1
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Pessoa Rodrigues C, Collins JM, Yang S, Martinez C, Kim JW, Lama C, Nam AS, Alt C, Lin C, Zon LI. Transcripts of repetitive DNA elements signal to block phagocytosis of hematopoietic stem cells. Science 2024; 385:eadn1629. [PMID: 39264994 DOI: 10.1126/science.adn1629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 09/14/2024]
Abstract
Macrophages maintain hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) quality by assessing cell surface Calreticulin (Calr), an "eat-me" signal induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Using zebrafish genetics, we identified Beta-2-microglobulin (B2m) as a crucial "don't eat-me" signal on blood stem cells. A chemical screen revealed inducers of surface Calr that promoted HSC proliferation without triggering ROS or macrophage clearance. Whole-genome CRISPR-Cas9 screening showed that Toll-like receptor 3 (Tlr3) signaling regulated b2m expression. Targeting b2m or tlr3 reduced the HSC clonality. Elevated B2m levels correlated with high expression of repetitive element (RE) transcripts. Overall, our data suggest that RE-associated double-stranded RNA could interact with TLR3 to stimulate surface expression of B2m on hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. These findings suggest that the balance of Calr and B2m regulates macrophage-HSC interactions and defines hematopoietic clonality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Pessoa Rodrigues
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Joseph M Collins
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Song Yang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital Boston, MA, USA
| | - Catherine Martinez
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ji Wook Kim
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Chhiring Lama
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anna S Nam
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Clemens Alt
- Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Mass General Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Charles Lin
- Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Mass General Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Leonard I Zon
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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2
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Lozac'hmeur A, Danek T, Yang Q, Rosasco MG, Welch JS, Go WY, Ng EW, Mardiros A, Maloney DG, Garon EB, Kirtane K, Simeone DM, Molina JR, Salahudeen AA, Stein MM, Hecht JR. Detecting HLA loss of heterozygosity within a standard diagnostic sequencing workflow for prognostic and therapeutic opportunities. NPJ Precis Oncol 2024; 8:174. [PMID: 39103508 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-024-00665-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
To enable interrogation of tumor HLA LOH as a clinical diagnostic for precision oncology, we developed and validated an assay that detects HLA LOH within the context of an FDA-approved clinical diagnostic test, Tempus xT CDx. Validation was conducted via: (1) analytical evaluation of 17 archival patient samples and 42 cell line admixtures and (2) independent clinical evaluation of LOH prevalence in the HLA-A gene (HLA-A LOH) across 10,982 patients. To evaluate the prognostic relevance of HLA-A LOH we assessed 256 immunotherapy-treated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. To determine the feasibility of prospectively identifying and enrolling HLA-A LOH patients into a clinical trial, we established BASECAMP-1 (NCT04981119). We observed a positive predictive agreement of 97% and a negative predictive agreement of 100% in samples with ≥ 40% tumor purity. We observed HLA-A LOH in 16.1% of patients (1771/10,982), comparable to previous reports. HLA-A LOH was associated with longer survival among NSCLC adenocarcinoma patients (HR = 0.60, 95% CI [0.37, 0.96], p = 0.032) with a trend towards shorter survival among squamous cell patients (HR = 1.64, 95% CI [0.80, 3.41], p = 0.183). In 20 months, we prospectively screened 1720 subjects using the Tempus AWARE program, identifying 26 HLA-A*02 LOH patients at 8 sites, with 14 (54%) enrolled into BASECAMP-1. In conclusion, we developed and validated an investigational assay that detects tumor HLA LOH within an FDA-approved clinical diagnostic test, enabling HLA LOH utilization in diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Eric W Ng
- A2 Biotherapeutics, Agoura Hills, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Edward B Garon
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Diane M Simeone
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego Health, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Ameen A Salahudeen
- University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Departments of Medicine, Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - J Randolph Hecht
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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3
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Giatromanolaki A, Michos GD, Xanthopoulou E, Koukourakis MI. HLA-class-I expression loss, tumor microenvironment and breast cancer prognosis. Cell Immunol 2024; 399-400:104816. [PMID: 38507936 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2024.104816] [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: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Loss of HLA-class-I molecule expression by cancer cells is a frequent event in human tumors that may lead to immune evasion from cytotoxic T-cells. We examined the expression patterns of HLA-class-I molecules in a series of 175 patients with operable breast cancer (BCa). Extensive loss of BCa cell HLA-class-I expression was noted 76.6 % of patients (27.5 % complete loss). A significant association of HLA-preservation with high TIL-density (p = 0.001) was documented. Preservation of HLA was evident only in BCa carcinomas with low HIF1α expression and high TIL-density. Cell line experiments (MCF7 and T47D) showed that induction of HLAs in cancer cells following incubation with lymphocytes or IFNγ, was abrogated under hypoxic conditions. HLA-preservation was linked with better distant metastasis-free survival (p = 0.01), which was confirmed also in multivariate analysis (p = 0.02, HR 3.17). Studying the expression of HLA-class-I molecules in parallel with TIL-density and HIF1α expression may identify subgroups of BCa patients who would benefit from immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Giatromanolaki
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Georgios D Michos
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Erasmia Xanthopoulou
- Department of Radiotherapy / Oncology, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Michael I Koukourakis
- Department of Radiotherapy / Oncology, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
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4
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Larson AC, Doty KR, Solheim JC. The double life of a chemotherapy drug: Immunomodulatory functions of gemcitabine in cancer. Cancer Med 2024; 13:e7287. [PMID: 38770637 PMCID: PMC11106691 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.7287] [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: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Although the development of immunotherapies has been revolutionary in the treatment of several cancers, many cancer types remain unresponsive to immune-based treatment and are largely managed by chemotherapy drugs. However, chemotherapeutics are not infallible and are frequently rendered ineffective as resistance develops from prolonged exposure. Recent investigations have indicated that some chemotherapy drugs have additional functions beyond their normative cytotoxic capacity and are in fact immune-modifying agents. Of the pharmaceuticals with identified immune-editing properties, gemcitabine is well-studied and of interest to clinicians and scientists alike. Gemcitabine is a chemotherapy drug approved for the treatment of multiple cancers, including breast, lung, pancreatic, and ovarian. Because of its broad applications, relatively low toxicity profile, and history as a favorable combinatory partner, there is promise in the recharacterization of gemcitabine in the context of the immune system. Such efforts may allow the identification of suitable immunotherapeutic combinations, wherein gemcitabine can be used as a priming agent to improve immunotherapy efficacy in traditionally insensitive cancers. This review looks to highlight documented immunomodulatory abilities of one of the most well-known chemotherapy agents, gemcitabine, relating to its influence on cells and proteins of the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaina C. Larson
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer & Allied DiseasesUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraskaUSA
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer CenterUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraskaUSA
| | - Kenadie R. Doty
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer & Allied DiseasesUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraskaUSA
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer CenterUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraskaUSA
| | - Joyce C. Solheim
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer & Allied DiseasesUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraskaUSA
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer CenterUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraskaUSA
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular BiologyUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraskaUSA
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, & ImmunologyUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraskaUSA
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5
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Garcia-Marquez MA, Thelen M, Bauer E, Maas L, Wennhold K, Lehmann J, Keller D, Nikolić M, George J, Zander T, Schröder W, Müller P, Yazbeck AM, Bruns C, Thomas R, Gathof B, Quaas A, Peifer M, Hillmer AM, von Bergwelt-Baildon M, Schlößer HA. Germline homozygosity and allelic imbalance of HLA-I are common in esophagogastric adenocarcinoma and impair the repertoire of immunogenic peptides. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e007268. [PMID: 38631707 PMCID: PMC11029431 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007268] [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] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The individual HLA-I genotype is associated with cancer, autoimmune diseases and infections. This study elucidates the role of germline homozygosity or allelic imbalance of HLA-I loci in esophago-gastric adenocarcinoma (EGA) and determines the resulting repertoires of potentially immunogenic peptides. METHODS HLA genotypes and sequences of either (1) 10 relevant tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) or (2) patient-specific mutation-associated neoantigens (MANAs) were used to predict good-affinity binders using an in silico approach for MHC-binding (www.iedb.org). Imbalanced or lost expression of HLA-I-A/B/C alleles was analyzed by transcriptome sequencing. FluoroSpot assays and TCR sequencing were used to determine peptide-specific T-cell responses. RESULTS We show that germline homozygosity of HLA-I genes is significantly enriched in EGA patients (n=80) compared with an HLA-matched reference cohort (n=7605). Whereas the overall mutational burden is similar, the repertoire of potentially immunogenic peptides derived from TAAs and MANAs was lower in homozygous patients. Promiscuity of peptides binding to different HLA-I molecules was low for most TAAs and MANAs and in silico modeling of the homozygous to a heterozygous HLA genotype revealed normalized peptide repertoires. Transcriptome sequencing showed imbalanced expression of HLA-I alleles in 75% of heterozygous patients. Out of these, 33% showed complete loss of heterozygosity, whereas 66% had altered expression of only one or two HLA-I molecules. In a FluoroSpot assay, we determined that peptide-specific T-cell responses against NY-ESO-1 are derived from multiple peptides, which often exclusively bind only one HLA-I allele. CONCLUSION The high frequency of germline homozygosity in EGA patients suggests reduced cancer immunosurveillance leading to an increased cancer risk. Therapeutic targeting of allelic imbalance of HLA-I molecules should be considered in EGA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Alejandra Garcia-Marquez
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of General, Visceral, Cancer and Transplantation Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Martin Thelen
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of General, Visceral, Cancer and Transplantation Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Eugen Bauer
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Lukas Maas
- Department of Translational Genomics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kerstin Wennhold
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of General, Visceral, Cancer and Transplantation Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jonas Lehmann
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of General, Visceral, Cancer and Transplantation Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Diandra Keller
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of General, Visceral, Cancer and Transplantation Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Miloš Nikolić
- Department of Translational Genomics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Julie George
- Department of Translational Genomics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Zander
- Department I of Internal Medicine and Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO) Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Schröder
- Department of General, Visceral, Cancer and Transplantation Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Philipp Müller
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ali M Yazbeck
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christiane Bruns
- Department of General, Visceral, Cancer and Transplantation Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Roman Thomas
- Department of Translational Genomics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Birgit Gathof
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alexander Quaas
- Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Martin Peifer
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Translational Genomics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Axel M Hillmer
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Michael von Bergwelt-Baildon
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
- Gene Centre, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munchen, Germany
- Department of Medicine III, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munchen, Germany
| | - Hans Anton Schlößer
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of General, Visceral, Cancer and Transplantation Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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6
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Bassan D, Weinberger L, Yi J, Kim T, Weist MR, Adams GB, Foord O, Chaim N, Tabak S, Bujanover N, Lopesco Y, Vucci K, Schnair C, Levy-Knafo L, Kendall RL, Calzone FJ, Sharbi-Yunger A. HER2 and HLA-A*02 dual CAR-T cells utilize LOH in a NOT logic gate to address on-target off-tumor toxicity. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007426. [PMID: 38097342 PMCID: PMC10729064 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007426] [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] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND One of the major challenges in chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy for solid tumors is the potential for on-target off-tumor toxicity due to the expression of CAR tumor antigens in essential tissues and organs. Here, we describe a dual CAR NOT gate incorporating an inhibitory CAR (iCAR) recognizing HLA-A*02 ("A2") that enables effective treatment with a potent HER2 activating CAR (aCAR) in the context of A2 loss of heterozygosity (LOH). METHODS A CAR-T cell screen was conducted to identify inhibitory domains derived from natural immune receptors (iDomains) to be used in a NOT gate, to kill A2- HER2+ lung cancer cell lines but spare A2+ HER2+ lung cancer cell-lines with high specificity. The extensive analysis of lead candidates included T-cell activation and killing, assays of reversibility and durability in sequential challenges, target cell specificity in mixed 3D spheroids and 2D cultures, and the characterization of CAR expression level and cell-trafficking. RESULTS A leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor B1 (LIR1) iDomain iCAR was identified as most effective in regulating the cytotoxicity of a second generation HER2 aCAR. Target transfer experiments demonstrated that the 'on' and 'off' cell state of the LIR1 NOT gate CAR-T cell is both durable and reversible. Protection required iCAR signaling and was associated with reduced aCAR and iCAR surface expression. iCAR regulation was sufficient to generate high target specificity in a 3D adjacent spheroid assay designed to model the interface between clonal A2 LOH foci and normal tissue. However, we observed significant bystander killing of A2+ cells in admix culture through aCAR dependent and independent mechanisms. LIR1 NOT gate CAR-T cells conferred protection against H1703-A2+ tumors and high efficacy against H1703-A2- tumors in-vivo. We observed that the iCAR is inactive in A2+ donors due to cis-binding, but Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) knockout of HLA-A fully restored iCAR activity. CONCLUSIONS We have preclinically validated an iCAR NOT gate technology broadly applicable for targeting HER2 expression in the context of A2 LOH. This approach is designed to prevent off tumor toxicity while allowing highly potent antitumor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jason Yi
- Research, ImmPACT-Bio US, West Hills, California, USA
| | - Tanya Kim
- Research, ImmPACT-Bio US, West Hills, California, USA
| | | | | | - Orit Foord
- Research, ImmPACT-Bio US, West Hills, California, USA
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7
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Wong RSJ, Ong RJM, Lim JSJ. Immune checkpoint inhibitors in breast cancer: development, mechanisms of resistance and potential management strategies. CANCER DRUG RESISTANCE (ALHAMBRA, CALIF.) 2023; 6:768-787. [PMID: 38263984 PMCID: PMC10804393 DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2023.58] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has increased exponentially in the past decade, although its progress specifically for breast cancer has been modest. The first U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for ICI in breast cancer came in 2019, eight years after the first-ever approval of an ICI. At present, current indications for ICIs are relevant only to a subset of patients with triple-negative breast cancer, or those displaying high microsatellite instability or deficiency in the mismatch repair protein pathway. With an increasing understanding of the limitations of using ICIs, which stem from breast cancer being innately poorly immunogenic, as well as the presence of various intrinsic and acquired resistance pathways, ongoing trials are evaluating different combination therapies to overcome these barriers. In this review, we aim to describe the development timeline of ICIs and resistance mechanisms limiting their utility, and summarise the available approaches and ongoing trials relevant to overcoming each resistance mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel SJ Wong
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Cancer Institute, National University Hospital, Singapore 119228, Singapore
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore
| | - Rebecca JM Ong
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore
| | - Joline SJ Lim
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Cancer Institute, National University Hospital, Singapore 119228, Singapore
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore
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8
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Wu W, Chen L, Jia G, Tang Q, Han B, Xia S, Jiang Q, Liu H. Inhibition of FGFR3 upregulates MHC-I and PD-L1 via TLR3/NF-kB pathway in muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Cancer Med 2023; 12:15676-15690. [PMID: 37283287 PMCID: PMC10417096 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.6172] [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: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Improving the potency of immune response is paramount among issues concerning immunotherapy of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). METHODS On the basis of immune subtypes, we investigated possible molecular mechanisms involved in tumor immune escape in MIBC. According to the 312 immune-related genes, three MIBC immune subtypes were clustered. RESULTS Cluster 2 subtype is characterized by FGFR3 mutations and has a better clinical prognosis. However, the expression levels of MHC-I and immune checkpoints genes were the lowest, indicating that this subtype is subject to immune escape and has a low response rate to immunotherapy. Bioinformatics analysis and immunofluorescence staining of clinical samples revealed that the FGFR3 is involved in the immune escape in MIBC. Besides, after FGFR3 knockout with siRNA in RT112 and UMUC14 cells, the TLR3/NF-kB pathway was significantly activated and was accompanied by upregulation of MHC-I and PD-L1 gene expression. Furthermore, the use of TLR3 agonists poly(I:C) can further improve the effect. CONCLUSION Together, our results suggest that FGFR3 might involve in immunosuppression by inhibition of NF-kB pathway in BC. Considering that TLR3 agonists are currently approved for clinical treatment as immunoadjuvants, our study might provide more insights for improving the efficacy of immunotherapy in MIBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- WenBo Wu
- Department of UrologyShanghai General HospitalShanghaiChina
- Shanghai JiaoTong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Lei Chen
- Department of UrologyShanghai General HospitalShanghaiChina
| | - GaoZhen Jia
- Department of UrologyShanghai General HospitalShanghaiChina
| | - QiLin Tang
- Department of UrologyShanghai General HospitalShanghaiChina
- Shanghai JiaoTong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - BangMin Han
- Department of UrologyShanghai General HospitalShanghaiChina
| | - ShuJie Xia
- Department of UrologyShanghai General HospitalShanghaiChina
| | - Qi Jiang
- Department of UrologyShanghai General HospitalShanghaiChina
| | - HaiTao Liu
- Department of UrologyShanghai General HospitalShanghaiChina
- Shanghai JiaoTong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
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9
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Oza PP, Kashfi K. The evolving landscape of PCSK9 inhibition in cancer. Eur J Pharmacol 2023; 949:175721. [PMID: 37059376 PMCID: PMC10229316 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.175721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is a disease with a significant global burden in terms of premature mortality, loss of productivity, healthcare expenditures, and impact on mental health. Recent decades have seen numerous advances in cancer research and treatment options. Recently, a new role of cholesterol-lowering PCSK9 inhibitor therapy has come to light in the context of cancer. PCSK9 is an enzyme that induces the degradation of low-density lipoprotein receptors (LDLRs), which are responsible for clearing cholesterol from the serum. Thus, PCSK9 inhibition is currently used to treat hypercholesterolemia, as it can upregulate LDLRs and enable cholesterol reduction through these receptors. The cholesterol-lowering effects of PCSK9 inhibitors have been suggested as a potential mechanism to combat cancer, as cancer cells have been found to increasingly rely on cholesterol for their growth needs. Additionally, PCSK9 inhibition has demonstrated the potential to induce cancer cell apoptosis through several pathways, increase the efficacy of a class of existing anticancer therapies, and boost the host immune response to cancer. A role in managing cancer- or cancer treatment-related development of dyslipidemia and life-threatening sepsis has also been suggested. This review examines the current evidence regarding the effects of PCSK9 inhibition in the context of different cancers and cancer-associated complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palak P Oza
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, City University of New York School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10031, USA
| | - Khosrow Kashfi
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, City University of New York School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10031, USA; Graduate Program in Biology, City University of New York Graduate Center, New York, 10091, USA.
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10
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Wang Y, Jasinski-Bergner S, Wickenhauser C, Seliger B. Cancer Immunology: Immune Escape of Tumors-Expression and Regulation of HLA Class I Molecules and Its Role in Immunotherapies. Adv Anat Pathol 2023; 30:148-159. [PMID: 36517481 DOI: 10.1097/pap.0000000000000389] [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: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The addition of "avoiding immune destruction" to the hallmarks of cancer demonstrated the importance of cancer immunology and in particular the role of immune surveillance and escape from malignancies. However, the underlying mechanisms contributing to immune impairment and immune responses are diverse. Loss or reduced expression of the HLA class I molecules are major characteristics of human cancers resulting in an impaired recognition of tumor cells by CD8 + cytotoxic T lymphocytes. This is of clinical relevance and associated with worse patients outcome and limited efficacy of T-cell-based immunotherapies. Here, we summarize the role of HLA class I antigens in cancers by focusing on the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for HLA class I defects, which are caused by either structural alterations or deregulation at the transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and posttranslational levels. In addition, the influence of HLA class I abnormalities to adaptive and acquired immunotherapy resistances will be described. The in-depth knowledge of the different strategies of malignancies leading to HLA class I defects can be applied to design more effective cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Simon Jasinski-Bergner
- Institute of Medical Immunology
- Institute for Translational Immunology, Medical School "Theodor Fontane", Brandenburg, Germany
| | - Claudia Wickenhauser
- Institute of Pathology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale)
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Institute of Medical Immunology
- Department of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Development & Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP) Design, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, GermanyLeipzig, Germany
- Institute for Translational Immunology, Medical School "Theodor Fontane", Brandenburg, Germany
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11
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Emerging phagocytosis checkpoints in cancer immunotherapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:104. [PMID: 36882399 PMCID: PMC9990587 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01365-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 72.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy, mainly including immune checkpoints-targeted therapy and the adoptive transfer of engineered immune cells, has revolutionized the oncology landscape as it utilizes patients' own immune systems in combating the cancer cells. Cancer cells escape immune surveillance by hijacking the corresponding inhibitory pathways via overexpressing checkpoint genes. Phagocytosis checkpoints, such as CD47, CD24, MHC-I, PD-L1, STC-1 and GD2, have emerged as essential checkpoints for cancer immunotherapy by functioning as "don't eat me" signals or interacting with "eat me" signals to suppress immune responses. Phagocytosis checkpoints link innate immunity and adaptive immunity in cancer immunotherapy. Genetic ablation of these phagocytosis checkpoints, as well as blockade of their signaling pathways, robustly augments phagocytosis and reduces tumor size. Among all phagocytosis checkpoints, CD47 is the most thoroughly studied and has emerged as a rising star among targets for cancer treatment. CD47-targeting antibodies and inhibitors have been investigated in various preclinical and clinical trials. However, anemia and thrombocytopenia appear to be formidable challenges since CD47 is ubiquitously expressed on erythrocytes. Here, we review the reported phagocytosis checkpoints by discussing their mechanisms and functions in cancer immunotherapy, highlight clinical progress in targeting these checkpoints and discuss challenges and potential solutions to smooth the way for combination immunotherapeutic strategies that involve both innate and adaptive immune responses.
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Significant Tumor Regression after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Gastric Cancer, but Poor Survival of the Patient? Role of MHC Class I Alterations. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15030771. [PMID: 36765729 PMCID: PMC9913563 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15030771] [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: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
We aimed to determine the clinical and prognostic relevance of allelic imbalance (AI) of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I genes, encompassing the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I and beta-2 microglobulin (B2M) genes, in the context of neoadjuvant platinum/fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy (CTx). Biopsies before CTx were studied in 158 patients with adenocarcinoma of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction. The response was histopathologically evaluated. AI was detected by multiplex PCRs analysis of four or five microsatellite markers in HLA and B2M regions, respectively. AI with no marker was significantly associated with response or survival. However, subgroup analysis revealed differences. AI at marker D6S265, close to the HLA-A gene, was associated with an obvious increased risk in responding (HR, 3.62; 95% CI, 0.96-13.68, p = 0.058) but not in non-responding patients (HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.51-1.65, p = 0.773). Markers D6S273 and D6S2872 showed similar results. The interaction between AI at D6S265 and response to CTx was significant in a multivariable analysis (p = 0.010). No associations were observed for B2M markers. Our results underline the importance of intact neoantigen presentation specifically for responding patients and may help explain an unexpectedly poor survival of a patient despite significant tumor regression after neoadjuvant platinum/fluoropyrimidine CTx.
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Garcia-Recio S, Hinoue T, Wheeler GL, Kelly BJ, Garrido-Castro AC, Pascual T, De Cubas AA, Xia Y, Felsheim BM, McClure MB, Rajkovic A, Karaesmen E, Smith MA, Fan C, Ericsson PIG, Sanders ME, Creighton CJ, Bowen J, Leraas K, Burns RT, Coppens S, Wheless A, Rezk S, Garrett AL, Parker JS, Foy KK, Shen H, Park BH, Krop I, Anders C, Gastier-Foster J, Rimawi MF, Nanda R, Lin NU, Isaacs C, Marcom PK, Storniolo AM, Couch FJ, Chandran U, Davis M, Silverstein J, Ropelewski A, Liu MC, Hilsenbeck SG, Norton L, Richardson AL, Symmans WF, Wolff AC, Davidson NE, Carey LA, Lee AV, Balko JM, Hoadley KA, Laird PW, Mardis ER, King TA, Perou CM. Multiomics in primary and metastatic breast tumors from the AURORA US network finds microenvironment and epigenetic drivers of metastasis. NATURE CANCER 2023; 4:128-147. [PMID: 36585450 PMCID: PMC9886551 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-022-00491-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The AURORA US Metastasis Project was established with the goal to identify molecular features associated with metastasis. We assayed 55 females with metastatic breast cancer (51 primary cancers and 102 metastases) by RNA sequencing, tumor/germline DNA exome and low-pass whole-genome sequencing and global DNA methylation microarrays. Expression subtype changes were observed in ~30% of samples and were coincident with DNA clonality shifts, especially involving HER2. Downregulation of estrogen receptor (ER)-mediated cell-cell adhesion genes through DNA methylation mechanisms was observed in metastases. Microenvironment differences varied according to tumor subtype; the ER+/luminal subtype had lower fibroblast and endothelial content, while triple-negative breast cancer/basal metastases showed a decrease in B and T cells. In 17% of metastases, DNA hypermethylation and/or focal deletions were identified near HLA-A and were associated with reduced expression and lower immune cell infiltrates, especially in brain and liver metastases. These findings could have implications for treating individuals with metastatic breast cancer with immune- and HER2-targeting therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Tomas Pascual
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- SOLTI Cancer Research Group, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aguirre A De Cubas
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Youli Xia
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Boehringer Ingelheim, Ridgefield, CT, USA
| | | | - Marni B McClure
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | - Cheng Fan
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jay Bowen
- Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Robyn T Burns
- Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium, Baltimore, USA
| | - Sara Coppens
- Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Amy Wheless
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Salma Rezk
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | | | | | - Hui Shen
- Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Ben H Park
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ian Krop
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Nancy U Lin
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Uma Chandran
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Michael Davis
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Alexander Ropelewski
- Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Larry Norton
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | | | - Nancy E Davidson
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lisa A Carey
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Adrian V Lee
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Justin M Balko
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | | | | | - Tari A King
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Breast Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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14
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Expression of HLA class I is associated with immune cell infiltration and patient outcome in breast cancer. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20367. [PMID: 36437379 PMCID: PMC9701770 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24890-3] [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: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Downregulation of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I is one mechanism of escaping anti-tumor immunity by tumor cells. This study was conducted to compare HLA class I expression in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive breast carcinoma (IBC) and to evaluate its association with immune cell infiltration of the tumors and clinical outcome of the patients. A total of 830 cases comprising 288 DCIS and 542 IBC were included in this study. Immunohistochemistry for HLA class I expression was performed using HLA-ABC in tissue microarrays and was analyzed in relation to clinicopathologic characteristics of tumors and infiltration of CD4+, CD8+, and FOXP3+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) subsets and PD-L1+ immune cells. As a whole, there was no difference in HLA class I expression between DCIS and IBC when dichotomized into high or low expression. However, in the HR-negative group, a high level of HLA class I expression was more frequent in IBC than DCIS. On the contrary, in the HR-positive group, a complete loss of HLA class I expression was more frequently observed in IBC than DCIS. High HLA class I expression level was generally associated with aggressive clinicopathologic features of IBC and was associated with high CD4+, CD8+, and FOXP3+ TIL and PD-L1+ immune cell infiltration in both DCIS and IBC. In survival analyses, HLA class I expression was not associated with clinical outcome in DCIS and IBC as a whole; however, low HLA class I expression was associated with poor clinical outcome in HR-negative IBC, especially in triple-negative subtype. In conclusion, this study showed that HLA class I expression increased in association with increased immune cell infiltration during in situ to invasive transition of HR-negative breast cancer, and HLA class I down-regulation had a prognostic value in HR-negative breast cancer.
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15
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Hong KU, Gardner JQ, Doll MA, Stepp MW, Wilkey DW, Benz FW, Cai J, Merchant ML, Hein DW. Proteomic analysis of arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 knockout breast cancer cells: Implications in immune evasion and mitochondrial biogenesis. Toxicol Rep 2022; 9:1566-1573. [PMID: 36158865 PMCID: PMC9500399 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2022.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that inhibition or depletion of N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) in breast cancer cell lines leads to growth retardation both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that NAT1 contributes to rapid growth of breast cancer cells. To understand molecular and cellular processes that NAT1 contributes to and generate novel hypotheses in regard to NAT1's role in breast cancer, we performed an unbiased analysis of proteomes of parental MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and two separate NAT1 knockout (KO) cell lines. Among 4890 proteins identified, 737 proteins were found significantly (p < 0.01) upregulated, and 651 proteins were significantly (p < 0.01) downregulated in both NAT1 KO cell lines. We performed enrichment analyses to identify Gene Ontology biological processes, molecular functions, and cellular components that were enriched in each data set. Among the proteins upregulated in NAT1 KO cells, pathways associated with MHC (major histocompatibility complex) I-mediated antigen presentation were significantly enriched. This raises an interesting and new hypothesis that upregulation of NAT1 in breast cancer cells may aid them evade immune detection. Multiple pathways involved in mitochondrial functions were collectively downregulated in NAT1 KO cells, including multiple subunits of mitochondrial ATP synthase (Complex V of the electron transport chain). This was accompanied by a reduction in cell cycle-associated proteins and an increase in pro-apoptotic pathways in NAT1 KO cells, consistent with reported observations that NAT1 KO cells exhibit a slower growth rate both in vitro and in vivo. Thus, mitochondrial dysfunction in NAT1 KO cells likely contributes to growth retardation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung U. Hong
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Jonathan Q. Gardner
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Mark A. Doll
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Marcus W. Stepp
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Daniel W. Wilkey
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Frederick W. Benz
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Jian Cai
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Michael L. Merchant
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - David W. Hein
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA,Correspondence to: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, 505 S. Hancock Street, CTR Rm 303, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
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Papak I, Chruściel E, Dziubek K, Kurkowiak M, Urban-Wójciuk Z, Marjański T, Rzyman W, Marek-Trzonkowska N. What Inhibits Natural Killers’ Performance in Tumour. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23137030. [PMID: 35806034 PMCID: PMC9266640 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137030] [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: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer cells are innate lymphocytes with the ability to lyse tumour cells depending on the balance of their activating and inhibiting receptors. Growing numbers of clinical trials show promising results of NK cell-based immunotherapies. Unlike T cells, NK cells can lyse tumour cells independent of antigen presentation, based simply on their activation and inhibition receptors. Various strategies to improve NK cell-based therapies are being developed, all with one goal: to shift the balance to activation. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of ways NK cells can lyse tumour cells and all the inhibitory signals stopping their cytotoxic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Papak
- International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science, University of Gdansk, Ul. Kładki 24, 80-822 Gdansk, Poland; (I.P.); (E.C.); (K.D.); (M.K.); (Z.U.-W.)
| | - Elżbieta Chruściel
- International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science, University of Gdansk, Ul. Kładki 24, 80-822 Gdansk, Poland; (I.P.); (E.C.); (K.D.); (M.K.); (Z.U.-W.)
| | - Katarzyna Dziubek
- International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science, University of Gdansk, Ul. Kładki 24, 80-822 Gdansk, Poland; (I.P.); (E.C.); (K.D.); (M.K.); (Z.U.-W.)
| | - Małgorzata Kurkowiak
- International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science, University of Gdansk, Ul. Kładki 24, 80-822 Gdansk, Poland; (I.P.); (E.C.); (K.D.); (M.K.); (Z.U.-W.)
| | - Zuzanna Urban-Wójciuk
- International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science, University of Gdansk, Ul. Kładki 24, 80-822 Gdansk, Poland; (I.P.); (E.C.); (K.D.); (M.K.); (Z.U.-W.)
| | - Tomasz Marjański
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland; (T.M.); (W.R.)
| | - Witold Rzyman
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland; (T.M.); (W.R.)
| | - Natalia Marek-Trzonkowska
- International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science, University of Gdansk, Ul. Kładki 24, 80-822 Gdansk, Poland; (I.P.); (E.C.); (K.D.); (M.K.); (Z.U.-W.)
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Cellular Therapies, Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland
- Correspondence:
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17
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Mu D, Guo J, Yu W, Zhang J, Ren X, Han Y. Downregulation of
PD‐L1
and
HLA‐I
in non‐small cell lung cancer with
ALK
fusion. Thorac Cancer 2022; 13:1153-1163. [PMID: 35253386 PMCID: PMC9013653 DOI: 10.1111/1759-7714.14372] [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: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Early clinical trials indicate that patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)‐driven non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have a lower response rate to programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‐1) antibody therapy. However, the specific mechanism underlying this remains unclear. To further explore the characteristics of the tumor microenvironment and determine the potential mechanism of immunotherapy resistance in patients with ALK, we selected another important immune‐related molecule, major histocompatibility complex class I (HLA‐I), as the focus of our study. Methods We collected the biopsy samples of 140 patients with NSCLC. The number of CD8+ T cells and HLA‐I/programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD‐L1) expression were determined by immunohistochemistry. Disease‐free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method, and their relationship with patient clinical characteristics analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression. In addition, we treated ALK‐positive lung cancer cells with ALK inhibitors in vitro to observe changes of HLA‐I. Results ALK positivity was associated with low membrane PD‐L1 and HLA‐I expression. However, these two indicators were not associated with the prognosis of patients with stage I–IIIa NSCLC. Inhibition of ALK could upregulate HLA‐I membrane expression to a certain extent. Conclusion Patients with ALK fusion showed downregulation of PD‐L1 and HLA‐I expression on the tumor cell membrane. Inhibition of ALK and its downstream signaling pathway can reverse it. These results suggest that the appropriate combination therapy should be considered for patients with ALK fusion and using targeted therapy at the proper time may increase patient benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Mu
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital Tianjin China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy Tianjin China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer Tianjin China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy Tianjin China
| | - Jingjing Guo
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital Tianjin China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy Tianjin China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer Tianjin China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy Tianjin China
| | - Wenwen Yu
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital Tianjin China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy Tianjin China
- Department of Biotherapy Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital Tianjin China
| | - Jiali Zhang
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital Tianjin China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy Tianjin China
- Department of Biotherapy Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital Tianjin China
| | - Xiubao Ren
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital Tianjin China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy Tianjin China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer Tianjin China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy Tianjin China
- Department of Biotherapy Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital Tianjin China
| | - Ying Han
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital Tianjin China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy Tianjin China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer Tianjin China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy Tianjin China
- Department of Biotherapy Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital Tianjin China
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18
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Navarro-Ocón A, Blaya-Cánovas JL, López-Tejada A, Blancas I, Sánchez-Martín RM, Garrido MJ, Griñán-Lisón C, Calahorra J, Cara FE, Ruiz-Cabello F, Marchal JA, Aptsiauri N, Granados-Principal S. Nanomedicine as a Promising Tool to Overcome Immune Escape in Breast Cancer. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:505. [PMID: 35335881 PMCID: PMC8950730 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14030505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common type of malignancy and leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide. Despite the current revolutionary advances in the field of cancer immunotherapy, clinical response in breast cancer is frequently below expectations, in part due to various mechanisms of cancer immune escape that produce tumor variants that are resistant to treatment. Thus, a further understanding of the molecular events underlying immune evasion in breast cancer may guarantee a significant improvement in the clinical success of immunotherapy. Furthermore, nanomedicine provides a promising opportunity to enhance the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy by improving the delivery, retention and release of immunostimulatory agents in targeted cells and tumor tissues. Hence, it can be used to overcome tumor immune escape and increase tumor rejection in numerous malignancies, including breast cancer. In this review, we summarize the current status and emerging trends in nanomedicine-based strategies targeting cancer immune evasion and modulating the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, including the inhibition of immunosuppressive cells in the tumor area, the activation of dendritic cells and the stimulation of the specific antitumor T-cell response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Navarro-Ocón
- GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research, Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, 18016 Granada, Spain; (A.N.-O.); (J.L.B.-C.); (A.L.-T.); (R.M.S.-M.); (C.G.-L.); (J.C.); (F.E.C.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs.GRANADA), 18012 Granada, Spain; (I.B.); (F.R.-C.); (J.A.M.)
| | - Jose L. Blaya-Cánovas
- GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research, Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, 18016 Granada, Spain; (A.N.-O.); (J.L.B.-C.); (A.L.-T.); (R.M.S.-M.); (C.G.-L.); (J.C.); (F.E.C.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs.GRANADA), 18012 Granada, Spain; (I.B.); (F.R.-C.); (J.A.M.)
- UGC de Oncología Médica, Complejo Hospitalario de Jaen, 23007 Jaen, Spain
| | - Araceli López-Tejada
- GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research, Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, 18016 Granada, Spain; (A.N.-O.); (J.L.B.-C.); (A.L.-T.); (R.M.S.-M.); (C.G.-L.); (J.C.); (F.E.C.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs.GRANADA), 18012 Granada, Spain; (I.B.); (F.R.-C.); (J.A.M.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2, School of Pharmacy, University of Granada, 18011 Granada, Spain
| | - Isabel Blancas
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs.GRANADA), 18012 Granada, Spain; (I.B.); (F.R.-C.); (J.A.M.)
- UGC de Oncología, Hospital Universitario “San Cecilio”, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Rosario M. Sánchez-Martín
- GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research, Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, 18016 Granada, Spain; (A.N.-O.); (J.L.B.-C.); (A.L.-T.); (R.M.S.-M.); (C.G.-L.); (J.C.); (F.E.C.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs.GRANADA), 18012 Granada, Spain; (I.B.); (F.R.-C.); (J.A.M.)
| | - María J. Garrido
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Chemistry, School of Pharmacy & Nutrition, Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdisNA), University of Navarra, 31080 Pamplona, Spain;
| | - Carmen Griñán-Lisón
- GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research, Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, 18016 Granada, Spain; (A.N.-O.); (J.L.B.-C.); (A.L.-T.); (R.M.S.-M.); (C.G.-L.); (J.C.); (F.E.C.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs.GRANADA), 18012 Granada, Spain; (I.B.); (F.R.-C.); (J.A.M.)
- UGC de Oncología Médica, Complejo Hospitalario de Jaen, 23007 Jaen, Spain
| | - Jesús Calahorra
- GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research, Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, 18016 Granada, Spain; (A.N.-O.); (J.L.B.-C.); (A.L.-T.); (R.M.S.-M.); (C.G.-L.); (J.C.); (F.E.C.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs.GRANADA), 18012 Granada, Spain; (I.B.); (F.R.-C.); (J.A.M.)
- UGC de Oncología Médica, Complejo Hospitalario de Jaen, 23007 Jaen, Spain
| | - Francisca E. Cara
- GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research, Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, 18016 Granada, Spain; (A.N.-O.); (J.L.B.-C.); (A.L.-T.); (R.M.S.-M.); (C.G.-L.); (J.C.); (F.E.C.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs.GRANADA), 18012 Granada, Spain; (I.B.); (F.R.-C.); (J.A.M.)
| | - Francisco Ruiz-Cabello
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs.GRANADA), 18012 Granada, Spain; (I.B.); (F.R.-C.); (J.A.M.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology 3 and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Juan A. Marchal
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs.GRANADA), 18012 Granada, Spain; (I.B.); (F.R.-C.); (J.A.M.)
- Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, School of Medicine, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Natalia Aptsiauri
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs.GRANADA), 18012 Granada, Spain; (I.B.); (F.R.-C.); (J.A.M.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology 3 and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Sergio Granados-Principal
- GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research, Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, 18016 Granada, Spain; (A.N.-O.); (J.L.B.-C.); (A.L.-T.); (R.M.S.-M.); (C.G.-L.); (J.C.); (F.E.C.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs.GRANADA), 18012 Granada, Spain; (I.B.); (F.R.-C.); (J.A.M.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2, School of Pharmacy, University of Granada, 18011 Granada, Spain
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19
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Nachmanson D, Officer A, Mori H, Gordon J, Evans MF, Steward J, Yao H, O'Keefe T, Hasteh F, Stein GS, Jepsen K, Weaver DL, Hirst GL, Sprague BL, Esserman LJ, Borowsky AD, Stein JL, Harismendy O. The breast pre-cancer atlas illustrates the molecular and micro-environmental diversity of ductal carcinoma in situ. NPJ Breast Cancer 2022; 8:6. [PMID: 35027560 PMCID: PMC8758681 DOI: 10.1038/s41523-021-00365-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Microenvironmental and molecular factors mediating the progression of Breast Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) are not well understood, impeding the development of prevention strategies and the safe testing of treatment de-escalation. We addressed methodological barriers and characterized the mutational, transcriptional, histological, and microenvironmental landscape across 85 multiple microdissected regions from 39 cases. Most somatic alterations, including whole-genome duplications, were clonal, but genetic divergence increased with physical distance. Phenotypic and subtype heterogeneity was frequently associated with underlying genetic heterogeneity and regions with low-risk features preceded those with high-risk features according to the inferred phylogeny. B- and T-lymphocytes spatial analysis identified three immune states, including an epithelial excluded state located preferentially at DCIS regions, and characterized by histological and molecular features of immune escape, independently from molecular subtypes. Such breast pre-cancer atlas with uniquely integrated observations will help scope future expansion studies and build finer models of outcomes and progression risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Nachmanson
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Adam Officer
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Hidetoshi Mori
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, 2315 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
| | - Jonathan Gordon
- University of Vermont Cancer Center, 111 Colchester Avenue Main Campus, Main Pavillion, Level, 2, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA
| | - Mark F Evans
- University of Vermont Cancer Center, 111 Colchester Avenue Main Campus, Main Pavillion, Level, 2, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA
| | - Joseph Steward
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, 3855 Health Science Drive, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Huazhen Yao
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Thomas O'Keefe
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Farnaz Hasteh
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, 3855 Health Science Drive, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Gary S Stein
- University of Vermont Cancer Center, 111 Colchester Avenue Main Campus, Main Pavillion, Level, 2, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA
| | - Kristen Jepsen
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Donald L Weaver
- University of Vermont Cancer Center, 111 Colchester Avenue Main Campus, Main Pavillion, Level, 2, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA
| | - Gillian L Hirst
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, 1450 3rd St, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Brian L Sprague
- University of Vermont Cancer Center, 111 Colchester Avenue Main Campus, Main Pavillion, Level, 2, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA
- Department of Surgery, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA
| | - Laura J Esserman
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, 1450 3rd St, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Alexander D Borowsky
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, 2315 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
| | - Janet L Stein
- University of Vermont Cancer Center, 111 Colchester Avenue Main Campus, Main Pavillion, Level, 2, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA
| | - Olivier Harismendy
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA.
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, 3855 Health Science Drive, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA.
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20
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Hanna A, Balko JM. Breast cancer resistance mechanisms: challenges to immunotherapy. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2021; 190:5-17. [PMID: 34322780 PMCID: PMC8560575 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-021-06337-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The clinical implementation of immunotherapy has profoundly transformed cancer treatment. Targeting the immune system to mount anti-tumor responses can elicit a systemically durable response. Employing immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has suppressed tumor growth and vastly improved patient overall and progression-free survival in several cancer types, most notably melanoma and non-small cell lung carcinoma. Despite widescale clinical success, ICB response is heterogeneously efficacious across tumor types. Many cancers, including breast cancer, are frequently refractory to ICB. In this review, we will discuss the challenges facing immunotherapy success and address the underlying mechanisms responsible for primary and acquired breast cancer resistance to immunotherapy. FINDINGS Even in initially ICB-responsive tumors, many acquire resistance due to tumor-specific alterations, loss of tumor-specific antigens, and extrinsic mechanisms that reshape the immune landscape within the tumor microenvironment (TME). The tumor immune interaction circumvents the benefits of immunotherapy; tumors rewire the tumor-suppressive functions of activated immune cells within their stroma to propagate tumor growth and progression. CONCLUSIONS The breast cancer immune TME is complex and the mechanisms driving resistance to ICB are multifaceted. Continued study in both preclinical models and clinical trials should help elucidate these mechanisms so they can be targeted to benefit more breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Hanna
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Justin M Balko
- Department of Medicine, Breast Cancer Research Program, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
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21
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Liang H, Lu T, Liu H, Tan L. The Relationships between HLA-A and HLA-B Genes and the Genetic Susceptibility to Breast Cancer in Guangxi. RUSS J GENET+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795421100069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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22
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Zhao J, Xiao X, Li Y, Gao X, Zhang X, Liu Z, Yi Y, Fu X, Wang H, Guan Y, Xia X, Zhang W, Huang J. The prevalence of HLA-I LOH in Chinese pan-cancer patients and genomic features of patients harboring HLA-I LOH. Hum Mutat 2021; 42:1254-1264. [PMID: 34245634 DOI: 10.1002/humu.24255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
HLA-I LOH may facilitate immune evasion. However, large population studies on the prevalence of HLA-I LOH across different cancer types and in relation to mutational profiles are lacking, in particular, in the Chinese population. In this study, analysis was performed in 1504 advanced pan-cancer patients and 134 early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer patients using a 1021-gene panel. The consistency between the 1021-gene panel and whole-exome sequencing was evaluated in 45 samples, where concordant results were obtained in 95.6% (43/45) of the samples. Analytical results revealed that the prevalence of HLA-I LOH in tumor tissue presents considerable differences across cancer types. HLA-I LOH was relevant to genomic instability, reflected in higher tumor mutation burden level. HLA-I LOH occurs more frequently in MSS samples than in MSI-H samples. The alteration frequencies of p53 pathway, RTK/RAS pathway, Notch pathway, Hippo pathway, and Nrf2 pathway in HLA-I LOH group were significantly higher than that in HLA-I stable group (p < .0001, p < .0001, p = .032, p = .013, p = .003, respectively). In DNA damage response pathways, alterations in the checkpoint factor pathway and Fanconi anemia pathway are enriched in HLA-I LOH group (p < .0001, p = .023, respectively). Besides, HLA-I LOH was accompanied by higher mutation rates of several tumor suppressors, including TP53 and LRP1B. These results may shed light on follow-up tumor immunology research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhao
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.,Suzhou Key Laboratory for Respiratory Diseases, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaoxiong Xiao
- Thoracic Surgery Department, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yue Li
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.,Suzhou Key Laboratory for Respiratory Diseases, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xuan Gao
- Geneplus-Beijing, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiuqin Zhang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.,Suzhou Key Laboratory for Respiratory Diseases, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zeyi Liu
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.,Suzhou Key Laboratory for Respiratory Diseases, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | | | | | - Han Wang
- Geneplus-Beijing, Beijing, China
| | | | | | - Weixing Zhang
- Thoracic Surgery Department, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jian'an Huang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.,Suzhou Key Laboratory for Respiratory Diseases, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
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23
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Tumor Escape Phenotype in Bladder Cancer Is Associated with Loss of HLA Class I Expression, T-Cell Exclusion and Stromal Changes. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22147248. [PMID: 34298868 PMCID: PMC8307653 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer eradication and clinical outcome of immunotherapy depend on tumor cell immunogenicity, including HLA class I (HLA-I) and PD-L1 expression on malignant cells, and on the characteristics of the tumor microenvironment, such as tumor immune infiltration and stromal reaction. Loss of tumor HLA-I is a common mechanism of immune escape from cytotoxic T lymphocytes and is linked to cancer progression and resistance to immunotherapy with the inhibitors of PD-L1/PD-1 signaling. Here we observed that HLA-I loss in bladder tumors is associated with T cell exclusion and tumor encapsulation with stromal elements rich in FAP-positive cells. In addition, PD-L1 upregulation in HLA-I negative tumors demonstrated a correlation with high tumor grade and worse overall- and cancer-specific survival of the patients. These changes define common immuno-morphological signatures compatible with cancer immune escape and acquired resistance to therapeutic interventions across different types of malignancy. They also may contribute to the search of new targets for cancer treatment, such as FAP-expressing cancer-associated fibroblasts, in refractory bladder tumors.
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24
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ADCC-Inducing Antibody Trastuzumab and Selection of KIR-HLA Ligand Mismatched Donors Enhance the NK Cell Anti-Breast Cancer Response. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13133232. [PMID: 34203549 PMCID: PMC8268223 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13133232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Natural killer (NK) cells are potent killers of tumor cells. Many tumors, including breast cancers, develop mechanisms to suppress anti-tumor immune responses, requiring the development of strategies to overcome suppression. Here, we tested a combination therapy that aims to (1) enhance NK cell activation and (2) reduce NK cell inhibition mediated by suppressive factors in tumors or in the tumor microenvironment. We cultured cell lines under hypoxia to mimic the tumor microenvironment or used patient-derived breast cancer cells that were primed by the patient’s tumor environment. Our results demonstrated that cytokine-activated NK cells remained active under hypoxia and that tumor-targeting antibodies enhanced the NK cell anti-breast cancer response. Moreover, we observed that NK cell suppression by inhibitory ligands on the tumor cells can be reduced by the selection of NK cell donors with NK receptors that are incompatible with these ligands. Collectively, we present two powerful strategies to enhance the NK cell responses against breast cancer. Abstract Natural killer (NK)-cell-based immunotherapies are an attractive treatment option for cancer. We previously showed that alloreactive mouse NK cells cured mice of 4T1 breast cancer. However, the tumor microenvironment can inhibit immune responses, and these suppressive factors must be overcome to unfold the NK cells’ full anti-tumor potential. Here, we investigated the combination of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADDC) and the selection of KIR-HLA-ligand mismatched NK cells to enhance NK cell anti-breast cancer responses in clinically relevant settings. Donor-derived and IL-2-activated NK cells were co-cultured with patient-derived breast cancer cells or cell lines MCF7 or SKBR3 together with the anti-HER2 antibody trastuzumab. NK cells mediated anti-breast cancer cytotoxicity under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Under both conditions, trastuzumab vigorously enhanced NK cell degranulation (CD107a) against HER2-overexpressing SKBR3 cells, but we observed a discrepancy between highly degranulating NK cells and a rather modest increase in cytotoxicity of SKBR3. Against patient-derived breast cancer cells, the anti-tumor efficacy was rather limited, and HLA class I expression seemed to contribute to inhibited NK cell functionality. KIR-ligand-mismatched NK cells degranulated stronger compared to the matched NK cells, further highlighting the role of HLA. In summary, trastuzumab and KIR-ligand-mismatched NK cells could be two strategies to potently enhance NK cell responses to breast cancer.
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25
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Beta2-microglobulin(B2M) in cancer immunotherapies: Biological function, resistance and remedy. Cancer Lett 2021; 517:96-104. [PMID: 34129878 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapies have made much headway during the past decades. Techniques including the immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) and adoptive cell therapy (ACT) have harvested impressive efficacy and provided far-reaching tools for treating cancer patients. However, due to inadequate priming of the immune system, a certain subgroup of patients remains resistant to cancer immunotherapies during or after the treatment. β2-microglobulin (B2M) is an important subunit of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I which exerts substantive biological functions in tumorigenesis and immune control. Accumulating evidence has shown that alterations of B2M gene and B2M proteins contribute to poor reaction to cancer immunotherapies by dampening antigen presentation. Here, we discuss the basic biological functions of B2M, its distribution in a spectrum of cancers, and current understanding of its role in ICI, cancer vaccines and chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapies. Furthermore, we summarize some promising therapeutic strategies to improve the efficacy inhibited by B2M defects.
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26
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Goldberg J, Pastorello RG, Vallius T, Davis J, Cui YX, Agudo J, Waks AG, Keenan T, McAllister SS, Tolaney SM, Mittendorf EA, Guerriero JL. The Immunology of Hormone Receptor Positive Breast Cancer. Front Immunol 2021; 12:674192. [PMID: 34135901 PMCID: PMC8202289 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.674192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has revolutionized the treatment of cancer patients. The main focus of ICB has been on reinvigorating the adaptive immune response, namely, activating cytotoxic T cells. ICB has demonstrated only modest benefit against advanced breast cancer, as breast tumors typically establish an immune suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is associated with infiltration of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and patients with TNBC have shown clinical responses to ICB. In contrast, hormone receptor positive (HR+) breast cancer is characterized by low TIL infiltration and minimal response to ICB. Here we review how HR+ breast tumors establish a TME devoid of TILs, have low HLA class I expression, and recruit immune cells, other than T cells, which impact response to therapy. In addition, we review emerging technologies that have been employed to characterize components of the TME to reveal that tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) are abundant in HR+ cancer, are highly immune-suppressive, associated with tumor progression, chemotherapy and ICB-resistance, metastasis and poor survival. We reveal novel therapeutic targets and possible combinations with ICB to enhance anti-tumor immune responses, which may have great potential in HR+ breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Goldberg
- Breast Tumor Immunology Laboratory, Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ricardo G. Pastorello
- Breast Tumor Immunology Laboratory, Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Tuulia Vallius
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Janae Davis
- Breast Tumor Immunology Laboratory, Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Yvonne Xiaoyong Cui
- Breast Tumor Immunology Laboratory, Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Judith Agudo
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Adrienne G. Waks
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Tanya Keenan
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sandra S. McAllister
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Sara M. Tolaney
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Elizabeth A. Mittendorf
- Breast Tumor Immunology Laboratory, Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Research at Harvard, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jennifer L. Guerriero
- Breast Tumor Immunology Laboratory, Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Research at Harvard, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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27
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Algarra I, Garrido F, Garcia-Lora AM. MHC heterogeneity and response of metastases to immunotherapy. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2021; 40:501-517. [PMID: 33860434 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-021-09964-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, immunotherapy has proven to be an effective treatment against cancer. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes perform an important role in this anti-tumor immune response, recognizing cancer cells as foreign, through the presentation of tumor antigens by MHC class I molecules. However, tumors and metastases develop escape mechanisms for evading this immunosurveillance and may lose the expression of these polymorphic molecules to become invisible to cytotoxic T lymphocytes. In other situations, they may maintain MHC class I expression and promote immunosuppression of cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Therefore, the analysis of the expression of MHC class I molecules in tumors and metastases is important to elucidate these escape mechanisms. Moreover, it is necessary to determine the molecular mechanisms involved in these alterations to reverse them and recover the expression of MHC class I molecules on tumor cells. This review discusses the role and regulation of MHC class I expression in tumor progression. We focus on altered MHC class I phenotypes present in tumors and metastases, as well as the molecular mechanisms responsible for MHC-I alterations, emphasizing the mechanisms of recovery of the MHC class I molecules expression on cancer cells. The individualized study of the HLA class I phenotype of the tumor and the metastases of each patient will allow choosing the most appropriate immunotherapy treatment based on a personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Algarra
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Jaén, Jaén, Spain
| | - Federico Garrido
- Servicio de Análisis Clínicos e Inmunología, UGC Laboratorio Clínico, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Av. de las Fuerzas Armadas 2, 18014, Granada, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.Granada, Granada, Spain.,Departamento de Bioquímica, Biología Molecular e Inmunología III, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Angel M Garcia-Lora
- Servicio de Análisis Clínicos e Inmunología, UGC Laboratorio Clínico, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Av. de las Fuerzas Armadas 2, 18014, Granada, Spain. .,Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.Granada, Granada, Spain. .,Unidad de Biobanco, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain.
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28
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Hwang MS, Mog BJ, Douglass J, Pearlman AH, Hsiue EHC, Paul S, DiNapoli SR, Konig MF, Pardoll DM, Gabelli SB, Bettegowda C, Papadopoulos N, Vogelstein B, Zhou S, Kinzler KW. Targeting loss of heterozygosity for cancer-specific immunotherapy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2022410118. [PMID: 33731480 PMCID: PMC8000272 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022410118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Developing therapeutic agents with potent antitumor activity that spare normal tissues remains a significant challenge. Clonal loss of heterozygosity (LOH) is a widespread and irreversible genetic alteration that is exquisitely specific to cancer cells. We hypothesized that LOH events can be therapeutically targeted by "inverting" the loss of an allele in cancer cells into an activating signal. Here we describe a proof-of-concept approach utilizing engineered T cells approximating NOT-gate Boolean logic to target counterexpressed antigens resulting from LOH events in cancer. The NOT gate comprises a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) targeting the allele of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) that is retained in the cancer cells and an inhibitory CAR (iCAR) targeting the HLA allele that is lost in the cancer cells. We demonstrate that engineered T cells incorporating such NOT-gate logic can be activated in a genetically predictable manner in vitro and in mice to kill relevant cancer cells. This therapeutic approach, termed NASCAR (Neoplasm-targeting Allele-Sensing CAR), could, in theory, be extended to LOH of other polymorphic genes that result in altered cell surface antigens in cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Hwang
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- HHMI, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
- Lustgarten Laboratory for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
| | - Brian J Mog
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- HHMI, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
- Lustgarten Laboratory for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218
| | - Jacqueline Douglass
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- HHMI, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
- Lustgarten Laboratory for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
| | - Alexander H Pearlman
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- HHMI, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
- Lustgarten Laboratory for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
| | - Emily Han-Chung Hsiue
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- HHMI, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
- Lustgarten Laboratory for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
| | - Suman Paul
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- HHMI, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
- Lustgarten Laboratory for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
| | - Sarah R DiNapoli
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- HHMI, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
- Lustgarten Laboratory for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
| | - Maximilian F Konig
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- HHMI, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
- Lustgarten Laboratory for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224
| | - Drew M Pardoll
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Bloomberg∼Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21287
| | - Sandra B Gabelli
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Chetan Bettegowda
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Lustgarten Laboratory for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Nickolas Papadopoulos
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Lustgarten Laboratory for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Bert Vogelstein
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- HHMI, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
- Lustgarten Laboratory for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Bloomberg∼Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Shibin Zhou
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287;
- Lustgarten Laboratory for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Bloomberg∼Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21287
| | - Kenneth W Kinzler
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287;
- Lustgarten Laboratory for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Bloomberg∼Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
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29
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Investigating T Cell Immunity in Cancer: Achievements and Prospects. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22062907. [PMID: 33809369 PMCID: PMC7999898 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22062907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells play a key role in tumour surveillance, both identifying and eliminating transformed cells. However, as tumours become established they form their own suppressive microenvironments capable of shutting down T cell function, and allowing tumours to persist and grow. To further understand the tumour microenvironment, including the interplay between different immune cells and their role in anti-tumour immune responses, a number of studies from mouse models to clinical trials have been performed. In this review, we examine mechanisms utilized by tumour cells to reduce their visibility to CD8+ Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), as well as therapeutic strategies trialled to overcome these tumour-evasion mechanisms. Next, we summarize recent advances in approaches to enhance CAR T cell activity and persistence over the past 10 years, including bispecific CAR T cell design and early evidence of efficacy. Lastly, we examine mechanisms of T cell infiltration and tumour regression, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of different strategies to investigate T cell function in murine tumour models.
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30
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Dhatchinamoorthy K, Colbert JD, Rock KL. Cancer Immune Evasion Through Loss of MHC Class I Antigen Presentation. Front Immunol 2021; 12:636568. [PMID: 33767702 PMCID: PMC7986854 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.636568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 412] [Impact Index Per Article: 137.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Major histocompatibility class I (MHC I) molecules bind peptides derived from a cell's expressed genes and then transport and display this antigenic information on the cell surface. This allows CD8 T cells to identify pathological cells that are synthesizing abnormal proteins, such as cancers that are expressing mutated proteins. In order for many cancers to arise and progress, they need to evolve mechanisms to avoid elimination by CD8 T cells. MHC I molecules are not essential for cell survival and therefore one mechanism by which cancers can evade immune control is by losing MHC I antigen presentation machinery (APM). Not only will this impair the ability of natural immune responses to control cancers, but also frustrate immunotherapies that work by re-invigorating anti-tumor CD8 T cells, such as checkpoint blockade. Here we review the evidence that loss of MHC I antigen presentation is a frequent occurrence in many cancers. We discuss new insights into some common underlying mechanisms through which some cancers inactivate the MHC I pathway and consider some possible strategies to overcome this limitation in ways that could restore immune control of tumors and improve immunotherapy.
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31
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Flow Assisted Mutation Enrichment (FAME): A highly efficacious and efficient method to enrich Double Knockouts (DKO) after gene editing. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0247375. [PMID: 33661977 PMCID: PMC7932066 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene editing has become an essential tool for interrogation of gene function in biomedical research and is also a promising approach for gene therapy. Despite recent progresses, the gene-editing procedure is still a tedious process involving manually isolating large number of single cell colonies to screen for desired mutations. For diploid eukaryotic cells, there is the additional challenge to inactivate both alleles for genes-of-interest, i.e., generating double knockouts (DKOs), for the desired phenotypes or therapeutic effects. In this report, we present a novel method based on Fluorescence Assisted Cell Sorting (FACS) to enrich for DKO cells, using a cell surface marker β2-microglobulin (B2M) as a basis for negative selection. This method significantly increased percentage of DKOs in isolated cells after gene editing, and in the meantime, significantly improve the efficiency of workflow by automating colony isolation. It would greatly facilitate future biomedical research including potential gene/cell therapies.
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32
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Guerin MV, Regnier F, Thoreau M, Vimeux L, Benard M, Dransart E, Penny HL, Johannes L, Trautmann A, Bercovici N. Local IFNα enhances the anti-tumoral efficacy of systemic anti-PD1 to prevent tumor relapse. J Immunother Cancer 2020; 8:jitc-2020-000996. [PMID: 33239415 PMCID: PMC7689071 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-000996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tumor relapse constitutes a major challenge for anti-tumoral treatments, including immunotherapies. Indeed, most cancer-related deaths occur during the tumor relapse phase. Methods We designed a mouse model of tumor relapse in which mice transplanted with E7+ TC1 tumor cells received a single therapeutic vaccination of STxB-E7+IFNα. Unlike the complete regression observed after two vaccinations, such a treatment induced a transient shrinkage of the tumor mass, followed by a rapid tumor outgrowth. To prevent this relapse, we tested the efficacy of a local administration of IFNα together with a systemic therapy with anti-PD1 Ab. The immune response was analyzed during both the tumor regression and relapse phases. Results We show that, during the regression phase, tumors of mice treated with a single vaccination of STxB-E7 + IFNα harbor fewer activated CD8 T cells and monocytes than tumors doomed to fully regress after two vaccinations. In contrast, the systemic injection of an anti-PD1 Ab combined with the peri-tumoral injection of IFNα in this time frame promotes infiltration of activated CD8 T cells and myeloid cells, which, together, exert a high cytotoxicity in vitro against TC1 cells. Moreover, the IFNα and anti-PD1 Ab combination was found to be more efficient than IFNα or anti-PD1 used alone in preventing tumor relapse and was better able to prolong mice survival. Conclusions Together, these results indicate that the local increase of IFNα in combination with an anti-PD1 therapy is an effective way to promote efficient and durable innate and adaptive immune responses preventing tumor relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion V Guerin
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014, Paris, France
| | - Fabienne Regnier
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014, Paris, France
| | - Maxime Thoreau
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014, Paris, France
| | - Lene Vimeux
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014, Paris, France
| | - Matthieu Benard
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014, Paris, France
| | - Estelle Dransart
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Cellular and Chemical Biology unit, UMR3666 CNRS, U1143 INSERM, 75248, CEDEX 05, Paris, France
| | | | - Ludger Johannes
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Cellular and Chemical Biology unit, UMR3666 CNRS, U1143 INSERM, 75248, CEDEX 05, Paris, France
| | - Alain Trautmann
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014, Paris, France
| | - Nadege Bercovici
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014, Paris, France
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33
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MHC Class I Downregulation in Cancer: Underlying Mechanisms and Potential Targets for Cancer Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12071760. [PMID: 32630675 PMCID: PMC7409324 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12071760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 213] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, major advances have been made in cancer immunotherapy. This has led to significant improvement in prognosis of cancer patients, especially in the hematological setting. Nonetheless, translation of these successes to solid tumors was found difficult. One major mechanism through which solid tumors can avoid anti-tumor immunity is the downregulation of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I), which causes reduced recognition by- and cytotoxicity of CD8+ T-cells. Downregulation of MHC-I has been described in 40-90% of human tumors, often correlating with worse prognosis. Epigenetic and (post-)transcriptional dysregulations relevant in the stabilization of NFkB, IRFs, and NLRC5 are often responsible for MHC-I downregulation in cancer. The intrinsic reversible nature of these dysregulations provides an opportunity to restore MHC-I expression and facilitate adaptive anti-tumor immunity. In this review, we provide an overview of the mechanisms underlying reversible MHC-I downregulation and describe potential strategies to counteract this reduction in MHC-I antigen presentation in cancer.
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Pulido M, Chamorro V, Romero I, Algarra I, S-Montalvo A, Collado A, Garrido F, Garcia-Lora AM. Restoration of MHC-I on Tumor Cells by Fhit Transfection Promotes Immune Rejection and Acts as an Individualized Immunotherapeutic Vaccine. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E1563. [PMID: 32545680 PMCID: PMC7352176 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12061563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The capacity of cytotoxic-T lymphocytes to recognize and destroy tumor cells depends on the surface expression by tumor cells of MHC class I molecules loaded with tumor antigen peptides. Loss of MHC-I expression is the most frequent mechanism by which tumor cells evade the immune response. The restoration of MHC-I expression in cancer cells is crucial to enhance their immune destruction, especially in response to cancer immunotherapy. Using mouse models, we recovered MHC-I expression in the MHC-I negative tumor cell lines and analyzed their oncological and immunological profile. Fhit gene transfection induces the restoration of MHC-I expression in highly oncogenic MHC-I-negative murine tumor cell lines and genes of the IFN-γ transduction signal pathway are involved. Fhit-transfected tumor cells proved highly immunogenic, being rejected by a T lymphocyte-mediated immune response. Strikingly, this immune rejection was more frequent in females than in males. The immune response generated protected hosts against the tumor growth of non-transfected cells and against other tumor cells in our murine tumor model. Finally, we also observed a direct correlation between FHIT expression and HLA-I surface expression in human breast tumors. Recovery of Fhit expression on MHC class I negative tumor cells may be a useful immunotherapeutic strategy and may even act as an individualized immunotherapeutic vaccine.
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Grants
- 15-1166 Worldwide Cancer Research
- PI12/02031, PI14/01978, PI15/00528, PI17/00197, PI19/01179, PT13/0010/0039 and PT17/0015/0041 Instituto de Salud Carlos III
- Group CTS-143, CTS-3952, CVI-4740 grants Consejería de Economía, Innovación, Ciencia y Empleo, Junta de Andalucía
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Affiliation(s)
- María Pulido
- Servicio de Análisis Clínicos e Inmunología, UGC Laboratorio Clínico, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Av. de las Fuerzas Armadas 2, 18014 Granada, Spain; (M.P.); (V.C.); (A.S.-M.); (F.G.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, 18012 Granada, Spain
| | - Virginia Chamorro
- Servicio de Análisis Clínicos e Inmunología, UGC Laboratorio Clínico, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Av. de las Fuerzas Armadas 2, 18014 Granada, Spain; (M.P.); (V.C.); (A.S.-M.); (F.G.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, 18012 Granada, Spain
| | - Irene Romero
- UGC Laboratorios, Complejo Hospitalario de Jaén, 23007 Jaén, Spain;
| | - Ignacio Algarra
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain;
| | - Alba S-Montalvo
- Servicio de Análisis Clínicos e Inmunología, UGC Laboratorio Clínico, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Av. de las Fuerzas Armadas 2, 18014 Granada, Spain; (M.P.); (V.C.); (A.S.-M.); (F.G.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, 18012 Granada, Spain
| | - Antonia Collado
- Unidad de Biobanco, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, 18014 Granada, Spain;
| | - Federico Garrido
- Servicio de Análisis Clínicos e Inmunología, UGC Laboratorio Clínico, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Av. de las Fuerzas Armadas 2, 18014 Granada, Spain; (M.P.); (V.C.); (A.S.-M.); (F.G.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, 18012 Granada, Spain
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Biología Molecular e Inmunología III, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Angel M. Garcia-Lora
- Servicio de Análisis Clínicos e Inmunología, UGC Laboratorio Clínico, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Av. de las Fuerzas Armadas 2, 18014 Granada, Spain; (M.P.); (V.C.); (A.S.-M.); (F.G.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, 18012 Granada, Spain
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35
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Tsang JY, Ho CS, Ni YB, Shao Y, Poon IK, Chan SK, Cheung SY, Shea KH, Marabi M, Tse GM. Co-expression of HLA-I loci improved prognostication in HER2+ breast cancers. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2020; 69:799-811. [PMID: 32055918 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-020-02512-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The underlying basis for cancer immune evasion is important for effective immunotherapy and prognosis in breast cancers. Human leucocyte antigens (HLA)-I comprising three classical antigens (HLA-A, -B and -C) is mandatory for anti-tumor immunity. Its loss occurred frequently in many cancers resulting in effective immune evasion. Most studies examined HLA-I as a whole. Alterations in specific locus could have different clinical ramifications. Hence, we evaluated the expression of the three HLA-I loci in a large cohort of breast cancers. Low expression of HLA-A, -B and -C were found in 71.1%, 66.3%, and 60.2% of the cases. Low and high expression in all loci was found in 48.3% and 17.9% of the cases respectively. The remaining showed high expression in one or two loci. Cases with all HLA high expression (all HLA high) was frequent in the ER-HER2- (27.4%) and ER-HER2+ (23.1%) cases and was associated with characteristic pathologic features related to these tumor (higher grade, necrosis, high tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL), pT stage, low hormonal receptor, high basal marker expression) (p ≤ 0.019). Interestingly, in HER2+ cancers, only cases with all HLA high and high TIL showed significantly better survival. In node positive cancers, concordant high HLA expression in primary tumors and nodal metastases was favorable prognostically (DFS: HR = 0.741, p < 0.001; BCSS: HR = 0.699, p = 0.003). The data suggested an important clinical value of a combined analysis on the co-expression HLA-I status in both primary and metastatic tumors. This could be a potential additional key component to be incorporated into TIL evaluation for improved prognostication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Y Tsang
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ngan Shing Street, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
| | - Chun-Sing Ho
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ngan Shing Street, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
- Department of Pathology, Tuen Mun Hospital, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong
| | - Yun-Bi Ni
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ngan Shing Street, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
| | - Yan Shao
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ngan Shing Street, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
| | - Ivan K Poon
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ngan Shing Street, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
| | - Siu-Ki Chan
- Department of Pathology, Kwong Wah Hospital, Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong
| | - Sai-Yin Cheung
- Department of Pathology, Tuen Mun Hospital, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong
| | - Ka-Ho Shea
- Department of Pathology, Tuen Mun Hospital, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong
| | - Monalyn Marabi
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
| | - Gary M Tse
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ngan Shing Street, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong.
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36
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Ladányi A, Tímár J. Immunologic and immunogenomic aspects of tumor progression. Semin Cancer Biol 2019; 60:249-261. [PMID: 31419526 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2019.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Tumor progression to metastatic disease is characterized by continuous genetic alterations due to instability of the genome. Immune sensitivity was found to be linked to tumor mutational burden (TMB) and the resulting amount of neoantigens. However, APOBEC activity resulting in increase in TMB causes immune evasion. On the other hand, clonal or acquired genetic loss of HLA class I also hampers immune sensitivity of tumors. Rare amplification of the PD-L1 gene in cancers may render them sensitive to immune checkpoint inhibitors but involvement of broader regions of chromosome 9p may ultimately lead again to immune evasion due to inactivation of the IFN-γ signaling pathway. Such genetic changes may occur not only in the primary tumor but at any phase of progression: in lymphatic as well as in visceral metastases. Accordingly, it is rational to monitor these changes continuously during disease progression similar to target therapies. Moreover, beside temporal variability, genomic features of tumors such as mutation profiles, as well as the tumor immune microenvironment also show considerable inter- and intratumoral spatial heterogeneity, suggesting the necessity of multiple sampling in biomarker studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - József Tímár
- 2nd Department of Pathology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
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37
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Abstract
In this chapter I describe Tumour Immune Escape mechanisms associated with MHC/HLA class I loss in human and experimental tumours. Different altered HLA class-I phenotypes can be observed that are produced by different molecular mechanisms. Experimental and histological evidences are summarized indicating that at the early stages of tumour development there is an enormous variety of tumour clones with different MHC class I expression patterns. This phase is followed by a strong T cell mediated immune-selection of MHC/HLA class-I negative tumour cells in the primary tumour lesion. This transition period results in a formation of a tumour composed only of HLA-class I negative cells. An updated description of this process observed in a large variety of human tumors is included. In the second section I focus on MHC/HLA class I alterations observed in mouse and human metastases, and describe the generation of different tumor cell clones with altered MHC class I phenotypes, which could be similar or different from the original tumor clone. The biological and immunological relevance of these observations is discussed. Finally, the interesting phenomenon of metastatic dormancy is analyzed in association with a particular MHC class I negative tumor phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Garrido
- Departamento de Analisis Clinicos e Inmunologia, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
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