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Strum S, Andersen MH, Svane IM, Siu LL, Weber JS. State-Of-The-Art Advancements on Cancer Vaccines and Biomarkers. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book 2024; 44:e438592. [PMID: 38669611 DOI: 10.1200/edbk_438592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
The origins of cancer vaccines date back to the 1800s. Since then, there have been significant efforts to generate vaccines against solid and hematologic malignancies using a variety of platforms. To date, these efforts have generally been met with minimal success. However, in the era of improved methods and technological advancements, supported by compelling preclinical and clinical data, a wave of renewed interest in the field offers the promise of discovering field-changing paradigms in the management of established and resected disease using cancer vaccines. These include novel approaches to personalized neoantigen vaccine development, as well as innovative immune-modulatory vaccines (IMVs) that facilitate activation of antiregulatory T cells to limit immunosuppression caused by regulatory immune cells. This article will introduce some of the limitations that have affected cancer vaccine development over the past several decades, followed by an introduction to the latest advancements in neoantigen vaccine and IMV therapy, and then conclude with a discussion of some of the newest technologies and progress that are occurring across the cancer vaccine space. Cancer vaccines are among the most promising frontiers for breakthrough innovations and strategies poised to make a measurable impact in the ongoing fight against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Strum
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Mads Hald Andersen
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Inge Marie Svane
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Lillian L Siu
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jeffrey S Weber
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY
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2
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Perez-Penco M, Lara de la Torre L, Lecoq I, Martinenaite E, Andersen MH. TGFβ-specific T cells induced by a TGFβ-derived immune modulatory vaccine both directly and indirectly modulate the phenotype of tumor-associated macrophages and fibroblasts. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008405. [PMID: 38417917 PMCID: PMC10900378 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008405] [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: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) of pancreatic cancer is highly immunosuppressive. We recently developed a transforming growth factor (TGF)β-based immune modulatory vaccine that controlled tumor growth in a murine model of pancreatic cancer by targeting immunosuppression and desmoplasia in the TME. We found that treatment with the TGFβ vaccine not only reduced the percentage of M2-like tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor but polarized CAFs away from the myofibroblast-like phenotype. However, whether the immune modulatory properties of the TGFβ vaccine on TAM and CAF phenotypes are a direct consequence of the recognition and subsequent targeting of these subsets by TGFβ-specific T cells or an indirect consequence of the overall modulation induced within the TME remains unknown. Recognition of M2 macrophages and fibroblast by TGFβ-specific T cells was assessed by ELISpot and flow cytometry. The indirect and direct effects of the TGFβ vaccine on these cell subsets were evaluated by culturing M2 macrophages or fibroblasts with tumor-conditioned media or with T cells isolated from the spleen of mice treated with the TGFβ vaccine or a control vaccine, respectively. Changes in phenotype were assessed by flow cytometry and Bio-Plex multiplex system (Luminex). We found that TGFβ-specific T cells induced by the TGFβ vaccine can recognize M2 macrophages and fibroblasts. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the phenotype of M2 macrophages and CAFs can be directly modulated by TGFβ-specific T cells induced by the TGFβ vaccine, as well as indirectly modulated as a result of the immune-modulatory effects of the vaccine within the TME. TAMs tend to have tumor-promoting functions, harbor an immunosuppressive phenotype and are linked to decreased overall survival in pancreatic cancer when they harbor an M2-like phenotype. In addition, myofibroblast-like CAFs create a stiff extracellular matrix that restricts T cell infiltration, impeding the effectiveness of immune therapies in desmoplastic tumors, such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Reducing immunosuppression and immune exclusion in pancreatic tumors by targeting TAMs and CAFs with the TGFβ-based immune modulatory vaccine emerges as an innovative strategy for the generation of a more favorable environment for immune-based therapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Perez-Penco
- Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT- DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Lucia Lara de la Torre
- Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT- DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Inés Lecoq
- Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT- DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Evelina Martinenaite
- Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT- DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Mads Hald Andersen
- Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT- DK), Herlev, Denmark
- Department of Immunology, University of Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark
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3
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Andersen MH. Novel immune modulatory vaccines targeting TGFβ. Cell Mol Immunol 2023; 20:551-553. [PMID: 36973484 PMCID: PMC10040921 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-023-01000-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mads Hald Andersen
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark.
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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4
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Mortensen REJ, Holmström MO, Lisle TL, Hasselby JP, Willemoe GL, Met Ö, Marie Svane I, Johansen J, Nielsen DL, Chen IM, Andersen MH. Pre-existing TGF-β-specific T-cell immunity in patients with pancreatic cancer predicts survival after checkpoint inhibitors combined with radiotherapy. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:jitc-2022-006432. [PMID: 36948507 PMCID: PMC10040073 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-006432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Circulating transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-specific T cells that recognize TGF-β-expressing immune regulatory cells have been described in patients with cancer. TGF-β-derived peptide vaccination modulates the tumor microenvironment and has shown clinical effects in animal models of pancreatic cancer (PC). TGF-β-expressing regulatory cells are especially elevated in PC and may prevent the clinical response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Thus, in the present study we investigated the significance of TGF-β-specific T-cell immunity in patients with PC treated with ICI combined with radiotherapy in a randomized phase 2 study (CheckPAC). METHODS Immune responses to a TGF-β-derived epitope entitled TGF-β-15 as well as epitopes from Clostridium tetani (tetanus) and influenza were measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with interferon-ɣ enzyme-linked immunospot assays. PBMCs were isolated before and after treatment. Correlations between immune response data and clinical data were evaluated with parametric and non-parametric statistical methods. Survival was analyzed with univariate and multivariate Cox-regression. TGF-β-15 specific T cells were isolated and expanded and examined for recognition of autologous regulatory immune cells by flow cytometry. RESULTS PBMCs from 32 patients were analyzed for immune responses to the TGF-β-derived epitope entitled TGF-β-15. Patients with a strong TGF-β-specific immune response at treatment initiation had longer progression-free and overall survival, compared with patients with a weak or no TGF-β-specific immune response. This remained significant in multivariate analysis. Patients with weak and strong TGF-β-specific responses displayed similar responses towards viral antigens. Furthermore, we show that TGF-β-specific T cells from a clinical responder specifically reacted to and lysed autologous, regulatory immune cells. Finally, mimicking a TGF-β-15 vaccination, we showed that repeated stimulations with the TGF-β-15 epitope in vitro enhanced the immune response to TGF-β-15. CONCLUSION A strong TGF-β-15 specific immune response was associated with clinical benefit and improved survival after ICI/radiotherapy for patients with PC. Importantly, the lack of TGF-β-specific T cells in some patients was not caused by a general immune dysfunction. TGF-β-specific T cells recognized regulatory immune cells and could be introduced in vitro in patients without spontaneous responses. Taken together, our data suggest that combining TGF-β-based vaccination with ICI/radiotherapy will be beneficial for patients with PC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Morten Orebo Holmström
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Jane P Hasselby
- Department of Pathology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gro L Willemoe
- Department of Pathology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Özcan Met
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Inge Marie Svane
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Julia Johansen
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Dorte L Nielsen
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Inna M Chen
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Mads Hald Andersen
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Andersen MH. Immune modulatory vaccines: time to move into infectious diseases. THE LANCET. MICROBE 2023; 4:e4-e5. [PMID: 36309018 DOI: 10.1016/s2666-5247(22)00300-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mads Hald Andersen
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev DK-2730, Denmark; Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Perez-Penco M, Weis-Banke SE, Schina A, Siersbæk M, Hübbe ML, Jørgensen MA, Lecoq I, Lara de la Torre L, Bendtsen SK, Martinenaite E, Holmström MO, Madsen DH, Donia M, Ødum N, Grøntved L, Andersen MH. TGFβ-derived immune modulatory vaccine: targeting the immunosuppressive and fibrotic tumor microenvironment in a murine model of pancreatic cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2022-005491. [PMID: 36600556 PMCID: PMC9730419 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with very poor survival, making it the third and fourth leading cause of all cancer-related deaths in the USA and European Union, respectively. The tumor microenvironment (TME) in PDAC is highly immunosuppressive and desmoplastic, which could explain the limited therapeutic effect of immunotherapy in PDAC. One of the key molecules that contributes to immunosuppression and fibrosis is transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ). The aim of this study was to target the immunosuppressive and fibrotic TME in PDAC using a novel immune modulatory vaccine with TGFβ-derived peptides in a murine model of pancreatic cancer. METHODS C57BL/6 mice were subcutaneously inoculated with Pan02 PDAC cells. Mice were treated with TGFβ1-derived peptides (major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-I and MHC-II-restricted) adjuvanted with Montanide ISA 51VG. The presence of treatment-induced TGFβ-specific T cells was assessed by ELISpot (enzyme-linked immunospot). Changes in the immune infiltration and gene expression profile in tumor samples were characterized by flow cytometry, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), and bulk RNA sequencing. RESULTS Treatment with immunogenic TGFβ-derived peptides was safe and controlled tumor growth in Pan02 tumor-bearing mice. Enlargement of tumor-draining lymph nodes in vaccinated mice positively correlated to the control of tumor growth. Analysis of immune infiltration and gene expression in Pan02 tumors revealed that TGFβ-derived peptide vaccine increased the infiltration of CD8+ T cells and the intratumoral M1/M2 macrophage ratio, it increased the expression of genes involved in immune activation and immune response to tumors, and it reduced the expression of myofibroblast-like cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF)-related genes and genes encoding fibroblast-derived collagens. Finally, we confirmed that TGFβ-derived peptide vaccine actively modulated the TME, as the ability of T cells to proliferate was restored when exposed to tumor-conditioned media from vaccinated mice compared with media from untreated mice. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates the antitumor activity of TGFβ-derived multipeptide vaccination in a murine tumor model of PDAC. The data suggest that the vaccine targets immunosuppression and fibrosis in the TME by polarizing the cellular composition towards a more pro-inflammatory phenotype. Our findings support the feasibility and potential of TGFβ-derived peptide vaccination as a novel immunotherapeutic approach to target immunosuppression in the TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Perez-Penco
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Stine Emilie Weis-Banke
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Aimilia Schina
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Majken Siersbæk
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Mie Linder Hübbe
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Mia Aaboe Jørgensen
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Inés Lecoq
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark,IO Biotech ApS, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lucia Lara de la Torre
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Simone Kloch Bendtsen
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Evelina Martinenaite
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark,IO Biotech ApS, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morten Orebo Holmström
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Daniel Hargbøl Madsen
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark,Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marco Donia
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Niels Ødum
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lars Grøntved
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Mads Hald Andersen
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark,Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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7
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Weis-Banke SE, Lisle TL, Perez-Penco M, Schina A, Hübbe ML, Siersbæk M, Holmström MO, Jørgensen MA, Marie Svane I, Met Ö, Ødum N, Madsen DH, Donia M, Grøntved L, Andersen MH. Arginase-2-specific cytotoxic T cells specifically recognize functional regulatory T cells. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2022-005326. [PMID: 36316062 PMCID: PMC9628693 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background High expression of the metabolic enzyme arginase-2 (ARG2) by cancer cells, regulatory immune cells, or cells of the tumor stroma can reduce the availability of arginine (L-Arg) in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Depletion of L-Arg has detrimental consequences for T cells and leads to T-cell dysfunction and suppression of anticancer immune responses. Previous work from our group has demonstrated the presence of proinflammatory ARG2-specific CD4 T cells that inhibited tumor growth in murine models on activation with ARG2-derived peptides. In this study, we investigated the natural occurrence of ARG2-specific CD8 T cells in both healthy donors (HDs) and patients with cancer, along with their immunomodulatory capabilities in the context of the TME. Materials and methods A library of 15 major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-restricted ARG2-derived peptides were screened in HD peripheral blood mononuclear cells using interferon gamma (IFN-γ) ELISPOT. ARG2-specific CD8 T-cell responses were identified using intracellular cytokine staining and ARG2-specific CD8 T-cell cultures were established by enrichment and rapid expansion following in vitro peptide stimulation. The reactivity of the cultures toward ARG2-expressing cells, including cancer cell lines and activated regulatory T cells (Tregs), was assessed using IFN-γ ELISPOT and a chromium release assay. The Treg signature was validated based on proliferation suppression assays, flow cytometry and quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). In addition, vaccinations with ARG2-derived epitopes were performed in the murine Pan02 tumor model, and induction of ARG2-specific T-cell responses was evaluated with IFN-γ ELISPOT. RNAseq and subsequent GO-term and ImmuCC analysis was performed on the tumor tissue. Results We describe the existence of ARG2-specific CD8+ T cells and demonstrate these CD8+ T-cell responses in both HDs and patients with cancer. ARG2-specific T cells recognize and react to an ARG2-derived peptide presented in the context of HLA-B8 and exert their cytotoxic function against cancer cells with endogenous ARG2 expression. We demonstrate that ARG2-specific T cells can specifically recognize and react to activated Tregs with high ARG2 expression. Finally, we observe tumor growth suppression and antitumorigenic immunomodulation following ARG2 vaccination in an in vivo setting. Conclusion These findings highlight the ability of ARG2-specific T cells to modulate the immunosuppressive TME and suggest that ARG2-based immunomodulatory vaccines may be an interesting option for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stine Emilie Weis-Banke
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Thomas Landkildehus Lisle
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Maria Perez-Penco
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Aimilia Schina
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Mie Linder Hübbe
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Majken Siersbæk
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Morten Orebo Holmström
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark.,Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mia Aaboe Jørgensen
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Inge Marie Svane
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Özcan Met
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Niels Ødum
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Daniel Hargbøl Madsen
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Marco Donia
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark
| | - Lars Grøntved
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Mads Hald Andersen
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Herlev, Denmark .,Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Abstract
The identification and characterization of tumor antigens are central objectives in developing anti-cancer immunotherapy. Traditionally, tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) are considered relatively restricted to tumor cells (i.e., overexpressed proteins in tumor cells), whereas tumor-specific antigens (TSAs) are considered unique to tumor cells. Recent studies have focused on identifying patient-specific neoantigens, which might be highly immunogenic because they are not expressed in normal tissues. The opposite strategy has emerged with the discovery of anti-regulatory T cells (anti-Tregs) that recognize and attack many cell types in the tumor microenvironment, such as regulatory immune cells, in addition to tumor cells. The term proposed in this review is "tumor microenvironment antigens" (TMAs) to describe the antigens that draw this attack. As therapeutic targets, TMAs offer several advantages that differentiate them from more traditional tumor antigens. Targeting TMAs leads not only to a direct attack on tumor cells but also to modulation of the tumor microenvironment, rendering it immunocompetent and tumor-hostile. Of note, in contrast to TAAs and TSAs, TMAs also are expressed in non-transformed cells with consistent human leukocyte antigen (HLA) expression. Inflammation often induces HLA expression in malignant cells, so that targeting TMAs could additionally affect tumors with no or very low levels of surface HLA expression. This review defines the characteristics, differences, and advantages of TMAs compared with traditional tumor antigens and discusses the use of these antigens in immune modulatory vaccines as an attractive approach to immunotherapy. Different TMAs are expressed by different cells and could be combined in anti-cancer immunotherapies to attack tumor cells directly and modulate local immune cells to create a tumor-hostile microenvironment and inhibit tumor angiogenesis. Immune modulatory vaccines offer an approach for combinatorial therapy with additional immunotherapy including checkpoint blockade, cellular therapy, or traditional cancer vaccines. These combinations would increase the number of patients who can benefit from such therapeutic measures, which all have optimal efficiency in inflamed tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mads Hald Andersen
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Borgmester Ib Juuls Vej 25C, 5th floor, DK-2730, Herlev, Denmark.
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Lecoq I, Kopp KL, Chapellier M, Mantas P, Martinenaite E, Perez-Penco M, Rønn Olsen L, Zocca MB, Wakatsuki Pedersen A, Andersen MH. CCL22-based peptide vaccines induce anti-cancer immunity by modulating tumor microenvironment. Oncoimmunology 2022; 11:2115655. [PMID: 36052217 PMCID: PMC9427044 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2022.2115655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
CCL22 is a macrophage-derived immunosuppressive chemokine that recruits regulatory T cells through the CCL22:CCR4 axis. CCL22 was shown to play a key role in suppressing anti-cancer immune responses in different cancer types. Recently, we showed that CCL22-specific T cells generated from cancer patients could kill CCL22-expressing tumor cells and directly influence the levels of CCL22 in vitro. The present study aimed to provide a rationale for developing a CCL22-targeting immunotherapy. Vaccination with CCL22-derived peptides induced CCL22-specific T-cell responses in both BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice, assessed by interferon-γ secretion ex vivo. Anti-tumor efficacy of the peptides was evaluated in mouse models engrafted with syngeneic tumor models showing a reduced tumor growth and prolonged survival of the treated mice. Vaccination induced changes in the cellular composition of immune cells that infiltrated the tumor microenvironment assessed with multicolor flow cytometry. In particular, the infiltration of CD8+ cells and M1 macrophages increased, which increased the CD8/Treg and the M1/M2 macrophage ratio. This study provided preclinical evidence that targeting CCL22 with CCL22 peptide vaccines modulated the immune milieu in the tumor microenvironment. This modulation led to an augmentation of anti-tumor responses. This study provided a rationale for developing a novel immunotherapeutic modality in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inés Lecoq
- Department of Research and Development, IO Biotech ApS, Copenhagen, Denmark.,National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Katharina L Kopp
- Department of Research and Development, IO Biotech ApS, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marion Chapellier
- Department of Research and Development, IO Biotech ApS, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Panagiotis Mantas
- Section for Bioinformatics, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Evelina Martinenaite
- Department of Research and Development, IO Biotech ApS, Copenhagen, Denmark.,National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Maria Perez-Penco
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Lars Rønn Olsen
- Section for Bioinformatics, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Mai-Britt Zocca
- Department of Research and Development, IO Biotech ApS, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Mads Hald Andersen
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark.,Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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10
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Bendtsen SK, Perez-Penco M, Hübbe ML, Martinenaite E, Orebo Holmström M, Weis-Banke SE, Grønne Dahlager Jørgensen N, Jørgensen MA, Munir Ahmad S, Jensen KM, Friese C, Lundsager MT, Johansen AZ, Carretta M, Ødum N, Met Ö, Svane IM, Madsen DH, Andersen MH. Peptide vaccination activating Galectin-3-specific T cells offers a novel means to target Galectin-3-expressing cells in the tumor microenvironment. Oncoimmunology 2022; 11:2026020. [PMID: 35111385 PMCID: PMC8802901 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2022.2026020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Galectin-3 (Gal3) can be expressed by many cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME), including cancer cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, tumor-associated macrophages, and regulatory T cells (Tregs). In addition to immunosuppression, Gal3 expression has been connected to malignant cell transformation, tumor progression, and metastasis. In the present study, we found spontaneous T-cell responses against Gal3-derived peptides in PBMCs from both healthy donors and cancer patients. We isolated and expanded these Gal3-specific T cells in vitro and showed that they could directly recognize target cells that expressed Gal3. Finally, therapeutic vaccination with a long Gal3-derived peptide epitope, which induced the expansion of Gal3-specific CD8+ T cells in vivo, showed a significant tumor-growth delay in mice inoculated with EO771.LMB metastatic mammary tumor cells. This was associated with a significantly lower percentage of both Tregs and tumor-infiltrating Gal3+ cells in the non-myeloid CD45+CD11b− compartment and with an alteration of the T-cell memory populations in the spleens of Gal3-vaccinated mice. These results suggest that by activating Gal3-specific T cells by an immune-modulatory vaccination, we can target Gal3-producing cells in the TME, and thereby induce a more immune permissive TME. This indicates that Gal3 could be a novel target for therapeutic cancer vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Kloch Bendtsen
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Maria Perez-Penco
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Mie Linder Hübbe
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Evelina Martinenaite
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Morten Orebo Holmström
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Stine Emilie Weis-Banke
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Nicolai Grønne Dahlager Jørgensen
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Mia Aaboe Jørgensen
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Shamaila Munir Ahmad
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Kasper Mølgaard Jensen
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Christina Friese
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Mia Thorup Lundsager
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Astrid Zedlitz Johansen
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Marco Carretta
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Niels Ødum
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Özcan Met
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Inge Marie Svane
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Daniel Hargbøl Madsen
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mads Hald Andersen
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Mortensen REJ, Holmström MO, Andersen MH. Characterization of TGFβ-specific CD4 +T cells through the modulation of TGFβ expression in malignant myeloid cells. Cell Mol Immunol 2021; 18:2575-2577. [PMID: 34526675 PMCID: PMC8545951 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-021-00770-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rasmus Erik Johansson Mortensen
- grid.4973.90000 0004 0646 7373National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Morten Orebo Holmström
- grid.4973.90000 0004 0646 7373National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark ,grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XInstitute for Immunology and Microbiology, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mads Hald Andersen
- grid.4973.90000 0004 0646 7373National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark ,grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XInstitute for Immunology and Microbiology, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
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