Collagen fiber structure guides 3D motility of cytotoxic T lymphocytes

Entering the TiME machine: How age-related changes in the tumor immune microenvironment impact melanoma progression and therapy response

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer in the United States, with its incidence rates rising in older populations. As the immune system undergoes age-related changes, these alterations can significantly influence tumor progression and the effectiveness of cancer treatments. Recent advancements in understanding immune checkpoint molecules have paved the way for the development of innovative immunotherapies targeting solid tumors. However, the aging tumor microenvironment can play a crucial role in modulating the response to these immunotherapeutic approaches. This review seeks to examine the intricate relationship between age-related changes in the immune system and their impact on the efficacy of immunotherapies, particularly in the context of melanoma. By exploring this complex interplay, we hope to elucidate potential strategies to optimize treatment outcomes for older patients with melanoma, and draw parallels to other cancers.

Altered extracellular matrix correlates with an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and disease progression in younger adults with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma

Introduction

Oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) occurs most frequently in patients >60 years old with a history of tobacco and alcohol use. Epidemiological studies describe increased incidence of OSCC in younger adults (<45 years). Despite its poor prognosis, knowledge of OSCC tumor microenvironment (TME) characteristics in younger adults is scarce and could help inform possible resistance to emerging treatment options.

Methods

Patients with OSCC were evaluated using TCGA-HNSC (n=121) and a stage and subsite-matched institutional cohort (n=8) to identify differential gene expression focusing on the extracellular matrix (ECM) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) processes in younger (≤45 years) vs. older adults (≥60 years). NanoString nCounter analysis was performed using isolated total RNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor samples. Stained tumor slides from young and old OSCC patients were evaluated for CD8+ T-cell counts using immunohistochemistry.

Results

Younger OSCC patients demonstrated significantly increased expression of ECM remodeling and EMT process genes, as well as TME immunosuppression. Gene set enrichment analyses demonstrated increased ECM pathways and concurrent decreased immune pathways in young relative to old patients. Transcripts per million of genetic markers involved in ECM remodeling including LAMB3, VCAN, S100A9, COL5A1, and ITGB2 were significantly increased in tumors of younger vs. older patients (adjusted p-value < 0.10). Young patient TMEs demonstrated a 2.5-fold reduction in CD8+ T-cells as compared to older patients (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Differential gene expression impacting ECM remodeling and TME immunosuppression may contribute to disease progression in younger adult OSCC and has implications on response to evolving treatment modalities, such as immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

Spatial interactions modulate tumor growth and immune infiltration

Lenia, a cellular automata framework used in artificial life, provides a natural setting to implement mathematical models of cancer incorporating features such as morphogenesis, homeostasis, motility, reproduction, growth, stimuli response, evolvability, and adaptation. Historically, agent-based models of cancer progression have been constructed with rules that govern birth, death and migration, with attempts to map local rules to emergent global growth dynamics. In contrast, Lenia provides a flexible framework for considering a spectrum of local (cell-scale) to global (tumor-scale) dynamics by defining an interaction kernel governing density-dependent growth dynamics. Lenia can recapitulate a range of cancer model classifications including local or global, deterministic or stochastic, non-spatial or spatial, single or multi-population, and off or on-lattice. Lenia is subsequently used to develop data-informed models of 1) single-population growth dynamics, 2) multi-population cell-cell competition models, and 3) cell migration or chemotaxis. Mathematical modeling provides important mechanistic insights. First, short-range interaction kernels provide a mechanism for tumor cell survival under conditions with strong Allee effects. Next, we find that asymmetric interaction tumor-immune kernels lead to poor immune response. Finally, modeling recapitulates immune-ECM interactions where patterns of collagen formation provide immune protection, indicated by an emergent inverse relationship between disease stage and immune coverage.

Fibrillogenesis in collagen hydrogels accelerated by carboxylated microbeads

Collagen type I is a material widely used for 3D cell culture and tissue engineering. Different architectures, such as gels, sponges, membranes, and nanofibers, can be fabricated with it. In collagen hydrogels, the formation of fibrils and fibers depends on various parameters, such as the source of collagen, pH, temperature, concentration, age, etc. In this work, we study the fibrillogenesis process in collagen type I hydrogels with different types of microbeads embedded, using optical techniques such as turbidity assay and confocal reflectance microscopy. We observe that microbeads embedded in the collagen matrix hydrogels modify the fibrillogenesis. Our results show that carboxylated fluorescent microbeads accelerate 3.6 times the gelation, while silica microbeads slow down the formation of collagen fibrils by a factor of 1.9, both compared to pure collagen hydrogels. Our observations suggest that carboxylate microbeads act as nucleation sites and the early collagen fibrils bind to the microbeads.

Engineering Biomaterials to Model Immune-Tumor Interactions In Vitro

Engineered biomaterial scaffolds are becoming more prominent in research laboratories to study drug efficacy for oncological applications in vitro, but do they have a place in pharmaceutical drug screening pipelines? The low efficacy of cancer drugs in phase II/III clinical trials suggests that there are critical mechanisms not properly accounted for in the pre-clinical evaluation of drug candidates. Immune cells associated with the tumor may account for some of these failures given recent successes with cancer immunotherapies; however, there are few representative platforms to study immune cells in the context of cancer as traditional 2D culture is typically monocultures and humanized animal models have a weakened immune composition. Biomaterials that replicate tumor microenvironmental cues may provide a more relevant model with greater in vitro complexity. In this review, the authors explore the pertinent microenvironmental cues that drive tumor progression in the context of the immune system, discuss how these cues can be incorporated into hydrogel design to culture immune cells, and describe progress toward precision oncological drug screening with engineered tissues.

Oncogene-induced matrix reorganization controls CD8+ T cell function in the soft-tissue sarcoma microenvironment

CD8+ T cell dysfunction impedes antitumor immunity in solid cancers, but the underlying mechanisms are diverse and poorly understood. Extracellular matrix (ECM) composition has been linked to impaired T cell migration and enhanced tumor progression; however, impacts of individual ECM molecules on T cell function in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are only beginning to be elucidated. Upstream regulators of aberrant ECM deposition and organization in solid tumors are equally ill-defined. Therefore, we investigated how ECM composition modulates CD8+ T cell function in undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS), an immunologically active desmoplastic tumor. Using an autochthonous murine model of UPS and data from multiple human patient cohorts, we discovered a multifaceted mechanism wherein the transcriptional coactivator YAP1 promotes collagen VI (COLVI) deposition in the UPS TME. In turn, COLVI induces CD8+ T cell dysfunction and immune evasion by remodeling fibrillar collagen and inhibiting T cell autophagic flux. Unexpectedly, collagen I (COLI) opposed COLVI in this setting, promoting CD8+ T cell function and acting as a tumor suppressor. Thus, CD8+ T cell responses in sarcoma depend on oncogene-mediated ECM composition and remodeling.

Multiplexed 3D Analysis of Immune States and Niches in Human Tissue

Tissue homeostasis and the emergence of disease are controlled by changes in the proportions of resident and recruited cells, their organization into cellular neighbourhoods, and their interactions with acellular tissue components. Highly multiplexed tissue profiling (spatial omics)1 makes it possible to study this microenvironment in situ, usually in 4-5 micron thick sections (the standard histopathology format)2. Microscopy-based tissue profiling is commonly performed at a resolution sufficient to determine cell types but not to detect subtle morphological features associated with cytoskeletal reorganisation, juxtracrine signalling, or membrane trafficking3. Here we describe a high-resolution 3D imaging approach able to characterize a wide variety of organelles and structures at sub-micron scale while simultaneously quantifying millimetre-scale spatial features. This approach combines cyclic immunofluorescence (CyCIF) imaging4 of over 50 markers with confocal microscopy of archival human tissue thick enough (30-40 microns) to fully encompass two or more layers of intact cells. 3D imaging of entire cell volumes substantially improves the accuracy of cell phenotyping and allows cell proximity to be scored using plasma membrane apposition, not just nuclear position. In pre-invasive melanoma in situ5, precise phenotyping shows that adjacent melanocytic cells are plastic in state and participate in tightly localised niches of interferon signalling near sites of initial invasion into the underlying dermis. In this and metastatic melanoma, mature and precursor T cells engage in an unexpectedly diverse array of juxtracrine and membrane-membrane interactions as well as looser "neighbourhood" associations6 whose morphologies reveal functional states. These data provide new insight into the transitions occurring during early tumour formation and immunoediting and demonstrate the potential for phenotyping of tissues at a level of detail previously restricted to cultured cells and organoids.

Microengineering 3D Collagen Matrices with Tumor-Mimetic Gradients in Fiber Alignment

Collagen fibers in the 3D tumor microenvironment (TME) exhibit complex alignment landscapes that are critical in directing cell migration through a process called contact guidance. Previous in vitro work studying this phenomenon has focused on quantifying cell responses in uniformly aligned environments. However, the TME also features short-range gradients in fiber alignment that result from cell-induced traction forces. Although the influence of graded biophysical taxis cues is well established, cell responses to physiological alignment gradients remain largely unexplored. In this work, fiber alignment gradients in biopsy samples are characterized and recreated using a new microfluidic biofabrication technique to achieve tunable sub-millimeter to millimeter scale gradients. This study represents the first successful engineering of continuous alignment gradients in soft, natural biomaterials. Migration experiments on graded alignment show that HUVECs exhibit increased directionality, persistence, and speed compared to uniform and unaligned fiber architectures. Similarly, patterned MDA-MB-231 aggregates exhibit biased migration toward increasing fiber alignment, suggesting a role for alignment gradients as a taxis cue. This user-friendly approach, requiring no specialized equipment, is anticipated to offer new insights into the biophysical cues that cells interpret as they traverse the extracellular matrix, with broad applicability in healthy and diseased tissue environments.

Emerging Strategies for Immunotherapy of Solid Tumors Using Lipid-Based Nanoparticles

The application of lipid-based nanoparticles for COVID-19 vaccines and transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis treatment have highlighted their potential for translation to cancer therapy. However, their use in delivering drugs to solid tumors is limited by ineffective targeting, heterogeneous organ distribution, systemic inflammatory responses, and insufficient drug accumulation at the tumor. Instead, the use of lipid-based nanoparticles to remotely activate immune system responses is an emerging effective strategy. Despite this approach showing potential for treating hematological cancers, its application to treat solid tumors is hampered by the selection of eligible targets, tumor heterogeneity, and ineffective penetration of activated T cells within the tumor. Notwithstanding, the use of lipid-based nanoparticles for immunotherapy is projected to revolutionize cancer therapy, with the ultimate goal of rendering cancer a chronic disease. However, the translational success is likely to depend on the use of predictive tumor models in preclinical studies, simulating the complexity of the tumor microenvironment (e.g., the fibrotic extracellular matrix that impairs therapeutic outcomes) and stimulating tumor progression. This review compiles recent advances in the field of antitumor lipid-based nanoparticles and highlights emerging therapeutic approaches (e.g., mechanotherapy) to modulate tumor stiffness and improve T cell infiltration, and the use of organoids to better guide therapeutic outcomes.

Cancer cell-intrinsic mechanisms driving acquired immune tolerance

Immune evasion is a hallmark of cancer, enabling tumors to survive contact with the host immune system and evade the cycle of immune recognition and destruction. Here, we review the current understanding of the cancer cell-intrinsic factors driving immune evasion. We focus on T cells as key effectors of anti-cancer immunity and argue that cancer cells evade immune destruction by gaining control over pathways that usually serve to maintain physiological tolerance to self. Using this framework, we place recent mechanistic advances in the understanding of cancer immune evasion into broad categories of control over T cell localization, antigen recognition, and acquisition of optimal effector function. We discuss the redundancy in the pathways involved and identify knowledge gaps that must be overcome to better target immune evasion, including the need for better, routinely available tools that incorporate the growing understanding of evasion mechanisms to stratify patients for therapy and trials.

Immunomodulatory properties of the lymphatic endothelium in the tumor microenvironment

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is an intricate complex and dynamic structure composed of various cell types, including tumor, stromal and immune cells. Within this complex network, lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) play a crucial role in regulating immune responses and influencing tumor progression and metastatic dissemination to lymph node and distant organs. Interestingly, LECs possess unique immunomodulatory properties that can either promote or inhibit anti-tumor immune responses. In fact, tumor-associated lymphangiogenesis can facilitate tumor cell dissemination and metastasis supporting immunoevasion, but also, different molecular mechanisms involved in LEC-mediated anti-tumor immunity have been already described. In this context, the crosstalk between cancer cells, LECs and immune cells and how this communication can shape the immune landscape in the TME is gaining increased interest in recent years. In this review, we present a comprehensive and updated report about the immunomodulatory properties of the lymphatic endothelium within the TME, with special focus on primary tumors and tumor-draining lymph nodes. Furthermore, we outline emerging research investigating the potential therapeutic strategies targeting the lymphatic endothelium to enhance anti-tumor immune responses. Understanding the intricate mechanisms involved in LEC-mediated immune modulation in the TME opens up new possibilities for the development of innovative approaches to fight cancer.

A Wrinkle in TIME: How Changes in the Aging ECM Drive the Remodeling of the Tumor Immune Microenvironment

SUMMARY

Cancer is an age-related disease, with the majority of patients receiving their diagnosis after the age of 60 and most mortality from cancer occurring after this age. The tumor microenvironment changes drastically with age, which in turn affects cancer progression and treatment efficacy. Age-related changes to individual components of the microenvironment have received well-deserved attention over the past few decades, but the effects of aging at the interface of two or more microenvironmental components have been vastly understudied. In this perspective, we discuss the relationship between the aging extracellular matrix and the aging immune system, how they affect the tumor microenvironment, and how these multidisciplinary studies may open avenues for new therapeutics. Cancer is a disease of aging. With a rapidly aging population, we need to better understand the age-related changes that drive tumor progression, ranging from secreted changes to biophysical and immune changes.

Collagen VI deposition mediates stromal T cell trapping through inhibition of T cell motility in the prostate tumor microenvironment

The tumor extracellular matrix (ECM) is a barrier to anti-tumor immunity in solid tumors by disrupting T cell-tumor cell interaction underlying the need for elucidating mechanisms by which specific ECM proteins impact T cell motility and activity within the desmoplastic stroma of solid tumors. Here, we show that Collagen VI (Col VI) deposition correlates with stromal T cell density in human prostate cancer specimens. Furthermore, motility of CD4+ T cells is completely ablated on purified Col VI surfaces when compared with Fibronectin and Collagen I. Importantly, T cells adhered to Col VI surfaces displayed reduced cell spreading and fibrillar actin, indicating a reduction in traction force generation accompanied by a decrease in integrin β1 clustering. We found that CD4+ T cells largely lack expression of integrin α1 in the prostate tumor microenvironment and that blockade of α1β1 integrin heterodimers inhibited CD8+ T cell motility on prostate fibroblast-derived matrix, while re-expression of ITGA1 improved motility. Taken together, we show that the Col VI-rich microenvironment in prostate cancer reduces the motility of CD4+ T cells lacking integrin α1, leading to their accumulation in the stroma, thus putatively inhibiting anti-tumor T cell responses.

Microengineering 3D Collagen Matrices with Tumor-Mimetic Gradients in Fiber Alignment

In the tumor microenvironment (TME), collagen fibers facilitate tumor cell migration through the extracellular matrix. Previous studies have focused on studying the responses of cells on uniformly aligned or randomly aligned collagen fibers. However, the in vivo environment also features spatial gradients in alignment, which arise from the local reorganization of the matrix architecture due to cell-induced traction forces. Although there has been extensive research on how cells respond to graded biophysical cues, such as stiffness, porosity, and ligand density, the cellular responses to physiological fiber alignment gradients have been largely unexplored. This is due, in part, to a lack of robust experimental techniques to create controlled alignment gradients in natural materials. In this study, we image tumor biopsy samples and characterize the alignment gradients present in the TME. To replicate physiological gradients, we introduce a first-of-its-kind biofabrication technique that utilizes a microfluidic channel with constricting and expanding geometry to engineer 3D collagen hydrogels with tunable fiber alignment gradients that range from sub-millimeter to millimeter length scales. Our modular approach allows easy access to the microengineered gradient gels, and we demonstrate that HUVECs migrate in response to the fiber architecture. We provide preliminary evidence suggesting that MDA-MB-231 cell aggregates, patterned onto a specific location on the alignment gradient, exhibit preferential migration towards increasing alignment. This finding suggests that alignment gradients could serve as an additional taxis cue in the ECM. Importantly, our study represents the first successful engineering of continuous gradients of fiber alignment in soft, natural materials. We anticipate that our user-friendly platform, which needs no specialized equipment, will offer new experimental capabilities to study the impact of fiber-based contact guidance on directed cell migration.

Integrated Multi-omics Analysis of Early Lung Adenocarcinoma Links Tumor Biological Features with Predicted Indolence or Aggressiveness

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a heterogeneous group of tumors associated with different survival rates, even when detected at an early stage. Here, we aim to investigate the biological determinants of early LUAD indolence or aggressiveness using radiomics as a surrogate of behavior. We present a set of 92 patients with LUAD with data collected across different methodologies. Patients were risk-stratified using the CT-based Score Indicative of Lung cancer Aggression (SILA) tool (0 = least aggressive, 1 = most aggressive). We grouped the patients as indolent (x ≤ 0.4, n = 14), intermediate (0.4 > x ≤ 0.6, n = 27), and aggressive (0.6 > x ≤ 1, n = 52). Using Cytometry by time of flight (CyTOF), we identified subpopulations with high HLA-DR expression that were associated with indolent behavior. In the RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) dataset, pathways related to immune response were associated with indolent behavior, while pathways associated with cell cycle and proliferation were associated with aggressive behavior. We extracted quantitative radiomics features from the CT scans of the patients. Integrating these datasets, we identified four feature signatures and four patient clusters that were associated with survival. Using single-cell RNA-seq, we found that indolent tumors had significantly more T cells and less B cells than aggressive tumors, and that the latter had a higher abundance of regulatory T cells and Th cells. In conclusion, we were able to uncover a correspondence between radiomics and tumor biology, which could improve the discrimination between indolent and aggressive LUAD tumors, enhance our knowledge in the biology of these tumors, and offer novel and personalized avenues for intervention.

Significance

This study provides a comprehensive profiling of LUAD indolence and aggressiveness at the biological bulk and single-cell levels, as well as at the clinical and radiomics levels. This hypothesis generating study uncovers several potential future research avenues. It also highlights the importance and power of data integration to improve our systemic understanding of LUAD and to help reduce the gap between basic science research and clinical practice.

Association of collagen deep learning classifier with prognosis and chemotherapy benefits in stage II-III colon cancer

The current tumor-node-metastasis staging system does not provide sufficient prognostic prediction or adjuvant chemotherapy benefit information for stage II-III colon cancer (CC) patients. Collagen in the tumor microenvironment affects the biological behaviors and chemotherapy response of cancer cells. Hence, in this study, we proposed a collagen deep learning (collagen^DL) classifier based on the 50-layer residual network model for predicting disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). The collagen^DL classifier was significantly associated with DFS and OS (P < 0.001). The collagen^DL nomogram, integrating the collagen^DL classifier and three clinicopathologic predictors, improved the prediction performance, which showed satisfactory discrimination and calibration. These results were independently validated in the internal and external validation cohorts. In addition, high-risk stage II and III CC patients with high-collagen^DL classifier, rather than low-collagen^DL classifier, exhibited a favorable response to adjuvant chemotherapy. In conclusion, the collagen^DL classifier could predict prognosis and adjuvant chemotherapy benefits in stage II-III CC patients.

Barriers to immune cell infiltration in tumors

Increased immune cell infiltration into tumors is associated with improved patient survival and predicts response to immune therapies. Thus, identification of factors that determine the extent of immune infiltration is crucial, so that methods to intervene on these targets can be developed. T cells enter tumor tissues through the vasculature, and under control of interactions between homing receptors on the T cells and homing receptor ligands (HRLs) expressed by tumor vascular endothelium and tumor cell nests. HRLs are often deficient in tumors, and there also may be active barriers to infiltration. These remain understudied but may be crucial for enhancing immune-mediated cancer control. Multiple intratumoral and systemic therapeutic approaches show promise to enhance T cell infiltration, including both approved therapies and experimental therapies. This review highlights the intracellular and extracellular determinants of immune cell infiltration into tumors, barriers to infiltration, and approaches for intervention to enhance infiltration and response to immune therapies.

Anisotropic 3D confinement of MCF-7 cells induces directed cell-migration and viscoelastic anisotropy of cell-membrane

Tumor-associated collagen signature-3 (TACS-3) is a prognostic indicator for breast cancer survival. It is characterized by highly organized, parallel bundles of collagen fibers oriented perpendicular to the tumor boundary, serving as directional, confining channels for cancer cell invasion. Here we design a TACS-3-mimetic anisotropic, confined collagen I matrix and examine the relation between anisotropy of matrix, directed cellular migration, and anisotropy of cell membrane-the first direct contact between TACS-3 and cell-using Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) cells as cancer-model. Using unidirectional freezing, we generated ∼50 μm-wide channels filled with collagen I. Optical tweezer (OT) microrheology shows that anisotropic confinement increases collagen viscoelasticity by two orders of magnitude, and the elastic modulus is significantly greater along the direction of anisotropic confinement compared to that along the orthogonal direction, thus establishing matrix anisotropy. Furthermore, MCF-7 cells embedded in anisotropic collagen I, exhibit directionality in cellular morphology and migration. Finally, using customized OT to trap polystyrene probes bound to cell-membrane (and not to ECM) of either free cells or cells under anisotropic confinement, we quantified the effect of matrix anisotropy on membrane viscoelasticity, both in-plane and out-of-plane, vis-à-vis the membrane. Both bulk and viscous modulus of cell-membrane of MCF-7 cells exhibit significant anisotropy under anisotropic confinement. Moreover, the cell membrane of MCF-7 cells under anisotropic confinement is significantly softer (both in-plane and out-of-plane moduli) despite their local environment being five times stiffer than free cells. In order to test if the coupling between anisotropy of extracellular matrix and anisotropy of cell-membrane is regulated by cell-cytoskeleton, actin cytoskeleton was depolymerized for both free and confined cells. Results show that cell membrane viscoelasticity of confined MCF-7 cells is unaffected by actin de-polymerization, in contrast to free cells. Together, these findings suggest that anisotropy of ECM induces directed migration and correlates with anisotropy of cell-membrane viscoelasticity of the MCF-7 cells in an actin-independent manner.

The T Cell Journey: A Tour de Force

T cells act as the puppeteers in the adaptive immune response, and their dysfunction leads to the initiation and progression of pathological conditions. During their lifetime, T cells experience myriad forces that modulate their effector functions. These forces are imposed by interacting cells, surrounding tissues, and shear forces from fluid movement. In this review, a journey with T cells is made, from their development to their unique characteristics, including the early studies that uncovered their mechanosensitivity. Then the studies pertaining to the responses of T cell activation to changes in antigen-presenting cells' physical properties, to their immediate surrounding extracellular matrix microenvironment, and flow conditions are highlighted. In addition, it is explored how pathological conditions like the tumor microenvironment can hinder T cells and allow cancer cells to escape elimination.

Extracellular matrix profiles determine risk and prognosis of the squamous cell carcinoma subtype of non-small cell lung carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) is a subtype of non-small cell lung cancer for which patient prognosis remains poor. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is critical in regulating cell behavior; however, its importance in tumor aggressiveness remains to be comprehensively characterized.

METHODS

Multi-omics data of SqCC human tumor specimens was combined to characterize ECM features associated with initiation and recurrence. Penalized logistic regression was used to define a matrix risk signature for SqCC tumors and its performance across a panel of tumor types and in SqCC premalignant lesions was evaluated. Consensus clustering was used to define prognostic matreotypes for SqCC tumors. Matreotype-specific tumor biology was defined by integration of bulk RNAseq with scRNAseq data, cell type deconvolution, analysis of ligand-receptor interactions and enriched biological pathways, and through cross comparison of matreotype expression profiles with aging and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis lung profiles.

RESULTS

This analysis revealed subtype-specific ECM signatures associated with tumor initiation that were predictive of premalignant progression. We identified an ECM-enriched tumor subtype associated with the poorest prognosis. In silico analysis indicates that matrix remodeling programs differentially activate intracellular signaling in tumor and stromal cells to reinforce matrix remodeling associated with resistance and progression. The matrix subtype with the poorest prognosis resembles ECM remodeling in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and may represent a field of cancerization associated with elevated cancer risk.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, this analysis defines matrix-driven features of poor prognosis to inform precision medicine prevention and treatment strategies towards improving SqCC patient outcome.

Local extensional flows promote long-range fiber alignment in 3D collagen hydrogels

Randomly oriented type I collagen (COL1) fibers in the extracellular matrix are reorganized by biophysical forces into aligned domains extending several millimeters and with varying degrees of fiber alignment. These aligned fibers can transmit traction forces, guide tumor cell migration, facilitate angiogenesis, and influence tissue morphogenesis. To create aligned COL1 domains in microfluidic cell culture models, shear flows have been used to align thin COL1 matrices (<50µm in height) in a microchannel. However, there has been limited investigation into the role of shear flows in aligning 3D hydrogels (>130µm). Here, we show that pure shear flows do not induce fiber alignment in 3D atelo COL1 hydrogels, but the simple addition of local extensional flow promotes alignment that is maintained across several millimeters, with a degree of alignment directly related to the extensional strain rate. We further advance experimental capabilities by addressing the practical challenge of accessing a 3D hydrogel formed within a microchannel by introducing a magnetically coupled modular platform that can be released to expose the microengineered hydrogel. We demonstrate the platform's capability to pattern cells and fabricate multi-layered COL1 matrices using layer-by-layer fabrication and specialized modules. Our approach provides an easy-to-use fabrication method to achieve advanced hydrogel microengineering capabilities that combine fiber alignment with biofabrication capabilities.

Modulation of T Cell Responses by Fucoidan to Inhibit Osteogenesis

Fucoidan has sparked considerable interest in biomedical applications because of its inherent (bio)physicochemical characteristics, particularly immunomodulatory effects on macrophages, neutrophils, and natural killer cells. However, the effect of fucoidan on T cells and the following regulatory interaction on cellular function has not been reported. In this work, the effect of sterile fucoidan on the T-cell response and the subsequent modulation of osteogenesis is investigated. The physicochemical features of fucoidan treated by high-temperature autoclave sterilization are characterized by UV–visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. It is demonstrated that high-temperature autoclave treatment resulted in fucoidan depolymerization, with no change in its key bioactive groups. Further, sterile fucoidan promotes T cells proliferation and the proportion of differentiated T cells decreases with increasing concentration of fucoidan. In addition, the supernatant of T cells co-cultured with fucoidan greatly suppresses the osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 by downregulating the formation of alkaline phosphatase and calcium nodule compared with fucoidan. Therefore, our work offers new insight into the fucoidan-mediated T cell and osteoblast interplay.

CAR T Cell Locomotion in Solid Tumor Microenvironment

The promising outcomes of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy in hematologic malignancies potentiates its capability in the fight against many cancers. Nevertheless, this immunotherapy modality needs significant improvements for the treatment of solid tumors. Researchers have incrementally identified limitations and constantly pursued better CAR designs. However, even if CAR T cells are armed with optimal killer functions, they must overcome and survive suppressive barriers imposed by the tumor microenvironment (TME). In this review, we will discuss in detail the important role of TME in CAR T cell trafficking and how the intrinsic barriers contribute to an immunosuppressive phenotype and cancer progression. It is of critical importance that preclinical models can closely recapitulate the in vivo TME to better predict CAR T activity. Animal models have contributed immensely to our understanding of human diseases, but the intensive care for the animals and unreliable representation of human biology suggest in vivo models cannot be the sole approach to CAR T cell therapy. On the other hand, in vitro models for CAR T cytotoxic assessment offer valuable insights to mechanistic studies at the single cell level, but they often lack in vivo complexities, inter-individual heterogeneity, or physiologically relevant spatial dimension. Understanding the advantages and limitations of preclinical models and their applications would enable more reliable prediction of better clinical outcomes.

The tendon microenvironment: Engineered in vitro models to study cellular crosstalk

Tendinopathy is a multi-faceted pathology characterized by alterations in tendon microstructure, cellularity and collagen composition. Challenged by the possibility of regenerating pathological or ruptured tendons, the healing mechanisms of this tissue have been widely researched over the past decades. However, so far, most of the cellular players and processes influencing tendon repair remain unknown, which emphasizes the need for developing relevant in vitro models enabling to study the complex multicellular crosstalk occurring in tendon microenvironments. In this review, we critically discuss the insights on the interaction between tenocytes and the other tendon resident cells that have been devised through different types of existing in vitro models. Building on the generated knowledge, we stress the need for advanced models able to mimic the hierarchical architecture, cellularity and physiological signaling of tendon niche under dynamic culture conditions, along with the recreation of the integrated gradients of its tissue interfaces. In a forward-looking vision of the field, we discuss how the convergence of multiple bioengineering technologies can be leveraged as potential platforms to develop the next generation of relevant in vitro models that can contribute for a deeper fundamental knowledge to develop more effective treatments.

Exploiting ECM remodelling to promote immune-mediated tumour destruction

Cancer immunotherapy represents a significant breakthrough in cancer treatment mainly due to the ability to harness the activities of cancer-specific T cells. Despite this, most cancers remain resistant to T cell attack. Many reasons have been proposed to explain this, ranging from a lack of antigenicity through to the immunosuppressive effects of the tumour microenvironment. In this review, we examine the relationship between the immune system and a key component of the tumour microenvironment, namely the extracellular matrix (ECM). Specifically, we explore the reciprocal effects of immune cells and the tumour ECM and how the processes underpinning this relationship act to either promote or restrain tumour progression.

Immune Modulatory Properties of Collagen in Cancer

During tumor growth the extracellular matrix (ECM) undergoes dramatic remodeling. The normal ECM is degraded and substituted with a tumor-specific ECM, which is often of higher collagen density and increased stiffness. The structure and collagen density of the tumor-specific ECM has been associated with poor prognosis in several types of cancer. However, the reason for this association is still largely unknown. Collagen can promote cancer cell growth and migration, but recent studies have shown that collagens can also affect the function and phenotype of various types of tumor-infiltrating immune cells such as tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and T cells. This suggests that tumor-associated collagen could have important immune modulatory functions within the tumor microenvironment, affecting cancer progression as well as the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. The effects of tumor-associated collagen on immune cells could help explain why a high collagen density in tumors is often correlated with a poor prognosis. Knowledge about immune modulatory functions of collagen could potentially identify targets for improving current cancer therapies or for development of new treatments. In this review, the current knowledge about the ability of collagen to influence T cell activity will be summarized. This includes direct interactions with T cells as well as induction of immune suppressive activity in other immune cells such as macrophages. Additionally, the potential effects of collagen on the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy will be discussed.

Spatial determinates of effector and memory CD8+ T cell fates

The lymph node plays a critical role in mounting an adaptive immune response to infection, clearance of foreign pathogens, and cancer immunosurveillance. Within this complex structure, intranodal migration is vital for CD8⁺ T cell activation and differentiation. Combining tissue clearing and volumetric light sheet fluorescent microscopy of intact lymph nodes has allowed us to explore the spatial regulation of T cell fates. This has determined that short-lived effector (T_SLEC ) are imprinted in peripheral lymph node interfollicular regions, due to CXCR3 migration. In contrast, stem-like memory cell (T_SCM ) differentiation is determined in the T cell paracortex. Here, we detail the inflammatory and chemokine regulators of spatially restricted T cell differentiation, with a focus on how to promote T_SCM . We propose a default pathway for T_SCM differentiation due to CCR7-directed segregation of precursors away from the inflammatory effector niche. Although volumetric imaging has revealed the consequences of intranodal migration, we still lack knowledge of how this is orchestrated within a complex chemokine environment. Toward this goal, we highlight the potential of combining microfluidic chambers with pre-determined complexity and subcellular resolution microscopy.

Tumor-Associated Extracellular Matrix: How to Be a Potential Aide to Anti-tumor Immunotherapy?

The development of cancer immunotherapy, particularly immune checkpoint blockade therapy, has made major breakthroughs in the therapy of cancers. However, less than one-third of the cancer patients obtain significant and long-lasting therapeutic effects by cancer immunotherapy. Over the past few decades, cancer-related inflammations have been gradually more familiar to us. It’s known that chronic inflammation in tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a predominant role in tumor immunosuppression. Tumor-associated extracellular matrix (ECM), as a core member of TME, has been a research hotspot recently. A growing number of studies indicate that tumor-associated ECM is one of the major obstacles to realizing more successful cases of cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we discussed the potential application of tumor-associated ECM in the cancer immunity and its aide potentialities to anti-tumor immunotherapy.

Heterodyne Brillouin microscopy for biomechanical imaging

Microscopic variations in material stiffness play a vital role in cellular scale biomechanics, but are difficult to measure in a natural 3D environment. Brillouin microscopy is a promising technology for such applications, providing non-contact label-free measurement of longitudinal modulus at microscopic resolution. Here we develop heterodyne detection to measure Brillouin scattering signals in a confocal microscope setup, providing sensitive detection with excellent frequency resolution and robust operation in the presence of stray light. The functionality of the microscope is characterized and validated, and the imaging capability demonstrated by imaging structure within both a fibrin fiber network and live cells.

Parallels between the extracellular matrix roles in developmental biology and cancer biology

Interaction of a tumor with its microenvironment is an emerging field of investigation, and the crosstalk between cancer cells and the extracellular matrix is of particular interest, since cancer patients with abundant and stiff extracellular matrices display a poorer prognosis. At the post-juvenile stage, the extracellular matrix plays predominantly a structural role by providing support to cells and tissues; however, during development, matrix proteins exert a plethora of diverse signals to guide the movement and determine the fate of pluripotent cells. Taking a closer look at the communication between the extracellular matrix and cells of a developing body may bring new insights into cancer biology and identify cancer weaknesses. This review discusses parallels between the extracellular matrix roles during development and tumor growth.

Collagen Organization Does Not Influence T-Cell Distribution in Stroma of Human Pancreatic Cancer

Simple Summary

The excessive desmoplasia is the hallmark of human pancreatic cancer that influences the local T-cell-based immune response. In the present work, the stromal collagen organization in normal and malignant pancreatic tissues as well as its relationsship to T-cell distribution in pancreatic cancer were studied. It was found that differences in collagen organization do not change the spatial orientation of T-cell migration and do not influence the availability of tumor cells for T-cells. The results of the study do not support the concept of use of stroma collagen organization for improvement of spatial T-cell distribution in the tumor.

Abstract

The dominant intrastromal T-cell infiltration in pancreatic cancer is mainly caused by the contact guidance through the excessive desmoplastic reaction and could represent one of the obstacles to an effective immune response in this tumor type. This study analyzed the collagen organization in normal and malignant pancreatic tissues as well as its influence on T-cell distribution in pancreatic cancer. Human pancreatic tissue was analyzed using immunofluorescence staining and multiphoton and SHG microscopy supported by multistep image processing. The influence of collagen alignment on activated T-cells was studied using 3D matrices and time-lapse microscopy. It was found that the stroma of malignant and normal pancreatic tissues was characterized by complex individual organization. T-cells were heterogeneously distributed in pancreatic cancer and there was no relationship between T-cell distribution and collagen organization. There was a difference in the angular orientation of collagen alignment in the peritumoral and tumor-cell-distant stroma regions in the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tissue, but there was no correlation in the T-cell densities between these regions. The grade of collagen alignment did not influence the directionality of T-cell migration in the 3D collagen matrix. It can be concluded that differences in collagen organization do not change the spatial orientation of T-cell migration or influence stromal T-cell distribution in human pancreatic cancer. The results of the present study do not support the rationale of remodeling of stroma collagen organization for improvement of T-cell–tumor cell contact in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Extracellular matrix and its therapeutic potential for cancer treatment

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is one of the major components of tumors that plays multiple crucial roles, including mechanical support, modulation of the microenvironment, and a source of signaling molecules. The quantity and cross-linking status of ECM components are major factors determining tissue stiffness. During tumorigenesis, the interplay between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME) often results in the stiffness of the ECM, leading to aberrant mechanotransduction and further malignant transformation. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of ECM dysregulation in the TME would contribute to the discovery of promising therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. Herein, we summarized the knowledge concerning the following: (1) major ECM constituents and their functions in both normal and malignant conditions; (2) the interplay between cancer cells and the ECM in the TME; (3) key receptors for mechanotransduction and their alteration during carcinogenesis; and (4) the current therapeutic strategies targeting aberrant ECM for cancer treatment.

Microengineered 3D Collagen Gels with Independently Tunable Fiber Anisotropy and Directionality

Cellular processes, including differentiation, proliferation, and migration, have been linked to the alignment (anisotropy) and orientation (directionality) of collagen fibers in the native extracellular matrix (ECM). Given the critical role that biophysical cell-matrix interactions play in regulating biological functions, several microfluidic-based methods have been used to establish 3D collagen gels with defined fiber properties; these gels have helped to establish quantitative relationships between structural ECM cues and observed cell responses. Although existing microfluidic fabrication methods provide excellent definition over collagen fiber anisotropy, they have not demonstrated the independent control over fiber anisotropy and directionality necessary to replicate in vivo collagen architecture. Therefore, to advance collagen microengineering capabilities, we present a user-friendly technology platform that uses controlled fluid flows within a non-uniform microfluidic channel network to create collagen landscapes that can be tuned as a function of extensional strain rate. Herein, we demonstrate capabilities to i) control the degree of fiber anisotropy, ii) create spatial gradients in fiber anisotropy, iii) independently define fiber directionality, and iv) generate multi-material interfaces within a 3D environment. We then address the practical issue of integrating cells into microfluidic systems by using a peel-off template technique to provide direct access to microengineered collagen gels, and demonstrate that cells respond to the defined properties of the landscape. Finally, the platform's modular capability is highlighted by integrating a sub-micrometer thick porous parylene membrane onto the microengineered collagen as a method to define cell-substrate interactions.

Use of osteoblast-derived matrix to assess the influence of collagen modifications on cancer cells

Collagenous stromal accumulations predict a worse clinical outcome in a variety of malignancies. Better tools are needed to elucidate the way in which collagen influences cancer cells. Here, we report a method to generate collagenous matrices that are deficient in key post-translational modifications and evaluate cancer cell behaviors on those matrices. We utilized genetic and biochemical approaches to inhibit lysine hydroxylation and glucosylation on collagen produced by MC-3T3-E1 murine osteoblasts (MC cells). Seeded onto MC cell-derived matrix surface, multicellular aggregates containing lung adenocarcinoma cells alone or in combination with cancer-associated fibroblasts dissociated with temporal and spatial patterns that were influenced by collagen modifications. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of generating defined collagen matrices that are suitable for cell culture studies.

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Feasibility of culturing multicellular aggregates on matrices with defined collagen modifications.

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Collagen modifications influence cancer cell behavior.

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This methodology is a useful tool for cancer researchers.

Migration of Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes in 3D Collagen Matrices

CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and natural killer cells are the main cytotoxic killer cells of the human body to eliminate pathogen-infected or tumorigenic cells (also known as target cells). To find their targets, they have to navigate and migrate through complex biological microenvironments, a key component of which is the extracellular matrix (ECM). The mechanisms underlying killer cell's navigation are not well understood. To mimic an ECM, we use a matrix formed by different collagen concentrations and analyze migration trajectories of primary human CTLs. Different migration patterns are observed and can be grouped into three motility types: slow, fast, and mixed. The dynamics are well described by a two-state persistent random walk model, which allows cells to switch between slow motion with low persistence and fast motion with high persistence. We hypothesize that the slow motility mode describes CTLs creating channels through the collagen matrix by deforming and tearing apart collagen fibers and that the fast motility mode describes CTLs moving within these channels. Experimental evidence supporting this scenario is presented by visualizing migrating T cells following each other on exactly the same track and showing cells moving quickly in channel-like cavities within the surrounding collagen matrix. Consequently, the efficiency of the stochastic search process of CTLs in the ECM should strongly be influenced by a dynamically changing channel network produced by the killer cells themselves.

Cancer Extracellular Matrix Proteins Regulate Tumour Immunity

The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an increasingly recognised role in the development and progression of cancer. Whilst significant progress has been made in targeting aspects of the tumour microenvironment such as tumour immunity and angiogenesis, there are no therapies that address the cancer ECM. Importantly, immune function relies heavily on the structure, physics and composition of the ECM, indicating that cancer ECM and immunity are mechanistically inseparable. In this review we highlight mechanisms by which the ECM shapes tumour immunity, identifying potential therapeutic targets within the ECM. These data indicate that to fully realise the potential of cancer immunotherapy, the cancer ECM requires simultaneous consideration.

Collagen promotes anti-PD-1/PD-L1 resistance in cancer through LAIR1-dependent CD8+ T cell exhaustion

Tumor extracellular matrix has been associated with drug resistance and immune suppression. Here, proteomic and RNA profiling reveal increased collagen levels in lung tumors resistant to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. Additionally, elevated collagen correlates with decreased total CD8⁺ T cells and increased exhausted CD8⁺ T cell subpopulations in murine and human lung tumors. Collagen-induced T cell exhaustion occurs through the receptor LAIR1, which is upregulated following CD18 interaction with collagen, and induces T cell exhaustion through SHP-1. Reduction in tumor collagen deposition through LOXL2 suppression increases T cell infiltration, diminishes exhausted T cells, and abrogates resistance to anti-PD-L1. Abrogating LAIR1 immunosuppression through LAIR2 overexpression or SHP-1 inhibition sensitizes resistant lung tumors to anti-PD-1. Clinically, increased collagen, LAIR1, and TIM-3 expression in melanoma patients treated with PD-1 blockade predict poorer survival and response. Our study identifies collagen and LAIR1 as potential markers for immunotherapy resistance and validates multiple promising therapeutic combinations.

Cellular uptake of collagens and implications for immune cell regulation in disease

As the dominant constituent of the extracellular matrix (ECM), collagens of different types are critical for the structural properties of tissues and make up scaffolds for cellular adhesion and migration. Importantly, collagens also directly modulate the phenotypic state of cells by transmitting signals that influence proliferation, differentiation, polarization, survival, and more, to cells of mesenchymal, epithelial, or endothelial origin. Recently, the potential of collagens to provide immune regulatory signals has also been demonstrated, and it is believed that pathological changes in the ECM shape immune cell phenotype. Collagens are themselves heavily regulated by a multitude of structural modulations or by catabolic pathways. One of these pathways involves a cellular uptake of collagens or soluble collagen-like defense collagens of the innate immune system mediated by endocytic collagen receptors. This cellular uptake is followed by the degradation of collagens in lysosomes. The potential of this pathway to regulate collagens in pathological conditions is evident from the increased extracellular accumulation of both collagens and collagen-like defense collagens following endocytic collagen receptor ablation. Here, we review how endocytic collagen receptors regulate collagen turnover during physiological conditions and in pathological conditions, such as fibrosis and cancer. Furthermore, we highlight the potential of collagens to regulate immune cells and discuss how endocytic collagen receptors can directly regulate immune cell activity in pathological conditions or do it indirectly by altering the extracellular milieu. Finally, we discuss the potential collagen receptors utilized by immune cells to directly detect ECM-related changes in the tissues which they encounter.

p62-DNA-encoding plasmid reverts tumor grade, changes tumor stroma, and enhances anticancer immunity

Previously, we reported that the administration of a p62/SQSTM1-encoding plasmid demonstrates high safety and signs of clinical benefits for human cancer patients. The treatment also suppressed tumor growth and metastasis in dogs and mouse models. Here we investigated some mechanistic aspects of these effects. In mammary tumors bearing-dogs, i.m. injections of p62 plasmid reduced tumor sizes and their aggressive potential in 5 out of 6 animals, with one carcinoma switching to adenoma. The treatment increased levels of smooth muscle actin in stroma cells and type III collagen in the extracellular matrix, which correlate with a good clinical prognosis. The p62 treatment also increased the abundance of intratumoral T-cells. Because of the role of adaptive immunity cannot be tested in dogs, we compared the protective effects of the p62 plasmid against B16 melanoma in wild type C57BL/6J mice versus their SCID counterpart lacking lymphocytes. The plasmid was only protective in the wild type strain. Also, p62 plasmid amplified the anti-tumor effect of T-cell transfer from tumor-bearing animals to animals challenged with the same tumors. We conclude that the plasmid acts via re-modeling of the tumor microenvironment, making it more favorable for increased anti-cancer immunity. Thus, the p62-encoding plasmid might be a new adjuvant for cancer treatments.