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Aparicio B, Theunissen P, Hervas-Stubbs S, Fortes P, Sarobe P. Relevance of mutation-derived neoantigens and non-classical antigens for anticancer therapies. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2024; 20:2303799. [PMID: 38346926 PMCID: PMC10863374 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2024.2303799] [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: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Efficacy of cancer immunotherapies relies on correct recognition of tumor antigens by lymphocytes, eliciting thus functional responses capable of eliminating tumor cells. Therefore, important efforts have been carried out in antigen identification, with the aim of understanding mechanisms of response to immunotherapy and to design safer and more efficient strategies. In addition to classical tumor-associated antigens identified during the last decades, implementation of next-generation sequencing methodologies is enabling the identification of neoantigens (neoAgs) arising from mutations, leading to the development of new neoAg-directed therapies. Moreover, there are numerous non-classical tumor antigens originated from other sources and identified by new methodologies. Here, we review the relevance of neoAgs in different immunotherapies and the results obtained by applying neoAg-based strategies. In addition, the different types of non-classical tumor antigens and the best approaches for their identification are described. This will help to increase the spectrum of targetable molecules useful in cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belen Aparicio
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Cancer Center Clinica Universidad de Navarra (CCUN), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
- CIBERehd, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Patrick Theunissen
- Cancer Center Clinica Universidad de Navarra (CCUN), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
- CIBERehd, Pamplona, Spain
- DNA and RNA Medicine Division, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Sandra Hervas-Stubbs
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Cancer Center Clinica Universidad de Navarra (CCUN), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
- CIBERehd, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Puri Fortes
- Cancer Center Clinica Universidad de Navarra (CCUN), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
- CIBERehd, Pamplona, Spain
- DNA and RNA Medicine Division, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Spanish Network for Advanced Therapies (TERAV ISCIII), Spain
| | - Pablo Sarobe
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Cancer Center Clinica Universidad de Navarra (CCUN), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
- CIBERehd, Pamplona, Spain
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2
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Meng W, Takeuchi Y, Ward JP, Sultan H, Arthur CD, Mardis ER, Artyomov MN, Lichti CF, Schreiber RD. Improvement of Tumor Neoantigen Detection by High-Field Asymmetric Waveform Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry. Cancer Immunol Res 2024; 12:988-1006. [PMID: 38768391 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-23-0900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Cancer neoantigens have been shown to elicit cancer-specific T-cell responses and have garnered much attention for their roles in both spontaneous and therapeutically induced antitumor responses. Mass spectrometry (MS) profiling of tumor immunopeptidomes has been used, in part, to identify MHC-bound mutant neoantigen ligands. However, under standard conditions, MS-based detection of such rare but clinically relevant neoantigens is relatively insensitive, requiring 300 million cells or more. Here, to quantitatively define the minimum detectable amounts of therapeutically relevant MHC-I and MHC-II neoantigen peptides, we analyzed different dilutions of immunopeptidomes isolated from the well-characterized T3 mouse methylcholanthrene (MCA)-induced cell line by MS. Using either data-dependent acquisition or parallel reaction monitoring (PRM), we established the minimum amount of material required to detect the major T3 neoantigens in the presence or absence of high field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS). This analysis yielded a 14-fold enhancement of sensitivity in detecting the major T3 MHC-I neoantigen (mLama4) with FAIMS-PRM compared with PRM without FAIMS, allowing ex vivo detection of this neoantigen from an individual 100 mg T3 tumor. These findings were then extended to two other independent MCA-sarcoma lines (1956 and F244). This study demonstrates that FAIMS substantially increases the sensitivity of MS-based characterization of validated neoantigens from tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Meng
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
- The Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
| | - Yoshiko Takeuchi
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
- The Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
| | - Jeffrey P Ward
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
- The Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
| | - Hussein Sultan
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
- The Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
| | - Cora D Arthur
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
| | - Elaine R Mardis
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Maxim N Artyomov
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
- The Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
| | - Cheryl F Lichti
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
- The Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
| | - Robert D Schreiber
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
- The Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
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3
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Espinosa-Carrasco G, Chiu E, Scrivo A, Zumbo P, Dave A, Betel D, Kang SW, Jang HJ, Hellmann MD, Burt BM, Lee HS, Schietinger A. Intratumoral immune triads are required for immunotherapy-mediated elimination of solid tumors. Cancer Cell 2024; 42:1202-1216.e8. [PMID: 38906155 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2024.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Tumor-specific CD8+ T cells are frequently dysfunctional and unable to halt tumor growth. We investigated whether tumor-specific CD4+ T cells can be enlisted to overcome CD8+ T cell dysfunction within tumors. We find that the spatial positioning and interactions of CD8+ and CD4+ T cells, but not their numbers, dictate anti-tumor responses in the context of adoptive T cell therapy as well as immune checkpoint blockade (ICB): CD4+ T cells must engage with CD8+ T cells on the same dendritic cell during the effector phase, forming a three-cell-type cluster (triad) to license CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity and cancer cell elimination. When intratumoral triad formation is disrupted, tumors progress despite equal numbers of tumor-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T cells. In patients with pleural mesothelioma treated with ICB, triads are associated with clinical responses. Thus, CD4+ T cells and triads are required for CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity during the effector phase and tumor elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Edison Chiu
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aurora Scrivo
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, and Institute for Aging Studies, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Paul Zumbo
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Applied Bioinformatics Core, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Asim Dave
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Doron Betel
- Applied Bioinformatics Core, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sung Wook Kang
- Systems Onco-Immunology Laboratory, David J. Sugarbaker Division of Thoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hee-Jin Jang
- Systems Onco-Immunology Laboratory, David J. Sugarbaker Division of Thoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Matthew D Hellmann
- Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bryan M Burt
- Systems Onco-Immunology Laboratory, David J. Sugarbaker Division of Thoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Division of Thoracic Surgery, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hyun-Sung Lee
- Systems Onco-Immunology Laboratory, David J. Sugarbaker Division of Thoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Andrea Schietinger
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA.
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4
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Wolf SP, Anastasopoulou V, Drousch K, Diehl MI, Engels B, Yew PY, Kiyotani K, Nakamura Y, Schreiber K, Schreiber H, Leisegang M. One CD4+TCR and One CD8+TCR Targeting Autochthonous Neoantigens Are Essential and Sufficient for Tumor Eradication. Clin Cancer Res 2024; 30:1642-1654. [PMID: 38190111 PMCID: PMC11018470 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-2905] [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: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To achieve eradication of solid tumors, we examined how many neoantigens need to be targeted with how many T-cell receptors (TCR) by which type of T cells. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Unmanipulated, naturally expressed (autochthonous) neoantigens were targeted with adoptively transferred TCR-engineered autologous T cells (TCR-therapy). TCR-therapy used CD8+ T-cell subsets engineered with TCRs isolated from CD8+ T cells (CD8+TCR-therapy), CD4+ T-cell subsets engineered with TCRs isolated from CD4+ T cells (CD4+TCR-therapy), or combinations of both. The targeted tumors were established for at least 3 weeks and derived from primary autochthonous cancer cell cultures, resembling natural solid tumors and their heterogeneity as found in humans. RESULTS Relapse was common with CD8+TCR-therapy even when targeting multiple different autochthonous neoantigens on heterogeneous solid tumors. CD8+TCR-therapy was only effective against homogenous tumors artificially derived from a cancer cell clone. In contrast, a combination of CD8+TCR-therapy with CD4+TCR-therapy, each targeting one neoantigen, eradicated large and established solid tumors of natural heterogeneity. CD4+TCR-therapy targeted a mutant neoantigen on tumor stroma while direct cancer cell recognition by CD8+TCR-therapy was essential for cure. In vitro data were consistent with elimination of cancer cells requiring a four-cell cluster composed of TCR-engineered CD4+ and CD8+ T cells together with antigen-presenting cells and cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS Two cancer-specific TCRs can be essential and sufficient to eradicate heterogeneous solid tumors expressing unmanipulated, autochthonous targets. We demonstrate that simplifications to adoptive TCR-therapy are possible without compromising efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven P. Wolf
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- David and Etta Jonas Center for Cellular Therapy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 USA
| | - Vasiliki Anastasopoulou
- Institute of Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Berlin, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kimberley Drousch
- Institute of Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Markus I. Diehl
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Boris Engels
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Poh Yin Yew
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Kazuma Kiyotani
- Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo 135-8550, Japan
| | - Yusuke Nakamura
- Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo 135-8550, Japan
| | - Karin Schreiber
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- David and Etta Jonas Center for Cellular Therapy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 USA
| | - Hans Schreiber
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- David and Etta Jonas Center for Cellular Therapy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- Committee on Cancer Biology, Committee on Immunology and the Cancer Center, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- These authors contributed equally as senior authors
| | - Matthias Leisegang
- David and Etta Jonas Center for Cellular Therapy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- Institute of Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Berlin, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- These authors contributed equally as senior authors
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5
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Srivastava PK. Cancer neoepitopes viewed through negative selection and peripheral tolerance: a new path to cancer vaccines. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e176740. [PMID: 38426497 PMCID: PMC10904052 DOI: 10.1172/jci176740] [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: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
A proportion of somatic mutations in tumors create neoepitopes that can prime T cell responses that target the MHC I-neoepitope complexes on tumor cells, mediating tumor control or rejection. Despite the compelling centrality of neoepitopes to cancer immunity, we know remarkably little about what constitutes a neoepitope that can mediate tumor control in vivo and what distinguishes such a neoepitope from the vast majority of similar candidate neoepitopes that are inefficacious in vivo. Studies in mice as well as clinical trials have begun to reveal the unexpected paradoxes in this area. Because cancer neoepitopes straddle that ambiguous ground between self and non-self, some rules that are fundamental to immunology of frankly non-self antigens, such as viral or model antigens, do not appear to apply to neoepitopes. Because neoepitopes are so similar to self-epitopes, with only small changes that render them non-self, immune response to them is regulated at least partially the way immune response to self is regulated. Therefore, neoepitopes are viewed and understood here through the clarifying lens of negative thymic selection. Here, the emergent questions in the biology and clinical applications of neoepitopes are discussed critically and a mechanistic and testable framework that explains the complexity and translational potential of these wonderful antigens is proposed.
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6
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Ji S, Shi Y, Yin B. Macrophage barrier in the tumor microenvironment and potential clinical applications. Cell Commun Signal 2024; 22:74. [PMID: 38279145 PMCID: PMC10811890 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01424-6] [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: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) constitutes a complex microenvironment comprising a diverse array of immune cells and stromal components. Within this intricate context, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) exhibit notable spatial heterogeneity. This heterogeneity contributes to various facets of tumor behavior, including immune response modulation, angiogenesis, tissue remodeling, and metastatic potential. This review summarizes the spatial distribution of macrophages in both the physiological environment and the TME. Moreover, this paper explores the intricate interactions between TAMs and diverse immune cell populations (T cells, dendritic cells, neutrophils, natural killer cells, and other immune cells) within the TME. These bidirectional exchanges form a complex network of immune interactions that influence tumor immune surveillance and evasion strategies. Investigating TAM heterogeneity and its intricate interactions with different immune cell populations offers potential avenues for therapeutic interventions. Additionally, this paper discusses therapeutic strategies targeting macrophages, aiming to uncover novel approaches for immunotherapy. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Ji
- Department of Urinary Surgery, The Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110022, China
| | - Yuqing Shi
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shenyang 10th People's Hospital, Shenyang, 110096, China
| | - Bo Yin
- Department of Urinary Surgery, The Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110022, China.
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Abstract
The use of cancer vaccines is considered a promising therapeutic strategy in clinical oncology, which is achieved by stimulating antitumor immunity with tumor antigens delivered in the form of cells, peptides, viruses, and nucleic acids. The ideal cancer vaccine has many advantages, including low toxicity, specificity, and induction of persistent immune memory to overcome tumor heterogeneity and reverse the immunosuppressive microenvironment. Many therapeutic vaccines have entered clinical trials for a variety of cancers, including melanoma, breast cancer, lung cancer, and others. However, many challenges, including single antigen targeting, weak immunogenicity, off-target effects, and impaired immune response, have hindered their broad clinical translation. In this review, we introduce the principle of action, components (including antigens and adjuvants), and classification (according to applicable objects and preparation methods) of cancer vaccines, summarize the delivery methods of cancer vaccines, and review the clinical and theoretical research progress of cancer vaccines. We also present new insights into cancer vaccine technologies, platforms, and applications as well as an understanding of potential next-generation preventive and therapeutic vaccine technologies, providing a broader perspective for future vaccine design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nian Liu
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, No. 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xiangyu Xiao
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, No. 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Ziqiang Zhang
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, No. 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Chun Mao
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, No. 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Mimi Wan
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, No. 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jian Shen
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, No. 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
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8
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Meng W, Schreiber RD, Lichti CF. Recent advances in immunopeptidomic-based tumor neoantigen discovery. Adv Immunol 2023; 160:1-36. [PMID: 38042584 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ai.2023.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
The role of aberrantly expressed proteins in tumors in driving immune-mediated control of cancer has been well documented for more than five decades. Today, we know that both aberrantly expressed normal proteins as well as mutant proteins (neoantigens) can function as tumor antigens in both humans and mice. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) technologies have made significant advances since the early 2010s, enabling detection of rare but clinically relevant neoantigens recognized by T cells. MS profiling of tumor-specific immunopeptidomes remains the most direct method to identify mutant peptides bound to cellular MHC. However, the need for use of large numbers of cells or significant amounts of tumor tissue to achieve neoantigen detection has historically limited the application of MS. Newer, more sensitive MS technologies have recently demonstrated the capacities to detect neoantigens from fewer cells. Here, we highlight recent advancements in immunopeptidomics-based characterization of tumor-specific neoantigens. Various tumor antigen categories and neoantigen identification approaches are also discussed. Furthermore, we summarize recent reports that achieved successful tumor neoantigen detection by MS using a variety of starting materials, MS acquisition modes, and novel ion mobility devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Meng
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, United States; The Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, United States
| | - Robert D Schreiber
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, United States; The Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, United States.
| | - Cheryl F Lichti
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, United States; The Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, United States.
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Chen G, Kong D, Lin Y. Neo-Antigen-Reactive T Cells Immunotherapy for Colorectal Cancer: A More Personalized Cancer Therapy Approach. GLOBAL CHALLENGES (HOBOKEN, NJ) 2023; 7:2200186. [PMID: 37970536 PMCID: PMC10632666 DOI: 10.1002/gch2.202200186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common malignancy in women and the third most frequent cancer in men. Evidence has revealed that the survival of patients with metastatic CRC is very low, between one and three years. Neoantigens are known proteins encoded by mutations in tumor cells. It is theorized that recognizing neoantigens by T cells leads to T cell activation and further antitumor responses. Neoantigen-reactive T cells (NRTs) are designed against the mentioned neoantigens expressed by tumor cells. NRTs selectively kill tumor cells without damage to non-cancerous cells. Identifying patient-specific and high immunogen neoantigens is important in NRT immunotherapy of patients with CRC. However, the main challenges are the side effects and preparation of NRTs, as well as the effectiveness of these cells in vivo. This review summarized the properties of neoantigens as well as the preparation and therapeutic outcomes of NRTs for the treatment of CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guan‐Liang Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology SurgeryAffiliated Hospital of Shaoxing UniversityShaoxing312000China
| | - De‐Xia Kong
- Center for General Practice MedicineDepartment of GastroenterologyZhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical CollegeNo. 158 Shangtang RoadHangzhouZhejiang310014China
| | - Yan Lin
- Center for General Practice MedicineDepartment of GastroenterologyZhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical CollegeNo. 158 Shangtang RoadHangzhouZhejiang310014China
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10
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Dickerson LK, Carter JA, Kohli K, Pillarisetty VG. Emerging interleukin targets in the tumour microenvironment: implications for the treatment of gastrointestinal tumours. Gut 2023; 72:1592-1606. [PMID: 37258094 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2023-329650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The effectiveness of antitumour immunity is dependent on intricate cytokine networks. Interleukins (ILs) are important mediators of complex interactions within the tumour microenvironment, including regulation of tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte proliferation, differentiation, migration and activation. Our evolving and increasingly nuanced understanding of the cell type-specific and heterogeneous effects of IL signalling has presented unique opportunities to fine-tune elaborate IL networks and engineer new targeted immunotherapeutics. In this review, we provide a primer for clinicians on the challenges and potential of IL-based treatment. We specifically detail the roles of IL-2, IL-10, IL-12 and IL-15 in shaping the tumour-immune landscape of gastrointestinal malignancies, paying particular attention to promising preclinical findings, early-stage clinical research and innovative therapeutic approaches that may properly place ILs to the forefront of immunotherapy regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jason A Carter
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Karan Kohli
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Flatiron Bio, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Venu G Pillarisetty
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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11
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Espinosa-Carrasco G, Scrivo A, Zumbo P, Dave A, Betel D, Hellmann M, Burt BM, Lee HS, Schietinger A. Intratumoral immune triads are required for adoptive T cell therapy-mediated elimination of solid tumors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.03.547423. [PMID: 37461721 PMCID: PMC10349998 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.03.547423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Tumor-reactive CD8 T cells found in cancer patients are frequently dysfunctional, unable to halt tumor growth. Adoptive T cell transfer (ACT), the administration of large numbers of in vitro-generated cytolytic tumor-reactive CD8 T cells, is an important cancer immune therapy being pursued. However, a limitation of ACT is that transferred CD8 T cells often rapidly lose effector function, and despite exciting results in certain malignancies, few ACT clinical trials have shown responses in solid tumors. Here, we developed preclinical cancer mouse models to investigate if and how tumor-specific CD4 T cells can be enlisted to overcome CD8 T cell dysfunction in the setting of ACT. In situ confocal microscopy of color-coded cancer cells, tumor-specific CD8 and CD4 T cells, and antigen presenting cells (APC), combined with functional studies, revealed that the spatial positioning and interactions of CD8 and CD4 T cells, but not their numbers, dictates ACT efficacy and anti-tumor responses. We uncover a new role of antigen-specific CD4 T cells in addition to the known requirement for CD4 T cells during priming/activation of naïve CD8 T cells. CD4 T cells must co-engage with CD8 T cells and APC cross-presenting CD8- and CD4-tumor antigens during the effector phase, forming a three-cell-cluster (triad), to license CD8 T cell cytotoxicity and mediate cancer cell elimination. Triad formation transcriptionally and epigenetically reprogram CD8 T cells, prevent T cell dysfunction/exhaustion, and ultimately lead to the elimination of large established tumors and confer long-term protection from recurrence. When intratumoral triad formation was disrupted, adoptively transferred CD8 T cells could not be reprogrammed, and tumors progressed despite equal numbers of tumor-infiltrating CD8 and CD4 T cells. Strikingly, the formation of CD4 T cell::CD8 T cell::APC triads in tumors of patients with lung cancers treated with immune checkpoint blockade was associated with clinical responses, but not CD4::APC dyads or overall numbers of CD8 or CD4 T cells, demonstrating the importance of triads in non-ACT settings in humans. Our work uncovers intratumoral triads as a key requirement for anti-tumor immunity and a new role for CD4 T cells in CD8 T cell cytotoxicity and cancer cell eradication.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aurora Scrivo
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, and Institute for Aging Studies, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Paul Zumbo
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Asim Dave
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Doron Betel
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew Hellmann
- Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bryan M Burt
- Systems Onco-Immunology Laboratory, David J. Sugarbaker Division of Thoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Hyun-Sung Lee
- Systems Onco-Immunology Laboratory, David J. Sugarbaker Division of Thoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Andrea Schietinger
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA
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12
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Pelizzaro F, Farinati F, Trevisani F. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current Strategies and Biomarkers Predicting Response and/or Resistance. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11041020. [PMID: 37189643 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11041020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Following the positive results of the IMbrave150 trial, the combination of atezolizumab (an anti-PD-L1 antibody) and bevacizumab (an anti-VEGF antibody) became the standard of care frontline treatment for patients with advanced stage HCC. Several other trials evaluated immunotherapy in HCC, demonstrating that ICIs-based regimens are currently the most effective treatment strategies and expanding the therapeutic possibilities. Despite the unprecedent rates of objective tumor response, not all patients benefit from treatment with ICIs. Therefore, in order to select the appropriate therapy as well as to correctly allocate medical resources and avoid unnecessary treatment-related toxicities, there is great interest in identifying the predictive biomarkers of response or resistance to immunotherapy-based regimens. Immune classes of HCC, genomic signatures, anti-drug antibodies, and patient-related factors (e.g., etiology of liver disease, gut microbiota diversity) have been associated to the response to ICIs, but none of the proposed biomarkers have been translated into clinical practice so far. Considering the crucial importance of this topic, in this review we aim to summarize the available data on tumor and clinical features associated with the response or resistance of HCC to immunotherapies.
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13
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Plewa N, Poncette L, Blankenstein T. Generation of TGFβR2(-1) neoantigen-specific HLA-DR4-restricted T cell receptors for cancer therapy. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:jitc-2022-006001. [PMID: 36822673 PMCID: PMC9950979 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-006001] [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] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adoptive transfer of patient's T cells, engineered to express a T cell receptor (TCR) with defined novel antigen specificity, is a convenient form of cancer therapy. In most cases, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I-restricted TCRs are expressed in CD8+ T cells and the development of CD4+ T cells engineered to express an MHC II-restricted TCR lacks behind. Critical is the choice of the target antigen, whether the epitope is efficiently processed and binds with high affinity to MHC molecules. A mutation in the transforming growth factor β receptor 2 (TGFβR2(-1)) gene creates a frameshift peptide caused by the deletion of one adenine (-1) within a microsatellite sequence. This somatic mutation is recurrent in microsatellite instable colorectal and gastric cancers and, therefore, is a truly tumor-specific antigen detected in many patients. METHODS ABabDR4 mice, which express a diverse human TCR repertoire restricted to human MHC II molecule HLA-DRA/DRB1*0401 (HLA-DR4), were immunized with the TGFβR2(-1) peptide and TGFβR2(-1)-specific TCRs were isolated from responding CD4+ T cells. The TGFβR2(-1)-specific TCRs were expressed in human CD4+ T cells and their potency and safety profile were assessed by co-cultures and other functional assays. RESULTS We demonstrated that TGFβR2(-1) neoantigen is immunogenic and elicited CD4+ T cell responses in ABabDR4 mice. When expressed in human CD4+ T cells, the HLA-DR4 restricted TGFβR2(-1)-specific TCRs induced IFNy expression at low TGFβR2(-1) peptide amounts. The TGFβR2(-1)-specific TCRs recognized HLA-DR4+ lymphoblastoid cells, which endogenously processed and presented the neoantigen, and colorectal cancer cell lines SW48 and HCT116 naturally expressing the TGFβR2(-1) mutation. No MHC II alloreactivity or cross-reactivity to peptides with a similar TCR-recognition motif were observed, indicating the safety of the TCRs. CONCLUSIONS The data suggest that HLA-DR4-restricted TCRs specific for the TGFβR2(-1) recurrent neoantigen can be valuable candidates for adoptive T cell therapy of a sizeable number of patients with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Plewa
- Max Delbruck Centre for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lucia Poncette
- Max Delbruck Centre for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
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14
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Bo Y, Wang H. Biomaterial-Based In Situ Cancer Vaccines. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023:e2210452. [PMID: 36649567 PMCID: PMC10408245 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202210452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapies have reshaped the paradigm for cancer treatment over the past decade. Among them, therapeutic cancer vaccines that aim to modulate antigen-presenting cells and subsequent T cell priming processes are among the first FDA-approved cancer immunotherapies. However, despite showing benign safety profiles and the capability to generate antigen-specific humoral and cellular responses, cancer vaccines have been limited by the modest therapeutic efficacy, especially for immunologically cold solid tumors. One key challenge lies in the identification of tumor-specific antigens, which involves a costly and lengthy process of tumor cell isolation, DNA/RNA extraction, sequencing, mutation analysis, epitope prediction, peptide synthesis, and antigen screening. To address these issues, in situ cancer vaccines have been actively pursued to generate endogenous antigens directly from tumors and utilize the generated tumor antigens to elicit potent cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response. Biomaterials-based in situ cancer vaccines, in particular, have achieved significant progress by taking advantage of biomaterials that can synergize antigens and adjuvants, troubleshoot delivery issues, home, and manipulate immune cells in situ. This review will provide an overview of biomaterials-based in situ cancer vaccines, either living or artificial materials, under development or in the clinic, and discuss the design criteria for in situ cancer vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Bo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL), Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Carle College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
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15
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Wu Y, Biswas D, Swanton C. Impact of cancer evolution on immune surveillance and checkpoint inhibitor response. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 84:89-102. [PMID: 33631295 PMCID: PMC9253787 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Intratumour heterogeneity (ITH) is pervasive across all cancers studied and may provide the evolving tumour multiple routes to escape immune surveillance. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) are rapidly becoming standard of care for many cancers. Here, we discuss recent work investigating the influence of ITH on patient response to immune checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) therapy. At its simplest, ITH may confound the diagnostic accuracy of predictive biomarkers used to stratify patients for CPI therapy. Furthermore, ITH is fuelled by mechanisms of genetic instability that can both engage immune surveillance and drive immune evasion. A greater appreciation of the interplay between ITH and the immune system may hold the key to increasing the proportion of patients experiencing durable responses from CPI therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Wu
- Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, London, WC1E 6DD, UK; Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Dhruva Biswas
- Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, London, WC1E 6DD, UK; Bill Lyons Informatics Centre, University College London Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Charles Swanton
- Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, London, WC1E 6DD, UK.
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16
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Philip M, Schietinger A. CD8 + T cell differentiation and dysfunction in cancer. Nat Rev Immunol 2022; 22:209-223. [PMID: 34253904 PMCID: PMC9792152 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-021-00574-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 383] [Impact Index Per Article: 191.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
CD8+ T cells specific for cancer cells are detected within tumours. However, despite their presence, tumours progress. The clinical success of immune checkpoint blockade and adoptive T cell therapy demonstrates the potential of CD8+ T cells to mediate antitumour responses; however, most patients with cancer fail to achieve long-term responses to immunotherapy. Here we review CD8+ T cell differentiation to dysfunctional states during tumorigenesis. We highlight similarities and differences between T cell dysfunction and other hyporesponsive T cell states and discuss the spatio-temporal factors contributing to T cell state heterogeneity in tumours. An important challenge is predicting which patients will respond to immunotherapeutic interventions and understanding which T cell subsets mediate the clinical response. We explore our current understanding of what determines T cell responsiveness and resistance to immunotherapy and point out the outstanding research questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Philip
- Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Department of Medicine/Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,;
| | - Andrea Schietinger
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.,;
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17
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Wolf SP, Wen FT, Schreiber H. Criteria to make animal studies more relevant to treating human cancer. Curr Opin Immunol 2022; 74:25-31. [PMID: 34619458 PMCID: PMC8901458 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2021.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Certain aspects of experimental tumor models in mice most accurately reflect the biology and immunology of cancer in patients. A survey of experimental cancer immunotherapy papers published in 2020 shows most do not achieve cancer shrinkage although treatment is initiated at an early time point after cancer cell injection, which does not reflect cancer immunotherapy in patients. Even then, few current experimental approaches eradicate the injected malignant cells, most only delay outgrowth. The value of targeting mutation-encoded tumor-specific antigens becomes increasingly evident while problems of finding normal gene-encoded tumor-associated antigens as safe, effective targets persist. It might be time to refocus on realistic experimental settings and truly cancer-specific targets. These antigens are associated with the least risk of side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven P Wolf
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA; David and Etta Jonas Center for Cellular Therapy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Frank T Wen
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Hans Schreiber
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA; David and Etta Jonas Center for Cellular Therapy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA; Committee on Cancer Biology and Committee on Immunology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
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18
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Neoantigen Cancer Vaccines: Generation, Optimization, and Therapeutic Targeting Strategies. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10020196. [PMID: 35214655 PMCID: PMC8877108 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10020196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternatives to conventional cancer treatments are highly sought after for high-risk malignancies that have a poor response to established treatment modalities. With research advancing rapidly in the past decade, neoantigen-based immunotherapeutic approaches represent an effective and highly tolerable therapeutic option. Neoantigens are tumor-specific antigens that are not expressed in normal cells and possess significant immunogenic potential. Several recent studies have described the conceptual framework and methodologies to generate neoantigen-based vaccines as well as the formulation of appropriate clinical trials to advance this approach for patient care. This review aims to describe some of the key studies in the recent literature in this rapidly evolving field and summarize the current advances in neoantigen identification and selection, vaccine generation and delivery, and the optimization of neoantigen-based therapeutic strategies, including the early data from pivotal clinical studies.
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19
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Zhu Y, Liu J. The Role of Neoantigens in Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Oncol 2021; 11:682325. [PMID: 34513673 PMCID: PMC8429900 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.682325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Somatic mutation-derived neoantigens, expressed only on tumor cells, may elicit antitumor T-cell responses in cancer immunotherapies with minimal immune tolerance. Neoantigens can be identified by multiple bioinformatics technologies, mainly based on whole-exome sequencing. Personalized cancer vaccines and adoptive T cell therapies are two primary treatment modalities targeting neoantigens, and both of them have shown promising therapeutic effects. This review, summarizes the history of neoantigen-related tumor control, introduces recent neoantigen screening and identification methods, and discusses the role of neoantigen in cancer immunotherapies. Moreover, we propose the challenges of targeting neoantigens for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueting Zhu
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiyan Liu
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Oncology, The First People's Hospital of Ziyang, Ziyang, China
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20
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Charneau J, Suzuki T, Shimomura M, Fujinami N, Nakatsura T. Peptide-Based Vaccines for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review of Recent Advances. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2021; 8:1035-1054. [PMID: 34513746 PMCID: PMC8424432 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s291558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary liver cancer is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. After surgery, up to 70% of patients experience relapses. The current first-line therapy for advanced cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) comprises sorafenib and lenvatinib administered as single-drug therapies. Regorafenib, cabozantinib, and ramucirumab are administered as second-line therapies. Recently, it has been reported that using the immune checkpoint inhibitors atezolizumab (anti-PDL1 antibody) and bevacizumab (anti-VEGF antibody) leads to longer overall survival of unresectable cases, when compared with the use of sorafenib. The role of cancer immunity against HCC has attracted the attention of clinicians. In this review, we describe our phase I/II clinical trials of peptide vaccines targeting GPC3 in HCC and discuss the potential of peptide vaccines targeting common cancer antigens that are highly expressed in HCC, such as WT-I, AFP, ROBO1, and FOXM1. Further, we introduce recent cancer vaccines targeting neoantigens, which have attracted attention in recent times, as well as present our preclinical studies, the results of which might aid to initiate a neoantigen vaccine clinical trial, which would be the first of its kind in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimmy Charneau
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Suzuki
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Manami Shimomura
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan
| | - Norihiro Fujinami
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Nakatsura
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan
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21
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Verdon DJ, Jenkins MR. Identification and Targeting of Mutant Peptide Neoantigens in Cancer Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4245. [PMID: 34439399 PMCID: PMC8391927 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13164245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, adoptive cell transfer and checkpoint blockade therapies have revolutionized immunotherapeutic approaches to cancer treatment. Advances in whole exome/genome sequencing and bioinformatic detection of tumour-specific genetic variations and the amino acid sequence alterations they induce have revealed that T cell mediated anti-tumour immunity is substantially directed at mutated peptide sequences, and the identification and therapeutic targeting of patient-specific mutated peptide antigens now represents an exciting and rapidly progressing frontier of personalized medicine in the treatment of cancer. This review outlines the historical identification and validation of mutated peptide neoantigens as a target of the immune system, and the technical development of bioinformatic and experimental strategies for detecting, confirming and prioritizing both patient-specific or "private" and frequently occurring, shared "public" neoantigenic targets. Further, we examine the range of therapeutic modalities that have demonstrated preclinical and clinical anti-tumour efficacy through specifically targeting neoantigens, including adoptive T cell transfer, checkpoint blockade and neoantigen vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Verdon
- Immunology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia;
| | - Misty R. Jenkins
- Immunology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia;
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- La Trobe Institute of Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
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22
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Chen I, Chen MY, Goedegebuure SP, Gillanders WE. Challenges targeting cancer neoantigens in 2021: a systematic literature review. Expert Rev Vaccines 2021; 20:827-837. [PMID: 34047245 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2021.1935248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Cancer neoantigens represent important targets of cancer immunotherapy. The goal of cancer neoantigen vaccines is to induce neoantigen-specific immune responses and antitumor immunity while minimizing the potential for autoimmune toxicity. Advances in sequencing technologies, neoantigen prediction algorithms, and other technologies have dramatically improved the ability to identify and prioritize cancer neoantigens. Unfortunately, results from preclinical studies and early phase clinical trials highlight important challenges to the successful clinical translation of neoantigen cancer vaccines.Areas covered: In this review, we provide an overview of current strategies for the identification and prioritization of cancer neoantigens with a particular emphasis on the two most common strategies used for neoantigen identification: (1) direct identification of peptide ligands eluted from peptide-MHC complexes, and (2) next-generation sequencing combined with neoantigen prediction algorithms. We highlight the limitations of current neoantigen prediction pipelines, and discuss broader challenges associated with cancer neoantigen vaccines including tumor purity/heterogeneity and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.Expert opinion: Despite current limitations, neoantigen prediction is likely to improve rapidly based on advances in sequencing, machine learning, and information sharing. The successful development of robust cancer neoantigen prediction strategies is likely to have a significant impact, with the potential to facilitate cancer neoantigen vaccine design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ina Chen
- Department of Surgery, Washington University and Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Michael Y Chen
- Department of Surgery, Washington University and Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - S Peter Goedegebuure
- Department of Surgery, Washington University and Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA.,The Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - William E Gillanders
- Department of Surgery, Washington University and Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA.,The Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
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23
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Hassan FM, Alsultan A, Alzehrani F, Albuali W, Bubshait D, Abass E, Elbasheer M, Alkhanbashi A. Genetic Variants of RPL5 and RPL9 Genes among Saudi Patients Diagnosed with Thrombosis. Med Arch 2021; 75:188-193. [PMID: 34483448 PMCID: PMC8385736 DOI: 10.5455/medarh.2021.75.188-193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thrombosis directly affects the quality of life with increased mortality. The RPL5 (L5) gene on intron 6 on chromosome 1p22, rs6604026 is associated with multiple sclerosis risk, whereas RPL9 (L9) on 8 exons on chromosome 4p14 has been documented so far as being an essential involvement in the proliferation of protein synthesized cells mostly by gene products. OBJECTIVE The aim of this work was to assess genetic variants of RPL5 and RPL9 and thrombosis to characterize their role in the diagnosis of thrombosis among the Saudi population. METHODS The cross-sectional study involved 100 Saudi patients diagnosed with thrombosis (arterial or venous) in 50 healthy individuals as controls in the same age and sex groups. Primers were designed RPL5 and RPL9 for molecular analysis. The Sanger System ABI-3730xL (Hong Kong) automatic sequencing was used for DNA sequencing. Statistical analysis was performed using the Prism 5 and SPSS version-21 programs. RESULTS The male / female age ratio was 66.7 / 57.4, and the mean age was 61.2 years. Most of the patients were self-identifiable and without a previous history of thrombosis (61.0%). Most of the patients had just been diagnosed, that is, in the last five years (74.0%), about 43% of the patients underwent treatment using combination therapy (Aspirin and oral anticoagulants). New gene variants of RPL5 (5 SNPs) and RPL9 (9 SNPs) were detected in Saudi thrombotic patients. CONCLUSION Mutations in RPL5 and RPL9 were reported in all thrombotic patients, represented by a new variant of the ribosomal protein gene and correlated with thrombosis in the Saudi population. These results may reflect an association between the ribosomal protein SNP gene and the incidence and progression of thrombosis in the Saudi population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fathelrahman Mahdi Hassan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Science. Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Afnan Alsultan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Science. Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Faisal Alzehrani
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Science. Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Waleed Albuali
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine. Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Dalal Bubshait
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine. Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Elfadil Abass
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Science. Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mudathir Elbasheer
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Science. Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulmohsen Alkhanbashi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Science. Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
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Abstract
Immunotherapy has changed the landscape of cancer treatment and has significantly improved the outcome of several cancer types including breast, lung, colorectal and prostate. Neoantigen recognition and immune checkpoint inhibitors are nowadays the milestones of different immunotherapeutic regimes; however, high cost, primary and acquired resistance and the high variability of responses make their extensive use difficult. The development of better predictive biomarkers that represent tumour diversity shows promise because there is a significant body of clinical data showing a spectrum of immunotherapeutic responses that might be related back to their specific characteristics. This article makes a conceptual and historical review to summarise the main advances in our understanding of the role of the immune system in cancer, while describing the methodological details that have been successfully implemented on cancer treatments and that may hold the key to improved therapeutic approaches.
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25
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Cancer Vaccines: Antigen Selection Strategy. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9020085. [PMID: 33503926 PMCID: PMC7911511 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9020085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Unlike traditional cancer therapies, cancer vaccines (CVs) harness a high specificity of the host’s immunity to kill tumor cells. CVs can train and bolster the patient’s immune system to recognize and eliminate malignant cells by enhancing immune cells’ identification of antigens expressed on cancer cells. Various features of antigens like immunogenicity and avidity influence the efficacy of CVs. Therefore, the choice and application of antigens play a critical role in establishing and developing CVs. Tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), a group of proteins expressed at elevated levels in tumor cells but lower levels in healthy normal cells, have been well-studied and developed in CVs. However, immunological tolerance, HLA restriction, and adverse events are major obstacles that threaten TAA-based CVs’ efficacy due to the “self-protein” characteristic of TAAs. As “abnormal proteins” that are completely absent from normal cells, tumor-specific antigens (TSAs) can trigger a robust immune response against tumor cells with high specificity and without going through central tolerance, contributing to cancer vaccine development feasibility. In this review, we focus on the unique features of TAAs and TSAs and their application in vaccines, summarizing their performance in preclinical and clinical trials.
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26
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Yin Z, Yu M, Ma T, Zhang C, Huang S, Karimzadeh MR, Momtazi-Borojeni AA, Chen S. Mechanisms underlying low-clinical responses to PD-1/PD-L1 blocking antibodies in immunotherapy of cancer: a key role of exosomal PD-L1. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:jitc-2020-001698. [PMID: 33472857 PMCID: PMC7818841 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-001698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Exosomes, as the main group of extracellular vesicles, are biologically active lipid-bilayer vesicles that are naturally released from different types of normal or tumor cells. These vesicles play an important role in intercellular communication and influence the extracellular environment and the immune system. Emerging evidence demonstrates that cancer-derived exosomes are enriched in immunosuppressive proteins, such as the programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). PD-L1 and its receptor programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) are the key immune checkpoint molecules that promote tumor progression via negative regulation of immune responses. PDL-1 is highly expressed on the surface of tumor cells and binds to PD-1 on the surface of activated T cells, leading to suppression of T cells, which consequently enables cancer cells to escape antitumor immunity. Currently, there are several Food and Drug Administration-approved monoclonal antibodies blocking PD-1/PD-L1 interaction, which are clinically used for cancer treatment. However, despite impressive treatment outcomes, some patients show poor response to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. Of note, tumor-derived exosomes containing PD-L1 can recapitulate the effect of cell-surface PD-L1. There is evidence that reveals a significant association between levels of circulating exosomal PD-L1 and rate of response to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibody therapy. The present article reviews the role of exosomal PDL-1 in the therapeutic resistance to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment. Importantly, it is suggested that the removal of exosomal PDL-1 could serve as a therapeutic adjuvant for enhancing the efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy in patients with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi Yin
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Min Yu
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuanzhao Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shanzhou Huang
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mohammad Reza Karimzadeh
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam, Iran
| | - Amir Abaas Momtazi-Borojeni
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Sheng Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Science, Guangzhou, China
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27
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Esprit A, de Mey W, Bahadur Shahi R, Thielemans K, Franceschini L, Breckpot K. Neo-Antigen mRNA Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:E776. [PMID: 33353155 PMCID: PMC7766040 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8040776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The interest in therapeutic cancer vaccines has caught enormous attention in recent years due to several breakthroughs in cancer research, among which the finding that successful checkpoint blockade treatments reinvigorate neo-antigen-specific T cells and that successful adoptive cell therapies are directed towards neo-antigens. Neo-antigens are cancer-specific antigens, which develop from somatic mutations in the cancer cell genome that can be highly immunogenic and are not subjected to central tolerance. As the majority of neo-antigens are unique to each patient's cancer, a vaccine technology that is flexible and potent is required to develop personalized neo-antigen vaccines. In vitro transcribed mRNA is such a technology platform and has been evaluated for delivery of neo-antigens to professional antigen-presenting cells both ex vivo and in vivo. In addition, strategies that support the activity of T cells in the tumor microenvironment have been developed. These represent a unique opportunity to ensure durable T cell activity upon vaccination. Here, we comprehensively review recent progress in mRNA-based neo-antigen vaccines, summarizing critical milestones that made it possible to bring the promise of therapeutic cancer vaccines within reach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Karine Breckpot
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy (LMCT), Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium; (A.E.); (W.d.M.); (R.B.S.); (K.T.); (L.F.)
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28
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Nam GH, Choi Y, Kim GB, Kim S, Kim SA, Kim IS. Emerging Prospects of Exosomes for Cancer Treatment: From Conventional Therapy to Immunotherapy. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2020; 32:e2002440. [PMID: 33015883 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202002440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Exosomes are a class of extracellular vesicles of around 100 nm in diameter that are secreted by most cells and contain various bioactive molecules reflecting their cellular origin and mediate intercellular communication. Studies of these exosomal features in tumor pathogenesis have led to the development of therapeutic and diagnostic approaches using exosomes for cancer therapy. Exosomes have many advantages for conveying therapeutic agents such as small interfering RNAs, microRNAs, membrane-associated proteins, and chemotherapeutic compounds; thus, they are considered a prime candidate as a delivery tool for cancer treatment. Since exosomes also provide an optimal microenvironment for the effective function of immunomodulatory factors, exosomes harboring bioactive molecules have been bioengineered as cancer immunotherapies that can effectively activate each stage of the cancer immunity cycle to successfully elicit cancer-specific immunity. This review discusses the advantages of exosomes for treating cancer and the challenges that must be overcome for their successful clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gi-Hoon Nam
- Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonjeong Choi
- Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Gi Beom Kim
- Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Seohyun Kim
- Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong A Kim
- Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - In-San Kim
- Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
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29
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Lu M, Wu KHH, Trudeau S, Jiang M, Zhao J, Fan E. A genomic signature for accurate classification and prediction of clinical outcomes in cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint blockade immunotherapy. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20575. [PMID: 33239757 PMCID: PMC7688643 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77653-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor mutational burden (TMB) is associated with clinical response to immunotherapy, but application has been limited to a subset of cancer patients. We hypothesized that advanced machine-learning and proper modeling could identify mutations that classify patients most likely to derive clinical benefits. Training data: Two sets of public whole-exome sequencing (WES) data for metastatic melanoma. Validation data: One set of public non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) data. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) machine-learning and proper modeling were used to identify a set of mutations (biomarker) with maximum predictive accuracy (measured by AUROC). Kaplan-Meier and log-rank methods were used to test prediction of overall survival. The initial model considered 2139 mutations. After pruning, 161 mutations (11%) were retained. An optimal threshold of 0.41 divided patients into high-weight (HW) or low-weight (LW) TMB groups. Classification for HW-TMB was 100% (AUROC = 1.0) on melanoma learning/testing data; HW-TMB was a prognostic marker for longer overall survival. In validation data, HW-TMB was associated with survival (p = 0.0057) and predicted 6-month clinical benefit (AUROC = 0.83) in NSCLC. In conclusion, we developed and validated a 161-mutation genomic signature with "outstanding" 100% accuracy to classify melanoma patients by likelihood of response to immunotherapy. This biomarker can be adapted for clinical practice to improve cancer treatment and care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Lu
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Health System, 3E One Ford Place, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA.
- Division of Data Analytics, Northern Medical Center, Middletown, NY, USA.
| | - Kuan-Han Hank Wu
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Health System, 3E One Ford Place, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sheri Trudeau
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Health System, 3E One Ford Place, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Margaret Jiang
- Division of Data Analytics, Northern Medical Center, Middletown, NY, USA
| | - Joe Zhao
- Division of Data Analytics, Northern Medical Center, Middletown, NY, USA
| | - Elliott Fan
- Division of Data Analytics, Northern Medical Center, Middletown, NY, USA
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30
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DiNatale RG, Hakimi AA, Chan TA. Genomics-based immuno-oncology: bridging the gap between immunology and tumor biology. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 29:R214-R225. [PMID: 33029628 PMCID: PMC7574960 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Revised: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The first hypotheses about how the immune system affects cancers were proposed in the early 20th century. These early concepts about cancer immunosurveillance were further developed in the decades that followed, but a detailed understanding of cancer immunity remained elusive. It was only recently, through the advent of high-throughput technologies, that scientists gained the ability to profile tumors with a resolution that allowed for granular assessment of both tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment. The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), which have proven to be effective cancer therapies in many malignancies, has spawned great interest in developing biomarkers for efficacy, an endeavor that highlighted the value of dissecting tumor immunity using large-scale methods. Response to ICI therapy has been shown to be a highly complex process, where the dynamics of tumor and immune cells is key to success. The need to understand the biologic mechanisms at the tumor-immune interface has given rise to the field of cancer immunogenomics, a discipline that aims to bridge the gap between cancer genomics and classical immunology. We provide a broad overview of this emerging branch of translational science, summarizing common platforms used and recent discoveries in the field, which are having direct clinical implications. Our discussion will be centered around the genetic foundations governing tumor immunity and molecular determinants associated with clinical benefit from ICI therapy. We emphasize the importance of molecular diversity as a driver of anti-tumor immunity and discuss how these factors can be probed using genomic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renzo G DiNatale
- Immunogenomics and Precision Oncology Platform, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Urology Department, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - A Ari Hakimi
- Urology Department, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Timothy A Chan
- Immunogenomics and Precision Oncology Platform, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- Lerner Research Institute and Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
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31
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Han XJ, Ma XL, Yang L, Wei YQ, Peng Y, Wei XW. Progress in Neoantigen Targeted Cancer Immunotherapies. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:728. [PMID: 32850843 PMCID: PMC7406675 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapies that harness the immune system to kill cancer cells have showed significant therapeutic efficacy in many human malignancies. A growing number of studies have highlighted the relevance of neoantigens in recognizing cancer cells by intrinsic T cells. Cancer neoantigens are a direct consequence of somatic mutations presenting on the surface of individual cancer cells. Neoantigens are fully cancer-specific and exempt from central tolerance. In addition, neoantigens are important targets for checkpoint blockade therapy. Recently, technological innovations have made neoantigen discovery possible in a variety of malignancies, thus providing an impetus to develop novel immunotherapies that selectively enhance T cell reactivity for the destruction of cancer cells while leaving normal tissues unharmed. In this review, we aim to introduce the methods of the identification of neoantigens, the mutational patterns of human cancers, related clinical trials, neoantigen burden and sensitivity to immune checkpoint blockade. Moreover, we focus on relevant challenges of targeting neoantigens for cancer treatment.
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32
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Diehl MI, Wolf SP, Bindokas VP, Schreiber H. Automated cell cluster analysis provides insight into multi-cell-type interactions between immune cells and their targets. Exp Cell Res 2020; 393:112014. [PMID: 32439494 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2020.112014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Understanding interactions between immune cells and their targets is an important step on the path to fully characterizing the immune system, and in doing so, learning how it combats disease. Many studies of these interactions have a narrow focus, often looking only at a binary result of whether or not a specific treatment was successful or only focusing on the interactions between two individual cells. Therefore, in an effort to more comprehensively study multicellular interactions among immune cells and their targets, we used in vitro longitudinal time-lapse imaging and developed an automated cell cluster analysis tool, or macro, to investigate the formation of cell clusters. In particular, we investigated the behavior of cancer-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T cells on how they interact around their targets: cancer cells and antigen-presenting cells. The macro that we established allowed us to examine these large-scale clustering behaviors taking place between those four cell types. Thus, we were able to distinguish directed immune cell clustering from random cell movement. Furthermore, this macro can be generalized to be applicable to systems consisting of any number of differently labeled species and can be used to track clustering behaviors and compare them to randomized simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus I Diehl
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Steven P Wolf
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA; Institute of Immunology, Campus Buch, Charité - Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Vytas P Bindokas
- Integrated Microscopy Core, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Hans Schreiber
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA; Committee on Cancer Biology and Committee on Immunology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
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33
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Han KC, Park D, Ju S, Lee YE, Heo SH, Kim YA, Lee JE, Lee Y, Park KH, Park SH, Lee HJ, Lee C, Jang M. Streamlined selection of cancer antigens for vaccine development through integrative multi-omics and high-content cell imaging. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5885. [PMID: 32245999 PMCID: PMC7125174 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62244-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Identification of tumor antigens that induce cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) is crucial for cancer-vaccine development. Despite their predictive ability, current algorithmic approaches and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-peptidomic analysis allow limited selectivity. Here, we optimized a method to rapidly screen and identify highly immunogenic epitopes that trigger CTL responses. We used a combined application of this method involving immune-specific signature analysis and HLA-associated peptidomics using samples from six patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) in order to select immunogenic HLA epitopes for in vitro testing. Additionally, we applied high-throughput imaging at the single-cell level in order to confirm the immunoreactivity of the selected peptides. The results indicated that this method enabled identification of promising CTL peptides capable of inducing antitumor immunity. This platform combining high-resolution computational analysis, HLA-peptidomics, and high-throughput immunogenicity testing allowed rapid and robust identification of highly immunogenic epitopes and represents a powerful technique for cancer-vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki-Cheol Han
- Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.
| | - Daechan Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Shinyeong Ju
- Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Eun Lee
- Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.,College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun-Hee Heo
- Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea.,Asan Center for Cancer Genome Discovery, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Ae Kim
- Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Eun Lee
- Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Yuna Lee
- College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyong Hwa Park
- Oncology/Hematology, Department of Internal medicine, Korea University College of medicine, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Se-Ho Park
- College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee Jin Lee
- Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea.,Asan Center for Cancer Genome Discovery, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Cheolju Lee
- Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Converging Science and Technology, KHU-KIST, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea.
| | - Mihue Jang
- Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Converging Science and Technology, KHU-KIST, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea.
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34
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Brennick CA, George MM, Srivastava PK, Karandikar SH. Prediction of cancer neoepitopes needs new rules. Semin Immunol 2020; 47:101387. [PMID: 31952902 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2020.101387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Tumors are immunogenic and the non-synonymous point mutations harbored by tumors are a source of their immunogenicity. Immunologists have long been enamored by the idea of synthetic peptides corresponding to mutated epitopes (neoepitopes) as specific "vaccines" against tumors presenting those neoepitopes in context of MHC I. Tumors may harbor hundreds of point mutations and it would require effective prediction algorithms to identify candidate neoepitopes capable of eliciting potent tumor-specific CD8+ T cell responses. Our current understanding of MHC I-restricted epitopes come from the observance of CD8+ T cell responses against viral (vaccinia, lymphocytic choriomeningitis etc.) and model (chicken ovalbumin, hen egg lysozyme etc.) antigens. Measurable CD8+ T cell responses elicited by model or viral antigens are always directed against epitopes possessing strong binding affinity for the restricting MHC I alleles. Immense collective effort to develop methodologies combining genomic sequencing, bioinformatics and traditional immunological techniques to identify neoepitopes with strong binding affinity to MHC I has only yielded inaccurate prediction algorithms. Additionally, new evidence has emerged suggesting that neoepitopes, which unlike the epitopes of viral or model antigens have closely resembling wild-type counterparts, may not necessarily demonstrate strong affinity to MHC I. Our bearing need recalibration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory A Brennick
- Department of Immunology, Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA.
| | - Mariam M George
- Department of Immunology, Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA.
| | - Pramod K Srivastava
- Department of Immunology, Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA.
| | - Sukrut H Karandikar
- Department of Immunology, Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA.
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35
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Schreiber K, Karrison TG, Wolf SP, Kiyotani K, Steiner M, Littmann ER, Pamer EG, Kammertoens T, Schreiber H, Leisegang M. Impact of TCR Diversity on the Development of Transplanted or Chemically Induced Tumors. Cancer Immunol Res 2019; 8:192-202. [PMID: 31831634 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-19-0567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Burnet postulated that the diversity of T-cell receptors (TCR) allows T cells to protect against the development of cancers that display antigens with a similar, seemingly endless diversity. To test this hypothesis, we developed a strategy in which a single breeding pair of mice gives rise to four groups of sibling mice. Three of the four groups had a similar number of CD8+ T cells, but TCR diversity was either broad, significantly reduced, or absent when expressing only one type of TCR. The fourth group had no T cells. All mice shared the same housing, and, therefore, their microbial environment was similar. Only slight differences in the intestinal flora were observed under these conditions. An undisturbed broad TCR repertoire was required for the rejection of inoculated cancers displaying the natural antigenic heterogeneity of primary tumors, whereas even one type of TCR was sufficient to protect against artificial cancers stably expressing cognate antigens. The three groups of mice with limited or no TCR repertoire showed an increased risk of developing primary tumors after chemical induction. However, the risk of early death or morbidity in these cohorts of mice was significantly higher than in mice with a diverse TCR repertoire, and it remains unknown whether mice with reduced TCR diversity, who died early without cancer, would have developed tumors with higher, lower, or equal probability after induction. Together, TCR diversity seems crucial to overcome the natural genetic instability of cancers and their antigenic heterogeneity, which impacts the design of cellular therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Schreiber
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Theodore G Karrison
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Steven P Wolf
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.,Institute of Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Buch, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kazuma Kiyotani
- Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Madeline Steiner
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Eric R Littmann
- Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Eric G Pamer
- Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Thomas Kammertoens
- Institute of Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Buch, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hans Schreiber
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
| | - Matthias Leisegang
- Institute of Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Buch, Berlin, Germany
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36
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Peng M, Mo Y, Wang Y, Wu P, Zhang Y, Xiong F, Guo C, Wu X, Li Y, Li X, Li G, Xiong W, Zeng Z. Neoantigen vaccine: an emerging tumor immunotherapy. Mol Cancer 2019; 18:128. [PMID: 31443694 PMCID: PMC6708248 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-019-1055-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 363] [Impact Index Per Article: 72.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic instability of tumor cells often leads to the occurrence of a large number of mutations, and expression of non-synonymous mutations can produce tumor-specific antigens called neoantigens. Neoantigens are highly immunogenic as they are not expressed in normal tissues. They can activate CD4+ and CD8+ T cells to generate immune response and have the potential to become new targets of tumor immunotherapy. The development of bioinformatics technology has accelerated the identification of neoantigens. The combination of different algorithms to identify and predict the affinity of neoantigens to major histocompatibility complexes (MHCs) or the immunogenicity of neoantigens is mainly based on the whole-exome sequencing technology. Tumor vaccines targeting neoantigens mainly include nucleic acid, dendritic cell (DC)-based, tumor cell, and synthetic long peptide (SLP) vaccines. The combination with immune checkpoint inhibition therapy or radiotherapy and chemotherapy might achieve better therapeutic effects. Currently, several clinical trials have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of these vaccines. Further development of sequencing technologies and bioinformatics algorithms, as well as an improvement in our understanding of the mechanisms underlying tumor development, will expand the application of neoantigen vaccines in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Peng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Nonresolving Inflammation and Cancer, Disease Genome Research Center, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yongzhen Mo
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Pan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yijie Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Fang Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Can Guo
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xu Wu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yong Li
- DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE, Comprehensive Cancer Center Baylor College of Medicine, Alkek Building, RM N720, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Xiaoling Li
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Guiyuan Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Nonresolving Inflammation and Cancer, Disease Genome Research Center, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Nonresolving Inflammation and Cancer, Disease Genome Research Center, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhaoyang Zeng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China. .,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China. .,Hunan Key Laboratory of Nonresolving Inflammation and Cancer, Disease Genome Research Center, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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Ebrahimi-Nik H, Michaux J, Corwin WL, Keller GL, Shcheglova T, Pak H, Coukos G, Baker BM, Mandoiu II, Bassani-Sternberg M, Srivastava PK. Mass spectrometry driven exploration reveals nuances of neoepitope-driven tumor rejection. JCI Insight 2019; 5:129152. [PMID: 31219806 PMCID: PMC6675551 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.129152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Neoepitopes are the only truly tumor-specific antigens. Although potential neoepitopes can be readily identified using genomics, the neoepitopes that mediate tumor rejection constitute a small minority, and there is little consensus on how to identify them. Here, for the first time to our knowledge, we use a combination of genomics, unbiased discovery mass spectrometry (MS) immunopeptidomics, and targeted MS to directly identify neoepitopes that elicit actual tumor rejection in mice. We report that MS-identified neoepitopes are an astonishingly rich source of tumor rejection-mediating neoepitopes (TRMNs). MS has also demonstrated unambiguously the presentation by MHC I, of confirmed tumor rejection neoepitopes that bind weakly to MHC I; this was done using DCs exogenously loaded with long peptides containing the weakly binding neoepitopes. Such weakly MHC I–binding neoepitopes are routinely excluded from analysis, and our demonstration of their presentation, and their activity in tumor rejection, reveals a broader universe of tumor-rejection neoepitopes than presently imagined. Modeling studies show that a mutation in the active neoepitope alters its conformation such that its T cell receptor–facing surface is substantially altered, increasing its exposed hydrophobicity. No such changes are observed in the inactive neoepitope. These results broaden our understanding of antigen presentation and help prioritize neoepitopes for personalized cancer immunotherapy. Neoepitopes identified by mass spectrometry are a rich source of tumor rejection antigens, including those with a weak binding to MHC I.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hakimeh Ebrahimi-Nik
- Department of Immunology and Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Justine Michaux
- University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - William L Corwin
- Department of Immunology and Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Grant Lj Keller
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Tatiana Shcheglova
- Department of Immunology and Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - HuiSong Pak
- University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - George Coukos
- University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Brian M Baker
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Ion I Mandoiu
- Department of Computer Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Engineering, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Michal Bassani-Sternberg
- University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pramod K Srivastava
- Department of Immunology and Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
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38
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Parkhurst MR, Robbins PF, Tran E, Prickett TD, Gartner JJ, Jia L, Ivey G, Li YF, El-Gamil M, Lalani A, Crystal JS, Sachs A, Groh E, Ray S, Ngo LT, Kivitz S, Pasetto A, Yossef R, Lowery FJ, Goff SL, Lo W, Cafri G, Deniger DC, Malekzadeh P, Ahmadzadeh M, Wunderlich JR, Somerville RPT, Rosenberg SA. Unique Neoantigens Arise from Somatic Mutations in Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancers. Cancer Discov 2019; 9:1022-1035. [PMID: 31164343 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-18-1494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapies can mediate regression of human tumors with high mutation rates, but responses are rarely observed in patients with common epithelial cancers. This raises the question of whether patients with these common cancers harbor T lymphocytes that recognize mutant proteins expressed by autologous tumors that may represent ideal targets for immunotherapy. Using high-throughput immunologic screening of mutant gene products identified via whole-exome sequencing, we identified neoantigen-reactive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) from 62 of 75 (83%) patients with common gastrointestinal cancers. In total, 124 neoantigen-reactive TIL populations were identified, and all but one of the neoantigenic determinants were unique. The results of in vitro T-cell recognition assays demonstrated that 1.6% of the gene products encoded by somatic nonsynonymous mutations were immunogenic. These findings demonstrate that the majority of common epithelial cancers elicit immune recognition and open possibilities for cell-based immunotherapies for patients bearing these cancers. SIGNIFICANCE: TILs cultured from 62 of 75 (83%) patients with gastrointestinal cancers recognized neoantigens encoded by 1.6% of somatic mutations expressed by autologous tumor cells, and 99% of the neoantigenic determinants appeared to be unique and not shared between patients.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 983.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eric Tran
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Robert W. Franz Cancer Center, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, Oregon
| | | | | | - Li Jia
- NIH, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
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39
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Steentoft C, Fuhrmann M, Battisti F, Van Coillie J, Madsen TD, Campos D, Halim A, Vakhrushev SY, Joshi HJ, Schreiber H, Mandel U, Narimatsu Y. A strategy for generating cancer-specific monoclonal antibodies to aberrant O-glycoproteins: identification of a novel dysadherin-Tn antibody. Glycobiology 2019; 29:307-319. [PMID: 30726901 PMCID: PMC6430981 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwz004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful application of potent antibody-based T-cell engaging immunotherapeutic strategies is currently limited mainly to hematological cancers. One major reason is the lack of well-characterized antigens on solid tumors with sufficient cancer specific expression. Aberrantly O-glycosylated proteins contain promising cancer-specific O-glycopeptide epitopes suitable for immunotherapeutic applications, but currently only few examples of such antibody epitopes have been identified. We previously showed that chimeric antigen receptor T-cells directed towards aberrantly O-glycosylated MUC1 can control malignant growth in a mouse model. Here, we present a discovery platform for the generation of cancer-specific monoclonal antibodies targeting aberrant O-glycoproteins. The strategy is based on cancer cell lines engineered to homogeneously express the truncated Tn O-glycoform, the so-called SimpleCells. We used SimpleCells of different cancer origin to elicit monoclonal antibodies with selectivity for aberrant O-glycoproteins. For validation we selected and characterized one monoclonal antibody (6C5) directed to a Tn-glycopeptide in dysadherin (FXYD5), known to be upregulated in cancer and promote metastasis. While dysadherin is widely expressed also in normal cells, we demonstrated that the 6C5 epitope is specifically expressed in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catharina Steentoft
- Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Odontology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Max Fuhrmann
- Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Odontology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Federico Battisti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324 Rome, Italy
| | - Julie Van Coillie
- Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Odontology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Thomas D Madsen
- Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Odontology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Diana Campos
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação e Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho 45, Porto, Portugal
- IPATIMUP, Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto, Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho 45, Porto, Portugal
| | - Adnan Halim
- Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Odontology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Sergey Y Vakhrushev
- Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Odontology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Hiren J Joshi
- Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Odontology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Hans Schreiber
- Department of Pathology, Committee on Immunology, Committee on Cancer Biology, The University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ulla Mandel
- Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Odontology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Yoshiki Narimatsu
- Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Odontology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, Copenhagen N, Denmark
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40
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Abstract
In this issue of JEM, Gao et al. (https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20180765) demystify the exceptional metastatic success of ovarian cancer, the most lethal female malignancy: fibroblasts form heterotypic aggregates with disseminating cancer cells, thereby providing them with reciprocal signaling and matrix for adherence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Schreiber
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
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41
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Abstract
Checkpoint inhibitor-based immunotherapies that target cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4) or the programmed cell death 1 (PD1) pathway have achieved impressive success in the treatment of different cancer types. Yet, only a subset of patients derive clinical benefit. It is thus critical to understand the determinants driving response, resistance and adverse effects. In this Review, we discuss recent work demonstrating that immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy is affected by a combination of factors involving tumour genomics, host germline genetics, PD1 ligand 1 (PDL1) levels and other features of the tumour microenvironment, as well as the gut microbiome. We focus on recently identified molecular and cellular determinants of response. A better understanding of how these variables cooperate to affect tumour-host interactions is needed to optimize the implementation of precision immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J Havel
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Immunogenomics and Precision Oncology Platform, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Diego Chowell
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Immunogenomics and Precision Oncology Platform, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Timothy A Chan
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Immunogenomics and Precision Oncology Platform, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
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42
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Abstract
Malignant transformation of cells depends on accumulation of DNA damage. Over the past years we have learned that the T cell-based immune system frequently responds to the neoantigens that arise as a consequence of this DNA damage. Furthermore, recognition of neoantigens appears an important driver of the clinical activity of both T cell checkpoint blockade and adoptive T cell therapy as cancer immunotherapies. Here we review the evidence for the relevance of cancer neoantigens in tumor control and the biological properties of these antigens. We discuss recent technological advances utilized to identify neoantigens, and the T cells that recognize them, in individual patients. Finally, we discuss strategies that can be employed to exploit cancer neoantigens in clinical interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ton N Schumacher
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands; , .,Oncode Institute, 3521AL Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter Scheper
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands; , .,Oncode Institute, 3521AL Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Pia Kvistborg
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ,
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43
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Abstract
This review discusses the rapidly evolving field of immunotherapy research, focusing on the types of cancer antigens that can be recognised by the immune system and potential methods by which neoantigens can be exploited clinically to successfully target and clear tumour cells. Recent studies suggest that the likelihood of successful immunotherapeutic targeting of cancer will be reliant on immune response to neoantigens. This type of cancer-specific antigen arises from somatic variants that result in alteration of the expressed protein sequence. Massively parallel sequencing techniques now allow the rapid identification of these genomic mutations, and algorithms can be used to predict those that will be processed by the proteasome, bind to the transporter complex and encode peptides that bind strongly to individual MHC molecules. The emerging data from assessment of the immunogenicity of neoantigens suggests that only a minority of mutations will form targetable epitopes and therefore the potential for immunotherapeutic targeting will be greater in cancers with a higher frequency of protein-altering somatic variants. It is evident that neoantigens contribute to the success of some immunotherapeutic interventions and that there is significant scope for specific targeting of these antigens to develop new treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia L Pritchard
- Genetics and Immunology Research Group, An Lòchran, 10 Inverness Campus, Inverness, IV2 5NA, Scotland, UK.
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44
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Hutchison S, Pritchard AL. Identifying neoantigens for use in immunotherapy. Mamm Genome 2018; 29:714-730. [PMID: 30167844 PMCID: PMC6267674 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-018-9771-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
This review focuses on the types of cancer antigens that can be recognised by the immune system and form due to alterations in the cancer genome, including cancer testis, overexpressed and neoantigens. Specifically, neoantigens can form when cancer cell-specific mutations occur that result in alterations of the protein from ‘self’. This type of antigen can result in an immune response sufficient to clear tumour cells when activated. Furthermore, studies have reported that the likelihood of successful immunotherapeutic targeting of cancer by many different methods was reliant on immune response to neoantigens. The recent resurgence of interest in the immune response to tumour cells, in conjunction with technological advances, has resulted in a large increase in the predicted, identified and functionally confirmed neoantigens. This growth in identified neoantigen sequences has increased the contents of training sets for algorithms, which in turn improves the prediction of which genetic mutations may form neoantigens. Additionally, algorithms predicting how proteins will be processed into peptide epitopes by the proteasome and which peptides bind to the transporter complex are also improving with this research. Now that large screens of all the tumour-specific protein altering mutations are possible, the emerging data from assessment of the immunogenicity of neoantigens suggest that only a minority of variants will form targetable epitopes. The potential for immunotherapeutic targeting of neoantigens will therefore be greater in cancers with a higher frequency of protein altering somatic variants. There is considerable potential in the use of neoantigens to treat patients, either alone or in combination with other immunotherapies and with continued advancements, these potentials will be realised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Hutchison
- Genetics and Immunology Research Group, University of the Highlands and Islands, An Lòchran, 10 Inverness Campus, Inverness, IV2 5NA, Scotland, UK
| | - Antonia L Pritchard
- Genetics and Immunology Research Group, University of the Highlands and Islands, An Lòchran, 10 Inverness Campus, Inverness, IV2 5NA, Scotland, UK.
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45
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Mathew M, Enzler T, Shu CA, Rizvi NA. Combining chemotherapy with PD-1 blockade in NSCLC. Pharmacol Ther 2018; 186:130-137. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2018.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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46
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Epidemiology and biology of relapse after stem cell transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 2018; 53:1379-1389. [PMID: 29670211 DOI: 10.1038/s41409-018-0171-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 02/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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47
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Kiyotani K, Chan HT, Nakamura Y. Immunopharmacogenomics towards personalized cancer immunotherapy targeting neoantigens. Cancer Sci 2018; 109:542-549. [PMID: 29288513 PMCID: PMC5834780 DOI: 10.1111/cas.13498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 12/23/2017] [Accepted: 12/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Utilizing the host immune system to eradicate cancer cells has been the most investigated subject in the cancer research field in recent years. However, most of the studies have focused on highly variable responses from immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, from which the majority of patients experienced no or minimum clinical benefit. Advances in genomic sequencing technologies have improved our understanding of immunopharmacogenomics and allowed us to identify novel cancer-specific immune targets. Highly tumor-specific antigens, neoantigens, are generated by somatic mutations that are not present in normal cells. It is plausible that by targeting antigens with high tumor-specificity, such as neoantigens, the likelihood of toxic effects is very limited. However, understanding the interaction between neoantigens and the host immune system remains a significant challenge. This review focuses on the potential use of neoantigen-targeted immunotherapies in cancer treatment and the recent progress of different strategies in predicting, identifying, and validating neoantigens. Successful identification of highly tumor-specific antigens accelerates the development of personalized immunotherapy with no or minimum adverse effects and with a broader coverage of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuma Kiyotani
- Project for ImmunogenomicsCancer Precision Medicine CenterJapanese Foundation for Cancer ResearchTokyoJapan
| | - Hiu Ting Chan
- Project for ImmunogenomicsCancer Precision Medicine CenterJapanese Foundation for Cancer ResearchTokyoJapan
| | - Yusuke Nakamura
- Department of MedicineThe University of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Department of SurgeryThe University of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
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48
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Joshi K, Chain BM, Peggs KS, Quezada SA. The "Achilles' Heel" of Cancer and Its Implications for the Development of Novel Immunotherapeutic Strategies. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2018; 8:a027086. [PMID: 28630228 PMCID: PMC5749142 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a027086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Over the last century, scientists have embraced the idea of mobilizing antitumor immune responses in patients with cancer. In the last decade, we have seen the rebirth of cancer immunotherapy and its validation in a series of high profile clinical trials following the discovery of several immune-regulatory receptors. Recent studies point toward the tumor mutational load and resulting neoantigen burden as being crucial to tumor cell recognition by the immune system, highlighting a potentially targetable Achilles' heel in cancer. In this review, we explore the key mechanisms that underpin the recognition of cancerous cells by the immune system and discuss how we may advance immunotherapeutic strategies to target the cancer mutanome to stimulate tumor-specific immune responses, ultimately, to improve the clinical outcome for patients with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kroopa Joshi
- Cancer Immunology Unit, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW3 6JJ, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin M Chain
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Karl S Peggs
- Cancer Immunology Unit, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Sergio A Quezada
- Cancer Immunology Unit, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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49
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Saini S, Rekers N, Hadrup S. Novel tools to assist neoepitope targeting in personalized cancer immunotherapy. Ann Oncol 2017; 28:xii3-xii10. [DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdx544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
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50
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Bräunlein E, Krackhardt AM. Identification and Characterization of Neoantigens As Well As Respective Immune Responses in Cancer Patients. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1702. [PMID: 29250075 PMCID: PMC5714868 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has recently emerged as a powerful tool for the treatment of diverse advanced malignancies. In particular, therapeutic application of immune checkpoint modulators, such as anti-CTLA4 or anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies, have shown efficacy in a broad range of malignant diseases. Although pharmacodynamics of these immune modulators are complex, recent studies strongly support the notion that altered peptide ligands presented on tumor cells representing neoantigens may play an essential role in tumor rejection by T cells activated by anti-CTLA4 and anti-PD-1 antibodies. Neoantigens may have diverse sources as viral and mutated proteins. Moreover, posttranslational modifications and altered antigen processing may also contribute to the neoantigenic peptide ligand landscape. Different approaches of target identification are currently applied in combination with subsequent characterization of autologous and non-self T-cell responses against such neoantigens. Additional efforts are required to elucidate key characteristics and interdependences of neoantigens, immunodominance, respective T-cell responses, and the tumor microenvironment in order to define decisive determinants involved in effective T-cell-mediated tumor rejection. This review focuses on our current knowledge of identification and characterization of such neoantigens as well as respective T-cell responses. It closes with challenges to be addressed in future relevant for further improvement of immunotherapeutic strategies in malignant diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Bräunlein
- Medizinische Klinik III, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Angela M Krackhardt
- Medizinische Klinik III, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium of Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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