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Wang X, Zhao S, Guo Y, Wang C, Han S, Wang X. CST2 promotes cell proliferation and regulates cell cycle by activating Wnt-β-catenin signalling pathway in serous ovarian cancer. J OBSTET GYNAECOL 2024; 44:2363515. [PMID: 38864487 DOI: 10.1080/01443615.2024.2363515] [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: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cystatin SA (CST2) plays multiple roles in different types of malignant tumours; however, its role in serous ovarian cancer (SOC) remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the expression levels, survival outcomes, immune cell infiltration, proliferation, cell cycle, and underlying molecular mechanisms associated with the CST2 signature in SOC. METHODS The Cancer Genome Atlas database was used to acquire clinical information and CST2 expression profiles from patients with SOC. Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used to compare CST2 expression levels between SOC and normal ovarian tissues. A prognostic assessment of CST2 was conducted using Cox regression analysis and the Kaplan-Meier method. Differentially expressed genes were identified using functional enrichment analysis. Immune cell infiltration was examined using a single-sample gene set enrichment analysis. Cell cycle characteristics and proliferation were assessed using a colony formation assay, flow cytometry, and a cell counting kit-8 assay. Western blots and quantitative reverse transcription PCR analyses were employed to examine CST2 expressions and related genes involved in the cell cycle and the Wnt-β-catenin signalling pathway. RESULTS Our findings revealed significant upregulation of CST2 in SOC, and elevated CST2 expression was correlated with advanced clinicopathological characteristics and unfavourable prognoses. Pathway enrichment analysis highlighted the association between the cell cycle and the Wnt signalling pathway. Moreover, increased CST2 levels were positively correlated with immune cell infiltration. Functionally, CST2 played vital roles in promoting cell proliferation, orchestrating the G1-to-S phase transition, and driving malignant SOC progression through activating the Wnt-β-catenin signalling pathway. CONCLUSIONS The elevated expression of CST2 may be related to the occurrence and progression of SOC by activating the Wnt-β-catenin pathway. Additionally, our findings suggest that CST2 is a promising novel biomarker with potential applications in therapeutic, prognostic, and diagnostic strategies for SOC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohua Wang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Hospital of HeiBei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Department of Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, China
| | - Sufen Zhao
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Hospital of HeiBei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yanwei Guo
- Department of Obstetrics, Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, China
| | - Chunhui Wang
- Department of Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, China
| | - Shuyu Han
- Department of Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, China
| | - Xingcha Wang
- Department of Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, China
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2
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Coënon L, Geindreau M, Ghiringhelli F, Villalba M, Bruchard M. Natural Killer cells at the frontline in the fight against cancer. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:614. [PMID: 39179536 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06976-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024]
Abstract
Natural Killer (NK) cells are innate immune cells that play a pivotal role as first line defenders in the anti-tumor response. To prevent tumor development, NK cells are searching for abnormal cells within the body and appear to be key players in immunosurveillance. Upon recognition of abnormal cells, NK cells will become activated to destroy them. In order to fulfill their anti-tumoral function, they rely on the secretion of lytic granules, expression of death receptors and production of cytokines. Additionally, NK cells interact with other cells in the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we will first focus on NK cells' activation and cytotoxicity mechanisms as well as NK cells behavior during serial killing. Lastly, we will review NK cells' crosstalk with the other immune cells present in the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loïs Coënon
- IRMB, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Mannon Geindreau
- Equipe TIRECs, Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Centre de Recherche INSERM CTM-UMR1231, Dijon, France
- University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - François Ghiringhelli
- Equipe TIRECs, Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Centre de Recherche INSERM CTM-UMR1231, Dijon, France
- University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
- Platform of Transfer in Biological Oncology, Georges-François Leclerc Cancer Center, Dijon, France
| | - Martin Villalba
- IRMB, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Institut du Cancer Avignon-Provence Sainte Catherine, Avignon, France
- IRMB, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, CHU Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Mélanie Bruchard
- Equipe TIRECs, Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Centre de Recherche INSERM CTM-UMR1231, Dijon, France.
- University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France.
- Platform of Transfer in Biological Oncology, Georges-François Leclerc Cancer Center, Dijon, France.
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3
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He J, Gao L, Wang P, Chan WK, Zheng Y, Zhang Y, Sun J, Li X, Wang J, Li XH, Chen H, Yang Z, Wang Y. Prdm1 positively regulates liver Group 1 ILCs cancer immune surveillance and preserves functional heterogeneity. eLife 2024; 13:RP92948. [PMID: 39133873 PMCID: PMC11318973 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Group 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) comprise conventional natural killer (cNK) cells and type 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILC1s). The main functions of liver cNK cells and ILC1s not only include directly killing target cells but also regulating local immune microenvironment of the liver through the secretion of cytokines. Uncovering the intricate mechanisms by which transcriptional factors regulate and influence the functions of liver cNK cells and ILC1s, particularly within the context of liver tumors, presents a significant opportunity to amplify the effectiveness of immunotherapies against liver malignancies. Using Ncr1-drived conditional knockout mouse model, our study reveals the regulatory role of Prdm1 in shaping the composition and maturation of cNK cells. Although Prdm1 did not affect the killing function of cNK cells in an in vivo cytotoxicity model, a significant increase in cancer metastasis was observed in Prdm1 knockout mice. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), granzyme B, and perforin secretion decreased significantly in Prdm1-deficient cNK cells and liver ILC1s. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data also provided evidences that Prdm1 maintains functional subsets of cNK cells and liver ILC1s and facilitates communications between cNK cells, liver ILC1s, and macrophages. The present study unveiled a novel regulatory mechanism of Prdm1 in cNK cells and liver ILC1s, showing promising potential for developing innovative immune therapy strategies against liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitian He
- Institute of Medical Engineering & Translational Medicine, Tianjin UniversityTianjinChina
- Organ Transplant Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Le Gao
- Institute of Medical Engineering & Translational Medicine, Tianjin UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Peiying Wang
- Institute of Medical Engineering & Translational Medicine, Tianjin UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Wing Keung Chan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, The Ohio State UniversityColumbusUnited States
| | - Yiran Zheng
- Institute of Medical Engineering & Translational Medicine, Tianjin UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Yumo Zhang
- Institute of Medical Engineering & Translational Medicine, Tianjin UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Jiaman Sun
- Institute of Medical Engineering & Translational Medicine, Tianjin UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Basic Medicine, Haihe Hospital, Tianjin UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Jiming Wang
- Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA) HospitalTianjinChina
| | - Xiao-Hong Li
- Institute of Medical Engineering & Translational Medicine, Tianjin UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Huaiyong Chen
- Department of Basic Medicine, Haihe Hospital, Tianjin UniversityTianjinChina
- College of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, 8th Medical Center, Chinese PLA General HospitalBeijingChina
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Lung Regenerative MedicineTianjinChina
| | - Zhouxin Yang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Geriatrics and Geriatrics Institute of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang HospitalHangzhouChina
| | - Youwei Wang
- Institute of Medical Engineering & Translational Medicine, Tianjin UniversityTianjinChina
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4
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Netskar H, Pfefferle A, Goodridge JP, Sohlberg E, Dufva O, Teichmann SA, Brownlie D, Michaëlsson J, Marquardt N, Clancy T, Horowitz A, Malmberg KJ. Pan-cancer profiling of tumor-infiltrating natural killer cells through transcriptional reference mapping. Nat Immunol 2024; 25:1445-1459. [PMID: 38956379 PMCID: PMC11291284 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-024-01884-z] [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: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
The functional diversity of natural killer (NK) cell repertoires stems from differentiation, homeostatic, receptor-ligand interactions and adaptive-like responses to viral infections. In the present study, we generated a single-cell transcriptional reference map of healthy human blood- and tissue-derived NK cells, with temporal resolution and fate-specific expression of gene-regulatory networks defining NK cell differentiation. Transfer learning facilitated incorporation of tumor-infiltrating NK cell transcriptomes (39 datasets, 7 solid tumors, 427 patients) into the reference map to analyze tumor microenvironment (TME)-induced perturbations. Of the six functionally distinct NK cell states identified, a dysfunctional stressed CD56bright state susceptible to TME-induced immunosuppression and a cytotoxic TME-resistant effector CD56dim state were commonly enriched across tumor types, the ratio of which was predictive of patient outcome in malignant melanoma and osteosarcoma. This resource may inform the design of new NK cell therapies and can be extended through transfer learning to interrogate new datasets from experimental perturbations or disease conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herman Netskar
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Aline Pfefferle
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | | | - Ebba Sohlberg
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Olli Dufva
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Clymphoid cells (ILCs)ampus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sarah A Teichmann
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Demi Brownlie
- Center for Hematology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Jakob Michaëlsson
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nicole Marquardt
- Center for Hematology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Trevor Clancy
- Oslo Cancer Cluster, NEC OncoImmunity AS, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Vaccine Informatics, Institute for Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Amir Horowitz
- Department of Immunology & Immunotherapy, Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Karl-Johan Malmberg
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Zhuang RZ, Zhuo JY, Dong SY, Ling Q, Zhu HK, Xu X. Prognostic value of innate immune cell densities in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation. Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int 2024:S1499-3872(24)00104-8. [PMID: 39089944 DOI: 10.1016/j.hbpd.2024.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Run-Zhou Zhuang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Jian-Yong Zhuo
- NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Si-Yi Dong
- National Center for Healthcare Quality Management of Liver Transplant, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Qi Ling
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Heng-Kai Zhu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Liver Transplantation, Shulan (Hangzhou) Hospital, Zhejiang Shuren University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310022, China
| | - Xiao Xu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Hangzhou, 310003, China; Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, China; Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China.
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6
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Wang D, Dou L, Sui L, Xue Y, Xu S. Natural killer cells in cancer immunotherapy. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e626. [PMID: 38882209 PMCID: PMC11179524 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.626] [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: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells, as innate lymphocytes, possess cytotoxic capabilities and engage target cells through a repertoire of activating and inhibitory receptors. Particularly, natural killer group 2, member D (NKG2D) receptor on NK cells recognizes stress-induced ligands-the MHC class I chain-related molecules A and B (MICA/B) presented on tumor cells and is key to trigger the cytolytic response of NK cells. However, tumors have developed sophisticated strategies to evade NK cell surveillance, which lead to failure of tumor immunotherapy. In this paper, we summarized these immune escaping strategies, including the downregulation of ligands for activating receptors, upregulation of ligands for inhibitory receptors, secretion of immunosuppressive compounds, and the development of apoptosis resistance. Then, we focus on recent advancements in NK cell immune therapies, which include engaging activating NK cell receptors, upregulating NKG2D ligand MICA/B expression, blocking inhibitory NK cell receptors, adoptive NK cell therapy, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered NK cells (CAR-NK), and NKG2D CAR-T cells, especially several vaccines targeting MICA/B. This review will inspire the research in NK cell biology in tumor and provide significant hope for improving cancer treatment outcomes by harnessing the potent cytotoxic activity of NK cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- DanRu Wang
- National Key Lab of Immunity and Inflammation and Institute of Immunology Naval Medical University Shanghai China
| | - LingYun Dou
- National Key Lab of Immunity and Inflammation and Institute of Immunology Naval Medical University Shanghai China
| | - LiHao Sui
- National Key Lab of Immunity and Inflammation and Institute of Immunology Naval Medical University Shanghai China
| | - Yiquan Xue
- National Key Lab of Immunity and Inflammation and Institute of Immunology Naval Medical University Shanghai China
| | - Sheng Xu
- National Key Lab of Immunity and Inflammation and Institute of Immunology Naval Medical University Shanghai China
- Shanghai Institute of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation Dongfang Hospital Shanghai China
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7
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Sabag B, Puthenveetil A, Levy M, Joseph N, Doniger T, Yaron O, Karako-Lampert S, Lazar I, Awwad F, Ashkenazi S, Barda-Saad M. Dysfunctional natural killer cells can be reprogrammed to regain anti-tumor activity. EMBO J 2024; 43:2552-2581. [PMID: 38637625 PMCID: PMC11217363 DOI: 10.1038/s44318-024-00094-5] [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: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are critical to the innate immune system, as they recognize antigens without prior sensitization, and contribute to the control and clearance of viral infections and cancer. However, a significant proportion of NK cells in mice and humans do not express classical inhibitory receptors during their education process and are rendered naturally "anergic", i.e., exhibiting reduced effector functions. The molecular events leading to NK cell anergy as well as their relation to those underlying NK cell exhaustion that arises from overstimulation in chronic conditions, remain unknown. Here, we characterize the "anergic" phenotype and demonstrate functional, transcriptional, and phenotypic similarities to the "exhausted" state in tumor-infiltrating NK cells. Furthermore, we identify zinc finger transcription factor Egr2 and diacylglycerol kinase DGKα as common negative regulators controlling NK cell dysfunction. Finally, experiments in a 3D organotypic spheroid culture model and an in vivo tumor model suggest that a nanoparticle-based delivery platform can reprogram these dysfunctional natural killer cell populations in their native microenvironment. This approach may become clinically relevant for the development of novel anti-tumor immunotherapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Batel Sabag
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Abhishek Puthenveetil
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Moria Levy
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Noah Joseph
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Tirtza Doniger
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Orly Yaron
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Sarit Karako-Lampert
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Itay Lazar
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Fatima Awwad
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Shahar Ashkenazi
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Mira Barda-Saad
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel.
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Koivula T, Lempiäinen S, Neuvonen J, Norha J, Hollmén M, Sundberg CJ, Rundqvist H, Minn H, Rinne P, Heinonen I. The effect of exercise and disease status on mobilization of anti-tumorigenic and pro-tumorigenic immune cells in women with breast cancer. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1394420. [PMID: 38979417 PMCID: PMC11228136 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1394420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Mobilization of certain immune cells may improve the ability of the immune system to combat tumor cells, but the effect of acute exercise on mobilizing immune cells has been sparsely investigated in cancer patients. Therefore, we examined how acute exercise influences circulating immune cells in breast cancer patients. Methods Nineteen newly diagnosed breast cancer patients aged 36-68 performed 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise with a cycle ergometer. Blood samples were collected at various time points: at rest, at 15 (E15) and 30 minutes (E30) after onset of the exercise, and at 30 and 60 minutes post-exercise. We analyzed several immune cell subsets using flow cytometry. Results Acute exercise increased the number of total leukocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, basophils, total T-cells, CD4+ T-cells, T helper (Th) 2-cells, Th 17-cells, CD8+ T-cells, CD4-CD8- T-cells, CD56+ natural killer (NK) cells, and CD14-CD16+ monocytes. Many of the changes were transient. Proportions of NK-cells and CD8+ T-cells increased, while the proportion of myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) reduced, and proportion of regulatory T-cells remained unchanged by exercise. Several associations were detected between cell mobilizations and disease state. For instance, tumor size correlated negatively with NK cell mobilization at E15, and progesterone receptor positivity correlated negatively with CD8+ T-cell mobilization. Conclusion The findings show that the proportions of CD8+ T-cells and NK cells increased and the proportion of MDSCs proportion decreased in breast cancer patients after 30-minute exercise, suggesting a change in the profile of circulating immune cells towards more cytotoxic/anti-tumorigenic. The mobilization of some immune cells also appears to be related to the disease state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiia Koivula
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Salla Lempiäinen
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Joona Neuvonen
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Jooa Norha
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Maija Hollmén
- MediCity Research Laboratory, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Carl Johan Sundberg
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helene Rundqvist
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Heikki Minn
- Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Petteri Rinne
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Ilkka Heinonen
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
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9
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Kuznetsova AV, Glukhova XA, Popova OP, Beletsky IP, Ivanov AA. Contemporary Approaches to Immunotherapy of Solid Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2270. [PMID: 38927974 PMCID: PMC11201544 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16122270] [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: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the arrival of the immunotherapy industry has introduced the possibility of providing transformative, durable, and potentially curative outcomes for various forms of malignancies. However, further research has shown that there are a number of issues that significantly reduce the effectiveness of immunotherapy, especially in solid tumors. First of all, these problems are related to the protective mechanisms of the tumor and its microenvironment. Currently, major efforts are focused on overcoming protective mechanisms by using different adoptive cell therapy variants and modifications of genetically engineered constructs. In addition, a complex workforce is required to develop and implement these treatments. To overcome these significant challenges, innovative strategies and approaches are necessary to engineer more powerful variations of immunotherapy with improved antitumor activity and decreased toxicity. In this review, we discuss recent innovations in immunotherapy aimed at improving clinical efficacy in solid tumors, as well as strategies to overcome the limitations of various immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alla V. Kuznetsova
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Russian University of Medicine (Formerly A.I. Evdokimov Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry), Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Bld 4, Dolgorukovskaya Str, 1127006 Moscow, Russia; (A.V.K.); (O.P.P.)
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 26 Vavilov Street, 119334 Moscow, Russia
| | - Xenia A. Glukhova
- Onni Biotechnologies Ltd., Aalto University Campus, Metallimiehenkuja 10, 02150 Espoo, Finland; (X.A.G.); (I.P.B.)
| | - Olga P. Popova
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Russian University of Medicine (Formerly A.I. Evdokimov Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry), Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Bld 4, Dolgorukovskaya Str, 1127006 Moscow, Russia; (A.V.K.); (O.P.P.)
| | - Igor P. Beletsky
- Onni Biotechnologies Ltd., Aalto University Campus, Metallimiehenkuja 10, 02150 Espoo, Finland; (X.A.G.); (I.P.B.)
| | - Alexey A. Ivanov
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Russian University of Medicine (Formerly A.I. Evdokimov Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry), Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Bld 4, Dolgorukovskaya Str, 1127006 Moscow, Russia; (A.V.K.); (O.P.P.)
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10
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Yao M, Chen H, Chen Z, Wang Y, Shi D, Wu D, Li W, Huang J, Chen G, Zheng Q, Ye Z, Zheng C, Yang Y. Genomic and transcriptomic significance of multiple primary lung cancers detected by next-generation sequencing in clinical settings. Carcinogenesis 2024; 45:387-398. [PMID: 38693810 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgae026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Effective diagnosis and understanding of the mechanism of intrapulmonary metastasis (IM) from multiple primary lung cancers (MPLC) aid clinical management. However, the actual detection panels used in the clinic are variable. Current research on tumor microenvironment (TME) of MPLC and IM is insufficient. Therefore, additional investigation into the differential diagnosis and discrepancies in TME between two conditions is crucial. Two hundred and fourteen non-small cell lung cancer patients with multiple tumors were enrolled and 507 samples were subjected to DNA sequencing (NGS 10). Then, DNA and RNA sequencing (master panel) were performed on the specimens from 32 patients, the TME profiles between tumors within each patient and across patients and the differentially expressed genes were compared. Four patients were regrouped with NGS 10 results. Master panel resolved the classifications of six undetermined patients. The TME in MPLC exhibited a high degree of infiltration by natural killer (NK) cells, CD56dim NK cells, endothelial cells, etc., P < 0.05. Conversely, B cells, activated B cells, regulatory cells, immature dendritic cells, etc., P < 0.001, were heavily infiltrated in the IM. NECTIN4 and LILRB4 mRNA were downregulated in the MPLC (P < 0.0001). Additionally, NECTIN4 (P < 0.05) and LILRB4 were linked to improved disease-free survival in the MPLC. In conclusion, IM is screened from MPLC by pathology joint NGS 10 detections, followed by a large NGS panel for indistinguishable patients. A superior prognosis of MPLC may be associated with an immune-activating TME and the downregulation of NECTIN4 and LILRB4 considered as potential drug therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meihong Yao
- Department of Pathology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No.29 Xinquan Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou 350001, Fujian Province, China
| | - Hu Chen
- Department of Pathology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No.29 Xinquan Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou 350001, Fujian Province, China
| | - Zui Chen
- Department of Pathology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No.29 Xinquan Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou 350001, Fujian Province, China
| | - Yingying Wang
- Department of Pathology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No.29 Xinquan Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou 350001, Fujian Province, China
| | - Dongliang Shi
- Department of Pathology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No.29 Xinquan Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou 350001, Fujian Province, China
| | - Dan Wu
- Department of Pathology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No.29 Xinquan Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou 350001, Fujian Province, China
| | - Wen Li
- Department of Pathology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No.29 Xinquan Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou 350001, Fujian Province, China
| | - Jianping Huang
- Department of Pathology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No.29 Xinquan Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou 350001, Fujian Province, China
| | - Guizhen Chen
- Department of Pathology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No.29 Xinquan Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou 350001, Fujian Province, China
| | - Qiaoling Zheng
- Department of Pathology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No.29 Xinquan Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou 350001, Fujian Province, China
| | - Zhengtao Ye
- Department of Pathology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No.29 Xinquan Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou 350001, Fujian Province, China
| | - Chenxin Zheng
- School of Economics, Xiamen University, No.422 Siming South Road, Siming District, Xiamen 361005, Fujian Province, China
| | - Yinghong Yang
- Department of Pathology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No.29 Xinquan Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou 350001, Fujian Province, China
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11
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Neo SY, Tong L, Chong J, Liu Y, Jing X, Oliveira MMS, Chen Y, Chen Z, Lee K, Burduli N, Chen X, Gao J, Ma R, Lim JP, Huo J, Xu S, Alici E, Wickström SL, Haglund F, Hartman J, Wagner AK, Cao Y, Kiessling R, Lam KP, Westerberg LS, Lundqvist A. Tumor-associated NK cells drive MDSC-mediated tumor immune tolerance through the IL-6/STAT3 axis. Sci Transl Med 2024; 16:eadi2952. [PMID: 38748775 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adi2952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/03/2024]
Abstract
Apart from their killer identity, natural killer (NK) cells have integral roles in shaping the tumor microenvironment. Through immune gene deconvolution, the present study revealed an interplay between NK cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in nonresponders of immune checkpoint therapy. Given that the mechanisms governing the outcome of NK cell-to-myeloid cell interactions remain largely unknown, we sought to investigate the cross-talk between NK cells and suppressive myeloid cells. Upon contact with tumor-experienced NK cells, monocytes and neutrophils displayed increased expression of MDSC-related suppressive factors along with increased capacities to suppress T cells. These changes were accompanied by impaired antigen presentation by monocytes and increased ER stress response by neutrophils. In a cohort of patients with sarcoma and breast cancer, the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) by tumor-infiltrating NK cells correlated with S100A8/9 and arginase-1 expression by MDSCs. At the same time, NK cell-derived IL-6 was associated with tumors with higher major histocompatibility complex class I expression, which we further validated with b2m-knockout (KO) tumor mice models. Similarly in syngeneic wild-type and IL-6 KO mouse models, we then demonstrated that the accumulation of MDSCs was influenced by the presence of such regulatory NK cells. Inhibition of the IL-6/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) axis alleviated suppression of T cell responses, resulting in reduced tumor growth and metastatic dissemination. Together, these results characterize a critical NK cell-mediated mechanism that drives the development of MDSCs during tumor immune escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Yong Neo
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, 17164 Stockholm, Sweden
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138648, Republic of Singapore
| | - Le Tong
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, 17164 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Joni Chong
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138648, Republic of Singapore
| | - Yaxuan Liu
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, 17164 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xu Jing
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mariana M S Oliveira
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yi Chen
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, 17164 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Centre, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ziqing Chen
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, 17164 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Biology, Lewis Thomas Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Keene Lee
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138648, Republic of Singapore
| | - Nutsa Burduli
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xinsong Chen
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, 17164 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Juan Gao
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Ran Ma
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, 17164 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Technical Operations, Cepheid AB, 17154 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jia Pei Lim
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, 17164 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jianxin Huo
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138648, Republic of Singapore
| | - Shengli Xu
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138648, Republic of Singapore
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Republic of Singapore
| | - Evren Alici
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stina L Wickström
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, 17164 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Felix Haglund
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, 17164 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Pathology and Cancer Diagnostics, Karolinska University Hospital, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johan Hartman
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, 17164 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Pathology and Cancer Diagnostics, Karolinska University Hospital, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Arnika K Wagner
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yihai Cao
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rolf Kiessling
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, 17164 Stockholm, Sweden
- Theme Cancer, Patient Area Head and Neck, Lung and Skin Cancer, Karolinska University Hospital, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kong Peng Lam
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138648, Republic of Singapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Republic of Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Republic of Singapore
| | - Lisa S Westerberg
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andreas Lundqvist
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, 17164 Stockholm, Sweden
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12
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Hermans L, O’Sullivan TE. No time to die: Epigenetic regulation of natural killer cell survival. Immunol Rev 2024; 323:61-79. [PMID: 38426615 PMCID: PMC11102341 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13314] [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] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
NK cells are short-lived innate lymphocytes that can mediate antigen-independent responses to infection and cancer. However, studies from the past two decades have shown that NK cells can acquire transcriptional and epigenetic modifications during inflammation that result in increased survival and lifespan. These findings blur the lines between the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system, and suggest that the homeostatic mechanisms that govern the persistence of innate immune cells are malleable. Indeed, recent studies have shown that NK cells undergo continuous and strictly regulated adaptations controlling their survival during development, tissue residency, and following inflammation. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the critical factors regulating NK cell survival throughout their lifespan, with a specific emphasis on the epigenetic modifications that regulate the survival of NK cells in various contexts. A precise understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern NK cell survival will be important to enhance therapies for cancer and infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leen Hermans
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Timothy E. O’Sullivan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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13
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Larson AC, Doty KR, Solheim JC. The double life of a chemotherapy drug: Immunomodulatory functions of gemcitabine in cancer. Cancer Med 2024; 13:e7287. [PMID: 38770637 PMCID: PMC11106691 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.7287] [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: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Although the development of immunotherapies has been revolutionary in the treatment of several cancers, many cancer types remain unresponsive to immune-based treatment and are largely managed by chemotherapy drugs. However, chemotherapeutics are not infallible and are frequently rendered ineffective as resistance develops from prolonged exposure. Recent investigations have indicated that some chemotherapy drugs have additional functions beyond their normative cytotoxic capacity and are in fact immune-modifying agents. Of the pharmaceuticals with identified immune-editing properties, gemcitabine is well-studied and of interest to clinicians and scientists alike. Gemcitabine is a chemotherapy drug approved for the treatment of multiple cancers, including breast, lung, pancreatic, and ovarian. Because of its broad applications, relatively low toxicity profile, and history as a favorable combinatory partner, there is promise in the recharacterization of gemcitabine in the context of the immune system. Such efforts may allow the identification of suitable immunotherapeutic combinations, wherein gemcitabine can be used as a priming agent to improve immunotherapy efficacy in traditionally insensitive cancers. This review looks to highlight documented immunomodulatory abilities of one of the most well-known chemotherapy agents, gemcitabine, relating to its influence on cells and proteins of the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaina C. Larson
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer & Allied DiseasesUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraskaUSA
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer CenterUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraskaUSA
| | - Kenadie R. Doty
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer & Allied DiseasesUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraskaUSA
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer CenterUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraskaUSA
| | - Joyce C. Solheim
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer & Allied DiseasesUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraskaUSA
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer CenterUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraskaUSA
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular BiologyUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraskaUSA
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, & ImmunologyUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraskaUSA
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14
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Persky J, Cruz SM, Darrow MA, Judge SJ, Li Y, Bold RJ, Karnezis AN, Matsukuma KE, Qi L, Canter RJ. Characterization of natural killer and cytotoxic T-cell immune infiltrates in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. J Surg Oncol 2024; 129:885-892. [PMID: 38196111 PMCID: PMC10980567 DOI: 10.1002/jso.27581] [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: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer with poor response to systemic therapies, including immunotherapy. Given the immunotherapeutic potential of natural killer (NK) cells, we evaluated intratumoral NK cell infiltrates along with cytotoxic T cells in PDAC to determine their association with patient outcomes. METHODS We analyzed tumors from 93 PDAC patients treated from 2012 to 2020. Predictor variables included tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), T-cell markers (CD3, CD8, CD45RO), NK marker (NKp46), and NK inhibitory marker (major histocompatibility complex class I [MHC-I]) by immunohistochemistry. Primary outcome variables were recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS Mean TILs, CD3, and NKp46 scores were 1.3 ± 0.63, 20.6 ± 17.5, and 3.1 ± 3.9, respectively. Higher expression of CD3 and CD8 was associated with higher OS, whereas NK cell infiltration was not associated with either RFS or OS. There was a tight positive correlation between MHC-I expression and all T-cell markers, but not with NKp46. CONCLUSIONS Overall NK cell infiltrates were low in PDAC and did not predict clinical outcomes, whereas T-cell infiltrates did. Further characterization of the immune infiltrate in PDAC, including inhibitory signals and suppressive cell types, may yield better biomarkers of prognosis and immune targeting in this refractory disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Persky
- Division of Surgical Oncology, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA
| | - Sylvia M. Cruz
- Division of Surgical Oncology, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA
| | - Morgan, A. Darrow
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA
| | - Sean J. Judge
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Yueju Li
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, UC Davis
| | - Richard J. Bold
- Division of Surgical Oncology, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA
| | - Anthony N. Karnezis
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA
| | - Karen E. Matsukuma
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA
| | - Lihong Qi
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, UC Davis
| | - Robert J. Canter
- Division of Surgical Oncology, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA
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15
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Sun JR, Kong CF, Ye YX, Wang Q, Qu XK, Jia LQ, Wu S. Integrated analysis of single-cell and bulk RNA-sequencing reveals a novel signature based on NK cell marker genes to predict prognosis and immunotherapy response in gastric cancer. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7648. [PMID: 38561388 PMCID: PMC10985121 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57714-7] [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: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells play essential roles in the tumor development, diagnosis, and prognosis of tumors. In this study, we aimed to establish a reliable signature based on marker genes in NK cells, thus providing a new perspective for assessing immunotherapy and the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer (GC). We analyzed a total of 1560 samples retrieved from the public database. We performed a comprehensive analysis of single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data of gastric cancer and identified 377 marker genes for NK cells. By performing Cox regression analysis, we established a 12-gene NK cell-associated signature (NKCAS) for the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort, that assigned GC patients into a low-risk group (LRG) or a high-risk group (HRG). In the TCGA cohort, the areas under curve (AUC) value were 0.73, 0.81, and 0.80 at 1, 3, and 5 years. External validation of the predictive ability for the signature was then validated in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) cohorts (GSE84437). The expression levels of signature genes were measured and validated in GC cell lines by real-time PCR. Moreover, NKCAS was identified as an independent prognostic factor by multivariate analysis. We combined this with a variety of clinicopathological characteristics (age, M stage, and tumor grade) to construct a nomogram to predict the survival outcomes of patients. Moreover, the LRG showed higher immune cell infiltration, especially CD8+ T cells and NK cells. The risk score was negatively associated with inflammatory activities. Importantly, analysis of the independent immunotherapy cohort showed that the LRG had a better prognosis and immunotherapy response when compared with the HRG. The identification of NK cell marker genes in this study suggests potential therapeutic targets. Additionally, the developed predictive signatures and nomograms may aid in the clinical management of GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Rong Sun
- School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11, North 3rd East Road, Beijing, 100029, Chaoyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Chen-Fan Kong
- Department of Urology, The affiliated Shenzhen Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 16, Liantangxiantong Road, Shenzhen, 518009, Luohu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Xiang Ye
- School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11, North 3rd East Road, Beijing, 100029, Chaoyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Qin Wang
- School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11, North 3rd East Road, Beijing, 100029, Chaoyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiang-Ke Qu
- School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11, North 3rd East Road, Beijing, 100029, Chaoyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Li-Qun Jia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11, North 3rd East Road, Beijing, 100029, Chaoyang, People's Republic of China.
| | - Song Wu
- Department of Urology, The affiliated Shenzhen Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 16, Liantangxiantong Road, Shenzhen, 518009, Luohu, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Urology, South China Hospital, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518116, People's Republic of China.
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16
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Maia A, Tarannum M, Lérias JR, Piccinelli S, Borrego LM, Maeurer M, Romee R, Castillo-Martin M. Building a Better Defense: Expanding and Improving Natural Killer Cells for Adoptive Cell Therapy. Cells 2024; 13:451. [PMID: 38474415 DOI: 10.3390/cells13050451] [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: 02/11/2024] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells have gained attention as a promising adoptive cell therapy platform for their potential to improve cancer treatments. NK cells offer distinct advantages over T-cells, including major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I)-independent tumor recognition and low risk of toxicity, even in an allogeneic setting. Despite this tremendous potential, challenges persist, such as limited in vivo persistence, reduced tumor infiltration, and low absolute NK cell numbers. This review outlines several strategies aiming to overcome these challenges. The developed strategies include optimizing NK cell expansion methods and improving NK cell antitumor responses by cytokine stimulation and genetic manipulations. Using K562 cells expressing membrane IL-15 or IL-21 with or without additional activating ligands like 4-1BBL allows "massive" NK cell expansion and makes multiple cell dosing and "off-the-shelf" efforts feasible. Further improvements in NK cell function can be reached by inducing memory-like NK cells, developing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-NK cells, or isolating NK-cell-based tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Memory-like NK cells demonstrate higher in vivo persistence and cytotoxicity, with early clinical trials demonstrating safety and promising efficacy. Recent trials using CAR-NK cells have also demonstrated a lack of any major toxicity, including cytokine release syndrome, and, yet, promising clinical activity. Recent data support that the presence of TIL-NK cells is associated with improved overall patient survival in different types of solid tumors such as head and neck, colorectal, breast, and gastric carcinomas, among the most significant. In conclusion, this review presents insights into the diverse strategies available for NK cell expansion, including the roles played by various cytokines, feeder cells, and culture material in influencing the activation phenotype, telomere length, and cytotoxic potential of expanded NK cells. Notably, genetically modified K562 cells have demonstrated significant efficacy in promoting NK cell expansion. Furthermore, culturing NK cells with IL-2 and IL-15 has been shown to improve expansion rates, while the presence of IL-12 and IL-21 has been linked to enhanced cytotoxic function. Overall, this review provides an overview of NK cell expansion methodologies, highlighting the current landscape of clinical trials and the key advancements to enhance NK-cell-based adoptive cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia Maia
- Molecular and Experimental Pathology Laboratory, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
- NK Cell Gene Manipulation and Therapy Laboratory, Division of Cellular Therapy and Stem Cell Transplant, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- NOVA Medical School, NOVA University of Lisbon, 1099-085 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Mubin Tarannum
- NK Cell Gene Manipulation and Therapy Laboratory, Division of Cellular Therapy and Stem Cell Transplant, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Joana R Lérias
- ImmunoTherapy/ImmunoSurgery, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sara Piccinelli
- NK Cell Gene Manipulation and Therapy Laboratory, Division of Cellular Therapy and Stem Cell Transplant, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Luis Miguel Borrego
- Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM), NOVA University of Lisbon, 1099-085 Lisbon, Portugal
- Immunoallergy Department, Hospital da Luz, 1600-209 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Markus Maeurer
- ImmunoTherapy/ImmunoSurgery, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
- I Medical Clinic, University of Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Rizwan Romee
- NK Cell Gene Manipulation and Therapy Laboratory, Division of Cellular Therapy and Stem Cell Transplant, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mireia Castillo-Martin
- Molecular and Experimental Pathology Laboratory, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
- Pathology Service, Champalimaud Clinical Center, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
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17
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Mylod E, O'Connell F, Donlon NE, Davern M, Marion C, Butler C, Reynolds JV, Lysaght J, Conroy MJ. Real-time ex vivo monitoring of NK cell migration toward obesity-associated oesophageal adenocarcinoma following modulation of CX3CR1. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4017. [PMID: 38369570 PMCID: PMC10874956 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54390-5] [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: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Oesophagogastric adenocarcinomas (OAC) are poor prognosis, obesity-associated cancers which may benefit from natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapies. Cellular immunotherapies encounter two key challenges to their success in OAC, namely recruitment to extratumoural tissues such as the omentum at the expense of the tumour and an immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment (TME) which can hamper NK cell function. Herein, we examined approaches to overcome the detrimental impact of obesity on NK cells and NK cell-based immunotherapies. We have demonstrated that NK cells migrate preferentially to the chemotactic signals of OAC patient-derived omentum over tumour in an ex vivo model of immune cell migration. We have identified CX3CR1 modulation and/or tumour chemokine profile remodelling as approaches to skew NK cell migration towards tumour. We also report targetable immunosuppressive facets of the obese OAC TME which dampen NK cell function, in particular cytotoxic capabilities. These data provide insights into approaches to therapeutically overcome key challenges presented by obesity and will inform superior design of NK cell-based immunotherapies for OAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eimear Mylod
- Cancer Immunology Research Group, Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute and Trinity St. James's Cancer Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Group, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute and Trinity St. James's Cancer Institute, St. James's Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Fiona O'Connell
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute and Trinity St. James's Cancer Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Noel E Donlon
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Group, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute and Trinity St. James's Cancer Institute, St. James's Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Maria Davern
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Group, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute and Trinity St. James's Cancer Institute, St. James's Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Caroline Marion
- Cancer Immunology Research Group, Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute and Trinity St. James's Cancer Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Group, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute and Trinity St. James's Cancer Institute, St. James's Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Christine Butler
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute and Trinity St. James's Cancer Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - John V Reynolds
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute and Trinity St. James's Cancer Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Joanne Lysaght
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Group, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute and Trinity St. James's Cancer Institute, St. James's Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Melissa J Conroy
- Cancer Immunology Research Group, Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute and Trinity St. James's Cancer Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
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18
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Alaluf E, Shalamov MM, Sonnenblick A. Update on current and new potential immunotherapies in breast cancer, from bench to bedside. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1287824. [PMID: 38433837 PMCID: PMC10905744 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1287824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Impressive advances have been seen in cancer immunotherapy during the last years. Although breast cancer (BC) has been long considered as non-immunogenic, immunotherapy for the treatment of BC is now emerging as a new promising therapeutic approach with considerable potential. This is supported by a plethora of completed and ongoing preclinical and clinical studies in various types of immunotherapies. However, a significant gap between clinical oncology and basic cancer research impairs the understanding of cancer immunology and immunotherapy, hampering cancer therapy research and development. To exploit the accumulating available data in an optimal way, both fundamental mechanisms at play in BC immunotherapy and its clinical pitfalls must be integrated. Then, clinical trials must be critically designed with appropriate combinations of conventional and immunotherapeutic strategies. While there is room for major improvement, this updated review details the immunotherapeutic tools available to date, from bench to bedside, in the hope that this will lead to rethinking and optimizing standards of care for BC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Alaluf
- Medical Oncology Clinic, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | | | - Amir Sonnenblick
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Oncology Division, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
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19
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Guo Z, Zhao Y, Xu M, Zhao L, Wang X. Natural killer cell-based signature: Prognostic analysis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. J Gene Med 2024; 26:e3671. [PMID: 38384136 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.3671] [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: 07/16/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) is a challenging cancer with significant clinical implications. Natural killer (NK) cells have emerged as important players in tumor immunosurveillance, yet their role and potential as prognostic biomarkers in HNSC remain unclear. METHODS Quantitative analysis using multiple algorithms identified FCRL1, KIR3DL2 and ZNF541 as molecules significantly associated with local NK cell infiltration and patient survival. A prognostic model based on these molecules demonstrated robust predictive performance. RESULTS Analysis of high- and low-risk patient groups revealed distinct differences in the tumor microenvironment, indicating an inhibitory immune microenvironment in high-risk patients. Notably, low-risk patients exhibited potential sensitivity to immunotherapy and showed favorable responses to specific drugs such as axitinib, methotrexate, rapamycin and vorinostat. NK cells, important effectors of the innate immune response, were found to play a crucial role in HNSC immunity. The present study provides valuable insights into the correlation between FCRL1, KIR3DL2, ZNF541 and NK cell infiltration, paving the way for future investigations into their roles in HNSC. Activation of NOTCH signaling, MYC targets, DNA repair, E2F targets, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, G2M checkpoint and mitotic spindle pathways in high-risk patients suggests their involvement in disease progression and poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS The present study reveals the significance of NK cells in HNSC and their potential as prognostic biomarkers. The CFKZ score offers a promising approach for predicting patient outcomes and guiding personalized treatment decisions in HNSC. These findings contribute to our understanding of HNSC immunobiology and hold implications for precision medicine in HNSC management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zizhao Guo
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yuxia Zhao
- Department of Radiology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Xu
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Long Zhao
- Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaolei Wang
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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20
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Saulters EL, Kennedy PT, Carter RJ, Alsufyani A, Jones TM, Woolley JF, Dahal LN. Differential Regulation of the STING Pathway in Human Papillomavirus-Positive and -Negative Head and Neck Cancers. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:118-133. [PMID: 38147007 PMCID: PMC10793589 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-23-0299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Squamous cell carcinomas, which arise from the cells that line the mucosal surfaces of the head and neck, represent the most common type of head and neck cancers (HNSCC). Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been strongly associated with the development of oropharyngeal cancers, which are cancers that occur in the back of the throat, including the tonsils and base of the tongue. HNSCCs with and without HPV infection have distinct pathology, with HPV-positive patients having higher levels of immune infiltration, activation in the tumor microenvironment and better response to radiation and chemotherapy. It is, however, unclear whether HPV infection in HNSCCs has the potential to activate innate-immune sensing pathways and if these cancers possess intrinsic immunogenicity associated with HPV infection. Here we investigate the innate immune stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway and immune responses to STING activation in HNSCCs and uncover fundamental differences in the regulation of this pathway in cell lines versus primary human clinical specimens. We show that while STING is differentially expressed in HPV-positive and -negative HNSCC cell lines, they exhibit a gross functional defect in signaling through this pathway. However, STING activation in immune cell populations generated immune signatures predicted to elicit useful tumoricidal mechanisms. In contrast, IHC analysis of human tissue microarrays revealed enhanced STING expression in HPV-related tumors and high intratumoral expression of STING correlated with increased survival. SIGNIFICANCE STING is an important innate immune sensor of cytosolic DNA, inducing essential antiviral and antitumoral responses. This research shows that STING expression is enhanced in HPV-positive HNSCC patient tissue, with high intratumoral STING expression correlating with increased survival. In addition, STING activation in immune cell populations augmented antitumoral effects against HNSCCs, suggesting patients may benefit from the use of STING agonists in combination with traditional therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L. Saulters
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Paul T. Kennedy
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel J. Carter
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Abdullah Alsufyani
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Terence M. Jones
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - John F. Woolley
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Lekh N. Dahal
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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21
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He J, Yan Y, Zhang J, Wei Z, Li H, Xing L. Synergistic treatment strategy: combining CAR-NK cell therapy and radiotherapy to combat solid tumors. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1298683. [PMID: 38162672 PMCID: PMC10755030 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1298683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy, notably chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) modified natural killer (NK) cell therapy, has shown exciting promise in the treatment of hematologic malignancies due to its unique advantages including fewer side effects, diverse activation mechanisms, and wide availability. However, CAR-NK cell therapies have demonstrated limited efficacy against solid tumors, primarily due to challenges posed by the solid tumor microenvironment. In contrast, radiotherapy, a well-established treatment modality, has been proven to modulate the tumor microenvironment and facilitate immune cell infiltration. With these observations, we hypothesize that a novel therapeutic strategy integrating CAR-NK cell therapy with radiotherapy could enhance the ability to treat solid tumors. This hypothesis aims to address the obstacles CAR-NK cell therapies face within the solid tumor microenvironment and explore the potential efficacy of their combination with radiotherapy. By capitalizing on the synergistic advantages of CAR-NK cell therapy and radiotherapy, we posit that this could lead to improved prognoses for patients with solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie He
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Yushan Yan
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Asclepius (Soochow) Technology Company Group, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhiming Wei
- Asclepius (Soochow) Technology Company Group, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Huashun Li
- Asclepius (Soochow) Technology Company Group, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ligang Xing
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
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22
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Heldager Pedersen N, Bjerregaard Jeppesen H, Persson G, Bojesen S, Hviid TVF. An increase in regulatory T cells in peripheral blood correlates with an adverse prognosis for malignant melanoma patients - A study of T cells and natural killer cells. CURRENT RESEARCH IN IMMUNOLOGY 2023; 5:100074. [PMID: 38059204 PMCID: PMC10696160 DOI: 10.1016/j.crimmu.2023.100074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Malignant melanoma is a highly immunogenic tumour, and the immune profile significantly influences cancer development and response to immunotherapy. The peripheral immune profile may identify high risk patients. The current study showed reduced levels of CD4+ T cells and increased levels of CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood from malignant melanoma patients compared with controls. Percentages of peripheral CD56dimCD16+ NK cells were reduced and CD56brightCD16-KIR3+ NK cells were increased in malignant melanoma patients. Late stage malignant melanoma was correlated with low levels of CD4+ T cells and high levels of CD56brightCD16-KIR3+ NK cells. Finally, high levels of Tregs in peripheral blood were correlated with poor overall survival and disease-free survival. The results indicate that changes in specific immune cell subsets in peripheral blood samples from patients at the time of diagnosis may be potential biomarkers for prognosis and survival. Further studies will enable clarification of independent roles in tumour pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanna Heldager Pedersen
- Centre for Immune Regulation and Reproductive Immunology (CIRRI), Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Zealand University Hospital, Sygehusvej 10, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Helene Bjerregaard Jeppesen
- Centre for Immune Regulation and Reproductive Immunology (CIRRI), Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Zealand University Hospital, Sygehusvej 10, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Gry Persson
- Centre for Immune Regulation and Reproductive Immunology (CIRRI), Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Zealand University Hospital, Sygehusvej 10, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Sophie Bojesen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
- Department of Plastic and Breast Surgery, Zealand University Hospital, Sygehusvej 10, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Thomas Vauvert F. Hviid
- Centre for Immune Regulation and Reproductive Immunology (CIRRI), Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Zealand University Hospital, Sygehusvej 10, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
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23
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Nersesian S, Carter EB, Lee SN, Westhaver LP, Boudreau JE. Killer instincts: natural killer cells as multifactorial cancer immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1269614. [PMID: 38090565 PMCID: PMC10715270 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1269614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells integrate heterogeneous signals for activation and inhibition using germline-encoded receptors. These receptors are stochastically co-expressed, and their concurrent engagement and signaling can adjust the sensitivity of individual cells to putative targets. Against cancers, which mutate and evolve under therapeutic and immunologic pressure, the diversity for recognition provided by NK cells may be key to comprehensive cancer control. NK cells are already being trialled as adoptive cell therapy and targets for immunotherapeutic agents. However, strategies to leverage their naturally occurring diversity and agility have not yet been developed. In this review, we discuss the receptors and signaling pathways through which signals for activation or inhibition are generated in NK cells, focusing on their roles in cancer and potential as targets for immunotherapies. Finally, we consider the impacts of receptor co-expression and the potential to engage multiple pathways of NK cell reactivity to maximize the scope and strength of antitumor activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Nersesian
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Emily B. Carter
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Stacey N. Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | | | - Jeanette E. Boudreau
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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24
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Portillo AL, Monteiro JK, Rojas EA, Ritchie TM, Gillgrass A, Ashkar AA. Charting a killer course to the solid tumor: strategies to recruit and activate NK cells in the tumor microenvironment. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1286750. [PMID: 38022679 PMCID: PMC10663242 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1286750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to expand and activate natural Killer (NK) cells ex vivo has dramatically changed the landscape in the development of novel adoptive cell therapies for treating cancer over the last decade. NK cells have become a key player for cancer immunotherapy due to their innate ability to kill malignant cells while not harming healthy cells, allowing their potential use as an "off-the-shelf" product. Furthermore, recent advancements in NK cell genetic engineering methods have enabled the efficient generation of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing NK cells that can exert both CAR-dependent and antigen-independent killing. Clinically, CAR-NK cells have shown promising efficacy and safety for treating CD19-expressing hematologic malignancies. While the number of pre-clinical studies using CAR-NK cells continues to expand, it is evident that solid tumors pose a unique challenge to NK cell-based adoptive cell therapies. Major barriers for efficacy include low NK cell trafficking and infiltration into solid tumor sites, low persistence, and immunosuppression by the harsh solid tumor microenvironment (TME). In this review we discuss the barriers posed by the solid tumor that prevent immune cell trafficking and NK cell effector functions. We then discuss promising strategies to enhance NK cell infiltration into solid tumor sites and activation within the TME. This includes NK cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms such as NK cell engineering to resist TME-mediated inhibition and use of tumor-targeted agents such as oncolytic viruses expressing chemoattracting and activating payloads. We then discuss opportunities and challenges for using combination therapies to extend NK cell therapies for the treatment of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana L. Portillo
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Jonathan K. Monteiro
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Eduardo A. Rojas
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Tyrah M. Ritchie
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Amy Gillgrass
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Ali A. Ashkar
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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25
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Lachota M, Zielniok K, Palacios D, Kanaya M, Penna L, Hoel HJ, Wiiger MT, Kveberg L, Hautz W, Zagożdżon R, Malmberg KJ. Mapping the chemotactic landscape in NK cells reveals subset-specific synergistic migratory responses to dual chemokine receptor ligation. EBioMedicine 2023; 96:104811. [PMID: 37741009 PMCID: PMC10520535 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Natural killer (NK) cells have a unique capability of spontaneous cytotoxicity against malignant cells and hold promise for off-the-shelf cell therapy against cancer. One of the key challenges in the field is to improve NK cell homing to solid tumors. METHODS To gain a deeper understanding of the cellular mechanisms regulating trafficking of NK cells into the tumor, we used high-dimensional flow cytometry, mass cytometry, and single-cell RNA-sequencing combined with functional assays, creating a comprehensive map of human NK cell migration phenotypes. FINDINGS We found that the chemokine receptor repertoire of peripheral blood NK cells changes in a coordinated manner becoming progressively more diversified during NK cell differentiation and correlating tightly with the migratory response of the distinct NK cell subsets. Simultaneous ligation of CXCR1/2 and CX3CR1, synergistically potentiated the migratory response of NK cells. Analysis of 9471 solid cancers from publicly available TCGA/TARGET repositories revealed dominant chemokine patterns that varied across tumor types but with no tumor group expressing ligands for more than one chemokine receptor present on mature NK cells. INTERPRETATION The finding that chemokine stimulation can elicit a synergistic migratory response in NK cells combined with the identified lack of naturally occurring pairs of chemokines-chemokine receptors in human cancers may explain the systematic exclusion of NK cells from the tumor microenvironment and provides a basis for engineering next-generation NK cell therapies against malignancies. FUNDING The Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the National Science Centre, Poland, The Norwegian Cancer Society, the Norwegian Research Council, the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority, The Swedish Cancer Society, the Swedish Children's Cancer Foundation, The Swedish Research Council, The Center of Excellence: Precision Immunotherapy Alliance, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and National Cancer Institute.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mieszko Lachota
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; Department of Ophthalmology, Children's Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Zielniok
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Daniel Palacios
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Minoru Kanaya
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Leena Penna
- Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, Research and Development, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hanna Julie Hoel
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Merete Thune Wiiger
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Lise Kveberg
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Wojciech Hautz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Children's Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Radosław Zagożdżon
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Karl-Johan Malmberg
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway; Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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26
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Kim S, Park Y, Kim J, Kim S, Choi K, Kang T, Lee I, Lim YT, Um SH, Kim C. ProLonged Liposomal Delivery of TLR7/8 Agonist for Enhanced Cancer Vaccine. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1503. [PMID: 37766179 PMCID: PMC10538091 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11091503] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite numerous studies on cancer treatment, cancer remains a challenging disease to cure, even after decades of research. In recent years, the cancer vaccine has emerged as a promising approach for cancer treatment, offering few unexpected side effects compared to existing therapies. However, the cancer vaccine faces obstacles to commercialization due to its low efficacy. Particularly, the Toll-like receptor (TLR) adjuvant system, specifically the TLR 7/8 agonist, has shown potential for activating Th1 immunity, which stimulates both innate and adaptive immune responses through T cells. In this study, we developed ProLNG-S, a cholesterol-conjugated form of resiquimod (R848), to enhance immune efficacy by stimulating the immune system and reducing toxicity. ProLNG-S was formulated as ProLNG-001, a positively charged liposome, and co-administered with ovalbumin (OVA) protein in the B16-OVA model. ProLNG-001 effectively targeted secondary lymphoid organs, resulting in a robust systemic anti-tumor immune response and tumor-specific T cell activation. Consequently, ProLNG-001 demonstrated potential for preventing tumor progression and improving survival compared to AS01 by enhancing anti-tumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sehui Kim
- Progeneer, 12 Digital-ro 31-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul 08380, Republic of Korea; (S.K.); (Y.P.); (J.K.); (S.K.); (K.C.); (T.K.); (I.L.); (S.H.U.)
- SKKU Advanced Institute of NanoTechnology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea;
| | - Yeji Park
- Progeneer, 12 Digital-ro 31-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul 08380, Republic of Korea; (S.K.); (Y.P.); (J.K.); (S.K.); (K.C.); (T.K.); (I.L.); (S.H.U.)
- SKKU Advanced Institute of NanoTechnology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea;
| | - Jeonghun Kim
- Progeneer, 12 Digital-ro 31-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul 08380, Republic of Korea; (S.K.); (Y.P.); (J.K.); (S.K.); (K.C.); (T.K.); (I.L.); (S.H.U.)
| | - Sohyun Kim
- Progeneer, 12 Digital-ro 31-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul 08380, Republic of Korea; (S.K.); (Y.P.); (J.K.); (S.K.); (K.C.); (T.K.); (I.L.); (S.H.U.)
| | - Kyungmin Choi
- Progeneer, 12 Digital-ro 31-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul 08380, Republic of Korea; (S.K.); (Y.P.); (J.K.); (S.K.); (K.C.); (T.K.); (I.L.); (S.H.U.)
| | - Taegyun Kang
- Progeneer, 12 Digital-ro 31-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul 08380, Republic of Korea; (S.K.); (Y.P.); (J.K.); (S.K.); (K.C.); (T.K.); (I.L.); (S.H.U.)
| | - Inho Lee
- Progeneer, 12 Digital-ro 31-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul 08380, Republic of Korea; (S.K.); (Y.P.); (J.K.); (S.K.); (K.C.); (T.K.); (I.L.); (S.H.U.)
| | - Yong Taik Lim
- SKKU Advanced Institute of NanoTechnology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea;
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
- Department of Nano Science and Technology, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
- Department of Nano Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
- Biomedical Institute for Convergence at SKKU (BICS), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Soong Ho Um
- Progeneer, 12 Digital-ro 31-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul 08380, Republic of Korea; (S.K.); (Y.P.); (J.K.); (S.K.); (K.C.); (T.K.); (I.L.); (S.H.U.)
- SKKU Advanced Institute of NanoTechnology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea;
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
- Biomedical Institute for Convergence at SKKU (BICS), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Quantum Biophysics (IQB), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Chul Kim
- Progeneer, 12 Digital-ro 31-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul 08380, Republic of Korea; (S.K.); (Y.P.); (J.K.); (S.K.); (K.C.); (T.K.); (I.L.); (S.H.U.)
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27
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Kiaei SZF, Nouralishahi A, Ghasemirad M, Barkhordar M, Ghaffari S, Kheradjoo H, Saleh M, Mohammadzadehsaliani S, Molaeipour Z. Advances in natural killer cell therapies for breast cancer. Immunol Cell Biol 2023; 101:705-726. [PMID: 37282729 DOI: 10.1111/imcb.12658] [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: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cause of cancer death in women. According to the American Cancer Society's yearly cancer statistics, BC constituted almost 15% of all the newly diagnosed cancer cases in 2022 for both sexes. Metastatic disease occurs in 30% of patients with BC. The currently available treatments fail to cure metastatic BC, and the average survival time for patients with metastatic BC is approximately 2 years. Developing a treatment method that terminates cancer stem cells without harming healthy cells is the primary objective of novel therapeutics. Adoptive cell therapy is a branch of cancer immunotherapy that utilizes the immune cells to attack cancer cells. Natural killer (NK) cells are an essential component of innate immunity and are critical in destroying tumor cells without prior stimulation with antigens. With the advent of chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), the autologous or allogeneic use of NK/CAR-NK cell therapy has raised new hopes for treating patients with cancer. Here, we describe recent developments in NK and CAR-NK cell immunotherapy, including the biology and function of NK cells, clinical trials, different sources of NK cells and their future perspectives on BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyedeh Zahra Fotook Kiaei
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Ghasemirad
- Department of Periodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Maryam Barkhordar
- Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center (HORCSCT), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sasan Ghaffari
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | | | - Mahshid Saleh
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin Graduate School, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Zahra Molaeipour
- Hematology Oncology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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28
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Scheffschick A, Nenonen J, Xiang M, Winther AH, Ehrström M, Wahren-Herlenius M, Eidsmo L, Brauner H. Skin infiltrating NK cells in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma are increased in number and display phenotypic alterations partially driven by the tumor. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1168684. [PMID: 37691935 PMCID: PMC10485839 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1168684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) are characterized by focal infiltration of malignant T cell clones in solitary skin lesions. Many CTCL patients experience an indolent disease, but some progress to advanced disease with high fatality. We hypothesized that natural killer (NK) cells participate in local control of tumor growth in CTCL skin. Immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry analysis of the density, localization, phenotype and function of NK cells in twenty-nine fresh or formalin-fixed skin biopsies from twenty-four CTCL patients and twenty-three biopsies from twenty healthy controls highlighted higher numbers of CD56+CD3- NK cells in CTCL skin. A reduced fraction of CTCL skin NK cells expressed the maturation marker CD57, the cytotoxic protein granzyme B and the activation marker CD69, indicating reduced tumor-killing abilities of the NK cells. Retained expression of immune checkpoint proteins or inhibitory proteins including PD1, TIM3, LAG3, CD73 and NKG2A and the activating receptors CD16 and NKp46 indicated maintained effector functions. Indeed, the capacity of NK cells to produce anti-tumor acting IFNγ upon PMA+ionomycin stimulation was similar in cells from CTCL and healthy skin. Co-cultures of primary human NK cells or the NK cell line NKL with CTCL cells resulted in reduced levels of granzyme B and CD69, indicating that close cellular interactions with CTCL cells induced the impaired functional NK cell phenotype. In conclusion, increased numbers of NK cells in CTCL skin exhibit a partially impaired phenotype in terms of activity. Enhancing NK cell activity with NK cell activating cytokines such as IL-15 or immune checkpoint blockade therefore represents a potential immunotherapeutic approach in CTCL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Scheffschick
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Solna and Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Julia Nenonen
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Solna and Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mengmeng Xiang
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Solna and Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna H. Winther
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Solna and Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Dermatology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marcus Ehrström
- Department of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marie Wahren-Herlenius
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Solna and Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- The Broegelmann Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Liv Eidsmo
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Solna and Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- LEO Foundation Skin Immunology Research Center, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Hanna Brauner
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Solna and Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Dermatology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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Mondal I, Das O, Sun R, Gao J, Yu B, Diaz A, Behnan J, Dubey A, Meng Z, Eskandar E, Xu B, Lu RO, Ho WS. PP2Ac Deficiency Enhances Tumor Immunogenicity by Activating STING-Type I Interferon Signaling in Glioblastoma. Cancer Res 2023; 83:2527-2542. [PMID: 37219874 PMCID: PMC10525036 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-3382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is an immunologically "cold" tumor that does not respond to current immunotherapy. Here, we demonstrate a fundamental role for the α-isoform of the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase-2A (PP2Ac) in regulating glioma immunogenicity. Genetic ablation of PP2Ac in glioma cells enhanced double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) production and cGAS-type I IFN signaling, MHC-I expression, and tumor mutational burden. In coculture experiments, PP2Ac deficiency in glioma cells promoted dendritic cell (DC) cross-presentation and clonal expansion of CD8+ T cells. In vivo, PP2Ac depletion sensitized tumors to immune-checkpoint blockade and radiotherapy treatment. Single-cell analysis demonstrated that PP2Ac deficiency increased CD8+ T-cell, natural killer cell, and DC accumulation and reduced immunosuppressive tumor-associated macrophages. Furthermore, loss of PP2Ac increased IFN signaling in myeloid and tumor cells and reduced expression of a tumor gene signature associated with worse patient survival in The Cancer Genome Atlas. Collectively, this study establishes a novel role for PP2Ac in inhibiting dsDNA-cGAS-STING signaling to suppress antitumor immunity in glioma. SIGNIFICANCE PP2Ac deficiency promotes cGAS-STING signaling in glioma to induce a tumor-suppressive immune microenvironment, highlighting PP2Ac as a potential therapeutic target to enhance tumor immunogenicity and improve response to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isha Mondal
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Oishika Das
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Raymond Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Jian Gao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Bohyeon Yu
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Aaron Diaz
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jinan Behnan
- The Leo M. Davidoff Department of Neurological Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Dominick Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Abhishek Dubey
- The Leo M. Davidoff Department of Neurological Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Dominick Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Zhipeng Meng
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Emad Eskandar
- The Leo M. Davidoff Department of Neurological Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Dominick Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Beisi Xu
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Rongze Olivia Lu
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Winson S. Ho
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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Zhao X, Lin M, Huang X. Current status and future perspective of natural killer cell therapy for cancer. MEDICAL REVIEW (2021) 2023; 3:305-320. [PMID: 38235405 PMCID: PMC10790210 DOI: 10.1515/mr-2023-0031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells possess innate abilities to effectively eliminate cancer cells. However, because of difficulties of proliferation and easy to be induced dysfunction in the setting of cancer post NK cell therapy, the curative effect of NK cell infusion has been constrained and not been widely applicable in clinical practice. The rapid development of biotechnology has promoted the development of NK cell therapy for cancer treatment. In this review, we will provide a comprehensive analysis of the current status and future prospects of NK cell therapy for cancer, focusing on the biological characteristics of NK cells, as well as strategies to enhance their targeting capabilities and overcome tumor immune suppression within the microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyu Zhao
- Peking University People's Hospital, Peking University Institute of Hematology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Disease, Beijing, China
| | - Minghao Lin
- Peking University People's Hospital, Peking University Institute of Hematology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Disease, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojun Huang
- Peking University People's Hospital, Peking University Institute of Hematology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Disease, Beijing, China
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31
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Margul D, Yu C, AlHilli MM. Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Gynecologic Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3849. [PMID: 37568665 PMCID: PMC10417375 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15153849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Gynecologic cancers have varying response rates to immunotherapy due to the heterogeneity of each cancer's molecular biology and features of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). This article reviews key features of the TIME and its role in the pathophysiology and treatment of ovarian, endometrial, cervical, vulvar, and vaginal cancer. Knowledge of the role of the TIME in gynecologic cancers has been rapidly developing with a large body of preclinical studies demonstrating an intricate yet dichotomous role that the immune system plays in either supporting the growth of cancer or opposing it and facilitating effective treatment. Many targets and therapeutics have been identified including cytokines, antibodies, small molecules, vaccines, adoptive cell therapy, and bacterial-based therapies but most efforts in gynecologic cancers to utilize them have not been effective. However, with the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors, we have started to see the rapid and successful employment of therapeutics in cervical and endometrial cancer. There remain many challenges in utilizing the TIME, particularly in ovarian cancer, and further studies are needed to identify and validate efficacious therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mariam M. AlHilli
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (D.M.); (C.Y.)
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Peng X, Xia Z, Guo Y, Li Y. Immune landscape and prognostic immune-related signature in KRAS-mutated lung adenocarcinoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:204770. [PMID: 37279937 PMCID: PMC10292897 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204770] [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: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The heterogeneity of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) indicated that target therapies and immunotherapies may not be effective in all patients. The exploration of the feature of the immune landscape of different gene mutations may provide novel perspectives. In this study, we obtained LUAD samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas. By applying ESTIMATE and ssGSEA, KRAS-mutated group was discovered to be associated with lower immune infiltration, lower expression of immune checkpoints, especially, a lower abundance of B cell, CD8+ T cell, dendritic cell, natural killer cell, and macrophage, higher abundance of neutrophil and endothelial cell. Through ssGSEA, we found that the process of antigen-presenting cell co-inhibition and co-stimulation were inhibited, cytolytic activity and human leukocyte antigen molecules were downregulated in the KRAS-mutated group. And KRAS mutation is negatively related to antigen presentation and procession, cytotoxic lymphocyte activity, cytolytic activities, and cytokine interaction signaling pathway via gene function enrichment analysis. Finally, 24 immune-related genes were identified to establish an immune-related gene signature with excellent prognostic prediction capacity, whose 1-, 3- and 5-year AUCs were 0.893, 0.986, and 0.999. Our findings elucidate the features of the immune landscape of KRAS-mutated groups and successfully established a prognostic signature on the basis of immune-related genes in LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Peng
- Department of Oncology, Wenzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medicine University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China
| | - Zhenqi Xia
- The First Clinical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, China
- Department of Oncology, Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, China
| | - Yong Guo
- The First Clinical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, China
- Department of Oncology, Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, China
| | - Yan Li
- The First Clinical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, China
- Department of Oncology, Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, China
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33
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Kourko O, Hawke LG, Ormiston ML, Gee K. IFN-β activates cytotoxic function of human natural killer cells toward IL-27 and poly(I:C) stimulated PC3 and DU145 cells. Cell Immunol 2023; 387:104718. [PMID: 37068442 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2023.104718] [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: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cell phenotype and function are altered in patients with prostate cancer, and increased NK cell activity is associated with a better prognosis in patients with disease. For patients with advanced stage prostate cancer, immunotherapies are a promising approach when standard treatment options have been exhausted. With the rapid emergence of NK cell-based therapies, it is important to understand the mechanisms by which NK cells can be triggered to kill cancer cells that have developed immune-evasive strategies. Altering the cytokine profiles of advanced prostate cancer cells may be an area to explore when considering ways in which NK cell activation can be modulated. We have previously demonstrated that combining the cytokine, IL-27, with TLR3 agonist, poly(I:C), changes cytokine secretion in the advanced prostate cancer models, PC3 and DU145 cells. Herein, we extend our previous work to study the effect of primary human NK cells on prostate cancer cell death in an in vitro co-culture model. Stimulating PC3 and DU145 cells with IL-27 and poly(I:C) induced IFN-β secretion, which was required for activation of primary human NK cells to kill these stimulated prostate cancer cells. PC3 cells were more sensitized to NK cell-mediated killing when compared to DU145 cells, which was attributed to differential levels of IFN-β produced in response to stimulation with IL-27 and poly(I:C). IFN-β increased granzyme B secretion and membrane-bound TRAIL expression by co-cultured NK cells. We further demonstrated that these NK cells killed PC3 cells in a partially TRAIL-dependent manner. This work provides mechanistic insight into how the cytotoxic function of NK cells can be improved to target cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olena Kourko
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Lindsey G Hawke
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Mark L Ormiston
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Katrina Gee
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
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34
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Esteves M, Silva C, Bovolini A, Pereira SS, Morais T, Moreira Â, Costa MM, Monteiro MP, Duarte JA. Regular Voluntary Running is Associated with Increased Tumor Vascularization and Immune Cell Infiltration and Decreased Tumor Growth in Mice. Int J Sports Med 2023. [PMID: 36931293 DOI: 10.1055/a-2008-7732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
Tumors present dysfunctional vasculature that limits blood perfusion and hinders immune cells delivery. We aimed to investigate if regular voluntary running promotes tumor vascular remodelling, improves intratumoral immune cells infiltration and inhibits tumor growth. Tumors were induced in C57BL/6 male mice (n=28) by subcutaneous inoculation in the dorsal region with a suspension of RM1 cells (1.5×105 cells/500 µL PBS) and randomly allocated into two groups: sedentary (n=14) and voluntarily exercised on a wheel (n=14). Seven mice from each group were sacrificed 14 and 28 days after cells' inoculation to evaluate tumor weight, microvessel density, vessels' lumen regularity and the intratumoral quantity of NKG2D receptors, CD4+and CD8+T cells, by immunohistochemistry. The statistical inference was done through a two-way ANOVA. Exercised mice developed smaller tumors at 14 (0.17±0.1 g vs. 0.48±0.2 g, p<0.05) and 28 (0.92±0.7 g vs. 2.09±1.3 g, p<0.05) days, with higher microvessel density (21.20±3.2 vs. 15.86±4.0 vessels/field, p<0.05), more regular vessels' lumen (1.06±0.2 vs. 1.43±0.2, p<0.05), and higher CD8+T cells (464.95±48.0 vs. 364.70±49.4 cells/mm2, p<0.01), after 28 days. NKG2D expression was higher in exercised mice at 14 (263.27±25.8 cells/mm2, p<0.05) and 28 (295.06±56.2 cells/mm2, p<0.001) days. Regular voluntary running modulates tumor vasculature, increases immune cells infiltration and attenuates tumor growth, in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mário Esteves
- Instituto de Investigação, Inovação e Desenvolvimento Fernando Pessoa (FP-I3ID), Escola Superior de Saude Fernando Pessoa, Porto, Portugal.,Laboratory of Biochemistry and Experimental Morphology, CIAFEL, Porto, Portugal
| | - Carina Silva
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Experimental Morphology, CIAFEL, Porto, Portugal
| | - António Bovolini
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Experimental Morphology, CIAFEL, Porto, Portugal
| | - Sofia S Pereira
- Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine, University of Porto Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, Porto, Portugal
| | - Tiago Morais
- Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine, University of Porto Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ângela Moreira
- Communication Unit, Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Porto, Portugal
| | - Madalena M Costa
- Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine, University of Porto Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, Porto, Portugal
| | - Mariana P Monteiro
- Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine, University of Porto Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, Porto, Portugal
| | - Jose Alberto Duarte
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Experimental Morphology, CIAFEL, Porto, Portugal.,TOXRUN, University Institute of Health Sciences, CESPU, Gandra, Portuga
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35
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Piccinelli S, Romee R, Shapiro RM. The natural killer cell immunotherapy platform: an overview of the landscape of clinical trials in liquid and solid tumors. Semin Hematol 2023; 60:42-51. [PMID: 37080710 DOI: 10.1053/j.seminhematol.2023.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
The translation of natural killer (NK) cells to the treatment of malignant disease has made significant progress in the last few decades. With a variety of available sources and improvements in both in vitro and in vivo NK cell expansion, the NK cell immunotherapy platform has come into its own. The enormous effort continues to further optimize this platform, including ways to enhance NK cell persistence, trafficking to the tumor microenvironment, and cytotoxicity. As this effort bears fruit, it is translated into a plethora of clinical trials in patients with advanced malignancies. The adoptive transfer of NK cells, either as a standalone therapy or in combination with other immunotherapies, has been applied for the treatment of both liquid and solid tumors, with numerous early-phase trials showing promising results. This review aims to summarize the key advantages of NK cell immunotherapy, highlight several of the current approaches being taken for its optimization, and give an overview of the landscape of clinical trials translating this platform into clinic.
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36
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Arianfar E, Khandoozi SR, Mohammadi S, Memarian A. Suppression of CD56 bright NK cells in breast cancer patients is associated with the PD-1 and TGF-βRII expression. Clin Transl Oncol 2023; 25:841-851. [PMID: 36414921 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-022-02997-3] [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: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Natural killer (NK) cells, as professional cytotoxic cells, play a key role against cancer in the early and metastatic stages. Their functional defects are highly associated with the initiation or progression of breast cancer (BC). Here, we investigated the phenotypic characterization of NK cells in 26 newly diagnosed BC patients in comparison to 12 healthy counterparts. METHODS Expression of CXCR3 and PD-1, and also NKG2D, and TGF-βRII were studied on CD56dim and CD56bright NK cells from fresh peripheral blood (PB) samples using flow cytometry. The plasma levels of IFN-γ and soluble MIC-A levels were also assessed by ELISA. RESULTS Both CD56dim and CD56bright NK subtypes showed lower CXCR3 and NKG2D expression in BC patients than healthy subjects. Furthermore, patients' CD56bright NK cells significantly showed higher expression levels of TGF-βRII and PD-1. Interestingly, increased concentration of MIC-A level in plasma of BC patients was associated with the higher TGF-βRII and PD-1 expression in all NK cells, while the plasma level of IFN-γ was associated with the lower TGF-βRII expression on CD56bright NK cells in these patients. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrated phenotypically suppressed-NK cells, especially in the CD56bright subset of BC patients. It specifies their potential incompetence and outlines decrement of their anti-tumor activity, which could be interrelated with the tumor pathogenesis, TME immunosuppression, and so disease progression. The induction of compensatory mechanisms revives NK cells function and could be used in combination with the conventional treatments as a putative therapeutic approach for targeted immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaheh Arianfar
- Student Research Committee, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.,Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | | | - Saeed Mohammadi
- Stem Cell Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Ali Memarian
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran. .,Golestan Research Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.
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Wong JKM, Dolcetti R, Rhee H, Simpson F, Souza-Fonseca-Guimaraes F. Weaponizing natural killer cells for solid cancer immunotherapy. Trends Cancer 2023; 9:111-121. [PMID: 36379852 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2022.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Enhancing natural killer (NK) cell-based innate immunity has become a promising strategy for immunotherapy against hard-to-cure solid cancers. Monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy has been used to activate NK-cell-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) towards solid cancers. Cancer cells, however, can subvert immunosurveillance using multiple immunosuppressive mechanisms, which may hamper NK cell ADCC. Mechanisms to safely enhance ADCC by NK cells, such as utilizing temporary inhibition of receptor endocytosis to increase antibody presentation from target to effector cells can now be used to enhance NK-cell-mediated ADCC against solid tumors. This review summarizes and discusses the recent advances in the field and highlights current and potential future use of immunotherapies to maximize the therapeutic efficacy of innate anticancer immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua K M Wong
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Riccardo Dolcetti
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia; Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Handoo Rhee
- Princess Alexandra Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Jubilee II Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia; The School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Fiona Simpson
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
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Gordy JT, Sandhu AK, Fessler K, Luo K, Kapoor AR, Ayeh SK, Hui Y, Schill C, Chen F, Wang T, Karanika S, Sunshine JC, Karakousis PC, Markham RB. IFNα and 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine combined with a dendritic-cell targeting DNA vaccine alter tumor immune cell infiltration in the B16F10 melanoma model. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1074644. [PMID: 36741387 PMCID: PMC9892704 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1074644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction DNA vaccines containing a fusion of the gene encoding chemokine MIP-3α (CCL20), the ligand for CCR6 on immature dendritic cells (DCs), to melanoma-associated antigen genes have enhanced anti-tumor immunity and efficacy compared to those lacking the chemokine gene. Previous work has shown that type-I interferon (IFNα or IFN) and 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5Aza) significantly enhance the therapeutic benefit of DNA vaccines as measured by reduced tumor burden and improved mouse survival. Methods Here, we explored mouse intratumoral immune correlates underlying the therapeutic benefit of this combination regimen (vaccine, IFN, and 5Aza) as compared to vaccine alone and IFN and 5Aza without vaccine, focusing on chemokine mRNA expression by qRT-PCR and inflammatory cellular infiltration into the tumor microenvironment (TME) by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results The combination group significantly upregulated intratumoral mRNA expression of key immune infiltration chemokines XCL1 and CXCL10. Flow cytometric analyses of tumor suspensions exhibited greater tumor infiltration of CD8+ DCs, CCR7+ DCs, and NK cells in the combination group, as well as reduced levels of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in vaccinated groups. The mice receiving combination therapy also had greater proportions of effector/memory T-cells (Tem), in addition to showing an enhanced infiltration of Tem and central memory CD8+ T-cells, (Tcm). Tem and Tcm populations both correlated with smaller tumor size. Immunohistochemical analysis of tumors confirmed that CD8+ cells were more abundant overall and especially in the tumor parenchyma with combination therapy. Discussion Efficient targeting of antigen to immature DCs with a chemokine-fusion vaccine offers a potential alternative approach to classic and dendritic cell-based vaccines. Combining this approach with IFNα and 5Aza treatments significantly improved vaccine efficacy. This treatment creates an environment of increased inflammatory chemokines that facilitates the trafficking of CD8+ DCs, NK cells, and CD8+ T-cells, especially memory cells, while reducing the number of MDSCs. Importantly, in the combination group, CD8+ cells were more able to penetrate the tumor mass in addition to being more numerous. Further analysis of the pathways engaged by our combination therapy is expected to provide additional insights into melanoma pathogenesis and facilitate the development of novel treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- James T. Gordy
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Avinaash K. Sandhu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kaitlyn Fessler
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kun Luo
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Aakanksha R. Kapoor
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Tuberculosis Research, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Samuel K. Ayeh
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Tuberculosis Research, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Yinan Hui
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Courtney Schill
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Fengyixin Chen
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Tianyin Wang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Styliani Karanika
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Tuberculosis Research, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Joel C. Sunshine
- The Departments of Dermatology, Pathology, and Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Petros C. Karakousis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Tuberculosis Research, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Richard B. Markham
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States,*Correspondence: Richard B. Markham,
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Anang V, Singh A, Kottarath SK, Verma C. Receptors of immune cells mediates recognition for tumors. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2023; 194:219-267. [PMID: 36631194 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2022.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Over the last few decades, the immune system has been steered toward eradication of cancer cells with the help of cancer immunotherapy. T cells, B cells, monocytes/macrophages, dendritic cells, T-reg cells, and natural killer (NK) cells are some of the numerous immune cell types that play a significant part in cancer cell detection and reduction of inflammation, and the antitumor response. Briefly stated, chimeric antigen receptors, adoptive transfer and immune checkpoint modulators are currently the subjects of research focus for successful immunotherapy-based treatments for a variety of cancers. This chapter discusses ongoing investigations on the mechanisms and recent developments by which receptors of immune cells especially that of lymphocytes and monocytes/macrophages regulate the detection of immune system leading to malignancies. We will also be looking into the treatment strategies based on these mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vandana Anang
- International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, India
| | | | - Sarat Kumar Kottarath
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Huston, TX, United States.
| | - Chaitenya Verma
- Department of Pathology, Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States.
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Shembrey C, Foroutan M, Hollande F. A new natural killer cell-specific gene signature predicting recurrence in colorectal cancer patients. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1011247. [PMID: 36685584 PMCID: PMC9853446 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1011247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The protective role of Natural Killer (NK) cell tumour immunosurveillance has long been recognised in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, as most patients show limited intra-tumoral NK cell infiltration, improving our ability to identify those with high NK cell activity might aid in dissecting the molecular features which underlie NK cell sensitivity. Here, a novel CRC-specific NK cell gene signature that infers NK cell load in primary tissue samples was derived and validated in multiple patient CRC cohorts. In contrast with other NK cell gene signatures that have several overlapping genes across different immune cell types, our NK cell signature has been extensively refined to be specific for CRC-infiltrating NK cells. The specificity of the signature is substantiated in tumour-infiltrating NK cells from primary CRC tumours at the single cell level, and the signature includes genes representative of NK cells of different maturation states, activation status and anatomical origin. Our signature also accurately discriminates murine NK cells, demonstrating the applicability of this geneset when mining datasets generated from preclinical studies. Differential gene expression analysis revealed tumour-intrinsic features associated with NK cell inclusion versus exclusion in CRC patients, with those tumours with predicted high NK activity showing strong evidence of enhanced chemotactic and cytotoxic transcriptional programs. Furthermore, survival modelling indicated that NK signature expression is associated with improved survival outcomes in CRC patients. Thus, scoring CRC samples with this refined NK cell signature might aid in identifying patients with high NK cell activity who could be prime candidates for NK cell directed immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn Shembrey
- Department of Clinical Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Momeneh Foroutan
- Department of Clinical Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Frédéric Hollande
- Department of Clinical Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Perry LM, Cruz SM, Kleber KT, Judge SJ, Darrow MA, Jones LB, Basmaci UN, Joshi N, Settles ML, Durbin-Johnson BP, Gingrich AA, Monjazeb AM, Carr-Ascher J, Thorpe SW, Murphy WJ, Eisen JA, Canter RJ. Human soft tissue sarcomas harbor an intratumoral viral microbiome which is linked with natural killer cell infiltrate and prognosis. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:jitc-2021-004285. [PMID: 36599469 PMCID: PMC9815021 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-004285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Groundbreaking studies have linked the gut microbiome with immune homeostasis and antitumor immune responses. Mounting evidence has also demonstrated an intratumoral microbiome, including in soft tissue sarcomas (STS), although detailed characterization of the STS intratumoral microbiome is limited. We sought to characterize the intratumoral microbiome in patients with STS undergoing preoperative radiotherapy and surgery, hypothesizing the presence of a distinct intratumoral microbiome with potentially clinically significant microbial signatures. METHODS We prospectively obtained tumor and stool samples from adult patients with non-metastatic STS using a strict sterile collection protocol to minimize contamination. Metagenomic classification was used to estimate abundance using genus and species taxonomic levels across all classified organisms, and data were analyzed with respect to clinicopathologic factors. RESULTS Fifteen patients were enrolled. Most tumors were located at an extremity (67%) and were histologic grade 3 (87%). 40% were well-differentiated/dedifferentiated liposarcoma histology. With a median follow-up of 24 months, 4 (27%) patients developed metastases, and 3 (20%) died. Despite overwhelming human DNA (>99%) intratumorally, we detected a small but consistent proportion of bacterial DNA (0.02-0.03%) in all tumors, including Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes, as well as viral species. In the tumor microenvironment, we observed a strong positive correlation between viral relative abundance and natural killer (NK) infiltration, and higher NK infiltration was associated with superior metastasis-free and overall survival by immunohistochemical, flow cytometry, and multiplex immunofluorescence analyses. CONCLUSIONS We prospectively demonstrate the presence of a distinct and measurable intratumoral microbiome in patients with STS at multiple time points. Our data suggest that the STS tumor microbiome has prognostic significance with viral relative abundance associated with NK infiltration and oncologic outcome. Additional studies are warranted to further assess the clinical impact of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Perry
- Surgery, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Sylvia M Cruz
- Surgery, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Kara T Kleber
- Surgery, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Sean J Judge
- Surgery, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Morgan A Darrow
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Louis B Jones
- Orthopedics, Baylor Scott & White Health, Dallas, TX, Usa
| | - Ugur N Basmaci
- Surgery, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Nikhil Joshi
- Bioinformatics Core, University of California Davis Genome Center, Davis, California, USA
| | - Matthew L Settles
- Bioinformatics Core, University of California Davis Genome Center, Davis, California, USA
| | | | - Alicia A Gingrich
- Surgery, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Arta Monir Monjazeb
- Radiation Oncology, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Janai Carr-Ascher
- Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Steve W Thorpe
- Orthopedic Surgery, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - William J Murphy
- Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA,Dermatology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Jonathan A Eisen
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Robert J Canter
- Surgery, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
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Ghazvinian Z, Abdolahi S, Tokhanbigli S, Tarzemani S, Piccin A, Reza Zali M, Verdi J, Baghaei K. Contribution of natural killer cells in innate immunity against colorectal cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 12:1077053. [PMID: 36686835 PMCID: PMC9846259 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1077053] [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: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer cells are members of the innate immune system and promote cytotoxic activity against tumor or infected cells independently from MHC recognition. NK cells are modulated by the expression of activator/inhibitory receptors. The ratio of this activator/inhibitory receptors is responsible for the cytotoxic activity of NK cells toward the target cells. Owing to the potent anti-tumor properties of NK cells, they are considered as interesting approach in tumor treatment. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of death in the world and the incidence is about 2 million new cases per year. Metastatic CRC is accompanied by a poor prognosis with less than three years of overall survival. Chemotherapy and surgery are the most adopted treatments. Besides, targeted therapy and immune checkpoint blockade are novel approach to CRC treatment. In these patients, circulating NK cells are a prognostic marker. The main target of CRC immune cell therapy is to improve the tumor cell's recognition and elimination by immune cells. Adaptive NK cell therapy is the milestone to achieve the purpose. Allogeneic NK cell therapy has been widely investigated within clinical trials. In this review, we focus on the NK related approaches including CAR NK cells, cell-based vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and immunomodulatory drugs against CRC tumoral cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeinab Ghazvinian
- Department of Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahrokh Abdolahi
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samaneh Tokhanbigli
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shadi Tarzemani
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Andrea Piccin
- Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service, Belfast, United Kingdom
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Mohammad Reza Zali
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Javad Verdi
- Department of Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kaveh Baghaei
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Iyoda T, Shimizu K, Kawamura M, Shinga J, Watanabe T, Fukunaga K, Mushiroda T, Saka H, Kitagawa C, Shimamatsu SI, Takenoyama M, Suehiro Y, Imai T, Shintani A, Ito S, Fujii SI. Augmenting Granzyme B-Expressing NK Cells by Invariant NKT Ligand-Loaded APCs in Patients with Postoperative Early Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Results of a Randomized Phase II Study. Immunohorizons 2023; 7:1-16. [PMID: 36637516 PMCID: PMC10563390 DOI: 10.4049/immunohorizons.2200091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
NK cells are major effector cells involved in the elimination of early tumors and prevent metastasis. They often have an impaired function in patients with cancer. Preclinical studies have demonstrated NK cell activation as the adjunctive effect of invariant NKT (iNKT) cells. Activation of iNKT cells after administration of the glycolipid ligand α-galactosylceramide, loaded with CD1d-expressing human PBMC-derived APCs (APC/Gal), is an attractive cancer therapy to optimize the use of NK cells. However, the subsets of NK cells that are activated following iNKT cell activation as well as the period of NK cell activation remain unclear. In this study, we report that the granzyme B-expressing NK cell response in postoperative lung cancer patients was enhanced 49 d after administration of APC/Gal in a phase II study. We found maximum IFN-γ production on day 49 in 13 out of 27 APC/Gal-treated patients. On day 49, 14 out of 27 patients (51.9%) had higher IFN-γ production by iNKT cells (>6-fold higher than the baseline level). This increment significantly correlated with granzyme B-expressing NK cells. Although IFN-γ production was lower in patients in the nontreated group, we detected maximum IFN-γ production 12 mo after the resection of lung cancer (9 out of 29 patients [31%]). These findings suggest that elimination of cancer cells leads to increased NK cell function, which can be further enhanced by APC/Gal therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomonori Iyoda
- Laboratory for Immunotherapy, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kanako Shimizu
- Laboratory for Immunotherapy, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- RIKEN Drug Discovery and Medical Technology Platforms, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Masami Kawamura
- Laboratory for Immunotherapy, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Jun Shinga
- Laboratory for Immunotherapy, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Takashi Watanabe
- Laboratory for Integrative Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Koya Fukunaga
- Laboratory for Pharmacogenomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Taisei Mushiroda
- Laboratory for Pharmacogenomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hideo Saka
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya Medical Center, National Hospital Organization, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Chiyoe Kitagawa
- Department of Medical Oncology, Nagoya Medical Center, National Hospital Organization, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Shin-ichiro Shimamatsu
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Kyushu Cancer Center, National Hospital Organization, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Mitsuhiro Takenoyama
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Kyushu Cancer Center, National Hospital Organization, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Youko Suehiro
- Department of Hematology, Kyushu Cancer Center, National Hospital Organization, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takumi Imai
- Department of Medical Statistics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan; and
| | - Ayumi Shintani
- Department of Medical Statistics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan; and
- Department of Clinical Research, Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Suminobu Ito
- Department of Clinical Research, Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shin-ichiro Fujii
- Laboratory for Immunotherapy, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- RIKEN Drug Discovery and Medical Technology Platforms, Yokohama, Japan
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López-Botet M, De Maria A, Muntasell A, Della Chiesa M, Vilches C. Adaptive NK cell response to human cytomegalovirus: Facts and open issues. Semin Immunol 2023; 65:101706. [PMID: 36542944 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2022.101706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection exerts broad effects on the immune system. These include the differentiation and persistent expansion of a mature NK cell subset which displays a characteristic phenotypic and functional profile hallmarked by expression of the HLA-E-specific CD94/NKG2C activating receptor. Based on our experience and recent advances in the field, we overview the adaptive features of the NKG2C+ NK cell response, discussing observations and open questions on: (a) the mechanisms and influence of viral and host factors; (b) the existence of other NKG2C- NK cell subsets sharing adaptive features; (c) the development and role of adaptive NKG2C+ NK cells in the response to HCMV in hematopoietic and solid organ transplant patients; (d) their relation with other viral infections, mainly HIV-1; and (e) current perspectives for their use in adoptive immunotherapy of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel López-Botet
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM). Barcelona, Spain; Department of Medicine and Life Sciences. Univ. Pompeu Fabra. Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Andrea De Maria
- Division of Infectious Diseases, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy; Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Aura Muntasell
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM). Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERonc), Spain; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | | | - Carlos Vilches
- Immunogenetics & Histocompatibility Lab, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Puerta de Hierro - Segovia de Arana, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
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Castellano LRC, Cruz SBSC, Hier M, Bonan PRF, Alaoui-Jamali MA, da Silva SD. Implications and Emerging Therapeutic Avenues of Inflammatory Response in HPV+ Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:5406. [PMID: 36358823 PMCID: PMC9657300 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14215406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are a heterogeneous group of malignancies which have shown exponential incidence in the last two decades especially due to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The HPV family comprises more than 100 types of viruses with HPV16 and HPV18 being the most prevalent strains in HNSCC. Literature data reveal that the mutation profile as well as the response to chemotherapy and radiotherapy are distinct among HPV+ versus HPV-negative tumors. Furthermore, the presence of the virus induces activation of an immune response, in particular the recruitment of specific antiviral T lymphocytes to tumor sites. These T cells when activated produce soluble factors including cytokines and chemokines capable of modifying the local immune tumor microenvironment and impact on tumor response to the treatment. In this comprehensive review we investigated current knowledge on how the presence of an HPV can modify the inflammatory response systemically and within the tumor microenvironment's immunological responses, thereby impacting on disease prognosis and survival. We highlighted the research gaps and emerging approaches necessary to discover novel immunotherapeutic targets for HPV-associated HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lúcio Roberto Cançado Castellano
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery and Lady Davis Institutes for Medical Research of the Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
- Human Immunology Research and Education Group, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Dentistry, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
| | - Sara Brito Silva Costa Cruz
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery and Lady Davis Institutes for Medical Research of the Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
- Human Immunology Research and Education Group, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Dentistry, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
| | - Michael Hier
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery and Lady Davis Institutes for Medical Research of the Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
| | - Paulo Rogério Ferreti Bonan
- Human Immunology Research and Education Group, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Dentistry, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
| | - Moulay A. Alaoui-Jamali
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery and Lady Davis Institutes for Medical Research of the Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
| | - Sabrina Daniela da Silva
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery and Lady Davis Institutes for Medical Research of the Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
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Jedlička M, Feglarová T, Janstová L, Hortová-Kohoutková M, Frič J. Lactate from the tumor microenvironment - A key obstacle in NK cell-based immunotherapies. Front Immunol 2022; 13:932055. [DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.932055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent findings about the new roles of lactate have changed our understanding of this end product of glycolysis or fermentation that was once considered only a waste product. It is now well accepted that lactate acts as a signaling molecule and fuel source for cancer cells in a glucose-restricted environment. Moreover, lactate and lactate dehydrogenase are markers of poor prognosis of many cancers and regulate many functions of immune cells. The presence of lactate in the tumor microenvironment (TME) leads to polarization of the immunosuppressive phenotypes of dendritic cells and impairs the cytotoxic abilities of T cells and NK cells, and as such lactate is a major obstacle to immune-cell effector functions and the efficacy of cell-based immunotherapies. Emerging evidence suggests that lactate in the TME might be a novel therapeutic target to enhance the immunotherapeutic potential of cell-based therapies. This review describes our current understanding of the role of lactate in tumor biology, including its detrimental effects on cell-based immunotherapy in cancer. We also highlight how the role of lactate in the TME must be considered when producing cell therapies designed for adoptive transfer and describe how targeted modulation of lactate in the TME might boost immune-cell functions and positively impact cellular immunotherapy, with a focus on NK cell.
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Grottoli M, Carrega P, Zullo L, Dellepiane C, Rossi G, Parisi F, Barletta G, Zinoli L, Coco S, Alama A, Marconi S, Parodi M, Orecchia P, Bassi S, Vitale M, Mingari MC, Pfeffer U, Genova C, Pietra G. Immune Checkpoint Blockade: A Strategy to Unleash the Potential of Natural Killer Cells in the Anti-Cancer Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14205046. [PMID: 36291830 PMCID: PMC9599824 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14205046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) with antibodies targeting CTLA-4 (Cytotoxic Lymphocyte Antigen 4) and/or programmed death-1 protein (PD-1)/programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) has significantly modified the therapeutic landscape of a broad range of human tumor types, including advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Despite great advances of checkpoint immunotherapies, a minority of NSCLC patients (<20%) respond and/or experience long-term clinical benefits from these treatments. Limited response rates of T cell–based checkpoint immunotherapies suggest the presence of other checkpoints able to inhibit effective anti-tumor immune responses. Natural Killer (NK) cells represent a promising target for tumor immunotherapies, particularly against tumors that escape T-cell-mediated control. Like T cell function, NK cell function is also regulated by inhibitory immune-checkpoint molecules. In this review, we will provide an overview of the rationale, mechanisms of action, and clinical efficacy of these NK cell-based checkpoint therapy approaches. Finally, the future directions and current enhancements planned will be discussed. Abstract Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) immunotherapy has represented a breakthrough in cancer treatment. Clinical use of ICIs has shown an acceptable safety profile and promising antitumor activity. Nevertheless, some patients do not obtain clinical benefits after ICIs therapy. In order to improve and cure an increasing number of patients, the field has moved toward the discovery of new ICIs expressed by cells of innate immunity with an elevated inherent antitumor activity, such as natural killer cells. This review will focus on the recent findings concerning the role of classical and non-classical immune checkpoint molecules and receptors that regulate natural killer cell function, as potential targets, and their future clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melania Grottoli
- UO Immunologia IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Paolo Carrega
- Laboratory of Immunology and Biotherapy, Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy
| | - Lodovica Zullo
- UO Oncologia Medica 2 IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Chiara Dellepiane
- UO Oncologia Medica 2 IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Giovanni Rossi
- UO Oncologia Medica 2 IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Francesca Parisi
- UO Oncologia Medica 2 IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Giulia Barletta
- UO Oncologia Medica 2 IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Linda Zinoli
- DiMI, Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Simona Coco
- UOS Tumori Polmonari IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Angela Alama
- UOS Tumori Polmonari IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Silvia Marconi
- UOS Tumori Polmonari IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Monica Parodi
- UO Immunologia IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Paola Orecchia
- UO Immunologia IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Sara Bassi
- UO Immunologia IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Massimo Vitale
- UO Immunologia IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Mingari
- UO Immunologia IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
- DiMES, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Ulrich Pfeffer
- Laboratory of Tumor Epigenetics IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Carlo Genova
- DiMI, Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy
- UO Clinica di Oncologia Medica IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
- Correspondence: (C.G.); (G.P.)
| | - Gabriella Pietra
- UO Immunologia IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
- DiMES, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy
- Correspondence: (C.G.); (G.P.)
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Adoptive cell therapies in thoracic malignancies. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2022; 71:2077-2098. [PMID: 35129636 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-022-03142-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has gained great interest in thoracic malignancies in the last decade, first in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but also more recently in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). However, while 15-20% of patients will greatly benefit from immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs), a vast majority will rapidly exhibit resistance. Reasons for this are multiple: non-immunogenic tumors, immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment or defects in immune cells trafficking to the tumor sites being some of the most frequent. Current progress in adoptive cell therapies could offer a way to overcome these hurdles and bring effective immune cells to the tumor site. In this review, we discuss advantages, limits and future perspectives of adoptive cell therapy (ACT) in thoracic malignancies from lymphokine-activated killer cells (LAK), cytokine-induced killer cells (CIK), natural killer cells (NK), dendritic cells (DC) vaccines and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) to TCR engineering and CARs. Trials are still in their early phases, and while there may still be many limitations to overcome, a combination of these different approaches with ICBs, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy could vastly improve the way we treat thoracic cancers.
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Zahid KR, Raza U, Tumbath S, Jiang L, Xu W, Huang X. Neutrophils: Musketeers against immunotherapy. Front Oncol 2022; 12:975981. [PMID: 36091114 PMCID: PMC9453237 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.975981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils, the most copious leukocytes in human blood, play a critical role in tumorigenesis, cancer progression, and immune suppression. Recently, neutrophils have attracted the attention of researchers, immunologists, and oncologists because of their potential role in orchestrating immune evasion in human diseases including cancer, which has led to a hot debate redefining the contribution of neutrophils in tumor progression and immunity. To make this debate fruitful, this review seeks to provide a recent update about the contribution of neutrophils in immune suppression and tumor progression. Here, we first described the molecular pathways through which neutrophils aid in cancer progression and orchestrate immune suppression/evasion. Later, we summarized the underlying molecular mechanisms of neutrophil-mediated therapy resistance and highlighted various approaches through which neutrophil antagonism may heighten the efficacy of the immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Finally, we have highlighted several unsolved questions and hope that answering these questions will provide a new avenue toward immunotherapy revolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kashif Rafiq Zahid
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Umar Raza
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Soumya Tumbath
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Lingxiang Jiang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Wenjuan Xu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Xiumei Huang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- *Correspondence: Xiumei Huang,
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Wen Y, Guo G, Yang L, Chen L, Zhao D, He X, Zhang R, Huang Z, Wang G, Zhang L. A tumor microenvironment gene set–Based prognostic signature for non-small-cell lung cancer. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:849108. [PMID: 36032673 PMCID: PMC9400803 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.849108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The tumor microenvironment (TME) is involved in the development and progression of lung carcinomas. A deeper understanding of TME landscape would offer insight into prognostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets investigation. To this end, we aimed to identify the TME components of lung cancer and develop a prognostic signature to predict overall survival (OS).Methods: Expression data was retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and differentially expressed TME-related genes were calculated between tumor and normal tissues. Then nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) clustering was used to identify two distinct subtypes.Results: Our analysis yielded a gene panel consisting of seven TME-related genes as candidate signature set. With this panel, our model showed that the high-risk group experienced a shorter survival time. This model was further validated by an independent cohort with data from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (GSE50081 and GSE13213). Additionally, we integrated the clinical factors and risk score to construct a nomogram for predicting prognosis. Our data suggested less immune cells infiltration but more fibroblasts were found in tumor tissues derived from patients at high-risk and those patients exhibited a worse immunotherapy response.Conclusion: The signature set proposed in this work could be an effective model for estimating OS in lung cancer patients. Hopefully analysis of the TME could have the potential to provide novel diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingsheng Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guangran Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Longjun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lianjuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dechang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaotian He
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rusi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zirui Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Gongming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lanjun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Lanjun Zhang,
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