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Deng EZ, Marino GB, Clarke DJB, Diamant I, Resnick AC, Ma W, Wang P, Ma'ayan A. Multiomics2Targets identifies targets from cancer cohorts profiled with transcriptomics, proteomics, and phosphoproteomics. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2024; 4:100839. [PMID: 39127042 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2024.100839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
The availability of data from profiling of cancer patients with multiomics is rapidly increasing. However, integrative analysis of such data for personalized target identification is not trivial. Multiomics2Targets is a platform that enables users to upload transcriptomics, proteomics, and phosphoproteomics data matrices collected from the same cohort of cancer patients. After uploading the data, Multiomics2Targets produces a report that resembles a research publication. The uploaded matrices are processed, analyzed, and visualized using the tools Enrichr, KEA3, ChEA3, Expression2Kinases, and TargetRanger to identify and prioritize proteins, genes, and transcripts as potential targets. Figures and tables, as well as descriptions of the methods and results, are automatically generated. Reports include an abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusions, and references and are exportable as citable PDFs and Jupyter Notebooks. Multiomics2Targets is applied to analyze version 3 of the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC3) pan-cancer cohort, identifying potential targets for each CPTAC3 cancer subtype. Multiomics2Targets is available from https://multiomics2targets.maayanlab.cloud/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eden Z Deng
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Mount Sinai Center for Bioinformatics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1603, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Giacomo B Marino
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Mount Sinai Center for Bioinformatics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1603, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Daniel J B Clarke
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Mount Sinai Center for Bioinformatics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1603, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ido Diamant
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Mount Sinai Center for Bioinformatics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1603, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Adam C Resnick
- Center for Data Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Division of Neurosurgery, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Weiping Ma
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1498, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Pei Wang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1498, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Avi Ma'ayan
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Mount Sinai Center for Bioinformatics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1603, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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Lu Y, Sun Y, Zhang J, Kong M, Zhao Z, Sun B, Wang Y, Jiang Y, Chen S, Wang C, Tong Y, Wen L, Huang M, Wu F, Zhang L. The deubiquitinase USP2a promotes tumor immunosuppression by stabilizing immune checkpoint B7-H4 in lung adenocarcinoma harboring EGFR-activating mutants. Cancer Lett 2024; 596:217020. [PMID: 38849009 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.217020] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
B7-H4 is an immune checkpoint crucial for inhibiting CD8+ T-cell activity. A clinical trial is underway to investigate B7-H4 as a potential immunotherapeutic agent. However, the regulatory mechanism of B7-H4 degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (UPP) remains poorly understood. In this study, we discovered that proteasome inhibitors effectively increased B7-H4 expression, while EGFR-activating mutants promoted B7-H4 expression through the UPP. We screened B7-H4 binding proteins by co-immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry and found that USP2a acted as a deubiquitinase of B7-H4 by removing K48- and K63-linked ubiquitin chains from B7-H4, leading to a reduction in B7-H4 degradation. EGFR mutants enhanced B7-H4 stability by upregulating USP2a expression. We further investigated the role of USP2a in tumor growth in vivo. Depletion of USP2a in L858R/LLC cells inhibited tumor cell proliferation, consequently suppressing tumor growth in immune-deficient nude mice by destabilizing downstream molecules such as Cyclin D1. In an immune-competent C57BL/6 mouse tumor model, USP2a abrogation facilitated infiltration of CD95+CD8+ effector T cells and hindered infiltration of Tim-3+CD8+ and LAG-3+CD8+ exhausted T cells by destabilizing B7-H4. Clinical lung adenocarcinoma samples showed a significant correlation between B7-H4 abundance and USP2a expression, indicating the contribution of the EGFR/USP2a/B7-H4 axis to tumor immunosuppression. In summary, this study elucidates the dual effects of USP2a in tumor growth by stabilizing Cyclin D1, promoting tumor cell proliferation, and stabilizing B7-H4, contributing to tumor immunosuppression. Therefore, USP2a represents a potential target for tumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youwei Lu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yu Sun
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Miao Kong
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhiming Zhao
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Boshu Sun
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuan Wang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ying Jiang
- Department of Hematology, Shanghai Zhaxin Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Shaomu Chen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chao Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 188 Shizi Street, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yin Tong
- Department of Hematology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Liangzhu Wen
- He Cheng Biotechnology Suzhou Co.Ltd, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Moli Huang
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Biology & Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Fengying Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Liang Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
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Jing ZL, Liu GL, Zhou N, Xu DY, Feng N, Lei Y, Ma LL, Tang MS, Tong GH, Tang N, Deng YJ. Interferon-γ in the tumor microenvironment promotes the expression of B7H4 in colorectal cancer cells, thereby inhibiting cytotoxic T cells. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6053. [PMID: 38480774 PMCID: PMC10937991 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56681-3] [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: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The bioactivity of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in cancer cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is not well understood in the current immunotherapy era. We found that IFN-γ has an immunosuppressive effect on colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. The tumor volume in immunocompetent mice was significantly increased after subcutaneous implantation of murine CRC cells followed by IFN-γ stimulation, and RNA sequencing showed high expression of B7 homologous protein 4 (B7H4) in these tumors. B7H4 promotes CRC cell growth by inhibiting the release of granzyme B (GzmB) from CD8+ T cells and accelerating apoptosis in CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1), which binds to the B7H4 promoter, is positively associated with IFN-γ stimulation-induced expression of B7H4. The clinical outcome of patients with CRC was negatively related to the high expression of B7H4 in cancer cells or low expression of CD8 in the microenvironment. Therefore, B7H4 is a biomarker of poor prognosis in CRC patients, and interference with the IFN-γ/IRF1/B7H4 axis might be a novel immunotherapeutic method to restore the cytotoxic killing of CRC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Liang Jing
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Nan Fang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology, Guangzhou, 510515, China
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524001, China
| | - Guang-Long Liu
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Nan Fang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Na Zhou
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Dong-Yan Xu
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Nan Fang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Na Feng
- Department of Pathology, Dongguan Songshan Lake Tungwah Hospital, Dongguan, 523413, China
| | - Yan Lei
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Nan Fang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Li-Li Ma
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Min-Shan Tang
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Nan Fang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Gui-Hui Tong
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510415, China
| | - Na Tang
- Department of Pathology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, 518020, China.
| | - Yong-Jian Deng
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Nan Fang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
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Dutsch-Wicherek MM, Bączkowska M, Knafel A, Sadowski P, Gałązka K, Lew-Starowicz M. An analysis of placental chorionic villous and decidual basalis tissue immunoreactivity in patients after cesarean section due to a placenta accreta spectrum disorder and elective cesarean section followed by the depressed mood. J Obstet Gynaecol Res 2024; 50:55-64. [PMID: 37909688 DOI: 10.1111/jog.15821] [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: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
An analysis of placental chorionic villous and decidual basalis tissue immunoreactivity in patients after cesarean section due to a placenta accreta spectrum disorder and elective cesarean section followed by a depressed mood. RESEARCH BACKGROUND Over the past few years, interest in investigating immune dysfunction in patients with psychiatric disorders has increased. B7-H4 is a molecule with immunosuppressive properties that seems to play a key role in establishing maternal tolerance against fetal antigens. The aim of this study was to compare the B7-H4 immunoreactivity levels in patients after cesarean section. METHODS Placental and decidual tissue samples were obtained from 49 women who delivered at Bielański Hospital in Warsaw between 2009 and 2015. Fifteen of the patients developed postpartum depression and 14 had a diagnosis of placenta accreta spectrum. The control group consisted of 20 healthy patients on whom cesarean section was performed due to breech presentation at term. RESULTS The highest levels of B7-H4 immunoreactivity were found in the placental chorionic villous and decidual basalis tissue samples of the patients who later developed postpartum depression, while the lowest levels were found in the samples of those patients with a placenta accreta spectrum disorder. The difference between the B7-H4 immunoreactivity levels of these two groups was statistically significant. The B7-H4 expression levels were statistically significantly higher in the women in the postpartum depression group than in the control group. CONCLUSION Postpartum depression follows a disturbance of the suppressive milieu responsible for rebalancing the maternal immune system after the initial cytotoxic activation during labor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Monika Bączkowska
- 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Knafel
- 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Sadowski
- Department of Pathomorphology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Krystyna Gałązka
- Department of Pathomorphology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Michał Lew-Starowicz
- Department of Psychiatry, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland
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Sanuki F, Mikami Y, Nishimura H, Fujita Y, Monobe Y, Nomura T, Taira N, Moriya T. Immunohistological analysis of B7-H4, IDO1, and PD-L1 expression and tumor immune microenvironment based on triple-negative breast cancer subtypes. Breast Cancer 2023; 30:1041-1053. [PMID: 37642903 DOI: 10.1007/s12282-023-01498-7] [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: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND B7 homolog 4 (B7-H4) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1) are factors involved in the inhibition of antitumor activity and are new therapeutic targets for immune checkpoint therapy. Our study aimed to simultaneously investigate the interrelationship among B7-H4, IDO1 and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), including tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and TNBC subtypes. METHODS Immunostaining for PD-L1, B7-H4, and IDO1 was performed on whole-slide sections of 119 cases of TNBC. The TIME was evaluated based on stromal tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs; %), pattern classification of TILs, tumor-stroma ratio (TSR), and tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS). TNBC subtypes were also determined by immunohistochemistry analysis of cytokeratin 5/6 and androgen receptor (AR) expression. RESULTS B7-H4 expression was significantly higher in cases with a combined positive score cutoff of 5 for PD-L1 (clone 28-8; p = 0.021), inflamed TIL pattern (p = 0.007), and TLS ≥ 4 (p = 0.006). B7-H4 expression was higher in case of CK5/6 ≥ 10 (p = 0.035). The H-scores of AR and B7-H4 were inversely correlated (ρ = - 0.509, p < 0.001). B7-H4 and IDO1 expression levels were inversely correlated in cases with AR < 10 (ρ = - 0.354, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that considering the TIL pattern and TLS and identifying the expression of PD-L1 and the basal-like type are useful for estimating B7-H4 expression. In addition, luminal androgen receptor (LAR)-type is frequently deficient in B7-H4 expression. In non-LAR types, B7-H4 and IDO1 expression are exclusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumiaki Sanuki
- Department of Pathology, Kawasaki Medical School, 577 Matsushima, Kurashiki, 701-0192, Japan
| | - Yuka Mikami
- Department of Pathology, Kawasaki Medical School, 577 Matsushima, Kurashiki, 701-0192, Japan
| | - Hirotake Nishimura
- Department of Pathology, Kawasaki Medical School, 577 Matsushima, Kurashiki, 701-0192, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Fujita
- Department of Pathology, Kawasaki Medical School, 577 Matsushima, Kurashiki, 701-0192, Japan
| | - Yasumasa Monobe
- Department of Pathology, Kawasaki Medical School General Medical Center, Okayama, Japan
| | - Tsunehisa Nomura
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan
| | - Naruto Taira
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan
| | - Takuya Moriya
- Department of Pathology, Kawasaki Medical School, 577 Matsushima, Kurashiki, 701-0192, Japan.
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Zhou X, Dong K, Zhang S. Integrating spatial transcriptomics data across different conditions, technologies and developmental stages. NATURE COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE 2023; 3:894-906. [PMID: 38177758 DOI: 10.1038/s43588-023-00528-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
With the rapid generation of spatial transcriptomics (ST) data, integrative analysis of multiple ST datasets from different conditions, technologies and developmental stages is becoming increasingly important. Here we present a graph attention neural network called STAligner for integrating and aligning ST datasets, enabling spatially aware data integration, simultaneous spatial domain identification and downstream comparative analysis. We apply STAligner to ST datasets of the human cortex slices from different samples, the mouse olfactory bulb slices generated by two profiling technologies, the mouse hippocampus tissue slices under normal and Alzheimer's disease conditions, and the spatiotemporal atlases of mouse organogenesis. STAligner efficiently captures the shared tissue structures across different slices, the disease-related substructures and the dynamical changes during mouse embryonic development. In addition, the shared spatial domain and nearest-neighbor pairs identified by STAligner can be further considered as corresponding pairs to guide the three-dimensional reconstruction of consecutive slices, achieving more accurate local structure-guided registration than the existing method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Zhou
- NCMIS, CEMS, RCSDS, Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kangning Dong
- NCMIS, CEMS, RCSDS, Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shihua Zhang
- NCMIS, CEMS, RCSDS, Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China.
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Toader D, Fessler SP, Collins SD, Conlon PR, Bollu R, Catcott KC, Chin CN, Dirksen A, Du B, Duvall JR, Higgins S, Kozytska MV, Bellovoda K, Faircloth C, Lee D, Li F, Qin L, Routhier C, Shaw P, Stevenson CA, Wang J, Wongthida P, Ter-Ovanesyan E, Ditty E, Bradley SP, Xu L, Yin M, Yurkovetskiy AV, Mosher R, Damelin M, Lowinger TB. Discovery and Preclinical Characterization of XMT-1660, an Optimized B7-H4-Targeted Antibody-Drug Conjugate for the Treatment of Cancer. Mol Cancer Ther 2023; 22:999-1012. [PMID: 37294948 PMCID: PMC10477829 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-22-0786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) achieve targeted drug delivery to a tumor and have demonstrated clinical success in many tumor types. The activity and safety profile of an ADC depends on its construction: antibody, payload, linker, and conjugation method, as well as the number of payload drugs per antibody [drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR)]. To allow for ADC optimization for a given target antigen, we developed Dolasynthen (DS), a novel ADC platform based on the payload auristatin hydroxypropylamide, that enables precise DAR-ranging and site-specific conjugation. We used the new platform to optimize an ADC that targets B7-H4 (VTCN1), an immune-suppressive protein that is overexpressed in breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers. XMT-1660 is a site-specific DS DAR 6 ADC that induced complete tumor regressions in xenograft models of breast and ovarian cancer as well as in a syngeneic breast cancer model that is refractory to PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibition. In a panel of 28 breast cancer PDXs, XMT-1660 demonstrated activity that correlated with B7-H4 expression. XMT-1660 has recently entered clinical development in a phase I study (NCT05377996) in patients with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorin Toader
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Shawn P. Fessler
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Scott D. Collins
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Patrick R. Conlon
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Reddy Bollu
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Kalli C. Catcott
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Chen-Ni Chin
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Anouk Dirksen
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Bingfan Du
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Jeremy R. Duvall
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Stacy Higgins
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Mariya V. Kozytska
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Kamela Bellovoda
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Chelsey Faircloth
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - David Lee
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Fu Li
- Pheon Therapeutics, Cambridge MA 02139
| | - Liuliang Qin
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Caitlin Routhier
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Pamela Shaw
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Cheri A. Stevenson
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Jason Wang
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | | | - Elizabeth Ditty
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Stephen P. Bradley
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Ling Xu
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Mao Yin
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Rebecca Mosher
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Marc Damelin
- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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Wang Y, Li M, Wang G, Wu H. Role of B7 family members in glioma: Promising new targets for tumor immunotherapy. Front Oncol 2023; 12:1091383. [PMID: 36741734 PMCID: PMC9890054 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1091383] [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: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioma, is a representative type of intracranial tumor among adults, usually has a weak prognosis and limited treatment options. Traditional therapies, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, have had little impact on patient survival time. Immunotherapies designed to target the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) signaling pathway have successfully treated various human cancers, informing the development of similar therapies for glioma. However, anti-PD-L1 response rates remain limited in glioma patients. Thus, exploring novel checkpoints targeting additional immunomodulatory pathways for activating durable antitumor immune responses and improving glioma outcomes is needed. Researchers have identified other B7 family checkpoint molecules, including PD-L2, B7-H2, B7-H3, B7-H4, and B7-H6. The current review article evaluates the expression of all 10 reported members of the B7 family in human glioma using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) data, as well as summarizes studies evaluating the clinical meanings and functions of B7 family molecules in gliomas. B7 family checkpoints may contribute to different immunotherapeutic management options for glioma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Third People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Mengxi Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Third People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Gang Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Third People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, Henan, China,*Correspondence: Gang Wang, ; Hui Wu,
| | - Hui Wu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China,*Correspondence: Gang Wang, ; Hui Wu,
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9
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Xiao L, Guan X, Xiang M, Wang Q, Long Q, Yue C, Chen L, Liu J, Liao C. B7 family protein glycosylation: Promising novel targets in tumor treatment. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1088560. [PMID: 36561746 PMCID: PMC9763287 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1088560] [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: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy, including the inhibition of immune checkpoints, improves the tumor immune microenvironment and is an effective tool for cancer therapy. More effective and alternative inhibitory targets are critical for successful immune checkpoint blockade therapy. The interaction of the immunomodulatory ligand B7 family with corresponding receptors induces or inhibits T cell responses by sending co-stimulatory and co-inhibitory signals respectively. Blocking the glycosylation of the B7 family members PD-L1, PD-L2, B7-H3, and B7-H4 inhibited the self-stability and receptor binding of these immune checkpoint proteins, leading to immunosuppression and rapid tumor progression. Therefore, regulation of glycosylation may be the "golden key" to relieve tumor immunosuppression. The exploration of a more precise glycosylation regulation mechanism and glycan structure of B7 family proteins is conducive to the discovery and clinical application of antibodies and small molecule inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Xiao
- Department of Orthodontics II, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China,Oral Disease Research Key Laboratory of Guizhou Tertiary Institution, School of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Xiaoyan Guan
- Department of Orthodontics II, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China,Oral Disease Research Key Laboratory of Guizhou Tertiary Institution, School of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Mingli Xiang
- Department of Orthodontics II, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China,Oral Disease Research Key Laboratory of Guizhou Tertiary Institution, School of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Oral Disease Research Key Laboratory of Guizhou Tertiary Institution, School of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Qian Long
- Department of Orthodontics II, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China,Oral Disease Research Key Laboratory of Guizhou Tertiary Institution, School of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Chaoyi Yue
- School of Medicine and Technology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Lulu Chen
- Department of Orthodontics II, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China,Oral Disease Research Key Laboratory of Guizhou Tertiary Institution, School of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Jianguo Liu
- Oral Disease Research Key Laboratory of Guizhou Tertiary Institution, School of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China,*Correspondence: Chengcheng Liao, ; Jianguo Liu,
| | - Chengcheng Liao
- Department of Orthodontics II, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China,Oral Disease Research Key Laboratory of Guizhou Tertiary Institution, School of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China,*Correspondence: Chengcheng Liao, ; Jianguo Liu,
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V-set domain containing T-cell activation inhibitor-1 (VTCN1): A potential target for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Immunobiology 2022; 227:152274. [PMID: 36095871 DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2022.152274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Autoimmunity eventuates when the immune system attacks self-molecules as a result of the breakdown in immune tolerance. Targeting autoimmune diseases via immunomodulation has become an essential strategy in today's era. A B7 superfamily member immune checkpoint, the V-set domain containing T-cell activation inhibitor-1 (VTCN1), also known as B7-H4, B7S1, and B7x, is involved in negatively regulating T-cell activation. VTCN1 transcript has been reported in various lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues, but its protein expression is restricted, indicating its translational regulation. Dysregulation of VTCN1 has resulted in the exacerbation of various autoimmune diseases. Moreover, increased soluble form of VTCN1 in the patient's sera positively correlates with the disease progression and severity. The current review summarizes all the reports till date, unfolding the role of VTCN1 in various autoimmune diseases and its therapeutic potential.
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Hassanian H, Asadzadeh Z, Baghbanzadeh A, Derakhshani A, Dufour A, Rostami Khosroshahi N, Najafi S, Brunetti O, Silvestris N, Baradaran B. The expression pattern of Immune checkpoints after chemo/radiotherapy in the tumor microenvironment. Front Immunol 2022; 13:938063. [PMID: 35967381 PMCID: PMC9367471 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.938063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As a disease with the highest disease-associated burden worldwide, cancer has been the main subject of a considerable proportion of medical research in recent years, intending to find more effective therapeutic approaches with fewer side effects. Combining conventional methods with newer biologically based treatments such as immunotherapy can be a promising approach to treating different tumors. The concept of "cancer immunoediting" that occurs in the field of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is the aspect of cancer therapy that has not been at the center of attention. One group of the role players of the so-called immunoediting process are the immune checkpoint molecules that exert either co-stimulatory or co-inhibitory effects in the anti-tumor immunity of the host. It involves alterations in a wide variety of immunologic pathways. Recent studies have proven that conventional cancer therapies, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or a combination of them, i.e., chemoradiotherapy, alter the "immune compartment" of the TME. The mentioned changes encompass a wide range of variations, including the changes in the density and immunologic type of the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and the alterations in the expression patterns of the different immune checkpoints. These rearrangements can have either anti-tumor immunity empowering or immune attenuating sequels. Thus, recognizing the consequences of various chemo(radio)therapeutic regimens in the TME seems to be of great significance in the evolution of therapeutic approaches. Therefore, the present review intends to summarize how chemo(radio)therapy affects the TME and specifically some of the most important, well-known immune checkpoints' expressions according to the recent studies in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamidreza Hassanian
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Zahra Asadzadeh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Amir Baghbanzadeh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Afshin Derakhshani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- McCaig Insitute, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, and Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Antoine Dufour
- McCaig Insitute, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, and Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - Souzan Najafi
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Oronzo Brunetti
- Medical Oncology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Tumori Giovanni Paolo II, Bari, Italy
| | - Nicola Silvestris
- Medical Oncology Unit, Department of Human Pathology “G. Barresi” University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Behzad Baradaran
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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12
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Zhang Q, Zong L, Zhang H, Xie W, Yang F, Sun W, Cui B, Zhang Y. B7-H4 Expression in Precancerous Lesions of the Uterine Cervix. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 2021:5857092. [PMID: 34651047 PMCID: PMC8510792 DOI: 10.1155/2021/5857092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Over 10% of patients diagnosed with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) have no lesions detected in their cervical conization specimens. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors related to the absence of such lesions. We particularly sought to investigate whether the expression of B7-H4 in precancerous lesions and cancer of the uterine cervix plays a role in the presence or absence of residual lesions in conization specimens and whether this protein is associated with T cells (i.e., Foxp3+ regulatory T cells, CD4+, and CD8+) and interferon-γ production. Of the 807 patients with CIN treated by conization, 104 (12.9%) had no lesions in their conization specimens. Seventy-five of these patients were deemed the study group and were matched with 75 patients who did have CIN detected in their conization specimens (the control group). Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining were used to detect B7-H4, Foxp3, CD4, CD8, and interferon-γ in the 75 pairs of specimens obtained via biopsy; 20 samples were found to have chronic cervicitis, and another 20 had squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. Menopause, the absence of human papillomavirus, low-grade histological findings, and a diagnosis of CIN1 and CIN2 on biopsy correlated with a low probability of lesions on conization specimens. B7-H4 expression was detected in 11.1% of CIN2, 46.6% of CIN3, and 70% of cervical cancer samples, but not in tissues representing chronic cervicitis or CIN1. B7-H4 expression was associated with the presence of lesions on conization specimens, increased regulatory T cells, decreased CD8+ T cells, and lower interferon-γ production. These data suggest that close follow-up and thorough reevaluation should be considered for patients diagnosed with CIN2 who are negative for B7-H4 expression on biopsy before proceeding with cervical conization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianqian Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, China
| | - Liju Zong
- Department of Pathology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, China
| | - Wei Xie
- Department of Emergency, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of Pathology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, China
| | - Wenwen Sun
- Department of Pathology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, China
| | - Baoxia Cui
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, China
| | - Youzhong Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, China
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Bolandi N, Derakhshani A, Hemmat N, Baghbanzadeh A, Asadzadeh Z, Afrashteh Nour M, Brunetti O, Bernardini R, Silvestris N, Baradaran B. The Positive and Negative Immunoregulatory Role of B7 Family: Promising Novel Targets in Gastric Cancer Treatment. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910719. [PMID: 34639059 PMCID: PMC8509619 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC), with a heterogeneous nature, is the third leading cause of death worldwide. Over the past few decades, stable reductions in the incidence of GC have been observed. However, due to the poor response to common treatments and late diagnosis, this cancer is still considered one of the lethal cancers. Emerging methods such as immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the landscape of treatment for GC patients. There are presently eleven known members of the B7 family as immune checkpoint molecules: B7-1 (CD80), B7-2 (CD86), B7-H1 (PD-L1, CD274), B7-DC (PDCD1LG2, PD-L2, CD273), B7-H2 (B7RP1, ICOS-L, CD275), B7-H3 (CD276), B7-H4 (B7x, B7S1, Vtcn1), B7-H5 (VISTA, Gi24, DD1α, Dies1 SISP1), B7-H6 (NCR3LG1), B7-H7 (HHLA2), and Ig-like domain-containing receptor 2 (ILDR2). Interaction of the B7 family of immune-regulatory ligands with the corresponding receptors resulted in the induction and inhibition of T cell responses by sending co-stimulatory and co-inhibitory signals, respectively. Manipulation of the signals provided by the B7 family has significant potential in the management of GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Bolandi
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 516615731, Iran; (N.B.); (A.D.); (N.H.); (A.B.); (Z.A.); (M.A.N.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia 571478334, Iran
| | - Afshin Derakhshani
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 516615731, Iran; (N.B.); (A.D.); (N.H.); (A.B.); (Z.A.); (M.A.N.)
- Laboratory of Experimental Pharmacology, IRCCS Istituto Tumori Giovanni Paolo II, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Nima Hemmat
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 516615731, Iran; (N.B.); (A.D.); (N.H.); (A.B.); (Z.A.); (M.A.N.)
| | - Amir Baghbanzadeh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 516615731, Iran; (N.B.); (A.D.); (N.H.); (A.B.); (Z.A.); (M.A.N.)
| | - Zahra Asadzadeh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 516615731, Iran; (N.B.); (A.D.); (N.H.); (A.B.); (Z.A.); (M.A.N.)
| | - Mina Afrashteh Nour
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 516615731, Iran; (N.B.); (A.D.); (N.H.); (A.B.); (Z.A.); (M.A.N.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia 571478334, Iran
| | - Oronzo Brunetti
- Medical Oncology Unit—IRCCS Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II” of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy;
| | - Renato Bernardini
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Via S. Sofia 97, 95100 Catania, Italy;
| | - Nicola Silvestris
- Medical Oncology Unit—IRCCS Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II” of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy;
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology (DIMO), University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Correspondence: (N.S.); (B.B.); Tel.: +98-413-3371440 (B.B.); Fax: +98-413-3371311 (B.B.)
| | - Behzad Baradaran
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 516615731, Iran; (N.B.); (A.D.); (N.H.); (A.B.); (Z.A.); (M.A.N.)
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 516615731, Iran
- Pharmaceutical Analysis Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 516615731, Iran
- Correspondence: (N.S.); (B.B.); Tel.: +98-413-3371440 (B.B.); Fax: +98-413-3371311 (B.B.)
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Ahmad A. Epigenetic regulation of immunosuppressive tumor-associated macrophages through dysregulated microRNAs. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 124:26-33. [PMID: 34556420 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Macrophages are immune cells that play different roles under different physiological conditions. They are present in all tissues where they primarily protect from bacteria and pathogens in addition to assisting in tissue repair. During tumor progression, macrophages can exert contrasting effects based on the M1 vs. M2 polarization. The M2 macrophages support tumor growth through mechanisms that help suppress immune responses and/or circumvent immune-surveillance. A number of such mechanisms such as production of IL-10 and arginase, and expression of PD-L1, V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation and B7 family molecule B7-H4 are now believed central to the immunosuppressive effects of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Emerging data has identified epigenetic regulation of these immunosuppressive mechanisms by small non-coding RNAs, the microRNAs (miRNAs). This review discusses the available literature on the subject, including the exosomes mediated transfer of miRNAs between cancer cells and the macrophages within the tumor microenvironment. A number of miRNAs are now believed to be involved in TAMs' production of IL-10 and expression of PD-L1 while the information on such regulation of other immunosuppressive mechanisms is slowly emerging. A better understanding of epigenetic regulation of macrophages-mediated immunosuppressive effect can help identify novel targets for therapy and aid the design of future studies aimed at sensitizing tumors to immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aamir Ahmad
- Interim Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
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Miao G, Sun X. Development of a novel anti-B7-H4 antibody enhances anti-tumor immune response of human T cells. Biomed Pharmacother 2021; 141:111913. [PMID: 34328096 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND B7-H4 is a member of the B7 superfamily that is expressed on the surface of tumors and exhibits limited expression on normal tissue. B7-H4 negatively regulates tumor immunity by interacting with the B7-H4 receptor, which is expressed by activated CD8 + T cells. Hence, we sought to generate an immunomodulatory antibody that targets B7-H4 and blocks the immunosuppressive activity of B7-H4. METHODS Anti-B7-H4 antibodies were generated using the hybridoma technique and screened by a binding assay based on B7-H4-expressing tumor cells. The B7-H4 antagonistic antibodies were further screened based on their checkpoint blockade activity using a SEB-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) assay, which comprised B7-H4-expressing antigen presenting cells (APCs) and activated T cells. To assess the immunomodulatory activity of anti-B7-H4 antibodies, activated human CD8+ T cells were cultured in B7-H4 protein-coated plates, and the production of IL-2 and the proliferation rate of CD8+ T cells were measured. In addition, we evaluated the ADCC effect of anti-B7-H4 antibodies against tumor cell lines. The in vivo antitumor efficacy of the anti-B7-H4 antibody was also evaluated in human T cell-engrafted NOG mice. RESULTS A panel of anti-B7-H4 antibodies was generated. The top 23 antibodies were screened to identify antibodies that disabled B7-H4-mediated inhibition. Antibody 17 exhibited the greatest induction of the production of IL-2 and IFN-gamma in SEB-stimulated PBMCs. Antibody 17 was constructed as a chimeric antibody (CH17) with a human IgG1 constant domain. CH17 showed high affinity for human B7-H4 and fully cross-reacted with cynomolgus B7-H4. Additionally, CH17 mediated potent antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC) against different B7-H4-positive tumor cell lines. More importantly, CH17 relieved B7-H4-mediated T cell suppression by enhancing IL2 production and promoting T cell proliferation. In an MDA-MB-468-bearing mouse model in which human pan-T cells were engrafted, CH17 delayed tumor growth by engaging T cells and exerted a synergistic effect in combination with an anti-human PD-1 antibody. CONCLUSIONS We successfully generated an immunomodulatory antibody targeting B7-H4 that possesses both T cell immune checkpoint inhibitory activity and ADCC activity in B7-H4-positive tumors. B7-H4-targeting antibodies might represent a promising immunotherapy for B7-H4-expressing tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guojuan Miao
- Department of pharmacy, The First People's Hospital of Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou 311200, China
| | - Xiuhong Sun
- Department of pharmacy, The First People's Hospital of Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou 311200, China.
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16
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Feng Y, Yang Z, Zhang C, Che N, Liu X, Xuan Y. B7-H4 induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition and promotes colorectal cancer stemness. Pathol Res Pract 2021; 218:153323. [PMID: 33429327 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2020.153323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
B7-H4 is a unique negative regulator of T cells that is typically significantly overexpressed in various carcinomas and is associated with poor prognosis. However, the effects of B7-H4 expression on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stemness of colorectal cancer (CRC) are not entirely clear. In the present study, we used tissue samples from 98 patients with CRC and CRC cell lines to determine the clinicopathological significance of B7-H4 in CRC and its effects on CRC stemness. We performed immunohistochemical staining; immunofluorescence imaging; western blotting; and tumor sphere formation, wound healing, transwell migration, and in vivo tumorigenesis assays. B7-H4 expression was upregulated in CRC tissues and was associated with lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, clinical stage, a shorter overall survival rate, and disease-free survival rate. Cox regression analyses indicated that B7-H4 is an independent poor prognostic factor for CRC. In addition, B7-H4 expression was correlated with the expression of EMT-related proteins and cancer stemness-related proteins. Moreover, immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence analyses revealed that B7-H4 was correlated with CD133 and CD44 expression levels in both CRC tissues and HT29 and HCT116 cell lines. Conversely, B7-H4 knockdown downregulated the expression of EMT- and cancer stemness-related proteins, while inhibiting tumor spheroid formation, cell migration, and invasion of CRC cell lines. These results indicate that B7-H4 can promote EMT and may be a novel stem cell marker, suggesting its potential as a prognostic biomarker for CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Feng
- Department of Pathology, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, China; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, China
| | - Zhaoting Yang
- Department of Pathology, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, China; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, China
| | - Chengye Zhang
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, China
| | - Nan Che
- Department of Pathology, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, China; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, China
| | - Xingzhe Liu
- Department of Pathology, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, China; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, China
| | - Yanhua Xuan
- Department of Pathology, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, China; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, China.
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Yang S, Kam WR, Liu Y, Ding J, Li Y, Sullivan DA. Comparative influence of differentiation and proliferation on gene expression in human meibomian gland epithelial cells. Exp Eye Res 2021; 205:108452. [PMID: 33493473 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
We recently discovered that by changing environmental signals, differentiated immortalized human meibomian gland epithelial cells (IHMGECs) de-differentiate into proliferating cells. We also discovered that following exposure to appropriate stimuli, these proliferative cells re-differentiate into differentiated IHMGECs. We hypothesize that this plasticity of differentiated and proliferative IHMGECs is paralleled by very significant alterations in cellular gene expression. To begin to test this hypothesis, we compared the gene expression patterns of IHMGECs during differentiation and proliferation. IHMGECs were cultured for four days in either differentiating or proliferating media. After four days of culture, cells were processed for the analysis of gene expression by using Illumina BeadChips and bioinformatic software. Our study identified significant differences in the expression of more than 9200 genes in differentiated and proliferative IHMGECs. Differentiation was associated with significant increases in the expression of specific genes (e.g. S100 calcium binding protein P; 7,194,386-fold upregulation) and numerous ontologies (e.g. 83 biological process [bp] ontologies with ≥100 genes were upregulated), such as those related to development, transport and lysosomes. Proliferation also led to a significant rise in specific gene expressions (e.g. cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide; 859,100-fold upregulation) and many ontologies (115 biological process [bp] ontologies with ≥100 genes were upregulated), with most of the highly significant ontologies related to cell cycle (z scores > 13.9). Our findings demonstrate that gene expression in differentiated and proliferative IHMGECs is extremely different. These results may have significant implications for the regeneration of HMGECs and the reversal of MG dropout in MG dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China; Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, And Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Wendy R Kam
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, And Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, And Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Juan Ding
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, And Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, UMass Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
| | - David A Sullivan
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, And Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Sharbatoghli M, Vafaei S, Aboulkheyr Es H, Asadi-Lari M, Totonchi M, Madjd Z. Prediction of the treatment response in ovarian cancer: a ctDNA approach. J Ovarian Res 2020; 13:124. [PMID: 33076944 PMCID: PMC7574472 DOI: 10.1186/s13048-020-00729-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the eighth most commonly occurring cancer in women. Clinically, the limitation of conventional screening and monitoring approaches inhibits high throughput analysis of the tumor molecular markers toward prediction of treatment response. Recently, analysis of liquid biopsies including circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) open new way toward cancer diagnosis and treatment in a personalized manner in various types of solid tumors. In the case of ovarian carcinoma, growing pre-clinical and clinical studies underscored promising application of ctDNA in diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of treatment response. In this review, we accumulate and highlight recent molecular findings of ctDNA analysis and its associations with treatment response and patient outcome. Additionally, we discussed the potential application of ctDNA in the personalized treatment of ovarian carcinoma. ctDNA-monitoring usage during the ovarian cancer treatments procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Sharbatoghli
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Somayeh Vafaei
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Mohsen Asadi-Lari
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Totonchi
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Zahra Madjd
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Song X, Zhou Z, Li H, Xue Y, Lu X, Bahar I, Kepp O, Hung MC, Kroemer G, Wan Y. Pharmacologic Suppression of B7-H4 Glycosylation Restores Antitumor Immunity in Immune-Cold Breast Cancers. Cancer Discov 2020; 10:1872-1893. [PMID: 32938586 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-20-0402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Despite widespread utilization of immunotherapy, treating immune-cold tumors has proved to be a challenge. Here, we report that expression of the immune checkpoint molecule B7-H4 is prevalent among immune-cold triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC), where its expression inversely correlates with that of PD-L1. Glycosylation of B7-H4 interferes with its interaction/ubiquitination by AMFR, resulting in B7-H4 stabilization. B7-H4 expression inhibits doxorubicin-induced cell death through the suppression of eIF2α phosphorylation required for calreticulin exposure vis-à-vis the cancer cells. NGI-1, which inhibits B7-H4 glycosylation causing its ubiquitination and subsequent degradation, improves the immunogenic properties of cancer cells treated with doxorubicin, enhancing their phagocytosis by dendritic cells and their capacity to elicit CD8+ IFNγ-producing T-cell responses. In preclinical models of TNBC, a triple combination of NGI-1, camsirubicin (a noncardiotoxic doxorubicin analogue) and PD-L1 blockade was effective in reducing tumor growth. Collectively, our findings uncover a strategy for targeting the immunosuppressive molecule B7-H4. SIGNIFICANCE: This work unravels the regulation of B7-H4 stability by ubiquitination and glycosylation, which affects tumor immunogenicity, particularly regarding immune-cold breast cancers. The inhibition of B7-H4 glycosylation can be favorably combined with immunogenic chemotherapy and PD-L1 blockade to achieve superior immuno-infiltration of cold tumors, as well as improved tumor growth control.See related commentary by Pearce and Läubli, p. 1789.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1775.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Song
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Pharmacology, the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chemistry of Life Process Institute, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Zhuan Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Pharmacology, the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chemistry of Life Process Institute, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Hongchun Li
- Research Center for Computer-Aided Drug Discovery, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Yifan Xue
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Xinghua Lu
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Ivet Bahar
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Oliver Kepp
- Equipe labellisée par la Ligue contre le Cancer, Université de Paris, Sorbonne Université, Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Institut Gustave Roussy, Paris, France
| | - Mien-Chie Hung
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Research Center for Cancer Biology and Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University, Taiwan
| | - Guido Kroemer
- Equipe labellisée par la Ligue contre le Cancer, Université de Paris, Sorbonne Université, Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Institut Gustave Roussy, Paris, France.,Pôle de Biologie, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, France.,Suzhou Institute for Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yong Wan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Pharmacology, the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chemistry of Life Process Institute, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
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20
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Podojil JR, Ifergan I, Chiang MY, Meeks JJ, Miller SD. Methodology for in vitro Assessment of Human T Cell Activation and Blockade. Bio Protoc 2020; 10:e3644. [PMID: 33659314 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.3644] [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: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Methods to test both the functionality and mechanism of action for human recombinant proteins and antibodies in vitro have been limited by multiple factors. To test the functionality of a recombinant protein or antibody, the receptor, the receptor-associated ligand, or both must be expressed by the cells present within the in vitro culture. While the use of transfected cell lines can circumvent this gap, the use of transfected cell lines does not allow for studying the native signaling pathway(s) modulated by the specific recombinant protein or antibody in primary cells. The present protocol utilizes sort purified CD14+ monocytes and T cells, both CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells, from healthy donors in a co-culture system. This methodology is particularly relevant for testing recombinant proteins or antibodies that are putative therapeutics for the treatment of autoimmune disease and cancer. While the current protocol focuses on co-cultures containing B7-H4 expressing monocytes plus either autologous CD4+ T cells or CD8+ T cells, the protocol can be modified for the user's specific needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R Podojil
- Dept. of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Igal Ifergan
- Dept. of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ming-Yi Chiang
- Dept. of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Joshua J Meeks
- Department of Urology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.,Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Stephen D Miller
- Dept. of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.,Interdepartmental Immunobiology Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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21
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Yousefi M, Dehghani S, Nosrati R, Ghanei M, Salmaninejad A, Rajaie S, Hasanzadeh M, Pasdar A. Current insights into the metastasis of epithelial ovarian cancer - hopes and hurdles. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2020; 43:515-538. [PMID: 32418122 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-020-00513-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality in women worldwide. Despite various attempts to improve the diagnosis and therapy of ovarian cancer patients, the survival rate for these patients is still dismal, mainly because most of them are diagnosed at a late stage. Up to 90% of ovarian cancers arise from neoplastic transformation of ovarian surface epithelial cells, and are usually referred to as epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Unlike most human cancers, which are disseminated through blood-borne metastatic routes, EOC has traditionally been thought to be disseminated through direct migration of ovarian tumor cells to the peritoneal cavity and omentum via peritoneal fluid. It has recently been shown, however, that EOC can also be disseminated through blood-borne metastatic routes, challenging previous thoughts about ovarian cancer metastasis. CONCLUSIONS Here, we review our current understanding of the most updated cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying EOC metastasis and discuss in more detail two main metastatic routes of EOC, i.e., transcoelomic metastasis and hematogenous metastasis. The emerging concept of blood-borne EOC metastasis has led to exploration of the significance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as novel and non-invasive prognostic markers in this daunting cancer. We also evaluate the role of tumor stroma, including cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs), tumor associated macrophages (TAMs), endothelial cells, adipocytes, dendritic cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) components in EOC growth and metastasis. Lastly, we discuss therapeutic approaches for targeting EOC. Unraveling the mechanisms underlying EOC metastasis will open up avenues to the design of new therapeutic options. For instance, understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the hematogenous metastasis of EOC, the biology of CTCs, and the detailed mechanisms through which EOC cells take advantage of stromal cells may help to find new opportunities for targeting EOC metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meysam Yousefi
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Sadegh Dehghani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Nanotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Rahim Nosrati
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.,Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mahmoud Ghanei
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Arash Salmaninejad
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Halal Research Center of IRI, FDA, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sara Rajaie
- Department of Biology, Islamic Azad University, Arsanjan Branch, Arsanjan, Iran
| | - Malihe Hasanzadeh
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Alireza Pasdar
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. .,Bioinformatics Research Group, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. .,Division of Applied Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, UK.
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22
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B7-H4 is Inversely Correlated With T-Cell Infiltration in Clear Cell but Not Serous or Endometrioid Ovarian Cancer. Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol 2020; 27:515-522. [PMID: 29189263 DOI: 10.1097/pai.0000000000000608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
B7-H4, a tumor-associated cell surface protein, is expressed in endometrioid (EM), serous (SE), and clear cell (CC) ovarian carcinomas. Prior in vitro studies from other groups indicated that elevated B7-H4 expression by tumor cells blocks T-cell activation; therefore, it had been postulated to play a role in shielding cancer cells from immune surveillance and averting apoptotic programs. To test the validity of these hypotheses, the present study was designed to compare the immunohistochemical staining intensity of B7-H4 in tumor cells of ovarian cancers with the number of tumor-infiltrating T cells and macrophages and with the levels of caspase-3 staining in apoptotic debris. Serial tissue sections from EM, SE, and CC carcinomas were analyzed across representative cross-sections of tumor resection specimens, demonstrating different levels of B7-H4 expression, highest in CC cancers. B7-H4 staining in CC tissue sections was significantly correlated with the number of CD3, CD4, and CD8 tumor-infiltrating T cells and with the number of CD14 tumor-infiltrating macrophages, but was not significantly related to caspase-3 staining. These results support the concept that high levels of B7-H4 expression are inversely correlated with tumor T-cell infiltration and with CD14-labeled macrophages but not caspase-3 expression in CC carcinomas. We did not, however, find clear evidence of a relationship between the lower levels of B7-H4 seen in EM and SE carcinomas and T cell or macrophage infiltration. Thus, high levels of B7-H4, as seen in CC carcinomas, is associated with decreased tumor infiltration by T cells and macrophages but the lower levels of expression, as observed in EM and SE carcinomas, appear less likely to play an effective role in protection from immune surveillance. Furthermore, we found no evidence of a correlation between B7-H4 expression and apoptosis. These findings highlight the importance of further investigation of B7-H4 as an immunomodulatory protein, to support the development of novel therapeutic interventions for improved efficacy of treatments for CC carcinoma.
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23
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Podojil JR, Glaser AP, Baker D, Courtois ET, Fantini D, Yu Y, Eaton V, Sivajothi S, Chiang M, Das A, McLaughlin KA, Robson P, Miller SD, Meeks JJ. Antibody targeting of B7-H4 enhances the immune response in urothelial carcinoma. Oncoimmunology 2020; 9:1744897. [PMID: 32363111 PMCID: PMC7185218 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2020.1744897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with locally advanced and metastatic urothelial carcinoma have a low survival rate (median 15.7 months, 13.1-17.8), with only a 23% response rate to monotherapy treatment with anti-PDL1 checkpoint immunotherapy. To identify new therapeutic targets, we profiled the immune regulatory signatures during murine cancer development using the BBN carcinogen and identified an increase in the expression of the T cell inhibitory protein B7-H4 (VTCN1, B7S1, B7X). B7-H4 expression temporally correlated with decreased lymphocyte infiltration. While the increase in B7-H4 expression within the bladder by CD11b+ monocytes is shared with human cancers, B7-H4 expression has not been previously identified in other murine cancer models. Higher expression of B7-H4 was associated with worse survival in muscle-invasive bladder cancer in humans, and increased B7-H4 expression was identified in luminal and luminal-papillary subtypes of bladder cancer. Evaluation of B7-H4 by single-cell RNA-Seq and immune mass cytometry of human bladder tumors found that B7-H4 is expressed in both the epithelium of urothelial carcinoma and CD68+ macrophages within the tumor. To investigate the function of B7-H4, treatment of human monocyte and T cell co-cultures with a B7-H4 blocking antibody resulted in enhanced IFN-γ secretion by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Additionally, anti-B7-H4 antibody treatment of BBN-carcinogen bladder cancers resulted in decreased tumor size, increased CD8+ T cell infiltration within the bladder, and a complimentary decrease in tumor-infiltrating T regulatory cells (Tregs). Furthermore, treatment with a combination of anti-PD-1 and anti-B7-H4 antibodies resulted in a significant reduction in tumor stage, a reduction in tumor size, and an increased level of tumor necrosis. These findings suggest that antibodies targeting B7-H4 may be a viable strategy for bladder cancers unresponsive to PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R. Podojil
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Alexander P. Glaser
- Department of Urology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Dylan Baker
- Single Cell Biology Laboratory, The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Elise T. Courtois
- Single Cell Biology Laboratory, The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Damiano Fantini
- Department of Urology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yanni Yu
- Department of Urology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Valerie Eaton
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Santhosh Sivajothi
- Single Cell Biology Laboratory, The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Mingyi Chiang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Arighno Das
- Department of Urology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kimberly A. McLaughlin
- Department of Urology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Paul Robson
- Single Cell Biology Laboratory, The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Stephen D. Miller
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Joshua J. Meeks
- Department of Urology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
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24
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Rees JS, Cheung LCC, Hamaia SW, Davies G, Sandercock A, Lilley KS, Tigue N, Jackson AP. Identification of the cis‑molecular neighbours of the immune checkpoint protein B7‑H4 in the breast cancer cell‑line SK‑BR‑3 by proteomic proximity labelling. Int J Oncol 2020; 57:87-99. [PMID: 32319587 PMCID: PMC7252456 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2020.5037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune checkpoint protein B7-H4 plays an important role in the positive as well as the negative regulation of immune T-cell responses. When expressed on cancer cells, B7-H4 inhibits T-cell activity, and numerous types of cancer cells use upregulation of B7-H4 as a survival strategy. Thus, B7-H4 is a potential target for anticancer drug therapy. Unfortunately, the cell biology of this molecule has yet to be fully elucidated. Even basic properties, such as the nature of B7-H4 interactors, are controversial. In particular, the cis-inter-actors of B7-H4 on cancer cell plasma membranes have not been investigated to date. The present study used a proteomic proximity-labelling assay to investigate the molecular neighbours of B7-H4 on the surface of the human breast cancer cells SK-BR-3. By comparison to a comprehensive proteome analysis of SK-BR-3 cells, the proximity method detected a relatively small number of low abundance plasma membrane proteins highly enriched for proteins known to modulate cell adhesion and immune recognition. It may be inferred that these molecules contribute to the immunosuppressive behaviour that is characteristic of B7-H4 on cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna S Rees
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom
| | - Lawrence C C Cheung
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom
| | - Samir W Hamaia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom
| | - Gareth Davies
- Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, CB21 6GP, United Kingdom
| | - Alan Sandercock
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, CB21 6GP, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn S Lilley
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom
| | - Natalie Tigue
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, CB21 6GP, United Kingdom
| | - Antony P Jackson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom
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25
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Zhou L, Ruan M, Liu Y, Zhu Y, Fu D, Wu K, Zhang Q. B7H4 expression in tumor cells impairs CD8 T cell responses and tumor immunity. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2020; 69:163-174. [PMID: 31848656 PMCID: PMC7000514 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-019-02451-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
B7 homolog 4 (B7H4) is considered a negative regulator of immune responses, but the immunoregulatory role of B7H4 in the tumor microenvironment is not clear. Here, we assessed B7H4 expression cell types in human breast cancer tissues and addressed its potential mechanisms in the CD8 T cell immune response. The results from flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry demonstrated that B7H4 was highly expressed in 26 out of 30 (86.7%) breast invasive ductal carcinomas, and B7H4 surface expression on tumor cells was inversely correlated with CD8 T lymphocytes infiltration (p < 0.0001). In vivo, B7H4-overexpressing tumor cells showed enhanced tumor growth in immunocompetent mice with impaired CD8 T cell infiltration of the tumor. Further investigation showed that activation and expansion of CD8 T cells within the lymph nodes were suppressed in B7H4-overexpessing tumor-bearing mice. An in vitro killing assay showed that the cytotoxicity of CD8 T cells was inhibited in B7H4-overexpressing tumor cells. These findings suggest that B7H4 in tumor cells is a negative regulator of CD8 T cell activation, expansion and cytotoxicity, indicating that tumor cell-associated B7H4 might be a target for T cell-based cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Zhou
- Institute of Immunotherapy, Fujian Medical University, No. 1 Xuefu North Road, Shangjie Town, Minhou County, Fuzhou, 350122, China
| | - Mei Ruan
- Institute of Immunotherapy, Fujian Medical University, No. 1 Xuefu North Road, Shangjie Town, Minhou County, Fuzhou, 350122, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Institute of Immunotherapy, Fujian Medical University, No. 1 Xuefu North Road, Shangjie Town, Minhou County, Fuzhou, 350122, China
| | - Yanyang Zhu
- Institute of Immunotherapy, Fujian Medical University, No. 1 Xuefu North Road, Shangjie Town, Minhou County, Fuzhou, 350122, China
| | - Deqiang Fu
- Institute of Immunotherapy, Fujian Medical University, No. 1 Xuefu North Road, Shangjie Town, Minhou County, Fuzhou, 350122, China
| | - Kunlin Wu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chating Middle Road, Fuzhou, 350005, China
| | - Qiuyu Zhang
- The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
- Institute of Immunotherapy, Fujian Medical University, No. 1 Xuefu North Road, Shangjie Town, Minhou County, Fuzhou, 350122, China.
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26
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Zhang Y, Zheng J. Functions of Immune Checkpoint Molecules Beyond Immune Evasion. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1248:201-226. [PMID: 32185712 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-3266-5_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint molecules, including inhibitory and stimulatory immune checkpoint molecules, are defined as ligand-receptor pairs that exert inhibitory or stimulatory effects on immune responses. Most of the immune checkpoint molecules that have been described so far are expressed on cells of the adaptive immune system, particularly on T cells, and of the innate immune system. They are crucial for maintaining the self-tolerance and modulating the length and magnitude of immune responses of effectors in different tissues to minimize the tissue damage. More and more evidences have shown that inhibitory or stimulatory immune checkpoint molecules are expressed on a sizeable fraction of tumor types. Although the main function of tumor cell-associated immune checkpoint molecules is considered to mediate the immune evasion, it has been reported that the immune checkpoint molecules expressed on tumor cells also play important roles in the maintenance of many malignant behaviors, including self-renewal, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, metastasis, drug resistance, anti-apoptosis, angiogenesis, or enhanced energy metabolisms. In this section, we mainly focus on delineating the roles of the tumor cell-associated immune checkpoint molecules beyond immune evasion, such as PD-L1, PD-1, B7-H3, B7-H4, LILRB1, LILRB2, TIM3, CD47, CD137, and CD70.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaping Zhang
- Hongqiao International Institute of Medicine, Shanghai Tongren Hospital, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Faculty of Basic Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Junke Zheng
- Hongqiao International Institute of Medicine, Shanghai Tongren Hospital, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Faculty of Basic Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
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27
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Wang JY, Wang WP. B7-H4, a promising target for immunotherapy. Cell Immunol 2019; 347:104008. [PMID: 31733822 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2019.104008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The coinhibitory molecule B7-H4, an important member of the B7 family, is abnormally expressed in tumors, inflammation and autoimmune diseases. B7-H4 negatively regulates T cell immune response and promotes immune escape by inhibiting the proliferation, cytokine secretion, and cell cycle of T cells. Moreover, B7-H4 plays an extremely important role in tumorigenesis and tumor development including cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis, anti-apoptosis, etc. In addition, B7-H4 has the other biological functions, such as protection against type 1 diabetes (T1D) and islet cell transplantation. Therefore, B7-H4 has been identified as a novel marker or a therapeutic target for the treatment of tumors, inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and organ transplantation. Here, we summarized the expression profiles, physiological and pathological functions, and regulatory mechanisms of B7-H4, the signaling pathways involved, as well as B7-H4-based immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Yu Wang
- Center for Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Wei-Peng Wang
- Center for Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
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28
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The B7x Immune Checkpoint Pathway: From Discovery to Clinical Trial. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2019; 40:883-896. [PMID: 31677920 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2019.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
B7x (B7 homolog x, also known as B7-H4, B7S1, and VTCN1) was discovered by ourselves and others in 2003 as the seventh member of the B7 family. It is an inhibitory immune checkpoint of great significance to human disease. Tissue-expressed B7x minimizes autoimmune and inflammatory responses. It is overexpressed in a broad spectrum of human cancers, where it suppresses antitumor immunity. Further, B7x and PD-L1 tend to have mutually exclusive expression in cancer cells. Therapeutics targeting B7x are effective in animal models of cancers and autoimmune disorders, and early-phase clinical trials are underway to determine the efficacy and safety of targeting B7x in human diseases. It took 15 years moving from the discovery of B7x to clinical trials. Further studies will be necessary to identify its receptors, reveal its physiological functions in organs, and combine therapies targeting B7x with other treatments.
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29
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Chapoval AI, Chapoval SP, Shcherbakova NS, Shcherbakov DN. Immune Checkpoints of the B7 Family. Part 2. Representatives of the B7 Family B7-H3, B7-H4, B7-H5, B7-H6, B7-H7, and ILDR2 and Their Receptors. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s1068162019050091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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30
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Kaur G, Janakiram M. B7x-from bench to bedside. ESMO Open 2019; 4:e000554. [PMID: 31555486 PMCID: PMC6735664 DOI: 10.1136/esmoopen-2019-000554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
B7x is an immune checkpoint molecule which belongs to the B7 family of ligands which includes PD-L1, PD-L2, B7-H3 and HHLA2. B7x belongs to the Immunoglobulin superfamily and its protein structure is similar to other members with a N terminus peptide, IgV and IgC like extracellular domain with four cysteine residues. Its receptor is yet to be identified. B7x inhibits T cell proliferation and expansion by IL-2 dependent and non-IL-2 dependent pathways. Even though high levels of B7x mRNA can be detected in most tissues its protein expression is highly limited suggesting significant post translational control. In vivo data, show that B7x plays an important role in limiting autoimmunity in the peripheral tissues and fine-tuning autoimmune responses. B7x is highly expressed in various cancers and in prostate cancer its expression is corelated with poorer outcomes. Local production of IL-6 and IL-10 in various cancers promotes B7x expression and tumor immune evasion. B7x is especially expressed in PD-L1 negative tumors suggesting that this may be an important method of immune evasion in these tumors. Currently drug development, targeting B7x through various mechanisms including monoclonal antibodies and antibody drug conjugates are in development in cancers and increasing B7x expression with fusion proteins in autoimmune diseases is underway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gurbakhash Kaur
- Department of Medical Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York city, New York, USA
| | - Murali Janakiram
- Department of Medical Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York city, New York, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Jiang Y, Cai G, Lin J, Zhang J, Bo Z, Li Y, Wang C, Tong Y. B7-H4 is highly expressed in aggressive Epstein-Barr virus positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and inhibits apoptosis through upregulating Erk1/2 and Akt signalling pathways. Infect Agent Cancer 2019; 14:20. [PMID: 31406503 PMCID: PMC6686556 DOI: 10.1186/s13027-019-0234-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background B7-H4 is among the B7 family members which may serve as a new targetable immune checkpoint molecule. It was reported that high level of serum B7-H4 level may be correlated with lymphoma. Nevertheless, the role of B7-H4 in Epstein-Barr Virus-Positive diffuse large B cell lymphoma (EBV+DLBCL) has not been addressed although it has been suggested that B7-H4 could promote tumor growth and metastatic progression in certain cancers. Methods Between January 2005 and November 2017 at the department of Hematology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine affiliated Shanghai General Hospital 260 DLBCL samples were analyzed for EBV-encoded small RNA (EBV-EBER) by in situ hybridization. The expression level of B7-H4 in DLBCL tumor tissue was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, the role of B7-H4 in DLBCL was further investigated in DLBCL cell line. Results EBV+DLBCL patients suffered from markedly lower overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates in our study. We showed that B7-H4 was significantly overexpressed in 16 EBV+-subgroup cases out of 260 DLBCL patients. We further found that EBV infection in lymphoblast cells led to enhanced expression of B7-H4 followed by increased cell viability and reduced apoptosis. In contrast, inhibition of B7-H4 simultaneously impaired cell viability and induced apoptosis. Mechanistically, inhibiting B7-H4 resulted in decreased phosphorylation Erk 1/2 and Akt. Conclusion Our study reveals a critical role of B7-H4 in EBV+DLBCL development by regulating cell survival and apoptosis through the Erk and Akt signalling pathways. Targetting B7-H4 may be promising in the therapy of EBV+DLBCL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Jiang
- 1Department of Hematology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 100 Haining Road, Shanghai, 200080 People's Republic of China
| | - Gangli Cai
- Department of Hematology, JinHua Hospital of TCM, 439 Shuangxi West Road, Jinhua, 321017 People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Lin
- 3Department of Pathology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 100 Haining Road, Shanghai, 200080 People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Zhang
- 4Department of Integrated Therapy, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dongan Road, Shanghai, 200032 People's Republic of China
| | - Zhilei Bo
- 1Department of Hematology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 100 Haining Road, Shanghai, 200080 People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Li
- 1Department of Hematology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 100 Haining Road, Shanghai, 200080 People's Republic of China
| | - Chun Wang
- 1Department of Hematology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 100 Haining Road, Shanghai, 200080 People's Republic of China
| | - Yin Tong
- 1Department of Hematology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 100 Haining Road, Shanghai, 200080 People's Republic of China
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Alvi E, Gupta R, Borok RZ, Escobar-Hoyos L, Shroyer KR. Overview of established and emerging immunohistochemical biomarkers and their role in correlative studies in MRI. J Magn Reson Imaging 2019; 51:341-354. [PMID: 31041822 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.26763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinical practice in radiology and pathology requires professional expertise and many years of training to visually evaluate and interpret abnormal phenotypic features in medical images and tissue sections to generate diagnoses that guide patient management and treatment. Recent advances in digital image analysis methods and machine learning have led to significant interest in extracting additional information from medical and digital whole-slide images in radiology and pathology, respectively. This has led to significant interest and research in radiomics and pathomics to correlate phenotypic features of disease with image analytics in order to identify image-based biomarkers. The expanding role of big data in radiology and pathology parallels the development and role of immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the daily practice of pathology. IHC methods were initially developed to provide additional information to help classify tumors and then transformed into an indispensable tool to guide treatment in many types of cancer. IHC markers are used in daily practice to identify specific types of cells and highlight their distributions in tissues in order to distinguish benign from neoplastic cells, determine tumor origin, subclassify neoplasms, and support and confirm diagnoses. In this regard, radiomics, pathomics, and IHC methods are very similar since they enable the extraction of image-based features to characterize various properties of diseases. Due to the dramatic advancements in recent radiomics research, we provide a brief overview of the role of established and emerging IHC biomarkers in various tumor types that have been correlated with radiologic biomarkers to improve diagnostic accuracy, predict prognosis, guide patient management, and select treatment strategies. Level of Evidence: 5 Technical Efficacy: Stage 3 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;51:341-354.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emaan Alvi
- Department of Pathology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Rajarsi Gupta
- Department of Pathology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA.,Department of Biomedical Informatics, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Raphael Z Borok
- Department of Pathology, Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, Downers Grove, Illinois, USA
| | - Luisa Escobar-Hoyos
- Department of Pathology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA.,David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Biology, Genetic Toxicology and Cytogenetics Research Group, School of Natural Sciences and Education, Universidad Del Cauca, Popayán, Colombia
| | - Kenneth R Shroyer
- Department of Pathology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
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Podojil JR, Chiang MY, Ifergan I, Copeland R, Liu LN, Maloveste S, Langermann S, Liebenson D, Balabanov R, Chi H, Chen L, Vignali DAA, Miller SD. B7-H4 Modulates Regulatory CD4 + T Cell Induction and Function via Ligation of a Semaphorin 3a/Plexin A4/Neuropilin-1 Complex. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2018; 201:897-907. [PMID: 29898965 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1700811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The potent immune regulatory function of an agonistic B7-H4-Ig fusion protein (B7-H4Ig) has been demonstrated in multiple experimental autoimmune models; however, the identity of a functional B7-H4 receptor remained unknown. The biological activity of B7-H4 is associated with decreased inflammatory CD4+ T cell responses as supported by a correlation between B7-H4-expressing tumor-associated macrophages and Foxp3+ T cells within the tumor microenvironment. Recent data indicate that members of the semaphorin (Sema)/plexin/neuropilin (Nrp) family of proteins both positively and negatively modulate immune cell function. In this study, we show that B7-H4 binds the soluble Sema family member Sema3a. Additionally, B7-H4Ig-induced inhibition of inflammatory CD4+ T cell responses is lost in both Sema3a functional mutant mice and mice lacking Nrp-1 expression in Foxp3+ T cells. These findings indicate that B7-H4Ig binds to Sema3a, which acts as a functional bridge to stimulate an Nrp-1/Plexin A4 heterodimer to form a functional immunoregulatory receptor complex resulting in increased levels of phosphorylated PTEN and enhanced regulatory CD4+ T cell number and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R Podojil
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Ming-Yi Chiang
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Igal Ifergan
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hongbo Chi
- Immunology Department, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105
| | - Lieping Chen
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510
| | - Dario A A Vignali
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15262; and.,Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15232
| | - Stephen D Miller
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611;
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Yang Q, Cao W, Wang Z, Zhang B, Liu J. Regulation of cancer immune escape: The roles of miRNAs in immune checkpoint proteins. Cancer Lett 2018; 431:73-84. [PMID: 29800685 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint proteins (ICPs) are regulators of immune system. The ICP dysregulation silences the host immune response to cancer-specific antigens, contributing to the occurrence and progress of various cancers. MiRNAs are regulatory molecules and function in mRNA silencing and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. MiRNAs that modulate the immunity via ICPs have received increasing attention. Many studies have shown that the expressions of ICPs are directly or indirectly repressed by miRNAs in multiple types of cancers. MiRNAs are also subject to regulation by ICPs. In this review, recent studies of the relationship between miRNAs and ICPs (including the PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4, ICOS, B7-1, B7-2, B7-H2, B7-H3, CD27, CD70, CD40, and CD40L) in cancer immune escape are comprehensively discussed, which provide critical detailed mechanistic insights into the functions of the miRNA-ICP axes and their effects on immune escape, and will be beneficial for the potential applications of immune checkpoint therapy and miRNA-based guidance for personalized medicine as well as for predicting the prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Yang
- Molecular Biology Research Center & Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China; School of Medical Laboratory, Shao Yang University, Hunan Province, 422000, China
| | - Wenjie Cao
- Molecular Biology Research Center & Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China; Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Zi Wang
- Molecular Biology Research Center & Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China; Key Laboratory of Nanobiological Technology of Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China.
| | - Jing Liu
- Molecular Biology Research Center & Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China.
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Zhang B, Sun J, Yao X, Li J, Tu Y, Yao F, Sun S. Knockdown of B7H6 inhibits tumor progression in triple-negative breast cancer. Oncol Lett 2018; 16:91-96. [PMID: 29963127 PMCID: PMC6019890 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.8689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The B7 family, the most common family of secondary signaling molecules, consists of eight cell-surface proteins, which regulate the T-cell mediated immune response by delivering co-inhibitory or co-stimulatory signals through their corresponding ligands. Among them, natural killer cell cytotoxicity receptor 3 ligand 1 (NCR3LG1, also known as B7H6) has been reported as a new member, and is involved in tumor progression of various types of human cancer. However, the role of B7H6 in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains unknown. In the present study, western blotting was performed to determine the protein expression levels of B7H6 in a normal mammary epithelial cell line (MCF-10A), non-TNBC breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and AU565) and TNBC cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468). B7H6 was knocked down using small interfering RNA, and an MTT assay was performed to determine proliferation ability, flow cytometry was used to analyze apoptosis, and Transwell and wound-healing assays were performed to measure migration ability. Expression of proliferation-associated proteins (SMAD family member 4 and β-catenin) and apoptosis-associated proteins (BCL2 associated X, BCL2 apoptosis regulator and caspase-3) were analyzed by western blotting. The results demonstrated that B7H6 was highly expressed in TNBC cells, and that knockdown of B7H6 inhibited cell proliferation and migration, and promoted apoptosis. Furthermore, the results revealed that proliferation and apoptosis-associated proteins were altered in the B7H6-knockdown MDA-MB-231 cells. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that B7H6 may have significant roles in the regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration of TNBC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Zhang
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, P.R. China
| | - Jinzhong Sun
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoli Yao
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, P.R. China
| | - Juanjuan Li
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, P.R. China
| | - Yi Tu
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, P.R. China
| | - Feng Yao
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, P.R. China
| | - Shengrong Sun
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, P.R. China
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Ni L, Dong C. New B7 Family Checkpoints in Human Cancers. Mol Cancer Ther 2018; 16:1203-1211. [PMID: 28679835 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-16-0761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Revised: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
T cells are the main effector cells in immune response against tumors. The activation of T cells is regulated by the innate immune system through positive and negative costimulatory molecules. Targeting immune checkpoint regulators such as programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/PD-1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) and CTL antigen 4 (CTLA-4) has achieved notable benefit in a variety of cancers, which leads to multiple clinical trials with antibodies targeting the other related B7/CD28 family members. Recently, five new B7 family ligands, B7-H3, B7-H4, B7-H5, B7-H6, and B7-H7, were identified. Here we review recent understanding of new B7 family checkpoint molecules as they have come to the front of cancer research with the concept that tumor cells exploit them to escape immune surveillance. The aim of this article is to address the structure and expression of the new B7 family molecules as well as their roles in controlling and suppressing immune responses of T cells as well as NK cells. We also discuss clinical significance and contribution of these checkpoint expressions in human cancers. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(7); 1203-11. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Ni
- Institute for Immunology and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
| | - Chen Dong
- Institute for Immunology and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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Wei M, Shen D, Mulmi Shrestha S, Liu J, Zhang J, Yin Y. The Progress of T Cell Immunity Related to Prognosis in Gastric Cancer. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 2018:3201940. [PMID: 29682534 PMCID: PMC5848132 DOI: 10.1155/2018/3201940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Gastric cancer is the fifth most common malignancy all over the world, and the factors that can affect progress and prognosis of the gastric cancer patients are various, such as TNM stages, invasive depth, and lymph node metastasis ratio. T cell immunity is important component of human immunity system and immunity responding to tumor and dysfunction or imbalance of T cell immunity will lead to serious outcomes for body. T cell immunity includes many different types of cells, CD4+ T cell, CD8+ T cell, memory cell, and so on, and each of them has special function on antitumor response or tumor immune escape which is revealed in lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and so on. But its correlation with gastric cancer is not clear. Our review was preformed to explore the relationship between the progress and prognosis of gastric cancer (GC) and T cell immunity. According to recent researches, T cell immunity may have an important role in the progress and prognosis of GCs, but its function is affected by location, category, related molecule, and interaction between the cells, and some effects still are controversial. More researches are needed to clarify this correlation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Wei
- Gastroenterology Department, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Duo Shen
- Gastroenterology Department, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Sachin Mulmi Shrestha
- Gastroenterology Department, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Juan Liu
- Gastroenterology Department, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Junyi Zhang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ying Yin
- Gastroenterology Department, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, China
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Chen C, Zhu WD, Xie F, Huang JA. Nuclear localization of B7-H4 in pulmonary adenocarcinomas presenting as a solitary pulmonary nodule. Oncotarget 2018; 7:58563-58568. [PMID: 27438152 PMCID: PMC5295452 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.10542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 06/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Although the pathogenicity of B7-H4 in cancer is well established, its role in pulmonary adenocarcinoma, especially lesions presenting as solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs), remains unclear. METHODS 40 cases of pulmonary adenocarcinoma presenting with SPN were enrolled during year 2012-2015. The B7-H4 expression and its subcellular distribution in pulmonary adenocarcinoma presenting with SPN were analyzed by immunohistochemistry, further its correlation with Ki-67 expression and CT feature. In vitro, the B7-H4 expression in the cytoplasmic and nucleus fractions of lung cancer cell lines was determinate by western blotting. RESULTS Immunostaining revealed B7-H4 in the cytoplasm of cells from all 40 SPN samples studied. No surface localization of B7-H4 was detected, but in 18 samples the nuclear membranes were B7-H4-positive. Moreover, patients with more poorly differentiated and invasive adenocarcinomas showed greater localization of B7-H4 to the nuclear membrane. The percentage of lesions with ground-glass opacity was significantly greater among samples negative for nuclear membrane B7-H4. Most importantly, there was a statistically significant relationships between the Ki-67 index and B7-H4 positivity of the nuclear membrane. This suggests tumors exhibiting higher nuclear membrane B7-H4 have greater proliferative potential. Western blotting confirmed both cytoplasmic and nuclear B7-H4 localization in lung adenocarcinoma cell lines. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our study provides a new insight into the tumorigenicity of B7-H4 in lung adenocarcinoma. We suggest that in pulmonary adenocarcinoma presenting with SPN, nuclear membrane localization of B7-H4 within the tumor cells is associated with increased malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Chen
- Respiratory Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Wei-Dong Zhu
- Pathology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Fang Xie
- Pathology Department, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Jian-An Huang
- Respiratory Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
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Zhou D, Zhou Y, Li C, Yang L. Silencing of B7-H4 suppresses the tumorigenicity of the MGC-803 human gastric cancer cell line and promotes cell apoptosis via the mitochondrial signaling pathway. Int J Oncol 2018; 52:1267-1276. [PMID: 29436630 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2018.4274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Donghui Zhou
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, P.R. China
| | - Yong Zhou
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, P.R. China
| | - Chao Li
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, P.R. China
| | - Lina Yang
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Dongnan Hospital of Xiamen University, Zhangzhou, Fujian 363000, P.R. China
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Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers in ovarian cancer and the potential roles of cancer stem cells – An updated review. Exp Cell Res 2018; 362:1-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2017.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Marcucci F, Rumio C, Corti A. Tumor cell-associated immune checkpoint molecules - Drivers of malignancy and stemness. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2017; 1868:571-583. [PMID: 29056539 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2017.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Inhibitory or stimulatory immune checkpoint molecules are expressed on a sizeable fraction of tumor cells in different tumor types. It was thought that the main function of tumor cell-associated immune checkpoint molecules would be the modulation (down- or upregulation) of antitumor immune responses. In recent years, however, it has become clear that the expression of immune checkpoint molecules on tumor cells has important consequences on the biology of the tumor cells themselves. In particular, a causal relationship between the expression of these molecules and the acquisition of malignant traits has been demonstrated. Thus, immune checkpoint molecules have been shown to promote the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of tumor cells, the acquisition of tumor-initiating potential and resistance to apoptosis and antitumor drugs, as well as the propensity to disseminate and metastasize. Herein, we review this evidence, with a main focus on PD-L1, the most intensively investigated tumor cell-associated immune checkpoint molecule and for which most information is available. Then, we discuss more concisely other tumor cell-associated immune checkpoint molecules that have also been shown to induce the acquisition of malignant traits, such as PD-1, B7-H3, B7-H4, Tim-3, CD70, CD28, CD137, CD40 and CD47. Open questions in this field as well as some therapeutic approaches that can be derived from this knowledge, are also addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Marcucci
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, via Trentacoste 2, Milan, Italy.
| | - Cristiano Rumio
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, via Trentacoste 2, Milan, Italy.
| | - Angelo Corti
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, DIBIT-Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina 58, Milan, Italy.
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Zhang X, Cai L, Zhang G, Shen Y, Huang J. B7-H4 promotes tumor growth and metastatic progression in lung cancer by impacting cell proliferation and survival. Oncotarget 2017; 8:18861-18871. [PMID: 28061481 PMCID: PMC5386653 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.14475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant expression of B7-H4 occurs across a broad spectrum of human cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate the key role of B7-H4 during tumorigenesis and metastasis of human lung cancer. Our data showed that the shRNA-mediated disruption of B7-H4 markedly inhibited tumor cell proliferation, invasion and migration, increased cell apoptosis and arrested cell cycle at G0/G1. These changes were accompanied by a marked increase in Bax and caspase-3/caspase-8, but a decrease in Bcl-2, cyclinD1 and activation of AKT. In addition, our shRNA-mediated disruption of B7-H4 led to a marked decrease in tumor growth in the immune-compromised mice. Importantly, B7-H4 was expressed in 53.33% of lung carcinomas from our patient cohort (n = 90), but not in any of adjacent non-cancerous tissues, according to our IHC analyses. In particular, B7-H4 expression appeared to be associated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.008) and TNM stage (P = 0.012). Taken together, our study demonstrates a strong promoting role of B7-H4 in lung tumor growth, progression and metastasis, and supports its potential as a therapeutic target for the treatment of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuqin Zhang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.,Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University (WuXi No.4 People's Hospital), Wuxi 214000, China
| | - Liming Cai
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University (WuXi No.4 People's Hospital), Wuxi 214000, China
| | - Guangbo Zhang
- Clinical Immunology Laboratory of Jiangsu Province, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Yu Shen
- Clinical Immunology Laboratory of Jiangsu Province, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Jianan Huang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.,Clinical Immunology Laboratory of Jiangsu Province, Suzhou 215006, China
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Chen C, Qu QX, Xie F, Zhu WD, Zhu YH, Huang JA. Analysis of B7-H4 expression in metastatic pleural adenocarcinoma and therapeutic potential of its antagonists. BMC Cancer 2017; 17:652. [PMID: 28923053 PMCID: PMC5604341 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-017-3615-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The increasing incidence and poor outcome associated with malignant pleural effusion (MPE) requires finding an effective treatment for this disease. Inhibitory B7-H4 is expressed in many different human cancers but its role in malignant pleural tissue has yet to be established. Methods Here, patients with metastatic pleural adenocarcinoma (MPA) or with early-stage lung adenocarcinoma were clinically and statistically analyzed. Immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy were used to determinate the expression of B7-H4 in the cancer cells. By using MPE model, we sought to a potential immunotherapy for MPE with anti-B7-H4 mAb. Results When compared to early-stage lung adenocarcinoma, MPA possessed higher level of nuclei membranous B7-H4 and lower cytoplasmic B7-H4 expression. Also, nuclei membranous B7-H4 expression was found to be positively correlated to Ki-67 expression, and indicated a possible poor prognosis of MPA. In mouse MPE model, intra-pleurally injection of anti-B7-H4 mAb effectively suppressed MPE formation. Conclusions Taken together, our data was in support of the significance of B7-H4 expression in MPA, which also suggest it warrants further exploration for potential immunotherapy of MPE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Chen
- Respiratory Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 188 Shizi Street, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Qiu-Xia Qu
- Clinical Immunology Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 788 Renmin Road, Suzhou, 215007, China
| | - Fang Xie
- Pathology Division, Soochow University, 1 Shizi Street, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Wei-Dong Zhu
- Pathology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 188 Shizi Street, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Ye-Han Zhu
- Respiratory Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 188 Shizi Street, Suzhou, 215006, China.
| | - Jian-An Huang
- Respiratory Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 188 Shizi Street, Suzhou, 215006, China.
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Schildberg FA, Klein SR, Freeman GJ, Sharpe AH. Coinhibitory Pathways in the B7-CD28 Ligand-Receptor Family. Immunity 2017; 44:955-72. [PMID: 27192563 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2016.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 420] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Immune responses need to be controlled for optimal protective immunity and tolerance. Coinhibitory pathways in the B7-CD28 family provide critical inhibitory signals that regulate immune homeostasis and defense and protect tissue integrity. These coinhibitory signals limit the strength and duration of immune responses, thereby curbing immune-mediated tissue damage, regulating resolution of inflammation, and maintaining tolerance to prevent autoimmunity. Tumors and microbes that cause chronic infections can exploit these coinhibitory pathways to establish an immunosuppressive microenvironment, hindering their eradication. Advances in understanding T cell coinhibitory pathways have stimulated a new era of immunotherapy with effective drugs to treat cancer, autoimmune and infectious diseases, and transplant rejection. In this review we discuss the current knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the coinhibitory functions of pathways in the B7-CD28 family, the diverse functional consequences of these inhibitory signals on immune responses, and the overlapping and unique functions of these key immunoregulatory pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank A Schildberg
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, and Evergrande Center for Immunologic Diseases, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sarah R Klein
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Gordon J Freeman
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Arlene H Sharpe
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, and Evergrande Center for Immunologic Diseases, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Abstract
Observations noting the presence of white blood cell infiltrates within tumors date back more than a century, however the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating tumor immunity continue to be elucidated. The recent successful use of monoclonal antibodies to block immune regulatory pathways to enhance tumor-specific immune responses for the treatment of cancer has encouraged the identification of additional immune regulatory receptor/ligand pathways. Over the past several years, a growing body of data has identified B7-H4 (VTCN1/B7x/B7S1) as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer. The potential clinical significance of B7-H4 is supported by the high levels of B7-H4 expression found in numerous tumor tissues and correlation of the level of expression on tumor cells with adverse clinical and pathologic features, including tumor aggressiveness. The biological activity of B7-H4 has been associated with decreased inflammatory CD4+ T-cell responses and a correlation between B7-H4-expressing tumor-associated macrophages and FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) within the tumor microenvironment. Since B7-H4 is expressed on tumor cells and tumor-associated macrophages in various cancer types, therapeutic blockade of B7-H4 could favorably alter the tumor microenvironment allowing for antigen-specific clearance tumor cells. The present review highlights the therapeutic potential of targeting B7-H4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R Podojil
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Stephen D Miller
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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Shen L, Qian Y, Wu W, Weng T, Wang FXC, Hong B, Wu Z, Wang Q, Sang Y, Zhang H, Zhou X, Yao H. B7-H4 is a prognostic biomarker for poor survival in patients with pancreatic cancer. Hum Pathol 2017; 66:79-85. [PMID: 28600225 DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2017.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Revised: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
B7-H4 belongs to the immune costimulatory B7 family and is thought to negatively regulate T-cell-mediated immunity, and may contribute an important role in tumor immune evasion. Although the expression of B7-H4 has been observed in human pancreatic cancer, the prognostic significance of this expression is poorly understood. This present study explored the prognostic value of B7-H4 in pancreatic cancer. Patients with pancreatic cancer and healthy controls were recruited at the Second Affiliated Hospital to Zhejiang University from January 2011 to December 2014. Expression of B7-H4 was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that B7-H4 was expressed in 100% (188/188) of the pancreatic cancer tumor tissue samples, while only in 68% (17/25) of normal pancreatic tissue samples. Furthermore, the expression levels of B7-H4 in pancreatic cancer patients were significantly higher than in controls (P<.01). A significant difference in B7-H4 expression was observed between patients with late tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (III and IV) and early TNM stage (I and II) (P<.01). The expression of B7-H4 was associated with distant metastasis (P<.01) and differentiation (P<.01). In addition, B7-H4 expression (P<.01), distant metastasis (P<.01), TNM stage (P<.01), differentiation (P<.01) and chemotherapy treatment (P<.05) were indicators of poor overall survival time. Multivariate survival analysis indicated that B7-H4 expression, distant metastasis, and chemotherapy treatment (P<.05) were independent prognostic indicators of poor overall survival. In conclusion, B7-H4 is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer, and is an independent predictor of poor prognosis in patients with pancreatic cancer. B7-H4 may represent an immunotherapeutic target in pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingwei Shen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Yun Qian
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Weigen Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Tianhao Weng
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Frederick X C Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, TX 79106, USA
| | - Bo Hong
- Department of Pathology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Zhigang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Yiwen Sang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Xinhui Zhou
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.
| | - Hangping Yao
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.
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Li Y, Zhang J, Han S, Qian Q, Chen Q, Liu L, Zhang Y. B7-H3 promotes the proliferation, migration and invasiveness of cervical cancer cells and is an indicator of poor prognosis. Oncol Rep 2017. [PMID: 28627681 DOI: 10.3892/or.2017.5730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
B7-H3 is an immune regulatory molecule whose aberrant expression in tumors is associated with adverse outcomes. Upregulation of B7-H3 may promote tumor cell proliferation and metastasis in vitro, but the role of B7-H3 in cervical cancer has not yet been investigated. We measured B7-H3 expression in 90 cervical cancer patient and 20 non‑cervical lesion patient tissues using immunohistochemistry and in 30 cervical cancer patient and 30 healthy donor blood samples using ELISA. The association of B7-H3 expression and the prognosis of cervical cancer patients was investigated. B7-H3 knockdown in CaSki and SiHa cell lines was performed using small hairpin (sh)RNA lentiviral transfection and B7-H3 overexpression in CaSki and HeLa cell lines was performed using plasmid-vector lentivirus transduction. Cell proliferation, invasion and migration were then measured using MTT and Transwell assays in vitro. B7-H3 expression was significantly higher in the cervical cancer tissues compared to that noted in the normal cervical tissues (mean 72.22 vs. 15.00%; p<0.001). Using Kaplan‑Meier and Cox analyses, our data revealed that patients with strong intensity staining were significantly more likely to have a worse prognosis. The B7-H3 level in cervical cancer patient blood was significantly higher than that in the normal donors (13.41±6.12 vs. 9.90±3.16 ng/ml; p=0.007). MTT assay revealed that high expression of B7-H3 promoted cervical cancer cell proliferation. Transwell assay data revealed that high expression of B7-H3 enhanced cervical cancer cell migration and invasion (CaSki, p=0.003; HeLa, p=0.03). In conclusion, expression of B7-H3 was significantly higher in cervical cancer tissues compared to normal cervical tissues, and this high expression was associated with worse prognosis for cervical cancer patients. In addition, B7-H3 promoted proliferation, invasion and migration of cervical cancer and may be a potential target for treating cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Sai Han
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Qiuhong Qian
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Qian Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Lu Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Youzhong Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
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Che F, Heng X, Zhang H, Su Q, Zhang B, Chen Y, Zhang Z, Du Y, Wang L. Novel B7-H4-mediated crosstalk between human non-Hodgkin lymphoma cells and tumor-associated macrophages leads to immune evasion via secretion of IL-6 and IL-10. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2017; 66:717-729. [PMID: 28246881 PMCID: PMC11028477 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-017-1961-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is an incurable lymphoproliferative cancer, and patients with NHL have a poor prognosis. The present study explored the regulatory mechanism of expression and possible roles of the immunosuppressive B7-H4 molecule in human NHL. For functional studies, NHL-reactive T cell lines were generated via the isolation of allogeneic CD3+ T cells from healthy donors and repeated in vitro stimulation with irradiated NHL cells isolated from patients. B7-H4 was found to be distributed in NHL cells and tissues, and its surface protein expression levels were further upregulated by the incubation of NHL cells with interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, or interferon-γ. Additionally, the supernatants of tumor-associated macrophages (tMφs) upregulated B7-H4 surface expression by producing IL-6 and IL-10. B7-H4 expressed in NHL cells inhibited the cytotoxic activity of NHL-reactive T cells. Conversely, the inhibition of B7-H4 in NHL cells promoted T cell immunity and sensitized NHL cells to cytolysis. Furthermore, tMφs induced B7-H4 promoted NHL cell evasion of the T cell immune response. In conclusion, this study shows that NHL-expressed B7-H4 is an important immunosuppressive factor that inhibits host anti-tumor immunity to NHL. Targeting tumor-expressed B7-H4 may thus provide a new treatment strategy for NHL patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengyuan Che
- Central Laboratory, Linyi People's Hospital, Shandong University, Linyi, Shandong, China
- Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, 44 Wenhua West Road, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Department of Neurology, Linyi People's Hospital, Shandong University, Linyi, Shandong, China
| | - Xueyuan Heng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Linyi People's Hospital, Shandong University, Linyi, Shandong, China
| | - Haiyan Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Linyi People's Hospital, Shandong University, No. 27 Jiefang Road, Lanshan District, Linyi, Shandong, China
| | - Quanping Su
- Central Laboratory, Linyi People's Hospital, Shandong University, Linyi, Shandong, China
| | - Baoxue Zhang
- Hematology Laboratory, Linyi People's Hospital, Shandong University, Linyi, Shandong, China
| | - Yanying Chen
- Hematology Laboratory, Linyi People's Hospital, Shandong University, Linyi, Shandong, China
| | - Zhaohong Zhang
- Hematology Laboratory, Linyi People's Hospital, Shandong University, Linyi, Shandong, China
| | - Yifeng Du
- Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, 44 Wenhua West Road, Jinan, Shandong, China.
| | - Lijuan Wang
- Department of Hematology, Linyi People's Hospital, Shandong University, No. 27 Jiefang Road, Lanshan District, Linyi, Shandong, China.
- Hematology Laboratory, Linyi People's Hospital, Shandong University, Linyi, Shandong, China.
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Leung J, St-Onge P, Stagg J, Suh WK. Synergistic effects of host B7-H4 deficiency and gemcitabine treatment on tumor regression and anti-tumor T cell immunity in a mouse model. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2017; 66:491-502. [PMID: 28074226 PMCID: PMC11028495 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-016-1950-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
B7-H4 (B7x/B7S1), a B7 family inhibitor of T cell activity, is expressed in multiple human cancers and correlates with decreased infiltrating lymphocytes and poor prognosis. In murine models, tumor-expressed B7-H4 enhances tumor growth and reduces T cell immunity, and blockade of tumor-B7-H4 rescues T cell activity and lowers tumor burden. This implicates B7-H4 as a target for cancer immunotherapy, yet limits the efficacy of B7-H4 blockade exclusively to patients with B7-H4+ tumors. Given the expression of B7-H4 on host immune cells, we have previously shown that BALB/c mice lacking host B7-H4 have enhanced anti-tumor profiles, yet similar 4T1 tumor growth relative to control. Given that T cell-mediated immunotherapies work best for tumors presenting tumor-associated neoantigens, we further investigated the function of host B7-H4 in the growth of a more immunogenic derivative, 4T1-12B, which is known to elicit strong anti-tumor CD8 T cell responses due to expression of a surrogate tumor-specific antigen, firefly luciferase. Notably, B7-H4 knockout hosts not only mounted greater tumor-associated anti-tumor T cell responses, but also displayed reduced tumors. Additionally, B7-H4-deficiency synergized with gemcitabine to further inhibit tumor growth, often leading to tumor eradication and the generation of protective T cell immunity. These findings imply that inhibition of host B7-H4 can enhance anti-tumor T cell immunity in immunogenic cancers, and can be combined with other anti-cancer therapies to further reduce tumor burden regardless of tumor-B7-H4 positivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne Leung
- Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), 110 avenue des Pins Ouest, Montréal, QC, H2W 1R7, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Philippe St-Onge
- Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), 110 avenue des Pins Ouest, Montréal, QC, H2W 1R7, Canada
- Département de Médecine (Programmes de Biologie Moléculaire), Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - John Stagg
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Institut du Cancer de Montréal, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Woong-Kyung Suh
- Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), 110 avenue des Pins Ouest, Montréal, QC, H2W 1R7, Canada.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
- Département de Médecine (Programmes de Biologie Moléculaire), Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
- Département de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie, et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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