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Monti M, Ferrari G, Grosso V, Missale F, Bugatti M, Cancila V, Zini S, Segala A, La Via L, Consoli F, Orlandi M, Valerio A, Tripodo C, Rossato M, Vermi W. Impaired activation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells via toll-like receptor 7/9 and STING is mediated by melanoma-derived immunosuppressive cytokines and metabolic drift. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1227648. [PMID: 38239354 PMCID: PMC10795195 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1227648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) infiltrate a large set of human cancers. Interferon alpha (IFN-α) produced by pDCs induces growth arrest and apoptosis in tumor cells and modulates innate and adaptive immune cells involved in anti-cancer immunity. Moreover, effector molecules exert tumor cell killing. However, the activation state and clinical relevance of pDCs infiltration in cancer is still largely controversial. In Primary Cutaneous Melanoma (PCM), pDCs density decreases over disease progression and collapses in metastatic melanoma (MM). Moreover, the residual circulating pDC compartment is defective in IFN-α production. Methods The activation of tumor-associated pDCs was evaluated by in silico and microscopic analysis. The expression of human myxovirus resistant protein 1 (MxA), as surrogate of IFN-α production, and proximity ligation assay (PLA) to test dsDNA-cGAS activation were performed on human melanoma biopsies. Moreover, IFN-α and CXCL10 production by in vitro stimulated (i.e. with R848, CpG-A, ADU-S100) pDCs exposed to melanoma cell lines supernatants (SN-mel) was tested by intracellular flow cytometry and ELISA. We also performed a bulk RNA-sequencing on SN-mel-exposed pDCs, resting or stimulated with R848. Glycolytic rate assay was performed on SN-mel-exposed pDCs using the Seahorse XFe24 Extracellular Flux Analyzer. Results Based on a set of microscopic, functional and in silico analyses, we demonstrated that the melanoma milieu directly impairs IFN-α and CXCL10 production by pDCs via TLR-7/9 and cGAS-STING signaling pathways. Melanoma-derived immunosuppressive cytokines and a metabolic drift represent relevant mechanisms enforcing pDC-mediated melanoma escape. Discussion These findings propose a new window of intervention for novel immunotherapy approaches to amplify the antitumor innate immune response in cutaneous melanoma (CM).
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Affiliation(s)
- Matilde Monti
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giorgia Ferrari
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Valentina Grosso
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Francesco Missale
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Head & Neck Oncology & Surgery Otorhinolaryngology, Nederlands Kanker Instituut, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Mattia Bugatti
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Valeria Cancila
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Stefania Zini
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Agnese Segala
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Luca La Via
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Francesca Consoli
- Oncology Unit, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Matteo Orlandi
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Alessandra Valerio
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Claudio Tripodo
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
- IFOM ETS, the AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Marzia Rossato
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - William Vermi
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, United States
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Adamik J, Munson PV, Maurer DM, Hartmann FJ, Bendall SC, Argüello RJ, Butterfield LH. Immuno-metabolic dendritic cell vaccine signatures associate with overall survival in vaccinated melanoma patients. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7211. [PMID: 37938561 PMCID: PMC10632482 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42881-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Efficacy of cancer vaccines remains low and mechanistic understanding of antigen presenting cell function in cancer may improve vaccine design and outcomes. Here, we analyze the transcriptomic and immune-metabolic profiles of Dendritic Cells (DCs) from 35 subjects enrolled in a trial of DC vaccines in late-stage melanoma (NCT01622933). Multiple platforms identify metabolism as an important biomarker of DC function and patient overall survival (OS). We demonstrate multiple immune and metabolic gene expression pathway alterations, a functional decrease in OCR/OXPHOS and increase in ECAR/glycolysis in patient vaccines. To dissect molecular mechanisms, we utilize single cell SCENITH functional profiling and show patient clinical outcomes (OS) correlate with DC metabolic profile, and that metabolism is linked to immune phenotype. With single cell metabolic regulome profiling, we show that MCT1 (monocarboxylate transporter-1), a lactate transporter, is increased in patient DCs, as is glucose uptake and lactate secretion. Importantly, pre-vaccination circulating myeloid cells in patients used as precursors for DC vaccine generation are significantly skewed metabolically as are several DC subsets. Together, we demonstrate that the metabolic profile of DC is tightly associated with the immunostimulatory potential of DC vaccines from cancer patients. We link phenotypic and functional metabolic changes to immune signatures that correspond to suppressed DC differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juraj Adamik
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, 94129, USA
| | - Paul V Munson
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, 94129, USA
| | - Deena M Maurer
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, 94129, USA
| | - Felix J Hartmann
- Systems Immunology and Single-Cell Biology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sean C Bendall
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Rafael J Argüello
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, INSERM, CIML, Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Marseille, France
| | - Lisa H Butterfield
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, 94129, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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