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Robertson BM, Fane ME, Weeraratna AT, Rebecca VW. Determinants of resistance and response to melanoma therapy. NATURE CANCER 2024:10.1038/s43018-024-00794-1. [PMID: 39020103 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-024-00794-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Metastatic melanoma is among the most enigmatic advanced cancers to clinically manage despite immense progress in the way of available therapeutic options and historic decreases in the melanoma mortality rate. Most patients with metastatic melanoma treated with modern targeted therapies (for example, BRAFV600E/K inhibitors) and/or immune checkpoint blockade (for example, anti-programmed death 1 therapy) will progress, owing to profound tumor cell plasticity fueled by genetic and nongenetic mechanisms and dichotomous host microenvironmental influences. Here we discuss the determinants of tumor heterogeneity, mechanisms of therapy resistance and effective therapy regimens that hold curative promise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bailey M Robertson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mitchell E Fane
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ashani T Weeraratna
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Vito W Rebecca
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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2
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Dei Cas M, Ciniselli CM, Vergani E, Ciusani E, Aloisi M, Duroni V, Verderio P, Ghidoni R, Paroni R, Perego P, Beretta GL, Gatti L, Rodolfo M. Alterations in Plasma Lipid Profiles Associated with Melanoma and Therapy Resistance. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1558. [PMID: 38338838 PMCID: PMC10855791 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031558] [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: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Dysfunctions of lipid metabolism are associated with tumor progression and treatment resistance of cutaneous melanoma. BRAF/MEK inhibitor resistance is linked to alterations of melanoma lipid pathways. We evaluated whether a specific lipid pattern characterizes plasma from melanoma patients and their response to therapy. Plasma samples from patients and controls were analyzed for FASN and DHCR24 levels and lipidomic profiles. FASN and DHCR24 expression resulted in association with disease condition and related to plasma cholesterol and triglycerides in patients at different disease stages (n = 144) as compared to controls (n = 115). Untargeted lipidomics in plasma (n = 40) from advanced disease patients and controls revealed altered levels of different lipids, including fatty acid derivatives and sphingolipids. Targeted lipidomics identified higher levels of dihydroceramides, ceramides, sphingomyelins, ganglioside GM3, sphingosine, sphingosine-1-phosphate, and dihydrosphingosine, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. When melanoma patients were stratified based on a long/short-term clinical response to kinase inhibitors, differences in plasma levels were shown for saturated fatty acids (FA 16:0, FA18:0) and oleic acid (FA18:1). Our results associated altered levels of selected lipid species in plasma of melanoma patients with a more favorable prognosis. Although obtained in a small cohort, these results pave the way to lipidomic profiling for melanoma patient stratification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Dei Cas
- Clinical Biochemistry and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Health Sciences Department, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy; (M.D.C.); (R.G.); (R.P.)
| | - Chiara Maura Ciniselli
- Unit of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, 20133 Milan, Italy; (C.M.C.); (V.D.); (P.V.)
| | - Elisabetta Vergani
- Unit of Translational Immunology, Department of Experimental Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy; (M.A.); (M.R.)
| | - Emilio Ciusani
- Department of Diagnostic and Technology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy;
| | - Mariachiara Aloisi
- Unit of Translational Immunology, Department of Experimental Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy; (M.A.); (M.R.)
| | - Valeria Duroni
- Unit of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, 20133 Milan, Italy; (C.M.C.); (V.D.); (P.V.)
| | - Paolo Verderio
- Unit of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, 20133 Milan, Italy; (C.M.C.); (V.D.); (P.V.)
| | - Riccardo Ghidoni
- Clinical Biochemistry and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Health Sciences Department, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy; (M.D.C.); (R.G.); (R.P.)
| | - Rita Paroni
- Clinical Biochemistry and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Health Sciences Department, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy; (M.D.C.); (R.G.); (R.P.)
| | - Paola Perego
- Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Department of Experimental Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, 20133 Milan, Italy;
| | - Giovanni Luca Beretta
- Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Department of Experimental Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, 20133 Milan, Italy;
| | - Laura Gatti
- Laboratory of Neurobiology and UCV, Neurology IX Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy;
| | - Monica Rodolfo
- Unit of Translational Immunology, Department of Experimental Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy; (M.A.); (M.R.)
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Hartman ML, Koziej P, Kluszczyńska K, Czyz M. Pro-Apoptotic Activity of MCL-1 Inhibitor in Trametinib-Resistant Melanoma Cells Depends on Their Phenotypes and Is Modulated by Reversible Alterations Induced by Trametinib Withdrawal. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4799. [PMID: 37835493 PMCID: PMC10571954 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15194799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although BRAFV600/MEK inhibitors improved the treatment of melanoma patients, resistance is acquired almost inevitably. METHODS Trametinib withdrawal/rechallenge and MCL-1 inhibition in trametinib-resistance models displaying distinct p-ERK1/2 levels were investigated. RESULTS Trametinib withdrawal/rechallenge caused reversible changes in ERK1/2 activity impacting the balance between pro-survival and pro-apoptotic proteins. Reversible alterations were found in MCL-1 levels and MCL-1 inhibitors, BIM and NOXA. Taking advantage of melanoma cell dependency on MCL-1 for survival, we used S63845. While it was designed to inhibit MCL-1 activity, we showed that it also significantly reduced NOXA levels. S63845-induced apoptosis was detected as the enhancement of Annexin V-positivity, caspase-3/7 activation and histone H2AX phosphorylation. Percentages of Annexin V-positive cells were increased most efficiently in trametinib-resistant melanoma cells displaying the p-ERK1/2low/MCL-1low/BIMhigh/NOXAlow phenotype with EC50 values at concentrations as low as 0.1 μM. Higher ERK1/2 activity associated with increased MCL-1 level and reduced BIM level limited pro-apoptotic activity of S63845 further influenced by a NOXA level. CONCLUSIONS Our study supports the notion that the efficiency of an agent designed to target a single protein can largely depend on the phenotype of cancer cells. Thus, it is important to define appropriate phenotype determinants to stratify the patients for the novel therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Małgorzata Czyz
- Department of Molecular Biology of Cancer, Medical University of Lodz, 92-215 Lodz, Poland; (M.L.H.); (P.K.); (K.K.)
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Guzzetti C, Corno C, Vergani E, Mirra L, Ciusani E, Rodolfo M, Perego P, Beretta GL. Kisspeptin-mediated improvement of sensitivity to BRAF inhibitors in vemurafenib-resistant melanoma cells. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1182853. [PMID: 37790750 PMCID: PMC10544897 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1182853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic dissemination is still one of the major causes of death of melanoma's patients. KiSS1 is a metastasis suppressor originally identified in melanoma cells, known to play an important physiological role in mammals' development and puberty. It has been previously shown that expression of KiSS1 could be increased in lung cancer cells using epigenetic agents, and that KiSS1 could have a pro-apoptotic action in combination with cisplatin. Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine in human melanoma vemurafenib sensitive- and -resistant BRAF mutant cells characterized by different mutational profiles and KiSS1, KiSS1 receptor and KiSS1 drug-induced release, if peptides derived from KiSS1 cleavage, i.e., kisspeptin 54, could increase the sensitivity to vemurafenib of human melanoma, using cellular, molecular and biochemical approaches. We found that kisspeptin 54 increases vemurafenib pro-apoptotic activity in a statistically significant manner, also in drug resistant cellular models. The efficacy of the combination appears to reflect the intrinsic susceptibility of each cell line to PLX4032-induced apoptosis, together with the different mutational profile as well as perturbation of proteins regulating the apoptotic pathway, The results presented here highlight the possibility to exploit KiSS1 to modulate the apoptotic response to therapeutically relevant agents, suggesting a multitasking function of this metastasis suppressor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlotta Guzzetti
- Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Department of Experimental Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Cristina Corno
- Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Department of Experimental Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Vergani
- Unit of Immunotherapy of Human Tumors, Department of Experimental Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Mirra
- Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Department of Experimental Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Emilio Ciusani
- Laboratory of Clinical Pathology and Medical Genetics, Istituto Neurologico Fondazione C. Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Monica Rodolfo
- Unit of Immunotherapy of Human Tumors, Department of Experimental Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Perego
- Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Department of Experimental Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanni L. Beretta
- Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Department of Experimental Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori Milan, Milan, Italy
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Vanni I, Pastorino L, Tanda ET, Andreotti V, Dalmasso B, Solari N, Mascherini M, Cabiddu F, Guadagno A, Coco S, Allavena E, Bruno W, Pietra G, Croce M, Gangemi R, Piana M, Zoppoli G, Ferrando L, Spagnolo F, Queirolo P, Ghiorzo P. Whole-Exome Sequencing and cfDNA Analysis Uncover Genetic Determinants of Melanoma Therapy Response in a Real-World Setting. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054302. [PMID: 36901733 PMCID: PMC10002464 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Although several studies have explored the molecular landscape of metastatic melanoma, the genetic determinants of therapy resistance are still largely unknown. Here, we aimed to determine the contribution of whole-exome sequencing and circulating free DNA (cfDNA) analysis in predicting response to therapy in a consecutive real-world cohort of 36 patients, undergoing fresh tissue biopsy and followed during treatment. Although the underpowered sample size limited statistical analysis, samples from non-responders had higher copy number variations and mutations in melanoma driver genes compared to responders in the BRAF V600+ subset. In the BRAF V600- subset, Tumor Mutational Burden (TMB) was twice that in responders vs. non-responders. Genomic layout revealed commonly known and novel potential intrinsic/acquired resistance driver gene variants. Among these, RAC1, FBXW7, GNAQ mutations, and BRAF/PTEN amplification/deletion were present in 42% and 67% of patients, respectively. Both Loss of Heterozygosity (LOH) load and tumor ploidy were inversely associated with TMB. In immunotherapy-treated patients, samples from responders showed higher TMB and lower LOH and were more frequently diploid compared to non-responders. Secondary germline testing and cfDNA analysis proved their efficacy in finding germline predisposing variants carriers (8.3%) and following dynamic changes during treatment as a surrogate of tissue biopsy, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Vanni
- Genetics of Rare Cancers, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Lorenza Pastorino
- Genetics of Rare Cancers, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DiMI), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Enrica Teresa Tanda
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DiMI), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Medical Oncology 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Virginia Andreotti
- Genetics of Rare Cancers, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Bruna Dalmasso
- Genetics of Rare Cancers, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Nicola Solari
- Surgical Oncology, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Matteo Mascherini
- Surgical Clinic Unit 1, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Francesco Cabiddu
- Anatomic Pathology Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Antonio Guadagno
- Anatomic Pathology Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Simona Coco
- Lung Cancer Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Eleonora Allavena
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DiMI), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - William Bruno
- Genetics of Rare Cancers, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DiMI), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Gabriella Pietra
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, U.O. Immunologia, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DiMES), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Michela Croce
- Bioterapie, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Rosaria Gangemi
- Bioterapie, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Michele Piana
- Dipartimento di Matematica (MIDA), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Life Science Computational Laboratory (LISCOMP), IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Gabriele Zoppoli
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DiMI), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Clinica di Medicina Interna a Indirizzo Oncologico, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Ferrando
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DiMI), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Clinica di Medicina Interna a Indirizzo Oncologico, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Francesco Spagnolo
- Medical Oncology 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche e Diagnostiche Integrate (DISC), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Paola Queirolo
- Melanoma, Sarcoma & Rare Tumors Division, European Institute of Oncology (IEO), 20141 Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Ghiorzo
- Genetics of Rare Cancers, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DiMI), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-010-5557255
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Vergani E, Beretta GL, Aloisi M, Costantino M, Corno C, Frigerio S, Tinelli S, Dugo M, Accattatis FM, Granata A, Arnaboldi L, Rodolfo M, Perego P, Gatti L. Targeting of the Lipid Metabolism Impairs Resistance to BRAF Kinase Inhibitor in Melanoma. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:927118. [PMID: 35912092 PMCID: PMC9326082 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.927118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance limits the achievement of persistent cures for the treatment of melanoma, in spite of the efficacy of the available drugs. The aim of the present study was to explore the involvement of lipid metabolism in melanoma resistance and assess the effects of its targeting in cellular models of melanoma with acquired resistance to the BRAF-inhibitor PLX4032/Vemurafenib. Since transcriptional profiles pointed to decreased cholesterol and fatty acids synthesis in resistant cells as compared to their parental counterparts, we examined lipid composition profiles of resistant cells, studied cell growth dependence on extracellular lipids, assessed the modulation of enzymes controlling the main nodes in lipid biosynthesis, and evaluated the effects of targeting Acetyl-CoA Acetyltransferase 2 (ACAT2), the first enzyme in the cholesterol synthesis pathway, and Acyl-CoA Cholesterol Acyl Transferase (ACAT/SOAT), which catalyzes the intracellular esterification of cholesterol and the formation of cholesteryl esters. We found a different lipid composition in the resistant cells, which displayed reduced saturated fatty acids (SFA), increased monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA), and reduced cholesteryl esters (CE) and triglycerides (TG), along with modulated expression of enzymes regulating biosynthetic nodes of the lipid metabolism. The effect of tackling lipid metabolism pathways in resistant cells was evidenced by lipid starvation, which reduced cell growth, increased sensitivity to the BRAF-inhibitor PLX4032, and induced the expression of enzymes involved in fatty acid and cholesterol metabolism. Molecular targeting of ACAT2 or pharmacological inhibition of SOAT by avasimibe showed antiproliferative effects in melanoma cell lines and a synergistic drug interaction with PLX4032, an effect associated to increased ferroptosis. Overall, our findings reveal that lipid metabolism affects melanoma sensitivity to BRAF inhibitors and that extracellular lipid availability may influence tumor cell response to treatment, a relevant finding in the frame of personalized therapy. In addition, our results indicate new candidate targets for drug combination treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Vergani
- Unit of Immunotherapy of Human Tumors, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanni L. Beretta
- Unit of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Mariachiara Aloisi
- Unit of Immunotherapy of Human Tumors, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Costantino
- Unit of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Cristina Corno
- Unit of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Simona Frigerio
- Unit of Immunotherapy of Human Tumors, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Stella Tinelli
- Unit of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Dugo
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Felice Maria Accattatis
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Agnese Granata
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences DISFeB, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Arnaboldi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences DISFeB, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Monica Rodolfo
- Unit of Immunotherapy of Human Tumors, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, Milan, Italy
- *Correspondence: Monica Rodolfo,
| | - Paola Perego
- Unit of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Gatti
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Fondazione IRCSS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
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