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Pitts SC, Schlom J, Donahue RN. Soluble immune checkpoints: implications for cancer prognosis and response to immune checkpoint therapy and conventional therapies. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:155. [PMID: 38822401 PMCID: PMC11141022 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-024-03074-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Longitudinal sampling of tumor tissue from patients with solid cancers, aside from melanoma and a few other cases, is often unfeasible, and thus may not capture the plasticity of interactions between the tumor and immune system under selective pressure of a given therapy. Peripheral blood analyses provide salient information about the human peripheral immunome while offering technical and practical advantages over traditional tumor biopsies, and should be utilized where possible alongside interrogation of the tumor. Some common blood-based biomarkers used to study the immune response include immune cell subsets, circulating tumor DNA, and protein analytes such as cytokines. With the recent explosion of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) as a modality of treatment in multiple cancer types, soluble immune checkpoints have become a relevant area of investigation for peripheral immune-based biomarkers. However, the exact functions of soluble immune checkpoints and their roles in cancer for the most part remain unclear. This review discusses current literature on the production, function, and expression of nine soluble immune checkpoints - sPD-L1, sPD-1, sCTLA4, sCD80, sTIM3, sLAG3, sB7-H3, sBTLA, and sHVEM - in patients with solid tumors, and explores their role as biomarkers of response to ICI as well as to conventional therapies (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and surgery) in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie C Pitts
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jeffrey Schlom
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Renee N Donahue
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Gunturu DR, Hassan M, Bedi D, Datta P, Manne U, Samuel T. Unlocking the Potential of Therapy-Induced Cytokine Responses: Illuminating New Pathways in Cancer Precision Medicine. Curr Oncol 2024; 31:1195-1206. [PMID: 38534922 PMCID: PMC10968790 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol31030089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Precision cancer medicine primarily aims to identify individual patient genomic variations and exploit vulnerabilities in cancer cells to select suitable patients for specific drugs. These genomic features are commonly determined by gene sequencing prior to therapy, to identify individuals who would be most responsive. This precision approach in cancer therapeutics remains a powerful tool that benefits a smaller pool of patients, sparing others from unnecessary treatments. A limitation of this approach is that proteins, not genes, are the ultimate effectors of biological functions, and therefore the targets of therapeutics. An additional dimension in precision medicine that considers an individual's cytokine response to cancer therapeutics is proposed. Cytokine responses to therapy are multifactorial and vary among individuals. Thus, precision is dictated by the nature and magnitude of cytokine responses in the tumor microenvironment exposed to therapy. This review highlights cytokine responses as modules for precision medicine in cancer therapy, including potential challenges. For solid tumors, both detectability of cytokines in tissue fluids and their being amenable to routine sensitive analyses could address the difficulty of specimen collection for diagnosis and monitoring. Therefore, in precision cancer medicine, cytokines offer rational targets that can be utilized to enhance the efficacy of cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilip R. Gunturu
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL 36088, USA;
| | - Mohammed Hassan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL 36088, USA (T.S.)
| | - Deepa Bedi
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL 36088, USA;
| | - Pran Datta
- School of Medicine-Medicine-Hematology & Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA;
| | - Upender Manne
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA;
| | - Temesgen Samuel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL 36088, USA (T.S.)
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Botticelli A, Pomati G, Cirillo A, Scagnoli S, Pisegna S, Chiavassa A, Rossi E, Schinzari G, Tortora G, Di Pietro FR, Cerbelli B, Di Filippo A, Amirhassankhani S, Scala A, Zizzari IG, Cortesi E, Tomao S, Nuti M, Mezi S, Marchetti P. The role of immune profile in predicting outcomes in cancer patients treated with immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:974087. [PMID: 36405727 PMCID: PMC9671166 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.974087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite the efficacy of immunotherapy, only a small percentage of patients achieves a long-term benefit in terms of overall survival. The aim of this study was to define an immune profile predicting the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Methods Patients with advanced solid tumors, who underwent ICI treatment were enrolled in this prospective study. Blood samples were collected at the baseline. Thirteen soluble immune checkpoints, 3 soluble adhesion molecules, 5 chemokines and 11 cytokines were analyzed. The results were associated with oncological outcomes. Results Regardless of tumor type, patients with values of sTIM3, IFNα, IFNγ, IL1β, IL1α, IL12p70, MIP1β, IL13, sCD28, sGITR, sPDL1, IL10 and TNFα below the median had longer overall survival (p<0.05). By using cluster analysis and grouping the patients according to the trend of the molecules, two clusters were found. Cluster A had a significantly higher mean progression free survival (Cluster A=11.9 months vs Cluster B=3.5 months, p<0.01), a higher percentage of disease stability (Cluster A=34.5% vs. Cluster B=0%, p<0.05) and a lower percentage of disease progression (Cluster A=55.2% vs. Cluster B = 94.4%, p=0.04). Conclusion The combined evaluation of soluble molecules, rather than a single circulating factor, may be more suitable to represent the fitness of the immune system status in each patient and could allow to identify two different prognostic and predictive outcome profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Botticelli
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Science, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Pomati
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessio Cirillo
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Science, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Alessio Cirillo,
| | - Simone Scagnoli
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Pisegna
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Science, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Chiavassa
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Science, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Ernesto Rossi
- Medical Oncology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCSS), Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Schinzari
- Medical Oncology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCSS), Rome, Italy
- Medical Oncology, Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Giampaolo Tortora
- Medical Oncology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCSS), Rome, Italy
- Medical Oncology, Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Bruna Cerbelli
- Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology, Polo Pontino, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Di Filippo
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Cell Therapy, Department of Experimental Medicine, Policlinico Umberto I, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
| | - Sasan Amirhassankhani
- Department of Urology, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital University of Bologna, Via Palagi, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandro Scala
- Medical Oncology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCSS), Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Grazia Zizzari
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Cell Therapy, Department of Experimental Medicine, Policlinico Umberto I, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Cortesi
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Science, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Silverio Tomao
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Science, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Marianna Nuti
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Cell Therapy, Department of Experimental Medicine, Policlinico Umberto I, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Mezi
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Science, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Urbiola-Salvador V, Miroszewska D, Jabłońska A, Qureshi T, Chen Z. Proteomics approaches to characterize the immune responses in cancer. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2022; 1869:119266. [PMID: 35390423 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2022.119266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite the dynamic development of cancer research, annually millions of people die of cancer. The human immune system is the major 'guard' against tumor development. Unfortunately, cancer cells have the ability to evade the immune system and continue to grow. The proper understanding of the intricate immune response in tumorigenesis remains the holy grail of cancer immunology and designing effective immunotherapy. To decode the immune responses in cancer, in recent years, proteomics studies have received considerable attention. Proteomics studies focus on the detection and quantification of proteins, which are the effectors of biological functions, and as such, are proven to reflect the cell state more accurately, in comparison to genomic or transcriptomic studies. In this review, we discuss the proteomics studies applied to characterize the immune responses in cancer and tumor immune microenvironment heterogeneity. Further, we describe emerging single-cell proteomics approaches that have the potential to be applied in cancer immunity studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Urbiola-Salvador
- Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, University of Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Dominika Miroszewska
- Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, University of Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Agnieszka Jabłońska
- Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, University of Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Talha Qureshi
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
| | - Zhi Chen
- Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, University of Gdańsk, Poland; Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
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Liu X, Xu Y, Wu X, Liu Y, Wu Q, Wu J, Zhang H, Zhou M, Qu J. Soluble Immune-Related Proteins as New Candidate Serum Biomarkers for the Diagnosis and Progression of Lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:844914. [PMID: 35300340 PMCID: PMC8923288 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.844914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The goal of this study was to analyze serum from lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) patients and healthy controls to identify novel biomarkers that could shed light on disease diagnosis and pathogenesis. Methods From April 2017 to October 2019, qualified serum samples were obtained to explore differences in 59 immune proteins between 67 LAM patients and 49 healthy controls by the Luminex method. Results We characterized 22 serum immune proteins that were differentially expressed in LAM patients compared with healthy people. Fifty-nine proteins were then classified into eight categories according to their biological function, and the results showed that LAM patients displayed significantly higher levels of growth factors (p = 0.006) and lower levels of costimulatory molecules (p = 0.008). LAG-3 was not only likely to have better predictive value than VEGF-D but also showed a significant difference between patients without elevated VEGF-D and healthy people. IL-18 was positively correlated with lung function and six-minute walk test (6MWT) distance and negatively correlated with St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP), which suggested that IL-18 was related to disease severity. PD-1 was significantly different between patients with pneumothorax and/or chylothorax and those without complications. Conclusion We performed a large-scale serum immune factor analysis of LAM. Our study provides evidence that LAG-3 may be a novel candidate serum biomarker for the diagnosis of LAM. Future independent validation in prospective studies is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuefei Liu
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanping Xu
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xueying Wu
- Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Ninth School of Clinical Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, China.,School of Oncology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanpu Liu
- Department of Respiration, Xiangshan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Wu
- Department of Respiration, Xiangshan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Jialiang Wu
- Department of Respiration, Xiangshan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Henghui Zhang
- Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Ninth School of Clinical Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, China.,School of Oncology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Min Zhou
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jieming Qu
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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