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Amhis N, Carignan J, Tai LH. Transforming pancreaticobiliary cancer treatment: Exploring the frontiers of adoptive cell therapy and cancer vaccines. MOLECULAR THERAPY. ONCOLOGY 2024; 32:200825. [PMID: 39006944 PMCID: PMC11246060 DOI: 10.1016/j.omton.2024.200825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Pancreaticobiliary cancer, encompassing malignancies of both the pancreatic and biliary tract, presents a formidable clinical challenge marked by a uniformly bleak prognosis. The asymptomatic nature of its early stages often leads to delayed detection, contributing to an unfavorable 5-year overall survival rate. Conventional treatment modalities have shown limited efficacy, underscoring the urgent need for alternative therapeutic approaches. In recent years, immunotherapy has emerged as a promising avenue in the fight against pancreaticobiliary cancer. Strategies such as therapeutic vaccines and the use of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes have garnered attention for their potential to elicit more robust and durable responses. This review seeks to illuminate the landscape of emerging immunotherapeutic interventions, offering insights from both clinical and research perspectives. By deepening our understanding of pancreaticobiliary cancer and exploring innovative treatment modalities, we aim to catalyze improvements in patient outcomes and quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nawal Amhis
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1E 4K8, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Division of General Surgery, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Julie Carignan
- Centre de Recherche du CHUS, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Lee-Hwa Tai
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1E 4K8, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHUS, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada
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2
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Schlenker R, Schwalie PC, Dettling S, Huesser T, Irmisch A, Mariani M, Martínez Gómez JM, Ribeiro A, Limani F, Herter S, Yángüez E, Hoves S, Somandin J, Siebourg-Polster J, Kam-Thong T, de Matos IG, Umana P, Dummer R, Levesque MP, Bacac M. Myeloid-T cell interplay and cell state transitions associated with checkpoint inhibitor response in melanoma. MED 2024; 5:759-779.e7. [PMID: 38593812 DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2024.03.015] [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: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The treatment of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has greatly benefited from immunotherapy. However, many patients do not show a durable response, which is only partially explained by known resistance mechanisms. METHODS We performed single-cell RNA sequencing of tumor immune infiltrates and matched peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 22 checkpoint inhibitor (CPI)-naive stage III-IV metastatic melanoma patients. After sample collection, the same patients received CPI treatment, and their response was assessed. FINDINGS CPI responders showed high levels of classical monocytes in peripheral blood, which preferentially transitioned toward CXCL9-expressing macrophages in tumors. Trajectories of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells diverged at the level of effector memory/stem-like T cells, with non-responder cells progressing into a state characterized by cellular stress and apoptosis-related gene expression. Consistently, predicted non-responder-enriched myeloid-T/natural killer cell interactions were primarily immunosuppressive, while responder-enriched interactions were supportive of T cell priming and effector function. CONCLUSIONS Our study illustrates that the tumor immune microenvironment prior to CPI treatment can be indicative of response. In perspective, modulating the myeloid and/or effector cell compartment by altering the described cell interactions and transitions could improve immunotherapy response. FUNDING This research was funded by Roche Pharma Research and Early Development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Schlenker
- Roche Innovation Center Munich, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Penzberg, Germany.
| | | | - Steffen Dettling
- Roche Innovation Center Munich, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Penzberg, Germany
| | - Tamara Huesser
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, pRED, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Anja Irmisch
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marisa Mariani
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, pRED, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Julia M Martínez Gómez
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alison Ribeiro
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, pRED, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Florian Limani
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, pRED, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Sylvia Herter
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, pRED, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Emilio Yángüez
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, pRED, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Hoves
- Roche Innovation Center Munich, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Penzberg, Germany
| | - Jitka Somandin
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, pRED, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Pablo Umana
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, pRED, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Reinhard Dummer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mitchell P Levesque
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marina Bacac
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, pRED, Schlieren, Switzerland
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3
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Zhao J, Chen H, Sun J. Dendritic Cell-Related Immune Marker CD1C for Predicting Prognosis and Immunotherapy Opportunities of Lung Adenocarcinoma Patients. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2024:10.1007/s12010-024-04973-9. [PMID: 38907868 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-024-04973-9] [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: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Abstract
Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most frequent type of lung cancer with a high mortality rate. Here, we aim to explore novel immune-related biomarkers for LUAD patients. Datasets, mRNA expression profiles, and clinical data concerned with LUAD were obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), respectively. Differential expression analysis was performed to obtain differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Based on DEGs, we conducted functional enrichment analyses. Subsequently, Kaplan‑Meier (KM) was performed to analyze survival differences among different groups. Furthermore, immune cell infiltration proportion was calculated by CIBERSORT and TIMER. The relationship between gene and immune response was analyzed using Tumor Immune System Interactions (TISIDB) database. Finally, Pearson correlation analysis was performed between CD1C and six immune checkpoints. We identified dendritic cells (DCs)-related expression profiles from four LUAD samples. DCs' immune marker CD1C in LUAD was selected by univariate Cox regression analysis. Low CD1C expression patients had a poor prognosis. A total of 332 DEGs were identified in high and low CD1C expression groups, which primarily enriched in 348 GO terms and 30 KEGG pathways. There were significant differences in the infiltration proportion of 17 immune cells between high and low CD1C expression groups. Most immunomodulators, chemokines, and chemokine receptors were positively associated with CD1C expression. Six immune checkpoints were also positively correlated with CD1C expression. DCs related immunomarker CD1C probably plays a pivotal part in prognosis and immunotherapy of LUAD via a joint analysis of single-cell and bulk sequencing data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhao
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Yancheng Clinical College of Xuzhou Medical University, The First People's Hospital of Yancheng, No. 166, Yulong West Road, Yancheng, 224000, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Hao Chen
- Yancheng Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Yancheng, 224000, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Jian Sun
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Yancheng Clinical College of Xuzhou Medical University, The First People's Hospital of Yancheng, No. 166, Yulong West Road, Yancheng, 224000, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
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Louault K, De Clerck YA, Janoueix-Lerosey I. The neuroblastoma tumor microenvironment: From an in-depth characterization towards novel therapies. EJC PAEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY 2024; 3:100161. [PMID: 39036648 PMCID: PMC11259008 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcped.2024.100161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is a cancer of the sympathetic nervous system that develops in young children, either as low-risk or high-risk disease. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is now recognized as an important player of the tumor ecosystem that may promote drug resistance and immune escape. Targeting the TME in combination with therapies directly targeting tumor cells therefore represents an interesting strategy to prevent the emergence of resistance in cancer and improve patient's outcome. The development of such strategies however requires an in-depth understanding of the TME landscape, due to its high complexity and intra and inter-tumoral heterogeneity. Various approaches have been used in the last years to characterize the immune and non-immune cell populations present in tumors of neuroblastoma patients, both quantitatively and qualitatively, in particular with the use of single-cell transcriptomics. It is anticipated that in the near future, both genomic and TME information in tumors will contribute to a precise approach to therapy in neuroblastoma. Deciphering the mechanisms of interaction between neuroblastoma cells and stromal or immune cells in the TME is key to identify novel therapeutic combinations. Over the last decade, numerous in vitro studies and in vivo pre-clinical experiments in immune-competent and immune-deficient models have identified therapeutic approaches to circumvent drug resistance and immune escape. Some of these studies have formed the basis for early phase I and II clinical trials in children with recurrent and refractory high-risk neuroblastoma. This review summarizes recently published data on the characterization of the TME landscape in neuroblastoma and novel strategies targeting various TME cellular components, molecules and pathways activated as a result of the tumor-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Louault
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Cancer, and Blood Disease Institute, 4650 Sunset Bld., Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yves A. De Clerck
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Cancer, and Blood Disease Institute, 4650 Sunset Bld., Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics and Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Southern California, CA, USA
| | - Isabelle Janoueix-Lerosey
- Curie Institute, PSL Research University, Inserm U830, Paris, France
- SIREDO: Care, Innovation and Research for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer, Curie Institute, Paris, France
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Murphy C, Devis-Jauregui L, Struck R, Boloix A, Gallagher C, Gavin C, Cottone F, Fernandez AS, Madden S, Roma J, Segura MF, Piskareva O. In vivo cisplatin-resistant neuroblastoma metastatic model reveals tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 4 (TNFRSF4) as an independent prognostic factor of survival in neuroblastoma. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303643. [PMID: 38809883 PMCID: PMC11135766 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303643] [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: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is the most common solid extracranial tumour in children. Despite major advances in available therapies, children with drug-resistant and/or recurrent neuroblastoma have a dismal outlook with 5-year survival rates of less than 20%. Therefore, tackling relapsed tumour biology by developing and characterising clinically relevant models is a priority in finding targetable vulnerability in neuroblastoma. Using matched cisplatin-sensitive KellyLuc and resistant KellyCis83Luc cell lines, we developed a cisplatin-resistant metastatic MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma model. The average number of metastases per mouse was significantly higher in the KellyCis83Luc group than in the KellyLuc group. The vast majority of sites were confirmed as having lymph node metastasis. Their stiffness characteristics of lymph node metastasis values were within the range reported for the patient samples. Targeted transcriptomic profiling of immuno-oncology genes identified tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 4 (TNFRSF4) as a significantly dysregulated MYCN-independent gene. Importantly, differential TNFRSF4 expression was identified in tumour cells rather than lymphocytes. Low TNFRSF4 expression correlated with poor prognostic indicators in neuroblastoma, such as age at diagnosis, stage, and risk stratification and significantly associated with reduced probability of both event-free and overall survival in neuroblastoma. Therefore, TNFRSF4 Low expression is an independent prognostic factor of survival in neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Murphy
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine, Cancer Bioengineering Group, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine, Tissue Engineering Research Group (TERG), RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Laura Devis-Jauregui
- Faculty of Medicine, Cell Biology Unit, Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Campus Bellvitge, Feixa Llarga s/n, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Ronja Struck
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine, Cancer Bioengineering Group, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine, Tissue Engineering Research Group (TERG), RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ariadna Boloix
- Vall d’Hebron Research Institute, Group of Childhood Cancer & Blood Disorders, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ciara Gallagher
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine, Cancer Bioengineering Group, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine, Tissue Engineering Research Group (TERG), RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Cian Gavin
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine, Cancer Bioengineering Group, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Federica Cottone
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine, Cancer Bioengineering Group, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine, Tissue Engineering Research Group (TERG), RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Aroa Soriano Fernandez
- Vall d’Hebron Research Institute, Group of Childhood Cancer & Blood Disorders, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stephen Madden
- Data Science Centre, School of Population Health, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Josep Roma
- Vall d’Hebron Research Institute, Group of Childhood Cancer & Blood Disorders, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel F. Segura
- Vall d’Hebron Research Institute, Group of Childhood Cancer & Blood Disorders, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Olga Piskareva
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine, Cancer Bioengineering Group, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine, Tissue Engineering Research Group (TERG), RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
- Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research Centre (AMBER), RCSI and TCD, Dublin, Ireland
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Polychronopoulos PA, Bedoya-Reina OC, Johnsen JI. The Neuroblastoma Microenvironment, Heterogeneity and Immunotherapeutic Approaches. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1863. [PMID: 38791942 PMCID: PMC11119056 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16101863] [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: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is a peripheral nervous system tumor that almost exclusively occurs in young children. Although intensified treatment modalities have led to increased patient survival, the prognosis for patients with high-risk disease is still around 50%, signifying neuroblastoma as a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children. Neuroblastoma is an embryonal tumor and is shaped by its origin from cells within the neural crest. Hence, neuroblastoma usually presents with a low mutational burden and is, in the majority of cases, driven by epigenetically deregulated transcription networks. The recent development of Omic techniques has given us detailed knowledge of neuroblastoma evolution, heterogeneity, and plasticity, as well as intra- and intercellular molecular communication networks within the neuroblastoma microenvironment. Here, we discuss the potential of these recent discoveries with emphasis on new treatment modalities, including immunotherapies which hold promise for better future treatment regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Alkinoos Polychronopoulos
- Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, 11883 Stockholm, Sweden; (P.A.P.); (O.C.B.-R.)
| | - Oscar C. Bedoya-Reina
- Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, 11883 Stockholm, Sweden; (P.A.P.); (O.C.B.-R.)
- School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, 70182 Örebro, Sweden
| | - John Inge Johnsen
- Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, 11883 Stockholm, Sweden; (P.A.P.); (O.C.B.-R.)
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Chen K, Gu L, Zhang Q, Luo Q, Guo S, Wang B, Gong Q, Luo K. Injectable alginate hydrogel promotes antitumor immunity through glucose oxidase and Fe 3+ amplified RSL3-induced ferroptosis. Carbohydr Polym 2024; 326:121643. [PMID: 38142082 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121643] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
Ferroptosis induced by RAS-selective lethal small molecule 3 (RSL3) can trigger anti-tumor immune responses by reversing the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). However, it is challenging to achieve sufficient ferroptosis in the tumor via RSL3 alone. Because of the excellent reactive oxygen species (ROS) production capacity of glucose oxidase (GOx) and Fe3+, we hypothesized that GOx and Fe3+ could increase intracellular lipid peroxidation (LPO) accumulation, and strengthen RSL3-induced ferroptosis in tumor cells. Herein we designed an in-situ gelation strategy based on sodium alginate (SA) to realize localized transport and specific retention of GOx, RSL3, and Fe3+ in tumor tissues. We loaded hydrophobic RSL3 with the tannic acid (TA)/Fe3+ complexes to form nanoparticles (RTF NPs). GOx diluted in the SA solution was blended with RTF NPs to obtain a homogeneous solution. The solution could form hydrogels in the tumor site (RTFG@SA) upon injection. The retained GOx and Fe3+ amplified the induction of ferroptosis by RSL3, augmented immunogenic cell death (ICD) and promoted antitumor immunity. The RTFG@SA hydrogel presented a significant restraint of tumor growth and metastasis in the 4T1 tumor model. This hydrogel could offer an effective means of co-delivery of hydrophilic drugs, hydrophobic drugs, and metal ions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Chen
- Department of Radiology, Department of Biotherapy, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), West China Biopharmaceutical Research Institute, Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Lei Gu
- Department of Radiology, Department of Biotherapy, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), West China Biopharmaceutical Research Institute, Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Qianfeng Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Mianyang Normal University, Mianyang, Sichuan Province 621000, China
| | - Qiang Luo
- Department of Radiology, Department of Biotherapy, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), West China Biopharmaceutical Research Institute, Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Shiwei Guo
- Department of Pharmacy of the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province 646000, China
| | - Bing Wang
- Department of Radiology, Department of Biotherapy, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), West China Biopharmaceutical Research Institute, Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Department of Radiology, Department of Biotherapy, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), West China Biopharmaceutical Research Institute, Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Kui Luo
- Department of Radiology, Department of Biotherapy, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), West China Biopharmaceutical Research Institute, Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.
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Hammad R, Selim M, Eldosoky MA, Elmadbouly AA, Abd El Hakam FEZ, Elshafei A, Fawzy M, Hammad M. Contribution of plasma MicroRNA-21, MicroRNA-155 and circulating monocytes plasticity to childhood neuroblastoma development and induction treatment outcome. Pathol Res Pract 2024; 254:155060. [PMID: 38194805 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.155060] [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: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) accounts for 15% of all pediatric cancer fatalities (NB). Biomarkers that facilitate early NB detection are needed because by the time of diagnosis, over half of NBs had spread. MicroRNA-21(miR-21) and miR-155 are involved in cancer biology due to their immune modulation functions. Altered monocyte subset distribution is thought to be involved in a number of solid tumors due to its immunological role. We aimed to investigate the expression levels of miR-21 and miR-155 and their association with circulating monocytes subsets in NB and to evaluate if they correlate to the disease pathogenesis and outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS This case control study involved 79 children classified into 39 newly diagnosed NB children and 40 age and sex matched healthy children. Real-time PCR was used to assess the expression of plasma miR-21 and miR-155. The frequency of circulating monocytes subsets was assessed by flow cytometry. RESULTS NB group showed significant up-regulation in expression of miR-21(20.9 folds) and miR-155 (1.8 folds) when compared to the control group (p < 0.001) and (p = 0.02) respectively. Also, frequency of circulating intermediate monocytes revealed significant up regulation in children with NB. In NB patients, there was a positive correlation between miR-21 and frequency of total and intermediate monocytes (r = 0.5 p < 0.001 and r = 0.7, p < 0.001, respectively). We found no discernible differences when we compared study markers between the high risk and intermediate risk groups. In addition, no significant difference was seen in study markers when patients were sub-grouped according to their induction treatment response. ROC curve analysis revealed that miR-21 up-regulation distinguished NB in childhood at an AUC of 0.94 (82% sensitivity and 100% specificity) while miR-155 up-regulation had less capacity to distinguish NB in childhood at an AUC of 0.65 (38% sensitivity and 93% specificity). CONCLUSION miR-21 can be utilized as a sensitive biomarker for childhood NB development. In pediatric NB, miR-21 was linked to intermediate monocyte plasticity. Both, miR-21 and miR-155 had no impact on NB outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reham Hammad
- Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mustafa Selim
- Pediatric Oncology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Egypt
| | - Mona A Eldosoky
- Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Asmaa A Elmadbouly
- Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
| | | | - Ahmed Elshafei
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Fawzy
- Pediatric Oncology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud Hammad
- Pediatric Oncology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Egypt
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Pasha A, Tondo A, Favre C, Calvani M. Inside the Biology of the β3-Adrenoceptor. Biomolecules 2024; 14:159. [PMID: 38397396 PMCID: PMC10887351 DOI: 10.3390/biom14020159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Since the first discovery in 1989, the β3-adrenoceptor (β3-AR) has gained great attention because it showed the ability to regulate many physiologic and metabolic activities, such as thermogenesis and lipolysis in brown and white adipose tissue, respectively (BAT, WAT), negative inotropic effects in cardiomyocytes, and relaxation of the blood vessels and the urinary bladder. The β3-AR has been suggested as a potential target for cancer treatment, both in adult and pediatric tumors, since under hypoxia its upregulation in the tumor microenvironment (TME) regulates stromal cell differentiation, tumor growth and metastases, signifying that its agonism/antagonism could be useful for clinical benefits. Promising results in cancer research have proposed the β3-AR being targeted for the treatment of many conditions, with some drugs, at present, undergoing phase II and III clinical trials. In this review, we report the scientific journey followed by the research from the β3-Ars' discovery, with focus on the β3-Ars' role in cancer initiation and progression that elects it an intriguing target for novel antineoplastic approaches. The overview highlights the great potential of the β3-AR, both in physiologic and pathologic conditions, with the intention to display the possible benefits of β3-AR modulation in cancer reality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amada Pasha
- Department of Pediatric Hematology–Oncology, Meyer Children’s Hospital IRCCS, 50139 Florence, Italy; (A.P.); (A.T.); (C.F.)
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy
| | - Annalisa Tondo
- Department of Pediatric Hematology–Oncology, Meyer Children’s Hospital IRCCS, 50139 Florence, Italy; (A.P.); (A.T.); (C.F.)
| | - Claudio Favre
- Department of Pediatric Hematology–Oncology, Meyer Children’s Hospital IRCCS, 50139 Florence, Italy; (A.P.); (A.T.); (C.F.)
| | - Maura Calvani
- Department of Pediatric Hematology–Oncology, Meyer Children’s Hospital IRCCS, 50139 Florence, Italy; (A.P.); (A.T.); (C.F.)
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Jahangiri L. Predicting Neuroblastoma Patient Risk Groups, Outcomes, and Treatment Response Using Machine Learning Methods: A Review. Med Sci (Basel) 2024; 12:5. [PMID: 38249081 PMCID: PMC10801560 DOI: 10.3390/medsci12010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma, a paediatric malignancy with high rates of cancer-related morbidity and mortality, is of significant interest to the field of paediatric cancers. High-risk NB tumours are usually metastatic and result in survival rates of less than 50%. Machine learning approaches have been applied to various neuroblastoma patient data to retrieve relevant clinical and biological information and develop predictive models. Given this background, this study will catalogue and summarise the literature that has used machine learning and statistical methods to analyse data such as multi-omics, histological sections, and medical images to make clinical predictions. Furthermore, the question will be turned on its head, and the use of machine learning to accurately stratify NB patients by risk groups and to predict outcomes, including survival and treatment response, will be summarised. Overall, this study aims to catalogue and summarise the important work conducted to date on the subject of expression-based predictor models and machine learning in neuroblastoma for risk stratification and patient outcomes including survival, and treatment response which may assist and direct future diagnostic and therapeutic efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Jahangiri
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Site, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK;
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Addenbrookes Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
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11
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Jiménez-Cortegana C, Palomares F, Alba G, Santa-María C, de la Cruz-Merino L, Sánchez-Margalet V, López-Enríquez S. Dendritic cells: the yin and yang in disease progression. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1321051. [PMID: 38239364 PMCID: PMC10794555 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1321051] [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: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen presenting cells that link innate and adaptive immunity. DCs have been historically considered as the most effective and potent cell population to capture, process and present antigens to activate naïve T cells and originate favorable immune responses in many diseases, such as cancer. However, in the last decades, it has been observed that DCs not only promote beneficial responses, but also drive the initiation and progression of some pathologies, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In line with those notions, different therapeutic approaches have been tested to enhance or impair the concentration and role of the different DC subsets. The blockade of inhibitory pathways to promote DCs or DC-based vaccines have been successfully assessed in cancer, whereas the targeting of DCs to inhibit their functionality has proved to be favorable in IBD. In this review, we (a) described the general role of DCs, (b) explained the DC subsets and their role in immunogenicity, (c) analyzed the role of DCs in cancer and therapeutic approaches to promote immunogenic DCs and (d) analyzed the role of DCs in IBD and therapeutic approaches to reduced DC-induced inflammation. Therefore, we aimed to highlight the "yin-yang" role of DCs to improve the understand of this type of cells in disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Jiménez-Cortegana
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Francisca Palomares
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Alba
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Consuelo Santa-María
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Pharmacy, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Luis de la Cruz-Merino
- Clinical Oncology Dept. Medicine Department, University of Seville, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, Seville, Spain
| | - Victor Sánchez-Margalet
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Soledad López-Enríquez
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
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12
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Liu Z, Yang M, Shu H, Zhou J. A novel prognostic and therapeutic target biomarker based on complement-related gene signature in gastric cancer. Transl Cancer Res 2023; 12:3565-3580. [PMID: 38192986 PMCID: PMC10774048 DOI: 10.21037/tcr-23-628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Background Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most prevalent cancer types that reduce human life expectancy. The current tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging system is inadequate in identifying higher or lower risk of GC patients because of tumor heterogeneity. Research shows that complement plays a dual role in the tumor development and progression of GC. Methods We downloaded GC data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). A complement-related risk signature was constructed through bioinformatics analysis. Subsequently, the predictive ability of this signature was validated with GSE84437 dataset, and a nomogram integrating risk score and common clinical factors was established. Besides, we evaluated the association of risk score with the immune and stromal cell infiltration in TCGA. Furthermore, immunotherapy response prediction and drug susceptibility analysis were conducted to access the ability of the risk signature in predicting the therapeutic effect. Results A complement-related gene (CRG) signature, based on six genes (SPLG, C9, ITIH1, ZFPM2, CD36, and SERPINE1), was established. In both the training and validation sets, the overall survival of GC patients in the high-risk group was lower than that of the low-risk group, and the nomogram to predict the 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates of GC patients was developed. In addition, CIBERSORT algorithm showed the high-risk patients had higher levels of immune cell infiltration than low-risk patients, and the ESTIMATE results implied that the high-risk group had more stromal component in tumor microenvironment. Besides, compared to the low-risk group, there were higher expressions of most immune checkpoint genes and HLA genes in the high-risk group, and the high-risk patients showed higher sensitivity to the chemotherapy and targeted drugs (axitinib, dasatinib, pazopanib, saracatinib, sunitinib and temsirolimus). Conclusions The novel CRG signature may act as a reliable, efficient tool for prognostic prediction and treatment guidance in future clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuming Liu
- Digestive Department, Sinopharm Dongfeng General Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Mingwei Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Hang Shu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jianmei Zhou
- Digestive Department, Sinopharm Dongfeng General Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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13
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Song M, Huang Y, Hong Y, Liu J, Zhu J, Lu S, Wang J, Sun F, Huang J, Xu J, Tang Y, Xia JC, Zhang Y. PD-L1-expressing natural killer cells predict favorable prognosis and response to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade in neuroblastoma. Oncoimmunology 2023; 13:2289738. [PMID: 38125723 PMCID: PMC10732605 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2023.2289738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
T/NK cell-based immunotherapy has achieved remarkable success in adult cancers but has limited efficacy in pediatric malignancies including high-risk neuroblastoma (NB). Immune defects of NB tumor microenvironment are poorly understood compared with adults. Here, we described the unique characteristics of NB immune contexture and determined the phenotype signatures of PD-L1-expressing CD8+ T and NK cells in NB tumors by systemically analyzing the spatial distribution of T and NK cells and the distinct expression of programmed death 1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) in patients with NB. We found that PD-L1-expressing CD8+ T and NK cells in NB tumors were highly activated and functionally competent and associated with better clinical outcomes. Intratumoral NK cells were a favorable prognostic biomarker independent of CD8+ T cells, PD-1/PD-L1 expression, tumor stage, MYCN amplification, and risk classification. NK cells combined with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies showed potent antitumor activity against both MYCN-amplified and non-amplified NBs in vitro and in vivo, and PD-L1-expressing NK cells associated with improved antitumor efficacy. Collectively, we raise novel insights into the role of PD-L1 expression on CD8+ T-cell and NK-cell activation. We highlight the great potential of intratumoral NK cells in better defining risk stratification, and predicting survival and response to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy in NB. These findings explain why single anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy may not be successful in NB, suggesting its combination with NK cell-adoptive cellular therapy as a promising strategy for relapsing/refractory NB. This study provides a potential prospect that patients with PD-L1-expressing NK cells may respond to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjia Song
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yue Huang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ye Hong
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Juan Liu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jia Zhu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Suying Lu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Juan Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feifei Sun
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junting Huang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiaqian Xu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan Tang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Biotherapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian-Chuan Xia
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Biotherapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yizhuo Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
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14
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D’Amico S, Tempora P, Gragera P, Król K, Melaiu O, De Ioris MA, Locatelli F, Fruci D. Two bullets in the gun: combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy to defeat neuroblastoma by targeting adrenergic-mesenchymal plasticity. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1268645. [PMID: 37849756 PMCID: PMC10577183 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1268645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) is a childhood tumor that originates in the peripheral sympathetic nervous system and is responsible for 15% of cancer-related deaths in the pediatric population. Despite intensive multimodal treatment, many patients with high-risk NB relapse and develop a therapy-resistant tumor. One of the phenomena related to therapeutic resistance is intratumor heterogeneity resulting from the adaptation of tumor cells in response to different selective environmental pressures. The transcriptional and epigenetic profiling of NB tissue has recently revealed the existence of two distinct cellular identities in the NB, termed adrenergic (ADRN) and mesenchymal (MES), which can spontaneously interconvert through epigenetic regulation. This phenomenon, known as tumor plasticity, has a major impact on cancer pathogenesis. The aim of this review is to describe the peculiarities of these two cell states, and how their plasticity affects the response to current therapeutic treatments, with special focus on the immunogenic potential of MES cells. Furthermore, we will discuss the opportunity to combine immunotherapy with chemotherapy to counteract NB phenotypic interconversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia D’Amico
- Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Tempora
- Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Paula Gragera
- Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Kamila Król
- Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Ombretta Melaiu
- Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Antonietta De Ioris
- Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Franco Locatelli
- Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
- Department of Pediatrics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Doriana Fruci
- Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
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15
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Ding J, Zheng Y, Zhu F, Wang M, Fang L, Li H, Tian H, Liu Y, Wang G, Zheng J, Chai D. Adenovirus-assembled DC vaccine induces dual-targeting CTLs for tumor antigen and adenovirus to eradicate tumors. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 123:110722. [PMID: 37573687 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.110722] [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: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
The dendritic cell (DC) vaccine is a promising cancerimmunotherapy strategy, but its efficacy in treating the solid tumor is limited. To overcome this limitation, an oncolytic adenovirus (OAV-IL-12) was developed to enhance antigen targeting ability of adenovirus-assembled DC vaccine (DCs-CD137L/CAIX) for renal carcinoma treatment. Peritumoral administration of OAV-IL-12 increased the number of tumor-infiltrating DCs and their subsets (CD8+DCs and CD103+DCs). Combining OAV-IL-12 with DCs-CD137L/CAIX significantly inhibited the growth of subcutaneous tumors by inducing potent cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) effect and improving the immune infiltration in tumor lesions. Interestingly, this treatment also reduced tumor growth distal to the OAV-IL-12 injecting side via eliciting a systemic CTL response. Furthermore, OAV-IL-12 potentiated DCs-CD137L/CAIX treatment induced dual CTL responses against both CAIX and adenovirus antigens. The therapeutic benefits of this treatment approach mainly relied on multifunctional CD8+T cell immune responses, as indicated by the depletion assay. Moreover, OAV-IL-12 potentiated DCs-CD137L/CAIX treatment generated a long-lasting protective effect against tumors by inducing memory CD8+T cell immune responses. These results suggest that the effective tumor targeting of the adenovirus-based DC vaccine, boosted by OAV-IL-12, is a promising treatment approach for renal carcinoma and other solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiage Ding
- Department of Oncology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, China; Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Yanyan Zheng
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Center of Clinical Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, China; Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Fei Zhu
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Center of Clinical Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, China; Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Meng Wang
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Center of Clinical Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, China; Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Lin Fang
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Center of Clinical Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, China; Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Huizhong Li
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Center of Clinical Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, China; Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Hui Tian
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Center of Clinical Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, China; Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Yong Liu
- Department of Oncology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, China
| | - Gang Wang
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Center of Clinical Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, China; Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China.
| | - Junnian Zheng
- Center of Clinical Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, China; Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China.
| | - Dafei Chai
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Center of Clinical Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, China; Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China.
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16
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Zhang Y, Ma Y, Liu Q, Du Y, Peng L, Zhou J, Zhao Z, Li C, Wang S. Single-cell transcriptome sequencing reveals tumor heterogeneity in family neuroblastoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1197773. [PMID: 37790931 PMCID: PMC10543897 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1197773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma(NB) is the most common extracranial solid tumor in childhood, and it is now believed that some patients with NB have an underlying genetic susceptibility, which may be one of the reasons for the multiplicity of NB patients within a family line. Even within the same family, the samples show great variation and can present as ganglioneuroblastoma or even benign ganglioneuroma. The genomics of NB is still unclear and more in-depth studies are needed to reveal its key components. We first performed single-cell RNA sequencing(sc-RNAseq) analysis on clinical specimens of two family neuroblastoma(FNB) and four sporadic NB cases. A complete transcriptional profile of FNB was constructed from 18,394 cells from FNB, and we found that SDHD may be genetically associated with FNB and identified a prognostic related CAF subtype in FNB: Fib-4. Single-cell flux estimation analysis (scFEA) results showed that malignant cells were associated with arginine spermine, oxaloacetate and hypoxanthine, and that malignant cells metabolize lactate at lower levels than T cells. Our study provides new resources and ideas for the development of the genomics of family NB, and the mechanisms of cell-to-cell interactions and communication and the metabolic landscape will provide new therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Shan Wang
- Department of Pediatric Surgical Oncology Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing, China
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17
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Zhang W, Yu B, Meng Q, Pu L, Liu B, Li F. Novaferon gene modification promotes NK92 cell anti-tumor activity. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 122:110613. [PMID: 37421776 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.110613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
With significant developments in chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, adoptive immunotherapy has unlocked new levels of treatment for malignancies. Natural killer (NK) cells are promising alternative immune effector cells for this strategy. Multiple anti-tumor therapies are largely dependent on type I interferon (IFN) signaling. Type I IFNs enhance NK cell cytotoxicity. Novaferon (nova) is an unnatural, novel IFN-like protein produced by gene shuffling of IFN-α with strong biological activity. To augment the antitumor activity of NK cells, we generated NK92-nova cells that stably express nova. We found that NK92-nova cells mediated enhanced pan-cancer antitumor activity compared to NK92-vec cells. The increased antitumor activity was associated with the enhanced secretion of cytokines, such as IFN-γ, perforin, and granzyme B. Meanwhile, most of the activating receptors were upregulated in the NK92-nova cells. After co-culture with NK92-nova cells, the expression of NKG2D ligands on the HepG2 cells increased, resulting in an enhanced susceptibility of HepG2 cells to NK92 cell-mediated cytolysis. NK92-nova cells significantly inhibited HepG2 tumor growth in a xenograft model without systemic toxicity. Therefore, NK92-nova cells are a novel and safe strategy for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanze Zhang
- Department of Pathogenobiology, The Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Basic Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin, PR China
| | - Bingxin Yu
- Department of Ultrasound, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130032, Jilin, PR China
| | - Qingyu Meng
- Department of Pathogenobiology, The Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Basic Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin, PR China
| | - Luya Pu
- Department of Pathogenobiology, The Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Basic Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin, PR China
| | - Bin Liu
- Cardiovascular Disease Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin, PR China
| | - Fan Li
- Department of Pathogenobiology, The Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Basic Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin, PR China; The Key Laboratory for Bionics Engineering, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin, PR China; Engineering Research Center for Medical Biomaterials of Jilin Province, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin, PR China; Key Laboratory for Health Biomedical Materials of Jilin Province, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Urumqi 830000, Xinjiang, PR China.
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18
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Feng Q, Huang Z, Song L, Wang L, Lu H, Wu L. Combining bulk and single-cell RNA-sequencing data to develop an NK cell-related prognostic signature for hepatocellular carcinoma based on an integrated machine learning framework. Eur J Med Res 2023; 28:306. [PMID: 37649103 PMCID: PMC10466881 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-023-01300-6] [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: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The application of molecular targeting therapy and immunotherapy has notably prolonged the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, multidrug resistance and high molecular heterogeneity of HCC still prevent the further improvement of clinical benefits. Dysfunction of tumor-infiltrating natural killer (NK) cells was strongly related to HCC progression and survival benefits of HCC patients. Hence, an NK cell-related prognostic signature was built up to predict HCC patients' prognosis and immunotherapeutic response. METHODS NK cell markers were selected from scRNA-Seq data obtained from GSE162616 data set. A consensus machine learning framework including a total of 77 algorithms was developed to establish the gene signature in TCGA-LIHC data set, GSE14520 data set, GSE76427 data set and ICGC-LIRI-JP data set. Moreover, the predictive efficacy on ICI response was externally validated by GSE91061 data set and PRJEB23709 data set. RESULTS With the highest C-index among 77 algorithms, a 11-gene signature was established by the combination of LASSO and CoxBoost algorithm, which classified patients into high- and low-risk group. The prognostic signature displayed a good predictive performance for overall survival rate, moderate to high predictive accuracy and was an independent risk factor for HCC patients' prognosis in TCGA, GEO and ICGC cohorts. Compared with high-risk group, low-risk patients showed higher IPS-PD1 blocker, IPS-CTLA4 blocker, common immune checkpoints expression but lower TIDE score, which indicated low-risk patients might be prone to benefiting from ICI treatment. Moreover, a real-world cohort, PRJEB23709, also revealed better immunotherapeutic response in low-risk group. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the present study developed a gene signature based on NK cell-related genes, which offered a novel platform for prognosis and immunotherapeutic response evaluation of HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Feng
- Department of Emergency, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330000, China
| | - Zhihao Huang
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 1st min de Road, Nanchang, 330000, China
| | - Lei Song
- Department of General Practice, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330000, China
| | - Le Wang
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330000, China
| | - Hongcheng Lu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 1st min de Road, Nanchang, 330000, China.
| | - Linquan Wu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 1st min de Road, Nanchang, 330000, China.
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19
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Benoit A, Vogin G, Duhem C, Berchem G, Janji B. Lighting Up the Fire in the Microenvironment of Cold Tumors: A Major Challenge to Improve Cancer Immunotherapy. Cells 2023; 12:1787. [PMID: 37443821 PMCID: PMC10341162 DOI: 10.3390/cells12131787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy includes immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) such as antibodies targeting cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) or the programmed cell death protein/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) axis. Experimental and clinical evidence show that immunotherapy based on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) provides long-term survival benefits to cancer patients in whom other conventional therapies have failed. However, only a minority of patients show high clinical benefits via the use of ICI alone. One of the major factors limiting the clinical benefits to ICI can be attributed to the lack of immune cell infiltration within the tumor microenvironment. Such tumors are classified as "cold/warm" or an immune "desert"; those displaying significant infiltration are considered "hot" or inflamed. This review will provide a brief summary of different tumor properties contributing to the establishment of cold tumors and describe major strategies that could reprogram non-inflamed cold tumors into inflamed hot tumors. More particularly, we will describe how targeting hypoxia can induce metabolic reprogramming that results in improving and extending the benefit of ICI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Benoit
- Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) Group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), L-1210 Luxembourg, Luxembourg; (A.B.); (G.B.)
| | - Guillaume Vogin
- Centre National de Radiothérapie François Baclesse, L-4005 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg;
- Ingénierie Moléculaire et Physiopathologie Articulaire (IMoPA), Université de Lorraine—UMR 7365, 54505 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Caroline Duhem
- Department of Hemato-Oncology, Centre Hospitalier du Luxembourg, L-1210 Luxembourg, Luxembourg;
| | - Guy Berchem
- Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) Group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), L-1210 Luxembourg, Luxembourg; (A.B.); (G.B.)
- Department of Hemato-Oncology, Centre Hospitalier du Luxembourg, L-1210 Luxembourg, Luxembourg;
- Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, L-4367 Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Bassam Janji
- Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) Group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), L-1210 Luxembourg, Luxembourg; (A.B.); (G.B.)
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20
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Fetahu IS, Esser-Skala W, Dnyansagar R, Sindelar S, Rifatbegovic F, Bileck A, Skos L, Bozsaky E, Lazic D, Shaw L, Tötzl M, Tarlungeanu D, Bernkopf M, Rados M, Weninger W, Tomazou EM, Bock C, Gerner C, Ladenstein R, Farlik M, Fortelny N, Taschner-Mandl S. Single-cell transcriptomics and epigenomics unravel the role of monocytes in neuroblastoma bone marrow metastasis. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3620. [PMID: 37365178 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39210-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is the major cause of cancer-related deaths. Neuroblastoma (NB), a childhood tumor has been molecularly defined at the primary cancer site, however, the bone marrow (BM) as the metastatic niche of NB is poorly characterized. Here we perform single-cell transcriptomic and epigenomic profiling of BM aspirates from 11 subjects spanning three major NB subtypes and compare these to five age-matched and metastasis-free BM, followed by in-depth single cell analyses of tissue diversity and cell-cell interactions, as well as functional validation. We show that cellular plasticity of NB tumor cells is conserved upon metastasis and tumor cell type composition is NB subtype-dependent. NB cells signal to the BM microenvironment, rewiring via macrophage mgration inhibitory factor and midkine signaling specifically monocytes, which exhibit M1 and M2 features, are marked by activation of pro- and anti-inflammatory programs, and express tumor-promoting factors, reminiscent of tumor-associated macrophages. The interactions and pathways characterized in our study provide the basis for therapeutic approaches that target tumor-to-microenvironment interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irfete S Fetahu
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Wolfgang Esser-Skala
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Rohit Dnyansagar
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Samuel Sindelar
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Andrea Bileck
- University of Vienna, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Vienna, Austria
- Joint Metabolomics Facility, University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Skos
- University of Vienna, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Bozsaky
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daria Lazic
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa Shaw
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Dermatology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marcus Tötzl
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Marie Bernkopf
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Magdalena Rados
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Weninger
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Dermatology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eleni M Tomazou
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Bock
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Medical University of Vienna, Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Center for Medical Data Science, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christopher Gerner
- University of Vienna, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Vienna, Austria
- Joint Metabolomics Facility, University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ruth Ladenstein
- St. Anna Children's Hospital and St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Department of Studies and Statistics for Integrated Research and Projects, Vienna, Austria
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Pediatrics, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Farlik
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Dermatology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nikolaus Fortelny
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
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21
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Lin Z, Ma J, Ma Y, Li Q, Kang H, Zhang M, Chen B, Xia R. Prognostic impact of peripheral natural killer cells in primary central nervous system lymphoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1191033. [PMID: 37426647 PMCID: PMC10326164 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1191033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is an aggressive extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma with a poor prognosis. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of circulating NK cells in PCNSL. Materials and methods Patients diagnosed with PCNSL who were treated at our institution between December 2018 and December 2019 were retrospectively screened. Patient variables including age, sex, Karnofsky performance status, diagnostic methods, location of lesions, lactate dehydrogenase, cerebrospinal fluids (CSF), and vitreous fluids involvement or not were documented. NK cell count and NK cell proportion (NK cell count/lymphocyte count) in the peripheral blood were evaluated by flow cytometry. Some patients underwent two consecutive NK cell tests before and three weeks after chemotherapy (before the next chemotherapy). The fold change in NK cell proportion and NK cell counts were calculated. CD56-positive NK cells in tumor tissue were assessed by immunohistochemistry. NK cell cytotoxicity assay was performed using flow cytometry. Results A total of 161 patients with PCNSL were included in this study. The median NK cell count of all NK cell tests was 197.73/μL (range 13.11-1889.90 cells/μL). The median proportion of NK cells was 14.11% (range 1.68-45.15%) for all. Responders had a higher median NK cell count (p<0.0001) and NK cell proportion (p<0.0001) than non-responders. Furthermore, Responders had a higher median fold change in NK cell proportion than non-responders (p=0.019) or patients in complete remission/partial remission (p<0.0001). A higher median fold change in NK cell count was observed in responders than in non-responders (p=0.0224) or patients in complete remission/partial remission (p=0.0002). For newly diagnosed PCNSL, patients with a high NK cell count (>165 cells/μL) appeared to have a longer median overall survival than those with a low NK cell count (p=0.0054). A high fold change in the proportion of NK cells (>0.1957; p=0.0367) or NK cell count (>0.1045; p=0.0356) was associated with longer progression-free survival. Circulating NK cells from newly-diagnosed PCNSL demonstrated an impaired cytotoxicity capacity compared to those from patients with PCNSL in complete remission or healthy donors. Conclusion Our study indicated that circulating NK cells had some impact on the outcome of PCNSL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiguang Lin
- Department of Hematology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingjing Ma
- Department of Hematology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Ma
- Department of Hematology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Hematology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Kang
- Department of Hematology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengxue Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bobin Chen
- Department of Hematology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rong Xia
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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22
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Vonderhaar EP, Dwinell MB, Craig BT. Targeted immune activation in pediatric solid tumors: opportunities to complement local control approaches. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1202169. [PMID: 37426669 PMCID: PMC10325564 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1202169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Surgery or radiation therapy is nearly universally applied for pediatric solid tumors. In many cases, in diverse tumor types, distant metastatic disease is present and evades surgery or radiation. The systemic host response to these local control modalities may lead to a suppression of antitumor immunity, with potential negative impact on the clinical outcomes for patients in this scenario. Emerging evidence suggests that the perioperative immune responses to surgery or radiation can be modulated therapeutically to preserve anti-tumor immunity, with the added benefit of preventing these local control approaches from serving as pro-tumorigenic stimuli. To realize the potential benefit of therapeutic modulation of the systemic response to surgery or radiation on distant disease that evades these modalities, a detailed knowledge of the tumor-specific immunology as well as the immune responses to surgery and radiation is imperative. In this Review we highlight the current understanding of the tumor immune microenvironment for the most common peripheral pediatric solid tumors, the immune responses to surgery and radiation, and current evidence that supports the potential use of immune activating agents in the perioperative window. Finally, we define existing knowledge gaps that limit the current translational potential of modulating perioperative immunity to achieve effective anti-tumor outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily P. Vonderhaar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Center for Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Michael B. Dwinell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Center for Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Cancer Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Brian T. Craig
- Center for Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
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23
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Rohila D, Park IH, Pham TV, Jones R, Tapia E, Liu KX, Tamayo P, Yu A, Sharabi AB, Joshi S. Targeting macrophage Syk enhances responses to immune checkpoint blockade and radiotherapy in high-risk neuroblastoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1148317. [PMID: 37350973 PMCID: PMC10283071 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1148317] [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: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Neuroblastoma (NB) is considered an immunologically cold tumor and is usually less responsive to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are highly infiltrated in NB tumors and promote immune escape and resistance to ICB. Hence therapeutic strategies targeting immunosuppressive TAMs can improve responses to ICB in NB. We recently discovered that spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) reprograms TAMs toward an immunostimulatory phenotype and enhances T-cell responses in the lung adenocarcinoma model. Here we investigated if Syk is an immune-oncology target in NB and tested whether a novel immunotherapeutic approach utilizing Syk inhibitor together with radiation and ICB could provide a durable anti-tumor immune response in an MYCN amplified murine model of NB. Methods Myeloid Syk KO mice and syngeneic MYCN-amplified cell lines were used to elucidate the effect of myeloid Syk on the NB tumor microenvironment (TME). In addition, the effect of Syk inhibitor, R788, on anti-tumor immunity alone or in combination with anti-PDL1 mAb and radiation was also determined in murine NB models. The underlying mechanism of action of this novel therapeutic combination was also investigated. Results Herein, we report that Syk is a marker of NB-associated macrophages and plays a crucial role in promoting immunosuppression in the NB TME. We found that the blockade of Syk in NB-bearing mice markedly impairs tumor growth. This effect is facilitated by macrophages that become immunogenic in the absence of Syk, skewing the suppressive TME towards immunostimulation and activating anti-tumor immune responses. Moreover, combining FDA-approved Syk inhibitor, R788 (fostamatinib) along with anti-PDL1 mAb provides a synergistic effect leading to complete tumor regression and durable anti-tumor immunity in mice bearing small tumors (50 mm3) but not larger tumors (250 mm3). However, combining radiation to R788 and anti-PDL1 mAb prolongs the survival of mice bearing large NB9464 tumors. Conclusion Collectively, our findings demonstrate the central role of macrophage Syk in NB progression and demonstrate that Syk blockade can "reeducate" TAMs towards immunostimulatory phenotype, leading to enhanced T cell responses. These findings further support the clinical evaluation of fostamatinib alone or with radiation and ICB, as a novel therapeutic intervention in neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepak Rohila
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - In Hwan Park
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Timothy V. Pham
- Office of Cancer Genomics, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Riley Jones
- Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Elisabette Tapia
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Kevin X. Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Pablo Tamayo
- Office of Cancer Genomics, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Alice Yu
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
- Institute of Stem Cell and Translational Cancer Research, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Andrew B. Sharabi
- Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Shweta Joshi
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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24
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Rivera Z, Escutia C, Madonna MB, Gupta KH. Biological Insight and Recent Advancement in the Treatment of Neuroblastoma. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108470. [PMID: 37239815 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the most frequent solid tumors in children is neuroblastoma, which has a variety of clinical behaviors that are mostly influenced by the biology of the tumor. Unique characteristics of neuroblastoma includes its early age of onset, its propensity for spontaneous tumor regression in newborns, and its high prevalence of metastatic disease at diagnosis in individuals older than 1 year of age. Immunotherapeutic techniques have been added to the previously enlisted chemotherapeutic treatments as therapeutic choices. A groundbreaking new treatment for hematological malignancies is adoptive cell therapy, specifically chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy. However, due to the immunosuppressive nature of the tumor microenvironment (TME) of neuroblastoma tumor, this treatment approach faces difficulties. Numerous tumor-associated genes and antigens, including the MYCN proto-oncogene (MYCN) and disialoganglioside (GD2) surface antigen, have been found by the molecular analysis of neuroblastoma cells. The MYCN gene and GD2 are two of the most useful immunotherapy findings for neuroblastoma. The tumor cells devise numerous methods to evade immune identification or modify the activity of immune cells. In addition to addressing the difficulties and potential advancements of immunotherapies for neuroblastoma, this review attempts to identify important immunological actors and biological pathways involved in the dynamic interaction between the TME and immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoriamin Rivera
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Carlos Escutia
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Mary Beth Madonna
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Kajal H Gupta
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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25
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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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26
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Vitale C, Bottino C, Castriconi R. Monocyte and Macrophage in Neuroblastoma: Blocking Their Pro-Tumoral Functions and Strengthening Their Crosstalk with Natural Killer Cells. Cells 2023; 12:885. [PMID: 36980226 PMCID: PMC10047506 DOI: 10.3390/cells12060885] [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: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, immunotherapy has represented an enormous step forward in the fight against cancer. Immunotherapeutic approaches have increasingly become a fundamental part of the combined therapies currently adopted in the treatment of patients with high-risk (HR) neuroblastoma (NB). An increasing number of studies focus on the understanding of the immune landscape in NB and, since this tumor expresses low or null levels of MHC class I, on the development of new strategies aimed at enhancing innate immunity, especially Natural Killer (NK) cells and macrophages. There is growing evidence that, within the NB tumor microenvironment (TME), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which mainly present an M2-like phenotype, have a crucial role in mediating NB development and immune evasion, and they have been correlated to poor clinical outcomes. Importantly, TAM can also impair the antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) mediated by NK cells upon the administration of anti-GD2 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), the current standard immunotherapy for HR-NB patients. This review deals with the main mechanisms regulating the crosstalk among NB cells and TAMs or other cellular components of the TME, which support tumor development and induce drug resistance. Furthermore, we will address the most recent strategies aimed at limiting the number of pro-tumoral macrophages within the TME, reprogramming the TAMs functional state, thus enhancing NK cell functions. We also prospectively discuss new or unexplored aspects of human macrophage heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Vitale
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Cristina Bottino
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Immunology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147 Genova, Italy
| | - Roberta Castriconi
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
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27
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Lopes N, Vivier E, Narni-Mancinelli E. Natural killer cells and type 1 innate lymphoid cells in cancer. Semin Immunol 2023; 66:101709. [PMID: 36621291 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2022.101709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are a group of innate lymphocytes that do not express RAG-dependent rearranged antigen-specific cell surface receptors. ILCs are classified into five groups according to their developmental trajectory and cytokine production profile. They encompass NK cells, which are cytotoxic, helper-like ILCs 1-3, which functionally mirror CD4+ T helper (Th) type 1, Th2 and Th17 cells respectively, and lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells. NK cell development depends on Eomes (eomesodermin), whereas the ILC1 program is regulated principally by the transcription factor T-bet (T-box transcription factor Tbx21), that of ILC2 is regulated by GATA3 (GATA-binding protein 3) and that of ILC3 is regulated by RORγt (RAR-related orphan receptor γ). NK cells were discovered close to fifty years ago, but ILC1s were first described only about fifteen years ago. Within the ILC family, NK and ILC1s share many similarities, as witnessed by their cell surface phenotype which largely overlap. NK cells and ILC1s have been reported to respond to tissue inflammation and intracellular pathogens. Several studies have reported an antitumorigenic role for NK cells in both humans and mice, but data for ILC1s are both scarce and contradictory. In this review, we will first describe the different NK cell and ILC1 subsets, their effector functions and development. We will then discuss their role in cancer and the effects of the tumor microenvironment on their metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noella Lopes
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, INSERM, Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Marseille, France
| | - Eric Vivier
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, INSERM, Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Marseille, France; Innate Pharma Research Laboratories, Innate Pharma, Marseille, France; APHM, Hôpital de la Timone, Marseille-Immunopôle, Marseille, France
| | - Emilie Narni-Mancinelli
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, INSERM, Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Marseille, France.
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28
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Bruno G, Nastasi N, Subbiani A, Boaretto A, Ciullini Mannurita S, Mattei G, Nardini P, Della Bella C, Magi A, Pini A, De Marco E, Tondo A, Favre C, Calvani M. β3-adrenergic receptor on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes sustains IFN-γ-dependent PD-L1 expression and impairs anti-tumor immunity in neuroblastoma. Cancer Gene Ther 2023:10.1038/s41417-023-00599-x. [PMID: 36854895 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-023-00599-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) is a heterogeneous extracranial tumor occurring in childhood. A distinctive feature of NB tumors is their neuroendocrine ability to secrete catecholamines, which in turn, via β-adrenergic receptors ligation, may affect different signaling pathways in tumor microenvironment (TME). It was previously demonstrated that specific antagonism of β3-adrenergic receptor (β3-AR) on NB tumor cells affected tumor growth and progression. Here, in a murine syngeneic model of NB, we aimed to investigate whether the β3-AR modulation influenced the host immune system response against tumor. Results demonstrated that β3-AR antagonism lead to an immune response reactivation, partially dependent on the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling axis involvement. Indeed, β3-AR blockade on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) dampened their ability to secrete IFN-γ, which in turn reduced the PD-L1 expression, caused by TILs infiltration, on NB tumor cells. Further investigations, through a genomic analysis on NB patients, showed that high ADRB3 gene expression correlates with worse clinical outcome compared to the low expression group, and that ADRB3 gene expression affects different immune-related pathways. Overall, results indicate that β3-AR in NB TME is able to modulate the interaction between tumor and host immune system, and that its antagonism hits multiple pro-tumoral signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gennaro Bruno
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, A. Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy. .,Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
| | - Nicoletta Nastasi
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, A. Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy.,Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Angela Subbiani
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, A. Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessia Boaretto
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, A. Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy.,Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Sara Ciullini Mannurita
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, A. Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy
| | - Gianluca Mattei
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Patrizia Nardini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Chiara Della Bella
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alberto Magi
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessandro Pini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Emanuela De Marco
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Annalisa Tondo
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, A. Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy
| | - Claudio Favre
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, A. Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy
| | - Maura Calvani
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, A. Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy
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Charles A, Thomas RM. The Influence of the microbiome on the innate immune microenvironment of solid tumors. Neoplasia 2023; 37:100878. [PMID: 36696837 PMCID: PMC9879786 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2023.100878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Cancer remains a leading cause of death despite many advances in medical and surgical therapy. In recent decades, the investigation for novel therapeutic strategies with greater efficacy and reduced side effects has led to a deeper understanding of the relationship between the microbiome and the immune system in the context of cancer. The ability of the immune system to detect and kill cancer is now recognized to be greatly influenced by the microbial ecosystem of the host. While most of these studies, as well as currently used immunotherapeutics, focus on the adaptive immune system, this minimizes the impact of the innate immune system in cancer surveillance and its regulation by the host microbiome. In this review, known influences of the microbiome on the innate immune cells in the tumor microenvironment will be discussed in the context of individual innate immune cells. Current and needed areas of investigation will highlight the field and its potential impact in the clinical treatment of solid malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel Charles
- Department of Surgery, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Ryan M. Thomas
- Department of Surgery, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA,Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA,Corresponding author at: University of Florida, Department of Surgery, PO Box 100109, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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Zhang X, Jiang D, Li S, Zhang X, Zheng W, Cheng B. A signature-based classification of lung adenocarcinoma that stratifies tumor immunity. Front Oncol 2023; 12:1023833. [PMID: 36713530 PMCID: PMC9878554 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1023833] [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: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Immune-related subgroup classification in immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy is largely inconclusive in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Materials and methods First, the single-sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA) and K-means algorithms were used to identify immune-based subtypes for the LUAD cohort based on the immunogenomic profiling of 29 immune signatures from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database (n = 504). Second, we examined the prognostic and predictive value of immune-based subtypes using bioinformatics analysis. Survival analysis and additional COX proportional hazards regression analysis were conducted for LUAD. Then, the immune score, tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs), and immune checkpoint expression of the three subtypes were analyzed. The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between three immune-based subtypes were subsequently analyzed for functional enrichment pathways. Result A total of three immune-based subtypes with distinct immune signatures have been identified for LUAD and designated as cluster 1 (C1), cluster 2 (C2), and cluster 3 (C3). Patients in C3 had higher stromal, immune, and ESTIMATE scores, whereas those in C1 had the opposite. Patients in C1 had an enrichment of macrophages M0 and activation of dendritic cells, whereas tumors in C3 had an enrichment of CD8+ T cells, activation of CD4+ memory T cells, and macrophages M1. C3 had a higher immune cell infiltration and a better survival prognosis than other subtypes. Furthermore, patients in C3 had higher expression levels of immune checkpoint proteins such as PD-L1, PD1, CTLA4, LAG3, IDO1, and HAVCR2. No significant differences were found in cluster TMB scores. We also found that immune-related pathways were enriched in C3. Conclusion LUAD subtypes based on immune signatures may aid in the development of novel treatment strategies for LUAD.
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Wang X, Yang J, Bian H, Yang H. Development of A novel ferroptosis-related prognostic signature with multiple significance in paediatric neuroblastoma. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1067187. [PMID: 36911020 PMCID: PMC9992189 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1067187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent regulated cell death pathway that plays an essential role in the occurrence and development of tumours. Nonetheless, little is known about the impact of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) on neuroblastoma. Methods Transcriptional profiles and clinicopathological data of neuroblastoma were downloaded from the TARGET and GEO datasets. These were used as the training set and the validation set, respectively. Non-negative matrix factorisation was employed to divide patients with neuroblastoma into distinct ferroptosis clusters. The Cox regression model with LASSO was performed based on the FRGs to construct a multigene signature, which was subsequently evaluated in the testing set. Finally, we analysed the differences in the tumour immune microenvironment (TIME) and immunotherapeutic response among the different risk groups. Results The two distinct ferroptosis subtypes were determined and correlated with different clinical outcomes and tumour-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs). A risk model was developed to explore the risk scores of the individual patients. Patients in the low-risk group survived significantly longer than those in the high-risk group and showed a good predictive performance in the testing set. The risk score was significantly linked to clinicopathological traits, and it was confirmed as an independent prognostic indicator for assessing the overall survival. We also found that patients with low-risk scores had a higher infiltration of TIICs and a better immunotherapeutic response. Conclusions This study showed the potential role of FRGs in contributing to the clinical features, prognosis, TIME, and immunotherapy of neuroblastoma cases. Our findings offer a valuable basis for future research in targeting ferroptosis and its TIME and provide novel measures for the prevention and treatment of neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Wuhan Children' Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jun Yang
- Department of General Surgery, Wuhan Children' Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hongqiang Bian
- Department of General Surgery, Wuhan Children' Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hu Yang
- Department of General Surgery, Wuhan Children' Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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Neuroblastoma Tumor-Associated Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Regulate the Cytolytic Functions of NK Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 15:cancers15010019. [PMID: 36612020 PMCID: PMC9818020 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15010019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma tumor-associated mesenchymal stromal cells (NB-TA-MSC) have been extensively characterized for their pro-tumorigenic properties, while their immunosuppressive potential, especially against NK cells, has not been thoroughly investigated. Herein, we study the immune-regulatory potential of six primary young and senescent NB-TA-MSC on NK cell function. Young cells display a phenotype (CD105+/CD90+/CD73+/CD29+/CD146+) typical of MSC cells and, in addition, express high levels of immunomodulatory molecules (MHC-I, PDL-1 and PDL-2 and transcriptional-co-activator WWTR1), able to hinder NK cell activity. Notably, four of them express the neuroblastoma marker GD2, the most common target for NB immunotherapy. From a functional point of view, young NB-TA-MSC, contrary to the senescent ones, are resistant to activated NK cell-mediated lysis, but this behavior is overcome using anti-CD105 antibody TRC105 that activates antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. In addition, proliferating NB-TA-MSC, but not the senescent ones, after six days of co-culture, inhibit proliferation, expression of activating receptors and cytolytic activity of freshly isolated NK. Inhibitors of the soluble immunosuppressive factors L-kynurenine and prostaglandin E2 efficiently counteract this latter effect. Our data highlight the presence of phenotypically heterogeneous NB-TA-MSC displaying potent immunoregulatory properties towards NK cells, whose inhibition could be mandatory to improve the antitumor efficacy of targeted immunotherapy.
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Lindsay RS, Melssen MM, Stasiak K, Annis JL, Woods AN, Rodriguez AB, Brown MG, Engelhard VH. NK cells reduce anergic T cell development in early-stage tumors by promoting myeloid cell maturation. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1058894. [PMID: 36531040 PMCID: PMC9755581 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1058894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Studies of NK cells in tumors have primarily focused on their direct actions towards tumor cells. We evaluated the impact of NK cells on expression of homing receptor ligands on tumor vasculature, intratumoral T cell number and function, and T cell activation in tumor draining lymph node. Methods Using an implantable mouse model of melanoma, T cell responses and homing receptor ligand expression on the vasculature were evaluated with and without NK cells present during the early stages of the tumor response by flow cytometry. Results NK cells in early-stage tumors are one source of IFNγ that augments homing receptor ligand expression. More significantly, NK cell depletion resulted in increased numbers of intratumoral T cells with an anergic phenotype. Anergic T cell development in tumor draining lymph node was associated with increased T-cell receptor signaling but decreased proliferation and effector cell activity, and an incomplete maturation phenotype of antigen presenting cells. These effects of NK depletion were similar to those of blocking CD40L stimulation. Discussion We conclude that an important function of NK cells is to drive proper APC maturation via CD40L during responses to early-stage tumors, reducing development of anergic T cells. The reduced development of anergic T cells resulting in improved tumor control and T cell responses when NK cells were present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin S. Lindsay
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Marit M. Melssen
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Katarzyna Stasiak
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Jessica L. Annis
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Amber N. Woods
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Anthony B. Rodriguez
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Michael G. Brown
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Victor H. Engelhard
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
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Hou R, Yu Y, Jiang J. Prostaglandin E2 in neuroblastoma: Targeting synthesis or signaling? Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 156:113966. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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Prediction to the prognosis of children with neuroblastoma by nomogram based on the first-diagnosed inflammatory markers. Pediatr Surg Int 2022; 39:17. [PMID: 36449181 DOI: 10.1007/s00383-022-05302-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with high-risk neuroblastoma (NB) have a poor prognosis. The prognostic significance of inflammatory biomarker-based nomograms for children with NB has not been previously studied. METHODS Part of patients diagnosed with NB in our center from January 2016 to March 2022 were included in the study. Inflammatory biomarkers were primary outcome measures, including C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII). Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed to assess the prognostic value of these indicators for overall survival (OS) in NB children, showing the Kaplan-Meier survival curves and plotting the nomogram. C-index were used to detect predictability. RESULTS 93 NB patients were retrospectively analyzed. CRP, ferritin, NLR, PLR, and SII were significantly associated with OS of NB patients, while LMR were found to be not predictive of OS for NB patients. The established nomogram is well-calibrated, and the C-index is 0.731. CONCLUSION Survival analysis found part of inflammatory biomarkers related to the prognosis of NB. The nomogram could be used as a convenient predictive tool in clinical practice to evaluate the prognosis of NB children at first diagnosis.
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Ma K, Zhang P, Xia Y, Dong L, Li Y, Liu L, Liu Y, Wang Y. A signature based on five immune-related genes to predict the survival and immune characteristics of neuroblastoma. BMC Med Genomics 2022; 15:242. [PMID: 36419120 PMCID: PMC9685875 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-022-01400-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND MYCN amplification (MNA) has been proved to be related to poor prognosis in neuroblastoma (NBL), but the MYCN-related immune signatures and genes remain unclear. METHODS Enrichment analysis was used to identify the significant enrichment pathways of differentially expressed immune-related genes (DEIRGs). Weight gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was applied to reveal the correlation between these DEIRGs and MYCN status. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were used to construct risk model. The relevant fractions of immune cells were evaluated by CIBERSORT and single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). RESULTS Five genes, including CHGA, PTGER1, SHC3, PLXNC1, and TRIM55 were enrolled into the risk model. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that our model performed well in predicting the outcomes of NBL (3-years AUC = 0.720, 5-year AUC = 0.775, 10-years AUC = 0.782), which has been validated in the GSE49711 dataset and the E-MTAB-8248 dataset. By comparing with the tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) and tumor inflammation signature (TIS), we further proved that our model is reliable. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that the risk score, age, and MYCN can serve as independent prognostic factors in the E-MATB-8248. Functional enrichment analysis showed the DEIRGs were enriched in leukocyte adhesion-related signaling pathways. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed the significantly enriched pathways of the five MYCN-related DEIRGs. The risk score was negatively correlated with the immune checkpoint CD274 (PD-L1) but no significant difference with the TMB. We also confirmed the prognostic value of our model in predicting immunotherapeutics. CONCLUSION We constructed and verified a signature based on DEIRG that related to MNA and predicted the survival of NBL based on relevant immune signatures. These findings could provide help for predicting prognosis and developing immunotherapy in NBL.
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Affiliation(s)
- KeXin Ma
- grid.460069.dDepartment of Pediatrics, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 3 Kangfuqian Street, Zhengzhou, China
| | - PeiPei Zhang
- grid.459434.bDepartment of Neonatology, Children’s Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Xia
- grid.460069.dDepartment of Pediatrics, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 3 Kangfuqian Street, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lin Dong
- grid.460069.dDepartment of Pediatrics, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 3 Kangfuqian Street, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ying Li
- grid.460069.dDepartment of Pediatrics, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 3 Kangfuqian Street, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Liu Liu
- grid.460069.dDepartment of Pediatrics, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 3 Kangfuqian Street, Zhengzhou, China
| | - YaJuan Liu
- grid.460069.dDepartment of Pediatrics, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 3 Kangfuqian Street, Zhengzhou, China
| | - YouJun Wang
- grid.460069.dDepartment of Pediatrics, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 3 Kangfuqian Street, Zhengzhou, China
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Lucarini V, Melaiu O, D’Amico S, Pastorino F, Tempora P, Scarsella M, Pezzullo M, De Ninno A, D’Oria V, Cilli M, Emionite L, Infante P, Di Marcotullio L, De Ioris MA, Barillari G, Alaggio R, Businaro L, Ponzoni M, Locatelli F, Fruci D. Combined mitoxantrone and anti-TGFβ treatment with PD-1 blockade enhances antitumor immunity by remodelling the tumor immune landscape in neuroblastoma. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2022; 41:326. [PMID: 36397148 PMCID: PMC9670422 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-022-02525-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Poor infiltration of functioning T cells renders tumors unresponsive to checkpoint-blocking immunotherapies. Here, we identified a combinatorial in situ immunomodulation strategy based on the administration of selected immunogenic drugs and immunotherapy to sensitize poorly T-cell-infiltrated neuroblastoma (NB) to the host antitumor immune response. Methods 975A2 and 9464D NB cell lines derived from spontaneous tumors of TH-MYCN transgenic mice were employed to study drug combinations able of enhancing the antitumor immune response using in vivo and ex vivo approaches. Migration of immune cells towards drug-treated murine-derived organotypic tumor spheroids (MDOTS) were assessed by microfluidic devices. Activation status of immune cells co-cultured with drug-treated MDOTS was evaluated by flow cytometry analysis. The effect of drug treatment on the immune content of subcutaneous or orthotopic tumors was comprehensively analyzed by flow-cytometry, immunohistochemistry and multiplex immunofluorescence. The chemokine array assay was used to detect soluble factors released into the tumor microenvironment. Patient-derived organotypic tumor spheroids (PDOTS) were generated from human NB specimens. Migration and activation status of autologous immune cells to drug-treated PDOTS were performed. Results We found that treatment with low-doses of mitoxantrone (MTX) recalled immune cells and promoted CD8+ T and NK cell activation in MDOTS when combined with TGFβ and PD-1 blockade. This combined immunotherapy strategy curbed NB growth resulting in the enrichment of a variety of both lymphoid and myeloid immune cells, especially intratumoral dendritic cells (DC) and IFNγ- and granzyme B-expressing CD8+ T cells and NK cells. A concomitant production of inflammatory chemokines involved in remodelling the tumor immune landscape was also detected. Interestingly, this treatment induced immune cell recruitment against PDOTS and activation of CD8+ T cells and NK cells. Conclusions Combined treatment with low-dose of MTX and anti-TGFβ treatment with PD-1 blockade improves antitumor immunity by remodelling the tumor immune landscape and overcoming the immunosuppressive microenvironment of aggressive NB. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13046-022-02525-9.
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Zhang X, Liu X, Xiong R, An HX. Identification and validation of ubiquitin-proteasome system related genes as a prognostic signature for papillary renal cell carcinoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2022; 14:9599-9616. [PMID: 36385010 PMCID: PMC9792205 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204383] [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: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) pathway greatly affects uncontrolled proliferation, genomic instability, and carcinogenesis, particularly in those with renal papillary cell carcinoma (PRCC). However, there is little information at the molecular level about the full link between changes in the genes involved in ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis and PRCC. METHODS The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GeneCards databases were utilized to find the clinical data and gene expression patterns of patients with PRCC. Univariate Cox regression analysis and absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analyses identified a risk signature formed by ten optimal UPS genes. The predictive value of the risk signature in TCGA-PRCC cohorts was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. By utilizing GO enrichment and the KEGG pathway, the interactions of differentially expressed genes connected to ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis were functionally examined. The protein expression of the hub genes was affirmed using the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. The effectiveness of particular CDC20 and UBE2C in vitro was confirmed by experimental research. RESULTS Ten of the best ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis genes (UBE2C, DDB2, CBLC, BIRC3, PRKN, UBE2O, SIAH1, SKP2, UBC, and CDC20) were detected to create a risk signature. The high-risk score group stratified was associated with advanced tumor status and poor survival of PRCC patients. 10 genes were also found to be associated with the cell cycle pathway and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis to GO and KEGG analysis. Of these 10 genes, CDC20 and UBE2C are highly expressed in tumor tissue and correlated with cancer immunity founded on the analyses of the expression of human protein atlas and TISIDB. The downregulation of UBE2C facilitated tumor inhibition and the anti-immune effect was confirmed by in vitro experiments. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that the risk model created from the ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis genes can be reliably and accurately predict the prognosis of PRCC patients, highlighting its targeted value for PRCC treatment. Particularly, the expression of UBE2C may be crucial for the prognosis and immunological treatment of renal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, Fujian 361005, China,Xiamen Key Laboratory of Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Xinli Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Renhua Xiong
- Department of Medical Oncology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, Fujian 361005, China,Xiamen Key Laboratory of Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Han-Xiang An
- Department of Medical Oncology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, Fujian 361005, China,Xiamen Key Laboratory of Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Fujian 361102, China
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Sánchez-León ML, Jiménez-Cortegana C, Cabrera G, Vermeulen EM, de la Cruz-Merino L, Sánchez-Margalet V. The effects of dendritic cell-based vaccines in the tumor microenvironment: Impact on myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1050484. [PMID: 36458011 PMCID: PMC9706090 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1050484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs) are a heterogenous population of professional antigen presenting cells whose main role is diminished in a variety of malignancies, including cancer, leading to ineffective immune responses. Those mechanisms are inhibited due to the immunosuppressive conditions found in the tumor microenvironment (TME), where myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), a heterogeneous population of immature myeloid cells known to play a key role in tumor immunoevasion by inhibiting T-cell responses, are extremely accumulated. In addition, it has been demonstrated that MDSCs not only suppress DC functions, but also their maturation and development within the myeloid linage. Considering that an increased number of DCs as well as the improvement in their functions boost antitumor immunity, DC-based vaccines were developed two decades ago, and promising results have been obtained throughout these years. Therefore, the remodeling of the TME promoted by DC vaccination has also been explored. Here, we aim to review the effectiveness of different DCs-based vaccines in murine models and cancer patients, either alone or synergistically combined with other treatments, being especially focused on their effect on the MDSC population.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Luisa Sánchez-León
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
- Medical Oncology Service, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, Seville, Spain
| | - Carlos Jiménez-Cortegana
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, Seville, Spain
| | - Gabriel Cabrera
- Laboratorio de Tecnología Inmunológica, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe capital, Argentina
| | - Elba Mónica Vermeulen
- Laboratorio de Células Presentadoras de Antígeno y Respuesta Inflamatoria, Instituto de Medicina Experimental (IMEX) - CONICET, Academia Nacional de Medicina, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Victor Sánchez-Margalet
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, Seville, Spain
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Wang Y, Gao P, Hao Z, Chen L, Li X, Jiao Y, Liu J, Li J, Zhang Y, Peng X, Ning B, Zhan X. The effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on the tumor immune microenvironment in gastrointestinal tumors. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1054598. [DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1054598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, numerous studies have demonstrated that the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is capable of regulating the growth of tumors, and tumor-infiltrating immune cells in the TIME can affect the prognosis and treatment responses of patients. Consequently, therapies targeting these immune cells have emerged as important antitumor treatments. As a crucial componet of the perioperative treatment of malignant tumors, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) can improve the surgical resection rate and prognosis of patients and is a suitable clinical model to evaluate the effect of chemotherapy on the TIME. To provide a rationale for developing valid combinational therapies, this review summarizes the impact of NACT on the TIME, the relationship between tumor-infiltrating immune cells and treatment responses of patients, and the prognostic value of these infiltrating immune cells.
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Du H, Cai W. Opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome associated with neuroblastoma: Insights into antitumor immunity. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2022; 69:e29949. [PMID: 36094353 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.29949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS) is a rare neurological disorder. Half of these cases occur in children with neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma patients with OMS usually have better oncological outcomes than those without OMS even after stratification by tumor stage and age, indicating that factors mediating OMS may also inhibit tumor cell proliferation. Although the mechanisms underlying OMS remain undefined, the cytokines and lymphocytes alterations in the cerebrospinal fluid support the concept that it is a pattern of neuroinflammation due to an autoimmune effect. The presence of lymphoid follicles consisting of follicular dendritic cells, CD20+ B lymphocytes, CD3+ T lymphocytes, and CD68+ macrophages in the tumor microenvironment in OMS-associated neuroblastoma support the autoimmune nature of this disorder. This review focuses on the clinical and genetic features of OMS-associated neuroblastoma, and we update readers on immune features of neuroblastoma with or without OMS to gain insights into antitumor immunity as it relates to tumor biology and prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmei Du
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Weisong Cai
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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Zafari R, Razi S, Rezaei N. The role of dendritic cells in neuroblastoma: Implications for immunotherapy. Immunobiology 2022; 227:152293. [DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2022.152293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Gomez RL, Ibragimova S, Ramachandran R, Philpott A, Ali FR. Tumoral heterogeneity in neuroblastoma. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2022; 1877:188805. [PMID: 36162542 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2022.188805] [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: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is a solid, neuroendocrine tumor with divergent clinical behavior ranging from asymptomatic to fatal. The diverse clinical presentations of neuroblastoma are directly linked to the high intra- and inter-tumoral heterogeneity it presents. This heterogeneity is strongly associated with therapeutic resistance and continuous relapses, often leading to fatal outcomes. The development of successful risk assessment and tailored treatment strategies lies in evaluating the extent of heterogeneity via the accurate genetic and epigenetic profiling of distinct cell subpopulations present in the tumor. Recent studies have focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms that drive tumoral heterogeneity in pursuing better therapeutic and diagnostic approaches. This review describes the cellular, genetic, and epigenetic aspects of neuroblastoma heterogeneity. In addition, we summarize the recent findings on three crucial factors that can lead to heterogeneity in solid tumors: the inherent diversity of the progenitor cells, the presence of cancer stem cells, and the influence of the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshna Lawrence Gomez
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Shakhzada Ibragimova
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Revathy Ramachandran
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Anna Philpott
- Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Center, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Fahad R Ali
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
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Bottino C, Della Chiesa M, Sorrentino S, Morini M, Vitale C, Dondero A, Tondo A, Conte M, Garaventa A, Castriconi R. Strategies for Potentiating NK-Mediated Neuroblastoma Surveillance in Autologous or HLA-Haploidentical Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplants. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14194548. [PMID: 36230485 PMCID: PMC9559312 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14194548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary High-risk neuroblastomas (HR-NB) are malignant tumors of childhood that are treated with a very aggressive and life-threatening approach; this includes autologous hemopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and the infusion of a mAb targeting the GD2 tumor-associated antigen. Although the current treatment provided benefits, the 5-year overall survival remains below 50% due to relapses and refractoriness to therapy. Thus, there is an urgent need to ameliorate the standard therapeutic protocol, particularly improving the immune-mediated anti-tumor responses. Our review aims at summarizing and critically discussing novel immunotherapeutic strategies in HR-NB, including NK cell-based therapies and HLA-haploidentical HSCT from patients’ family. Abstract High-risk neuroblastomas (HR-NB) still have an unacceptable 5-year overall survival despite the aggressive therapy. This includes standardized immunotherapy combining autologous hemopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and the anti-GD2 mAb. The treatment did not significantly change for more than one decade, apart from the abandonment of IL-2, which demonstrated unacceptable toxicity. Of note, immunotherapy is a promising therapeutic option in cancer and could be optimized by several strategies. These include the HLA-haploidentical αβT/B-depleted HSCT, and the antibody targeting of novel NB-associated antigens such as B7-H3, and PD1. Other approaches could limit the immunoregulatory role of tumor-derived exosomes and potentiate the low antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity of CD16 dim/neg NK cells, abundant in the early phase post-transplant. The latter effect could be obtained using multi-specific tools engaging activating NK receptors and tumor antigens, and possibly holding immunostimulatory cytokines in their construct. Finally, treatments also consider the infusion of novel engineered cytokines with scarce side effects, and cell effectors engineered with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). Our review aims to discuss several promising strategies that could be successfully exploited to potentiate the NK-mediated surveillance of neuroblastoma, particularly in the HSCT setting. Many of these approaches are safe, feasible, and effective at pre-clinical and clinical levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Bottino
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Immunology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147 Genova, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-01056363855
| | - Mariella Della Chiesa
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Martina Morini
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147 Genova, Italy
| | - Chiara Vitale
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Alessandra Dondero
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Annalisa Tondo
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and HSCT, Meyer Children’s University Hospital, 50139 Florence, Italy
| | - Massimo Conte
- Pediatric Oncology Unit-IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147 Genoa, Italy
| | - Alberto Garaventa
- Pediatric Oncology Unit-IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147 Genoa, Italy
| | - Roberta Castriconi
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
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Wang D, Cui Q, Yang YJ, Liu AQ, Zhang G, Yu JC. Application of dendritic cells in tumor immunotherapy and progress in the mechanism of anti-tumor effect of Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) modulating dendritic cells: a review. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 155:113541. [PMID: 36127221 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that are essential in mediating the body's natural and adaptive immune responses. The body can regulate the function of DCs in various ways to enhance their antitumor effects. In the tumour microenvironment (TME), antigen-specific T cell responses are initiated through DC processing and delivery of tumour-associated antigens (TAAs); conversely, tumour cells inhibit DC recruitment by releasing metabolites, cytokines and other regulatory TME and function. Different subpopulations of DCs exist in tumour tissues, and their functions vary. Insight into DC subgroups in TME allows assessment of the effectiveness of tumour immunotherapy. Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) is the main component of the Chinese herb Astragalus membranaceus. The study found that the antitumor effects of APS are closely related to DCs. APS can promote the expression of surface molecules CD80 and CD86, promote the maturation of DCs, and activate CTL to exert antitumor effects. We reviewed the application of DCs in tumor immunotherapy and the mechanism of modulation of DCs by Astragalus polysaccharide to provide new directions and strategies for tumor therapy and new drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Wang
- Department of Oncology, First Teaching Hospital, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin 300193, China; Graduate School of Tianjin University of traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Qian Cui
- Department of Oncology, First Teaching Hospital, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin 300193, China; Graduate School of Tianjin University of traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Yan Jie Yang
- Department of Oncology, First Teaching Hospital, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin 300193, China; Graduate School of Tianjin University of traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - A Qing Liu
- Department of Oncology, First Teaching Hospital, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin 300193, China; Graduate School of Tianjin University of traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Guan Zhang
- Department of Oncology, First Teaching Hospital, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin 300193, China; Graduate School of Tianjin University of traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Jian Chun Yu
- Department of Oncology, First Teaching Hospital, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin 300193, China.
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Liu C, Liu D, Wang F, Xie J, Liu Y, Wang H, Rong J, Xie J, Wang J, Zeng R, Zhou F, Peng J, Xie Y. Identification of a glycolysis- and lactate-related gene signature for predicting prognosis, immune microenvironment, and drug candidates in colon adenocarcinoma. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:971992. [PMID: 36081904 PMCID: PMC9445192 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.971992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD), a malignant gastrointestinal tumor, has the characteristics of high mortality and poor prognosis. Even in the presence of oxygen, the Warburg effect, a major metabolic hallmark of almost all cancer cells, is characterized by increased glycolysis and lactate fermentation, which supports biosynthesis and provides energy to sustain tumor cell growth and proliferation. However, a thorough investigation into glycolysis- and lactate-related genes and their association with COAD prognosis, immune cell infiltration, and drug candidates is currently lacking. Methods: COAD patient data and glycolysis- and lactate-related genes were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) databases, respectively. After univariate Cox regression analysis, a nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) algorithm was used to identify glycolysis- and lactate-related molecular subtypes. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression identified twelve glycolysis- and lactate-related genes (ADTRP, ALDOB, APOBEC1, ASCL2, CEACAM7, CLCA1, CTXN1, FLNA, NAT2, OLFM4, PTPRU, and SNCG) related to prognosis. The median risk score was employed to separate patients into high- and low-risk groups. The prognostic efficacy of the glycolysis- and lactate-related gene signature was assessed using Kaplan–Meier (KM) survival and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. The nomogram, calibration curves, decision curve analysis (DCA), and clinical impact curve (CIC) were employed to improve the clinical applicability of the prognostic signature. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed on differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from the high- and low-risk groups. Using CIBERSORT, ESTIMATE, and single-sample GSEA (ssGSEA) algorithms, the quantities and types of tumor-infiltrating immune cells were assessed. The tumor mutational burden (TMB) and cytolytic (CYT) activity scores were calculated between the high- and low-risk groups. Potential small-molecule agents were identified using the Connectivity Map (cMap) database and validated by molecular docking. To verify key core gene expression levels, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT–PCR) assays were conducted. Results: We identified four distinct molecular subtypes of COAD. Cluster 2 had the best prognosis, and clusters 1 and 3 had poor prognoses. High-risk COAD patients exhibited considerably poorer overall survival (OS) than low-risk COAD patients. The nomogram precisely predicted patient OS, with acceptable discrimination and excellent calibration. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses of DEGs revealed enrichment mainly in the “glycosaminoglycan binding,” “extracellular matrix,” “pancreatic secretion,” and “focal adhesion” pathways. Patients in the low-risk group exhibited a larger infiltration of memory CD4+ T cells and dendritic cells and a better prognosis than those in the high-risk group. The chemotherapeutic agent sensitivity of patients categorized by risk score varied significantly. We predicted six potential small-molecule agents binding to the core target of the glycolysis- and lactate-related gene signature. ALDOB and APOBEC1 mRNA expression was increased in COAD tissues, whereas CLCA1 and OLFM4 mRNA expression was increased in normal tissues. Conclusion: In summary, we identified molecular subtypes of COAD and developed a glycolysis- and lactate-related gene signature with significant prognostic value, which benefits COAD patients by informing more precise and effective treatment decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Gastroenterology Institute of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Nanchang, China
| | - Dingwei Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Gastroenterology Institute of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Nanchang, China
| | - Fangfei Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Gastroenterology Institute of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Nanchang, China
| | - Jun Xie
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Gastroenterology Institute of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Nanchang, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Gastroenterology Institute of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Nanchang, China
| | - Huan Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Gastroenterology Institute of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Nanchang, China
| | - Jianfang Rong
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Gastroenterology Institute of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Nanchang, China
| | - Jinliang Xie
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Gastroenterology Institute of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Nanchang, China
| | - Jinyun Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Gastroenterology Institute of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Nanchang, China
| | - Rong Zeng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Gastroenterology Institute of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Nanchang, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Gastroenterology Institute of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Nanchang, China
| | - Jianxiang Peng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Gastroenterology Institute of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Nanchang, China
| | - Yong Xie
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Gastroenterology Institute of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Nanchang, China
- *Correspondence: Yong Xie,
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Marzagalli M, Pelizzoni G, Fedi A, Vitale C, Fontana F, Bruno S, Poggi A, Dondero A, Aiello M, Castriconi R, Bottino C, Scaglione S. A multi-organ-on-chip to recapitulate the infiltration and the cytotoxic activity of circulating NK cells in 3D matrix-based tumor model. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:945149. [PMID: 35957642 PMCID: PMC9358021 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.945149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The success of immunotherapeutic approaches strictly depends on the immune cells interaction with cancer cells. While conventional in vitro cell cultures under-represent the complexity and dynamic crosstalk of the tumor microenvironment, animal models do not allow deciphering the anti-tumor activity of the human immune system. Therefore, the development of reliable and predictive preclinical models has become crucial for the screening of immune-therapeutic approaches. We here present an organ-on-chip organ on chips (OOC)-based approach for recapitulating the immune cell Natural Killer (NK) migration under physiological fluid flow, infiltration within a 3D tumor matrix, and activation against neuroblastoma cancer cells in a humanized, fluid-dynamic environment. Circulating NK cells actively initiate a spontaneous “extravasation” process toward the physically separated tumor niche, retaining their ability to interact with matrix-embedded tumor cells, and to display a cytotoxic effect (tumor cell apoptosis). Since NK cells infiltration and phenotype is correlated with prognosis and response to immunotherapy, their phenotype is also investigated: most importantly, a clear decrease in CD16-positive NK cells within the migrated and infiltrated population is observed. The proposed immune-tumor OOC-based model represents a promising approach for faithfully recapitulating the human pathology and efficiently employing the immunotherapies testing, eventually in a personalized perspective. An immune-organ on chip to recapitulate the tumor-mediated infiltration of circulating immune cells within 3D tumor model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Giorgia Pelizzoni
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza Della Scienza, Milan, Italy
| | - Arianna Fedi
- National Research Council, CNR-IEIIT, Genoa, Italy
| | - Chiara Vitale
- National Research Council, CNR-IEIIT, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Fontana
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences (DiSFeB), University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Bruno
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Poggi
- Molecular Oncology and Angiogenesis Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Alessandra Dondero
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Roberta Castriconi
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Cristina Bottino
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Silvia Scaglione
- National Research Council, CNR-IEIIT, Genoa, Italy
- *Correspondence: Silvia Scaglione,
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A therapeutic DC vaccine with maintained immunological activity exhibits robust anti-tumor efficacy. J Control Release 2022; 349:254-268. [PMID: 35803328 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.06.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs) vaccines are a major focus of future anti-tumor immunotherapy for their pivotal role in eliciting reactive tumor-specific T-cell responses. Tumor cell-mediated DCs (TC-DC) activation and tumor antigen-mediated DCs (TA-DC) activation are two conventional modes of DC vaccine construction in clinical studies. The former physiologically mimicks the tumor identification and rejection, significantly contributing to DC-based immune recognition and migration towards the complexed tumor microenvironment (TME). However, as immunosuppressive molecules may exist in TME, these TC-DC are generally characterized with aberrant lipid accumulation and inositol-requiring kinase 1α (IRE1α)-X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) hyperactivation, which is provoked by overwhelming oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, resulting in TC-DC malfunction. Oppositely, without contacting immunosuppressive TME, TA-DC vaccines perform better in T-cell priming and lymph nodes (LNs) homing, but are relatively weak in TME infiltration and identification. Herein, we prepared a KIRA6-loaded α-Tocopherol nanoemulsion (KT-NE), which simultaneously ameliorated oxidative stress and ER stress in the dysfunctional lipid-laden TC-DC. The TC-DC treated by KT-NE could maintain immunological activity, simultaneously, exhibited satisfactory chemotaxis towards LNs and tumor sites in vivo, and effectively suppressed malignant progression by unleashing activated tumor-reactive T cells. This study generated a new DC-vaccine that owned puissant aptitude to identify complicated TME as well as robust immunological activity to boost T-cell initiation, which may provide some insights into the design and application of DC-vaccines for clinical application.
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Kacher J, Manches O, Aspord C, Sartelet H, Chaperot L. Impaired Antitumor Immune Response in MYCN-amplified Neuroblastoma Is Associated with Lack of CCL2 Secretion and Poor Dendritic Cell Recruitment. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 2:577-589. [PMID: 36923280 PMCID: PMC10010397 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-21-0134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In neuroblastoma, MYCN amplification is associated with sparse immune infiltrate and poor prognosis. Dendritic cells (DC) are crucial immune sentinels but their involvement in neuroblastoma pathogenesis is poorly understood. We observed that the migration of monocytes, myeloid and plasmacytoid DC induced by MYCN-nonamplified neuroblastoma supernatants was abrogated by the addition of anti-CCL2 antibodies, demonstrating the involvement of the CCR2/CCL2 axis in their recruitment by these tumors. Using public RNA sequencing and microarray datasets, we describe lower level of expression of CCL2 in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma tumors, and we propose a working model for T-cell recruitment in neuroblastoma tumors in which CCL2 produced by neuroblastoma cells initiates the recruitment of monocytes, myeloid and plasmacytoid DCs. Among these cells, the CD1c+ subset may recruit T cells by means of CCL19/CCL22 secretion. In vitro, supernatants from DCs cocultured with neuroblastoma cell lines and activated contain CCL22 and CCL19, and are chemotactic for both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. We also looked at immunomodulation induced by neuroblastoma cell lines, and found MYCN-nonamplified neuroblastoma cell lines were able to create a microenvironment where DC activation is enhanced. Overall, our findings highlight a major role for CCL2/CCR2 axis in monocytes, myeloid and plasmacytoid cells recruitment toward MYCN-nonamplified neuroblastoma, allowing further immune cell recruitment, and show that these tumors present a microenvironment that can favor DC responses. Significance In MYCN-nonamplified neuroblastoma, CCL2 produced by neuroblastoma cells induces the recruitment of antigen-presenting cells (DCs and monocytes/macrophages), allowing infiltration by T cells, in link with CCL19 and CCL22 production, hence favoring immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamila Kacher
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,Etablissement Français du Sang Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Olivier Manches
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,Etablissement Français du Sang Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Caroline Aspord
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,Etablissement Français du Sang Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Hervé Sartelet
- Laboratoire de Biopathologie, CHRU de Nancy, Nancy, France.,Inserm U1256, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Laurence Chaperot
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,Etablissement Français du Sang Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Grenoble, France
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Song P, Li W, Guo L, Ying J, Gao S, He J. Identification and Validation of a Novel Signature Based on NK Cell Marker Genes to Predict Prognosis and Immunotherapy Response in Lung Adenocarcinoma by Integrated Analysis of Single-Cell and Bulk RNA-Sequencing. Front Immunol 2022; 13:850745. [PMID: 35757748 PMCID: PMC9231585 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.850745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells, the effectors of the innate immune system, have a remarkable influence on cancer prognosis and immunotherapy. In this study, a total of 1,816 samples from nine independent cohorts in public datasets were enrolled. We first conducted a comprehensive analysis of single-cell RNA-sequencing data of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and determined 189 NK cell marker genes. Subsequently, we developed a seven-gene prognostic signature based on NK cell marker genes in the TCGA LUAD cohort, which stratified patients into high-risk and low-risk groups. The predictive power of the signature was well verified in different clinical subgroups and GEO cohorts. With a multivariate analysis, the signature was identified as an independent prognostic factor. Low-risk patients had higher immune cell infiltration states, especially CD8+ T cells and follicular helper T cells. There existed a negative association between inflammatory activities and risk score, and the richness and diversity of the T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire was higher in the low-risk groups. Importantly, analysis of an independent immunotherapy cohort (IMvigor210) revealed that low-risk patients had better immunotherapy responses and prognosis than high-risk patients. Collectively, our study developed a novel signature based on NK cell marker genes, which had a potent capability to predict the prognosis and immunotherapy response of LUAD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Song
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Wenbin Li
- Department of Pathology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Guo
- Department of Pathology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jianming Ying
- Department of Pathology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Shugeng Gao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jie He
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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