocytes demonstrated strong positive correlation (r = 0.63) with lymph node metastasis incidence in breast cancer patients. Methyl histidine and cysteine in monocytes had strong negative correlation with lymph node metastasis in ovarian cancer patients (r = -0.95 and r = -0.95 respectively). Arginine, citrulline and ornithine have strong negative correlation with tumor size (r = -0.78, citrulline) and lymph node metastasis (r = -0.63 for arginine and r = -0.66 for ornithine). Discussion These alterations in monocyte amino acid metabolism can reflect the reaction of systemic innate immunity on the growing tumor. Our data indicate that this metabolic programming is cancer specific and can be inhibiting cancer progression. Cancer-specific differences in citrulline, as molecular link between metabolic pathways and epigenetic programing, provide new option for the development and validation of anti-cancer therapies using inhibitors of enzymes catalyzing citrullination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vitaliy Chagovets
- National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics Gynecology and Perinatology Named after Academician V.I. Kulakov of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - Natalia Starodubtseva
- National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics Gynecology and Perinatology Named after Academician V.I. Kulakov of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
- Department of Chemical Physics, The Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alisa Tokareva
- National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics Gynecology and Perinatology Named after Academician V.I. Kulakov of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anastasia Novoselova
- National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics Gynecology and Perinatology Named after Academician V.I. Kulakov of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - Marina Patysheva
- Laboratory of Translational Cellular And Molecular Biomedicine, National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
- Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Irina Larionova
- Laboratory of Translational Cellular And Molecular Biomedicine, National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
- Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
- Laboratory of Genetic Technologies, Siberian State Medical University, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Elizaveta Prostakishina
- Laboratory of Translational Cellular And Molecular Biomedicine, National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
- Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Militsa Rakina
- Laboratory of Translational Cellular And Molecular Biomedicine, National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
- Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Anna Kazakova
- Laboratory of Translational Cellular And Molecular Biomedicine, National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Evgenii Topolnitskiy
- Laboratory of Genetic Technologies, Siberian State Medical University, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Nikolay Shefer
- Laboratory of Genetic Technologies, Siberian State Medical University, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Julia Kzhyshkowska
- Laboratory of Translational Cellular And Molecular Biomedicine, National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
- Laboratory of Genetic Technologies, Siberian State Medical University, Tomsk, Russia
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine and Immunology, Mannheim Faculty of Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Red Cross Blood Service Baden-Württemberg–Hessen, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Vladimir Frankevich
- National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics Gynecology and Perinatology Named after Academician V.I. Kulakov of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
- Laboratory of Translational Medicine, Siberian State Medical University, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Gennadiy Sukhikh
- National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics Gynecology and Perinatology Named after Academician V.I. Kulakov of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
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Miraki Feriz A, Bahraini F, Khosrojerdi A, Azarkar S, Sajjadi SM, HosseiniGol E, Honardoost MA, Saghafi S, Silvestris N, Leone P, Safarpour H, Racanelli V. Deciphering the immune landscape of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A single-cell transcriptomic analysis of regulatory T cell responses to PD-1 blockade therapy. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0295863. [PMID: 38096229 PMCID: PMC10721039 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy is changing the Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) landscape and improving outcomes for patients with recurrent or metastatic HNSCC. A deeper understanding of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is required in light of the limitations of patients' responses to immunotherapy. Here, we aimed to examine how Nivolumab affects infiltrating Tregs in the HNSCC TME. We used single-cell RNA sequencing data from eight tissues isolated from four HNSCC donors before and after Nivolumab treatment. Interestingly, the study found that Treg counts and suppressive activity increased following Nivolumab therapy. We also discovered that changes in the CD44-SSP1 axis, NKG2C/D-HLA-E axis, and KRAS signaling may have contributed to the increase in Treg numbers. Furthermore, our study suggests that decreasing the activity of the KRAS and Notch signaling pathways, and increasing FOXP3, CTLA-4, LAG-3, and GZMA expression, may be mechanisms that enhance the killing and suppressive capacity of Tregs. Additionally, the result of pseudo-temporal analysis of the HNSCC TME indicated that after Nivolumab therapy, the expression of certain inhibitory immune checkpoints including TIGIT, ENTPD1, and CD276 and LY9, were decreased in Tregs, while LAG-3 showed an increased expression level. The study also found that Tregs had a dense communication network with cluster two, and that certain ligand-receptor pairs, including SPP1/CD44, HLA-E/KLRC2, HLA-E/KLRK1, ANXA1/FPR3, and CXCL9/FCGR2A, had notable changes after the therapy. These changes in gene expression and cell interactions may have implications for the role of Tregs in the TME and in response to Nivolumab therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adib Miraki Feriz
- Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences (BUMS), Birjand, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Bahraini
- Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences (BUMS), Birjand, Iran
| | | | - Setareh Azarkar
- Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences (BUMS), Birjand, Iran
| | | | - Edris HosseiniGol
- Department of Computer Engineering, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran
| | - Mohammad Amin Honardoost
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Data Analytics, Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Samira Saghafi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center (CMRC), BUMS, Birjand, Iran
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, BUMS, Birjand, Iran
| | - Nicola Silvestris
- Medical Oncology Unit, Department of Human Pathology “G. Barresi”, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Patrizia Leone
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | | | - Vito Racanelli
- Centre for Medical Sciences (CISMed), University of Trento and Internal Medicine Division, Santa Chiara Hospital, Provincial Health Care Agency (APSS), Trento, Italy
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Mahé M, Rios-Fuller TJ, Karolin A, Schneider RJ. Genetics of enzymatic dysfunctions in metabolic disorders and cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1230934. [PMID: 37601653 PMCID: PMC10433910 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1230934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Inherited metabolic disorders arise from mutations in genes involved in the biogenesis, assembly, or activity of metabolic enzymes, leading to enzymatic deficiency and severe metabolic impairments. Metabolic enzymes are essential for the normal functioning of cells and are involved in the production of amino acids, fatty acids and nucleotides, which are essential for cell growth, division and survival. When the activity of metabolic enzymes is disrupted due to mutations or changes in expression levels, it can result in various metabolic disorders that have also been linked to cancer development. However, there remains much to learn regarding the relationship between the dysregulation of metabolic enzymes and metabolic adaptations in cancer cells. In this review, we explore how dysregulated metabolism due to the alteration or change of metabolic enzymes in cancer cells plays a crucial role in tumor development, progression, metastasis and drug resistance. In addition, these changes in metabolism provide cancer cells with a number of advantages, including increased proliferation, resistance to apoptosis and the ability to evade the immune system. The tumor microenvironment, genetic context, and different signaling pathways further influence this interplay between cancer and metabolism. This review aims to explore how the dysregulation of metabolic enzymes in specific pathways, including the urea cycle, glycogen storage, lysosome storage, fatty acid oxidation, and mitochondrial respiration, contributes to the development of metabolic disorders and cancer. Additionally, the review seeks to shed light on why these enzymes represent crucial potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers in various cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Robert J. Schneider
- Department of Microbiology, Grossman NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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10
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Zhou M, Mao M, Yang F, Zhou T, Zhou L, Li Y. LncRNA AL161431.1 predicts prognosis and drug response in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1134456. [PMID: 37397383 PMCID: PMC10313201 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1134456] [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: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are increasingly recognized as essential players in various biological processes due to their interactions with DNA, RNA, and protein. Emerging studies have demonstrated lncRNAs as prognostic biomarkers in multiple cancers. However, the prognostic effect of lncRNA AL161431.1 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients has not been reported. Methods In the present study, we conducted a series of analyses to identify and validate the prognostic value of lncRNA AL161431.1 in HNSCC, which included differential lncRNAs screening, survival analysis, Cox regression analysis, time ROCanalysis, nomogram prediction, enrichment analysis, tumor infiltration of immune cells, drug sensitivity analysis, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results In this study, we performed a comprehensive survival and predictive analysis and demonstrated that AL161431.1 was an independent prognostic factor of HNSCC, for which a high AL161431.1 level indicated poor survival in HNSCC. Functional enrichment analyses found that cell growth and immune-related pathways were significantly enriched in HNSCC, suggesting that AL161431.1 may play a role in tumor development and tumor microenvironment (TME). AL161431.1-related immune cells infiltration analysis demonstrated that AL161431.1 expression is significantly positively associated with M0 macrophages in HNSCC (P<0.001). Using "OncoPredict", we recognized chemotherapy drugs sensitive to the high expression group. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to identify the expression level of AL161431.1 in HNSCC, and the results further validated our findings. Conclusions Our findings suggest that AL161431.1 is a reliable prognostic marker for HNSCC and can potentially be an effective therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhu Zhou
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Mingyu Mao
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Tao Zhou
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Liuqing Zhou
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuncheng Li
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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11
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Budi HS, Farhood B. Targeting oral tumor microenvironment for effective therapy. Cancer Cell Int 2023; 23:101. [PMID: 37221555 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-023-02943-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Oral cancers are among the common head and neck malignancies. Different anticancer therapy modalities such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, and also targeted molecular therapy may be prescribed for targeting oral malignancies. Traditionally, it has been assumed that targeting malignant cells alone by anticancer modalities such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy suppresses tumor growth. In the last decade, a large number of experiments have confirmed the pivotal role of other cells and secreted molecules in the tumor microenvironment (TME) on tumor progression. Extracellular matrix and immunosuppressive cells such as tumor-associated macrophages, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and regulatory T cells (Tregs) play key roles in the progression of tumors like oral cancers and resistance to therapy. On the other hand, infiltrated CD4 + and CD8 + T lymphocytes, and natural killer (NK) cells are key anti-tumor cells that suppress the proliferation of malignant cells. Modulation of extracellular matrix and immunosuppressive cells, and also stimulation of anticancer immunity have been suggested to treat oral malignancies more effectively. Furthermore, the administration of some adjuvants or combination therapy modalities may suppress oral malignancies more effectively. In this review, we discuss various interactions between oral cancer cells and TME. Furthermore, we also review the basic mechanisms within oral TME that may cause resistance to therapy. Potential targets and approaches for overcoming the resistance of oral cancers to various anticancer modalities will also be reviewed. The findings for targeting cells and potential therapeutic targets in clinical studies will also be reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Setia Budi
- Department of Oral Biology, Dental Pharmacology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia.
| | - Bagher Farhood
- Department of Medical Physics and Radiology, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
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12
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Taverna C, Franchi A. Role of Surgical Pathologist for Detection of Immunooncologic Predictive Factors in Head and Neck Cancer. Adv Anat Pathol 2023; 30:167-173. [PMID: 36175939 DOI: 10.1097/pap.0000000000000374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has shown promising results in the treatment of recurrent and metastatic head and neck cancers. Antiprogrammed cell death (PD)-1 therapies have been recently approved in this setting and they are currently tested also in the treatment of locally advanced diseases and in the neoadjuvant setting. However, the clinical benefits of these treatments have been quite variable, hence the need to select those patients who may obtain the maximal efficacy through the identification of predictive biomarkers. Currently, PD-L1 immunohistochemical expression by tumor and immune cells is the most widely used predictive biomarker for immunotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Nevertheless, patients with PD-L1 - tumors may still respond to treatments, thereby emphasizing the need for the identification of other predictive biomarkers. In this review, we summarize the current data on histologic and molecular parameters that can be used to select patients with head and neck cancers for immunotherapy, with a focus on squamous cell carcinoma and salivary gland carcinomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Taverna
- Department of Translational Research and of New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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13
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Starikova EA, Rubinstein AA, Mammedova JT, Isakov DV, Kudryavtsev IV. Regulated Arginine Metabolism in Immunopathogenesis of a Wide Range of Diseases: Is There a Way to Pass between Scylla and Charybdis? Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:3525-3551. [PMID: 37185755 PMCID: PMC10137093 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45040231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
More than a century has passed since arginine was discovered, but the metabolism of the amino acid never ceases to amaze researchers. Being a conditionally essential amino acid, arginine performs many important homeostatic functions in the body; it is involved in the regulation of the cardiovascular system and regeneration processes. In recent years, more and more facts have been accumulating that demonstrate a close relationship between arginine metabolic pathways and immune responses. This opens new opportunities for the development of original ways to treat diseases associated with suppressed or increased activity of the immune system. In this review, we analyze the literature describing the role of arginine metabolism in the immunopathogenesis of a wide range of diseases, and discuss arginine-dependent processes as a possible target for therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora A Starikova
- Laboratory of Cellular Immunology, Department of Immunology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Akademika Pavlova 12, 197376 Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Medical Faculty, First Saint Petersburg State I. Pavlov Medical University, L'va Tolstogo St. 6-8, 197022 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Artem A Rubinstein
- Laboratory of Cellular Immunology, Department of Immunology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Akademika Pavlova 12, 197376 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Jennet T Mammedova
- Laboratory of General Immunology, Department of Immunology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Akademika Pavlova 12, 197376 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Dmitry V Isakov
- Medical Faculty, First Saint Petersburg State I. Pavlov Medical University, L'va Tolstogo St. 6-8, 197022 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Igor V Kudryavtsev
- Laboratory of Cellular Immunology, Department of Immunology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Akademika Pavlova 12, 197376 Saint Petersburg, Russia
- School of Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University, FEFU Campus, 10 Ajax Bay, Russky Island, 690922 Vladivostok, Russia
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14
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Tang H, Liu S, Luo X, Sun Y, Li X, Luo K, Liao S, Li F, Liang J, Zhan X, Wei Q, Liu Y, He M. A novel molecular signature for predicting prognosis and immunotherapy response in osteosarcoma based on tumor-infiltrating cell marker genes. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1150588. [PMID: 37090691 PMCID: PMC10117669 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1150588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundTumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), the main component in the tumor microenvironment, play a critical role in the antitumor immune response. Few studies have developed a prognostic model based on TILs in osteosarcoma.MethodsScRNA-seq data was obtained from our previous research and bulk RNA transcriptome data was from TARGET database. WGCNA was used to obtain the immune-related gene modules. Subsequently, we applied LASSO regression analysis and SVM algorithm to construct a prognostic model based on TILs marker genes. What’s more, the prognostic model was verified by external datasets and experiment in vitro. ResultsEleven cell clusters and 2044 TILs marker genes were identified. WGCNA results showed that 545 TILs marker genes were the most strongly related with immune. Subsequently, a risk model including 5 genes was developed. We found that the survival rate was higher in the low-risk group and the risk model could be used as an independent prognostic factor. Meanwhile, high-risk patients had a lower abundance of immune cell infiltration and many immune checkpoint genes were highly expressed in the low-risk group. The prognostic model was also demonstrated to be a good predictive capacity in external datasets. The result of RT-qPCR indicated that these 5 genes have differential expression which accorded with the predicting outcomes.ConclusionsThis study developed a new molecular signature based on TILs marker genes, which is very effective in predicting OS prognosis and immunotherapy response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haijun Tang
- Department of Spine and Osteopathic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Shangyu Liu
- Department of Spine and Osteopathic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Xiaoting Luo
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Yu Sun
- Department of Spine and Osteopathic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Xiangde Li
- Department of Radiotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Kai Luo
- Department of Spine and Osteopathic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Shijie Liao
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Feicui Li
- Department of Spine and Osteopathic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Jiming Liang
- Department of Spine and Osteopathic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Xinli Zhan
- Department of Spine and Osteopathic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Qingjun Wei
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Yun Liu
- Department of Spine and Osteopathic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
- *Correspondence: Maolin He, ; Yun Liu,
| | - Maolin He
- Department of Spine and Osteopathic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
- *Correspondence: Maolin He, ; Yun Liu,
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15
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Rochefort J, Karagiannidis I, Baillou C, Belin L, Guillot-Delost M, Macedo R, Le Moignic A, Mateo V, Soussan P, Brocheriou I, Teillaud JL, Dieu-Nosjean MC, Bertolus C, Lemoine FM, Lescaille G. Defining biomarkers in oral cancer according to smoking and drinking status. Front Oncol 2023; 12:1068979. [PMID: 36713516 PMCID: PMC9875375 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1068979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas (OSCC) are mostly related to tobacco consumption eventually associated to alcohol (Smoker/Drinker patients: SD), but 25-30% of the patients have no identified risk factors (Non-Smoker/Non-Drinker patients: NSND). We hypothesized that these patients have distinguishable immune profiles that could be useful for prognosis. Materials and Methods Cells present in immune tumor microenvironment (TME) and blood from 87 OSCC HPV-negative patients were analyzed using a multiparameter flow cytometry assay, in a prospective case-control study. Cytokine levels in tumor supernatants and blood were determined by a cytometric bead array (CBA) assay. Results Normal gingiva and blood from healthy donors (HD) were used as controls. A significant increase of granulocytes (p<0.05 for blood), of monocytes-macrophages (p<0.01 for blood) and of CD4+ T cells expressing CD45RO and CCR6 (p<0.001 for blood; p<0.0001 for TME) as well as higher levels of IL-6 (p<0.01 for sera, p<0.05 for tumor supernatant) were observed in SD patients as compared to NSND OSCC patients and HD. High percentages of CD4+ T cells expressing CD45RO and CCR6 cells in tumor tissue (p=0.05) and blood (p=0.05) of SD OSCC patients were also associated with a poorer prognosis while a high percentage of regulatory T cells (Treg) in tumor tissue was associated with a more favorable prognostic factor (p=0.05). Also, a higher percentage of blood CD8+ T lymphocytes among CD45+ cells in NSND patients was associated with a better disease-free survival (p=0.004). Conclusion Granulocytes, monocytes-macrophages, and CD4+ T cells expressing CD45RO and CCR6 in blood and TME as well as serum IL-6 can therefore distinguish OSCC SD and NSND patients. Quantifying the proportion of CD4+ T cells expressing CD45RO and CCR6 and of Treg in SD patients and CD8+ T cells in NSND patients could help defining the prognostic of OSCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette Rochefort
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm U.1135, Center of Immunology and Infectious Diseases (Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris), Paris, France,Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Odontology, Paris, France,Faculty of Odontology Université Paris Cité, Paris, France,*Correspondence: Juliette Rochefort,
| | - Ioannis Karagiannidis
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm U.1135, Center of Immunology and Infectious Diseases (Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris), Paris, France
| | - Claude Baillou
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm U.1135, Center of Immunology and Infectious Diseases (Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris), Paris, France
| | - Lisa Belin
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut Pierre Louis d'Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique, AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires Pitié-Salpêtrière - Charles Foix, Département de Santé Publique, Paris, France
| | - Maude Guillot-Delost
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm U.1135, Center of Immunology and Infectious Diseases (Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris), Paris, France
| | - Rodney Macedo
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm U.1135, Center of Immunology and Infectious Diseases (Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris), Paris, France
| | - Aline Le Moignic
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm U.1135, Center of Immunology and Infectious Diseases (Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris), Paris, France
| | - Véronique Mateo
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm U.1135, Center of Immunology and Infectious Diseases (Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris), Paris, France
| | | | - Isabelle Brocheriou
- AP-HP, Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Pathology, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Luc Teillaud
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm U.1135, Center of Immunology and Infectious Diseases (Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris), Paris, France
| | - Marie-Caroline Dieu-Nosjean
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm U.1135, Center of Immunology and Infectious Diseases (Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris), Paris, France
| | - Chloé Bertolus
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm U.1135, Center of Immunology and Infectious Diseases (Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris), Paris, France,AP-HP, Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Paris, France
| | - Francois Michel Lemoine
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm U.1135, Center of Immunology and Infectious Diseases (Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris), Paris, France,AP-HP, Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Immunology, Paris, France
| | - Géraldine Lescaille
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm U.1135, Center of Immunology and Infectious Diseases (Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris), Paris, France,Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Odontology, Paris, France,Faculty of Odontology Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
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Zaki MEA, Al-Hussain SA, Al-Mutairi AA, Samad A, Ghosh A, Chaudhari S, Khatale PN, Ajmire P, Jawarkar RD. In-silico studies to recognize repurposing therapeutics toward arginase-I inhibitors as a potential onco-immunomodulators. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1129997. [PMID: 37144217 PMCID: PMC10151555 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1129997] [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: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Rudolf Virchow was the first person to point out the important link between immune function and cancer. He did this by noticing that leukocytes were often found in tumors. Overexpression of arginase 1 (ARG1) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) depletes both intracellular and extracellular arginine. TCR signalling is slowed as a result, and the same types of cells produce reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS), which aggravates the situation. Human arginase I is a double-stranded manganese metalloenzyme that helps L-arginine break down into L-ornithine and urea. Thus, a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis was performed to unearth the unrecognised structural aspects crucial for arginase-I inhibition. In this work, a balanced QSAR model with good prediction performance and clear mechanistic interpretation was developed using a dataset of 149 molecules encompassing a broad range of structural scaffolds and compositions. The model was made to meet OECD standards, and all of its validation parameters have values that are higher than the minimum requirements (R2 tr = 0.89, Q2 LMO = 0.86, and R2 ex = 0.85). The present QSAR study linked structural factors to arginase-I inhibitory action, including the proximity of lipophilic atoms to the molecule's centre of mass (within 3A), the position of the donor to the ring nitrogen (exactly 3 bonds away), and the surface area ratio. As OAT-1746 and two others are the only arginase-I inhibitors in development at the time, we have performed a QSAR-based virtual screening with 1650 FDA compounds taken from the zinc database. In this screening, 112 potential hit compounds were found to have a PIC50 value of less than 10 nm against the arginase-I receptor. The created QSAR model's application domain was evaluated in relation to the most active hit molecules identified using QSAR-based virtual screening, utilising a training set of 149 compounds and a prediction set of 112 hit molecules. As shown in the Williams plot, the top hit molecule, ZINC000252286875, has a low leverage value of HAT i/i h* = 0.140, placing it towards the boundary of the usable range. Furthermore, one of 112 hit molecules with a docking score of -10.891 kcal/mol (PIC50 = 10.023 M) was isolated from a study of arginase-I using molecular docking. Protonated ZINC000252286875-linked arginase-1 showed 2.9 RMSD, whereas non-protonated had 1.8. RMSD plots illustrate protein stability in protonated and non-protonated ZINC000252286875-bound states. Protonated-ZINC000252286875-bound proteins contain 25 Rg. The non-protonated protein-ligand combination exhibits a 25.2-Rg, indicating compactness. Protonated and non-protonated ZINC000252286875 stabilised protein targets in binding cavities posthumously. Significant root mean square fluctuations (RMSF) were seen in the arginase-1 protein at a small number of residues for a time function of 500 ns in both the protonated and unprotonated states. Protonated and non-protonated ligands interacted with proteins throughout the simulation. ZINC000252286875 bound Lys64, Asp124, Ala171, Arg222, Asp232, and Gly250. Aspartic acid residue 232 exhibited 200% ionic contact. 500-ns simulations-maintained ions. Salt bridges for ZINC000252286875 aided docking. ZINC000252286875 created six ionic bonds with Lys68, Asp117, His126, Ala171, Lys224, and Asp232 residues. Asp117, His126, and Lys224 showed 200% ionic interactions. In protonated and deprotonated states, GbindvdW, GbindLipo, and GbindCoulomb energies played crucial role. Moreover, ZINC000252286875 meets all of the ADMET standards to serve as a drug. As a result, the current analyses were successful in locating a novel and potent hit molecule that inhibits arginase-I effectively at nanomolar concentrations. The results of this investigation can be used to develop brand-new arginase I inhibitors as an alternative immune-modulating cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdi E. A. Zaki
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- *Correspondence: Magdi E. A. Zaki, ; Rahul D. Jawarkar,
| | - Sami A. Al-Hussain
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aamal A. Al-Mutairi
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdul Samad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tishk International University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
| | - Arabinda Ghosh
- Microbiology Division, Department of Botany, Gauhati University, Guwahati, India
| | - Somdatta Chaudhari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Progressive Education Society’s Modern College of Pharmacy, Pune, India
| | - Pravin N. Khatale
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Dr Rajendra Gode Institute of Pharmacy, Amravati, Maharashtra, India
| | - Prashant Ajmire
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Dr Rajendra Gode Institute of Pharmacy, Amravati, Maharashtra, India
| | - Rahul D. Jawarkar
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Dr Rajendra Gode Institute of Pharmacy, Amravati, Maharashtra, India
- *Correspondence: Magdi E. A. Zaki, ; Rahul D. Jawarkar,
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Giannoudis A, Varešlija D, Sharma V, Zakaria R, Platt-Higgins A, Rudland P, Jenkinson M, Young L, Palmieri C. Characterisation of the immune microenvironment of primary breast cancer and brain metastasis reveals depleted T-cell response associated to ARG2 expression. ESMO Open 2022; 7:100636. [PMID: 36423363 PMCID: PMC9808462 DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2022.100636] [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: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint inhibition is an established treatment in programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive metastatic triple-negative (TN) breast cancer (BC). However, the immune landscape of breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) remains poorly defined. MATERIALS AND METHODS The tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and the messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of 770 immune-related genes (NanoString™, nCounter™ Immuno-oncology IO360) were assessed in primary BCs and BCBMs. The prognostic role of ARG2 transcripts and protein expression in primary BCs and its association with outcome was determined. RESULTS There was a significant reduction of TILs in the BCBMs in comparison to primary BCs. 11.5% of BCs presented a high immune infiltrate (hot), 46.2% were altered (immunosuppressed/excluded) and 34.6% were cold (no/low immune infiltrate). 3.8% of BCBMs were hot, 23.1% altered and 73.1% cold. One hundred and twelve immune-related genes including PD-L1 and CTLA4 were decreased in BCBM compared to the primary BCs (false discovery rate <0.01, log2 fold-change >1.5). These genes are involved in matrix remodelling and metastasis, cytokine-chemokine signalling, lymphoid compartment, antigen presentation and immune cell adhesion and migration. Immuno-modulators such as PD-L1 (CD274), CTLA4, TIGIT and CD276 (B7H3) were decreased in BCBMs. However, PD-L1 and CTLA4 expression was significantly higher in TN BCBMs (P = 0.01), with CTLA4 expression also high in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (P < 0.01) compared to estrogen receptor-positive BCBMs. ARG2 was one of four genes up-regulated in BCBMs. High ARG2 mRNA expression in primary BCs was associated with worse distant metastasis-free survival (P = 0.038), while ARG2 protein expression was associated with worse breast-brain metastasis-free (P = 0.027) and overall survival (P = 0.019). High transcript levels of ARG2 correlated to low levels of cytotoxic and T cells in both BC and BCBM (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION This study highlights the immunological differences between primary BCs and BCBMs and the potential importance of ARG2 expression in T-cell depletion and clinical outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Giannoudis
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - D. Varešlija
- The School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - V. Sharma
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK,Department of Pathology, Royal Liverpool University Hospital NHS Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - R. Zakaria
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK,Department of Neurosurgery, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - A. Platt-Higgins
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - P.S. Rudland
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - M.D. Jenkinson
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK,Department of Neurosurgery, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - L.S. Young
- Endocrine Oncology Research Group, Department of Surgery, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - C. Palmieri
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK,The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK,Correspondence to: Prof. Carlo Palmieri, University of Liverpool, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, Sherrington Building, Ashton Street, Liverpool, L69 3GE, UK. Tel: +44 151 7949813 @cancermedic
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Norouzian M, Mehdipour F, Ashraf MJ, Khademi B, Ghaderi A. Regulatory and effector T cell subsets in tumor-draining lymph nodes of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck. BMC Immunol 2022; 23:56. [PMCID: PMC9664675 DOI: 10.1186/s12865-022-00530-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
A crucial role for the immune system has been proposed in the establishment and progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In this study, we investigated the cytokine and regulatory profiles of T cells in tumor draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) of patients with HNSCC.
Results
The frequencies of CD4+TNF-α+ and CD4+TNF-αhi negatively were associated with poor prognostic factors such as LN involvement (P = 0.015 and P = 0.019, respectively), stage of the disease (P = 0.032 and P = 0.010, respectively) and tumor size (P = 0.026 and P = 0.032, respectively). Frequencies of CD8+IFN-γ+ and CD8+IFN-γ+ TNF-α+ T cells showed negative relationship with tumor grade (P = 0.035 and P = 0.043, respectively). While, the frequencies of CD4+IL-4+, CD8+IL-10+, CD8+IL-4+T cells were higher in advanced stages of the disease (P = 0.042, P = 0.041 and P = 0.030, respectively) and CD4+IFN-γ+TNF-α−, CD8+IL-4+ and CD8+IFN-γ+TNF-α− T cells were higher in patients with larger tumor size (P = 0.026 and P = 0.032, respectively). Negative associations were found between the frequencies of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+CD127low/− Treg cells and cancer stage (P = 0.015 and P = 0.059).
Conclusion
This study shed more lights on the changes in immune profile of T cells in TDLNs of HNSCC. Larger tumor size and/or LN involvement were associated with lower frequencies of CD4+TNF-α+, CD8+IFN-γ+ and CD8+IFN-γ+TNF-α+ but higher frequency of CD4+IL-4+ T cells. Moreover, Foxp3+Tregs correlated with good prognostic indicators.
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Zhou F, Shayan G, Sun S, Huang X, Chen X, Wang K, Qu Y, Wu R, Zhang Y, Liu Q, Zhang J, Luo J, Shi X, Liu Y, Liang B, Li YX, Wang J, Yi J. Spatial architecture of regulatory T-cells correlates with disease progression in patients with nasopharyngeal cancer. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1015283. [PMID: 36439177 PMCID: PMC9684321 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1015283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose This study aims to investigate the prognostic value of composition and spatial architecture of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) as well as PDL1 expression on TILs subpopulations in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods A total of 121 patients with NPC were included and divided into two groups: favorable (n = 68) and unfavorable (n = 53). The archived tumor tissues of the included patients were retrieved, and a tissue microarray was constructed. The density and spatial distribution of TILs infiltration were analyzed using the multiplex fluorescent immunohistochemistry staining for CD3, CD4, CD8, Foxp3, cytokeratin (CK), PDL1, and 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). The infiltration density of TILs subpopulations and PDL1 expression were compared between the two groups. The Gcross function was calculated to quantify the relative proximity of any two types of cells. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to identify factors associated with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Results The densities of regulatory T-cells (Tregs), effector T-cells (Teffs), PDL1+ Tregs, and PDL1+ Teffs were significantly higher in patients with unfavorable outcomes. PDL1 expression on tumor cells (TCs) or overall TILs was not associated with survival. Multivariate analysis revealed that higher PDL1+ Tregs infiltration density was independently associated with inferior OS and DFS, whereas Tregs infiltration density was only a prognostic marker for DFS. Spatial analysis revealed that unfavorable group had significantly stronger Tregs and PDL1+ Tregs engagement in the proximity of TCs and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTLs). Gcross analysis further revealed that Tregs and PDL1+ Tregs were more likely to colocalize with CTLs. Moreover, increased GTC : Treg (Tregs engagement surrounding TCs) and GCTL : PDL1+ Treg were identified as independent factors correlated with poor outcomes. Conclusion TILs have a diverse infiltrating pattern and spatial distribution in NPC. Increased infiltration of Tregs, particularly PDL1+ Tregs, as well as their proximity to TCs and CTLs, correlates with unfavorable outcomes, implying the significance of intercellular immune regulation in mediating disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengge Zhou
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Tumor Research and Therapy Center, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Gulidanna Shayan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Shiran Sun
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaodong Huang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xuesong Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Qu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Runye Wu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Ye Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Qingfeng Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jianghu Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jingwei Luo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xinqi Shi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Liang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Ye-Xiong Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jingbo Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Jingbo Wang, ; Junlin Yi,
| | - Junlin Yi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/ Hebei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Langfang, China
- *Correspondence: Jingbo Wang, ; Junlin Yi,
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20
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Laba S, Mallett G, Amarnath S. The depths of PD-1 function within the tumor microenvironment beyond CD8 + T cells. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 86:1045-1055. [PMID: 34048897 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1; CD279) is a cell surface receptor that is expressed in both innate and adaptive immune cells. The role of PD-1 in adaptive immune cells, specifically in CD8+ T cells, has been thoroughly investigated but its significance in other immune cells is yet to be well established. This review will address the role of PD-1 based therapies in enhancing non-CD8+ T cell immune responses within cancer. Specifically, the expression and function of PD-1 in non-CD8+ immune cell compartments such as CD4+ T helper cell subsets, myeloid cells and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) will be discussed. By understanding the immune cell specific function of PD-1 within tissue resident innate and adaptive immune cells, it will be possible to stratify patients for PD-1 based therapies for both immunogeneic and non-immunogeneic neoplastic disorders. With this knowledge from fundamental and translational studies, PD-1 based therapies can be utilized to enhance T cell independent immune responses in cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Laba
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom.
| | - Grace Mallett
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom
| | - Shoba Amarnath
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom.
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21
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Weis-Banke SE, Lisle TL, Perez-Penco M, Schina A, Hübbe ML, Siersbæk M, Holmström MO, Jørgensen MA, Marie Svane I, Met Ö, Ødum N, Madsen DH, Donia M, Grøntved L, Andersen MH. Arginase-2-specific cytotoxic T cells specifically recognize functional regulatory T cells. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2022-005326. [PMID: 36316062 PMCID: PMC9628693 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background High expression of the metabolic enzyme arginase-2 (ARG2) by cancer cells, regulatory immune cells, or cells of the tumor stroma can reduce the availability of arginine (L-Arg) in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Depletion of L-Arg has detrimental consequences for T cells and leads to T-cell dysfunction and suppression of anticancer immune responses. Previous work from our group has demonstrated the presence of proinflammatory ARG2-specific CD4 T cells that inhibited tumor growth in murine models on activation with ARG2-derived peptides. In this study, we investigated the natural occurrence of ARG2-specific CD8 T cells in both healthy donors (HDs) and patients with cancer, along with their immunomodulatory capabilities in the context of the TME. Materials and methods A library of 15 major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-restricted ARG2-derived peptides were screened in HD peripheral blood mononuclear cells using interferon gamma (IFN-γ) ELISPOT. ARG2-specific CD8 T-cell responses were identified using intracellular cytokine staining and ARG2-specific CD8 T-cell cultures were established by enrichment and rapid expansion following in vitro peptide stimulation. The reactivity of the cultures toward ARG2-expressing cells, including cancer cell lines and activated regulatory T cells (Tregs), was assessed using IFN-γ ELISPOT and a chromium release assay. The Treg signature was validated based on proliferation suppression assays, flow cytometry and quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). In addition, vaccinations with ARG2-derived epitopes were performed in the murine Pan02 tumor model, and induction of ARG2-specific T-cell responses was evaluated with IFN-γ ELISPOT. RNAseq and subsequent GO-term and ImmuCC analysis was performed on the tumor tissue. Results We describe the existence of ARG2-specific CD8+ T cells and demonstrate these CD8+ T-cell responses in both HDs and patients with cancer. ARG2-specific T cells recognize and react to an ARG2-derived peptide presented in the context of HLA-B8 and exert their cytotoxic function against cancer cells with endogenous ARG2 expression. We demonstrate that ARG2-specific T cells can specifically recognize and react to activated Tregs with high ARG2 expression. Finally, we observe tumor growth suppression and antitumorigenic immunomodulation following ARG2 vaccination in an in vivo setting. Conclusion These findings highlight the ability of ARG2-specific T cells to modulate the immunosuppressive TME and suggest that ARG2-based immunomodulatory vaccines may be an interesting option for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stine Emilie Weis-Banke
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Thomas Landkildehus Lisle
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Maria Perez-Penco
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Aimilia Schina
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Mie Linder Hübbe
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Majken Siersbæk
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Morten Orebo Holmström
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark.,Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mia Aaboe Jørgensen
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Inge Marie Svane
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Özcan Met
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Niels Ødum
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Daniel Hargbøl Madsen
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Marco Donia
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Lars Grøntved
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Mads Hald Andersen
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark .,Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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22
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Abstract
The identification and characterization of tumor antigens are central objectives in developing anti-cancer immunotherapy. Traditionally, tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) are considered relatively restricted to tumor cells (i.e., overexpressed proteins in tumor cells), whereas tumor-specific antigens (TSAs) are considered unique to tumor cells. Recent studies have focused on identifying patient-specific neoantigens, which might be highly immunogenic because they are not expressed in normal tissues. The opposite strategy has emerged with the discovery of anti-regulatory T cells (anti-Tregs) that recognize and attack many cell types in the tumor microenvironment, such as regulatory immune cells, in addition to tumor cells. The term proposed in this review is "tumor microenvironment antigens" (TMAs) to describe the antigens that draw this attack. As therapeutic targets, TMAs offer several advantages that differentiate them from more traditional tumor antigens. Targeting TMAs leads not only to a direct attack on tumor cells but also to modulation of the tumor microenvironment, rendering it immunocompetent and tumor-hostile. Of note, in contrast to TAAs and TSAs, TMAs also are expressed in non-transformed cells with consistent human leukocyte antigen (HLA) expression. Inflammation often induces HLA expression in malignant cells, so that targeting TMAs could additionally affect tumors with no or very low levels of surface HLA expression. This review defines the characteristics, differences, and advantages of TMAs compared with traditional tumor antigens and discusses the use of these antigens in immune modulatory vaccines as an attractive approach to immunotherapy. Different TMAs are expressed by different cells and could be combined in anti-cancer immunotherapies to attack tumor cells directly and modulate local immune cells to create a tumor-hostile microenvironment and inhibit tumor angiogenesis. Immune modulatory vaccines offer an approach for combinatorial therapy with additional immunotherapy including checkpoint blockade, cellular therapy, or traditional cancer vaccines. These combinations would increase the number of patients who can benefit from such therapeutic measures, which all have optimal efficiency in inflamed tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mads Hald Andersen
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Borgmester Ib Juuls Vej 25C, 5th floor, DK-2730, Herlev, Denmark.
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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23
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Lu W, Yin C, Zhang T, Wu Y, Huang S. An oxidative stress-related prognostic signature for indicating the immune status of oral squamous cell carcinoma and guiding clinical treatment. Front Genet 2022; 13:977902. [PMID: 36212161 PMCID: PMC9538189 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.977902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the eighth most common cancer worldwide and presents high mortality. Oxidative stress, caused by reactive oxygen species accumulation, plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis, cancer progression, and drug resistance. Nevertheless, the specific prognostic and clinical values of oxidative stress-related genes (OSGs) in OSCC remain unclear. Here, we developed an oxidative stress-related prognostic signature according to mRNA expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and evaluated its connections with the prognosis, clinical features, immune status, immunotherapy, and drug sensitivity of OSCC through a series of bioinformatics analyses. Finally, we filtered out six prognostic OSGs to construct a prognostic signature. On the basis of both TCGA-OSCC and GSE41613 cohorts, the signature was proven to be an independent prognostic factor with high accuracy and was confirmed to be an impactful indicator for predicting the prognosis and immune status of patients with OSCC. Additionally, we found that patients with high-risk scores may obtain greater benefit from immune checkpoint therapy compared to those with low-risk scores, and the risk score presented a close interaction with the tumor microenvironment and chemotherapy sensitivity. The prognostic signature may provide a valid and robust predictive tool that could predict the prognosis and immune status and guide clinicians to develop personalized therapeutic strategies for patients with OSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Lu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Changwei Yin
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Tianqi Zhang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yihua Wu
- Department of Oral Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Shengyun Huang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- *Correspondence: Shengyun Huang,
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24
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OATD-02 Validates the Benefits of Pharmacological Inhibition of Arginase 1 and 2 in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14163967. [PMID: 36010962 PMCID: PMC9406419 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14163967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Arginase 1 and 2 are drivers of multiple immunosuppressive mechanisms and tumour-specific metabolic adaptations. Pharmacological inhibition of extracellular ARG1 has shown antitumour efficacy in various syngeneic tumour models, however, the importance of ARG2 as a therapeutic target has only been demonstrated by genetic deletion studies. This is the first study validating the benefits of pharmacological inhibition of ARG2 in cancer. Our work describes OATD-02 as a potent dual ARG1/ARG2 inhibitor with a cellular activity (necessary for targeting ARG2) exhibiting immunomodulatory and direct antitumour efficacy in animal models. Our results present OATD-02 as an attractive option for combination with other immunotherapeutics, such as PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies or IDO1 inhibitors, especially in the therapy of particularly resistant hypoxic tumours. The presented findings provided the rationale for planning first-in-human clinical trials for OATD-02 in cancer patients. Abstract Background: Arginases play essential roles in metabolic pathways, determining the fitness of both immune and tumour cells. Along with the previously validated role of ARG1 in cancer, the particular significance of ARG2 as a therapeutic target has emerged as its levels correlate with malignant phenotype and poor prognosis. These observations unveil arginases, and specifically ARG2, as well-validated and promising therapeutic targets. OATD-02, a new boronic acid derivative, is the only dual inhibitor, which can address the benefits of pharmacological inhibition of arginase 1 and 2 in cancer. Methods: The inhibitory activity of OATD-02 was determined using recombinant ARG1 and ARG2, as well as in a cellular system using primary hepatocytes and macrophages. In vivo antitumor activity was determined in syngeneic models of colorectal and kidney carcinomas (CT26 and Renca, respectively), as well as in an ARG2-dependent xenograft model of leukaemia (K562). Results: OATD-02 was shown to be a potent dual (ARG1/ARG2) arginase inhibitor with a cellular activity necessary for targeting ARG2. Compared to a reference inhibitor with predominant extracellular activity towards ARG1, we have shown improved and statistically significant antitumor efficacy in the CT26 model and an immunomodulatory effect reflected by Treg inhibition in the Renca model. Importantly, OATD-02 had a superior activity when combined with other immunotherapeutics. Finally, OATD-02 effectively inhibited the proliferation of human K562 leukemic cells both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: OATD-02 is a potent small-molecule arginase inhibitor with optimal drug-like properties, including PK/PD profile. Excellent activity against intracellular ARG2 significantly distinguishes OATD-02 from other arginase inhibitors. OATD-02 represents a very promising drug candidate for the combined treatment of tumours, and is the only pharmacological tool that can effectively address the benefits of ARG1/ARG2 inhibition. OATD-02 will enter clinical trials in cancer patients in 2022.
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Hou X, Chen S, Zhang P, Guo D, Wang B. Targeted Arginine Metabolism Therapy: A Dilemma in Glioma Treatment. Front Oncol 2022; 12:938847. [PMID: 35898872 PMCID: PMC9313538 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.938847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Efforts in the treatment of glioma which is the most common primary malignant tumor of the central nervous system, have not shown satisfactory results despite a comprehensive treatment model that combines various treatment methods, including immunotherapy. Cellular metabolism is a determinant of the viability and function of cancer cells as well as immune cells, and the interplay of immune regulation and metabolic reprogramming in tumors has become an active area of research in recent years. From the perspective of metabolism and immunity in the glioma microenvironment, we elaborated on arginine metabolic reprogramming in glioma cells, which leads to a decrease in arginine levels in the tumor microenvironment. Reduced arginine availability significantly inhibits the proliferation, activation, and function of T cells, thereby promoting the establishment of an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Therefore, replenishment of arginine levels to enhance the anti-tumor activity of T cells is a promising strategy for the treatment of glioma. However, due to the lack of expression of argininosuccinate synthase, gliomas are unable to synthesize arginine; thus, they are highly dependent on the availability of arginine in the extracellular environment. This metabolic weakness of glioma has been utilized by researchers to develop arginine deprivation therapy, which ‘starves’ tumor cells by consuming large amounts of arginine in circulation. Although it has shown good results, this treatment modality that targets arginine metabolism in glioma is controversial. Exploiting a suitable strategy that can not only enhance the antitumor immune response, but also “starve” tumor cells by regulating arginine metabolism to cure glioma will be promising.
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26
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Kumar A, Taghi Khani A, Sanchez Ortiz A, Swaminathan S. GM-CSF: A Double-Edged Sword in Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:901277. [PMID: 35865534 PMCID: PMC9294178 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.901277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a cytokine that drives the generation of myeloid cell subsets including neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells in response to stress, infections, and cancers. By modulating the functions of innate immune cells that serve as a bridge to activate adaptive immune responses, GM-CSF globally impacts host immune surveillance under pathologic conditions. As with other soluble mediators of immunity, too much or too little GM-CSF has been found to promote cancer aggressiveness. While too little GM-CSF prevents the appropriate production of innate immune cells and subsequent activation of adaptive anti-cancer immune responses, too much of GM-CSF can exhaust immune cells and promote cancer growth. The consequences of GM-CSF signaling in cancer progression are a function of the levels of GM-CSF, the cancer type, and the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we first discuss the secretion of GM-CSF, signaling downstream of the GM-CSF receptor, and GM-CSF’s role in modulating myeloid cell homeostasis. We then outline GM-CSF’s anti-tumorigenic and pro-tumorigenic effects both on the malignant cells and on the non-malignant immune and other cells in the tumor microenvironment. We provide examples of current clinical and preclinical strategies that harness GM-CSF’s anti-cancer potential while minimizing its deleterious effects. We describe the challenges in achieving the Goldilocks effect during administration of GM-CSF-based therapies to patients with cancer. Finally, we provide insights into how technologies that map the immune microenvironment spatially and temporally may be leveraged to intelligently harness GM-CSF for treatment of malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil Kumar
- Department of Systems Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Monrovia, CA, United States
| | - Adeleh Taghi Khani
- Department of Systems Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Monrovia, CA, United States
| | - Ashly Sanchez Ortiz
- Department of Systems Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Monrovia, CA, United States
| | - Srividya Swaminathan
- Department of Systems Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Monrovia, CA, United States
- Department of Hematological Malignancies, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Monrovia, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Srividya Swaminathan,
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27
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Furgiuele S, Descamps G, Lechien JR, Dequanter D, Journe F, Saussez S. Immunoscore Combining CD8, FoxP3, and CD68-Positive Cells Density and Distribution Predicts the Prognosis of Head and Neck Cancer Patients. Cells 2022; 11:cells11132050. [PMID: 35805132 PMCID: PMC9266282 DOI: 10.3390/cells11132050] [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: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We assessed immune cell infiltrates to develop an immunoscore for prognosis and to investigate its correlation with the clinical data of patients with head and neck cancer. CD8, FoxP3, and CD68 markers were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 258 carcinoma samples and positive cells were counted in stromal and intra-tumoral compartments. The RStudio software was used to assess optimal cut-offs to divide the population according to survival while the prognostic value was established by using Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox regression models for each immune marker alone and in combination. We found with univariate analysis that the infiltration of immune cells in both compartments was predictive for recurrence-free survival and overall survival. Multivariate analysis revealed that CD8+ density was an independent prognostic marker. Additionally, the combination of CD8, FoxP3, and CD68 in an immunoscore provided a significant association with overall survival (p = 0.002, HR = 9.87). Such an immunoscore stayed significant (p = 0.018, HR = 11.17) in a multivariate analysis in comparison to tumor stage and histological grade, which had lower prognostic values. Altogether, our analysis indicated that CD8, FoxP3, and CD68 immunoscore was a strong, independent, and significant prognostic marker that could be introduced into the landscape of current tools to improve the clinical management of head and neck cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Furgiuele
- Department of Human Anatomy and Experimental Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons (UMONS), Avenue du Champ de Mars, 8, B7000 Mons, Belgium; (S.F.); (G.D.); (F.J.)
| | - Géraldine Descamps
- Department of Human Anatomy and Experimental Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons (UMONS), Avenue du Champ de Mars, 8, B7000 Mons, Belgium; (S.F.); (G.D.); (F.J.)
| | - Jerome R. Lechien
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, CHU Saint-Pierre, 1000 Brussels, Belgium; (J.R.L.); (D.D.)
| | - Didier Dequanter
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, CHU Saint-Pierre, 1000 Brussels, Belgium; (J.R.L.); (D.D.)
| | - Fabrice Journe
- Department of Human Anatomy and Experimental Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons (UMONS), Avenue du Champ de Mars, 8, B7000 Mons, Belgium; (S.F.); (G.D.); (F.J.)
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Oncology, Institute Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sven Saussez
- Department of Human Anatomy and Experimental Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons (UMONS), Avenue du Champ de Mars, 8, B7000 Mons, Belgium; (S.F.); (G.D.); (F.J.)
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, CHU Saint-Pierre, 1000 Brussels, Belgium; (J.R.L.); (D.D.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +32-65-37-35-84
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28
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Caruntu A, Moraru L, Ciubotaru DA, Tanase C, Scheau C, Caruntu C. Assessment of Serum Urea, Creatinine and Uric Acid in Oral Cancer. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11123459. [PMID: 35743528 PMCID: PMC9225481 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11123459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common malignancy worldwide, leading to significant disease-associated social and financial burdens. The investigation of underlying mechanisms involved in carcinogenesis and tumor progression in OSCC might provide new therapeutic perspectives with an impact on disease control and patient survival. Our study aims to investigate the interrelation between metabolic processes, expressed through final catabolism products and clinicopathological characteristics in OSCC. Materials and methods: This is a single cancer comparative retrospective study investigating metabolic byproducts, namely serum urea, creatinine and uric acid, detected at the moment of diagnosis in patients with OSCC, in comparison to healthy controls. Clinical and paraclinical data regarding exposure to risk factors, disease staging and pathological characteristics were collected for all patients. Subjects with co-existing systemic or metabolic diseases, or with a history of malignancy, were excluded from the study. Subsequently, the metabolic byproducts revealing significant changes in OSCC patients were considered for a correlation analysis with the disease clinico-pathological characteristics. Results: Blood levels for urea, creatinine and uric acid were determined in a total of 225 subjects: 145 patients diagnosed with OSCC and 80 healthy control subjects admitted to our hospital between 2016 and 2021. The comparative analysis between groups revealed that the serum urea level was significantly lower in OSCC patients (p = 0.0344). Serum creatinine and uric acid did not reveal significant differences between groups. Furthermore, in advanced stages of the disease (stages III and IV), the blood level of urea was significantly lower compared to incipient OSCC (stages I and II) (p = 0.003). We found a negative correlation of serum urea levels with smoking (p = 0.0004) and cervical lymph node metastasis (p = 0.0070), and a positive correlation with aging (p = 0.0000). We found no significant correlation of serum urea with primary tumor size (p = 0.5061) and patient survival (p = 0.2932). Conclusions: Decreased serum urea levels are detected in patients with advanced OSCC, in correlation with lymph node metastasis. The invasive features of tumor cells in OSCC might be promoted in association with dysregulation of protein catabolism processes, facilitating aggressive behavior in OSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Caruntu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, “Carol Davila” Central Military Emergency Hospital, 010825 Bucharest, Romania; (A.C.); (L.M.); (D.A.C.)
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dental Medicine, “Titu Maiorescu” University, 031593 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Liliana Moraru
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, “Carol Davila” Central Military Emergency Hospital, 010825 Bucharest, Romania; (A.C.); (L.M.); (D.A.C.)
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dental Medicine, “Titu Maiorescu” University, 031593 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Diana Alina Ciubotaru
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, “Carol Davila” Central Military Emergency Hospital, 010825 Bucharest, Romania; (A.C.); (L.M.); (D.A.C.)
| | - Cristiana Tanase
- Proteomics Department, Cajal Institute, Faculty of Medicine, “Titu Maiorescu” University, 031593 Bucharest, Romania;
- Department of Biochemistry-Proteomics, “Victor Babes” National Institute of Pathology, 050096 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Cristian Scheau
- Department of Physiology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania;
- Correspondence:
| | - Constantin Caruntu
- Department of Physiology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania;
- Department of Dermatology, “Prof. N.C. Paulescu” National Institute of Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases, 011233 Bucharest, Romania
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29
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Tang Y, Xu L, Ren Y, Li Y, Yuan F, Cao M, Zhang Y, Deng M, Yao Z. Identification and Validation of a Prognostic Model Based on Three MVI-Related Genes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Biol Sci 2022; 18:261-275. [PMID: 34975331 PMCID: PMC8692135 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.66536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
MVI has significant clinical value for treatment selection and prognosis evaluation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to construct a model based on MVI-Related Genes (MVIRGs) for risk assessment and prognosis prediction in patients with HCC. This study utilized various statistical analysis methods for prognostic model construction and validation in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) cohorts, respectively. In addition, immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR were used to analyze and identify the value of the model in our cohort. After the analyses, 153 differentially expressed MVIRGs were identified, and three key genes were selected to construct a prognostic model. The high-risk group showed significantly lower overall survival (OS), and this trend was observed in all subgroups: different age groups, genders, stages, and grades. Risk score was a risk factor independent of age, gender, stage, and grade. Moreover, the ICGC cohort validated the prognostic value of the model corresponding to the TCGA. In our cohort, qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry showed that all three genes had higher expression levels in HCC samples than in normal controls. High expression levels of genes and high-risk scores showed significantly lower recurrence-free survival (RFS) and OS, especially in MVI-positive HCC samples. Therefore, the prognostic model constructed by three MVIRGs can reliably predict the RFS and OS of patients with HCC and is valuable for guiding clinical treatment selection and prognostic assessment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongchang Tang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Yupeng Ren
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Yuxuan Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Feng Yuan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Mingbo Cao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Meihai Deng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Zhicheng Yao
- Department of General Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
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30
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Gao R, Shi GP, Wang J. Functional Diversities of Regulatory T Cells in the Context of Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:833667. [PMID: 35371055 PMCID: PMC8969660 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.833667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a subset of CD4+ T cells with their immunosuppressive activities to block abnormal or excessive immune responses to self and non-autoantigens. Tregs express the transcription factor Foxp3, maintain the immune homeostasis, and prevent the initiation of anti-tumor immune effects in various ways as their mechanisms to modulate tumor development. Recognition of different phenotypes and functions of intratumoral Tregs has offered the possibilities to develop therapeutic strategies by selectively targeting Tregs in cancers with the aim of alleviating their immunosuppressive activities from anti-tumor immune responses. Several Treg-based immunotherapeutic approaches have emerged to target cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4, glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor, CD25, indoleamine-2, 3-dioxygenase-1, and cytokines. These immunotherapies have yielded encouraging outcomes from preclinical studies and early-phase clinical trials. Further, dual therapy or combined therapy has been approved to be better choices than single immunotherapy, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy. In this short review article, we discuss our current understanding of the immunologic characteristics of Tregs, including Treg differentiation, development, therapeutic efficacy, and future potential of Treg-related therapies among the general cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Department of Pathophysiology, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Guo-Ping Shi
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Department of Pathophysiology, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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31
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Chen N, He D, Cui J. A Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Signature Predicts the Clinical Outcomes and Immunotherapy Response in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:833771. [PMID: 35252353 PMCID: PMC8894649 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.833771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play an important role in the occurrence, metastasis and immune escape of cancers. This study aimed to investigate NET-related genes, their clinical prognostic value and their correlation with immunotherapy and anticancer drugs in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods: Differentially expressed NET-related genes in HNSCC were identified based on multiple public databases. To improve the clinical practicability and avoid overfitting, univariable, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariable Cox algorithms were used to construct a prognostic risk model. A nomogram was further used to explore the clinical value of the model. Internal and external validation were conducted to test the model. Furthermore, the immune microenvironment, immunophenoscore (IPS) and sensitivity to anticancer drugs in HNSCC patients with different prognostic risks were explored. Results: Six NET-related genes were screened to construct the risk model. In the training cohort, Kaplan–Meier (K-M) analysis showed that the overall survival (OS) of low-risk HNSCC patients was significantly better than that of high-risk HNSCC patients (p < 0.001). The nomogram also showed a promising prognostic value with a better C-index (0.726 vs 0.640) and area under the curve (AUC) (0.743 vs 0.706 at 3 years, 0.743 vs 0.645 at 5 years) than those in previous studies. Calibration plots and decision curve analysis (DCA) also showed the satisfactory predictive capacity of the nomogram. Internal and external validation further strengthened the credibility of the clinical prognostic model. The level of tumor mutational burden (TMB) in the high-risk group was significantly higher than that in the low-risk group (p = 0.017), and the TMB was positively correlated with the risk score (R = 0.11; p = 0.019). Moreover, the difference in immune infiltration was significant in HNSCC patients with different risks (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the IPS analysis indicated that anti-PD-1 (p < 0.001), anti-CTLA4 (p < 0.001) or combining immunotherapies (p < 0.001) were more beneficial for low-risk HNSCC patients. The response to anticancer drugs was also closely correlated with the expression of NET-related genes (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study identified a novel prognostic model that might be beneficial to develop personalized treatment for HNSCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naifei Chen
- Cancer Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Dongsheng He
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of Putian, Teaching Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Putian, China
| | - Jiuwei Cui
- Cancer Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- *Correspondence: Jiuwei Cui,
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32
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Gameiro SF, Evans AM, Mymryk JS. The tumor immune microenvironments of HPV + and HPV - head and neck cancers. WIREs Mech Dis 2022; 14:e1539. [PMID: 35030304 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the etiological agent of a significant, and increasing, fraction of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC)-a heterogenous group of malignancies in the head and neck region. HPV infection accounts for approximately 25% of all cases, with the remainder typically caused by smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. These distinct etiologies lead to profound clinical and immunological differences between HPV-positive (HPV+ ) and HPV-negative (HPV- ) HNSCC, likely related to the expression of exogenous viral antigens in the HPV+ subtype. Specifically, HPV+ HNSCC patients generally exhibit better treatment response compared to those with HPV- disease, leading to a more favorable prognosis, with lower recurrence rate, and longer overall survival time. Importantly, a plethora of studies have illustrated that the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of HPV+ HNSCC has a strikingly distinct immune composition to that of its HPV- counterpart. The HPV+ TIME is characterized as being immunologically "hot," with more immune infiltration, higher levels of T-cell activation, and higher levels of immunoregulation compared to the more immunologically "cold" HPV- TIME. In general, cancers with an immune "hot" TIME exhibit better treatment response and superior clinical outcomes in comparison to their immune "cold" counterparts. Indeed, this phenomenon has also been observed in HPV+ HNSCC patients, highlighting the critical role of the TIME in influencing prognosis, and further validating the use of cancer therapies that capitalize on the mobilization and/or modulation of the TIME. This article is categorized under: Cancer > Molecular and Cellular Physiology Infectious Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven F Gameiro
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andris M Evans
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joe S Mymryk
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Otolaryngology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Oncology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,London Regional Cancer Program, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
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33
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Zhang Y, Liu Y, Huang J, Hu Z, Miao Y. Identification of new head and neck squamous cell carcinoma subtypes and development of a novel score system (PGSscore) based on variations in pathway activity between tumor and adjacent non-tumor samples. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:4786-4805. [PMID: 36147682 PMCID: PMC9464652 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.08.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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34
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Arginine and Arginases Modulate Metabolism, Tumor Microenvironment and Prostate Cancer Progression. Nutrients 2021; 13:nu13124503. [PMID: 34960055 PMCID: PMC8704013 DOI: 10.3390/nu13124503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Arginine availability and activation of arginine-related pathways at cancer sites have profound effects on the tumor microenvironment, far beyond their well-known role in the hepatic urea cycle. Arginine metabolism impacts not only malignant cells but also the surrounding immune cells behavior, modulating growth, survival, and immunosurveillance mechanisms, either through an arginase-mediated effect on polyamines and proline synthesis, or by the arginine/nitric oxide pathway in tumor cells, antitumor T-cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and macrophages. This review presents evidence concerning the impact of arginine metabolism and arginase activity in the prostate cancer microenvironment, highlighting the recent advances in immunotherapy, which might be relevant for prostate cancer. Even though further research is required, arginine deprivation may represent a novel antimetabolite strategy for the treatment of arginine-dependent prostate cancer.
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35
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Hajaj E, Sciacovelli M, Frezza C, Erez A. The context-specific roles of urea cycle enzymes in tumorigenesis. Mol Cell 2021; 81:3749-3759. [PMID: 34469752 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The expression of the urea cycle (UC) proteins is dysregulated in multiple cancers, providing metabolic benefits to tumor survival, proliferation, and growth. Here, we review the main changes described in the expression of UC enzymes and metabolites in different cancers at various stages and suggest that these changes are dynamic and should hence be viewed in a context-specific manner. Understanding the evolvability in the activity of the UC pathway in cancer has implications for cancer-immune cell interactions and for cancer diagnosis and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Hajaj
- Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Marco Sciacovelli
- Medical Research Council Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Box 197, Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0XZ, UK
| | - Christian Frezza
- Medical Research Council Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Box 197, Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0XZ, UK.
| | - Ayelet Erez
- Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
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36
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Zhang W, Liu X, Zhu Y, Liu X, Gu Y, Dai X, Li B. Transcriptional and posttranslational regulation of Th17/Treg balance in health and disease. Eur J Immunol 2021; 51:2137-2150. [PMID: 34322865 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202048794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Regulatory T (Treg) cells and T helper type 17 (Th17) cells play important roles in adaptive immune responses, antagonizing each other in immune disorders. Th17/Treg balance is critical to maintaining the immune homeostasis of human bodies and is tightly regulated under healthy conditions. The transcription factors that are required for driving Th17 and Treg cell lineages differentiation respectively, RORγt and FOXP3 are tightly regulated under different tissue microenvironment, especially the transcriptional induction, posttranslational modifications, and dynamic enzymatic cofactors binding. The imbalance caused by alteration of the quantity or properties of RORγt+ Th17 or FOXP3+ Treg can contribute to inflammatory disorders in humans. Restoring Th17/Treg balance by modifying the enzymatic activities of RORγt and FOXP3 binding partners may be therapeutically applied to treat severe immune disorders. In this review, we focus on the transcriptional and posttranslational regulations of Th17/Treg balance, immune disorders caused by Th17/Treg imbalance, and new therapeutic strategies for restoring immune homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiqi Zhang
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xu Liu
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yicheng Zhu
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinnan Liu
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yunting Gu
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xueyu Dai
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Li
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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37
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Sosnowska A, Chlebowska-Tuz J, Matryba P, Pilch Z, Greig A, Wolny A, Grzywa TM, Rydzynska Z, Sokolowska O, Rygiel TP, Grzybowski M, Stanczak P, Blaszczyk R, Nowis D, Golab J. Inhibition of arginase modulates T-cell response in the tumor microenvironment of lung carcinoma. Oncoimmunology 2021; 10:1956143. [PMID: 34367736 PMCID: PMC8312619 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2021.1956143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has demonstrated significant activity in a broad range of cancer types, but still the majority of patients receiving it do not maintain durable therapeutic responses. Amino acid metabolism has been proposed to be involved in the regulation of immune response. Here, we investigated in detail the role of arginase 1 (Arg1) in the modulation of antitumor immune response against poorly immunogenic Lewis lung carcinoma. We observed that tumor progression is associated with an incremental increase in the number of Arg1+ myeloid cells that accumulate in the tumor microenvironment and cause systemic depletion of ʟ-arginine. In advanced tumors, the systemic concentrations of ʟ-arginine are decreased to levels that impair the proliferation of antigen-specific T-cells. Systemic or myeloid-specific Arg1 deletion improves antigen-induced proliferation of adoptively transferred T-cells and leads to inhibition of tumor growth. Arginase inhibitor was demonstrated to modestly inhibit tumor growth when used alone, and to potentiate antitumor effects of anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibodies and STING agonist. The effectiveness of the combination immunotherapy was insufficient to induce complete antitumor responses, but was significantly better than treatment with the checkpoint inhibitor alone. Together, these results indicate that arginase inhibition alone is of modest therapeutic benefit in poorly immunogenic tumors; however, in combination with other treatment strategies it may significantly improve survival outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Sosnowska
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,Postgraduate School of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Justyna Chlebowska-Tuz
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Pawel Matryba
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,Laboratory of Neurobiology, BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.,The Doctoral School of the Medical University of Warsaw, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Zofia Pilch
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Alan Greig
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Artur Wolny
- Laboratory of Imaging Tissue Structure and Function, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz M Grzywa
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,The Doctoral School of the Medical University of Warsaw, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Zuzanna Rydzynska
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Olga Sokolowska
- Postgraduate School of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz P Rygiel
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | | | | | - Dominika Nowis
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jakub Golab
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,Centre of Preclinical Research, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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38
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Farlow JL, Brenner JC, Lei YL, Chinn SB. Immune deserts in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A review of challenges and opportunities for modulating the tumor immune microenvironment. Oral Oncol 2021; 120:105420. [PMID: 34218062 DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2021.105420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy revolutionized cancer treatment but has yet to elicit durable responses in the majority of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). HNSCC is generally characterized by a high tumor mutational burden, which has translated to a large neoantigen load that could prime the immune system to recognize and eliminate malignant cells. Studies are increasingly showing, however, that HNSCC is an "immune desert" tumor that can hijack multiple parts of the tumor immunity cycle in order to evade immune recognition and suppress immune system activation. Herein we will review how HNSCC tumors modulate their architecture, cellular composition, and cytokine milieu to maximize immunosuppression; as well as relevant therapeutic opportunities and emerging issues facing the field of HNSCC immuno-oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janice L Farlow
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - J Chad Brenner
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Rogel Cancer Center, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yu L Lei
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Rogel Cancer Center, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Steven B Chinn
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Rogel Cancer Center, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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Almeida L, Dhillon-LaBrooy A, Carriche G, Berod L, Sparwasser T. CD4 + T-cell differentiation and function: Unifying glycolysis, fatty acid oxidation, polyamines NAD mitochondria. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2021; 148:16-32. [PMID: 33966898 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2021.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The progression through different steps of T-cell development, activation, and effector function is tightly bound to specific cellular metabolic processes. Previous studies established that T-effector cells have a metabolic bias toward aerobic glycolysis, whereas naive and regulatory T cells mainly rely on oxidative phosphorylation. More recently, the field of immunometabolism has drifted away from the notion that mitochondrial metabolism holds little importance in T-cell activation and function. Of note, T cells possess metabolic promiscuity, which allows them to adapt their nutritional requirements according to the tissue environment. Altogether, the integration of these metabolic pathways culminates in the generation of not only energy but also intermediates, which can regulate epigenetic programs, leading to changes in T-cell fate. In this review, we discuss the recent literature on how glycolysis, amino acid catabolism, and fatty acid oxidation work together with the tricarboxylic acid cycle in the mitochondrion. We also emphasize the importance of the electron transport chain for T-cell immunity. We also discuss novel findings highlighting the role of key enzymes, accessory pathways, and posttranslational protein modifications that distinctively regulate T-cell function and might represent prominent candidates for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luís Almeida
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany; Institute of Infection Immunology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research (a joint venture between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research), Hannover, Germany
| | - Ayesha Dhillon-LaBrooy
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany; Institute of Infection Immunology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research (a joint venture between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research), Hannover, Germany
| | - Guilhermina Carriche
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany; Institute of Infection Immunology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research (a joint venture between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research), Hannover, Germany
| | - Luciana Berod
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Mainz, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany; Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Tim Sparwasser
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany; Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
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Wang J, Hu Y, Escamilla-Rivera V, Gonzalez CL, Tang L, Wang B, El-Naggar AK, Myers JN, Caulin C. Epithelial Mutant p53 Promotes Resistance to Anti-PD-1-Mediated Oral Cancer Immunoprevention in Carcinogen-Induced Mouse Models. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:1471. [PMID: 33806894 PMCID: PMC8005156 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13061471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) develops through the multistep malignant progression of squamous epithelium. This process can be prevented by PD-1 blockade in a mouse model for oral carcinogenesis. OSCCs exhibit a high incidence of p53 mutations that confer oncogenic gain-of-function (GOF) activities that promote resistance to standard therapies and poor clinical outcomes. To determine whether epithelial p53 mutations modulate anti-PD-1-mediated oral cancer immunoprevention, we generated mouse models for oral carcinogenesis by exposing mice carrying epithelial-specific p53 mutations to the carcinogen 4NQO. Consistent with the oncogenic functions of mutant p53, mice with OSCCs expressing the p53R172H GOF mutation developed higher metastasis rates than mice with loss-of-function (LOF) p53 deletion or with wild-type p53. Throughout oral cancer progression, pre-invasive and invasive lesions showed a gradual increase in T-cell infiltration, recruitment of immunosuppressive regulatory T-cells (Tregs), and induction of PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint proteins. Notably, while PD-1 blockade prevented the development of OSCCs in mice with wild-type p53 or p53 deletion, GOF p53R172H abrogated the immunopreventive effects of anti-PD-1, associated with upregulation of IL17 signaling and depletion of exhausted CD8 cells in the microenvironment of the p53R172H tumors. These findings sustain a potential role for p53 profiling in personalized oral cancer immunoprevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Wang
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.W.); (Y.H.); (C.L.G.); (L.T.); (B.W.); (J.N.M.)
- Department of E.N.T., Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Yuan Hu
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.W.); (Y.H.); (C.L.G.); (L.T.); (B.W.); (J.N.M.)
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA;
| | | | - Cassandra L. Gonzalez
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.W.); (Y.H.); (C.L.G.); (L.T.); (B.W.); (J.N.M.)
| | - Lin Tang
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.W.); (Y.H.); (C.L.G.); (L.T.); (B.W.); (J.N.M.)
- Department of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
| | - Bingbing Wang
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.W.); (Y.H.); (C.L.G.); (L.T.); (B.W.); (J.N.M.)
| | - Adel K. El-Naggar
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Jeffrey N. Myers
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.W.); (Y.H.); (C.L.G.); (L.T.); (B.W.); (J.N.M.)
| | - Carlos Caulin
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.W.); (Y.H.); (C.L.G.); (L.T.); (B.W.); (J.N.M.)
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA;
- The University of Arizona Cancer Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
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Armitage JD, Newnes HV, McDonnell A, Bosco A, Waithman J. Fine-Tuning the Tumour Microenvironment: Current Perspectives on the Mechanisms of Tumour Immunosuppression. Cells 2021; 10:cells10010056. [PMID: 33401460 PMCID: PMC7823446 DOI: 10.3390/cells10010056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has revolutionised the treatment of cancers by harnessing the power of the immune system to eradicate malignant tissue. However, it is well recognised that some cancers are highly resistant to these therapies, which is in part attributed to the immunosuppressive landscape of the tumour microenvironment (TME). The contexture of the TME is highly heterogeneous and contains a complex architecture of immune, stromal, vascular and tumour cells in addition to acellular components such as the extracellular matrix. While understanding the dynamics of the TME has been instrumental in predicting durable responses to immunotherapy and developing new treatment strategies, recent evidence challenges the fundamental paradigms of how tumours can effectively subvert immunosurveillance. Here, we discuss the various immunosuppressive features of the TME and how fine-tuning these mechanisms, rather than ablating them completely, may result in a more comprehensive and balanced anti-tumour response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse D. Armitage
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia; (J.D.A.); (H.V.N.); (A.M.)
| | - Hannah V. Newnes
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia; (J.D.A.); (H.V.N.); (A.M.)
| | - Alison McDonnell
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia; (J.D.A.); (H.V.N.); (A.M.)
- National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases, QEII Medical Centre, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Anthony Bosco
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia; (J.D.A.); (H.V.N.); (A.M.)
- Correspondence: (A.B.); (J.W.)
| | - Jason Waithman
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia; (J.D.A.); (H.V.N.); (A.M.)
- Correspondence: (A.B.); (J.W.)
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42
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Welters MJP, Santegoets SJ, van der Burg SH. The Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy of Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2020; 10:545385. [PMID: 33425717 PMCID: PMC7793705 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.545385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) develops as a consequence of several mutations in the tumor suppressor pathways or after a progressive infection with high risk human papillomavirus (HPV). The dismal side effects of the current standard of care and the clear involvement of the immune system has led to a surge in clinical trials that aim to reinforce the tumor-specific immune response as a new treatment option. In this review, we have focused on the most recent literature to discuss the new findings and insights on the role of different immune cells in the context of OPSCC and its etiology. We then applied this knowledge to describe potential biomarkers and analyzed the rationale and outcomes of earlier and ongoing immunotherapy trials. Finally, we describe new developments that are still at the preclinical phase and provide an outlook on what the near future may bring, now that several new and exciting techniques to study the immune system at the single cell level are being exploited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marij J P Welters
- Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Saskia J Santegoets
- Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd H van der Burg
- Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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Argirion I, Arthur AE, Zarins KR, Bellile E, Crowder SL, Amlani L, Taylor JM, Wolf GT, McHugh J, Nguyen A, Mondul AM, Rozek LS. Pretreatment Dietary Patterns, Serum Carotenoids and Tocopherols Influence Tumor Immune Response in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Nutr Cancer 2020; 73:2614-2626. [PMID: 33307825 DOI: 10.1080/01635581.2020.1842895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) aid in informing treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Nevertheless, little is known about the role of diet on TILs. METHODS Immunohistologic expression of CD4, CD8, CD68, CD103, CD104 and FOXP3 were assessed in tissue microarrays from 233 previously untreated HNSCC patients. Associations between these markers and pretreatment dietary patterns were evaluated using linear regression. Associations between baseline serum carotenoids, tocopherols and TILs were assessed using logistic regression. Cox models evaluated the association between diet and TILs on overall and recurrence-free survival. RESULTS Consumption of a Western dietary pattern was associated with lower CD8+ and FOXP3+ infiltrates (p-value:0.03 and 0.02, respectively). Multivariable logistic regression models demonstrated significantly higher CD8+ (OR:2.21;p-value:0.001) and FOXP3+ (OR:4.26;p-value:<0.0001) among patients with high gamma tocopherol. Conversely, high levels of xanthophylls (OR:0.12;p-value:<0.0001), lycopene (OR:0.36;p-value:0.0001) and total carotenoids(OR:0.31;p-value: <0.0001) were associated with significantly lower CD68+. Among those with high CD4+ (HR:1.77;p-value:0.03), CD68+ (HR:2.42;p-value:0.004), CD103+ (HR:3.64;p-value:0.03) and FOXP3+ (HR:3.09;p-value:0.05), having a high Western dietary pattern increased the risk of overall mortality when compared to a low Western dietary pattern. CONCLUSION Dietary patterns and serum carotenoids may play an important role in modifying TILs, and ultimately, outcome after diagnosis with HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilona Argirion
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Anna E Arthur
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA.,Carle Cancer Center, Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Katie R Zarins
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Emily Bellile
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Sylvia L Crowder
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Lahin Amlani
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jeremy Mg Taylor
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Greg T Wolf
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jonathan McHugh
- Pathology, The University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Ariane Nguyen
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Alison M Mondul
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Laura S Rozek
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Role of Cyclooxygenase-2 in Head and Neck Tumorigenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21239246. [PMID: 33287464 PMCID: PMC7731111 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21239246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is a potent enzyme that converts arachidonic acid to prostaglandins (PG), including PGE2, a key mediator of inflammation and angiogenesis. Importantly, COX-2 is activated in response to inflammatory stimuli, where it is also believed to promote the development and progression of head and neck cancers (HNC). COX-2 can mediate its protumorigenic effect through various mechanisms, such as inducing cell proliferation, inhibition of apoptosis, and suppressing the host’s immune response. Furthermore, COX-2 can induce the production of vascular endothelial growth factors, hence, promoting angiogenesis. Indeed, the ability of COX-2 inhibitors to selectively restrict the proliferation of tumor cells and mediating apoptosis provides promising therapeutic targets for cancer patients. Thus, in this comprehensive review, we summarized the reported differential expression patterns of COX-2 in different stages of head and neck carcinogenesis—from potentially premalignant lesions to invasive carcinomas. Furthermore, we examined the available meta-analysis evidence for COX-2 role in the carcinogenesis of HNC. Finally, further understanding of the biological processes of COX-2 and its role in orchestrating cell proliferation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis may give therapeutically beneficial insight to develop the management plan of HNC patients and improve their clinical outcomes.
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45
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Economopoulou P, Kotsantis I, Psyrri A. Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy Response in Head and Neck Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E3377. [PMID: 33203092 PMCID: PMC7696050 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12113377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 11/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) encompasses cellular and non-cellular components which play an important role in tumor evolution, invasion, and metastasis. A complicated interplay between tumor cells and adjacent TME cells, such as stromal cells, immune cells, inflammatory cells, and cytokines, leads to severe immunosuppression and the proliferation of cancer cells in several solid tumors. An immunosuppressive TME has a significant impact on treatment resistance and may guide response to immunotherapy. In head and neck cancer (HNC), immunotherapeutic drugs have been incorporated in everyday clinical practice. However, despite an exceptional rate of durable responses, only a low percentage of patients respond. In this review, we will focus on the complex interactions occurring in this dynamic system, the TME, which orchestrate key events that lead to tumor progression, immune escape, and resistance. Furthermore, we will summarize current clinical trials that depict the TME as a potential therapeutic target for improved patient selection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Amanda Psyrri
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon University Hospital, 12462 Athens, Greece; (P.E.); (I.K.)
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46
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Cho JH, Lim YC. Prognostic impact of regulatory T cell in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Oral Oncol 2020; 112:105084. [PMID: 33181417 DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2020.105084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The impact of regulatory T (Treg) cells as a prognostic factor of survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains controversial. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of Treg cells in patients with HNSCC through a meta-analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Through a literature search in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane, we included 11 articles in this meta-analysis and investigated the effect of Treg cell level on the survival of patients with HNSCC. Also, we performed a subgroup analysis according to the study sample (blood vs. tumor tissue), primary tumor site, HPV infectivity, or Treg cell marker. RESULTS High levels of circulating Treg cells in the peripheral blood of patients with HNSCC can significantly increase the disease specific survival rate of patients. Moreover, subgroup analysis showed that high levels of Treg in peripheral blood were significantly associated with better disease specific survival in patients with oral cancer, a subsite of HNSCC, but not in those with other head and neck subsite. Positivity of HPV infection did not influence the prognosis of patients with HNSCC. CONCLUSION Increase in the levels of circulating Treg cells in peripheral blood can be a prognostic factor of survival in patients with oral cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Hoon Cho
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Research Institute of Medical Science, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Chang Lim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Research Institute of Medical Science, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Ahmed ME, Falasiri S, Hajiran A, Chahoud J, Spiess PE. The Immune Microenvironment in Penile Cancer and Rationale for Immunotherapy. J Clin Med 2020; 9:E3334. [PMID: 33080912 PMCID: PMC7603091 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9103334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Penile cancer is an extremely rare malignancy that accounts for approximately 1% of cancer deaths in the United States every year. While primary penile cancer can be managed surgically, advanced and metastatic forms of the disease require more aggressive management plans with systemic chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Despite the meaningful response to systemic treatments, the 2-year progression-free survival and disease-specific survival have shown disappointing results. Therefore, there is a crucial need for alternative treatment options with more favorable outcomes and a lower toxicity profile. There are currently extensive studies of tumor molecular biology and clinical trials with targeted molecular therapies, such as PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4. In this review, we will describe the penile cancer microenvironment, and summarize the rationale for immunotherapy in penile cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shayan Falasiri
- Department of Urology, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
| | - Ali Hajiran
- Department of Genitourinary Oncology, H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; (A.H.); (J.C.); (P.E.S.)
| | - Jad Chahoud
- Department of Genitourinary Oncology, H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; (A.H.); (J.C.); (P.E.S.)
| | - Philippe E. Spiess
- Department of Genitourinary Oncology, H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; (A.H.); (J.C.); (P.E.S.)
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48
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Fialová A, Koucký V, Hajdušková M, Hladíková K, Špíšek R. Immunological Network in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma-A Prognostic Tool Beyond HPV Status. Front Oncol 2020; 10:1701. [PMID: 33042814 PMCID: PMC7522596 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.01701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a highly heterogeneous disease that affects more than 800,000 patients worldwide each year. The variability of HNSCC is associated with differences in the carcinogenesis processes that are caused by two major etiological agents, namely, alcohol/tobacco, and human papillomavirus (HPV). Compared to non-virally induced carcinomas, the oropharyngeal tumors associated with HPV infection show markedly better clinical outcomes and are characterized by an immunologically “hot” landscape with high levels of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. However, the standard of care remains the same for both HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC. Surprisingly, treatment de-escalation trials have not shown any clinical benefit in patients with HPV-positive tumors to date, most likely due to insufficient patient stratification. The in-depth analysis of the immune response, which places an emphasis on tumor-infiltrating immune cells, is a widely accepted prognostic tool that might significantly improve both the stratification of HNSCC patients in de-escalation trials and the development of novel immunotherapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vladimír Koucký
- Sotio, Prague, Czechia.,Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czechia
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49
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Amaral MGD, Sena LSBD, Batista AC, MendonÇa EF, GordÓn-NÚÑez MA, Alves PM, Nonaka CFW. FoxP3+ regulatory T cells in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma in young and older patients. Braz Oral Res 2020; 34:e096. [PMID: 32813838 DOI: 10.1590/1807-3107bor-2020.vol34.0096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T (Treg) cells can suppress antitumor immune response, but little is known about possible age-related differences in the number of these cells in the microenvironment of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC). The aim of this study was to determine the number of FoxP3+ Treg cells in the microenvironment of OTSCC in young (≤ 45 years) and older (≥ 60 years) patients, and to correlate the findings with clinicopathological parameters (sex, tumor size/extent, regional lymph node metastasis, clinical staging, and histopathological grade of malignancy). Forty-eight OTSCCs (24 diagnosed in young patients and 24 diagnosed in older patients) were selected. Lymphocytes exhibiting nuclear immunopositivity for FoxP3 were quantified at the tumor invasive front and the results were analyzed statistically using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test. FoxP3+ lymphocytes were observed in all cases assessed. The number of FoxP3+ lymphocytes in OTSCC tended to be higher in older patients (p = 0.055). Analysis of OTSCC in males and in early clinical stages revealed a higher number of Treg cells in older patients than in young ones (p < 0.05). In older patients, the number of Treg cells tended to be higher in smaller tumors (p = 0.079). Tumors with intense inflammatory infiltrate exhibited a larger number of Treg cells, both in young (p = 0.099) and older patients (p = 0.005). The results suggest a greater participation of Treg cells in immunoinflammatory responses in the microenvironment of OTSCC in older patients, particularly in males and in early stages.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Aline Carvalho Batista
- Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | | | | | - Pollianna Muniz Alves
- Department of Dentistry, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil
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50
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Wondergem NE, Nauta IH, Muijlwijk T, Leemans CR, van de Ven R. The Immune Microenvironment in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: on Subsets and Subsites. Curr Oncol Rep 2020; 22:81. [PMID: 32602047 PMCID: PMC7324425 DOI: 10.1007/s11912-020-00938-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To understand why some patients respond to immunotherapy but many do not, a clear picture of the tumor microenvironment (TME) of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is key. Here we review the current understanding on the immune composition per HNSCC subsite, the importance of the tumor's etiology and the prognostic power of specific immune cells. RECENT FINDINGS Large cohort data are mostly based on deconvolution of transcriptional databases. Studies focusing on infiltrate localization often entail small cohorts, a mixture of HNSCC subsites, or focus on a single immune marker rather than the interaction between cells within the TME. Conclusions on the prognostic impact of specific immune cells in HNSCC are hampered by the use of heterogeneous or small cohorts. To move forward, the field should focus on deciphering the immune composition per HNSCC subsite, in powered cohorts and considering the molecular diversity in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels E Wondergem
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, VU University medical center, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Irene H Nauta
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, VU University medical center, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tara Muijlwijk
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, VU University medical center, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C René Leemans
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, VU University medical center, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rieneke van de Ven
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, VU University medical center, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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