1
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Yang H, Li M, Deng Y, Wen H, Luo M, Zhang W. Roles and interactions of tumor microenvironment components in medulloblastoma with implications for novel therapeutics. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2024; 63:e23233. [PMID: 38607297 DOI: 10.1002/gcc.23233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Medulloblastomas, the most common malignant pediatric brain tumors, can be classified into the wingless, sonic hedgehog (SHH), group 3, and group 4 subgroups. Among them, the SHH subgroup with the TP53 mutation and group 3 generally present with the worst patient outcomes due to their high rates of recurrence and metastasis. A novel and effective treatment for refractory medulloblastomas is urgently needed. To date, the tumor microenvironment (TME) has been shown to influence tumor growth, recurrence, and metastasis through immunosuppression, angiogenesis, and chronic inflammation. Treatments targeting TME components have emerged as promising approaches to the treatment of solid tumors. In this review, we summarize progress in research on medulloblastoma microenvironment components and their interactions. We also discuss challenges and future research directions for TME-targeting medulloblastoma therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanjie Yang
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Min Li
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuhao Deng
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huantao Wen
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Minjie Luo
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wangming Zhang
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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2
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Yi M, Li T, Niu M, Mei Q, Zhao B, Chu Q, Dai Z, Wu K. Exploiting innate immunity for cancer immunotherapy. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:187. [PMID: 38008741 PMCID: PMC10680233 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01885-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapies have revolutionized the treatment paradigms of various types of cancers. However, most of these immunomodulatory strategies focus on harnessing adaptive immunity, mainly by inhibiting immunosuppressive signaling with immune checkpoint blockade, or enhancing immunostimulatory signaling with bispecific T cell engager and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell. Although these agents have already achieved great success, only a tiny percentage of patients could benefit from immunotherapies. Actually, immunotherapy efficacy is determined by multiple components in the tumor microenvironment beyond adaptive immunity. Cells from the innate arm of the immune system, such as macrophages, dendritic cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, neutrophils, natural killer cells, and unconventional T cells, also participate in cancer immune evasion and surveillance. Considering that the innate arm is the cornerstone of the antitumor immune response, utilizing innate immunity provides potential therapeutic options for cancer control. Up to now, strategies exploiting innate immunity, such as agonists of stimulator of interferon genes, CAR-macrophage or -natural killer cell therapies, metabolic regulators, and novel immune checkpoint blockade, have exhibited potent antitumor activities in preclinical and clinical studies. Here, we summarize the latest insights into the potential roles of innate cells in antitumor immunity and discuss the advances in innate arm-targeted therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Yi
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, People's Republic of China
- Department of Breast Surgery, College of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianye Li
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310000, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengke Niu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Mei
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Zhao
- Department of Breast Surgery, College of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Chu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhijun Dai
- Department of Breast Surgery, College of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, People's Republic of China.
| | - Kongming Wu
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, People's Republic of China.
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3
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Kuen DS, Hong J, Lee S, Koh CH, Kwak M, Kim BS, Jung M, Kim YJ, Cho BS, Kim BS, Chung Y. A Personalized Cancer Vaccine that Induces Synergistic Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2303080. [PMID: 37249019 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202303080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
To demonstrate potent efficacy, a cancer vaccine needs to activate both innate and adaptive immune cells. Personalized cancer vaccine strategies often require the identification of patient-specific neoantigens; however, the clonal and mutational heterogeneity of cancer cells presents inherent challenges. Here, extracellular nanovesicles derived from alpha-galactosylceramide-conjugated autologous acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells (ECNV-αGC) are presented as a personalized therapeutic vaccine that activates both innate and adaptive immune responses, bypassing the need to identify patient-specific neoantigens. ECNV-αGC vaccination directly engages with and activates both invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells and leukemia-specific CD8+ T cells in mice with AML, thereby promoting long-term anti-leukemic immune memory. ECNV-αGC sufficiently serves as an antigen-presenting platform that can directly activate antigen-specific CD8+ T cells even in the absence of dendritic cells, thereby demonstrating a multifaceted cellular mechanism of immune activation. Moreover, ECNV-αGC vaccination results in a significantly lower AML burden and higher percentage of leukemia-free survivors among cytarabine-treated hosts with AML. Human AML-derived ECNV-αGCs activate iNKT cells in both healthy individuals and patients with AML regardless of responsiveness to conventional therapies. Together, autologous AML-derived ECNV-αGCs may be a promising personalized therapeutic vaccine that efficiently establishes AML-specific long-term immunity without requiring the identification of neoantigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da-Sol Kuen
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihye Hong
- Interdisciplinary Program for Bioengineering, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Suyoung Lee
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Choong-Hyun Koh
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Minkyeong Kwak
- Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Incheon National University, 22012, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Mungyo Jung
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon-Joo Kim
- Department of Hematology, Catholic Hematology Hospital and Leukemia Research Institute, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 06591, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Sik Cho
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Soo Kim
- Interdisciplinary Program for Bioengineering, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Incheon National University, 22012, Incheon, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Chemical Processes, Institute of Engineering Research, BioMAX, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeonseok Chung
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Hu J, Xu L, Fu W, Sun Y, Wang N, Zhang J, Yang C, Zhang X, Zhou Y, Wang R, Zhang H, Mou R, Du X, Li X, Hu S, Xie R. Development and validation a prognostic model based on natural killer T cells marker genes for predicting prognosis and characterizing immune status in glioblastoma through integrated analysis of single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing. Funct Integr Genomics 2023; 23:286. [PMID: 37650991 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-023-01217-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive and unstoppable malignancy. Natural killer T (NKT) cells, characterized by specific markers, play pivotal roles in many tumor-associated pathophysiological processes. Therefore, investigating the functions and complex interactions of NKT cells is great interest for exploring GBM. METHODS We acquired a single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) dataset of GBM from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was employed to further screen genes subpopulations. Subsequently, we integrated the GBM cohorts from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) databases to describe different subtypes by consensus clustering and developed a prognostic model by least absolute selection and shrinkage operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox regression analysis. We further investigated differences in survival rates and clinical characteristics among different risk groups. Furthermore, a nomogram was developed by combining riskscore with the clinical characteristics. We investigated the abundance of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) by CIBERSORT and single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithms. Immunotherapy efficacy assessment was done with the assistance of Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) and The Cancer Immunome Atlas (TCIA) databases. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) experiments and immunohistochemical profiles of tissues were utilized to validate model genes. RESULTS We identified 945 NKT cells marker genes from scRNA-seq data. Through further screening, 107 genes were accurately identified, of which 15 were significantly correlated with prognosis. We distinguished GBM samples into two distinct subtypes and successfully developed a robust prognostic prediction model. Survival analysis indicated that high expression of NKT cell marker genes was significantly associated with poor prognosis in GBM patients. Riskscore can be used as an independent prognostic factor. The nomogram was demonstrated remarkable utility in aiding clinical decision making. Tumor immune microenvironment analysis revealed significant differences of immune infiltration characteristics between different risk groups. In addition, the expression levels of immune checkpoint-associated genes were consistently elevated in the high-risk group, suggesting more prominent immune escape but also a stronger response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS By integrating scRNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq data analysis, we successfully developed a prognostic prediction model that incorporates two pivotal NKT cells marker genes, namely, CD44 and TNFSF14. This model has exhibited outstanding performance in assessing the prognosis of GBM patients. Furthermore, we conducted a preliminary investigation into the immune microenvironment across various risk groups that contributes to uncover promising immunotherapeutic targets specific to GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahe Hu
- Department of Digestive Internal Medicine, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Cancer Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wenchao Fu
- The Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Research, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yanan Sun
- Department of Digestive Internal Medicine, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Nan Wang
- Cancer Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiheng Zhang
- Cancer Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chengyun Yang
- Cancer Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China
- Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoling Zhang
- Department of Digestive Internal Medicine, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Yuxin Zhou
- Department of Digestive Internal Medicine, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Rongfang Wang
- Department of Digestive Internal Medicine, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Haoxin Zhang
- Department of Digestive Internal Medicine, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Ruishu Mou
- Department of Digestive Internal Medicine, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Xinlian Du
- Department of Digestive Internal Medicine, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Xuedong Li
- Department of Digestive Internal Medicine, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Shaoshan Hu
- Cancer Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Rui Xie
- Department of Digestive Internal Medicine, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China.
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5
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Rodriguez A, Kamiya-Matsuoka C, Majd NK. The Role of Immunotherapy in the Treatment of Rare Central Nervous System Tumors. Curr Oncol 2023; 30:5279-5298. [PMID: 37366884 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol30060401] [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: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Establishing novel therapies for rare central nervous system (CNS) tumors is arduous due to challenges in conducting clinical trials in rare tumors. Immunotherapy treatment has been a rapidly developing field and has demonstrated improvements in outcomes for multiple types of solid malignancies. In rare CNS tumors, the role of immunotherapy is being explored. In this article, we review the preclinical and clinical data of various immunotherapy modalities in select rare CNS tumors, including atypical meningioma, aggressive pituitary adenoma, pituitary carcinoma, ependymoma, embryonal tumor, atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor, and meningeal solitary fibrous tumor. Among these tumor types, some studies have shown promise; however, ongoing clinical trials will be critical for defining and optimizing the role of immunotherapy for these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Rodriguez
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - Nazanin K Majd
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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6
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Courtney AN, Tian G, Metelitsa LS. Natural killer T cells and other innate-like T lymphocytes as emerging platforms for allogeneic cancer cell therapy. Blood 2023; 141:869-876. [PMID: 36347021 PMCID: PMC10023720 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2022016201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have achieved major clinical success in patients with hematologic malignancies. However, these treatments remain largely ineffective for solid cancers and require significant time and resources to be manufactured in an autologous setting. Developing alternative immune effector cells as cancer immunotherapy agents that can be employed in allogeneic settings is crucial for the advancement of cell therapy. Unlike T cells, Vα24-invariant natural killer T cells (NKTs) are not alloreactive and can therefore be generated from allogeneic donors for rapid infusion into numerous patients without the risk of graft-versus-host disease. Additionally, NKT cells demonstrate inherent advantages over T-cell products, including the ability to traffic to tumor tissues, target tumor-associated macrophages, transactivate NK cells, and cross-prime tumor-specific CD8 T cells. Both unmodified NKTs, which specifically recognize CD1d-bound glycolipid antigens expressed by certain types of tumors, and CAR-redirected NKTs are being developed as the next generation of allogeneic cell therapy products. In this review, we describe studies on the biology of NKTs and other types of innate-like T cells and summarize the clinical experiences of unmodified and CAR-redirected NKTs, including recent interim reports on allogeneic NKTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy N. Courtney
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Gengwen Tian
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Leonid S. Metelitsa
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
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7
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Wu KS, Sung SY, Huang MH, Lin YL, Chang CC, Fang CL, Wong TT, Chen HH, Tsai ML. Clinical and Molecular Features in Medulloblastomas Subtypes in Children in a Cohort in Taiwan. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14215419. [PMID: 36358838 PMCID: PMC9657873 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14215419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Medulloblastoma (MB) was classified into four subgroups: WNT, SHH, group 3, and group 4. In 2017, 12 subtypes within 4 subgroups and 8 subtypes within non-WNT/non-SHH subgroups according to the heterogenous features were announced. In this study, we aimed to identify the heterogeneity of molecular features for discovering subtype specific factors linked to diagnosis and prognosis. We retrieved 70 MBs to perform RNA sequencing and a DNA methylation array. Integrated with clinical annotations, we classified 12 subtypes of pediatric MBs. We found that M2 macrophages were enriched in SHH β, which correlated with good outcomes of SHH MBs. The high infiltration of M2 macrophages may be an indicator of a favorable prognosis and therapeutic target for SHH MBs. Furthermore, C11orf95-RELA fusion was observed to be associated with recurrence and a poor prognosis. These results will contribute to the establishment of a molecular diagnosis linked to prognostic factors of relevance for MBs. Abstract Medulloblastoma (MB) was classified into four molecular subgroups: WNT, SHH, group 3, and group 4. In 2017, 12 subtypes within 4 subgroups and 8 subtypes within non-WNT/non-SHH subgroups according to the differences of clinical features and biology were announced. In this study, we aimed to identify the heterogeneity of molecular features for discovering subtype specific factors linked to diagnosis and prognosis. We retrieved 70 MBs in children to perform RNA sequencing and a DNA methylation array in Taiwan. Integrated with clinical annotations, we achieved classification of 12 subtypes of pediatric MBs in our cohort series with reference to the other reported series. We analyzed the correlation of cell type enrichment in SHH MBs and found that M2 macrophages were enriched in SHH β, which related to good outcomes of SHH MBs. The high infiltration of M2 macrophages may be an indicator of a favorable prognosis and therapeutic target for SHH MBs. Furthermore, C11orf95-RELA fusion was observed to be associated with recurrence and a poor prognosis. These results will contribute to the establishment of a molecular diagnosis linked to prognostic indicators of relevance and help to promote molecular-based risk stratified treatment for MBs in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuo-Sheng Wu
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Shian-Ying Sung
- International Ph.D. Program for Translational Science, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- The Ph.D. Program for Translational Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Man-Hsu Huang
- Department of Pathology, Shuang-Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City 235, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ling Lin
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Che-Chang Chang
- International Ph.D. Program for Translational Science, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- The Ph.D. Program for Translational Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Lang Fang
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Department of Pathology, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Tai-Tong Wong
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Pediatric Brain Tumor Program, Taipei Cancer Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Neuroscience Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Hung Chen
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, The Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (H.-H.C.); (M.-L.T.)
| | - Min-Lan Tsai
- Pediatric Brain Tumor Program, Taipei Cancer Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (H.-H.C.); (M.-L.T.)
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8
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Schakelaar MY, Monnikhof M, Crnko S, Pijnappel E, Meeldijk J, Ten Broeke T, Bovenschen N. Cellular Immunotherapy for Medulloblastoma. Neuro Oncol 2022; 25:617-627. [PMID: 36219688 PMCID: PMC10076947 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noac236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant brain tumor in children, making up ~20% of all primary pediatric brain tumors. Current therapies consist of maximal surgical resection and aggressive radio- and chemotherapy. A third of the treated patients cannot be cured and survivors are often left with devastating long-term side effects. Novel efficient and targeted treatment is desperately needed for this patient population. Cellular immunotherapy aims to enhance and utilize immune cells to target tumors, and has been proven successful in various cancers. However, for MB, the knowledge and possibilities of cellular immunotherapy are limited. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current status of cellular immunotherapy for MB, from fundamental in vitro research to in vivo models and (ongoing) clinical trials. In addition, we compare our findings to cellular immunotherapy in glioma, an MB-like intracranial tumor. Finally, future possibilities for MB are discussed to improve efficacy and safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Y Schakelaar
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Matthijs Monnikhof
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sandra Crnko
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Bachelor Research Hub, Educational Center, University Medical Centre Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Emma Pijnappel
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Bachelor Research Hub, Educational Center, University Medical Centre Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Meeldijk
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Bachelor Research Hub, Educational Center, University Medical Centre Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Toine Ten Broeke
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Bachelor Research Hub, Educational Center, University Medical Centre Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Niels Bovenschen
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Bachelor Research Hub, Educational Center, University Medical Centre Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
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9
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Nezhad Shamohammadi F, Yazdanifar M, Oraei M, Kazemi MH, Roohi A, Mahya Shariat Razavi S, Rezaei F, Parvizpour F, Karamlou Y, Namdari H. Controversial role of γδ T cells in pancreatic cancer. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 108:108895. [PMID: 35729831 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.108895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
γδ T cells are rare lymphocytes with cogent impact on immune responses. These cells are one of the earliest cells to be recruited in the sites of infection or tumors and play a critical role in coordinating innate and adaptive immune responses. The anti-tumor activity of γδ T cells have been numerously reported; nonetheless, there is controversy among published studies regarding their anti-tumor vs pro-tumor effect- especially in pancreatic cancer. A myriad of studies has confirmed that activated γδ T cells can potently lyse a broad variety of solid tumors and leukemia/lymphoma cells and produce an array of cytokines; however, early γδ T cell-based clinical trials did not lead to optimal efficacy, despite acceptable safety. Depending on the local micromilieu, γδ T cells can differentiate into tumor promoting or suppressing cells such as Th1-, Th2-, or Th17-like cells and produce prototypical cytokines such as interferon-γ (IFNγ) and interleukin (IL)-4/-10, IL-9, or IL-17. In an abstruse tumor such as pancreatic cancer- also known as immunologically cold tumor- γδ T cells are more likely to switch to their immunosuppressive phenotype. In this review we will adduce the accumulated knowledge on these two controversial aspects of γδ T cells in cancers- with a focus on solid tumors and pancreatic cancer. In addition, we propose strategies for enhancing the anti-tumor function of γδ T cells in cancers and discuss the potential future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mahboubeh Yazdanifar
- Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Mona Oraei
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad H Kazemi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Immunology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azam Roohi
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Farhad Rezaei
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farzad Parvizpour
- Iranian Tissue Bank and Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Yalda Karamlou
- Iranian Tissue Bank and Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Haideh Namdari
- Iranian Tissue Bank and Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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10
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Busà R, Bulati M, Badami E, Zito G, Maresca DC, Conaldi PG, Ercolano G, Ianaro A. Tissue-Resident Innate Immune Cell-Based Therapy: A Cornerstone of Immunotherapy Strategies for Cancer Treatment. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:907572. [PMID: 35757002 PMCID: PMC9221069 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.907572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has led to impressive advances in cancer treatment. Unfortunately, in a high percentage of patients is difficult to consistently restore immune responses to eradicate established tumors. It is well accepted that adaptive immune cells, such as B lymphocytes, CD4+ helper T lymphocytes, and CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs), are the most effective cells able to eliminate tumors. However, it has been recently reported that innate immune cells, including natural killer cells (NK), dendritic cells (DC), macrophages, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), represent important contributors to modulating the tumor microenvironment and shaping the adaptive tumor response. In fact, their role as a bridge to adaptive immunity, make them an attractive therapeutic target for cancer treatment. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the pleiotropic role of tissue-resident innate immune cells in different tumor contexts. In addition, we discuss how current and future therapeutic approaches targeting innate immune cells sustain the adaptive immune system in order to improve the efficacy of current tumor immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalia Busà
- Research Department, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies (IRCCS ISMETT), Palermo, Italy
| | - Matteo Bulati
- Research Department, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies (IRCCS ISMETT), Palermo, Italy
| | - Ester Badami
- Research Department, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies (IRCCS ISMETT), Palermo, Italy
- Ri.MED Foundation, Palermo, Italy
| | - Giovanni Zito
- Research Department, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies (IRCCS ISMETT), Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Pier Giulio Conaldi
- Research Department, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies (IRCCS ISMETT), Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Ercolano
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- *Correspondence: Giuseppe Ercolano,
| | - Angela Ianaro
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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11
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Delfanti G, Dellabona P, Casorati G, Fedeli M. Adoptive Immunotherapy With Engineered iNKT Cells to Target Cancer Cells and the Suppressive Microenvironment. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:897750. [PMID: 35615083 PMCID: PMC9125179 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.897750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Invariant Natural Killer T (iNKT) cells are T lymphocytes expressing a conserved semi-invariant TCR specific for lipid antigens (Ags) restricted for the monomorphic MHC class I-related molecule CD1d. iNKT cells infiltrate mouse and human tumors and play an important role in the immune surveillance against solid and hematological malignancies. Because of unique functional features, they are attractive platforms for adoptive cells immunotherapy of cancer compared to conventional T cells. iNKT cells can directly kill CD1d-expressing cancer cells, but also restrict immunosuppressive myelomonocytic populations in the tumor microenvironment (TME) via CD1d-cognate recognition, promoting anti-tumor responses irrespective of the CD1d expression by cancer cells. Moreover, iNKT cells can be adoptively transferred across MHC barriers without risk of alloreaction because CD1d molecules are identical in all individuals, in addition to their ability to suppress graft vs. host disease (GvHD) without impairing the anti-tumor responses. Within this functional framework, iNKT cells are successfully engineered to acquire a second antigen-specificity by expressing recombinant TCRs or Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) specific for tumor-associated antigens, enabling the direct targeting of antigen-expressing cancer cells, while maintaining their CD1d-dependent functions. These new evidences support the exploitation of iNKT cells for donor unrestricted, and possibly off the shelf, adoptive cell therapies enabling the concurrent targeting of cancer cells and suppressive microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Delfanti
- Experimental Immunology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- *Correspondence: Gloria Delfanti
| | - Paolo Dellabona
- Experimental Immunology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Casorati
- Experimental Immunology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Giulia Casorati
| | - Maya Fedeli
- Experimental Immunology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- Maya Fedeli
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12
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The Current Landscape of Targeted Clinical Trials in Non-WNT/Non-SHH Medulloblastoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14030679. [PMID: 35158947 PMCID: PMC8833659 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14030679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Medulloblastoma is a form of malignant brain tumor that arises predominantly in infants and young children and can be divided into different groups based on molecular markers. The group of non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma includes a spectrum of heterogeneous subgroups that differ in their biological characteristics, genetic underpinnings, and clinical course of disease. Non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma is currently treated with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy; however, new drugs are needed to treat patients who are not yet curable and to reduce treatment-related toxicity and side effects. We here review which new treatment options for non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma are currently clinically tested. Furthermore, we illustrate the challenges that have to be overcome to reach a new therapeutic standard for non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma, for instance the current lack of good preclinical models, and the necessity to conduct trials in a comparably small patient collective. Abstract Medulloblastoma is an embryonal pediatric brain tumor and can be divided into at least four molecularly defined groups. The category non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma summarizes medulloblastoma groups 3 and 4 and is characterized by considerable genetic and clinical heterogeneity. New therapeutic strategies are needed to increase survival rates and to reduce treatment-related toxicity. We performed a noncomprehensive targeted review of the current clinical trial landscape and literature to summarize innovative treatment options for non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma. A multitude of new drugs is currently evaluated in trials for which non-WNT/non-SHH patients are eligible, for instance immunotherapy, kinase inhibitors, and drugs targeting the epigenome. However, the majority of these trials is not restricted to medulloblastoma and lacks molecular classification. Whereas many new molecular targets have been identified in the last decade, which are currently tested in clinical trials, several challenges remain on the way to reach a new therapeutic strategy for non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma. These include the severe lack of faithful preclinical models and predictive biomarkers, the question on how to stratify patients for clinical trials, and the relative lack of studies that recruit large, homogeneous patient collectives. Innovative trial designs and international collaboration will be a key to eventually overcome these obstacles.
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13
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Singh P, Szaraz-Szeles M, Mezei Z, Barath S, Hevessy Z. Age-dependent frequency of unconventional T cells in a healthy adult Caucasian population: a combinational study of invariant natural killer T cells, γδ T cells, and mucosa-associated invariant T cells. GeroScience 2022; 44:2047-2060. [PMID: 35038082 PMCID: PMC8763133 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-022-00515-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Unconventional T cells show distinct and unique features during antigen recognition as well as other immune responses. Their decrease in frequency is associated with various autoimmune disorders, allergy, inflammation, and cancer. The landscape frequency of the unconventional T cells altogether (iNKT, γδ T, and MAIT) is largely unestablished leading to various challenges affecting diagnosis and research in this field. In this study, we have established the age group–wise frequency of iNKT, γδ T, and MAIT cells altogether on a total of 203 healthy adult samples of the Caucasian population. The results revealed that iNKT cells were 0.095%, γδ T cells were 2.175%, and MAIT cells were 2.99% of the total T cell population. γδ and MAIT cell frequency is higher in younger age groups than elderly; however, there is no statistically significant difference in the frequency of iNKT cells. Furthermore, γδ and MAIT cells were negatively correlating with age, supporting immunosenescence, unlike iNKT cells. Our finding could be used for further age-wise investigation of various pathological conditions such as cancer and their prognosis, autoimmune diseases and their pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parvind Singh
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei krt. 98, 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Marianna Szaraz-Szeles
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei krt. 98, 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zoltan Mezei
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei krt. 98, 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Sandor Barath
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei krt. 98, 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsanna Hevessy
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei krt. 98, 4032, Debrecen, Hungary.
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14
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Melcher V, Kerl K. The Growing Relevance of Immunoregulation in Pediatric Brain Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:5601. [PMID: 34830753 PMCID: PMC8615622 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13225601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pediatric brain tumors are genetically heterogeneous solid neoplasms. With a prevailing poor prognosis and widespread resistance to conventional multimodal therapy, these aggressive tumors are the leading cause of childhood cancer-related deaths worldwide. Advancement in molecular research revealed their unique genetic and epigenetic characteristics and paved the way for more defined prognostication and targeted therapeutic approaches. Furthermore, uncovering the intratumoral metrics on a single-cell level placed non-malignant cell populations such as innate immune cells into the context of tumor manifestation and progression. Targeting immune cells in pediatric brain tumors entails unique challenges but promising opportunities to improve outcome. Herein, we outline the current understanding of the role of the immune regulation in pediatric brain tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktoria Melcher
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Children’s Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Kornelius Kerl
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Children’s Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
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15
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Audi ZF, Saker Z, Rizk M, Harati H, Fares Y, Bahmad HF, Nabha SM. Immunosuppression in Medulloblastoma: Insights into Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy. Curr Treat Options Oncol 2021; 22:83. [PMID: 34328587 DOI: 10.1007/s11864-021-00874-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OPINION STATEMENT Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common pediatric brain malignancy, with a 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of around 65%. The conventional MB treatment, comprising surgical resection followed by irradiation and adjuvant chemotherapy, often leads to impairment in normal body functions and poor quality of life, especially with the increased risk of recurrence and subsequent development of secondary malignancies. The development and progression of MB are facilitated by a variety of immune-evading mechanisms such as the secretion of immunosuppressive molecules, activation of immunosuppressive cells, inhibition of immune checkpoint molecules, impairment of adhesive molecules, downregulation of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, protection against apoptosis, and activation of immunosuppressive pathways. Understanding the tumor-immune relationship in MB is crucial for effective development of immune-based therapeutic strategies. In this comprehensive review, we discuss the immunological aspect of the brain, focusing on the current knowledge tackling the mechanisms of MB immune suppression and evasion. We also highlight several key immunotherapeutic approaches developed to date for the treatment of MB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahraa F Audi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Zahraa Saker
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Mahdi Rizk
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Hayat Harati
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Youssef Fares
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon.,Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Hisham F Bahmad
- Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, 4300 Alton Rd, Miami Beach, FL, USA.
| | - Sanaa M Nabha
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon.
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16
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Brettschneider EES, Terabe M. The Role of NKT Cells in Glioblastoma. Cells 2021; 10:cells10071641. [PMID: 34208864 PMCID: PMC8307781 DOI: 10.3390/cells10071641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma is an aggressive and deadly cancer, but to date, immunotherapies have failed to make significant strides in improving prognoses for glioblastoma patients. One of the current challenges to developing immunological interventions for glioblastoma is our incomplete understanding of the numerous immunoregulatory mechanisms at play in the glioblastoma tumor microenvironment. We propose that Natural Killer T (NKT) cells, which are unconventional T lymphocytes that recognize lipid antigens presented by CD1d molecules, may play a key immunoregulatory role in glioblastoma. For example, evidence suggests that the activation of type I NKT cells can facilitate anti-glioblastoma immune responses. On the other hand, type II NKT cells are known to play an immunosuppressive role in other cancers, as well as to cross-regulate type I NKT cell activity, although their specific role in glioblastoma remains largely unclear. This review provides a summary of our current understanding of NKT cells in the immunoregulation of glioblastoma as well as highlights the involvement of NKT cells in other cancers and central nervous system diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily E. S. Brettschneider
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Masaki Terabe
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-240-760-6731
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17
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Hara A, Koyama-Nasu R, Takami M, Toyoda T, Aoki T, Ihara F, Kobayashi M, Hirono S, Matsutani T, Nakayama T, Iwadate Y, Motohashi S. CD1d expression in glioblastoma is a promising target for NKT cell-based cancer immunotherapy. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2020; 70:1239-1254. [PMID: 33128583 PMCID: PMC8053161 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-020-02742-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive type of brain tumor with high recurrence and fatality rates. Although various therapeutic strategies have been explored, there is currently no effective treatment for glioblastoma. Recently, the number of immunotherapeutic strategies has been tested for malignant brain tumors. Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells play an important role in anti-tumor immunity. To address if iNKT cells can target glioblastoma to exert anti-tumor activity, we assessed the expression of CD1d, an antigen-presenting molecule for iNKT cells, on glioblastoma cells. Glioblastoma cells from 10 of 15 patients expressed CD1d, and CD1d-positive glioblastoma cells pulsed with glycolipid ligand induced iNKT cell-mediated cytotoxicity in vitro. Although CD1d expression was low on glioblastoma stem-like cells, retinoic acid, which is the most common differentiating agent, upregulated CD1d expression in these cells and induced iNKT cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Moreover, intracranial administration of human iNKT cells induced tumor regression of CD1d-positive glioblastoma in orthotopic xenografts in NOD/Shi-scid IL-2RγKO (NOG) mice. Thus, CD1d expression represents a novel target for NKT cell-based immunotherapy for glioblastoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayaka Hara
- Department of Medical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan.,Department of Neurological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Ryo Koyama-Nasu
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Mariko Takami
- Department of Medical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan
| | - Takahide Toyoda
- Department of Medical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan
| | - Takahiro Aoki
- Department of Medical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan
| | - Fumie Ihara
- Department of Medical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan
| | - Masayoshi Kobayashi
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Seiichiro Hirono
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Tomoo Matsutani
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Toshinori Nakayama
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yasuo Iwadate
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Motohashi
- Department of Medical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan.
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18
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Lehmann N, Paret C, El Malki K, Russo A, Neu MA, Wingerter A, Seidmann L, Foersch S, Ziegler N, Roth L, Backes N, Sandhoff R, Faber J. Tumor Lipids of Pediatric Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma Stimulate Unconventional T Cells. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1819. [PMID: 32973759 PMCID: PMC7468390 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) is a rare entity in children with no established therapy protocols for advanced diseases. Immunotherapy is emerging as an important therapeutic tool for childhood cancer. Tumor cells can be recognized and killed by conventional and unconventional T cells. Unconventional T cells are able to recognize lipid antigens presented via CD1 molecules independently from major histocompatibility complex, which offers new alternatives for cancer immunotherapies. The nature of those lipids is largely unknown and α-galactosylceramide is currently used as a synthetic model antigen. In this work, we analyzed infiltrating lymphocytes of two pediatric PRCCs using flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR. Moreover, we analyzed the CD1d expression within both tumors. Tumor lipids of PRCC samples and three normal kidney samples were fractionated and the recognition of tumor own lipid fractions by unconventional T cells was analyzed in an in vitro assay. We identified infiltrating lymphocytes including γδ T cells and iNKT cells, as well as CD1d expression in both samples. One lipid fraction, containing ceramides and monoacylglycerides amongst others, was able to induce the proliferation of iNKT cells isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of healthy donors and of one matched PRCC patient. Furthermore, CD1d tetramer stainings revealed that a subset of iNKT cells is able to bind lipids being present in fraction 2 via CD1d. We conclude that PRCCs are infiltrated by conventional and unconventional T cells and express CD1d. Moreover, certain lipids, present in pediatric PRCC, are able to stimulate unconventional T cells. Manipulating these lipids and T cells may open new strategies for therapy of pediatric PRCCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Lehmann
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,University Cancer Center (UCT), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Claudia Paret
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,University Cancer Center (UCT), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Khalifa El Malki
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,University Cancer Center (UCT), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Alexandra Russo
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,University Cancer Center (UCT), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Marie Astrid Neu
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,University Cancer Center (UCT), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Arthur Wingerter
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,University Cancer Center (UCT), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Larissa Seidmann
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Sebastian Foersch
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Nicole Ziegler
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,University Cancer Center (UCT), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Lea Roth
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,University Cancer Center (UCT), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Nora Backes
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,University Cancer Center (UCT), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Roger Sandhoff
- Lipid Pathobiochemistry, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Joerg Faber
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,University Cancer Center (UCT), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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19
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Ma Y, Zhang S, Jin Z, Shi M. Lipid-mediated regulation of the cancer-immune crosstalk. Pharmacol Res 2020; 161:105131. [PMID: 32810628 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.105131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Besides acting as principle cellular building blocks and energy reservoirs, lipids also carry important signals associated with many fundamental cell biological processes, such as proliferation, differentiation, migration, stress responses and cell demise. Hyperactive lipid metabolism is closely associated with cancer progression and unfavorable outcomes. The underlying mechanisms are being gradually deciphered. In this review, we aim to summarize recent advances on how reprogrammed lipid metabolism and accompanying signaling cascades directly modulate cancer cells, as well as influencing stromal cells and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment. For future studies, special attention should be paid to lipid-mediated crosstalk among cancer cells, their neighboring stromal cells, and immune cells, plus how these multi-level communications determine anti-tumor immunity and bring novel immunotherapeutic opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Ma
- Center for Systems Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Shuqing Zhang
- Center for Systems Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ziqi Jin
- Center for Systems Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Minxin Shi
- The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong Tumor Hospital, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
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20
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Morandi F, Yazdanifar M, Cocco C, Bertaina A, Airoldi I. Engineering the Bridge between Innate and Adaptive Immunity for Cancer Immunotherapy: Focus on γδ T and NK Cells. Cells 2020; 9:E1757. [PMID: 32707982 PMCID: PMC7464083 DOI: 10.3390/cells9081757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Most studies on genetic engineering technologies for cancer immunotherapy based on allogeneic donors have focused on adaptive immunity. However, the main limitation of such approaches is that they can lead to severe graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). An alternative approach would bolster innate immunity by relying on the natural tropism of some subsets of the innate immune system, such as γδ T and natural killer (NK) cells, for the tumor microenvironment and their ability to kill in a major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-independent manner. γδ T and NK cells have the unique ability to bridge innate and adaptive immunity while responding to a broad range of tumors. Considering these properties, γδ T and NK cells represent ideal sources for developing allogeneic cell therapies. Recently, significant efforts have been made to exploit the intrinsic anti-tumor capacity of these cells for treating hematologic and solid malignancies using genetic engineering approaches such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T cell receptor (TCR). Here, we review over 30 studies on these two approaches that use γδ T and NK cells in adoptive cell therapy (ACT) for treating cancer. Based on those studies, we propose several promising strategies to optimize the clinical translation of these approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Morandi
- Stem Cell Laboratory and Cell Therapy Center, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Via G. Gaslini, 516147 Genova, Italy; (F.M.); (C.C.)
| | - Mahboubeh Yazdanifar
- Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USA;
| | - Claudia Cocco
- Stem Cell Laboratory and Cell Therapy Center, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Via G. Gaslini, 516147 Genova, Italy; (F.M.); (C.C.)
| | - Alice Bertaina
- Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USA;
| | - Irma Airoldi
- Stem Cell Laboratory and Cell Therapy Center, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Via G. Gaslini, 516147 Genova, Italy; (F.M.); (C.C.)
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21
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Liu Y, Zhang C. The Role of Human γδ T Cells in Anti-Tumor Immunity and Their Potential for Cancer Immunotherapy. Cells 2020; 9:cells9051206. [PMID: 32413966 PMCID: PMC7290839 DOI: 10.3390/cells9051206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
γδ T cells are a distinct subset of T cells whose T cell receptors consist of γ chains and δ chains, different from conventional αβ T cells. γδ T cells are considered as a member of the innate immunity because of their non-MHC restricted antigen recognition, rapid response to invading pathogens and sense early changes of malignant cells. Upon activation, they can further promote the activation of adaptive immune cells, such as T cells and B cells, by secreting various cytokines. Thus, γδ T cells are regarded as a bridge between innate immunity and acquired immunity. γδ T cells are involved in a variety of immune response processes, including immune defense and immune surveillance against infection and tumorigenesis. γδ T cells recognize multiple tumor-associated antigens or molecules in T cell receptors (TCRs)-dependent and natural killer cell receptors (NKRs)-dependent ways. γδ T cells not only display a direct killing capacity on a variety of tumors, but also exert anti-tumor immune responses indirectly by facilitating the function of other immune cells, such as dendritic cells (DCs), B cells and CD8+ T cells. In this review, we summarize the major subpopulations, the tumor recognition mechanisms, and the anti-tumor effects of human γδ T cells, particularly the potential of γδ T cells for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cai Zhang
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-531-8838-3782
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22
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Kabir TF, Kunos CA, Villano JL, Chauhan A. Immunotherapy for Medulloblastoma: Current Perspectives. Immunotargets Ther 2020; 9:57-77. [PMID: 32368525 PMCID: PMC7182450 DOI: 10.2147/itt.s198162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Immune-mediated therapies have transformed the treatment of metastatic melanoma and renal, bladder, and both small and non-small cell lung carcinomas. However, immunotherapy is yet to demonstrate dramatic results in brain tumors like medulloblastoma for a variety of reasons. Recent pre-clinical and early phase human trials provide encouraging results that may overcome the challenges of central nervous system (CNS) tumors, which include the intrinsic immunosuppressive properties of these cancers, a lack of antigen targets, antigenic variability, and the immune-restrictive site of the CNS. These studies highlight the growing potential of immunotherapy to treat patients with medulloblastoma, a disease that is a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality to children and young adults. Methods We conducted an inclusive review of the PubMed-indexed literature and studies listed in clinicaltrials.gov using combinations of the keywords medulloblastoma, immunotherapy, CNS tumors, brain tumors, vaccines, oncolytic virus, natural killer, and CAR T to identify trials evaluating immunotherapy in preclinical experiments or in patients with medulloblastoma. Given a limited number of investigations using immunotherapy to treat patients with medulloblastoma, 24 studies were selected for final analysis and manuscript citation. Results This review presents results from pre-clinical studies in medulloblastoma cell lines, animal models, and the limited trials involving human patients. Conclusion From our review, we suggest that cancer vaccines, oncolytic viral therapy, natural killer cells, and CAR T therapy hold promise against the innate immunosuppressive properties of medulloblastoma in order to prolong survival. There is an unmet need for immunotherapy regimens that target overexpressed antigens in medulloblastoma tumors. We advocate for more combination treatment clinical trials using conventional surgical and radiochemotherapy approaches in the near-term clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanvir F Kabir
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Charles A Kunos
- Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - John L Villano
- Department of Internal Medicine-Medical Oncology, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Aman Chauhan
- Department of Internal Medicine-Medical Oncology, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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23
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Combined antitumor effects of anti-EGFR variant III CAR-T cell therapy and PD-1 checkpoint blockade on glioblastoma in mouse model. Cell Immunol 2020; 352:104112. [PMID: 32305131 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2020.104112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma is one of the deadliest cancers. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy against solid tumors has been far from satisfactory largely due to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, such as PD-1 mediated T cell exhaustion. In the present study, we investigated the combined antitumor effects of anti-EGFR variant III CAR-T cell therapy and PD-1 checkpoint blockade on glioblastoma in mouse model. The results demonstrated that CAR-T cells with PD-1 blockade exhibit higher killing efficiency in vitro. Additionally, CAR-T cells with PD-1 blockade showed more effective and persistent therapeutic effects on glioblastoma and led to significantly increased number of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in the mouse model. In conclusion, PD-1 checkpoint blockade significantly enhanced the antitumor activity of anti-human EGFRvIII CAR-T cells by overcoming TILs exhaustion. The outcomes of the present study provide a novel strategy for improving the potency of CAR-T cell therapies in solid tumors.
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24
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Zhai Y, Li G, Jiang T, Zhang W. CAR-armed cell therapy for gliomas. Am J Cancer Res 2019; 9:2554-2566. [PMID: 31911846 PMCID: PMC6943349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-armed cell therapy has developed rapidly in recent years, especially in the treatment of leukemia. However, the treatment methods for solid tumors represented by glioma have not achieved the ideal therapeutic effect. This situation necessitates learning from chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) treatment in other malignancies and discovering the differences between gliomas and other solid tumors. The current design idea is to enhance the targeting, regulatory effects, and adaptation of CAR-armed cells. This review traced not only clinical trials, but also several animal experiments, which might promote the development of CAR-T treatment in glioma. Furthermore, we have discussed the obstacles to CAR-T in the treatment of glioma and the current possible solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- You Zhai
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical UniversityBeijing, China
- Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas Network (CGGA) and Asian Glioma Genome Atlas Network (AGGA)Beijing, China
| | - Guanzhang Li
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical UniversityBeijing, China
- Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas Network (CGGA) and Asian Glioma Genome Atlas Network (AGGA)Beijing, China
| | - Tao Jiang
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical UniversityBeijing, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityBeijing, China
- Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas Network (CGGA) and Asian Glioma Genome Atlas Network (AGGA)Beijing, China
- Center of Brain Tumor, Beijing Institute for Brain DisordersBeijing, China
- China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological DiseasesBeijing, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityBeijing, China
- Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas Network (CGGA) and Asian Glioma Genome Atlas Network (AGGA)Beijing, China
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25
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Fujii SI, Shimizu K. Immune Networks and Therapeutic Targeting of iNKT Cells in Cancer. Trends Immunol 2019; 40:984-997. [PMID: 31676264 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2019.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
One of the primary goals in tumor immunotherapy is to reset the immune system from tolerogenic to immunogenic - a process in which invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are implicated. iNKT cells develop in the thymus and perform immunosurveillance against tumor cells peripherally. When optimally stimulated, iNKT cells differentiate and display more efficient immune functions. Some cells survive and act as effector memory cells. We discuss the putative roles of iNKT cells in antitumor immunity, and posit that it may be possible to develop novel therapeutic strategies to treat cancers using iNKT cells. In particular, we highlight the challenge of uniquely energizing iNKT cell-licensed dendritic cells to serve as effective immunoadjuvants for both arms of the immune system, thus coupling immunological networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin-Ichiro Fujii
- Laboratory for Immunotherapy, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
| | - Kanako Shimizu
- Laboratory for Immunotherapy, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
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26
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Abstract
Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a unique subset of T lymphocytes with the expression of T cell receptor (TCR) and NK cell lineage receptors. These cells can rapidly release large quantities of cytokines and function as a bridge between innate and adaptive immunity. To date, multiple reports have investigated the role of NKT cells under various pathological conditions, such as cancer, autoimmune disease, and infection. Knowledge about NKT cells in neurological diseases is increasing, albeit limited. Here, we review evidence for the involvement of NKT cells in neurological diseases, and discuss immunotherapeutic potential and future study goals. As the development and function of NKT cells become increasingly well understood, the next few years should yield many new insights into NKT cell function, and mechanistic regulation in neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Cui
- Institute of Neuroregeneration and Neurorehabilitation, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Qi Wan
- Institute of Neuroregeneration and Neurorehabilitation, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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27
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Li Y, Zhao C, Liu J, Lu Z, Lu M, Gu J, Liu R. CD1d highly expressed on DCs reduces lung tumor burden by enhancing antitumor immunity. Oncol Rep 2019; 41:2679-2688. [PMID: 30864713 PMCID: PMC6448128 DOI: 10.3892/or.2019.7037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs), as professional antigen-presenting cells are essential for the initial activation of adaptive antitumor immunity. CD1d is considered to present phospholipid and glycosphingolipid antigens to NKT cells. However, it is currently unknown whether CD1d expression on DCs is capable of enhancing antitumor immunity, particularly T-cell related immunity. We observed that CD1d was predominantly expressed on DCs in 3LL tumor-bearing mice, whilst a deficiency of CD1d promoted tumor growth. Notably, CD1d expression on DCs was not only required for presenting antigen to NKT cells, but also markedly promoted CD4+T and CD8+T cell activation, particularly cytotoxic T cells. All the T cells (NKT, CD4+T and CD8+T cells) upregulated CD69, CD107a and IFN-γ after the adoptive transfer of CD1d-positive DCs (CD1d+DCs) and tumor growth was suppressed. With regard to the mechanism, we revealed that CD1d+DCs were concomitant with a higher expression of costimulatory molecules (CD40, CD80 and CD86) and MHCI/II, which are essential for DCs to present antigens to T cells. Consistently, CD1d+DCs displayed stronger activation-associated-ERK1/2 and NF-κB signals; whereas JAK2-STAT3/6 signaling was required for maintaining a high level of CD1d on DCs. In lung cancer patients, the antitumor activities of all the T cells were enhanced with the increase of CD1d+DCs. Analysis of TCGA data revealed that high levels of CD1d indicated better outcomes for patients. Collectively, CD1d enhanced DC-based antitumor immunity, not only by targeting NKT, but also by activating CD4+T and CD8+T cells. CD1d+DCs may be superior to the bulk population of DCs in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Li
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P.R. China
| | - Chujun Zhao
- Northfield Mount Hermon School, Northfield, MA 01354, USA
| | - Jiajing Liu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P.R. China
| | - Zhou Lu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P.R. China
| | - Mingfang Lu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P.R. China
| | - Jie Gu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P.R. China
| | - Ronghua Liu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P.R. China
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28
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Consonni M, Dellabona P, Casorati G. Potential advantages of CD1-restricted T cell immunotherapy in cancer. Mol Immunol 2018; 103:200-208. [PMID: 30308433 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2018.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 09/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) using tumor-specific "conventional" MHC-restricted T cells obtained from tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, or derived ex vivo by either antigen-specific expansion or genetic engineering of polyclonal T cell populations, shows great promise for cancer treatment. However, the wide applicability of this therapy finds limits in the high polymorphism of MHC molecules that restricts the use in the autologous context. CD1 antigen presenting molecules are nonpolymorphic and specialized for lipid antigen presentation to T cells. They are often expressed on malignant cells and, therefore, may represent an attractive target for ACT. We provide a brief overview of the CD1-resticted T cell response in tumor immunity and we discuss the pros and cons of ACT approaches based on unconventional CD1-restricted T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Consonni
- Experimental Immunology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy.
| | - Paolo Dellabona
- Experimental Immunology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Giulia Casorati
- Experimental Immunology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
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29
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review will discuss the challenges facing adoptive cell techniques in the treatment of solid tumors and examine the therapies that are in development for specifically pediatric solid tumors. RECENT FINDINGS Targeting solid tumors with adoptive cell therapy has been limited by the inhibitory tumor microenvironment and heterogeneous expression of targetable antigens. Many creative strategies to overcome these limitations are being developed but still need to be tested clinically. Early phase clinical trials in neuroblastoma with GD2 CAR T cells are promising but results need to be validated on a larger scale. Most research in other pediatric solid tumors is still in early stages. Adoptive cell therapy represents a useful tool to improve the outcomes of many pediatric solid tumors but significant study is still required. Several clinical trials are ongoing to test therapies that have shown promise in the lab.
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30
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Xu Q, Li J, Zhang N, Zhang L, Qian R. Utilization of invariant natural killer T cells for gastric cancer treatment. Future Oncol 2018; 14:2053-2066. [PMID: 30051730 DOI: 10.2217/fon-2017-0724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM To evaluate the expression of CD1d and the susceptibility to invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells in gastric cancer. METHODS The expression of CD1d was examined in gastric cancer. The in vitro and in vivo cytotoxic activities of iNKT cells were evaluated against gastric cancer cell lines. RESULTS CD1d was expressed in gastric cancer cell lines and primary tumors. iNKT cells have potent in vivo and in vitro anti-tumor activities against CD1d-positve gastric cancer in the presence of α-galactosylceramide. Cisplatin could upregulate CD1d expression in gastric cancer cells and make them more vulnerable to iNKT cell-mediated cytotoxicity. CONCLUSION These results justified clinical translation of this iNKT cell-based therapeutics, either used alone or combined with chemotherapy, for the treatment of patients with gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Xu
- Department of Abdominal Medical Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Jingjing Li
- Department of Abdominal Medical Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Na Zhang
- Department of Abdominal Radiation Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Lili Zhang
- Department of Pathology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Runmei Qian
- Department of Pathology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, PR China
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31
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Abstract
Type I or invariant natural killer T cells belong to a unique lineage of innate T cells, which express markers of both T lymphocytes and NK cells, namely T cell receptor (TCR) and NK1.1 (CD161C), respectively. Thus, apart from direct killing of target cells like NK cells, and they also produce a myriad of cytokines which modulate the adaptive immune responses. Unlike traditional T cells which carry a conventional αβ TCR, NKT cells express semi-invariant TCR - Vα14-Jα18, coupled with Vβ8, Vβ7 and Vβ2 in mice. In humans, the invariant TCR is composed of Vα24-Jα18, coupled with Vβ11.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalyani Pyaram
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Viveka Nand Yadav
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, USA
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32
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Nellan A, Rota C, Majzner R, Lester-McCully CM, Griesinger AM, Mulcahy Levy JM, Foreman NK, Warren KE, Lee DW. Durable regression of Medulloblastoma after regional and intravenous delivery of anti-HER2 chimeric antigen receptor T cells. J Immunother Cancer 2018; 6:30. [PMID: 29712574 PMCID: PMC5925833 DOI: 10.1186/s40425-018-0340-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Standard-of-care therapies for treating pediatric medulloblastoma have long-term side effects, even in children who are cured. One emerging modality of cancer therapy that could be equally effective without such side effects would be chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. Knowing that human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is overexpressed in many medulloblastomas and has been used as a CAR T target before, we sought to evaluate the efficacy of more sophisticated anti-HER2 CAR T cells, as well as the feasibility and efficacy of different routes of delivering these cells, for the treatment of pediatric medulloblastoma. Methods Daoy, D283 and D425 medulloblastoma cell lines were characterized by flow cytometry to evaluate HER2 expression. Anti-tumor efficacy of HER2-BBz-CAR T cells in vitro was performed using cytokine release and immune cytotoxicity assays compared to control CD19 CAR T cells. In vivo, Daoy and D283 tumor cells were orthotopically implanted in the posterior fossa of NOD.Cg-PrkdcscidIl2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ (NSG) mice and treated with regional or intravenous HER2-BBz-CAR T cells or control CD19 CAR T cells. Non-human primates (NHPs) bearing ventricular and lumbar reservoirs were treated with target autologous cells bearing extracellular HER2 followed by autologous HER2-CAR T cells intraventricularly. Cerebrospinal fluid and blood were collected serially to measure the persistence of delivered cells and cytokines. Results HER2-BBz-CAR T cells effectively clear medulloblastoma orthotopically implanted in the posterior fossa of NSG mice via both regional and intravenous delivery in xenograft models. Intravenous delivery requires a log higher dose compared to regional delivery. NHPs tolerated intraventricular delivery of autologous cells bearing extracellular HER2 followed by HER2-BBz-CAR T cells without experiencing any systemic toxicity. Conclusions HER2-BBz-CAR T cells show excellent pre-clinical efficacy in vitro and in mouse medulloblastoma models, and their intraventricular delivery is feasible and safe in NHPs. A clinical trial of HER2-BBz-CAR T cells directly delivered into cerebrospinal fluid should be designed for patients with relapsed medulloblastoma. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40425-018-0340-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anandani Nellan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.,Morgan Adams Foundation Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Program, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Christopher Rota
- Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robbie Majzner
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Cynthia M Lester-McCully
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Andrea M Griesinger
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.,Morgan Adams Foundation Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Program, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Jean M Mulcahy Levy
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.,Morgan Adams Foundation Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Program, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Nicholas K Foreman
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.,Morgan Adams Foundation Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Program, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Katherine E Warren
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Daniel W Lee
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia, PO Box 800386, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA.
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33
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Wolf BJ, Choi JE, Exley MA. Novel Approaches to Exploiting Invariant NKT Cells in Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2018; 9:384. [PMID: 29559971 PMCID: PMC5845557 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
iNKT cells are a subset of innate-like T cells that utilize an invariant TCR alpha chain complexed with a limited repertoire of TCR beta chains to recognize specific lipid antigens presented by CD1d molecules. Because iNKT cells have an invariant TCR, they can be easily identified and targeted in both humans and mice via standard reagents, making this a population of T cells that has been well characterized. iNKT cells are some of the first cells to respond during an infection. By making different types of cytokines in response to different infection stimuli, iNKT cells help determine what kind of immune response then develops. It has been shown that iNKT cells are some of the first cells to respond during infection with a pathogen and the type of cytokines that iNKT cells make help determine the type of immune response that develops in various situations. Indeed, along with immunity to pathogens, pre-clinical mouse studies have clearly demonstrated that iNKT cells play a critical role in tumor immunosurveillance. They can mediate anti-tumor immunity by direct recognition of tumor cells that express CD1d, and/or via targeting CD1d found on cells within the tumor microenvironment. Multiple groups are now working on manipulating iNKT cells for clinical benefit within the context of cancer and have demonstrated that targeting iNKT cells can have a therapeutic benefit in patients. In this review, we briefly introduce iNKT cells, then discuss preclinical data on roles of iNKT cells and clinical trials that have targeted iNKT cells in cancer patients. We finally discuss how future trials could be modified to further increase the efficacy of iNKT cell therapies, in particular CAR-iNKT and rTCR-iNKT cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jiyoung Elizabeth Choi
- Agenus Inc., Lexington, MA, United States.,Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Mark A Exley
- Agenus Inc., Lexington, MA, United States.,Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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34
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Krijgsman D, Hokland M, Kuppen PJK. The Role of Natural Killer T Cells in Cancer-A Phenotypical and Functional Approach. Front Immunol 2018. [PMID: 29535734 PMCID: PMC5835336 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a subset of CD1d-restricted T cells at the interface between the innate and adaptive immune system. NKT cells can be subdivided into functional subsets that respond rapidly to a wide variety of glycolipids and stress-related proteins using T- or natural killer (NK) cell-like effector mechanisms. Because of their major modulating effects on immune responses via secretion of cytokines, NKT cells are also considered important players in tumor immunosurveillance. During early tumor development, T helper (TH)1-like NKT cell subsets have the potential to rapidly stimulate tumor-specific T cells and effector NK cells that can eliminate tumor cells. In case of tumor progression, NKT cells may become overstimulated and anergic leading to deletion of a part of the NKT cell population in patients via activation-induced cell death. In addition, the remaining NKT cells become hyporesponsive, or switch to immunosuppressive TH2-/T regulatory-like NKT cell subsets, thereby facilitating tumor progression and immune escape. In this review, we discuss this important role of NKT cells in tumor development and we conclude that there should be three important focuses of future research in cancer patients in relation with NKT cells: (1) expansion of the NKT cell population, (2) prevention and breaking of NKT cell anergy, and (3) skewing of NKT cells toward TH1-like subsets with antitumor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniëlle Krijgsman
- Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Peter J K Kuppen
- Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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35
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Scutti JAB. Importance of immune monitoring approaches and the use of immune checkpoints for the treatment of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma: From bench to clinic and vice versa (Review). Int J Oncol 2018; 52:1041-1056. [PMID: 29484440 PMCID: PMC5843403 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2018.4283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
On the basis of immunological results, it is not in doubt that the immune system is able to recognize and eliminate transformed cells. A plethora of studies have investigated the immune system of patients with cancer and how it is prone to immunosuppression, due in part to the decrease in lymphocyte proliferation and cytotoxic activity. The series of experiments published following the demonstration by Dr Allison's group of the potential effect of anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) paved the way for a new perception in cancer immunotherapy: Immune checkpoints. Several T cell-co-stimulatory molecules including cluster of differentiation (CD)28, inducible T cell co-stimulatory, 4-1BB, OX40, glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor-related gene and CD27, and inhibitory molecules including T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing-3, programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), V-domain immunoglobulin suppressor of T cells activation, T cell immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif domain, and B and T lymphocyte attenuator have been described in regulating T cell functions, and have been demonstrated to be essential targets in immunotherapy. In preclinical studies, glioblastoma multiforme, a high-grade glioma, the monotherapy targeting PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 resulted in increased survival times. An improved understanding of the pharmacodynamics and immune monitoring on glioma cancers, particularly in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), an orphan type of cancer, is expected to have a major contribution to the development of novel therapeutic approaches. On the basis of the recent preclinical and clinical studies of glioma, but not of DIPG, the present review makes a claim for the importance of investigating the tumor microenvironment, the immune response and the use of immune checkpoints (agonists or antagonists) in preclinical/clinical DIPG samples by immune monitoring approaches and high-dimensional analysis. Evaluating the potential predictive and correlative biomarkers in preclinical and clinical studies may assist in answering certain crucial questions that may be useful to improve the clinical response in patients with DIPG.
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Vermeulen JF, Van Hecke W, Adriaansen EJM, Jansen MK, Bouma RG, Villacorta Hidalgo J, Fisch P, Broekhuizen R, Spliet WGM, Kool M, Bovenschen N. Prognostic relevance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and immune checkpoints in pediatric medulloblastoma. Oncoimmunology 2017; 7:e1398877. [PMID: 29399402 PMCID: PMC5790383 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2017.1398877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Revised: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Pediatric medulloblastomas are the most frequently diagnosed embryonal tumors of the central nervous system. Current therapies cause severe neurological and cognitive side effects including secondary malignancies. Cellular immunotherapy might be key to improve survival and to avoid morbidity. Efficient killing of tumor cells using immunotherapy requires to overcome cancer-associated strategies to evade cytotoxic immune responses. Here, we examined the immune response and immune evasion strategies in pediatric medulloblastomas. Cytotoxic T-cells, infiltrating medulloblastomas with variable activation status, showed no correlation with overall survival of the patients. We found limited numbers of PD1+ T-cells and complete absence of PD-L1 on medulloblastomas. Medulloblastomas downregulated immune recognition molecules MHC-I and CD1 d. Intriguingly, expression of granzyme inhibitors SERPINB1 and SERPINB4 was acquired in 23% and 50% of the tumors, respectively. Concluding, pediatric medulloblastomas exploit multiple immune evasion strategies to overcome immune surveillance. Absence of PD-L1 expression in medulloblastoma suggest limited or no added value for immunotherapy with PD1/PD-L1 blockers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen F Vermeulen
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Wim Van Hecke
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Mieke K Jansen
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rianne G Bouma
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Paul Fisch
- Institute of Clinical Pathology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Roel Broekhuizen
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Wim G M Spliet
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel Kool
- Division of Pediatric Neurooncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany.,Hopp Children's Cancer Center at NCT Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Niels Bovenschen
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Laboratory of Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Nair S, Dhodapkar MV. Natural Killer T Cells in Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1178. [PMID: 29018445 PMCID: PMC5614937 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer T (NKT) cells are specialized CD1d-restricted T cells that recognize lipid antigens. Following stimulation, NKT cells lead to downstream activation of both innate and adaptive immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. This has impelled the development of NKT cell-targeted immunotherapies for treating cancer. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the stimulatory and regulatory functions of NKT cells in tumor immunity as well as highlight preclinical and clinical studies based on NKT cells. Finally, we discuss future perspectives to better harness the potential of NKT cells for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiny Nair
- Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
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38
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Shum T, Omer B, Tashiro H, Kruse RL, Wagner DL, Parikh K, Yi Z, Sauer T, Liu D, Parihar R, Castillo P, Liu H, Brenner MK, Metelitsa LS, Gottschalk S, Rooney CM. Constitutive Signaling from an Engineered IL7 Receptor Promotes Durable Tumor Elimination by Tumor-Redirected T Cells. Cancer Discov 2017; 7:1238-1247. [PMID: 28830878 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-17-0538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 200] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Revised: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Successful adoptive T-cell immunotherapy of solid tumors will require improved expansion and cytotoxicity of tumor-directed T cells within tumors. Providing recombinant or transgenic cytokines may produce the desired benefits but is associated with significant toxicities, constraining clinical use. To circumvent this limitation, we constructed a constitutively signaling cytokine receptor, C7R, which potently triggers the IL7 signaling axis but is unresponsive to extracellular cytokine. This strategy augments modified T-cell function following antigen exposure, but avoids stimulating bystander lymphocytes. Coexpressing the C7R with a tumor-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) increased T-cell proliferation, survival, and antitumor activity during repeated exposure to tumor cells, without T-cell dysfunction or autonomous T-cell growth. Furthermore, C7R-coexpressing CAR T cells were active against metastatic neuroblastoma and orthotopic glioblastoma xenograft models even at cell doses that had been ineffective without C7R support. C7R may thus be able to enhance antigen-specific T-cell therapies against cancer.Significance: The constitutively signaling C7R system developed here delivers potent IL7 stimulation to CAR T cells, increasing their persistence and antitumor activity against multiple preclinical tumor models, supporting its clinical development. Cancer Discov; 7(11); 1238-47. ©2017 AACR.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1201.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Shum
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Interdepartmental Program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Bilal Omer
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Haruko Tashiro
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Robert L Kruse
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Interdepartmental Program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Dimitrios L Wagner
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Kathan Parikh
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Zhongzhen Yi
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Tim Sauer
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Daofeng Liu
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Robin Parihar
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Paul Castillo
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Hao Liu
- Biostatistics Shared Resource, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Malcolm K Brenner
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Leonid S Metelitsa
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Stephen Gottschalk
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Cliona M Rooney
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. .,Interdepartmental Program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
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Gururangan S, Reap E, Schmittling R, Kocak M, Reynolds R, Grant G, Onar-Thomas A, Baxter P, Pollack IF, Phillips P, Boyett J, Fouladi M, Mitchell D. Regulatory T cell subsets in patients with medulloblastoma at diagnosis and during standard irradiation and chemotherapy (PBTC N-11). Cancer Immunol Immunother 2017; 66:1589-1595. [PMID: 28825123 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-017-2051-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We evaluated circulating levels of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells (Tregs) and other lymphocyte subsets in patients with newly diagnosed medulloblastoma (MBL) undergoing surgery compared to a control cohort of patients undergo craniectomy for correction of Chiari malformation (CM) and further determined the impact of standard irradiation and chemotherapy on this cell population. METHODS Eligibility criteria for this biologic study included age 4-21 years, patients with CM undergoing craniectomy (as non-malignant surgical controls) and receiving dexamethasone for prevention of post-operative nausea, and those with newly diagnosed posterior fossa tumors (PFT) undergoing surgical resection and receiving dexamethasone as an anti-edema measure. Patients with confirmed MBL were also followed for longitudinal blood collection and analysis during radiotherapy and chemotherapy. RESULTS A total of 54 subjects were enrolled on the study [22-CM, 18-MBL, and 14-PFT]. Absolute number and percentage Tregs (defined as CD4+CD25+FoxP3+CD127low/-) at baseline were decreased in MBL and PFT compared to CM [p = 0.0016 and 0.001, respectively). Patients with MBL and PFT had significantly reduced overall CD4+ T cell count (p = 0.0014 and 0.0054, respectively) compared to those with CM. Radiation and chemotherapy treatment in patients with MBL reduced overall lymphocyte counts; however, within the CD4+ T cell compartment, Tregs increased during treatment but gradually declined post therapy. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that patients with MBL and PFT exhibit overall reduced CD4+ T cell counts at diagnosis but not an elevated proportion of Tregs. Standard treatment exacerbates lymphopenia in those with MBL while enriching for immunosuppressive Tregs over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sridharan Gururangan
- The Preston A. Wells Center for Brain Tumor Therapy, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Room L1-183, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA. .,Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Elizabeth Reap
- Immunotherapy Program, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Mehmet Kocak
- Operations, Biostatistics, and Data Management Center, The Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium, Memphis, TN, USA.,University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Renee Reynolds
- Department of Neurosurgery, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Gerald Grant
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Arzu Onar-Thomas
- Operations, Biostatistics, and Data Management Center, The Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium, Memphis, TN, USA
| | | | - Ian F Pollack
- Department of Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Peter Phillips
- Neuro-Oncology Program, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - James Boyett
- Operations, Biostatistics, and Data Management Center, The Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Maryam Fouladi
- Neuro-Oncology Program, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Operations, Biostatistics, and Data Management Center, The Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Duane Mitchell
- The Preston A. Wells Center for Brain Tumor Therapy, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Room L1-183, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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40
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Tashiro H, Sauer T, Shum T, Parikh K, Mamonkin M, Omer B, Rouce RH, Lulla P, Rooney CM, Gottschalk S, Brenner MK. Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia with T Cells Expressing Chimeric Antigen Receptors Directed to C-type Lectin-like Molecule 1. Mol Ther 2017; 25:2202-2213. [PMID: 28676343 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2017.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 05/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The successful immunotherapy of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been hampered because most potential antigenic targets are shared with normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), increasing the risk of sustained and severe hematopoietic toxicity following treatment. C-type lectin-like molecule 1 (CLL-1) is a membrane glycoprotein expressed by >80% of AML but is absent on normal HSCs. Here we describe the development and evaluation of CLL-1-specific chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CLL-1.CAR-Ts) and we demonstrate their specific activity against CLL-1+ AML cell lines as well as primary AML patient samples in vitro. CLL-1.CAR-Ts selectively reduced leukemic colony formation in primary AML patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells compared to control T cells. In a human xenograft mouse model, CLL-1.CAR-Ts mediated anti-leukemic activity against disseminated AML and significantly extended survival. By contrast, the colony formation of normal progenitor cells remained intact following CLL-1.CAR-T treatment. Although CLL-1.CAR-Ts are cytotoxic to mature normal myeloid cells, the selective sparing of normal hematopoietic progenitor cells should allow full myeloid recovery once CLL-1.CAR-T activity terminates. To enable elective ablation of the CAR-T, we therefore introduced the inducible caspase-9 suicide gene system and we show that exposure to the activating drug rapidly induced a controlled decrease of unwanted CLL-1.CAR-T activity against mature normal myeloid cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruko Tashiro
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Tim Sauer
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Internal Medicine A, Hematology and Oncology, University of Muenster, 48149 Muenster, Germany
| | - Thomas Shum
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Interdepartmental Program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kathan Parikh
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Maksim Mamonkin
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Bilal Omer
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Rayne H Rouce
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Premal Lulla
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Cliona M Rooney
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Stephen Gottschalk
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Malcolm K Brenner
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Guo T, Chamoto K, Nakatsugawa M, Ochi T, Yamashita Y, Anczurowski M, Butler MO, Hirano N. Mouse and Human CD1d-Self-Lipid Complexes Are Recognized Differently by Murine Invariant Natural Killer T Cell Receptors. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0156114. [PMID: 27213277 PMCID: PMC4877060 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells recognize self-lipids presented by CD1d through characteristic TCRs, which mainly consist of the invariant Vα14-Jα18 TCRα chain and Vβ8.2, 7 or 2 TCRβ chains with hypervariable CDR3β sequences in mice. The iNKT cell-CD1d axis is conserved between humans and mice, and human CD1d reactivity of murine iNKT cells have been described. However, the detailed differences between the recognition of human and mouse CD1d bound to various self-lipids by mouse iNKT TCRs are largely unknown. In this study, we generated a de novo murine iNKT TCR repertoire with a wider range of autoreactivity compared with that of naturally occurring peripheral iNKT TCRs. Vβ8.2 mouse iNKT TCRs capable of recognizing the human CD1d-self-lipid tetramer were identified, although such clones were not detectable in the Vβ7 or Vβ2 iNKT TCR repertoire. In line with previously reports, clonotypic Vβ8.2 iNKT TCRs with unique CDR3β loops did not discriminate among lipids presented by mouse CD1d. Unexpectedly, however, these iNKT TCRs showed greater ligand selectivity toward human CD1d presenting the same lipids. Our findings demonstrated that the recognition of mouse and human CD1d-self-lipid complexes by murine iNKT TCRs is not conserved, thereby further elucidating the differences between cognate and cross-species reactivity of self-antigens by mouse iNKT TCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingxi Guo
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kenji Chamoto
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Munehide Nakatsugawa
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Toshiki Ochi
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yuki Yamashita
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark Anczurowski
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marcus O. Butler
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Naoto Hirano
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Pérez-Martínez A, Fernández L, Díaz MA. The therapeutic potential of natural killer cells to target medulloblastoma. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2016; 16:573-6. [PMID: 27144504 DOI: 10.1080/14737140.2016.1184978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucia Fernández
- b Clinical Research department , Spanish National Cancer Research Centre CNIO , Madrid , Spain
| | - Miguel Angel Díaz
- c Pediatric Hemato-Oncology , Hospital Universitario Niño Jesús , Madrid , Spain
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Tian G, Courtney AN, Jena B, Heczey A, Liu D, Marinova E, Guo L, Xu X, Torikai H, Mo Q, Dotti G, Cooper LJ, Metelitsa LS. CD62L+ NKT cells have prolonged persistence and antitumor activity in vivo. J Clin Invest 2016; 126:2341-55. [PMID: 27183388 DOI: 10.1172/jci83476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 03/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Vα24-invariant natural killer T cells (NKTs) localize to tumors and have inherent antitumor properties, making them attractive chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) carriers for redirected cancer immunotherapy. However, clinical application of CAR-NKTs has been impeded, as mechanisms responsible for NKT expansion and the in vivo persistence of these cells are unknown. Here, we demonstrated that antigen-induced expansion of primary NKTs in vitro associates with the accumulation of a CD62L+ subset and exhaustion of CD62L- cells. Only CD62L+ NKTs survived and proliferated in response to secondary stimulation. When transferred to immune-deficient NSG mice, CD62L+ NKTs persisted 5 times longer than CD62L- NKTs. Moreover, CD62L+ cells transduced with a CD19-specific CAR achieved sustained tumor regression in a B cell lymphoma model. Proliferating CD62L+ cells downregulated or maintained CD62L expression when activated via T cell receptor alone or in combination with costimulatory receptors. We generated HLAnull K562 cell clones that were engineered to express CD1d and costimulatory ligands. Clone B-8-2 (HLAnullCD1dmedCD86high4-1BBLmedOX40Lhigh) induced the highest rates of NKT expansion and CD62L expression. B-8-2-expanded CAR-NKTs exhibited prolonged in vivo persistence and superior therapeutic activities in models of lymphoma and neuroblastoma. Therefore, we have identified CD62L as a marker of a distinct NKT subset endowed with high proliferative potential and have developed artificial antigen-presenting cells that generate CD62L-enriched NKTs for effective cancer immunotherapy.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antigen-Presenting Cells/immunology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cell Proliferation
- Cell Survival
- Cells, Cultured
- Cytokines/biosynthesis
- Cytotoxicity, Immunologic
- Humans
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive
- L-Selectin/metabolism
- Lymphocyte Activation
- Lymphoma, B-Cell/immunology
- Lymphoma, B-Cell/therapy
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred NOD
- Mice, Knockout
- Mice, SCID
- Natural Killer T-Cells/classification
- Natural Killer T-Cells/immunology
- Neuroblastoma/immunology
- Neuroblastoma/therapy
- Receptors, Antigen/immunology
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/immunology
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
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Pediatric Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors of the Central Nervous System Differentially Express Granzyme Inhibitors. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0151465. [PMID: 26963506 PMCID: PMC4786147 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Central nervous system (CNS) primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) are malignant primary brain tumors that occur in young infants. Using current standard therapy, up to 80% of the children still dies from recurrent disease. Cellular immunotherapy might be key to improve overall survival. To achieve efficient killing of tumor cells, however, immunotherapy has to overcome cancer-associated strategies to evade the cytotoxic immune response. Whether CNS-PNETs can evade the immune response remains unknown. METHODS We examined by immunohistochemistry the immune response and immune evasion strategies in pediatric CNS-PNETs. RESULTS Here, we show that CD4+, CD8+, γδ-T-cells, and Tregs can infiltrate pediatric CNS-PNETs, although the activation status of cytotoxic cells is variable. Pediatric CNS-PNETs evade immune recognition by downregulating cell surface MHC-I and CD1d expression. Intriguingly, expression of SERPINB9, SERPINB1, and SERPINB4 is acquired during tumorigenesis in 29%, 29%, and 57% of the tumors, respectively. CONCLUSION We show for the first time that brain tumors express direct granzyme inhibitors (serpins) as a potential mechanism to overcome cellular cytotoxicity, which may have consequences for cellular immunotherapy.
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Gopalakrishnan V, Tao RH, Dobson T, Brugmann W, Khatua S. Medulloblastoma development: tumor biology informs treatment decisions. CNS Oncol 2015; 4:79-89. [PMID: 25768332 DOI: 10.2217/cns.14.58] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor. Current treatments including surgery, craniospinal radiation and high-dose chemotherapy have led to improvement in survival. However, the risk for recurrence as well as significant long-term neurocognitive and endocrine sequelae associated with current treatment modalities underscore the urgent need for novel tumor-specific, normal brain-sparing therapies. It has also provided the impetus for research focused on providing a better understanding of medulloblastoma biology. The expectation is that such studies will lead to the identification of new therapeutic targets and eventually to an increase in personalized treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidya Gopalakrishnan
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Guo T, Chamoto K, Hirano N. Adoptive T Cell Therapy Targeting CD1 and MR1. Front Immunol 2015; 6:247. [PMID: 26052329 PMCID: PMC4440381 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 05/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Adoptive T cell immunotherapy has demonstrated clinically relevant efficacy in treating malignant and infectious diseases. However, much of these therapies have been focused on enhancing, or generating de novo, effector functions of conventional T cells recognizing HLA molecules. Given the heterogeneity of HLA alleles, mismatched patients are ineligible for current HLA-restricted adoptive T cell therapies. CD1 and MR1 are class I-like monomorphic molecules and their restricted T cells possess unique T cell receptor specificity against entirely different classes of antigens. CD1 and MR1 molecules present lipid and vitamin B metabolite antigens, respectively, and offer a new front of targets for T cell therapies. This review will cover the recent progress in the basic research of CD1, MR1, and their restricted T cells that possess translational potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingxi Guo
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto , Toronto, ON , Canada ; Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network , Toronto, ON , Canada
| | - Kenji Chamoto
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network , Toronto, ON , Canada
| | - Naoto Hirano
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto , Toronto, ON , Canada ; Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network , Toronto, ON , Canada
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Abstract
Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are a unique population of T lymphocytes, which lie at the interface between the innate and adaptive immune systems, and are important mediators of immune responses and tumor surveillance. iNKT cells recognize lipid antigens in a CD1d-dependent manner; their subsequent activation results in a rapid and specific downstream response, which enhances both innate and adaptive immunity. The capacity of iNKT cells to modify the immune microenvironment influences the ability of the host to control tumor growth, making them an important population to be harnessed in the clinic for the development of anticancer therapeutics. Indeed, the identification of strong iNKT-cell agonists, such as α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) and its analogues, has led to the development of synthetic lipids that have shown potential in vaccination and treatment against cancers. In this Masters of Immunology article, we discuss these latest findings and summarize the major discoveries in iNKT-cell biology, which have enabled the design of potent strategies for immune-mediated tumor destruction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosanna M McEwen-Smith
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Mariolina Salio
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Vincenzo Cerundolo
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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Ni C, Wu P, Wu X, Zhang T, Liu Y, Wang Z, Zhang S, Qiu F, Huang J. Thymosin alpha1 enhanced cytotoxicity of iNKT cells against colon cancer via upregulating CD1d expression. Cancer Lett 2015; 356:579-88. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2014.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2014] [Revised: 10/03/2014] [Accepted: 10/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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Pilones KA, Aryankalayil J, Babb JS, Demaria S. Invariant natural killer T cells regulate anti-tumor immunity by controlling the population of dendritic cells in tumor and draining lymph nodes. J Immunother Cancer 2014; 2:37. [PMID: 25349699 PMCID: PMC4206765 DOI: 10.1186/s40425-014-0037-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 09/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are CD1d-restricted T cells, which respond rapidly to antigen recognition and promote development of anti-tumor immunity in many tumor models. Surprisingly, we previously found that mice deficient in iNKT cells developed spontaneous CD8(+) T cells responses partially effective at inhibiting metastases in mice bearing the 4T1 mammary carcinoma, and showed a markedly improved response to treatment with local radiotherapy and anti-CTLA-4 antibody compared to wild type (WT) mice. METHODS To understand the mechanisms of the immunosuppressive function of iNKT cells, dendritic cells (DCs) were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry in WT and iNKT-deficient (iNKT(-/-)) mice. The effects of antibody-mediated blockade of CD1d on DC number and phenotype, priming of anti-tumor T cells, and tumor response to treatment with local radiotherapy and anti-CTLA-4 antibody were evaluated. To determine if the improved response to treatment in the absence of iNKT cells was independent from the immunotherapy employed, 4T1-tumor bearing WT and iNKT(-/-) mice were treated with local radiotherapy in combination with antibody-mediated CD137 co-stimulation. RESULTS DCs in 4T1 tumors and tumor-draining lymph nodes but not distant lymph nodes were significantly reduced in WT mice compared to iNKT(-/-) mice (p < 0.05), suggesting the selective elimination of DCs cross-presenting tumor-associated antigens by iNKT cells. Consistently, priming of T cells to a tumor-specific CD8 T cell epitope in mice treated with radiotherapy and anti-CTLA-4 or anti-CD137 was markedly enhanced in iNKT(-/-) compared to WT mice. CD1d blockade restored the number of DC in WT mice, improved T cell priming in draining lymph nodes and significantly enhanced response to treatment. CONCLUSIONS Here we describe a novel mechanism of tumor immune escape mediated by iNKT cells that limit priming of anti-tumor T cells by controlling DC in tumors and draining lymph nodes. These results have important implications for the design of immunotherapies targeting iNKT cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karsten A Pilones
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016 USA
| | - Joseph Aryankalayil
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016 USA
| | - James S Babb
- Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016 USA
| | - Sandra Demaria
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016 USA ; Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016 USA ; New York University School of Medicine, Alexandria Center for Life Sciences, 450 East 29th St, Room 324B, New York, NY 10016 USA
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Teo WY, Elghetany MT, Shen J, Man TK, Li X, Chintagumpala M, Su JMF, Dauser R, Whitehead W, Adesina AM, Lau CC. Therapeutic implications of CD1d expression and tumor-infiltrating macrophages in pediatric medulloblastomas. J Neurooncol 2014; 120:293-301. [PMID: 25115738 DOI: 10.1007/s11060-014-1572-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2014] [Accepted: 07/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Immunobiology of medulloblastoma (MB), the most common malignant brain tumor in children, is poorly understood. Although tumor cells in some MBs were recently shown to express CD1d and be susceptible to Vα24-invariant natural killer T (NKT)-cell cytotoxicity, the clinical relevance of CD1d expression in MB patients remains unknown. We investigated the expression of CD1d in pediatric MBs and correlated with molecular and clinical characteristics. Specifically, we explored if NKT cell therapy can be targeted at a subset of pediatric MBs with poorer prognosis. Particularly, infantile MBs have a worse outcome because radiotherapy is delayed to avoid neurocognitive sequelae. Immunohistochemistry for CD1d was performed on a screening set of 38 primary pediatric MBs. Gene expression of the membrane form of M2 macrophage marker, CD163, was studied in an expanded cohort of 60 tumors. Outcome data was collected prospectively. Thirteen of 38 MBs (34.2 %) expressed CD1d on immunohistochemistry. CD1d was expressed mainly on MB tumor cells, and on some tumor-associated macrophages. Majority (18/22, 82 %) of non sonic-hedgehog/Wingless-activated MBs (group 3 and 4) were CD1d-negative (p = 0.05). A subset of infantile MBs (4/9, 44.4 %) expressed CD1d. Macrophages infiltrating MB expressed CD163 apart from CD1d. Molecular subtypes demonstrated statistical differences in CD163 expression, SHH-tumors were the most enriched (p = 0.006). Molecular and clinical subtypes of pediatric MB exhibit distinct differences in CD1d expression, which have important therapeutic implications. High CD1d expression in infantile MBs offers potential new immunotherapeutic treatment with NKT cell therapy in infants, where treatment is suboptimal due delayed radiotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Yee Teo
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers, 1102 Bates street, 1030.11, Feigin Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA,
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