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Wang L, Su J, Liu Z, Ding S, Li Y, Hou B, Hu Y, Dong Z, Tang J, Liu H, Liu W. Identification of immune-associated biomarkers of diabetes nephropathy tubulointerstitial injury based on machine learning: a bioinformatics multi-chip integrated analysis. BioData Min 2024; 17:20. [PMID: 38951833 PMCID: PMC11218417 DOI: 10.1186/s13040-024-00369-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major microvascular complication of diabetes and has become the leading cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide. A considerable number of DN patients have experienced irreversible end-stage renal disease progression due to the inability to diagnose the disease early. Therefore, reliable biomarkers that are helpful for early diagnosis and treatment are identified. The migration of immune cells to the kidney is considered to be a key step in the progression of DN-related vascular injury. Therefore, finding markers in this process may be more helpful for the early diagnosis and progression prediction of DN. METHODS The gene chip data were retrieved from the GEO database using the search term ' diabetic nephropathy '. The ' limma ' software package was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between DN and control samples. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed on genes obtained from the molecular characteristic database (MSigDB. The R package 'WGCNA' was used to identify gene modules associated with tubulointerstitial injury in DN, and it was crossed with immune-related DEGs to identify target genes. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed on differentially expressed genes using the 'ClusterProfiler' software package in R. Three methods, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) and random forest (RF), were used to select immune-related biomarkers for diagnosis. We retrieved the tubulointerstitial dataset from the Nephroseq database to construct an external validation dataset. Unsupervised clustering analysis of the expression levels of immune-related biomarkers was performed using the 'ConsensusClusterPlus 'R software package. The urine of patients who visited Dongzhimen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine from September 2021 to March 2023 was collected, and Elisa was used to detect the mRNA expression level of immune-related biomarkers in urine. Pearson correlation analysis was used to detect the effect of immune-related biomarker expression on renal function in DN patients. RESULTS Four microarray datasets from the GEO database are included in the analysis : GSE30122, GSE47185, GSE99340 and GSE104954. These datasets included 63 DN patients and 55 healthy controls. A total of 9415 genes were detected in the data set. We found 153 differentially expressed immune-related genes, of which 112 genes were up-regulated, 41 genes were down-regulated, and 119 overlapping genes were identified. GO analysis showed that they were involved in various biological processes including leukocyte-mediated immunity. KEGG analysis showed that these target genes were mainly involved in the formation of phagosomes in Staphylococcus aureus infection. Among these 119 overlapping genes, machine learning results identified AGR2, CCR2, CEBPD, CISH, CX3CR1, DEFB1 and FSTL1 as potential tubulointerstitial immune-related biomarkers. External validation suggested that the above markers showed diagnostic efficacy in distinguishing DN patients from healthy controls. Clinical studies have shown that the expression of AGR2, CX3CR1 and FSTL1 in urine samples of DN patients is negatively correlated with GFR, the expression of CX3CR1 and FSTL1 in urine samples of DN is positively correlated with serum creatinine, while the expression of DEFB1 in urine samples of DN is negatively correlated with serum creatinine. In addition, the expression of CX3CR1 in DN urine samples was positively correlated with proteinuria, while the expression of DEFB1 in DN urine samples was negatively correlated with proteinuria. Finally, according to the level of proteinuria, DN patients were divided into nephrotic proteinuria group (n = 24) and subrenal proteinuria group. There were significant differences in urinary AGR2, CCR2 and DEFB1 between the two groups by unpaired t test (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our study provides new insights into the role of immune-related biomarkers in DN tubulointerstitial injury and provides potential targets for early diagnosis and treatment of DN patients. Seven different genes ( AGR2, CCR2, CEBPD, CISH, CX3CR1, DEFB1, FSTL1 ), as promising sensitive biomarkers, may affect the progression of DN by regulating immune inflammatory response. However, further comprehensive studies are needed to fully understand their exact molecular mechanisms and functional pathways in DN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Internal Medicine of Ministry of Education and Beijing, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Renal Research Institution of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Dongzhimen Hospital, Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaming Su
- Renal Research Institution of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Dongzhimen Hospital, Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Zhongjie Liu
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Shaowei Ding
- Renal Research Institution of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Dongzhimen Hospital, Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yaotan Li
- Renal Research Institution of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Dongzhimen Hospital, Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Baoluo Hou
- Renal Research Institution of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Dongzhimen Hospital, Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yuxin Hu
- Renal Research Institution of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Dongzhimen Hospital, Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaoxi Dong
- Renal Research Institution of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Dongzhimen Hospital, Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jingyi Tang
- Renal Research Institution of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Dongzhimen Hospital, Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Hongfang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Internal Medicine of Ministry of Education and Beijing, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
- Renal Research Institution of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Dongzhimen Hospital, Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
| | - Weijing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Internal Medicine of Ministry of Education and Beijing, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
- Renal Research Institution of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Dongzhimen Hospital, Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
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Choi WS, Kwon HJ, Yi E, Lee H, Kim JM, Park HJ, Choi EJ, Choi ME, Sung YH, Won CH, Sung CO, Kim HS. HPK1 Dysregulation-Associated NK Cell Dysfunction and Defective Expansion Promotes Metastatic Melanoma Progression. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2400920. [PMID: 38828677 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202400920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Distant metastasis, the leading cause of cancer death, is efficiently kept in check by immune surveillance. Studies have uncovered peripheral natural killer (NK) cells as key antimetastatic effectors and their dysregulation during metastasis. However, the molecular mechanism governing NK cell dysfunction links to metastasis remains elusive. Herein, MAP4K1 encoding HPK1 is aberrantly overexpressed in dysfunctional NK cells in the periphery and the metastatic site. Conditional HPK1 overexpression in NK cells suffices to exacerbate melanoma lung metastasis but not primary tumor growth. Conversely, MAP4K1-deficient mice are resistant to metastasis and further protected by combined immune-checkpoint inhibitors. Mechanistically, HPK1 restrains NK cell cytotoxicity and expansion via activating receptors. Likewise, HPK1 limits human NK cell activation and associates with melanoma NK cell dysfunction couples to TGF-β1 and patient response to immune checkpoint therapy. Thus, HPK1 is an intracellular checkpoint controlling NK-target cell responses, which is dysregulated and hijacked by tumors during metastatic progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woo Seon Choi
- Department of Microbiology, Stem Cell Immunomodulation Research Center, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung-Joon Kwon
- Department of Microbiology, Stem Cell Immunomodulation Research Center, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunbi Yi
- Department of Microbiology, Stem Cell Immunomodulation Research Center, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Haeun Lee
- Department of Microbiology, Stem Cell Immunomodulation Research Center, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Min Kim
- Department of Microbiology, Stem Cell Immunomodulation Research Center, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo Jin Park
- Department of Microbiology, Stem Cell Immunomodulation Research Center, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Ji Choi
- Department of Dermatology, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Myoung Eun Choi
- Department of Dermatology, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Hoon Sung
- Department of Cell and Genetic Engineering, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Chong Hyun Won
- Department of Dermatology, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Ohk Sung
- Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Institute of Convergence Science and Technology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Hun Sik Kim
- Department of Microbiology, Stem Cell Immunomodulation Research Center, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
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Vahidi S, Zabeti Touchaei A, Samadani AA. IL-15 as a key regulator in NK cell-mediated immunotherapy for cancer: From bench to bedside. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 133:112156. [PMID: 38669950 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112156] [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: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Interleukin 15 (IL-15) has emerged as a crucial factor in the relationship between natural killer (NK) cells and immunotherapy for cancer. This review article aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of IL-15 in NK cell-mediated immunotherapy. First, the key role of IL-15 signaling in NK cell immunity is discussed, highlighting its regulation of NK cell functions and antitumor properties. Furthermore, the use of IL-15 or its analogs in clinical trials as a therapeutic strategy for various cancers, including the genetic modification of NK cells to produce IL-15, has been explored. The potential of IL-15-based therapies, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T and NK cell infusion along with IL-15 in combination with checkpoint inhibitors and other treatments, has been examined. This review also addresses the challenges and advantages of incorporating IL-15 in cell-based immunotherapy. Additionally, unresolved questions regarding the detection and biological significance of the soluble IL-15/IL-15Rα complex, as well as the potential role of IL-15/IL-15Rα in human cancer and the immunological consequences of prolonged exposure to soluble IL-15 for NK cells, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sogand Vahidi
- Medical Biology Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
| | | | - Ali Akbar Samadani
- Guilan Road Trauma Research Center, Trauma Institute, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
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Sheppard S, Srpan K, Lin W, Lee M, Delconte RB, Owyong M, Carmeliet P, Davis DM, Xavier JB, Hsu KC, Sun JC. Fatty acid oxidation fuels natural killer cell responses against infection and cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2319254121. [PMID: 38442180 PMCID: PMC10945797 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2319254121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are a vital part of the innate immune system capable of rapidly clearing mutated or infected cells from the body and promoting an immune response. Here, we find that NK cells activated by viral infection or tumor challenge increase uptake of fatty acids and their expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT1A), a critical enzyme for long-chain fatty acid oxidation. Using a mouse model with an NK cell-specific deletion of CPT1A, combined with stable 13C isotope tracing, we observe reduced mitochondrial function and fatty acid-derived aspartate production in CPT1A-deficient NK cells. Furthermore, CPT1A-deficient NK cells show reduced proliferation after viral infection and diminished protection against cancer due to impaired actin cytoskeleton rearrangement. Together, our findings highlight that fatty acid oxidation promotes NK cell metabolic resilience, processes that can be optimized in NK cell-based immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Sheppard
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY10065
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, LondonSW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Katja Srpan
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY10065
| | - Wendy Lin
- Computational and Systems Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY10065
| | - Mariah Lee
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY10065
| | - Rebecca B. Delconte
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY10065
| | - Mark Owyong
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY10065
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY10065
| | - Peter Carmeliet
- Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Center for Cancer Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie and Department of Oncology, Leuven Cancer Institute, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven3000, Belgium
| | - Daniel M. Davis
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, LondonSW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Joao B. Xavier
- Computational and Systems Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY10065
| | - Katharine C. Hsu
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY10065
| | - Joseph C. Sun
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY10065
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY10065
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5
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Wang M, Krueger JB, Gilkey AK, Stelljes EM, Kluesner MG, Pomeroy EJ, Skeate JG, Slipek NJ, Lahr WS, Vázquez PNC, Zhao Y, Eaton EJ, Laoharawee K, Webber BR, Moriarity BS. Precision Enhancement of CAR-NK Cells through Non-Viral Engineering and Highly Multiplexed Base Editing. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.05.582637. [PMID: 38496503 PMCID: PMC10942345 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.05.582637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells' unique ability to kill transformed cells expressing stress ligands or lacking major histocompatibility complexes (MHC) has prompted their development for immunotherapy. However, NK cells have demonstrated only moderate responses against cancer in clinical trials and likely require advanced genome engineering to reach their full potential as a cancer therapeutic. Multiplex genome editing with CRISPR/Cas9 base editors (BE) has been used to enhance T cell function and has already entered clinical trials but has not been reported in human NK cells. Here, we report the first application of BE in primary NK cells to achieve both loss-of-function and gain-of-function mutations. We observed highly efficient single and multiplex base editing, resulting in significantly enhanced NK cell function. Next, we combined multiplex BE with non-viral TcBuster transposon-based integration to generate IL-15 armored CD19 CAR-NK cells with significantly improved functionality in a highly suppressive model of Burkitt's lymphoma both in vitro and in vivo. The use of concomitant non-viral transposon engineering with multiplex base editing thus represents a highly versatile and efficient platform to generate CAR-NK products for cell-based immunotherapy and affords the flexibility to tailor multiple gene edits to maximize the effectiveness of the therapy for the cancer type being treated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minjing Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Joshua B Krueger
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Alexandria K Gilkey
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Erin M Stelljes
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Mitchell G Kluesner
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Emily J Pomeroy
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Joseph G Skeate
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Nicholas J Slipek
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Walker S Lahr
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Patricia N Claudio Vázquez
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Yueting Zhao
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Ella J Eaton
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Kanut Laoharawee
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Beau R Webber
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Branden S Moriarity
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Eitler J, Rackwitz W, Wotschel N, Gudipati V, Murali Shankar N, Sidorenkova A, Huppa JB, Ortiz-Montero P, Opitz C, Künzel SR, Michen S, Temme A, Loureiro LR, Feldmann A, Bachmann M, Boissel L, Klingemann H, Wels WS, Tonn T. CAR-mediated targeting of NK cells overcomes tumor immune escape caused by ICAM-1 downregulation. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008155. [PMID: 38417916 PMCID: PMC10900364 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008155] [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] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The antitumor activity of natural killer (NK) cells can be enhanced by specific targeting with therapeutic antibodies that trigger antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) or by genetic engineering to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). Despite antibody or CAR targeting, some tumors remain resistant towards NK cell attack. While the importance of ICAM-1/LFA-1 interaction for natural cytotoxicity of NK cells is known, its impact on ADCC induced by the ErbB2 (HER2)-specific antibody trastuzumab and ErbB2-CAR-mediated NK cell cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells has not been investigated. METHODS Here we used NK-92 cells expressing high-affinity Fc receptor FcγRIIIa in combination with trastuzumab or ErbB2-CAR engineered NK-92 cells (NK-92/5.28.z) as well as primary human NK cells combined with trastuzumab or modified with the ErbB2-CAR and tested cytotoxicity against cancer cells varying in ICAM-1 expression or alternatively blocked LFA-1 on NK cells. Furthermore, we specifically stimulated Fc receptor, CAR and/or LFA-1 to study their crosstalk at the immunological synapse and their contribution to degranulation and intracellular signaling in antibody-targeted or CAR-targeted NK cells. RESULTS Blockade of LFA-1 or absence of ICAM-1 significantly reduced cell killing and cytokine release during trastuzumab-mediated ADCC against ErbB2-positive breast cancer cells, but not so in CAR-targeted NK cells. Pretreatment with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine induced ICAM-1 upregulation and reversed NK cell resistance in ADCC. Trastuzumab alone did not sufficiently activate NK cells and required additional LFA-1 co-stimulation, while activation of the ErbB2-CAR in CAR-NK cells induced efficient degranulation independent of LFA-1. Total internal reflection fluorescence single molecule imaging revealed that CAR-NK cells formed an irregular immunological synapse with tumor cells that excluded ICAM-1, while trastuzumab formed typical peripheral supramolecular activation cluster (pSMAC) structures. Mechanistically, the absence of ICAM-1 did not affect cell-cell adhesion during ADCC, but rather resulted in decreased signaling via Pyk2 and ERK1/2, which was intrinsically provided by CAR-mediated targeting. Furthermore, while stimulation of the inhibitory NK cell checkpoint molecule NKG2A markedly reduced FcγRIIIa/LFA-1-mediated degranulation, retargeting by CAR was only marginally affected. CONCLUSIONS Downregulation of ICAM-1 on breast cancer cells is a critical escape mechanism from trastuzumab-triggered ADCC. In contrast, CAR-NK cells are able to overcome cancer cell resistance caused by ICAM-1 reduction, highlighting the potential of CAR-NK cells in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiri Eitler
- Experimental Transfusion Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine Dresden, German Red Cross Blood Donation Service North-East, Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Wiebke Rackwitz
- Experimental Transfusion Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine Dresden, German Red Cross Blood Donation Service North-East, Dresden, Germany
| | - Natalie Wotschel
- Experimental Transfusion Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine Dresden, German Red Cross Blood Donation Service North-East, Dresden, Germany
| | - Venugopal Gudipati
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nivedha Murali Shankar
- Experimental Transfusion Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine Dresden, German Red Cross Blood Donation Service North-East, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anastasia Sidorenkova
- Experimental Transfusion Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine Dresden, German Red Cross Blood Donation Service North-East, Dresden, Germany
| | - Johannes B Huppa
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Paola Ortiz-Montero
- Experimental Transfusion Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine Dresden, German Red Cross Blood Donation Service North-East, Dresden, Germany
| | - Corinna Opitz
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine Dresden, German Red Cross Blood Donation Service North-East, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stephan R Künzel
- Experimental Transfusion Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine Dresden, German Red Cross Blood Donation Service North-East, Dresden, Germany
| | - Susanne Michen
- TU Dresden, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Experimental Neurosurgery and Tumor Immunology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Achim Temme
- TU Dresden, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Experimental Neurosurgery and Tumor Immunology, Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Dresden, Germany; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Dresden, Germany
| | - Liliana Rodrigues Loureiro
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anja Feldmann
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases Dresden (NCT/UCC), Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael Bachmann
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases Dresden (NCT/UCC), Dresden, Germany
| | | | | | - Winfried S Wels
- Georg-Speyer-Haus, Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz, a partnership between DKFZ and University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Torsten Tonn
- Experimental Transfusion Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine Dresden, German Red Cross Blood Donation Service North-East, Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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7
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Goh W, Sudholz H, Foroutan M, Scheer S, Pfefferle A, Delconte RB, Meng X, Shen Z, Hennessey R, Kong IY, Schuster IS, Andoniou CE, Davis MJ, Hediyeh-Zadeh S, Souza-Fonseca-Guimaraes F, Parish IA, Beavis P, Thiele D, Chopin M, Degli-Esposti MA, Cursons J, Kallies A, Rautela J, Nutt SL, Huntington ND. IKAROS and AIOLOS directly regulate AP-1 transcriptional complexes and are essential for NK cell development. Nat Immunol 2024; 25:240-255. [PMID: 38182668 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-023-01718-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Ikaros transcription factors are essential for adaptive lymphocyte function, yet their role in innate lymphopoiesis is unknown. Using conditional genetic inactivation, we show that Ikzf1/Ikaros is essential for normal natural killer (NK) cell lymphopoiesis and IKZF1 directly represses Cish, a negative regulator of interleukin-15 receptor resulting in impaired interleukin-15 receptor signaling. Both Bcl2l11 and BIM levels, and intrinsic apoptosis were increased in Ikzf1-null NK cells, which in part accounts for NK lymphopenia as both were restored to normal levels when Ikzf1 and Bcl2l11 were co-deleted. Ikzf1-null NK cells presented extensive transcriptional alterations with reduced AP-1 transcriptional complex expression and increased expression of Ikzf2/Helios and Ikzf3/Aiolos. IKZF1 and IKZF3 directly bound AP-1 family members and deletion of both Ikzf1 and Ikzf3 in NK cells resulted in further reductions in Jun/Fos expression and complete loss of peripheral NK cells. Collectively, we show that Ikaros family members are important regulators of apoptosis, cytokine responsiveness and AP-1 transcriptional activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilford Goh
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Harrison Sudholz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Momeneh Foroutan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- oNKo-Innate Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sebastian Scheer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Aline Pfefferle
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- oNKo-Innate Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rebecca B Delconte
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xiangpeng Meng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Zihan Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Robert Hennessey
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Isabella Y Kong
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Iona S Schuster
- Infection and Immunity Program and Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Experimental Immunology, Lions Eye Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Christopher E Andoniou
- Infection and Immunity Program and Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Experimental Immunology, Lions Eye Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Melissa J Davis
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Frazer Institute, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia
- The South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute (SAiGENCI), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Soroor Hediyeh-Zadeh
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Ian A Parish
- Cancer Immunology Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul Beavis
- Cancer Immunology Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Daniel Thiele
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael Chopin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mariapia A Degli-Esposti
- Infection and Immunity Program and Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Experimental Immunology, Lions Eye Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Joe Cursons
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- oNKo-Innate Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Axel Kallies
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences & Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jai Rautela
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- oNKo-Innate Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stephen L Nutt
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nicholas D Huntington
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
- oNKo-Innate Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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8
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Vivier E, Rebuffet L, Narni-Mancinelli E, Cornen S, Igarashi RY, Fantin VR. Natural killer cell therapies. Nature 2024; 626:727-736. [PMID: 38383621 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06945-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes of the innate immune system. A key feature of NK cells is their ability to recognize a wide range of cells in distress, particularly tumour cells and cells infected with viruses. They combine both direct effector functions against their cellular targets and participate in the generation, shaping and maintenance of a multicellular immune response. As our understanding has deepened, several therapeutic strategies focused on NK cells have been conceived and are currently in various stages of development, from preclinical investigations to clinical trials. Here we explore in detail the complexity of NK cell biology in humans and highlight the role of these cells in cancer immunity. We also analyse the harnessing of NK cell immunity through immune checkpoint inhibitors, NK cell engagers, and infusions of preactivated or genetically modified, autologous or allogeneic NK cell products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Vivier
- Innate Pharma Research Laboratories, Innate Pharma, Marseille, France.
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, INSERM, Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Marseille, France.
- APHM, Hôpital de la Timone, Marseille-Immunopôle, Marseille, France.
- Paris-Saclay Cancer Cluster, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
| | - Lucas Rebuffet
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, INSERM, Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Marseille, France
| | - Emilie Narni-Mancinelli
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, INSERM, Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Marseille, France
| | - Stéphanie Cornen
- Innate Pharma Research Laboratories, Innate Pharma, Marseille, France
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9
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Lee H, Park SH, Shin EC. IL-15 in T-Cell Responses and Immunopathogenesis. Immune Netw 2024; 24:e11. [PMID: 38455459 PMCID: PMC10917573 DOI: 10.4110/in.2024.24.e11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2024] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
IL-15 belongs to the common gamma chain cytokine family and has pleiotropic immunological functions. IL-15 is a homeostatic cytokine essential for the development and maintenance of NK cells and memory CD8+ T cells. In addition, IL-15 plays a critical role in the activation, effector functions, tissue residency, and senescence of CD8+ T cells. IL-15 also activates virtual memory T cells, mucosal-associated invariant T cells and γδ T cells. Recently, IL-15 has been highlighted as a major trigger of TCR-independent activation of T cells. This mechanism is involved in T cell-mediated immunopathogenesis in diverse diseases, including viral infections and chronic inflammatory diseases. Deeper understanding of IL-15-mediated T-cell responses and their underlying mechanisms could optimize therapeutic strategies to ameliorate host injury by T cell-mediated immunopathogenesis. This review highlights recent advancements in comprehending the role of IL-15 in relation to T cell responses and immunopathogenesis under various host conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoyoung Lee
- The Center for Viral Immunology, Korea Virus Research Institute, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34126, Korea
| | - Su-Hyung Park
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Eui-Cheol Shin
- The Center for Viral Immunology, Korea Virus Research Institute, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34126, Korea
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
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10
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Miyahira AK, Soule HR. The 29th Annual Prostate Cancer Foundation Scientific Retreat Report. Prostate 2024; 84:113-130. [PMID: 37915138 DOI: 10.1002/pros.24640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The 29th Annual Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) Scientific Retreat was held from October 27 to 29, 2022, at the Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, CA. This was the first-ever hybrid PCF Retreat. METHODS The Annual PCF Scientific Retreat is a prominent international scientific gathering centered on groundbreaking, unpublished, and influential studies in basic, translational, and clinical prostate cancer research. It also covers research from related fields with a strong potential for influencing prostate cancer research and patient care. RESULTS Key areas of research that were focused on at the 2022 PCF Retreat included: (i) the contributions of molecular and genomic factors to prostate cancer disparities; (ii) novel clinical trial updates; (iii) lessons from primary prostate cancer; (iv) lessons from single-cell studies; (v) genetic, epigenetic, epitranscriptomic and posttranslational mechanisms and clinical heterogeneity in prostate cancer; (vi) biology of neuroendocrine and lineage-plastic prostate cancer; (vii) next generation prostate cancer theranostics and combination therapies; (viii) the biology and therapeutic potential of targeting phosphoinositide 3-kinases pathways; (ix) combining immunomodulatory treatments for prostate cancer; (x) novel gamma delta (γδ) T-cell therapy platforms for oncology; and (xi) lessons from other cancers. CONCLUSIONS This article provides a summary of the presentations from the 2022 PCF Scientific Retreat. By disseminating this knowledge, we hope to enhance our understanding of the present research landscape and guide future strides in both prostate cancer research and patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea K Miyahira
- Science Department, Prostate Cancer Foundation, Santa Monica, California, USA
| | - Howard R Soule
- Science Department, Prostate Cancer Foundation, Santa Monica, California, USA
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11
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Skariah N, James OJ, Swamy M. Signalling mechanisms driving homeostatic and inflammatory effects of interleukin-15 on tissue lymphocytes. DISCOVERY IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 3:kyae002. [PMID: 38405398 PMCID: PMC10883678 DOI: 10.1093/discim/kyae002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
There is an intriguing dichotomy in the function of cytokine interleukin-15-at low levels, it is required for the homeostasis of the immune system, yet when it is upregulated in response to pathogenic infections or in autoimmunity, IL-15 drives inflammation. IL-15 associates with the IL-15Rα within both myeloid and non-haematopoietic cells, where IL-15Rα trans-presents IL-15 in a membrane-bound form to neighboring cells. Alongside homeostatic maintenance of select lymphocyte populations such as NK cells and tissue-resident T cells, when upregulated, IL-15 also promotes inflammatory outcomes by driving effector function and cytotoxicity in NK cells and T cells. As chronic over-expression of IL-15 can lead to autoimmunity, IL-15 expression is tightly regulated. Thus, blocking dysregulated IL-15 and its downstream signalling pathways are avenues for immunotherapy. In this review we discuss the molecular pathways involved in IL-15 signalling and how these pathways contribute to both homeostatic and inflammatory functions in IL-15-dependent mature lymphoid populations, focusing on innate, and innate-like lymphocytes in tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neema Skariah
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Olivia J James
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Mahima Swamy
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
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12
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Wang K, Wang L, Wang Y, Xiao L, Wei J, Hu Y, Wang D, Huang H. Reprogramming natural killer cells for cancer therapy. Mol Ther 2024:S1525-0016(24)00027-3. [PMID: 38273655 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.01.027] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The last decade has seen rapid development in the field of cellular immunotherapy, particularly in regard to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cells. However, challenges, such as severe treatment-related toxicities and inconsistent quality of autologous products, have hindered the broader use of CAR-T cell therapy, highlighting the need to explore alternative immune cells for cancer targeting. In this regard, natural killer (NK) cells have been extensively studied in cellular immunotherapy and were found to exert cytotoxic effects without being restricted by human leukocyte antigen and have a lower risk of causing graft-versus-host disease; making them favorable for the development of readily available "off-the-shelf" products. Clinical trials utilizing unedited NK cells or reprogrammed NK cells have shown early signs of their effectiveness against tumors. However, limitations, including limited in vivo persistence and expansion potential, remained. To enhance the antitumor function of NK cells, advanced gene-editing technologies and combination approaches have been explored. In this review, we summarize current clinical trials of antitumor NK cell therapy, provide an overview of innovative strategies for reprogramming NK cells, which include improvements in persistence, cytotoxicity, trafficking and the ability to counteract the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and also discuss some potential combination therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kexin Wang
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Zhejiang Province Engineering Research Center for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Linqin Wang
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Zhejiang Province Engineering Research Center for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yiyun Wang
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Zhejiang Province Engineering Research Center for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Lu Xiao
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Jieping Wei
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Zhejiang Province Engineering Research Center for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yongxian Hu
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Zhejiang Province Engineering Research Center for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
| | - Dongrui Wang
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Zhejiang Province Engineering Research Center for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
| | - He Huang
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Zhejiang Province Engineering Research Center for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
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13
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Pan W, Tao T, Qiu Y, Zhu X, Zhou X. Natural killer cells at the forefront of cancer immunotherapy with immune potency, genetic engineering, and nanotechnology. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2024; 193:104231. [PMID: 38070841 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.104231] [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: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are vital components of the human immune system, acting as innate lymphocytes and playing a crucial role in immune surveillance. Their unique ability to independently eliminate target cells without antigen contact or antibodies has sparked interest in immunological research. This review examines recent NK cell developments and applications, encompassing immune functions, interactions with target cells, genetic engineering techniques, pharmaceutical interventions, and implications in cancers. Insights into NK cell regulation emerge, with a focus on promising genetic engineering like CAR-engineered NK cells, enhancing specificity against tumors. Immune checkpoint inhibitors also enhance NK cells' potential in cancer therapy. Nanotechnology's emergence as a tool for targeted drug delivery to improve NK cell therapies is explored. In conclusion, NK cells are pivotal in immunity, holding exciting potential in cancer immunotherapy. Ongoing research promises novel therapeutic strategies, advancing immunotherapy and medical interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyi Pan
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, China; School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Tao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zibo Central Hospital, Zibo, China
| | - Yishu Qiu
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Science, New York University, New York, USA
| | - Xiao Zhu
- Computational Systems Biology Lab (CSBL), The Marine Biomedical Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China.
| | - Xiaorong Zhou
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, China.
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14
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Li L, Li A, Jin H, Li M, Jia Q. Inhibitory receptors and checkpoints on NK cells: Implications for cancer immunotherapy. Pathol Res Pract 2024; 253:155003. [PMID: 38042093 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.155003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
With the success of immunosuppressive checkpoint in tumor therapy, the corresponding adverse response and drug resistance defects have been exposed. T cells and NK cells are the body's immune system of the two substantial main forces. in recent years, study of T cell checkpoints appeared a certain block, such as PD-1 the effect not benign, on the distribution of NK cell surface excitatory and inhibitory receptors under normal conditions to maintain steady, could be targeted in the tumor treatment blockade have therapeutic effect. This paper reviews the function of NK cells and the effects of corresponding receptors in various types of tumors, providing a direction for the selection of appropriate gate control sites for future treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingfei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Pathology, Xijing Hospital and School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Ang Li
- Department of Cardiology, 2nd Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Hai Jin
- Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, Shenyang, China.
| | - Mingyang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Pathology, Xijing Hospital and School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
| | - Qingge Jia
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Xi'an International Medical Center Hospital, Northwest University, Xi'an, China.
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15
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Wu WC, Shiu C, Tong TK, Leung SO, Hui CW. Suppression of NK Cell Activation by JAK3 Inhibition: Implication in the Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases. J Immunol Res 2023; 2023:8924603. [PMID: 38106519 PMCID: PMC10723930 DOI: 10.1155/2023/8924603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cell is an essential cytotoxic lymphocyte in our innate immunity. Activation of NK cells is of paramount importance in defending against pathogens, suppressing autoantibody production and regulating other immune cells. Common gamma chain (γc) cytokines, including IL-2, IL-15, and IL-21, are defined as essential regulators for NK cell homeostasis and development. However, it is inconclusive whether γc cytokine-driven NK cell activation plays a protective or pathogenic role in the development of autoimmunity. In this study, we investigate and correlate the differential effects of γc cytokines in NK cell expansion and activation. IL-2 and IL-15 are mainly responsible for NK cell activation, while IL-21 preferentially stimulates NK cell proliferation. Blockade of Janus tyrosine kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway by either JAK inhibitors or antibodies targeting γc receptor subunits reverses the γc cytokine-induced NK cell activation, leading to suppression of its autoimmunity-like phenotype in vitro. These results underline the mechanisms of how γc cytokines trigger autoimmune phenotype in NK cells as a potential target to autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wai Chung Wu
- SinoMab BioScience Limited, Units 303 and 305 to 307, No. 15 Science Park West Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park, Pak Shek Kok, New Territories, Hong Kong
| | - Carol Shiu
- SinoMab BioScience Limited, Units 303 and 305 to 307, No. 15 Science Park West Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park, Pak Shek Kok, New Territories, Hong Kong
| | - Tak Keung Tong
- SinoMab BioScience Limited, Units 303 and 305 to 307, No. 15 Science Park West Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park, Pak Shek Kok, New Territories, Hong Kong
| | - Shui On Leung
- SinoMab BioScience Limited, Units 303 and 305 to 307, No. 15 Science Park West Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park, Pak Shek Kok, New Territories, Hong Kong
| | - Chin Wai Hui
- SinoMab BioScience Limited, Units 303 and 305 to 307, No. 15 Science Park West Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park, Pak Shek Kok, New Territories, Hong Kong
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16
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McMahon RA, D'Souza C, Neeson PJ, Siva S. Innate immunity: Looking beyond T-cells in radiation and immunotherapy combinations. Neoplasia 2023; 46:100940. [PMID: 37913654 PMCID: PMC10637988 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2023.100940] [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: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Radiation therapy is an established and effective anti-cancer treatment modality. Extensive pre-clinical experimentation has demonstrated that the pro-inflammatory properties of irradiation may be synergistic with checkpoint immunotherapy. Radiation induces double-stranded DNA breaks (dsDNA). Sensing of the dsDNA activates the cGAS/STING pathway, producing Type 1 interferons essential to recruiting antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Radiation promotes cytotoxic CD8 T-cell recruitment by releasing tumour-associated antigens captured and cross-presented by surveying antigen-presenting cells. Radiation-induced vascular normalisation may further promote T-cell trafficking and drug delivery. Radiation is also immunosuppressive. Recruitment of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and innate cells such as myeloid-derived suppressive cells (m-MDSCs) all counteract the immunostimulatory properties of radiation. Many innate immune cell types operate at the interface of the adaptive immune response. Innate immune cells, such as m-MDSCs, can exert their immunosuppressive effects by expressing immune checkpoints such as PD-L1, further highlighting the potential of combined radiation and checkpoint immunotherapy. Several early-phase clinical studies investigating the combination of radiation and immunotherapy have been disappointing. A greater appreciation of radiotherapy's impact on the innate immune system is essential to optimise radioimmunotherapy combinations. This review will summarise the impact of radiotherapy on crucial cells of the innate immune system and vital immunosuppressive cytokines.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A McMahon
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - C D'Souza
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - P J Neeson
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - S Siva
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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17
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Wang Y, Jin S, Zhuang Q, Liu N, Chen R, Adam SA, Jin J, Sun J. Chimeric antigen receptor natural killer cells: a promising antitumor immunotherapy. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e422. [PMID: 38045827 PMCID: PMC10691297 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.422] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have been successfully used in adoptive cell therapy for malignancies. However, some obstacles, including side effects such as graft-versus-host disease and cytokine release syndrome, therapy resistance, limited sources, as well as high cost, limited the application of CAR T cells. Recently, CAR natural killer (NK) cells have been pursued as the effector cells for adoptive immunotherapy for their attractive merits of strong intrinsic antitumor activity and relatively mild side effects. Additionally, CAR NK cells can be available from various sources and do not require strict human leukocyte antigen matching, which suggests them as promising "off-the-shelf" products for clinical application. Although the use of CAR NK cells is restrained by the limited proliferation and impaired efficiency within the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, further investigation in optimizing CAR structure and combination therapies will overcome these challenges. This review will summarize the advancement of CAR NK cells, CAR NK cell manufacture, the clinical outcomes of CAR NK therapy, the challenges in the field, and prospective solutions. Besides, we will discuss the emerging application of other immune cells for CAR engineering. Collectively, this comprehensive review will provide a valuable and informative summary of current progress and evaluate challenges and future opportunities of CAR NK cells in tumor treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- Department of HematologyThe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Hematologic MalignanciesDiagnosis, and TreatmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Shengjie Jin
- Department of HematologyThe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Hematologic MalignanciesDiagnosis, and TreatmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Qiqi Zhuang
- Department of HematologyThe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Hematologic MalignanciesDiagnosis, and TreatmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Na Liu
- Department of HematologyThe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Hematologic MalignanciesDiagnosis, and TreatmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Department of OncologyAffiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical UniversitySchool of Clinical MedicineWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangShandongChina
| | - Ruyi Chen
- Department of HematologyThe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Hematologic MalignanciesDiagnosis, and TreatmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Sofia Abdulkadir Adam
- Key Laboratory of Hematologic MalignanciesDiagnosis, and TreatmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Jie Jin
- Department of HematologyThe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Hematologic MalignanciesDiagnosis, and TreatmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Zhejiang University Cancer CenterHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Hematological DisordersHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Jie Sun
- Department of HematologyThe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Hematologic MalignanciesDiagnosis, and TreatmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Hematological DisordersHangzhouZhejiangChina
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18
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Kumar V, Mahato RI. Natural killer cells for pancreatic cancer immunotherapy: Role of nanoparticles. Cancer Lett 2023; 579:216462. [PMID: 37924937 PMCID: PMC10842153 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Advanced pancreatic cancer patients have a dismal prognosis despite advances in integrative therapy. The field of tumor immunology has witnessed significant advancements for cancer treatment. However, immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer is not very effective due to its highly complex tumor microenvironment (TME). Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes that play an important role in the innate immune system. NK cells do not require antigen pre-sensitization, nor are they confined by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). NK cells have the potential to eliminate cancer cells through CAR-dependent and CAR-independent pathways, demonstrating reduced levels of systemic toxicity in the process. The availability of several potential sources of NK cells is an additional benefit that contributes to meeting the therapeutic criteria. Adding nanotechnology to enhance the functions of effector NK cells is also an appealing strategy. This article primarily discusses various approaches recently been utilized to enhance the NK functions for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. In addition, new advances in boosting NK cell therapeutic efficacy by nanoparticle mediation are presented, with a focus on pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virender Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Ram I Mahato
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA.
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19
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Ko E, Yoon T, Lee Y, Kim J, Park YB. ADSC secretome constrains NK cell activity by attenuating IL-2-mediated JAK-STAT and AKT signaling pathway via upregulation of CIS and DUSP4. Stem Cell Res Ther 2023; 14:329. [PMID: 37964351 PMCID: PMC10648656 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-023-03516-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have immunomodulatory properties and therapeutic effects on autoimmune diseases through their secreted factors, referred to as the secretome. However, the specific key factors of the MSC secretome and their mechanisms of action in immune cells have not been fully determined. Most in vitro experiments are being performed using immune cells, but experiments using natural killer (NK) cells have been neglected, and a few studies using NK cells have shown discrepancies in results. NK cells are crucial elements of the immune system, and adjustment of their activity is essential for controlling various pathological conditions. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of the adipose tissue-derived stem cell (ADSC) secretome on NK cell activity. METHODS To obtain the ADSC secretome, we cultured ADSCs in medium and concentrated the culture medium using tangential flow filtration (TFF) capsules. We assessed NK cell viability and proliferation using CCK-8 and CFSE assays, respectively. We analyzed the effects of the ADSC secretome on NK cell activity and pathway-related proteins using a combination of flow cytometry, ELISA, cytotoxicity assay, CD107a assay, western blotting, and quantitative real-time PCR. To identify the composition of the ADSC secretome, we performed LC-MS/MS profiling and bioinformatics analysis. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved, we used mRNA sequencing to profile the transcriptional expression of human blood NK cells. RESULTS The ADSC secretome was found to restrict IL-2-mediated effector function of NK cells while maintaining proliferative potency. This effect was achieved through the upregulation of the inhibitory receptor CD96, as well as downregulation of activating receptors and IL-2 receptor subunits IL-2Rα and IL-2Rγ. These changes were associated with attenuated JAK-STAT and AKT pathways in NK cells, which were achieved through the upregulation of cytokine-inducible SH2-containing protein (CIS, encoded by Cish) and dual specificity protein phosphatase 4 (DUSP4). Furthermore, proteomic analysis revealed twelve novel candidates associated with the immunomodulatory effects of MSCs. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reveal a detailed cellular outcome and regulatory mechanism of NK cell activity by the ADSC secretome and suggest a therapeutic tool for treating NK-mediated inflammatory and autoimmune diseases using the MSC secretome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunhee Ko
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
- Institute for Immunology and Immunological Diseases, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Taejun Yoon
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
- Institute for Immunology and Immunological Diseases, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoojin Lee
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
- Institute for Immunology and Immunological Diseases, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
- Department of Microbiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongsun Kim
- Institute for Immunology and Immunological Diseases, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
- Department of Microbiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Beom Park
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
- Institute for Immunology and Immunological Diseases, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
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20
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Lakkavaram AL, Maymand S, Naser W, Ward AC, de Koning-Ward TF. Cish knockout mice exhibit similar outcomes to malaria infection despite altered hematopoietic responses. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1288876. [PMID: 38029163 PMCID: PMC10653303 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1288876] [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: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The Cytokine-inducible Src homology 2 domain-containing (CISH) protein is a negative feedback regulator induced by cytokines that play key roles in immunity and erythropoiesis. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human CISH gene have been associated with increased susceptibility to severe malaria disease. To directly assess how CISH might influence outcomes in the BALB/c model of malaria anemia, CISH knockout (Cish-/-) mice on this background were infected with Plasmodium berghei and their hematopoietic responses, cytokine production and ability to succumb to severe malaria disease evaluated. Despite basal erythrocytic disruption, upon P. berghei infection, the Cish -/- mice were better able to maintain peripheral blood cell counts, hemoglobin levels and a steady-state pattern of erythroid differentiation compared to wild-type (Cish+/+) mice. Ablation of CISH, however, did not influence the outcome of acute malaria infections in either the BALB/c model or the alternative C57BL/6 model of experimental cerebral malaria, with the kinetics of infection, parasite load, weight loss and cytokine responses being similar between Cish+/+ and Cish-/- mice, and both genotypes succumbed to experimental cerebral malaria within a comparable timeframe.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Saeed Maymand
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia
| | - Wasan Naser
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia
- College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Alister C. Ward
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia
- Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Tania F. de Koning-Ward
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia
- Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Geelong, VIC, Australia
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21
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Borde S, Matosevic S. Metabolic adaptation of NK cell activity and behavior in tumors: challenges and therapeutic opportunities. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2023; 44:832-848. [PMID: 37770314 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2023.08.009] [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: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
The adaptation of natural killer (NK) cells to conditions in the microenvironment of tumors is deeply affected by their metabolic activity, itself a result of nutrient availability and the metabolism of the cancer cells themselves. Elevated rates of glycolysis and lipid metabolism in cancers not only lead to the accumulation of immunosuppressive byproducts but also contribute to an environment of elevated concentrations of extracellular metabolites. This results in altered NK cell bioenergetics through changes in transcriptional and translational profiles, ultimately affecting their pharmacology and impairing NK cell responses. However, understanding the metabolic processes that drive alterations in immunological signaling on NK cells remains both difficult and vastly underexplored. We discuss the varied and complex drivers of NK cell metabolism in homeostasis and the tumor microenvironment (TME), challenges associated with their targetability, and unexplored therapeutic opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shambhavi Borde
- Department of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Sandro Matosevic
- Department of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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22
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Ma S, Caligiuri MA, Yu J. Harnessing Natural Killer Cells for Lung Cancer Therapy. Cancer Res 2023; 83:3327-3339. [PMID: 37531223 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-1097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Although natural killer (NK) cells are garnering interest as a potential anticancer therapy because they selectively recognize and eliminate cancer cells, their use in treating solid tumors, including lung cancer, has been limited due to impediments to their efficacy, such as their limited ability to reach tumor tissues, the reduced antitumor activity of tumor-infiltrating NK cells, and the suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). This comprehensive review provides an in-depth analysis of the cross-talk between the lung cancer TME and NK cells. We highlight the various mechanisms used by the TME to modulate NK-cell phenotypes and limit infiltration, explore the role of the TME in limiting the antitumor activity of NK cells, and discuss the current challenges and obstacles that hinder the success of NK-cell-based immunotherapy for lung cancer. Potential opportunities and promising strategies to address these challenges have been implemented or are being developed to optimize NK-cell-based immunotherapy for lung cancer. Through critical evaluation of existing literature and emerging trends, this review provides a comprehensive outlook on the future of NK-cell-based immunotherapy for treating lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoubao Ma
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
- Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Michael A Caligiuri
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
- Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, City of Hope, Los Angeles, California
| | - Jianhua Yu
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
- Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, City of Hope, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Los Angeles, California
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23
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Yu S, Lin Y, Li Y, Chen S, Zhou L, Song H, Yang C, Zhang H, Zhou J, Sun S, Li Y, Chen J, Feng R, Qiao N, Xie Y, Zhang R, Yin T, Chen S, Li Q, Zhu J, Qu J. Systemic immune profiling of Omicron-infected subjects inoculated with different doses of inactivated virus vaccine. Cell 2023; 186:4615-4631.e16. [PMID: 37769658 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.08.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 primary strain-based vaccination exerts a protective effect against Omicron variants-initiated infection, symptom occurrence, and disease severity in a booster-dependent manner. Yet, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. During the 2022 Omicron outbreak in Shanghai, we enrolled 122 infected adults and 50 uninfected controls who had been unvaccinated or vaccinated with two or three doses of COVID-19 inactive vaccines and performed integrative analysis of 41-plex CyTOF, RNA-seq, and Olink on their peripheral blood samples. The frequencies of HLA-DRhi classical monocytes, non-classical monocytes, and Th1-like Tem tended to increase, whereas the frequency of Treg was reduced by booster vaccine, and they influenced symptom occurrence in a vaccine dose-dependent manner. Intercorrelation and mechanistic analysis suggested that the booster vaccination induced monocytic training, which would prime monocytic activation and maturation rather than differentiating into myeloid-derived suppressive cells upon Omicron infections. Overall, our study provides insights into how booster vaccination elaborates protective immunity across SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanhe Yu
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; Key Laboratory of Emergency Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yingni Lin
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; Key Laboratory of Emergency Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yong Li
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; Key Laboratory of Emergency Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Shijun Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Lina Zhou
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; Key Laboratory of Emergency Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Hejie Song
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; Key Laboratory of Emergency Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Cuiping Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201801, China
| | - Haiqing Zhang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; Key Laboratory of Emergency Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Jianping Zhou
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; Key Laboratory of Emergency Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Shunchang Sun
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201801, China
| | - Yanan Li
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; Key Laboratory of Emergency Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Juan Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Ruixue Feng
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Niu Qiao
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yinyin Xie
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Ruihong Zhang
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Tong Yin
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Saijuan Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
| | - Qingyun Li
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; Key Laboratory of Emergency Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Shanghai 200025, China.
| | - Jiang Zhu
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; Key Laboratory of Emergency Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Shanghai 200025, China.
| | - Jieming Qu
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; Key Laboratory of Emergency Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Shanghai 200025, China; National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Shanghai 200025, China.
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24
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Maymand S, Lakkavaram AL, Naser W, Rasighaemi P, Dlugolenski D, Liongue C, Stambas J, de Koning-Ward TF, Ward AC. Role of Cytokine-Inducible SH2 Domain-Containing (CISH) Protein in the Regulation of Erythropoiesis. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1510. [PMID: 37892192 PMCID: PMC10604548 DOI: 10.3390/biom13101510] [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: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The cytokine-inducible SH2 domain-containing (CISH) protein was the first member of the suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) family of negative feedback regulators discovered, being identified in vitro as an inducible inhibitor of erythropoietin (EPO) signaling. However, understanding of the physiological role played by CISH in erythropoiesis has remained limited. To directly assess the function of CISH in this context, mice deficient in CISH were characterized with respect to developmental, steady-state, and EPO-induced erythropoiesis. CISH was strongly expressed in the fetal liver, but CISH knockout (KO) mice showed only minor disruption of primitive erythropoiesis. However, adults exhibited mild macrocytic anemia coincident with subtle perturbation particularly of bone marrow erythropoiesis, with EPO-induced erythropoiesis blunted in the bone marrow of KO mice but enhanced in the spleen. Cish was expressed basally in the bone marrow with induction following EPO stimulation in bone marrow and spleen. Overall, this study indicates that CISH participates in the control of both basal and EPO-induced erythropoiesis in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeed Maymand
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia; (S.M.); (A.L.L.); (W.N.); (P.R.); (D.D.); (C.L.); (J.S.); (T.F.d.K.-W.)
| | - Asha L. Lakkavaram
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia; (S.M.); (A.L.L.); (W.N.); (P.R.); (D.D.); (C.L.); (J.S.); (T.F.d.K.-W.)
| | - Wasan Naser
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia; (S.M.); (A.L.L.); (W.N.); (P.R.); (D.D.); (C.L.); (J.S.); (T.F.d.K.-W.)
- College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad 10071, Iraq
| | - Parisa Rasighaemi
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia; (S.M.); (A.L.L.); (W.N.); (P.R.); (D.D.); (C.L.); (J.S.); (T.F.d.K.-W.)
| | - Daniel Dlugolenski
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia; (S.M.); (A.L.L.); (W.N.); (P.R.); (D.D.); (C.L.); (J.S.); (T.F.d.K.-W.)
| | - Clifford Liongue
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia; (S.M.); (A.L.L.); (W.N.); (P.R.); (D.D.); (C.L.); (J.S.); (T.F.d.K.-W.)
- Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia
| | - John Stambas
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia; (S.M.); (A.L.L.); (W.N.); (P.R.); (D.D.); (C.L.); (J.S.); (T.F.d.K.-W.)
- Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia
| | - Tania F. de Koning-Ward
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia; (S.M.); (A.L.L.); (W.N.); (P.R.); (D.D.); (C.L.); (J.S.); (T.F.d.K.-W.)
- Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia
| | - Alister C. Ward
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia; (S.M.); (A.L.L.); (W.N.); (P.R.); (D.D.); (C.L.); (J.S.); (T.F.d.K.-W.)
- Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia
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25
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Murali Shankar N, Ortiz-Montero P, Kurzyukova A, Rackwitz W, Künzel SR, Wels WS, Tonn T, Knopf F, Eitler J. Preclinical assessment of CAR-NK cell-mediated killing efficacy and pharmacokinetics in a rapid zebrafish xenograft model of metastatic breast cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1254821. [PMID: 37885894 PMCID: PMC10599014 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1254821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are attractive effectors for adoptive immunotherapy of cancer. Results from first-in-human studies using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered primary NK cells and NK-92 cells are encouraging in terms of efficacy and safety. In order to further improve treatment strategies and to test the efficacy of CAR-NK cells in a personalized manner, preclinical screening assays using patient-derived tumor samples are needed. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos and larvae represent an attractive xenograft model to study growth and dissemination of patient-derived tumor cells because of their superb live cell imaging properties. Injection into the organism's circulation allows investigation of metastasis, cancer cell-to-immune cell-interactions and studies of the tumor cell response to anti-cancer drugs. Here, we established a zebrafish larval xenograft model to test the efficacy of CAR-NK cells against metastatic breast cancer in vivo by injecting metastatic breast cancer cells followed by CAR-NK cell injection into the Duct of Cuvier (DoC). We validated the functionality of the system with two different CAR-NK cell lines specific for PD-L1 and ErbB2 (PD-L1.CAR NK-92 and ErbB2.CAR NK-92 cells) against the PD-L1-expressing MDA-MB-231 and ErbB2-expressing MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cell lines. Injected cancer cells were viable and populated peripheral regions of the larvae, including the caudal hematopoietic tissue (CHT), simulating homing of cancer cells to blood forming sites. CAR-NK cells injected 2.5 hours later migrated to the CHT and rapidly eliminated individual cancer cells throughout the organism. Unmodified NK-92 also demonstrated minor in vivo cytotoxicity. Confocal live-cell imaging demonstrated intravascular migration and real-time interaction of CAR-NK cells with MDA-MB-231 cells, explaining the rapid and effective in vivo cytotoxicity. Thus, our data suggest that zebrafish larvae can be used for rapid and cost-effective in vivo assessment of CAR-NK cell potency and to predict patient response to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nivedha Murali Shankar
- Transfusion Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine Dresden, German Red Cross Blood Donation Service North-East, Dresden, Germany
- CRTD - Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Paola Ortiz-Montero
- Transfusion Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine Dresden, German Red Cross Blood Donation Service North-East, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anastasia Kurzyukova
- CRTD - Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Wiebke Rackwitz
- Transfusion Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine Dresden, German Red Cross Blood Donation Service North-East, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stephan R. Künzel
- Transfusion Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine Dresden, German Red Cross Blood Donation Service North-East, Dresden, Germany
| | - Winfried S. Wels
- Georg-Speyer-Haus, Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Torsten Tonn
- Transfusion Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine Dresden, German Red Cross Blood Donation Service North-East, Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Franziska Knopf
- CRTD - Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jiri Eitler
- Transfusion Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine Dresden, German Red Cross Blood Donation Service North-East, Dresden, Germany
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26
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Sudholz H, Delconte RB, Huntington ND. Interleukin-15 cytokine checkpoints in natural killer cell anti-tumor immunity. Curr Opin Immunol 2023; 84:102364. [PMID: 37451129 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2023.102364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Over recent years, the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has progressed to first and second-line treatments in several cancer types, transforming patient outcomes. While these treatments target T cell checkpoints, such as PD-1, LAG3 and CTLA-4, their efficacy can be compromised through adaptive resistance whereby tumors acquire mutations in genes regulating neoantigen presentation by MHC-I [93]. ICI-responsive tumor types such as advanced metastatic melanoma typically have a high mutational burden and immune infiltration; however, most patients still do not benefit from ICI monotherapy for a number of reasons [94]. This highlights the need for novel immunotherapy strategies that evoke the immune control of tumor cells with low neoantigen/MHC-I expression, overcome immune suppressive tumor microenvironments and promote tumor inflammation. In this regard, targeting natural killer (NK) cells may offer a solution to some of these bottlenecks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harrison Sudholz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Rebecca B Delconte
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York 10065, USA
| | - Nicholas D Huntington
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia; oNKo-Innate Pty Ltd, Moonee Ponds, Victoria 3039, Australia.
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27
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Elanany MM, Mostafa D, Hamdy NM. Remodeled tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) parade via natural killer cells reprogramming in breast cancer. Life Sci 2023; 330:121997. [PMID: 37536617 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.121997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the main cause of cancer-related mortality among women globally. Despite substantial advances in the identification and management of primary tumors, traditional therapies including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation cannot completely eliminate the danger of relapse and metastatic illness. Metastasis is controlled by microenvironmental and systemic mechanisms, including immunosurveillance. This led to the evolvement of immunotherapies that has gained much attention in the recent years for cancer treatment directed to the innate immune system. The long forgotten innate immune cells known as natural killer (NK) cells have emerged as novel targets for more effective therapeutics for BC. Normally, NK cells has the capacity to identify and eradicate tumor cells either directly or by releasing cytotoxic granules, chemokines and proinflammatory cytokines. Yet, NK cells are exposed to inhibitory signals by cancer cells, which causes them to become dysfunctional in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) in BC, supporting tumor escape and spread. Potential mechanisms of NK cell dysfunction in BC metastasis have been recently identified. Understanding these immunologic pathways driving BC metastasis will lead to improvements in the current immunotherapeutic strategies. In the current review, we highlight how BC evades immunosurveillance by rendering NK cells dysfunctional and we shed the light on novel NK cell- directed therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona M Elanany
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abassia, 11566 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Dina Mostafa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abassia, 11566 Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Nadia M Hamdy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abassia, 11566 Cairo, Egypt.
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28
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Singh S, Barik D, Arukha AP, Prasad S, Mohapatra I, Singh A, Singh G. Small Molecule Targeting Immune Cells: A Novel Approach for Cancer Treatment. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2621. [PMID: 37892995 PMCID: PMC10604364 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11102621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Conventional and cancer immunotherapies encompass diverse strategies to address various cancer types and stages. However, combining these approaches often encounters limitations such as non-specific targeting, resistance development, and high toxicity, leading to suboptimal outcomes in many cancers. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is orchestrated by intricate interactions between immune and non-immune cells dictating tumor progression. An innovative avenue in cancer therapy involves leveraging small molecules to influence a spectrum of resistant cell populations within the TME. Recent discoveries have unveiled a phenotypically diverse cohort of innate-like T (ILT) cells and tumor hybrid cells (HCs) exhibiting novel characteristics, including augmented proliferation, migration, resistance to exhaustion, evasion of immunosurveillance, reduced apoptosis, drug resistance, and heightened metastasis frequency. Leveraging small-molecule immunomodulators to target these immune players presents an exciting frontier in developing novel tumor immunotherapies. Moreover, combining small molecule modulators with immunotherapy can synergistically enhance the inhibitory impact on tumor progression by empowering the immune system to meticulously fine-tune responses within the TME, bolstering its capacity to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. This review outlines strategies involving small molecules that modify immune cells within the TME, potentially revolutionizing therapeutic interventions and enhancing the anti-tumor response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilpi Singh
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Debashis Barik
- Center for Computational Natural Science and Bioinformatics, International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad 500032, Telangana, India
| | | | | | - Iteeshree Mohapatra
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota—Twin Cities, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Amar Singh
- Schulze Diabetes Institute, Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Gatikrushna Singh
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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29
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Hahn O, Foltz AG, Atkins M, Kedir B, Moran-Losada P, Guldner IH, Munson C, Kern F, Pálovics R, Lu N, Zhang H, Kaur A, Hull J, Huguenard JR, Grönke S, Lehallier B, Partridge L, Keller A, Wyss-Coray T. Atlas of the aging mouse brain reveals white matter as vulnerable foci. Cell 2023; 186:4117-4133.e22. [PMID: 37591239 PMCID: PMC10528304 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.07.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Aging is the key risk factor for cognitive decline, yet the molecular changes underlying brain aging remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted spatiotemporal RNA sequencing of the mouse brain, profiling 1,076 samples from 15 regions across 7 ages and 2 rejuvenation interventions. Our analysis identified a brain-wide gene signature of aging in glial cells, which exhibited spatially defined changes in magnitude. By integrating spatial and single-nucleus transcriptomics, we found that glial aging was particularly accelerated in white matter compared with cortical regions, whereas specialized neuronal populations showed region-specific expression changes. Rejuvenation interventions, including young plasma injection and dietary restriction, exhibited distinct effects on gene expression in specific brain regions. Furthermore, we discovered differential gene expression patterns associated with three human neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting the importance of regional aging as a potential modulator of disease. Our findings identify molecular foci of brain aging, providing a foundation to target age-related cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Hahn
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Aulden G Foltz
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Micaiah Atkins
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Blen Kedir
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Patricia Moran-Losada
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ian H Guldner
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Christy Munson
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, NYU Langone Health, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Fabian Kern
- Clinical Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany; Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Róbert Pálovics
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Nannan Lu
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Achint Kaur
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jacob Hull
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - John R Huguenard
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Linda Partridge
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany; Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, UK
| | - Andreas Keller
- Clinical Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany; Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Tony Wyss-Coray
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford University, The Phil and Penny Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience, Stanford, CA, USA.
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30
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Howard JN, Bosque A. IL-15 and N-803 for HIV Cure Approaches. Viruses 2023; 15:1912. [PMID: 37766318 PMCID: PMC10537516 DOI: 10.3390/v15091912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In spite of the advances in antiretroviral therapy to treat HIV infection, the presence of a latent reservoir of HIV-infected cells represents the largest barrier towards finding a cure. Among the different strategies being pursued to eliminate or reduce this latent reservoir, the γc-cytokine IL-15 or its superagonist N-803 are currently under clinical investigation, either alone or with other interventions. They have been shown to reactivate latent HIV and enhance immune effector function, both of which are potentially required for effective reduction of latent reservoirs. In here, we present a comprehensive literature review of the different in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies conducted to date that are aimed at targeting HIV reservoirs using IL-15 and N-803.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alberto Bosque
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA;
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31
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Hu X, Jiao F, Deng J, Zhou Z, Chen S, Liu C, Liu Z, Guo F. Intestinal Epithelial Cell-specific Deletion of Cytokine-inducible SH2-containing Protein Alleviates Experimental Colitis in Ageing Mice. J Crohns Colitis 2023; 17:1278-1290. [PMID: 36881790 DOI: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjad041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] in the elderly has increased in recent years. However, the mechanisms underlying the ageing-related IBD susceptibility remain elusive. Cytokine-inducible SH2-containing protein [CISH] is involved in regulating metabolism, the expansion of intestinal tuft cells and type-2 innate lymphoid cells, and ageing-related airway inflammation. Here, we investigated the role of CISH in ageing-related colitis susceptibility. METHODS CISH and phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 [p-STAT3] levels were evaluated in the colons of ageing mice and older ulcerative colitis [UC] patients. Mice with intestinal epithelial cell-specific knockout of Cish [CishΔIEC] and Cish-floxed mice were administered dextran sodium sulphate [DSS] or trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid [TNBS] to induce colitis. Colonic tissues were analysed in quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunoblotting, immunohistochemical, and histological staining experiments. Differentially expressed genes from colonic epithelia were analysed by RNA sequencing. RESULTS Ageing increased the severity of DSS-induced colitis and the expression of colonic epithelial CISH in mice. CishΔIEC prevented DSS- or TNBS-induced colitis in middle-aged mice but not in young mice. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that CishΔIEC significantly suppressed DSS-induced oxidative stress and proinflammatory responses. During ageing in the CCD841 cell model, knockdown of CISH decreased ageing-induced oxidative stress and proinflammatory responses, whereas these effects were compromised by knocking down or inhibiting STAT3. The increase in CISH expression was higher in the colonic mucosa of older patients with UC than in that of healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS CISH might be a proinflammatory regulator in ageing; therefore, targeted therapy against CISH may provide a novel strategy for treating ageing-related IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Hu
- Zhongshan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fuxin Jiao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiali Deng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Ziheng Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Shanghai Chen
- Zhongshan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Changqin Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhanju Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feifan Guo
- Zhongshan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Naser W, Maymand S, Dlugolenski D, Basheer F, Ward AC. The Role of Cytokine-Inducible SH2 Domain-Containing Protein (CISH) in the Regulation of Basal and Cytokine-Mediated Myelopoiesis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12757. [PMID: 37628937 PMCID: PMC10454631 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytokine-inducible SH2 domain-containing protein (CISH) is a member of the suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) family of negative feedback regulators shown to play crucial roles in lymphoid cell development and function as well as appetite regulation. It has also been implicated in the control of signaling downstream of the receptors for the cytokines granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in myeloid cells. To investigate the physiological role of CISH in myelopoiesis, mice deficient in CISH were analyzed basally and in response to administration of these cytokines. CISH knockout (KO) mice possessed basally elevated neutrophils in the blood, bone marrow, and spleen compared to wild-type (WT) mice. During GM-CSF-induced myelopoiesis, the frequency of neutrophils, myeloid dendritic cells (DCs), and CFU-M in the bone marrow was higher in the KO, as were the neutrophils and CFU-G in the spleen. In contrast, no differences were observed between KO and WT mice during G-CSF-induced myelopoiesis apart from an elevated frequency of CFU-G and CFU-M in the spleen. This work has identified a role for CISH in the negative regulation of granulopoiesis, including that mediated by GM-CSF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wasan Naser
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia; (W.N.); (S.M.); (D.D.); (F.B.)
- College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad 10071, Iraq
| | - Saeed Maymand
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia; (W.N.); (S.M.); (D.D.); (F.B.)
| | - Daniel Dlugolenski
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia; (W.N.); (S.M.); (D.D.); (F.B.)
| | - Faiza Basheer
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia; (W.N.); (S.M.); (D.D.); (F.B.)
- Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia
| | - Alister C. Ward
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia; (W.N.); (S.M.); (D.D.); (F.B.)
- Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia
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Nakazawa T, Morimoto T, Maeoka R, Matsuda R, Nakamura M, Nishimura F, Ouji N, Yamada S, Nakagawa I, Park YS, Ito T, Nakase H, Tsujimura T. CIS deletion by CRISPR/Cas9 enhances human primary natural killer cell functions against allogeneic glioblastoma. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2023; 42:205. [PMID: 37563692 PMCID: PMC10413513 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02770-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant brain tumor and has "immunologically cold" features. Changing GBM to an "immunologically hot" tumor requires a strong trigger that induces initial immune responses in GBM. Allogeneic natural killer cells (NKCs) have gained considerable attention as promising immunotherapeutic tools against cancer, where gene-edited NKCs would result in effective anti-cancer treatment. The present study focused on the immune checkpoint molecule cytokine-inducible SH2-containing protein (CISH, or CIS) as a critical negative regulator in NKCs. METHODS The GBM tumor environment featured with immunological aspect was analyzed with Cancer immunogram and GlioVis. We generated human primary CIS-deleted NKCs (NK dCIS) using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) with single guide RNA targeting genome sites on CIS coding exons. The genome-edited NKCs underwent microarray with differential expression analysis and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). The anti-GBM activity of the genome-edited NKCs was evaluated by apoptosis induction effects against allogeneic GBM cells and spheroids. We further detected in vivo antitumor effects using xenograft brain tumor mice. RESULTS We successfully induced human CIS-deleted NKCs (NK dCIS) by combining our specific human NKC expansion method available for clinical application and genome editing technology. CIS gene-specific guide RNA/Cas9 protein complex suppressed CIS expression in the expanded NKCs with high expansion efficacy. Comprehensive gene expression analysis demonstrated increased expression of 265 genes and decreased expression of 86 genes in the NK dCIS. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that the enriched genes were involved in NKC effector functions. Functional analysis revealed that the NK dCIS had increased interferon (IFN)ɤ and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production. CIS deletion enhanced NKC-mediated apoptosis induction against allogeneic GBM cells and spheroids. Intracranial administration of the allogeneic NKCs prolonged the overall survival of xenograft brain tumor mice. Furthermore, the NK dCIS extended the overall survival of the mice. CONCLUSION The findings demonstrated the successful induction of human primary NK dCIS with CRISPR/Cas9 with efficient expansion. CIS deletion enhanced the NKC-mediated anti-tumor effects in allogeneic GBM and could be a promising immunotherapeutic alternative for patients with GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsutomu Nakazawa
- Grandsoul Research Institute for Immunology, Inc, 8-1 Matsui, Uda, Nara, 634-8522, Japan.
- Clinic Grandsoul Nara, Uda, Nara, Japan.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan.
| | - Takayuki Morimoto
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Maeoka
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Matsuda
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
| | - Mitsutoshi Nakamura
- Clinic Grandsoul Nara, Uda, Nara, Japan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
| | - Fumihiko Nishimura
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
| | - Noriko Ouji
- Department of Immunology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Shuichi Yamada
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
| | - Ichiro Nakagawa
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
| | - Young Soo Park
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Ito
- Department of Immunology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Nakase
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
| | - Takahiro Tsujimura
- Grandsoul Research Institute for Immunology, Inc, 8-1 Matsui, Uda, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
- Clinic Grandsoul Nara, Uda, Nara, Japan
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Merino A, Maakaron J, Bachanova V. Advances in NK cell therapy for hematologic malignancies: NK source, persistence and tumor targeting. Blood Rev 2023; 60:101073. [PMID: 36959057 PMCID: PMC10979648 DOI: 10.1016/j.blre.2023.101073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Natural Killer (NK) cells yield promise in therapy of hematologic malignancies. The clinical experience with adoptively transferred allogeneic NK cells over past two decades has revealed safety and minimal risk of CRS or ICANS. Unlike T cells which have to be genetically altered to avoid graft vs host disease (GVHD), HLA mismatched NK cells can be infused without GVHD risk. This makes them ideal for the development of off-the-shelf products. In this review we focus on NK biology relevant to the cancer therapy, the trajectory of NK therapeutics for leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma; and advantages of the NK cell platform. We will also discuss novel methods to enhance NK cell targeting, persistence, and function in the tumor microenvironment. The future of NK cell therapy depends on novel strategies to realize these qualities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimee Merino
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware St, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | - Joseph Maakaron
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware St, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | - Veronika Bachanova
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware St, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America.
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35
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Portale F, Di Mitri D. NK Cells in Cancer: Mechanisms of Dysfunction and Therapeutic Potential. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119521. [PMID: 37298470 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer cells (NK) are innate lymphocytes endowed with the ability to recognize and kill cancer cells. Consequently, adoptive transfer of autologous or allogeneic NK cells represents a novel opportunity in cancer treatment that is currently under clinical investigation. However, cancer renders NK cells dysfunctional, thus restraining the efficacy of cell therapies. Importantly, extensive effort has been employed to investigate the mechanisms that restrain NK cell anti-tumor function, and the results have offered forthcoming solutions to improve the efficiency of NK cell-based therapies. The present review will introduce the origin and features of NK cells, summarize the mechanisms of action and causes of dysfunction of NK cells in cancer, and frame NK cells in the tumoral microenvironment and in the context of immunotherapies. Finally, we will discuss therapeutic potential and current limitations of NK cell adoptive transfer in tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Portale
- Tumor Microenviroment Unit, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, 20089 Milan, Italy
| | - Diletta Di Mitri
- Tumor Microenviroment Unit, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, 20089 Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, 20072 Milan, Italy
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36
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Bianconi A, Palmieri G, Aruta G, Monticelli M, Zeppa P, Tartara F, Melcarne A, Garbossa D, Cofano F. Updates in Glioblastoma Immunotherapy: An Overview of the Current Clinical and Translational Scenario. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1520. [PMID: 37371615 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11061520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive central nervous system tumor, requiring multimodal management. Due to its malignant behavior and infiltrative growth pattern, GBM is one of the most difficult tumors to treat and gross total resection is still considered to be the first crucial step. The deep understanding of GBM microenvironment and the possibility of manipulating the patient's innate and adaptive immune system to fight the neoplasm represent the base of immunotherapeutic strategies that currently express the future for the fight against GBM. Despite the immunotherapeutic approach having been successfully adopted in several solid and haematologic neoplasms, immune resistance and the immunosuppressive environment make the use of these strategies challenging in GBM treatment. We describe the most recent updates regarding new therapeutic strategies that target the immune system, immune checkpoint inhibitors, chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy, peptide and oncolytic vaccines, and the relevant mechanism of immune resistance. However, no significant results have yet been obtained in studies targeting single molecules/pathways. The future direction of GBM therapy will include a combined approach that, in contrast to the inescapable current treatment modality of maximal resection followed by chemo- and radiotherapy, may combine a multifaceted immunotherapy treatment with the dual goals of directly killing tumor cells and activating the innate and adaptive immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bianconi
- Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | | | - Gelsomina Aruta
- Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Matteo Monticelli
- UOC Neurochirurgia, Dipartimento di Medicina Traslazionale e per la Romagna, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Pietro Zeppa
- Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Fulvio Tartara
- Headache Science and Neurorehabilitation Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Antonio Melcarne
- Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Diego Garbossa
- Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Fabio Cofano
- Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Humanitas Gradenigo, 10100 Turin, Italy
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37
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Shrestha N, Chaturvedi P, Zhu X, Dee MJ, George V, Janney C, Egan JO, Liu B, Foster M, Marsala L, Wong P, Cubitt CC, Foltz JA, Tran J, Schappe T, Hsiao K, Leclerc GM, You L, Echeverri C, Spanoudis C, Carvalho A, Kanakaraj L, Gilkes C, Encalada N, Kong L, Wang M, Fang B, Wang Z, Jiao J, Muniz GJ, Jeng EK, Valdivieso N, Li L, Deth R, Berrien‐Elliott MM, Fehniger TA, Rhode PR, Wong HC. Immunotherapeutic approach to reduce senescent cells and alleviate senescence-associated secretory phenotype in mice. Aging Cell 2023; 22:e13806. [PMID: 36967480 PMCID: PMC10186597 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of senescent cells (SNCs) with a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) has been implicated as a major source of chronic sterile inflammation leading to many age-related pathologies. Herein, we provide evidence that a bifunctional immunotherapeutic, HCW9218, with capabilities of neutralizing TGF-β and stimulating immune cells, can be safely administered systemically to reduce SNCs and alleviate SASP in mice. In the diabetic db/db mouse model, subcutaneous administration of HCW9218 reduced senescent islet β cells and SASP resulting in improved glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, and aging index. In naturally aged mice, subcutaneous administration of HCW9218 durably reduced the level of SNCs and SASP, leading to lower expression of pro-inflammatory genes in peripheral organs. HCW9218 treatment also reverted the pattern of key regulatory circadian gene expression in aged mice to levels observed in young mice and impacted genes associated with metabolism and fibrosis in the liver. Single-nucleus RNA Sequencing analysis further revealed that HCW9218 treatment differentially changed the transcriptomic landscape of hepatocyte subtypes involving metabolic, signaling, cell-cycle, and senescence-associated pathways in naturally aged mice. Long-term survival studies also showed that HCW9218 treatment improved physical performance without compromising the health span of naturally aged mice. Thus, HCW9218 represents a novel immunotherapeutic approach and a clinically promising new class of senotherapeutic agents targeting cellular senescence-associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Bai Liu
- HCW Biologics Inc.MiramarFloridaUSA
| | - Mark Foster
- Division of OncologyWashington University School of MedicineSt. LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Lynne Marsala
- Division of OncologyWashington University School of MedicineSt. LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Pamela Wong
- Division of OncologyWashington University School of MedicineSt. LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Celia C. Cubitt
- Division of OncologyWashington University School of MedicineSt. LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Jennifer A. Foltz
- Division of OncologyWashington University School of MedicineSt. LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Jennifer Tran
- Division of OncologyWashington University School of MedicineSt. LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Timothy Schappe
- Division of OncologyWashington University School of MedicineSt. LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Karin Hsiao
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesNova Southeastern UniversityFort LauderdaleFloridaUSA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lin Kong
- HCW Biologics Inc.MiramarFloridaUSA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Richard Deth
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesNova Southeastern UniversityFort LauderdaleFloridaUSA
| | | | - Todd A. Fehniger
- Division of OncologyWashington University School of MedicineSt. LouisMissouriUSA
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38
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Yu Y. The Function of NK Cells in Tumor Metastasis and NK Cell-Based Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15082323. [PMID: 37190251 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15082323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic tumors cause the most deaths in cancer patients. Treating metastasis remains the primary goal of current cancer research. Although the immune system prevents and kills the tumor cells, the function of the immune system in metastatic cancer has been unappreciated for decades because tumors are able to develop complex signaling pathways to suppress immune responses, leading them to escape detection and elimination. Studies showed NK cell-based therapies have many advantages and promise for fighting metastatic cancers. We here review the function of the immune system in tumor progression, specifically focusing on the ability of NK cells in antimetastasis, how metastatic tumors escape the NK cell attack, as well as the recent development of effective antimetastatic immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanlin Yu
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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39
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Kim S, Oh S, Lee S, Kong L, Lee J, Kim T. FTO negatively regulates the cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells. EMBO Rep 2023; 24:e55681. [PMID: 36744362 PMCID: PMC10074099 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202255681] [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: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
N6 -Methyladenosine (m6 A) is the most abundant epitranscriptomic mark and plays a fundamental role in almost every aspect of mRNA metabolism. Although m6 A writers and readers have been widely studied, the roles of m6 A erasers are not well-understood. Here, we investigate the role of FTO, one of the m6 A erasers, in natural killer (NK) cell immunity. We observe that FTO-deficient NK cells are hyperactivated. Fto knockout (Fto-/- ) mouse NK cells prevent melanoma metastasis in vivo, and FTO-deficient human NK cells enhance the antitumor response against leukemia in vitro. We find that FTO negatively regulates IL-2/15-driven JAK/STAT signaling by increasing the mRNA stability of suppressor of cytokine signaling protein (SOCS) family genes. Our results suggest that FTO is an essential modulator of NK cell immunity, providing a new immunotherapeutic strategy for allogeneic NK cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seok‐Min Kim
- Immunotherapy Research CenterKorea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB)DaejeonKorea
- Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of BioscienceKorea University of Science and Technology (UST)DaejeonKorea
| | - Se‐Chan Oh
- Immunotherapy Research CenterKorea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB)DaejeonKorea
- Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of BioscienceKorea University of Science and Technology (UST)DaejeonKorea
| | - Sun‐Young Lee
- Immunotherapy Research CenterKorea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB)DaejeonKorea
- Division of Life ScienceKorea UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Ling‐Zu Kong
- Immunotherapy Research CenterKorea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB)DaejeonKorea
- Department of BiochemistryChungnam National UniversityDaejeonKorea
| | - Jong‐Hee Lee
- Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of BioscienceKorea University of Science and Technology (UST)DaejeonKorea
- National Primate Research Center (NPRC), KRIBBCheongjuKorea
| | - Tae‐Don Kim
- Immunotherapy Research CenterKorea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB)DaejeonKorea
- Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of BioscienceKorea University of Science and Technology (UST)DaejeonKorea
- Biomedical Mathematics GroupInstitute for Basic Science (IBS)DaejeonKorea
- Department of Biopharmaceutical ConvergenceSchool of PharmacySungkyunkwan UniversitySuwonKorea
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40
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Berrien-Elliott MM, Jacobs MT, Fehniger TA. Allogeneic natural killer cell therapy. Blood 2023; 141:856-868. [PMID: 36416736 PMCID: PMC10023727 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2022016200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Interest in adoptive cell therapy for treating cancer is exploding owing to early clinical successes of autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T lymphocyte therapy. However, limitations using T cells and autologous cell products are apparent as they (1) take weeks to generate, (2) utilize a 1:1 donor-to-patient model, (3) are expensive, and (4) are prone to heterogeneity and manufacturing failures. CAR T cells are also associated with significant toxicities, including cytokine release syndrome, immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome, and prolonged cytopenias. To overcome these issues, natural killer (NK) cells are being explored as an alternative cell source for allogeneic cell therapies. NK cells have an inherent ability to recognize cancers, mediate immune functions of killing and communication, and do not induce graft-versus-host disease, cytokine release syndrome, or immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome. NK cells can be obtained from blood or cord blood or be derived from hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells or induced pluripotent stem cells, and can be expanded and cryopreserved for off-the-shelf availability. The first wave of point-of-care NK cell therapies led to the current allogeneic NK cell products being investigated in clinical trials with promising preliminary results. Basic advances in NK cell biology and cellular engineering have led to new translational strategies to block inhibition, enhance and broaden target cell recognition, optimize functional persistence, and provide stealth from patients' immunity. This review details NK cell biology, as well as NK cell product manufacturing, engineering, and combination therapies explored in the clinic leading to the next generation of potent, off-the-shelf cellular therapies for blood cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Miriam T. Jacobs
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Todd A. Fehniger
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
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41
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Cichocki F, van der Stegen SJC, Miller JS. Engineered and banked iPSCs for advanced NK- and T-cell immunotherapies. Blood 2023; 141:846-855. [PMID: 36327161 PMCID: PMC10023718 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2022016205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of methods to derive induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has propelled stem cell research, and has the potential to revolutionize many areas of medicine, including cancer immunotherapy. These cells can be propagated limitlessly and can differentiate into nearly any specialized cell type. The ability to perform precise multigene engineering at the iPSC stage, generate master cell lines after clonal selection, and faithfully promote differentiation along natural killer (NK) cells and T-cell lineages is now leading to new opportunities for the administration of off-the-shelf cytotoxic lymphocytes with direct antigen targeting to treat patients with relapsed/refractory cancer. In this review, we highlight the recent progress in iPSC editing and guided differentiation in the development of NK- and T-cell products for immunotherapy. We also discuss some of the potential barriers that remain in unleashing the full potential of iPSC-derived cytotoxic effector cells in the adoptive transfer setting, and how some of these limitations may be overcome through gene editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Cichocki
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Sjoukje J. C. van der Stegen
- Center for Cell Engineering, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY
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42
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Sun X, Xu X, Wang J, Zhang X, Zhao Z, Liu X, Wang G, Teng L, Chen X, Wang D, Li Y. Acid-switchable nanoparticles induce self-adaptive aggregation for enhancing antitumor immunity of natural killer cells. Acta Pharm Sin B 2023. [PMID: 37521862 PMCID: PMC10373095 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Deficiency of natural killer (NK) cells shows a significant impact on tumor progression and failure of immunotherapy. It is highly desirable to boost NK cell immunity by upregulating active receptors and relieving the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Unfortunately, mobilization of NK cells is hampered by poor accumulation and short retention of drugs in tumors, thus declining antitumor efficiency. Herein, we develop an acid-switchable nanoparticle with self-adaptive aggregation property for co-delivering galunisertib and interleukin 15 (IL-15). The nanoparticles induce morphology switch by a decomposition-metal coordination cascade reaction, which provides a new methodology to trigger aggregation. It shows self-adaptive size-enlargement upon acidity, thus improving drug retention in tumor to over 120 h. The diameter of agglomerates is increased and drug release is effectively promoted following reduced pH values. The nanoparticles activate both NK cell and CD8+ T cell immunity in vivo. It significantly suppresses CT26 tumor in immune-deficient BALB/c mice, and the efficiency is further improved in immunocompetent mice, indicating that the nanoparticles can not only boost innate NK cell immunity but also adaptive T cell immunity. The approach reported here provides an innovative strategy to improve drug retention in tumors, which will enhance cancer immunotherapy by boosting NK cells.
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43
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Wang S, Chen K, Jiang Y, Zhao G, Wang C, Fang H, Tang Q, Sun C, Zhang L, Wu H, Zhang LF, Li N. Breaking boundaries: Current progress of anticancer NK cell-based drug development. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103436. [PMID: 36370993 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.103436] [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: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cell therapy is emerging as a cancer treatment. NK cells are innate cytotoxic lymphocytes that act as first-line responders to kill target cells without prior encounters. NK cells recognize cancer cells, virus-infected cells, and other types of stressed cell through a reservoir of germline-encoded receptors. NK cells are safe for allogeneic applications. Therefore, they are the ideal off-the-shelf cell, which overcome the low efficiency issue caused by the patient-by-patient nature of autologous cell therapy. Unlike T cells, NK cells cannot form a strong immune memory; therefore, they suffer from short in vivo persistence. However, different from T cells, NK cells have a reservoir of innate immune receptors targeting a variety of malignant cells. In addition, they can utilize antibody guidance in target recognition. With suitable engineering, NK cells can function as universal anticancer drugs that are not restricted to HLA and cancer types, which will benefit the large cohort of patients with rare cancer types and patients with no convenient drug targets for precision and personalized medicine. Here, we summarize and discuss the designs of current anticancer NK cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhang Wang
- Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Kun Chen
- Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, China
| | - Yale Jiang
- Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Guo Zhao
- Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Caie Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, China
| | - Hong Fang
- Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Qiyu Tang
- Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Chao Sun
- Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | | | - Haiyang Wu
- TCRCure Biological Technology Co Ltd, Guangdong, China
| | - Li-Feng Zhang
- TCRCure Biological Technology Co Ltd, Guangdong, China.
| | - Ning Li
- Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
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44
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Dianat-Moghadam H, Sharifi M, Salehi R, Keshavarz M, Shahgolzari M, Amoozgar Z. Engaging stemness improves cancer immunotherapy. Cancer Lett 2023; 554:216007. [PMID: 36396102 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.216007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Intra-tumoral immune cells promote the stemness of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME). CSCs promote tumor progression, relapse, and resistance to immunotherapy. Cancer stemness induces the expression of neoantigens and neo-properties in CSCs, creating an opportunity for targeted immunotherapies. Isolation of stem-like T cells or retaining stemness in T clonotypes strategies produces exhaustion-resistance T cells with superior re-expansion capacity and long-lasting responses after adoptive cell therapies. Stem cells-derived NK cells may be the next generation of NK cell products for immunotherapy. Here, we have reviewed mechanisms by which stemness factors modulated the immunoediting of the TME and summarized the potentials of CSCs in the development of immunotherapy regimens, including CAR-T cells, CAR-NK cells, cancer vaccines, and monoclonal antibodies. We have discussed the natural or genetically engineered stem-like T cells and stem cell-derived NK cells with increased cytotoxicity to tumor cells. Finally, we have provided a perspective on approaches that may improve the therapeutic efficacy of these novel adoptive cell-based products in targeting immunosuppressive TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Dianat-Moghadam
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran; Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Mohammadreza Sharifi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Rasoul Salehi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran; Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohsen Keshavarz
- The Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Mehdi Shahgolzari
- Dental Implants Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Zohreh Amoozgar
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories for Tumor Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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45
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Bi J, Huang C, Jin X, Zheng C, Huang Y, Zheng X, Tian Z, Sun H. TIPE2 deletion improves the therapeutic potential of adoptively transferred NK cells. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:jitc-2022-006002. [PMID: 36725083 PMCID: PMC9896240 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-006002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To enhance the efficacy of adoptive NK cell therapy against solid tumors, NK cells must be modified to resist exhaustion in the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the molecular checkpoint underlying NK cell exhaustion in the TME remains elusive. METHODS We analyzed the correlation between TIPE2 expression and NK cell functional exhaustion in the TME both in humans and mice by single-cell transcriptomic analysis and by using gene reporter mice. We investigated the effects of TIPE2 deletion on adoptively transferred NK cell therapy against cancers by using NK cells from NK-specific Tipe2-deficient mice or peripheral blood-derived or induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived human NK cells with TIPE2 deletion by CRISPR/Cas9. We also investigated the potential synergy of double deletion of TIPE2 and another checkpoint molecule, CISH. RESULTS By single-cell transcriptomic analysis and by using gene reporter mice, we found that TIPE2 expression correlated with NK cell exhaustion in the TME both in humans and mice and that the TIPE2 high NK cell subset correlated with poorer survival of tumor patients. TIPE2 deletion promoted the antitumor activity of adoptively transferred mouse NK cells and adoptively transferred human NK cells, either derived from peripheral blood or differentiated from iPSCs. TIPE2 deletion rendered NK cells with elevated capacities for tumor infiltration and effector functions. TIPE2 deletion also synergized with CISH deletion to further improve antitumor activity in vivo. CONCLUSIONS This study highlighted TIPE2 targeting as a promising approach for enhancing adoptive NK cell therapy against solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiacheng Bi
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Chen Huang
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaomeng Jin
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Chaoyue Zheng
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingying Huang
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaohu Zheng
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People's Republic of China,Institute of Immunology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhigang Tian
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China .,The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People's Republic of China.,Institute of Immunology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People's Republic of China.,Research Unit of NK Cell Study, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Haoyu Sun
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People's Republic of China .,Institute of Immunology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People's Republic of China
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46
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Acosta JC, Bahr JM, Basu S, O’Donnell JT, Barua A. Expression of CISH, an Inhibitor of NK Cell Function, Increases in Association with Ovarian Cancer Development and Progression. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020299. [PMID: 36830840 PMCID: PMC9952877 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer (OVCA), a fatal malignancy of women, disseminates locally. Although NK cells mount immune responses against OVCA, tumors inhibit NK cells, and the mechanism is not well understood. Cytokines stimulate NK cells; however, chronic stimulation exhausts them and induces expression of cytokine-inducible SH2-containing protein (CISH). Tumors produce anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-10 which may induce NK cell exhaustion. The goal of this study was to examine if CISH expression in NK cells increases during OVCA development and to determine the mechanism(s) of OVCA-induced CISH expression in NK cells. Normal ovaries (n = 7) were used for CISH, IL-10 and GRP78 expression. In tumor ovaries, CISH was examined in early and late stages (n = 14 each, all subtypes) while IL-10 and GRP78 expression were examined in early and late stage HGSC (n = 5 each). Compared to normal, the population of CISH-expressing NK cells increased and the intensity of IL-10 and GRP78 expression was significantly higher in OVCA (p < 0.05). CISH expression was positively correlated with IL-10 expression (r = 0.52, r = 0.65, p < 0.05 at early and late stages, respectively) while IL-10 expression was positively correlated with GRP78 expression (r = 0.43, r = 0.52, p < 0.05, respectively). These results suggest that OVCA development and progression are associated with increased CISH expression by NK cells which is correlated with tumor-induced persistent cellular stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin C. Acosta
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Janice M. Bahr
- Department of Animal Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Sanjib Basu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - James T. O’Donnell
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Animesh Barua
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Department of Pathology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(312)-942-6666
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Morimoto T, Nakazawa T, Maeoka R, Nakagawa I, Tsujimura T, Matsuda R. Natural Killer Cell-Based Immunotherapy against Glioblastoma. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032111. [PMID: 36768432 PMCID: PMC9916747 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive and malignant primary brain tumor in adults. Despite multimodality treatment involving surgical resection, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and tumor-treating fields, the median overall survival (OS) after diagnosis is approximately 2 years and the 5-year OS is poor. Considering the poor prognosis, novel treatment strategies are needed, such as immunotherapies, which include chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors, vaccine therapy, and oncolytic virus therapy. However, these therapies have not achieved satisfactory outcomes. One reason for this is that these therapies are mainly based on activating T cells and controlling GBM progression. Natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy involves the new feature of recognizing GBM via differing mechanisms from that of T cell-based immunotherapy. In this review, we focused on NK cell-based immunotherapy as a novel GBM treatment strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Morimoto
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara 634-8521, Japan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara City Hospital, Nara 630-8305, Japan
- Correspondence: (T.M.); (T.N.); Tel.: +81-744-22-3051 (T.M.); +81-745-84-9335 (T.N.)
| | - Tsutomu Nakazawa
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara 634-8521, Japan
- Grandsoul Research Institute for Immunology, Inc., Uda 633-2221, Japan
- Clinic Grandsoul Nara, Uda 633-2221, Japan
- Correspondence: (T.M.); (T.N.); Tel.: +81-744-22-3051 (T.M.); +81-745-84-9335 (T.N.)
| | - Ryosuke Maeoka
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara 634-8521, Japan
| | - Ichiro Nakagawa
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara 634-8521, Japan
| | - Takahiro Tsujimura
- Grandsoul Research Institute for Immunology, Inc., Uda 633-2221, Japan
- Clinic Grandsoul Nara, Uda 633-2221, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Matsuda
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara 634-8521, Japan
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Oh BLZ, Chan LWY, Chai LYA. Manipulating NK cellular therapy from cancer to invasive fungal infection: promises and challenges. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1044946. [PMID: 36969979 PMCID: PMC10034767 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1044946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The ideal strategy to fight an infection involves both (i) weakening the invading pathogen through conventional antimicrobial therapy, and (ii) strengthening defense through the augmentation of host immunity. This is even more pertinent in the context of invasive fungal infections whereby the majority of patients have altered immunity and are unable to mount an appropriate host response against the pathogen. Natural killer (NK) cells fit the requirement of an efficient, innate executioner of both tumour cells and pathogens – their unique, targeted cell killing mechanism, combined with other arms of the immune system, make them potent effectors. These characteristics, together with their ready availability (given the various sources of extrinsic NK cells available for harvesting), make NK cells an attractive choice as adoptive cellular therapy against fungi in invasive infections. Improved techniques in ex vivo NK cell activation with expansion, and more importantly, recent advances in genetic engineering including state-of-the-art chimeric antigen receptor platform development, have presented an opportune moment to harness this novel therapeutic as a key component of a multipronged strategy against invasive fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernice Ling Zhi Oh
- VIVA-University Children’s Cancer Centre, Khoo-Teck Puat-National University Children’s Medical Institute, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Louis Wei Yong Chan
- Clinician Scientist Academy, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Louis Yi Ann Chai
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- *Correspondence: Louis Yi Ann Chai,
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Mestre-Durán C, Martín-Cortázar C, García-Solís B, Pernas A, Pertíñez L, Galán V, Sisinni L, Clares-Villa L, Navarro-Zapata A, Al-Akioui K, Escudero A, Ferreras C, Pérez-Martínez A. Ruxolitinib does not completely abrogate the functional capabilities of TLR4/9 ligand-activated NK cells. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1045316. [PMID: 36685552 PMCID: PMC9851469 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1045316] [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: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes from the innate immune system part of the first defense barrier against infected and transformed cells, representing 5%-15% of peripheral blood lymphocytes. The cytotoxic capacity of NK cells is controlled by a balance between inhibitory and activating NK receptors expressed on their surface, which recognize and interact with the ligands on stressed cells. The cytokines involved in NK cell activation, proliferation, survival, and cytotoxicity are signaled mainly through the Janus kinase and signal transducer and activator of transcription proteins (JAK/STAT) pathway. NK cells are also activated in response to pathogens through Toll-like receptors (TLRs) expressed on their surface. Ruxolitinib is a specific JAK1/2 inhibitor approved for treating myelofibrosis and for steroid-refractory acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (SR-GvHD). Methods Purified NK cells from healthy donors were stimulated with two TOLL-like receptor ligands, LPS and CpG, in the presence of different concentrations of Ruxolitinib. Results This study showed the effects of ruxolitinib on TLR4 and TLR9 ligand-activated NK cells from healthy donors. Ruxolitinib did not completely inhibit STAT3 phosphorylation and had a moderate effect on NK cell cytokine activation via the TLR pathway. Only the highest doses of ruxolitinib led to a decrease in the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor α, interferon-γ, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1β. The cytotoxic capacity of stimulated NK cells versus K562, SEM, and MV-4-11 cell lines was reduced by increasing doses of ruxolitinib, but it was not completely abolished and we observed no major changes in degranulation capacity. Phenotypic changes were observed in activated NK cells in the presence of ruxolitinib. In a small cohort of pediatric patients treated with ruxolitinib for SR-GvHD, we observed no decrease in NK cell counts; however, further prospective studies with larger cohorts are necessary to confirm this finding. Discussion In summary, our results showed that the functional capabilities and phenotype of NK cells activated through TLR4/9 agonists were not completely abolished by the inhibition of the JAK-STAT pathway by ruxolitinib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Mestre-Durán
- Translational Research in Pediatric Oncology, Hematopoietic Transplantation and Cell Therapy Group, Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ), La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carla Martín-Cortázar
- Translational Research in Pediatric Oncology, Hematopoietic Transplantation and Cell Therapy Group, Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ), La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Blanca García-Solís
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics of Human Diseases, Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ), La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alicia Pernas
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Medical and Molecular Genetics (INGEMM), La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lidia Pertíñez
- Translational Research in Pediatric Oncology, Hematopoietic Transplantation and Cell Therapy Group, Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ), La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Víctor Galán
- Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Department, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luisa Sisinni
- Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Department, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Clares-Villa
- Translational Research in Pediatric Oncology, Hematopoietic Transplantation and Cell Therapy Group, Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ), La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfonso Navarro-Zapata
- Translational Research in Pediatric Oncology, Hematopoietic Transplantation and Cell Therapy Group, Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ), La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Karima Al-Akioui
- Translational Research in Pediatric Oncology, Hematopoietic Transplantation and Cell Therapy Group, Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ), La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Adela Escudero
- Translational Research in Pediatric Oncology, Hematopoietic Transplantation and Cell Therapy Group, Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ), La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Medical and Molecular Genetics (INGEMM), La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Ferreras
- Translational Research in Pediatric Oncology, Hematopoietic Transplantation and Cell Therapy Group, Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ), La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Pérez-Martínez
- Translational Research in Pediatric Oncology, Hematopoietic Transplantation and Cell Therapy Group, Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ), La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
- Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Department, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
- Faculty of Medicine, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Ghazvinian Z, Abdolahi S, Tokhanbigli S, Tarzemani S, Piccin A, Reza Zali M, Verdi J, Baghaei K. Contribution of natural killer cells in innate immunity against colorectal cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 12:1077053. [PMID: 36686835 PMCID: PMC9846259 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1077053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer cells are members of the innate immune system and promote cytotoxic activity against tumor or infected cells independently from MHC recognition. NK cells are modulated by the expression of activator/inhibitory receptors. The ratio of this activator/inhibitory receptors is responsible for the cytotoxic activity of NK cells toward the target cells. Owing to the potent anti-tumor properties of NK cells, they are considered as interesting approach in tumor treatment. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of death in the world and the incidence is about 2 million new cases per year. Metastatic CRC is accompanied by a poor prognosis with less than three years of overall survival. Chemotherapy and surgery are the most adopted treatments. Besides, targeted therapy and immune checkpoint blockade are novel approach to CRC treatment. In these patients, circulating NK cells are a prognostic marker. The main target of CRC immune cell therapy is to improve the tumor cell's recognition and elimination by immune cells. Adaptive NK cell therapy is the milestone to achieve the purpose. Allogeneic NK cell therapy has been widely investigated within clinical trials. In this review, we focus on the NK related approaches including CAR NK cells, cell-based vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and immunomodulatory drugs against CRC tumoral cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeinab Ghazvinian
- Department of Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahrokh Abdolahi
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samaneh Tokhanbigli
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shadi Tarzemani
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Andrea Piccin
- Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service, Belfast, United Kingdom
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Mohammad Reza Zali
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Javad Verdi
- Department of Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kaveh Baghaei
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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