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Meng S, Jiangtao B, Haisong W, Mei L, Long Z, Shanfeng L. RNA m 5C methylation: a potential modulator of innate immune pathways in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1362159. [PMID: 38807595 PMCID: PMC11131105 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1362159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
RNA 5-methylcytosine (m5C) methylation plays a crucial role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As reported, aberrant m5C methylation is closely associated with the progression, therapeutic efficacy, and prognosis of HCC. The innate immune system functions as the primary defense mechanism in the body against pathogenic infections and tumors since it can activate innate immune pathways through pattern recognition receptors to exert anti-infection and anti-tumor effects. Recently, m5C methylation has been demonstrated to affect the activation of innate immune pathways including TLR, cGAS-STING, and RIG-I pathways by modulating RNA function, unveiling new mechanisms underlying the regulation of innate immune responses by tumor cells. However, research on m5C methylation and its interplay with innate immune pathways is still in its infancy. Therefore, this review details the biological significance of RNA m5C methylation in HCC and discusses its potential regulatory relationship with TLR, cGAS-STING, and RIG-I pathways, thereby providing fresh insights into the role of RNA methylation in the innate immune mechanisms and treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Li Shanfeng
- Department of Interventional Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding, China
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Zhang H, Yang L, Wang T, Li Z. NK cell-based tumor immunotherapy. Bioact Mater 2024; 31:63-86. [PMID: 37601277 PMCID: PMC10432724 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2023.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells display a unique inherent ability to identify and eliminate virus-infected cells and tumor cells. They are particularly powerful for elimination of hematological cancers, and have attracted considerable interests for therapy of solid tumors. However, the treatment of solid tumors with NK cells are less effective, which can be attributed to the very complicated immunosuppressive microenvironment that may lead to the inactivation, insufficient expansion, short life, and the poor tumor infiltration of NK cells. Fortunately, the development of advanced nanotechnology has provided potential solutions to these issues, and could improve the immunotherapy efficacy of NK cells. In this review, we summarize the activation and inhibition mechanisms of NK cells in solid tumors, and the recent advances in NK cell-based tumor immunotherapy boosted by diverse nanomaterials. We also propose the challenges and opportunities for the clinical application of NK cell-based tumor immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zhang
- Center for Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Li Yang
- Center for Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Tingting Wang
- Center for Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Zhen Li
- Center for Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, 215123, China
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Li F, Song B, Zhou WF, Chu LJ. Toll-Like Receptors 7/8: A Paradigm for the Manipulation of Immunologic Reactions for Immunotherapy. Viral Immunol 2023; 36:564-578. [PMID: 37751284 DOI: 10.1089/vim.2023.0077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The innate immune system recognizes conserved features of viral and microbial pathogens through pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are one type of PRR used by the innate immune system to mediate the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and promote innate and adaptive immune responses. TLR family members TLR7 and TLR8 (referred to as TLR7/8 from herein) are endosomal transmembrane receptors that recognize purine-rich single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) and bacterial DNA, eliciting an immunologic reaction to pathogens. TLR7/8 were discovered to mediate the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines by activating immune cells. In addition, accumulating evidence has indicated that TLR7/8 may be closely related to numerous immune-mediated disorders, specifically several types of cancer, autoimmune disease, and viral disease. TLR7/8 agonists and antagonists, which are used as drugs or adjuvants, have been identified in preclinical studies and clinical trials as promising immune stimulators for the immunotherapy of these immune-mediated disorders. These results provided reasoning to further explore immunotherapy for the treatment of immune-mediated disorders. Nevertheless, numerous needs remain unmet, and the therapeutic effects of TLR7/8 agonists and antagonists are poor and exert strong immune-related toxicities. The present review aimed to provide an overview of the TLR family members, particularly TLR7/8, and address the underlying molecular mechanisms and clinical implications of TLR7/8 in immune-mediated disorders. The aim of the work is to discuss the underlying molecular mechanisms and clinical implications of TLR7/8 in immune-mediated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Li
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Anhui Medical College, Hefei, China
| | - Biao Song
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Wei-Feng Zhou
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Anhui Medical College, Hefei, China
| | - Li-Jin Chu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Anhui Medical College, Hefei, China
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Negussie AH, Mikhail AS, Owen JW, Hong N, Carlson CJ, Tang Y, Carrow KP, Mauda-Havakuk M, Lewis AL, Karanian JW, Pritchard WF, Wood BJ. In vitro characterization of immune modulating drug-eluting immunobeads towards transarterial embolization in cancer. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21886. [PMID: 36535979 PMCID: PMC9763333 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26094-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive liver cancer with limited effective treatment options. In this study, we selected TLR agonists imiquimod (IMQ), gardiquimod (GARD), GS-9620 and DSR 6434, and a small molecule checkpoint inhibitor, BMS-202, for characterization of drug loading and release from radiopaque embolic beads (DC Bead LUMI) for potential use in image-guided transarterial embolization (TACE) of HCC. The maximum drug loading capacity and amount of drug released over time were determined by high performance liquid chromatography and compared with the commonly used anthracycline, doxorubicin hydrochloride (Dox). Maximum drug loading was 204.54 ± 3.87, 65.28 ± 3.09, 65.95 ± 6.96, 65.97 ± 1.54, and 148.05 ± 2.24 mg of drug per milliliter of DC Bead LUMI for Dox, GARD, DSR 6434, IMQ, and BMS-202, respectively. Fast loading and subsequent rapid release in saline were observed for IMQ, GARD, and DSR 6434. These drugs could also be partially removed from the beads by repeated washing with de-ionized water suggesting weak interaction with the beads. Aggregation of IMQ was observed in water and saline. GS-9620 partially decomposed in the solubilizing solution, so loading and release were not characterized. Compared to TLR agonists, slower loading and release were observed for Dox and BMS-202. Potential factors influencing drug loading into and release from DC Bead LUMI including steric hinderance, hydrophobicity, drug pKa, and the electrostatic nature of the beads are discussed. The maximum loading capacity of BMS-202 and Dox in DC Bead LUMI exceeded the maximum theoretical loading capacity of the beads expected from ionic interaction alone suggesting additional drug-bead or drug-drug interactions may play a role. Slightly more release was observed for BMS-202 at early time points followed by a slower release compared to Dox. Further study of these drug-bead combinations is warranted in search of new tools for locoregional delivery of immune-modulating agents for treatment of HCC via drug-eluting bead chemoembolization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayele H. Negussie
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Andrew S. Mikhail
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Joshua W. Owen
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Natalie Hong
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Camella J. Carlson
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Yiqing Tang
- grid.431821.dBiocompatibles UK Ltd (a BTG International Group Company), Lakeview, Riverside Way, Watchmoor Park, Camberley, GU15 3YL Surrey UK
| | - Kendal Paige Carrow
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Michal Mauda-Havakuk
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Andrew L. Lewis
- grid.431821.dBiocompatibles UK Ltd (a BTG International Group Company), Lakeview, Riverside Way, Watchmoor Park, Camberley, GU15 3YL Surrey UK
| | - John W. Karanian
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - William F. Pritchard
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Bradford J. Wood
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA ,grid.48336.3a0000 0004 1936 8075National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
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Yang Y, Li H, Fotopoulou C, Cunnea P, Zhao X. Toll-like receptor-targeted anti-tumor therapies: Advances and challenges. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1049340. [PMID: 36479129 PMCID: PMC9721395 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1049340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are pattern recognition receptors, originally discovered to stimulate innate immune reactions against microbial infection. TLRs also play essential roles in bridging the innate and adaptive immune system, playing multiple roles in inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Thanks to the immune stimulatory potential of TLRs, TLR-targeted strategies in cancer treatment have proved to be able to regulate the tumor microenvironment towards tumoricidal phenotypes. Quantities of pre-clinical studies and clinical trials using TLR-targeted strategies in treating cancer have been initiated, with some drugs already becoming part of standard care. Here we review the structure, ligand, signaling pathways, and expression of TLRs; we then provide an overview of the pre-clinical studies and an updated clinical trial watch targeting each TLR in cancer treatment; and finally, we discuss the challenges and prospects of TLR-targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Development and Related Disease of Women and Children Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hongyi Li
- Development and Related Disease of Women and Children Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Christina Fotopoulou
- Division of Cancer, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paula Cunnea
- Division of Cancer, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Xia Zhao
- Development and Related Disease of Women and Children Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Duwa R, Pokhrel RH, Banstola A, Pandit M, Shrestha P, Jeong JH, Chang JH, Yook S. T-cell engaging poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles as a modular platform to induce a potent cytotoxic immunogenic response against PD-L1 overexpressing cancer. Biomaterials 2022; 291:121911. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Zhou J, Xu Y, Wang G, Mei T, Yang H, Liu Y. The TLR7/8 agonist R848 optimizes host and tumor immunity to improve therapeutic efficacy in murine lung cancer. Int J Oncol 2022; 61:81. [PMID: 35552764 PMCID: PMC9162053 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2022.5371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Treatment with the Toll‑like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist, resiquimod (R848), is effective in various types of cancer, such as breast, pancreatic and colorectal cancer. The reported antitumor effect of R848 in lung cancer is considered to be achieved by targeting macrophages. In the present study, it was demonstrated that TLR7 expression on various immune cell types initially rises, then declines in the late stage of lung cancer. Intraperitoneal injection of R848 resulted in a reduction in tumor burden and prolonged survival in both subcutaneous and metastatic lung cancer models in C57BL/6 mice. Initial treatment with R848 at an early stage was found to be the optimal choice. Systemic injection of R848 promoted the activation of innate and adaptive immune responses. Systemic administration of R848 upregulated TLR7 expression in dendritic cells (DCs) and enhanced the activation of DCs and natural killer (NK) cells. Moreover, this treatment also resulted in increased production of T helper cell‑associated cytokines in serum, including IFN‑γ, TNF‑α and IL‑2. In addition, continuous treatment with R848 increased the proportion of DCs, NK and CD8+ T cells, and reduced that of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells in the tumor microenvironment. These findings supported the use of R848 treatment for lung cancer via TLR7 targeting and provided insight into the underlying therapeutic mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianchun Zhou
- Respiratory Medicine Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
| | - Yu Xu
- Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Xinqiao Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400037, P.R. China
| | - Guansong Wang
- Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Xinqiao Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400037, P.R. China
| | - Tonghua Mei
- Respiratory Medicine Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
| | - Hao Yang
- Respiratory Medicine Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
| | - Yuliang Liu
- Respiratory Medicine Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
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Tian Z, Hong B, Chen J, Tang Z. Combination of Radiofrequency Ablation With Resiquimod to Treat Hepatocellular Carcinoma Via Inflammation of Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Suppression of Angiogenesis. Front Oncol 2022; 12:891724. [PMID: 35719978 PMCID: PMC9201999 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.891724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) destroys tumors through hyperthermic injury, which induces the release of immunogenic intracellular substrates and damages associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) to evoke a systemic immune response, but its therapeutic effect is limited. This study aimed to combine RFA with an immunomodulator, resiquimod (R848), to enhance the RFA-induced antitumor immunity. Methods We performed RFA on subcutaneous tumors in immunocompetent mice and intraperitoneally injected R848 to observe the efficacy of the combination therapy. Our research investigated changes in the composition of tumor-infiltrating immune cells in primary and distant tumors by flow cytometry. Natural killer (NK) cell depletion experiment was applied to confirm the role of NK cell in the combination therapy. The expression levels of cytokines and chemokines were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. Immunohistochemical test was conducted to reveal tumor angiogenesis, tumor proliferation, and apoptosis after the different treatments. Results and Conclusion Compared with RFA or R848 monotherapy, the combination therapy significantly slowed the tumor growth, prolonged the survival time, and shrank the tumor-draining lymph nodes of tumor-bearing mice. The flow cytometry results showed that tumor-infiltrating immune cells, total T cells, the ratio of CD8+ T and NK cells to CD45+ cells, and functional NK cells were obviously increased after the combined treatment. Distal tumor growth was also suppressed, and the profile of tumor-infiltrating immune cells was remodeled, too. In addition, the additive effect of the combination therapy disappeared after NK cell depletion. Furthermore, immunohistochemical results verified that R848 inhibited tumor angiogenesis in murine liver cancer, and the combination therapy promoted tumor cell apoptosis. In conclusion, our data suggest that RFA combined with R848 stimulated a stronger antitumor immune response and effectively inhibited liver cancer progression in a NK cell-dependent manner. Meanwhile, we confirmed that R848 inhibited tumor angiogenesis and promoted apoptosis in murine liver cancer. Overall, this is a promising therapeutic strategy to improve the efficacy of RFA in the treatment of liver cancer and provides a novel option for combined thermal ablation and immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhou Tian
- Department of Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, International Institutes of Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, China
| | - Baojian Hong
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianzhong Chen
- Institute of Immunology School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammatory Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhe Tang
- Department of Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, International Institutes of Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, China.,Department of Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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Nurmi AM, Hagström J, Mustonen H, Seppänen H, Haglund C. The expression and prognostic value of toll-like receptors (TLRs) in pancreatic cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant therapy. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0267792. [PMID: 35536778 PMCID: PMC9089880 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a pivotal role in the immune system and carcinogenesis. There is no research on TLR expression and association with survival among preoperatively treated pancreatic cancer patients. We studied the expression intensity and prognostic value of TLRs in pancreatic cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) and compared the results to patients undergoing upfront surgery (US). METHOD Between 2000 and 2015, 71 borderline resectable patients were treated with NAT and surgery and 145 resectable patients underwent upfront surgery at Helsinki University Hospital, Finland. We immunostained TLRs 1-5, 7, and 9 on sections of tissue-microarray. We classified TLR expression as 0 (negative), 1 (mild), 2 (moderate), or 3 (strong) and divided into high (2-3) and low (0-1) expression for statistical purposes. RESULTS Among TLRs 1, 3, and 9 (TLR1 81% vs 70%, p = 0.008; TLR3 92% vs 68%, p = 0.001; TLR9 cytoplasmic 83% vs 42%, p<0.001; TLR9 membranous 53% vs 25%, p = 0.002) NAT patients exhibited a higher immunopositivity score more frequently than patients undergoing upfront surgery. Among NAT patients, a high expression of TLR1 [Hazards ratio (HR) 0.48, p<0.05] associated with a longer postoperative survival, whereas among US patients, high expression of TLR5 (HR 0.64, p<0.05), TLR7 (HR 0.59, p<0.01, and both TLR7 and TLR9 (HR 0.5, p<0.01) predicted a favorable postoperative outcome in separate analysis adjusted for background variables. CONCLUSIONS We found higher immunopositive intensities among TLRs 1, 3, and 9 in NAT patients. A high TLR1 expression associated with a longer survival among NAT patients, however, among US patients, high expression intensity of TLR5 and TLR7 predicted a favorable postoperative outcome in the adjusted analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maria Nurmi
- Department of Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaana Hagström
- Department of Pathology, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Oral Pathology and Radiology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Harri Mustonen
- Department of Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hanna Seppänen
- Department of Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Translational Cancer Medicine Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Caj Haglund
- Department of Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Translational Cancer Medicine Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Rolig AS, Rose DC, McGee GH, Rubas W, Kivimäe S, Redmond WL. Combining bempegaldesleukin (CD122-preferential IL-2 pathway agonist) and NKTR-262 (TLR7/8 agonist) improves systemic antitumor CD8 + T cell cytotoxicity over BEMPEG+RT. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2021-004218. [PMID: 35444059 PMCID: PMC9021762 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-004218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tumor cell death caused by radiation therapy (RT) triggers antitumor immunity in part because dying cells release adjuvant factors that amplify and sustain dendritic cell and T cell responses. We previously demonstrated that bempegaldesleukin (BEMPEG: NKTR-214, an immunostimulatory IL-2 cytokine prodrug) significantly enhanced the antitumor efficacy of RT through a T cell-dependent mechanism. Because RT can induce either immunogenic or tolerogenic cell death, depending on various factors (radiation dose, cell cycle phase), we hypothesized that providing a specific immunogenic adjuvant, like intratumoral therapy with a novel toll-like receptor (TLR) 7/8 agonist, NKTR-262, would improve systemic tumor-specific responses through the activation of local innate immunity. Therefore, we evaluated whether intratumoral NKTR-262 combined with systemic BEMPEG treatment would elicit improved tumor-specific immunity and survival compared with RT combined with BEMPEG. Methods Tumor-bearing mice (CT26; EMT6) received BEMPEG (0.8 mg/kg; intravenously), RT (12 Gy × 1), and/or intratumoral NKTR-262 (0.5 mg/kg). Flow cytometry was used to evaluate CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses in the blood and tumor 7 days post-treatment. The contribution of specific immune subsets was determined by depletion of CD4+, CD8+, or NK cells. CD8+ T cell cytolytic activity was determined by an in vitro CTL assay. Data are representative of 1–2 independent experiments (n=5–14/group) and statistical significance was determined by 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) or repeated measures ANOVA (p value cut-off of 0.05). Results BEMPEG+NKTR-262 significantly improved survival compared with BEMPEG+RT in a CD8+ T cell-dependent manner. Response to BEMPEG+NKTR-262 was characterized by a significant expansion of activated CD8+ T cells (GzmA+; Ki-67+; ICOS+; PD-1+) in the blood, which correlated with reduced tumor size (p<0.05). In the tumor, BEMPEG+NKTR-262 induced higher frequencies of GzmA+ CD8+ T cells exhibiting reduced expression of suppressive molecules (PD-1+), compared with BEMPEG+RT (p<0.05). Further, BEMPEG+NKTR-262 treatment induced greater tumor-specific CD8+ T cell cytolytic function than BEMPEG+RT. Conclusions BEMPEG+NKTR-262 therapy elicited more robust expansion of activated CD8+ T cells compared with BEMPEG+RT, suggesting that intratumoral TLR stimulation provides superior antigen presentation and costimulatory activity compared with RT. A clinical trial of BEMPEG+NKTR-262 for patients with metastatic solid tumors is in progress (NCT03435640).
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Affiliation(s)
- Annah S Rolig
- Earle A Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Daniel C Rose
- Earle A Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Grace Helen McGee
- Earle A Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, USA
| | | | | | - William L Redmond
- Earle A Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, USA
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Mikhail AS, Mauda-Havakuk M, Negussie AH, Hong N, Hawken NM, Carlson CJ, Owen JW, Franco-Mahecha O, Wakim PG, Lewis AL, Pritchard WF, Karanian JW, Wood BJ. Evaluation of immune-modulating drugs for use in drug-eluting microsphere transarterial embolization. Int J Pharm 2022; 616:121466. [PMID: 35065205 PMCID: PMC9139086 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2022.121466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has yet to reach its full potential due in part to limited response rates and side effects inherent to systemic delivery of immune-modulating drugs. Local administration of immunotherapy using drug-eluting embolic (DEE) microspheres as drug delivery vehicles for direct infusion into tumor-feeding arteries might increase and prolong tumor drug concentrations and reduce systemic drug exposure, potentially improving the risk-to-benefit ratio of these agents. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of four immune modulators affecting two different immune pathways to potentiate replication of immune cells from a woodchuck model of hepatocellular carcinoma. DSR 6434, a Toll-like receptor agonist, and BMS-202, a PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor, induced immune cell replication and were successfully loaded into radiopaque DEE microspheres in high concentrations. Release of DSR 6434 from the DEE microspheres was rapid (t99% = 0.4 h) upon submersion in a physiologic saline solution while BMS-202 demonstrated a more sustained release profile (t99% = 17.9 h). These findings demonstrate the feasibility of controlled delivery of immune-modulating drugs via a local DEE microsphere delivery paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Mikhail
- Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Michal Mauda-Havakuk
- Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ayele H Negussie
- Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Natalie Hong
- Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Natalie M Hawken
- Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Camella J Carlson
- Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Joshua W Owen
- Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Olga Franco-Mahecha
- Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Paul G Wakim
- Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology Service, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Andrew L Lewis
- Biocompatibles UK Ltd (a BTG International Group Company), Lakeview, Riverside Way, Watchmoor Park, Camberley, Surrey, UK
| | - William F Pritchard
- Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - John W Karanian
- Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Bradford J Wood
- Center for Interventional Oncology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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12
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Schoenberg MB, Li X, Li X, Han Y, Börner N, Koch D, Guba MO, Werner J, Bazhin AV. The interactions between major immune effector cells and Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A systematic review. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 101:108220. [PMID: 34673334 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.108220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common liver neoplasm with high morbidity and mortality. Tumor immunotherapy might be promising adjuvant therapy for HCC after surgery. To better develop HCC immunotherapy, comprehensive understanding of cell-cell interactions between immune effector cells and HCC cells remains crucial. AIM To review the existing studies to summarize the cell-cell interactions between major immune effector cells and HCC cells providing new data for HCC immunotherapy. METHODS A systematic review was conducted by searching PubMed database covering all papers published in recent five years up to January 2020. The guidelines of the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews were firmly followed. RESULTS There are 9 studies researching the interactions between CD8+ T lymphocytes and HCC cells and 22 studies researching that between natural killer (NK) cells and HCC cells. Among the 9 studies, 6 studies reported that CD8+ T lymphocytes showed cytotoxicity towards HCC cells while 3 studies found CD8+ T lymphocytes were impaired by HCC cells. Among the 22 studies, 20 studies presented that NK cells could inhibit HCC cells. Two studies were found to report NK cell dysfunction in HCC. CONCLUSION Based on the systematic analysis, we concluded that CD8+ T lymphocytes and NK cells can inhibit HCC cells. While in turn, HCC cells can also result in the dysfunction of those effector cells through various mechanisms. Organoids and direct contact cell co-culture with primary HCC cells and TILs should be the most innovative way to investigate the interactions and develop novel immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Bo Schoenberg
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Xiaokang Li
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany; Department of Dermatology, Jinan Central Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xinyu Li
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany; Department of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yongsheng Han
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Börner
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Dominik Koch
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Markus Otto Guba
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany; Transplantation Center Munich, Hospital of the LMU, Campus Grosshadern, Munich, Germany
| | - Jens Werner
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany; Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), Munich, Germany
| | - Alexandr V Bazhin
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany.
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13
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Siu L, Brody J, Gupta S, Marabelle A, Jimeno A, Munster P, Grilley-Olson J, Rook AH, Hollebecque A, Wong RKS, Welsh JW, Wu Y, Morehouse C, Hamid O, Walcott F, Cooper ZA, Kumar R, Ferté C, Hong DS. Safety and clinical activity of intratumoral MEDI9197 alone and in combination with durvalumab and/or palliative radiation therapy in patients with advanced solid tumors. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 8:jitc-2020-001095. [PMID: 33037117 PMCID: PMC7549442 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-001095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background MEDI9197 is an intratumorally administered toll-like receptor 7 and 8 agonist. In mice, MEDI9197 modulated antitumor immune responses, inhibited tumor growth and increased survival. This first-time-in-human, phase 1 study evaluated MEDI9197 with or without the programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitor durvalumab and/or palliative radiation therapy (RT) for advanced solid tumors. Patients and methods Eligible patients had at least one cutaneous, subcutaneous, or deep-seated lesion suitable for intratumoral (IT) injection. Dose escalation used a standard 3+3 design. Patients received IT MEDI9197 0.005–0.055 mg with or without RT (part 1), or IT MEDI9197 0.005 or 0.012 mg plus durvalumab 1500 mg intravenous with or without RT (part 3), in 4-week cycles. Primary endpoints were safety and tolerability. Secondary endpoints included pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and objective response based on Response Evaluation Criteria for Solid Tumors version 1.1. Exploratory endpoints included tumor and peripheral biomarkers that correlate with biological activity or predict response. Results From November 2015 to March 2018, part 1 enrolled 35 patients and part 3 enrolled 17 patients; five in part 1 and 2 in part 3 received RT. The maximum tolerated dose of MEDI9197 monotherapy was 0.037 mg, with dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) of cytokine release syndrome in two patients (one grade 3, one grade 4) and 0.012 mg in combination with durvalumab 1500 mg with DLT of MEDI9197-related hemorrhagic shock in one patient (grade 5) following liver metastasis rupture after two cycles of MEDI9197. Across parts 1 and 3, the most frequent MEDI9197-related adverse events (AEs) of any grade were fever (56%), fatigue (31%), and nausea (21%). The most frequent MEDI9197-related grade ≥3 events were decreased lymphocytes (15%), neutrophils (10%), and white cell counts (10%). MEDI9197 increased tumoral CD8+ and PD-L1+ cells, inducing type 1 and 2 interferons and Th1 response. There were no objective clinical responses; 10 patients in part 1 and 3 patients in part 3 had stable disease ≥8 weeks. Conclusion IT MEDI9197 was feasible for subcutaneous/cutaneous lesions but AEs precluded its use in deep-seated lesions. Although no patients responded, MEDI9197 induced systemic and intratumoral immune activation, indicating potential value in combination regimens in other patient populations. Trial registration number NCT02556463.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lillian Siu
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Medicine, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joshua Brody
- Department of Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States
| | - Shilpa Gupta
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
| | | | - Antonio Jimeno
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado, United States
| | - Pamela Munster
- Department of Medicine (Hematology/Oncology), University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States
| | - Juneko Grilley-Olson
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
| | - Alain H Rook
- Department of Dematology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | | | - Rebecca K S Wong
- Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Hospital Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - James W Welsh
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States
| | - Yuling Wu
- AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Oday Hamid
- AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - David S Hong
- Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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14
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Kairaluoma V, Kemi N, Huhta H, Pohjanen VM, Helminen O. Toll-like receptor 5 and 8 in hepatocellular carcinoma. APMIS 2021; 129:470-479. [PMID: 33950532 DOI: 10.1111/apm.13142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are components of innate immunity, but also have a role in carcinogenesis. The prognostic value of TLR5 and TLR8 tumor expression was examined in contrast with known risk markers Ki67 and p53. All HCC patients from Oulu University Hospital with available representative tumor sample were included in this study (n = 182). TLR5, TLR8, Ki67, and p53 expression were investigated by immunohistochemistry. The relation between patient survival and TLR, Ki67, and p53 expression was calculated with Cox regression adjusted for confounding factors. TLR5 cytoplasm intensity was associated with 5-year overall (strong 0.0% vs weak 23.4%, p < 0.001) and disease-specific (strong 0.0% vs weak 34.9%, p < 0.001) survival. TLR5 nuclei percentage was associated with poor 5-year disease-specific survival (high 16.3% vs low 31.5%, p = 0.022). In adjusted analysis, strong TLR5 cytoplasm intensity was an independent risk factor for poor 5-year overall (adjusted HR 1.88, 95% CI 1.26-2.81) and disease-specific (adjusted HR 2.00, 95% CI 1.27-3.15) survival. High Ki67 and p53 expression associated with 5-year overall- and disease-specific survival. TLR8 was not associated with patient survival. This study suggests that TLR5 expression is independently prognostic in HCC with similar point estimate as previously known p53.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valtteri Kairaluoma
- Surgery Research Unit, Medical Research Center Oulu, Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
| | - Niko Kemi
- Surgery Research Unit, Medical Research Center Oulu, Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
| | - Heikki Huhta
- Surgery Research Unit, Medical Research Center Oulu, Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
| | - Vesa-Matti Pohjanen
- Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, Medical Research Center, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
| | - Olli Helminen
- Surgery Research Unit, Medical Research Center Oulu, Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
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15
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Lurje I, Werner W, Mohr R, Roderburg C, Tacke F, Hammerich L. In Situ Vaccination as a Strategy to Modulate the Immune Microenvironment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Immunol 2021; 12:650486. [PMID: 34025657 PMCID: PMC8137829 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.650486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is a highly prevalent malignancy that develops in patients with chronic liver diseases and dysregulated systemic and hepatic immunity. The tumor microenvironment (TME) contains tumor-associated macrophages (TAM), cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF), regulatory T cells (Treg) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and is central to mediating immune evasion and resistance to therapy. The interplay between these cells types often leads to insufficient antigen presentation, preventing effective anti-tumor immune responses. In situ vaccines harness the tumor as the source of antigens and implement sequential immunomodulation to generate systemic and lasting antitumor immunity. Thus, in situ vaccines hold the promise to induce a switch from an immunosuppressive environment where HCC cells evade antigen presentation and suppress T cell responses towards an immunostimulatory environment enriched for activated cytotoxic cells. Pivotal steps of in situ vaccination include the induction of immunogenic cell death of tumor cells, a recruitment of antigen-presenting cells with a focus on dendritic cells, their loading and maturation and a subsequent cross-priming of CD8+ T cells to ensure cytotoxic activity against tumor cells. Several in situ vaccine approaches have been suggested, with vaccine regimens including oncolytic viruses, Flt3L, GM-CSF and TLR agonists. Moreover, combinations with checkpoint inhibitors have been suggested in HCC and other tumor entities. This review will give an overview of various in situ vaccine strategies for HCC, highlighting the potentials and pitfalls of in situ vaccines to treat liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Lurje
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Wiebke Werner
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Raphael Mohr
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christoph Roderburg
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty of Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Frank Tacke
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Linda Hammerich
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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16
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Natural Killer-Dendritic Cell Interactions in Liver Cancer: Implications for Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13092184. [PMID: 34062821 PMCID: PMC8124166 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13092184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The reciprocal crosstalk between dendritic cells (DCs) and natural killer (NK) cells plays a pivotal role in regulating immune defense against viruses and tumors. The Th-cell polarizing ability, cytokine-producing capacity, chemokine expression, and migration of DCs are regulated by activated NK cells. Conversely, the effector functions including lysis and cytokine production, proliferation, and migration of NK cells are influenced by close interactions with activated DCs. In this review, we explore the impact of DC–NK cell crosstalk and its therapeutic potential in immune control of liver malignances. Abstract Natural killer (NK) and dendritic cells (DCs) are innate immune cells that play a crucial role in anti-tumor immunity. NK cells kill tumor cells through direct cytotoxicity and cytokine secretion. DCs are needed for the activation of adaptive immune responses against tumor cells. Both NK cells and DCs are subdivided in several subsets endowed with specialized effector functions. Crosstalk between NK cells and DCs leads to the reciprocal control of their activation and polarization of immune responses. In this review, we describe the role of NK cells and DCs in liver cancer, focusing on the mechanisms involved in their reciprocal control and activation. In this context, intrahepatic NK cells and DCs present unique immunological features, due to the constant exposure to non-self-circulating antigens. These interactions might play a fundamental role in the pathology of primary liver cancer, namely hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Additionally, the implications of these immune changes are relevant from the perspective of improving the cancer immunotherapy strategies in HCC and ICC patients.
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17
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Yu Z, Liu W, He Y, Sun M, Yu J, Jiao X, Han Q, Tang H, Zhang B, Xian Y, Qi J, Gong J, Xin W, Shi G, Shan F, Zhang R, Li J, Wei M. HLA-A2.1-restricted ECM1-derived epitope LA through DC cross-activation priming CD8 + T and NK cells: a novel therapeutic tumour vaccine. J Hematol Oncol 2021; 14:71. [PMID: 33910591 PMCID: PMC8082934 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-021-01081-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background CD8+ T cell-mediated adaptive cellular immunity and natural killer (NK) cell-mediated innate immunity both play important roles in tumour immunity. This study aimed to develop therapeutic tumour vaccines based on double-activation of CD8+ T and NK cells. Methods The immune Epitope database, Molecular Operating Environment software, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used for epitope identification. Flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, UPLC-QTOF-MS, and RNA-seq were utilized for evaluating immunity of PBMC-derived DCs, CD8+ T or NK cells and related pathways. HLA-A2.1 transgenic mice combined with immunologically reconstituted tumour-bearing mice were used to examine the antitumour effect and safety of epitope vaccines. Results We identified novel HLA-A2.1-restricted extracellular matrix protein 1(ECM1)-derived immunodominant epitopes in which LA induced a potent immune response. We also found that LA-loaded DCs upregulated the frequency of CD3+/CD8+ T cells, CD45RO+/CD69+ activated memory T cells, and CD3−/CD16+/CD56+ NK cells. We demonstrated cytotoxic granule release of LA/DC-CTLs or LA/DC-NK cells and cytotoxicity against tumour cells and microtissue blocks via the predominant IFN-γ/perforin/granzyme B cell death pathway. Further investigating the mechanism of LA-mediated CD8+ T activation, we found that LA could be internalized into DCs through phagocytosis and then formed a LA-MHC-I complex presented onto the DC surface for recognition of the T cell receptor to upregulate Zap70 phosphorylation levels to further activate CD8+ T cells by DC-CTL interactions. In addition, LA-mediated DC-NK crosstalk through stimulation of the TLR4-p38 MAPK pathway increased MICA/B expression on DCs to interact with NKG2D for NK activation. Promisingly, LA could activate CD8+ T cells and NK cells simultaneously via interacting with DCs to suppress tumours in vivo. Moreover, the safety of LA was confirmed. Conclusions LA-induced immune antitumour activity through DC cross-activation with CD8+ T and NK cells, which demonstrated proof-of-concept evidence for the capability and safety of a novel therapeutic tumour vaccine. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13045-021-01081-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaojin Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No. 13, Beihai Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.,Liaoning Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Antitumour Drug Development and Evaluation, Liaoning Cancer Immune Peptide Drug Engineering Technology Research Centre, Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumours, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, No.77, Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Wensi Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No. 13, Beihai Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.,Liaoning Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Antitumour Drug Development and Evaluation, Liaoning Cancer Immune Peptide Drug Engineering Technology Research Centre, Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumours, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, No.77, Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Ying He
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No. 13, Beihai Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.,Liaoning Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Antitumour Drug Development and Evaluation, Liaoning Cancer Immune Peptide Drug Engineering Technology Research Centre, Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumours, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, No.77, Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.,The Third Department of Medical Oncology, The Fourth Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Mingli Sun
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No. 13, Beihai Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.,Liaoning Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Antitumour Drug Development and Evaluation, Liaoning Cancer Immune Peptide Drug Engineering Technology Research Centre, Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumours, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, No.77, Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Jiankun Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No. 13, Beihai Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.,Liaoning Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Antitumour Drug Development and Evaluation, Liaoning Cancer Immune Peptide Drug Engineering Technology Research Centre, Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumours, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, No.77, Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Xue Jiao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No. 13, Beihai Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.,Liaoning Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Antitumour Drug Development and Evaluation, Liaoning Cancer Immune Peptide Drug Engineering Technology Research Centre, Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumours, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, No.77, Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Qiang Han
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No. 13, Beihai Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.,Department of Pharmacy, Harrison International Peace Hospital, Hengshui, Hebei Province, China
| | - Haichao Tang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No. 13, Beihai Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.,Liaoning Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Antitumour Drug Development and Evaluation, Liaoning Cancer Immune Peptide Drug Engineering Technology Research Centre, Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumours, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, No.77, Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Bing Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No. 13, Beihai Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.,Liaoning Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Antitumour Drug Development and Evaluation, Liaoning Cancer Immune Peptide Drug Engineering Technology Research Centre, Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumours, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, No.77, Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Yunkai Xian
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No. 13, Beihai Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.,Liaoning Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Antitumour Drug Development and Evaluation, Liaoning Cancer Immune Peptide Drug Engineering Technology Research Centre, Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumours, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, No.77, Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Jing Qi
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No. 13, Beihai Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.,Liaoning Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Antitumour Drug Development and Evaluation, Liaoning Cancer Immune Peptide Drug Engineering Technology Research Centre, Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumours, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, No.77, Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Jing Gong
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No. 13, Beihai Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.,Liaoning Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Antitumour Drug Development and Evaluation, Liaoning Cancer Immune Peptide Drug Engineering Technology Research Centre, Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumours, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, No.77, Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Wang Xin
- Liaoning Medical Diagnosis and Treatment R&D Centre Co. Ltd., Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Gang Shi
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Intitute, No.77, Xiaoheyan Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Fengping Shan
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Intitute, No.77, Xiaoheyan Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
| | - Jianping Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No. 13, Beihai Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China. .,Transfusion Medicine Institute, Liaoning Blood Centre, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China. .,Transfusion Medicine Institute, Harbin Blood Centre, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
| | - Minjie Wei
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No. 13, Beihai Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China. .,Liaoning Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Antitumour Drug Development and Evaluation, Liaoning Cancer Immune Peptide Drug Engineering Technology Research Centre, Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumours, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, No.77, Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
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18
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Wan M, Han J, Ding L, Hu F, Gao P. Novel Immune Subsets and Related Cytokines: Emerging Players in the Progression of Liver Fibrosis. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:604894. [PMID: 33869241 PMCID: PMC8047058 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.604894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is a pathological process caused by persistent chronic injury of the liver. Kupffer cells, natural killer (NK) cells, NKT cells, and dendritic cells (DCs), which are in close contact with T and B cells, serve to bridge innate and adaptive immunity in the liver. Meanwhile, an imbalanced inflammatory response constitutes a challenge in liver disease. The dichotomous roles of novel immune cells, including T helper 17 (Th17), regulatory T cells (Tregs), mucosa-associated invariant T cells (MAIT), and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in liver fibrosis have gradually been revealed. These cells not only induce damage during liver fibrosis but also promote tissue repair. Hence, immune cells have unique, and often opposing, roles during the various stages of fibrosis. Due to this heterogeneity, the treatment, or reversal of fibrosis through the target of immune cells have attracted much attention. Moreover, activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) constitutes the core of fibrosis. This activation is regulated by various immune mediators, including Th17, Th22, and Th9, MAIT, ILCs, and γδ T cells, as well as their related cytokines. Thus, liver fibrosis results from the complex interaction of these immune mediators, thereby complicating the ability to elucidate the mechanisms of action elicited by each cell type. Future developments in biotechnology will certainly aid in this feat to inform the design of novel therapeutic targets. Therefore, the aim of this review was to summarize the role of specific immune cells in liver fibrosis, as well as biomarkers and treatment methods related to these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minjie Wan
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jiawen Han
- Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Lili Ding
- Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Intensive Care Unit, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Feng Hu
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, The Second Part of First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Pujun Gao
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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19
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Demaria O, Vivier E. ISACs take a Toll on tumors. NATURE CANCER 2021; 2:12-13. [PMID: 35121891 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-020-00152-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Demaria
- Innate Pharma Research Laboratories, Innate Pharma, Marseille, France.
| | - Eric Vivier
- Innate Pharma Research Laboratories, Innate Pharma, Marseille, France
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, INSERM, CIML, Marseille, France
- Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille, Hôpital de la Timone, Immunology, Marseille-Immunopôle, Marseille, France
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20
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Chen L, Zheng H, Yu X, Liu L, Li H, Zhu H, Zhang Z, Lei P, Shen G. Tumor-Secreted GRP78 Promotes the Establishment of a Pre-metastatic Niche in the Liver Microenvironment. Front Immunol 2020; 11:584458. [PMID: 33133103 PMCID: PMC7550426 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.584458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The liver is an immunologically tolerant organ and a common site of distant metastasis for various cancers. The expression levels of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) have been associated with tumor malignancy. Secretory GRP78 (sGRP78) released from tumor cells contributes to the establishment of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment by regulating cytokine production in macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs). However, the role of sGRP78 on tumor cell colonization and metastasis in the liver remains unclear. Herein, we found that GRP78 was expressed at higher levels in the liver compared to other tissues and organs. We performed intravital imaging using a sGRP78-overexpressing breast cancer cell line (E0771) and found that sGRP78 interacted with dendritic cells (DCs) and F4/80+ macrophages in the liver. Importantly, sGRP78 overexpression inhibited DC activation and induced M2-like polarization in F4/80+ macrophages. Moreover, sGRP78 overexpression enhanced TGF-β production in the liver. In conclusion, sGRP78 promotes tumor cell colonization in the liver by remodeling the tumor microenvironment and promoting immune tolerance. The ability of sGRP78-targeting strategies to prevent or treat liver metastasis should be further examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Chen
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hao Zheng
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiang Yu
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Heli Li
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Huifen Zhu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhihong Zhang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ping Lei
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Guanxin Shen
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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21
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Ge Z, Wu S, Zhang Z, Ding S. Mechanism of tumor cells escaping from immune surveillance of NK cells. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol 2020; 42:187-198. [PMID: 32223464 DOI: 10.1080/08923973.2020.1742733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells play an important role in anti-tumor and anti-infection, and perform their immune surveillance function in various ways. However, no matter what kind of cancer, the functional activity of NK cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is suppressed. Understanding the relationship between tumor cells and NK cells is very critical for tumor immunotherapy. This review discusses the mechanism of tumor cells escaping the immune surveillance of NK cells. These include a variety of factors that inhibit the activity of NK cells, an imbalance of activating receptors and inhibiting receptors on NK cells, abnormal binding of receptors and ligands, cross-talk of surrounding cell groups and NK cells in the TME, and other factors that affect NK cell activity. An understanding of these factors is necessary to provide new treatment strategies for tumor immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Ge
- School of Physical Education & Health Care, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shan Wu
- School of Physical Education & Health Care, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- School of Physical Education & Health Care, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuzhe Ding
- School of Physical Education & Health Care, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
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22
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Development of RNA/DNA Hydrogel Targeting Toll-Like Receptor 7/8 for Sustained RNA Release and Potent Immune Activation. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25030728. [PMID: 32046113 PMCID: PMC7037604 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25030728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Guanosine- and uridine-rich single-stranded RNA (GU-rich RNA) is an agonist of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7 and TLR8 and induces strong immune responses. A nanostructured GU-rich RNA/DNA assembly prepared using DNA nanotechnology can be used as an adjuvant capable of improving the biological stability of RNA and promoting efficient RNA delivery to target immune cells. To achieve a sustained supply of GU-rich RNA to immune cells, we developed a GU-rich RNA/DNA hydrogel (RDgel) using nanostructured GU-rich RNA/DNA assembly, from which GU-rich RNA can be released in a sustained manner. A hexapod-like GU-rich RNA/DNA nanostructure, or hexapodRD6, was designed using a 20-mer phosphorothioate-stabilized GU-rich RNA and six phosphodiester DNAs. Two sets of hexapodRD6 were mixed to obtain RDgel. Under serum-containing conditions, GU-rich RNA was gradually released from the RDgel. Fluorescently labeled GU-rich RNA was efficiently taken up by DC2.4 murine dendritic cells and induced a high level of tumor necrosis factor-α release from these cells when it was incorporated into RDgel. These results indicate that the RDgel constructed using DNA nanotechnology can be a useful adjuvant in cancer therapy with sustained RNA release and high immunostimulatory activity.
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23
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Meng Y, Sun J, Wang X, Ma Y, Kong C, Zhang G, Dou H, Nan N, Shi M, Yu T, Piao H. The biological macromolecule Nocardia rubra cell-wall skeleton as an avenue for cell-based immunotherapy. J Cell Physiol 2019; 234:15342-15356. [PMID: 30697721 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.28182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Promoting the antitumor effects of cell-based immunotherapy for clinical application remains a difficult challenge. Nocardia rubra cell-wall skeleton (N-CWS) is an immunotherapeutic agent for cancers that have been proven to possess the ability to activate immune response without showing toxicity. However, its effects on immune cells that are derived from tumor patients and cultured in vitro remain unclear. As expected, N-CWS can enhance the proliferation and viability of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells, dendritic cells (DCs), and natural killer (NK) cells. The maturation of DCs and specific cytotoxicity against NK cells and CIK cells were consistently promoted. The TUNEL-staining and the Annexin V/propidium iodide assay revealed that after treatment with N-CWS, the stimulated CIK/NK cells could induce DNA breaks in tumor cells. Furthermore, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis showed upregulation of proapoptotic biomarkers (caspase-3 and caspase-9) and a downregulation of the antiapoptotic biomarker Bcl-2 in the tumor cells of the N-CWS-treated group, indicating that N-CWS could induce hepatocellular carcinoma cell apoptosis via CIK/NK cells. Finally, CIK/NK cells could notably suppress the invasion and migration of tumor cells in the presence of N-CWS. Our study provides evidence that N-CWS could significantly increase the growth of CIK cells, DCs, and NK cells, particularly due to its robust antitumor activities by inducing apoptosis, and attenuate the invasion and migration of tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Meng
- Department of Central laboratory, Cancer hospital of China medical university, Liaoning province Cancer Hospital, Shenyang, China
| | - Jing Sun
- Department of Central laboratory, Cancer hospital of China medical university, Liaoning province Cancer Hospital, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiaonan Wang
- Department of Immunology, China medical university, Shenyang, China
| | - Yushu Ma
- Department of Central laboratory, Cancer hospital of China medical university, Liaoning province Cancer Hospital, Shenyang, China
| | - Cuicui Kong
- Department of Central laboratory, Cancer hospital of China medical university, Liaoning province Cancer Hospital, Shenyang, China
| | - Guirong Zhang
- Department of Central laboratory, Cancer hospital of China medical university, Liaoning province Cancer Hospital, Shenyang, China
| | - Heng Dou
- R&D division, Greatest Biopharma Limited Company, Benxi, China
| | - Ning Nan
- R&D division, Greatest Biopharma Limited Company, Benxi, China
| | - Mingsheng Shi
- R&D division, Greatest Biopharma Limited Company, Benxi, China
| | - Tao Yu
- Department of Medical Image, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning province Cancer Hospital, Shenyang, China
| | - Haozhe Piao
- Department of Central laboratory, Cancer hospital of China medical university, Liaoning province Cancer Hospital, Shenyang, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Cancer hospital of China medical university, Liaoning province Cancer Hospital, Shenyang, China
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24
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Juengpanich S, Shi L, Iranmanesh Y, Chen J, Cheng Z, Khoo AKJ, Pan L, Wang Y, Cai X. The role of natural killer cells in hepatocellular carcinoma development and treatment: A narrative review. Transl Oncol 2019; 12:1092-1107. [PMID: 31176993 PMCID: PMC6558093 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2019.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A major obstacle for treatment of HCC is the inadequate efficacy and limitation of the available therapeutic options. Despite the recent advances in developing novel treatment options, HCC still remains one of the major causes of cancer morbidity and mortality around the world. Achieving effective treatment and eradication of HCC is a challenging task, however recent studies have shown that targeting Natural Killer cells, as major regulators of immune system, can help with the complete treatment of HCC, restoration of normal liver function and subsequently higher survival rate of HCC patients. Studies have shown that decrease in the frequency of NK cells, their dysfunction due to several factors such as dysregulation of receptors and their ligands, and imbalance of different types of inhibitory and stimulating microRNA expression is associated with higher rate of HCC progression and development, and poor survival outcome. Here in our review, we mainly focused on the importance of NK cells in HCC development and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarun Juengpanich
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, Zhejiang, Province, China; School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
| | - Liang Shi
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, Zhejiang, Province, China.
| | | | - Jiang Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, Zhejiang, Province, China; Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
| | - Zhenzhe Cheng
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
| | - Aaron Kah-Jin Khoo
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4027, Australia.
| | - Long Pan
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, Zhejiang, Province, China; School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
| | - Yifan Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, Zhejiang, Province, China.
| | - Xiujun Cai
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, Zhejiang, Province, China.
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25
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Natural killer cells involved in tumour immune escape of hepatocellular carcinomar. Int Immunopharmacol 2019; 73:10-16. [PMID: 31078921 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2019.04.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Natural killer cells are the first line of host immune surveillance and play major roles in the defence against infection and tumours. Hepatic NK cells exhibit unique phenotypic and functional characteristics compared to circulating and spleen NK cells, such as higher levels of cytolytic activity and cytotoxicity mediators against tumour cells. However, the activities of NK cells may be reversed during tumour progression. Recent studies demonstrated that hepatic NK cells were exhausted in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and exhibited impaired cytolytic activity and decreased production of effector cytokines. The present review discusses current knowledge on the role of exhausted NK cells in promoting HCC development and the mechanisms contributing to tumour immune escape, including an imbalance of activating and inhibitory receptors on NK cells, abnormal receptor-ligand interaction, and cross-talk with immune cells and other stromal cells in the tumour environment. We provide a fundamental basis for further study of innate immunity in tumour progression and serve the purpose of exploring new HCC treatment strategies.
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26
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Kim H, Griffith TS, Panyam J. Poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) Nanoparticles as Delivery Platforms for TLR7/8 Agonist-Based Cancer Vaccine. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2019; 370:715-724. [PMID: 30610006 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.118.254953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeted drug delivery can significantly influence the efficacy of a drug. In the past decades, diverse drug-delivery technologies, including nano- and microparticles, co-crystals, and microneedles have been developed to maximize therapeutic efficacy and minimize undesired side effects of therapeutics. Nanoparticles-submicron-sized drug carriers-have been actively investigated for the delivery of antibiotics, nucleic acids, peptide/proteins, and chemotherapeutics. Recently, nanoparticles have gained attention as a vaccine delivery platform for tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) and/or vaccine adjuvants. Agonists of imidazoquinoline-based Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7/8 are potent cytokine inducers that are used as cancer vaccine adjuvants to elicit robust T-cell response by activating dendritic cells (DCs). Despite their in vitro potency, the translation of TLR7 agonists as cancer vaccine adjuvants in the clinic has been limited by their poor retention at the injection site. Therefore, a formulation that could improve the availability of TLR7/8 agonists to DCs via conventional vaccine administration routes (subcutaneous, intramuscular) can broaden the application of TLR7/8 agonists for cancer immunotherapy. Polymeric nanoparticles fabricated with poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) can be an efficient TLR7/8 agonist delivery platform. PLGA is a biocompatible polymer, and nanoparticles prepared from this polymer are stable in saline and are small enough to be administered by subcutaneous or intramuscular injections. Furthermore, nanoparticulate TLR7/8 delivery can enhance DC uptake and facilitate lymphatic drainage, both of which can enhance the adjuvanticity of TLR7/8 agonists compared with soluble forms. In this review, we discuss the use of PLGA nanoparticles with TLR7/8 agonists for improving cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunjoon Kim
- Departments of Pharmaceutics (H.K., J.P.) and Urology (T.S.G.), Center for Immunology (T.S.G.), Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology Graduate Program (T.S.G.), and Masonic Cancer Center (T.S.G., J.P.), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Thomas S Griffith
- Departments of Pharmaceutics (H.K., J.P.) and Urology (T.S.G.), Center for Immunology (T.S.G.), Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology Graduate Program (T.S.G.), and Masonic Cancer Center (T.S.G., J.P.), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Jayanth Panyam
- Departments of Pharmaceutics (H.K., J.P.) and Urology (T.S.G.), Center for Immunology (T.S.G.), Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology Graduate Program (T.S.G.), and Masonic Cancer Center (T.S.G., J.P.), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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27
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Sarhan M, Land WG, Tonnus W, Hugo CP, Linkermann A. Origin and Consequences of Necroinflammation. Physiol Rev 2018; 98:727-780. [PMID: 29465288 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00041.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
When cells undergo necrotic cell death in either physiological or pathophysiological settings in vivo, they release highly immunogenic intracellular molecules and organelles into the interstitium and thereby represent the strongest known trigger of the immune system. With our increasing understanding of necrosis as a regulated and genetically determined process (RN, regulated necrosis), necrosis and necroinflammation can be pharmacologically prevented. This review discusses our current knowledge about signaling pathways of necrotic cell death as the origin of necroinflammation. Multiple pathways of RN such as necroptosis, ferroptosis, and pyroptosis have been evolutionary conserved most likely because of their differences in immunogenicity. As the consequence of necrosis, however, all necrotic cells release damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) that have been extensively investigated over the last two decades. Analysis of necroinflammation allows characterizing specific signatures for each particular pathway of cell death. While all RN-pathways share the release of DAMPs in general, most of them actively regulate the immune system by the additional expression and/or maturation of either pro- or anti-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines. In addition, DAMPs have been demonstrated to modulate the process of regeneration. For the purpose of better understanding of necroinflammation, we introduce a novel classification of DAMPs in this review to help detect the relative contribution of each RN-pathway to certain physiological and pathophysiological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maysa Sarhan
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University Vienna , Vienna , Austria ; INSERM UMR_S 1109, Laboratory of Excellence Transplantex, University of Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France ; German Academy of Transplantation Medicine, Munich , Germany ; and Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden , Dresden , Germany
| | - Walter G Land
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University Vienna , Vienna , Austria ; INSERM UMR_S 1109, Laboratory of Excellence Transplantex, University of Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France ; German Academy of Transplantation Medicine, Munich , Germany ; and Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden , Dresden , Germany
| | - Wulf Tonnus
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University Vienna , Vienna , Austria ; INSERM UMR_S 1109, Laboratory of Excellence Transplantex, University of Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France ; German Academy of Transplantation Medicine, Munich , Germany ; and Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden , Dresden , Germany
| | - Christian P Hugo
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University Vienna , Vienna , Austria ; INSERM UMR_S 1109, Laboratory of Excellence Transplantex, University of Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France ; German Academy of Transplantation Medicine, Munich , Germany ; and Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden , Dresden , Germany
| | - Andreas Linkermann
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University Vienna , Vienna , Austria ; INSERM UMR_S 1109, Laboratory of Excellence Transplantex, University of Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France ; German Academy of Transplantation Medicine, Munich , Germany ; and Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden , Dresden , Germany
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28
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Donaldson B, Lateef Z, Walker GF, Young SL, Ward VK. Virus-like particle vaccines: immunology and formulation for clinical translation. Expert Rev Vaccines 2018; 17:833-849. [PMID: 30173619 PMCID: PMC7103734 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2018.1516552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines face significant challenges in their translation from laboratory models, to routine clinical administration. While some VLP vaccines thrive and are readily adopted into the vaccination schedule, others are restrained by regulatory obstacles, proprietary limitations, or finding their niche amongst the crowded vaccine market. Often the necessity to supplant an existing vaccination regimen possesses an immediate obstacle for the development of a VLP vaccine, despite any preclinical advantages identified over the competition. Novelty, adaptability and formulation compatibility may prove invaluable in helping place VLP vaccines at the forefront of vaccination technology. AREAS COVERED The purpose of this review is to outline the diversity of VLP vaccines, VLP-specific immune responses, and to explore how modern formulation and delivery techniques can enhance the clinical relevance and overall success of VLP vaccines. EXPERT COMMENTARY The role of formation science, with an emphasis on the diversity of immune responses induced by VLP, is underrepresented amongst clinical trials for VLP vaccines. Harnessing such diversity, particularly through the use of combinations of select excipients and adjuvants, will be paramount in the development of VLP vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Braeden Donaldson
- a Department of Microbiology and Immunology , School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago , Dunedin , New Zealand.,b Department of Pathology , Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago , Dunedin , New Zealand
| | - Zabeen Lateef
- c Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology , School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago , Dunedin , New Zealand
| | - Greg F Walker
- d School of Pharmacy , University of Otago , Dunedin , New Zealand
| | - Sarah L Young
- b Department of Pathology , Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago , Dunedin , New Zealand
| | - Vernon K Ward
- a Department of Microbiology and Immunology , School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago , Dunedin , New Zealand
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29
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Gao D, Cai Y, Chen Y, Li W, Wei CC, Luo X, Wang Y. Novel TLR7 agonist stimulates activity of CIK/NK immunological effector cells to enhance antitumor cytotoxicity. Oncol Lett 2018; 15:5105-5110. [PMID: 29552145 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.7954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7/8 agonists have been applied in combination with chemo-, radio- or immunotherapy for lymphoma, and used as topical drugs for the treatment of viral skin lesions and skin tumors. In the present study, the role of an adenine analog, 9-(4-carboxyphenyl)-8-hydroxy-2-(2-methoxyethoxy)-adenine [termed Gao Dong (GD)], a novel TLR7 agonist, in the activation of cytokine-induced killer/natural killer (CIK/NK) cells was determined. The results of the present study indicated that GD was able to activate CIK/NK cells. The proportion of GD-induced CD3+CD56+ CIK and CD3-CD56+ NK cells was ~4% higher respectively compared with the control. Notably, combination therapy with CIK/NK cells stimulated by GD, markedly suppressed the proliferation of the chronic myelogenous leukemia K562 cell line. Following GD treatment, the cytotoxicity improved by ~25 and 21% when the effector/target ratio was 20:1 and 10:1, respectively. The results of the present study suggested a novel protocol for CIK/NK cell proliferation and revealed that GD may serve as a potent innate and adaptive immunomodulator in immunocyte culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Gao
- Shenzhen Hornetcorn Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, Guangdong 518045, P.R. China
| | - Yongguang Cai
- The Fifth District of Chemotherapy, Department of Medical Oncology, Central Hospital of Guangdong Provincial Agricultural Reclamation, Zhanjiang, Guangdong 524002, P.R. China
| | - Yanyuan Chen
- Shenzhen Hornetcorn Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, Guangdong 518045, P.R. China
| | - Wang Li
- Shenzhen Hornetcorn Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, Guangdong 518045, P.R. China
| | - Chih-Chang Wei
- Shenzhen Hornetcorn Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, Guangdong 518045, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoling Luo
- Shenzhen Hornetcorn Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, Guangdong 518045, P.R. China
| | - Yuhuan Wang
- Shenzhen Hornetcorn Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, Guangdong 518045, P.R. China
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30
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Seth A, Lee H, Cho MY, Park C, Korm S, Lee JY, Choi I, Lim YT, Hong KS. Combining vasculature disrupting agent and Toll-like receptor 7/8 agonist for cancer therapy. Oncotarget 2018; 8:5371-5381. [PMID: 28036266 PMCID: PMC5354915 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.14260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
This study evaluates the effect of combination of two different treatment regimens for solid tumor therapy: vasculature targeting agent and immune-stimulation. Poly lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) nanoparticles were synthesized for intracellular delivery of toll-like receptor (TLR) 7/8 agonist—gardiquimod. Spherical and mono-disperse gardiquimod encapsulated PLGA nanoparticles (Gardi-PLGA), approximately 194 nm in size were formulated. Gardi-PLGA induced immune-stimulation, and vasculature disrupting agent (VDA)—5,6-Dimethylxanthenone-4-acetic acid (DMXAA) was used in combination to assessing the influence on bone marrow derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) and B16-F10 melanoma cells. The combination treatment significantly increased the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, indicating their activation in BMDCs, while melanoma cells remained viable. Further, mice melanoma model was established, and DMXAA was administered intraperitoneally and Gardi-PLGA was administered via an intra-tumoral injection. The combination treatments strategy significantly inhibited tumor growth as shown by tumor volume analysis, and the survival rate of the mice was found to be 63.6% (n = 11), after 54 days of tumor inoculation. Immunohistochemical findings of tumor sections treated with DMXAA confirmed the in vivo vasculature disruption. Thus, the inhibition of tumor growth can be attributed to the synergistic effect of immune stimulation caused by DC activation and vasculature disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anushree Seth
- Bioimaging Research Team, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju 28119, Republic of Korea.,Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea.,Immunotherapy Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Hyunseung Lee
- Bioimaging Research Team, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju 28119, Republic of Korea.,Immunotherapy Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Mi Young Cho
- Bioimaging Research Team, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju 28119, Republic of Korea.,Immunotherapy Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Cheongsoo Park
- Bioimaging Research Team, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju 28119, Republic of Korea
| | - Sovannarith Korm
- Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Joo-Yong Lee
- Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Inpyo Choi
- Immunotherapy Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Yong Taik Lim
- SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwan Soo Hong
- Bioimaging Research Team, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju 28119, Republic of Korea.,Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea.,Immunotherapy Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
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31
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Mikulak J, Oriolo F, Zaghi E, Di Vito C, Mavilio D. Natural killer cells in HIV-1 infection and therapy. AIDS 2017; 31:2317-2330. [PMID: 28926399 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000001645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
: Natural killer (NK) cells are important effectors of innate immunity playing a key role in the eradication and clearance of viral infections. Over the recent years, several studies have shown that HIV-1 pathologically changes NK cell homeostasis and hampers their antiviral effector functions. Moreover, high levels of chronic HIV-1 viremia markedly impair those NK cell regulatory features that normally regulate the cross talks between innate and adaptive immune responses. These pathogenic events take place early in the infection and are associated with a pathologic redistribution of NK cell subsets that includes the expansion of anergic CD56/CD16 NK cells with an aberrant repertoire of activating and inhibitory receptors. Nevertheless, the presence of specific haplotypes for NK cell receptors and the engagement of NK cell antibody-dependent cell cytotocity have been reported to control HIV-1 infection. This dichotomy can be extremely useful to both predict the clinical outcome of the infection and to develop alternative antiviral pharmacological approaches. Indeed, the administration of antiretroviral therapy in HIV-1-infected patients restores NK cell phenotype and functions to normal levels. Thus, antiretroviral therapy can help to develop NK cell-directed therapeutic strategies that include the use of broadly neutralizing antibodies and toll-like receptor agonists. The present review discusses how our current knowledge of NK cell pathophysiology in HIV-1 infection is being translated both in experimental and clinical trials aimed at controlling the infection and disease.
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32
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Chesson CB, Zloza A. Nanoparticles: augmenting tumor antigen presentation for vaccine and immunotherapy treatments of cancer. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2017; 12:2693-2706. [PMID: 29098928 PMCID: PMC5704090 DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2017-0254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The major goal of immunity is maintaining host survival. Toward this, immune cells recognize and eliminate targets that pose a danger. Primarily, these are external invaders (pathogens) and internal invaders (cancers). Their recognition relies on distinguishing foreign components (antigens) from self-antigens. Since cancer cells are the host's own cells that are harmfully altered, they are difficult to distinguish from normal self. Furthermore, the antigens least resembling the host are often sequestered in parts of the tumor least accessible to immune responses. Therefore, to sufficiently boost immunity, these tumor antigens must be exposed to the immune system. Toward this, nanoparticles provide an innovating means of tumor antigen presentation and are destined to become an integral part of cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles B Chesson
- Section of Surgical Oncology Research, Division of Surgical Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA.,Department of Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
| | - Andrew Zloza
- Section of Surgical Oncology Research, Division of Surgical Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA.,Department of Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
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33
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Xu T, Cui T, Peng L, Kong S, Zou J, Tian X. The anti-hepatocellular carcinoma activity of Mel-P15 is mediated by natural killer cells. Oncol Lett 2017; 14:6901-6906. [PMID: 29163709 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.7018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Mel-P15 is a peptide derived from melittin, the main toxic component in the venom of the European honeybee Apis mellifera. In the present study, the antitumor effects of Mel-P15 and the underlying molecular mechanisms of these effects in vivo were investigated. Mel-P15 directly stimulated natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity in vitro, which was increased to 55.45% at a 4 µg/ml dose of Mel-P15. In the mouse liver cancer (H22) xenograft mice model, Mel-P15 suppressed tumor growth in vivo; the tumor inhibitory rate was 61.15% following treatment with 2 mg/kg Mel-P15. In addition, the immune response was activated following Mel-P15 treatment. Mel-P15 treatment increased the spleen and thymus indices, promoted splenocyte proliferation, stimulated NK cytotoxicity and upregulated the secretion of cytokines, including interleukin-2, interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α. In addition, the tumor inhibitory effect of Mel-P15 on BEL-7402-bearing nude mice was abrogated by the selective depletion of NK cells via the intraperitoneal injection of an anti-asialo GM-1 antibody. The results suggest that Mel-P15 inhibits tumor growth in vivo by promoting NK cell cytotoxicity. Mel-P15 may therefore be a potential immunotherapy candidate for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Tongxing Cui
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Lipan Peng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Shuai Kong
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Jianqiang Zou
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Xingsong Tian
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
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34
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Ma L, Han M, Keyoumu Z, Wang H, Keyoumu S. Immunotherapy of Dual-Function Vector with Both Immunostimulatory and B-Cell Lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)-Silencing Effects on Gastric Carcinoma. Med Sci Monit 2017; 23:1980-1991. [PMID: 28439064 PMCID: PMC5412972 DOI: 10.12659/msm.900418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tumorigenesis is a kind of pathology marked by infinite proliferation and restrained apoptosis compared with normal cells. The abnormal expression of some proto-oncogenes and apoptosis inhibition are essential for tumor growth, which has been confirmed by molecular biologic and immunologic studies. The hypofunction of the host immune system also drives the development and metastasis of malignant tumors. Bcl-2, which has a critical role in regulating apoptosis, is overexpressed in several cancers. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this study, we constructed a dual-function small hairpin RNA (shRNA) vector containing an Bcl-2-silencing shRNA and a TLR7-stimulating ssRNA and examined it effect on tumor cell growth and proliferation. RESULTS Stimulation with this bi-functional vector in vitro promoted significant apoptosis of MFC cells by regulating the expression of apoptosis-related proteins and induced secretion of type I IFNs. Most importantly, this bi-functional vector more effectively inhibited subcutaneous MFC cell growth than did single shRNA and ssRNA treatment in vivo. Natural killer (NK) and CD4+ T cells were required for effective tumor suppression, and TLR7 was shown to play a helper role in the activation of NK cells and CD4+ T cells, possibly by regulating the expression of receptors or secretion of cytokines. CONCLUSIONS This bi-functional vector that contained ssRNA and shRNA may represent a promising approach for tumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanying Ma
- Department of Digestive System, Xinjiang Medical University Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China (mainland)
| | - Mei Han
- Department of Digestive System, Xinjiang Medical University Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China (mainland)
| | - Zumureti Keyoumu
- Department of Preventive Care, Xinjiang Medical University Second Affiliated Hospital, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China (mainland)
| | - Hua Wang
- Basic Medical College of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China (mainland)
| | - Saifuding Keyoumu
- Department of Digestive System, Xinjiang Medical University Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China (mainland)
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35
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Land WG, Agostinis P, Gasser S, Garg AD, Linkermann A. DAMP-Induced Allograft and Tumor Rejection: The Circle Is Closing. Am J Transplant 2016; 16:3322-3337. [PMID: 27529775 DOI: 10.1111/ajt.14012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Revised: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/31/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The pathophysiological importance of the immunogenicity of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) has been pinpointed by their identification as triggers of allograft rejection following release from dying cells, such as after ischemia-reperfusion injury. In cancers, however, this strong trigger of a specific immune response gives rise to the success of cancer immunotherapy. Here, we review the recently literature on the pathophysiological importance of DAMP release and discuss the implications of these processes for allograft rejection and cancer immunotherapy, revealing a striking mechanistic overlap. We conclude that these two fields share a common mechanistic basis of regulated necrosis and inflammation, the molecular characterization of which may be helpful for both oncologists and the transplant community.
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Affiliation(s)
- W G Land
- German Academy of Transplantation Medicine, Munich, Germany.,Laboratoire d'ImmunoRhumatologie Moléculaire, INSERM UMR_S1109, Plateforme GENOMAX, Faculté de Médecine, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg (FMTS), Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,LabexTRANSPLANTEX, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - P Agostinis
- Cell Death Research and Therapy (CDRT) Lab, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - S Gasser
- Immunology Programme and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - A D Garg
- Cell Death Research and Therapy (CDRT) Lab, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - A Linkermann
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence EXC306, Inflammation at Interfaces, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.,Clinic for Nephrology and Hypertension, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
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36
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Huhta H, Helminen O, Kauppila JH, Salo T, Porvari K, Saarnio J, Lehenkari PP, Karttunen TJ. The Expression of Toll-like Receptors in Normal Human and Murine Gastrointestinal Organs and the Effect of Microbiome and Cancer. J Histochem Cytochem 2016; 64:470-82. [PMID: 27370795 PMCID: PMC4971779 DOI: 10.1369/0022155416656154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are innate immune receptors expressed in all parts of the alimentary tract. However, analyses comparing expression in different segments and data on germ-free animals are lacking. Alimentary tract cancers show increased TLR expression. According to the field effect concept, carcinogenetic factors induce subtle cancer predisposing alterations in the whole organ. We studied TLR1 to TLR9 expression in all segments of the alimentary tract from cancer patients’ tumor-adjacent normal mucosa, healthy organ donors, and conventional and germ-free mice by using immunohistochemistry and quantitative PCR. All TLRs were expressed in all segments of the alimentary tract. Expression was most intensive in the small intestine in humans and conventional mice, but germ-free mice showed less expression in the small intestine. TLR expression levels were similar in cancer patients and organ donors. We provide systematic baseline data on the TLR expression in the alimentary tract. Normal epithelium adjacent to tumor seems to have similar TLR expression compared with healthy tissues suggesting absence of any field effect in TLR expression. Accordingly, specimens from cancer patients’ normal tumor-adjacent tissue can be used as control tissues in immunohistochemical TLR studies in gastrointestinal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heikki Huhta
- Departments of Pathology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, KP, TJK),Surgery, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, JS, PPL),Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, TS, JS, PPL, TJK),Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, TS, JS, PPL, TJK)
| | - Olli Helminen
- Departments of Pathology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, KP, TJK),Surgery, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, JS, PPL),Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, TS, JS, PPL, TJK),Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, TS, JS, PPL, TJK)
| | - Joonas H Kauppila
- Departments of Pathology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, KP, TJK),Surgery, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, JS, PPL),Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, TS, JS, PPL, TJK),Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, TS, JS, PPL, TJK)
| | - Tuula Salo
- Dentistry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland (TS),Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, TS, JS, PPL, TJK),Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, TS, JS, PPL, TJK)
| | - Katja Porvari
- Departments of Pathology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, KP, TJK)
| | - Juha Saarnio
- Surgery, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, JS, PPL),Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, TS, JS, PPL, TJK),Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, TS, JS, PPL, TJK)
| | - Petri P Lehenkari
- Surgery, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, JS, PPL),Anatomy and Cell biology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland (PPL),Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, TS, JS, PPL, TJK),Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, TS, JS, PPL, TJK)
| | - Tuomo J Karttunen
- Departments of Pathology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, KP, TJK),Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, TS, JS, PPL, TJK),Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland (HH, OH, JHK, TS, JS, PPL, TJK)
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37
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Zhang QF, Yin WW, Xia Y, Yi YY, He QF, Wang X, Ren H, Zhang DZ. Liver-infiltrating CD11b -CD27 - NK subsets account for NK-cell dysfunction in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and are associated with tumor progression. Cell Mol Immunol 2016; 14:819-829. [PMID: 27321064 PMCID: PMC5649104 DOI: 10.1038/cmi.2016.28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Revised: 04/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells have a vital role in killing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells; however, the mechanism underlying tumor-infiltrating NK (TINK)-cell dysfunction remains poorly understood. Using flow cytometry staining, we precisely characterized the frequency, phenotype and function of NK subsets distinguished by CD27 and CD11b in 30 patients with HCC in comparison to 30 healthy controls. Interestingly, we found a substantial proportion of liver-infiltrating CD11b−CD27− (DN) NK subsets in tumor tissue from HCC patients. Remarkably, these relatively expanded DN NK subsets exhibited an inactive and immature phenotype. By detecting the expression of CD107a and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) on NK subsets and NK cells, we demonstrated that DN NK subsets exhibited a poor cytotoxic capacity and deficient potential to produce IFN-γ in comparison to the other three subsets, which contributed to the dysfunction of TINK cells in HCC patients. In addition, we found that the presence of DN NK cells was closely associated with the clinical outcomes of HCC patients, as the frequency of DN NK cells among TINK cells was positively correlated with tumor stage and size. A large percentage of DN NK cells among TINK cells was an independent prognostic factor for lower survival in the 60-month follow-up period. In conclusion, a substantial proportion of CD11b−CD27−NK subsets among TINK cells accounts for NK-cell dysfunction in patients with HCC and is associated with tumor progression. Our study may provide a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of patients with HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiong-Fang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Wen-Wei Yin
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Yang Xia
- Department of Urinary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Ya-Yang Yi
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Qiu-Feng He
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Xing Wang
- Department of Orthopaedics Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, PR China
| | - Hong Ren
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Da-Zhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
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38
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Dajon M, Iribarren K, Cremer I. Toll-like receptor stimulation in cancer: A pro- and anti-tumor double-edged sword. Immunobiology 2016; 222:89-100. [PMID: 27349597 DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2016.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Revised: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a family of transmembrane receptors that recognize various pathogen- and damage-associated molecular pattern molecules playing an important role in inflammation by activating NF-кB. TLRs, mainly expressed by innate immune cells, are involved in inducing and regulating adaptive immune responses. However, the expression of TLRs has also been observed in many tumors, and their stimulation results in tumor progression or regression, depending on the TLR and tumor type. Here we review the role of TLRs in conferring anti- or pro-tumoral effects. The anti-tumoral effects can result from direct induction of tumor cell death and/or activation of efficient anti-tumoral immune responses, and the pro-tumoral effects may be due to inducing tumor cell survival and proliferation or by acting on suppressive or inflammatory immune cells in the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Dajon
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), UMRS1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris F-75006, France; Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, UMRS1138, Paris F-75006, France; Université Paris Descartes, UMRS1138, Paris F-75006, France
| | - Kristina Iribarren
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), UMRS1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris F-75006, France; Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, UMRS1138, Paris F-75006, France; Université Paris Descartes, UMRS1138, Paris F-75006, France
| | - Isabelle Cremer
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), UMRS1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris F-75006, France; Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, UMRS1138, Paris F-75006, France; Université Paris Descartes, UMRS1138, Paris F-75006, France.
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39
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Zou H, Wang WK, Liu YL, Braddock M, Zheng MH, Huang DS. Toll-like receptors in hepatocellular carcinoma: potential novel targets for pharmacological intervention. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2016; 20:1127-35. [DOI: 10.1517/14728222.2016.1168809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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40
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Fasbender F, Widera A, Hengstler JG, Watzl C. Natural Killer Cells and Liver Fibrosis. Front Immunol 2016; 7:19. [PMID: 26858722 PMCID: PMC4731511 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2016.00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 01/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the 40 years since the discovery of natural killer (NK) cells, it has been well established that these innate lymphocytes are important for early and effective immune responses against transformed cells and infections with different pathogens. In addition to these classical functions of NK cells, we now know that they are part of a larger family of innate lymphoid cells and that they can even mediate memory-like responses. Additionally, tissue-resident NK cells with distinct phenotypical and functional characteristics have been identified. Here, we focus on the phenotype of different NK cell subpopulations that can be found in the liver and summarize the current knowledge about the functional role of these cells with a special emphasis on liver fibrosis. NK cell cytotoxicity can contribute to liver damage in different forms of liver disease. However, NK cells can limit liver fibrosis by killing hepatic stellate cell-derived myofibroblasts, which play a key role in this pathogenic process. Therefore, liver NK cells need to be tightly regulated in order to balance these beneficial and pathological effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Fasbender
- Department for Immunology, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Technische Universität Dortmund , Dortmund , Germany
| | - Agata Widera
- Department for Toxicology, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Technische Universität Dortmund , Dortmund , Germany
| | - Jan G Hengstler
- Department for Toxicology, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Technische Universität Dortmund , Dortmund , Germany
| | - Carsten Watzl
- Department for Immunology, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Technische Universität Dortmund , Dortmund , Germany
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