1
|
Kam NW, Laczka O, Li X, Wilkinson J, Hung D, Lai SPH, Wu KC, Tsao SW, Dai W, Che CM, Lee VHF, Kwong DLW. ENOX2 inhibition enhances infiltration of effector memory T-cell and mediates response to chemotherapy in immune-quiescent nasopharyngeal carcinoma. J Adv Res 2024; 56:69-86. [PMID: 37061217 PMCID: PMC10834794 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2023.04.001] [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: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment is a major barrier for chemotherapy. Different chemosensitization approaches to reinstate immunological surveillance for cancers that are immune quiescent at the outset, have thus been devised. Cancer-specific ENOX2 expression is correlated with abnormal cell growth and has been proposed as a cellular target for anti-cancer activity. However, the potential effects of ENOX2 on the interaction between immune system and tumor cells remain elusive. OBJECTIVES To understand the mechanisms by which tumor-intrinsic ENOX2-mediated alterations in anti-tumor activity of T-cells and response to chemotherapy. METHODS In situ multiplexed immunohistochemistry with single cell and bulk RNA sequencing data from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) human tissues were used to define tumor phenotypes. Two NPC cell lines, with distinct ENOX2 expression, were used in a co-culture platform to study tumor-immune interactions between cancer cells/spheroids and T-cells. The effect of cisplatin treatment with ENOX2 inhibition by idronoxil (IDX) were tested in vitro and in vivo. Multi-parametric flow cytometry was used to characterize T-cell infiltrates in an NPC tumor humanized mouse model treated with combined treatment. RESULTS NPC predominantly displayed an immune-excluded profile. This "cold-phenotype" was shown to exhibit higher ENOX2 expression and was associate with poorer progression-free survival (PFS). The therapeutic combination of IDX with cisplatin was effective in promoting CD8+ effector memory T cell (Tem) differentiation and mobilization. This Tem signature was highly cytotoxic, with Tem-mediated preferential lysis of higher ENOX2-expressing NPC cells. A combination-treated humanized mouse model showing dramatic shrinkage in tumors, were intra-tumoral Tem-enriched. CONCLUSION Tumor-intrinsic ENOX2 expression is associated with tumor phenotype and PFS in NPC. Targeting ENOX2 with IDX and cisplatin impose qualitative control of T-cell response by preferentially increasing immune cells infiltration, Tem differentiation and tumor suppression. We suggest that ENOX2 inhibition may be a promising therapeutic strategy to enhance the effects of chemotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ngar-Woon Kam
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology Limited, Hong Kong, China
| | - Olivier Laczka
- Noxopharm Limited, Level 20, Tower A, The Zenith, 821 Pacific Highway, CHATSWOOD NSW 2067, Australia
| | - Xiang Li
- Noxopharm Limited, Level 20, Tower A, The Zenith, 821 Pacific Highway, CHATSWOOD NSW 2067, Australia
| | - John Wilkinson
- Noxopharm Limited, Level 20, Tower A, The Zenith, 821 Pacific Highway, CHATSWOOD NSW 2067, Australia
| | - Desmond Hung
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Syrus Pak Hei Lai
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ka Chun Wu
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology Limited, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sai Wa Tsao
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wei Dai
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chi Ming Che
- Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology Limited, Hong Kong, China; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Victor Ho-Fun Lee
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Clinical Oncology Center, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dora Lai-Wan Kwong
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Clinical Oncology Center, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Pinkoski MJ, Waterhouse NJ, Heibein JA, Wolf BB, Kuwana T, Goldstein JC, Newmeyer DD, Bleackley RC, Green DR. Granzyme B-mediated apoptosis proceeds predominantly through a Bcl-2-inhibitable mitochondrial pathway. J Biol Chem 2001; 276:12060-7. [PMID: 11278459 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m009038200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytotoxic T lymphocytes kill virus-infected and tumor cell targets through the concerted action of proteins contained in cytolytic granules, primarily granzyme B and perforin. Granzyme B, a serine proteinase with substrate specificity similar to the caspase family of apoptotic cysteine proteinases, is capable of cleaving and activating a number of death proteins in target cells. Despite the ability to engage the death pathway at multiple entry points, the preferred mechanism for rapid induction of apoptosis by granzyme B has yet to be clearly established. Here we use time lapse confocal microscopy to demonstrate that mitochondrial cytochrome c release is the primary mode of granzyme B-induced apoptosis and that Bcl-2 is a potent inhibitor of this pivotal event. Caspase activation is not required for cytochrome c release, an activity that correlates with cleavage and activation of Bid, which we have found to be cleaved more readily by granzyme B than either caspase-3 or caspase-8. Bcl-2 blocks the rapid destruction of targets by granzyme B by blocking mitochondrial involvement in the process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M J Pinkoski
- Division of Cellular Immunology, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Barry M, Heibein JA, Pinkoski MJ, Lee SF, Moyer RW, Green DR, Bleackley RC. Granzyme B short-circuits the need for caspase 8 activity during granule-mediated cytotoxic T-lymphocyte killing by directly cleaving Bid. Mol Cell Biol 2000; 20:3781-94. [PMID: 10805722 PMCID: PMC85698 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.20.11.3781-3794.2000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 249] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/1999] [Accepted: 02/22/2000] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) can trigger an apoptotic signal through the Fas receptor or by the exocytosis of granzyme B and perforin. Caspase activation is an important component of both pathways. Granzyme B, a serine proteinase contained in granules, has been shown to proteolytically process and activate members of the caspase family in vitro. In order to gain an understanding of the contributions of caspases 8 and 3 during granule-induced apoptosis in intact cells, we have used target cells that either stably express the rabbitpox virus-encoded caspase inhibitor SPI-2 or are devoid of caspase 3. The overexpression of SPI-2 in target cells significantly inhibited DNA fragmentation, phosphatidylserine externalization, and mitochondrial disruption during Fas-mediated cell death. In contrast, SPI-2 expression in target cells provided no protection against granzyme-mediated apoptosis, mitochondrial collapse, or cytolysis, leading us to conclude that SPI-2-inhibited caspases are not an essential requirement for the granzyme pathway. Caspase 3-deficient MCF-7 cells were found to be resistant to CTL-mediated DNA fragmentation but not to CTL-mediated cytolysis and loss of the mitochondrial inner membrane potential. Furthermore, we demonstrate that granzyme B directly cleaves the proapoptotic molecule Bid, bypassing the need for caspase 8 activation of Bid. These results provide evidence for a two-pronged strategy for mediating target cell destruction and provide evidence of a direct link between granzyme B activity, Bid cleavage, and caspase 3 activation in whole cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Barry
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2H7, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Pinkoski MJ, Heibein JA, Barry M, Bleackley RC. Nuclear translocation of granzyme B in target cell apoptosis. Cell Death Differ 2000; 7:17-24. [PMID: 10713717 DOI: 10.1038/sj.cdd.4400604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Granzyme B is the prototypic member of a family of serine proteases localized to the cytolytic granules of cytotoxic lymphocytes. Together with another granule protein, perforin, granzyme B is capable of inducing all aspects of apoptotic death in target cells. A number of granzyme B substrates have been identified and it has been demonstrated that granzyme B is responsible, directly or indirectly, for the morphological nuclear changes observed in target cell apoptosis, including DNA fragmentation. In an earlier study, we showed that granzyme B binds to a nuclear protein in a manner dependent on its enzymatic activity. Here, we demonstrate that granzyme B is translocated rapidly to the nucleus in cells that have been induced to undergo apoptosis by a granzyme-dependent process, and that translocation is dependent on caspase activity. Appearance of granzyme B in the nucleus of target cells precedes the detection of DNA fragmentation. Although not directly responsible for DNA fragmentation, these data suggest a nuclear role for granzyme B in target cell apoptosis. c-Abl nuclear functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M J Pinkoski
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2H7
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Heibein JA, Barry M, Motyka B, Bleackley RC. Granzyme B-Induced Loss of Mitochondrial Inner Membrane Potential (ΔΨm) and Cytochrome c Release Are Caspase Independent. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 1999. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.163.9.4683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
CTLs kill targets by inducing them to die through apoptosis. A number of morphological and biochemical events are now recognized as characteristic features of the apoptotic program. Among these, the disruption of the inner mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨm) and the release of cytochrome c into the cytoplasm appear to be early events in many systems, leading to the activation of caspase-3 and, subsequently, nuclear apoptosis. We show here that, in Jurkat targets treated in vitro with purified granzyme B and perforin or granzyme B and adenovirus, ΔΨm collapse, reactive oxygen species production, and cytochrome c release from mitochondria were observed. Loss of ΔΨm was also detected in an in vivo system where green fluorescent protein-expressing targets were attacked by a cytotoxic T cell line that kills predominantly through the granzyme pathway. DNA fragmentation, phosphatidylserine externalization, and reactive oxygen species production were inhibited in the presence of the caspase inhibitors benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone (zVAD-fmk) and benzyloxycarbonyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone (zDEVD-fmk) in our in vitro system. Importantly, in either the in vitro or in vivo systems, these inhibitors at concentrations up to 100 μM did not prevent ΔΨm collapse. In addition, cytochrome c release was observed in the in vitro system in the absence or presence of zVAD-fmk. Thus the granzyme B-dependent killing pathway in Jurkat targets involves mitochondrial alterations that occur independently of caspases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A. Heibein
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Michele Barry
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bruce Motyka
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - R. Chris Bleackley
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| |
Collapse
|