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Harris MA, Savas P, Virassamy B, O'Malley MMR, Kay J, Mueller SN, Mackay LK, Salgado R, Loi S. Towards targeting the breast cancer immune microenvironment. Nat Rev Cancer 2024; 24:554-577. [PMID: 38969810 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-024-00714-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
The tumour immune microenvironment is shaped by the crosstalk between cancer cells, immune cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells and other stromal components. Although the immune tumour microenvironment (TME) serves as a source of therapeutic targets, it is also considered a friend or foe to tumour-directed therapies. This is readily illustrated by the importance of T cells in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), culminating in the advent of immune checkpoint therapy in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy as standard of care for both early and advanced-stage TNBC, as well as recent promising signs of efficacy in a subset of hormone receptor-positive disease. In this Review, we discuss the various components of the immune TME in breast cancer and therapies that target or impact the immune TME, as well as the complexity of host physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Harris
- The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Medical Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Division of Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Peter Savas
- The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Medical Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Division of Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Balaji Virassamy
- The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Medical Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Division of Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Megan M R O'Malley
- The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Medical Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Division of Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jasmine Kay
- The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Medical Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Division of Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Scott N Mueller
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Laura K Mackay
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Roberto Salgado
- Division of Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Pathology, ZAS Ziekenhuizen, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sherene Loi
- The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Medical Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Division of Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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2
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Sajjadi SF, Salehi N, Sadeghi M. Comprehensive integrated single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of brain metastasis and glioma microenvironment: Contrasting heterogeneity landscapes. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0306220. [PMID: 39058687 PMCID: PMC11280140 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the specific type of brain malignancy, source of brain metastasis, and underlying transformation mechanisms can help provide better treatment and less harm to patients. The tumor microenvironment plays a fundamental role in cancer progression and affects both primary and metastatic cancers. The use of single-cell RNA sequencing to gain insights into the heterogeneity profiles in the microenvironment of brain malignancies is useful for guiding treatment decisions. To comprehensively investigate the heterogeneity in gliomas and brain metastasis originating from different sources (lung and breast), we integrated data from three groups of single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets obtained from GEO. We gathered and processed single-cell RNA sequencing data from 90,168 cells obtained from 17 patients. We then employed the R package Seurat for dataset integration. Next, we clustered the data within the UMAP space and acquired differentially expressed genes for cell categorization. Our results underscore the significance of macrophages as abundant and pivotal constituents of gliomas. In contrast, lung-to-brain metastases exhibit elevated numbers of AT2, cytotoxic CD4+ T, and exhausted CD8+ T cells. Conversely, breast-to-brain metastases are characterized by an abundance of epithelial and myCAF cells. Our study not only illuminates the variation in the TME between brain metastasis with different origins but also opens the door to utilizing established markers for these cell types to differentiate primary brain metastatic cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyedeh Fatemeh Sajjadi
- School of Biological Science, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
| | - Najmeh Salehi
- School of Biological Science, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Sadeghi
- School of Biological Science, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
- National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran
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3
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Di Mauro F, Arbore G. Spatial Dissection of the Immune Landscape of Solid Tumors to Advance Precision Medicine. Cancer Immunol Res 2024; 12:800-813. [PMID: 38657223 PMCID: PMC11217735 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-23-0699] [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: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Chemotherapeutics, radiation, targeted therapeutics, and immunotherapeutics each demonstrate clinical benefits for a small subset of patients with solid malignancies. Immune cells infiltrating the tumor and the surrounding stroma play a critical role in shaping cancer progression and modulating therapy response. They do this by interacting with the other cellular and molecular components of the tumor microenvironment. Spatial multi-omics technologies are rapidly evolving. Currently, such technologies allow high-throughput RNA and protein profiling and retain geographical information about the tumor microenvironment cellular architecture and the functional phenotype of tumor, immune, and stromal cells. An in-depth spatial characterization of the heterogeneous tumor immune landscape can improve not only the prognosis but also the prediction of therapy response, directing cancer patients to more tailored and efficacious treatments. This review highlights recent advancements in spatial transcriptomics and proteomics profiling technologies and the ways these technologies are being applied for the dissection of the immune cell composition in solid malignancies in order to further both basic research in oncology and the implementation of precision treatments in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Di Mauro
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
- Experimental Immunology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
| | - Giuseppina Arbore
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
- Experimental Immunology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
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4
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Goebeler ME, Stuhler G, Bargou R. Bispecific and multispecific antibodies in oncology: opportunities and challenges. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2024; 21:539-560. [PMID: 38822215 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-024-00905-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Research into bispecific antibodies, which are designed to simultaneously bind two antigens or epitopes, has advanced enormously over the past two decades. Owing to advances in protein engineering technologies and considerable preclinical research efforts, bispecific antibodies are constantly being developed and optimized to improve their efficacy and to mitigate toxicity. To date, >200 of these agents, the majority of which are bispecific immune cell engagers, are in either preclinical or clinical evaluation. In this Review, we discuss the role of bispecific antibodies in patients with cancer, including history and development, as well as innovative targeting strategies, clinical applications, and adverse events. We also discuss novel alternative bispecific antibody constructs, such as those targeting two antigens expressed by tumour cells or cells located in the tumour microenvironment. Finally, we consider future research directions in this rapidly evolving field, including innovative antibody engineering strategies, which might enable more effective delivery, overcome resistance, and thus optimize clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Elisabeth Goebeler
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
- National Center for Tumour Diseases, NCT WERA, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Gernot Stuhler
- National Center for Tumour Diseases, NCT WERA, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ralf Bargou
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- National Center for Tumour Diseases, NCT WERA, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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5
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Gerashchenko T, Frolova A, Patysheva M, Fedorov A, Stakheyeva M, Denisov E, Cherdyntseva N. Breast Cancer Immune Landscape: Interplay Between Systemic and Local Immunity. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2024; 8:e2400140. [PMID: 38727796 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202400140] [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: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignancies in women worldwide. Numerous studies in immuno-oncology and successful trials of immunotherapy have demonstrated the causal role of the immune system in cancer pathogenesis. The interaction between the tumor and the immune system is known to have a dual nature. Despite cytotoxic lymphocyte activity against transformed cells, a tumor can escape immune surveillance and leverage chronic inflammation to maintain its own development. Research on antitumor immunity primarily focuses on the role of the tumor microenvironment, whereas the systemic immune response beyond the tumor site is described less thoroughly. Here, a comprehensive review of the formation of the immune profile in breast cancer patients is offered. The interplay between systemic and local immune reactions as self-sustaining mechanism of tumor progression is described and the functional activity of the main cell populations related to innate and adaptive immunity is discussed. Additionally, the interaction between different functional levels of the immune system and their contribution to the development of the pro- or anti-tumor immune response in BC is highlighted. The presented data can potentially inform the development of new immunotherapy strategies in the treatment of patients with BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Gerashchenko
- Laboratory of Cancer Progression Biology, Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kooperativny Str. 5, Tomsk, 634009, Russia
| | - Anastasia Frolova
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Researc, Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kooperativny Str. 5, Tomsk, 634009, Russia
- Tomsk State University, 36 Lenin Ave., Tomsk, 634050, Russia
| | - Marina Patysheva
- Laboratory of Cancer Progression Biology, Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kooperativny Str. 5, Tomsk, 634009, Russia
| | - Anton Fedorov
- Laboratory of Cancer Progression Biology, Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kooperativny Str. 5, Tomsk, 634009, Russia
| | - Marina Stakheyeva
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Researc, Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kooperativny Str. 5, Tomsk, 634009, Russia
| | - Evgeny Denisov
- Laboratory of Cancer Progression Biology, Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kooperativny Str. 5, Tomsk, 634009, Russia
| | - Nadezda Cherdyntseva
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Researc, Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kooperativny Str. 5, Tomsk, 634009, Russia
- Tomsk State University, 36 Lenin Ave., Tomsk, 634050, Russia
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Curion F, Theis FJ. Machine learning integrative approaches to advance computational immunology. Genome Med 2024; 16:80. [PMID: 38862979 PMCID: PMC11165829 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-024-01350-3] [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: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The study of immunology, traditionally reliant on proteomics to evaluate individual immune cells, has been revolutionized by single-cell RNA sequencing. Computational immunologists play a crucial role in analysing these datasets, moving beyond traditional protein marker identification to encompass a more detailed view of cellular phenotypes and their functional roles. Recent technological advancements allow the simultaneous measurements of multiple cellular components-transcriptome, proteome, chromatin, epigenetic modifications and metabolites-within single cells, including in spatial contexts within tissues. This has led to the generation of complex multiscale datasets that can include multimodal measurements from the same cells or a mix of paired and unpaired modalities. Modern machine learning (ML) techniques allow for the integration of multiple "omics" data without the need for extensive independent modelling of each modality. This review focuses on recent advancements in ML integrative approaches applied to immunological studies. We highlight the importance of these methods in creating a unified representation of multiscale data collections, particularly for single-cell and spatial profiling technologies. Finally, we discuss the challenges of these holistic approaches and how they will be instrumental in the development of a common coordinate framework for multiscale studies, thereby accelerating research and enabling discoveries in the computational immunology field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiola Curion
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Mathematics, School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Fabian J Theis
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, Munich, Germany.
- Department of Mathematics, School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
- School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
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7
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Lin WP, Li H, Sun ZJ. T cell exhaustion initiates tertiary lymphoid structures and turbocharges cancer-immunity cycle. EBioMedicine 2024; 104:105154. [PMID: 38749300 PMCID: PMC11108856 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105154] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune therapies represented by immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) have significantly transformed cancer treatment. However, the effectiveness of these treatments depends on the status of T cells. T cell exhaustion, characterized by diminished effector function, increased expression of co-inhibitory receptors, and clonal deletion, emerges as a hypofunctional state resulting from chronic exposure to antigens, posing an obstacle to ICB therapy. Several studies have deeply explored T cell exhaustion, providing innovative insights and correlating T cell exhaustion with tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) formation. TLS, lymphocyte aggregates formed in non-lymphoid tissues amid chronic inflammation, serve as pivotal reservoirs for anti-tumour immunity. Here, we underscore the pivotal role of T cell exhaustion as a signalling mechanism in reinvigorating anti-tumour immunity by turbocharging cancer-immunity (CI) cycle, particularly when tumour becomes unmanageable. Building upon this concept, we summarize emerging immunotherapeutic strategies aimed at enhancing the response rate to ICB therapy and improving patient prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Ping Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Hao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, PR China; Department of Oral Maxillofacial-Head Neck Oncology, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, PR China.
| | - Zhi-Jun Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, PR China; Department of Oral Maxillofacial-Head Neck Oncology, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, PR China.
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8
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Li X, Poire A, Jeong KJ, Zhang D, Ozmen TY, Chen G, Sun C, Mills GB. C5aR1 inhibition reprograms tumor associated macrophages and reverses PARP inhibitor resistance in breast cancer. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4485. [PMID: 38802355 PMCID: PMC11130309 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48637-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Although Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (PARPi) have been approved in multiple diseases, including BRCA1/2 mutant breast cancer, responses are usually transient requiring the deployment of combination therapies for optimal efficacy. Here we thus explore mechanisms underlying sensitivity and resistance to PARPi using two intrinsically PARPi sensitive (T22) and resistant (T127) syngeneic murine breast cancer models in female mice. We demonstrate that tumor associated macrophages (TAM) potentially contribute to the differential sensitivity to PARPi. By single-cell RNA-sequencing, we identify a TAM_C3 cluster, expressing genes implicated in anti-inflammatory activity, that is enriched in PARPi resistant T127 tumors and markedly decreased by PARPi in T22 tumors. Rps19/C5aR1 signaling is selectively elevated in TAM_C3. C5aR1 inhibition or transferring C5aR1hi cells increases and decreases PARPi sensitivity, respectively. High C5aR1 levels in human breast cancers are associated with poor responses to immune checkpoint blockade. Thus, targeting C5aR1 may selectively deplete pro-tumoral macrophages and engender sensitivity to PARPi and potentially other therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Li
- Division of Oncological Sciences Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Alfonso Poire
- Division of Oncological Sciences Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Kang Jin Jeong
- Division of Oncological Sciences Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Dong Zhang
- Division of Oncological Sciences Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Tugba Yildiran Ozmen
- Division of Oncological Sciences Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Gang Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chaoyang Sun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Gordon B Mills
- Division of Oncological Sciences Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
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Vendramini-Costa DB, Francescone R, Franco-Barraza J, Luong T, Graves M, de Aquino AM, Steele N, Gardiner JC, Dos Santos SAA, Ogier C, Malloy E, Borghaei L, Martinez E, Zhigarev DI, Tan Y, Lee H, Zhou Y, Cai KQ, Klein-Szanto AJ, Wang H, Andrake M, Dunbrack RL, Campbell K, Cukierman E. Netrin G1 Ligand is a new stromal immunomodulator that promotes pancreatic cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.15.594354. [PMID: 38798370 PMCID: PMC11118300 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.15.594354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Understanding pancreatic cancer biology is fundamental for identifying new targets and for developing more effective therapies. In particular, the contribution of the stromal microenvironment to pancreatic cancer tumorigenesis requires further exploration. Here, we report the stromal roles of the synaptic protein Netrin G1 Ligand (NGL-1) in pancreatic cancer, uncovering its pro-tumor functions in cancer-associated fibroblasts and in immune cells. We observed that the stromal expression of NGL-1 inversely correlated with patients' overall survival. Moreover, germline knockout (KO) mice for NGL-1 presented decreased tumor burden, with a microenvironment that is less supportive of tumor growth. Of note, tumors from NGL-1 KO mice produced less immunosuppressive cytokines and displayed an increased percentage of CD8 + T cells than those from control mice, while preserving the physical structure of the tumor microenvironment. These effects were shown to be mediated by NGL-1 in both immune cells and in the local stroma, in a TGF-β-dependent manner. While myeloid cells lacking NGL-1 decreased the production of immunosuppressive cytokines, NGL-1 KO T cells showed increased proliferation rates and overall polyfunctionality compared to control T cells. CAFs lacking NGL-1 were less immunosuppressive than controls, with overall decreased production of pro-tumor cytokines and compromised ability to inhibit CD8 + T cells activation. Mechanistically, these CAFs downregulated components of the TGF-β pathway, AP-1 and NFAT transcription factor families, resulting in a less tumor-supportive phenotype. Finally, targeting NGL-1 genetically or using a functionally antagonistic small peptide phenocopied the effects of chemotherapy, while modulating the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), rather than eliminating it. We propose NGL-1 as a new local stroma and immunomodulatory molecule, with pro-tumor roles in pancreatic cancer. Statement of Significance Here we uncovered the pro-tumor roles of the synaptic protein NGL-1 in the tumor microenvironment of pancreatic cancer, defining a new target that simultaneously modulates tumor cell, fibroblast, and immune cell functions. This study reports a new pathway where NGL-1 controls TGF-β, AP-1 transcription factor members and NFAT1, modulating the immunosuppressive microenvironment in pancreatic cancer. Our findings highlight NGL-1 as a new stromal immunomodulator in pancreatic cancer.
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Kundu M, Butti R, Panda VK, Malhotra D, Das S, Mitra T, Kapse P, Gosavi SW, Kundu GC. Modulation of the tumor microenvironment and mechanism of immunotherapy-based drug resistance in breast cancer. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:92. [PMID: 38715072 PMCID: PMC11075356 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01990-4] [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: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer, the most frequent female malignancy, is often curable when detected at an early stage. The treatment of metastatic breast cancer is more challenging and may be unresponsive to conventional therapy. Immunotherapy is crucial for treating metastatic breast cancer, but its resistance is a major limitation. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is vital in modulating the immunotherapy response. Various tumor microenvironmental components, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), are involved in TME modulation to cause immunotherapy resistance. This review highlights the role of stromal cells in modulating the breast tumor microenvironment, including the involvement of CAF-TAM interaction, alteration of tumor metabolism leading to immunotherapy failure, and other latest strategies, including high throughput genomic screening, single-cell and spatial omics techniques for identifying tumor immune genes regulating immunotherapy response. This review emphasizes the therapeutic approach to overcome breast cancer immune resistance through CAF reprogramming, modulation of TAM polarization, tumor metabolism, and genomic alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moumita Kundu
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Brainware University, West Bengal, 700125, India
| | - Ramesh Butti
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA
| | - Venketesh K Panda
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
| | - Diksha Malhotra
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
| | - Sumit Das
- National Centre for Cell Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus, Pune, 411007, India
| | - Tandrima Mitra
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
| | - Prachi Kapse
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, 411007, India
| | - Suresh W Gosavi
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, 411007, India
| | - Gopal C Kundu
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India.
- Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India.
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11
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De Wispelaere W, Annibali D, Tuyaerts S, Messiaen J, Antoranz A, Shankar G, Dubroja N, Herreros‐Pomares A, Baiden‐Amissah REM, Orban M, Delfini M, Berardi E, Van Brussel T, Schepers R, Philips G, Boeckx B, Baietti MF, Congedo L, HoWangYin KY, Bayon E, Van Rompuy A, Leucci E, Tabruyn SP, Bosisio F, Mazzone M, Lambrechts D, Amant F. PI3K/mTOR inhibition induces tumour microenvironment remodelling and sensitises pS6 high uterine leiomyosarcoma to PD-1 blockade. Clin Transl Med 2024; 14:e1655. [PMID: 38711203 PMCID: PMC11074386 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Uterine leiomyosarcomas (uLMS) are aggressive tumours with poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Although immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has proven effective in some 'challenging-to-treat' cancers, clinical trials showed that uLMS do not respond to ICB. Emerging evidence suggests that aberrant PI3K/mTOR signalling can drive resistance to ICB. We therefore explored the relevance of the PI3K/mTOR pathway for ICB treatment in uLMS and explored pharmacological inhibition of this pathway to sensitise these tumours to ICB. METHODS We performed an integrated multiomics analysis based on TCGA data to explore the correlation between PI3K/mTOR dysregulation and immune infiltration in 101 LMS. We assessed response to PI3K/mTOR inhibitors in immunodeficient and humanized uLMS patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) by evaluating tumour microenvironment modulation using multiplex immunofluorescence. We explored response to single-agent and a combination of PI3K/mTOR inhibitors with PD-1 blockade in humanized uLMS PDXs. We mapped intratumoural dynamics using single-cell RNA/TCR sequencing of serially collected biopsies. RESULTS PI3K/mTOR over-activation (pS6high) associated with lymphocyte depletion and wound healing immune landscapes in (u)LMS, suggesting it contributes to immune evasion. In contrast, PI3K/mTOR inhibition induced profound tumour microenvironment remodelling in an ICB-resistant humanized uLMS PDX model, fostering adaptive anti-tumour immune responses. Indeed, PI3K/mTOR inhibition induced macrophage repolarisation towards an anti-tumourigenic phenotype and increased antigen presentation on dendritic and tumour cells, but also promoted infiltration of PD-1+ T cells displaying an exhausted phenotype. When combined with anti-PD-1, PI3K/mTOR inhibition led to partial or complete tumour responses, whereas no response to single-agent anti-PD-1 was observed. Combination therapy reinvigorated exhausted T cells and induced clonal hyper-expansion of a cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell population supported by a CD4+ Th1 niche. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that aberrant PI3K/mTOR pathway activation contributes to immune escape in uLMS and provides a rationale for combining PI3K/mTOR inhibition with ICB for the treatment of this patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wout De Wispelaere
- Department of OncologyLaboratory of Gynecological OncologyUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Department of Human GeneticsLaboratory for Translational GeneticsUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Laboratory for Translational GeneticsCenter for Cancer Biology (CCB)Flemish Institute of Biotechnology (VIB)LeuvenBelgium
| | - Daniela Annibali
- Department of OncologyLaboratory of Gynecological OncologyUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Department of Gynecological OncologyAntoni Van Leeuwenhoek – Netherlands Cancer InstituteAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Sandra Tuyaerts
- Department of Medical OncologyLaboratory of Medical and Molecular Oncology (LMMO)Vrije Universiteit Brussel – UZ BrusselBrusselsBelgium
| | - Julie Messiaen
- Department of Imaging and PathologyTranslational Cell and Tissue ResearchUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Department of PediatricsUniversity Hospitals LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Asier Antoranz
- Department of Imaging and PathologyTranslational Cell and Tissue ResearchUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Gautam Shankar
- Department of Imaging and PathologyTranslational Cell and Tissue ResearchUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Nikolina Dubroja
- Department of Imaging and PathologyTranslational Cell and Tissue ResearchUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Alejandro Herreros‐Pomares
- Department of OncologyLaboratory of Gynecological OncologyUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Department of BiotechnologyUniversitat Politècnica de ValenciaValenciaSpain
| | | | - Marie‐Pauline Orban
- Laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and AngiogenesisCenter for Cancer Biology (CCB)Flemish Institute of Biotechnology (VIB)LeuvenBelgium
- Department of OncologyLaboratory of Tumor Inflammation and AngiogenesisCenter for Cancer Biology (CCB)University of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Marcello Delfini
- Laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and AngiogenesisCenter for Cancer Biology (CCB)Flemish Institute of Biotechnology (VIB)LeuvenBelgium
- Department of OncologyLaboratory of Tumor Inflammation and AngiogenesisCenter for Cancer Biology (CCB)University of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Emanuele Berardi
- Department of Development and RegenerationLaboratory of Tissue EngineeringUniversity of LeuvenKortrijkBelgium
| | - Thomas Van Brussel
- Department of Human GeneticsLaboratory for Translational GeneticsUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Laboratory for Translational GeneticsCenter for Cancer Biology (CCB)Flemish Institute of Biotechnology (VIB)LeuvenBelgium
| | - Rogier Schepers
- Department of Human GeneticsLaboratory for Translational GeneticsUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Laboratory for Translational GeneticsCenter for Cancer Biology (CCB)Flemish Institute of Biotechnology (VIB)LeuvenBelgium
| | - Gino Philips
- Department of Human GeneticsLaboratory for Translational GeneticsUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Laboratory for Translational GeneticsCenter for Cancer Biology (CCB)Flemish Institute of Biotechnology (VIB)LeuvenBelgium
| | - Bram Boeckx
- Department of Human GeneticsLaboratory for Translational GeneticsUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Laboratory for Translational GeneticsCenter for Cancer Biology (CCB)Flemish Institute of Biotechnology (VIB)LeuvenBelgium
| | | | - Luigi Congedo
- Department of OncologyLaboratory of Gynecological OncologyUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | | | | | | | - Eleonora Leucci
- TRACE, Department of OncologyUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | | | - Francesca Bosisio
- Department of Imaging and PathologyTranslational Cell and Tissue ResearchUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Massimiliano Mazzone
- Laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and AngiogenesisCenter for Cancer Biology (CCB)Flemish Institute of Biotechnology (VIB)LeuvenBelgium
- Department of OncologyLaboratory of Tumor Inflammation and AngiogenesisCenter for Cancer Biology (CCB)University of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Diether Lambrechts
- Department of Human GeneticsLaboratory for Translational GeneticsUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Laboratory for Translational GeneticsCenter for Cancer Biology (CCB)Flemish Institute of Biotechnology (VIB)LeuvenBelgium
| | - Frédéric Amant
- Department of OncologyLaboratory of Gynecological OncologyUniversity of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Department of Gynecological OncologyAntoni Van Leeuwenhoek – Netherlands Cancer InstituteAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyUniversity Hospitals LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
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12
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Dong Y, Chen Z, Yang F, Wei J, Huang J, Long X. Prediction of immunotherapy responsiveness in melanoma through single-cell sequencing-based characterization of the tumor immune microenvironment. Transl Oncol 2024; 43:101910. [PMID: 38417293 PMCID: PMC10907870 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2024.101910] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICB) therapy have emerged as effective treatments for melanomas. However, the response of melanoma patients to ICB has been highly heterogenous. Here, by analyzing integrated scRNA-seq datasets from melanoma patients, we revealed significant differences in the TiME composition between ICB-resistant and responsive tissues, with resistant or responsive tissues characterized by an abundance of myeloid cells and CD8+ T cells or CD4+ T cell predominance, respectively. Among CD4+ T cells, CD4+ CXCL13+ Tfh-like cells were associated with an immunosuppressive phenotype linked to immune escape-related genes and negative regulation of T cell activation. We also develop an immunotherapy response prediction model based on the composition of the immune compartment. Our predictive model was validated using CIBERSORTx on bulk RNA-seq datasets from melanoma patients pre- and post-ICB treatment and showed a better performance than other existing models. Our study presents an effective immunotherapy response prediction model with potential for further translation, as well as underscores the critical role of the TiME in influencing the response of melanomas to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yucheng Dong
- Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Zhizhuo Chen
- Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaxin Wei
- Department of Emergency Department, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jiuzuo Huang
- Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
| | - Xiao Long
- Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
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13
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Røgenes H, Finne K, Winge I, Akslen LA, Östman A, Milosevic V. Development of 42 marker panel for in-depth study of cancer associated fibroblast niches in breast cancer using imaging mass cytometry. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1325191. [PMID: 38711512 PMCID: PMC11070582 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1325191] [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: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Imaging Mass Cytometry (IMC) is a novel, and formidable high multiplexing imaging method emerging as a promising tool for in-depth studying of tissue architecture and intercellular communications. Several studies have reported various IMC antibody panels mainly focused on studying the immunological landscape of the tumor microenvironment (TME). With this paper, we wanted to address cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs), a component of the TME very often underrepresented and not emphasized enough in present IMC studies. Therefore, we focused on the development of a comprehensive IMC panel that can be used for a thorough description of the CAF composition of breast cancer TME and for an in-depth study of different CAF niches in relation to both immune and breast cancer cell communication. We established and validated a 42 marker panel using a variety of control tissues and rigorous quantification methods. The final panel contained 6 CAF-associated markers (aSMA, FAP, PDGFRa, PDGFRb, YAP1, pSMAD2). Breast cancer tissues (4 cases of luminal, 5 cases of triple negative breast cancer) and a modified CELESTA pipeline were used to demonstrate the utility of our IMC panel for detailed profiling of different CAF, immune and cancer cell phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Røgenes
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Kenneth Finne
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ingeborg Winge
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Lars A. Akslen
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Pathology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Arne Östman
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Vladan Milosevic
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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14
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Lim L, Hu MH, Fan D, Tu HF, Tsai YC, Cheng M, Wang S, Chang CL, Wu TC, Hung CF. STAT1-Deficient HPV E6/E7-Associated Cancers Maintain Host Immunocompetency against Therapeutic Intervention. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:430. [PMID: 38675812 PMCID: PMC11053987 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12040430] [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: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Human papillomavirus (HPV) remains a global health concern because it contributes to the initiation of various HPV-associated cancers such as anal, cervical, oropharyngeal, penile, vaginal, and vulvar cancer. In HPV-associated cancers, oncogenesis begins with an HPV infection, which is linked to the activation of the Janus protein tyrosine kinase (JAK)/STAT signaling pathway. Various STAT signaling pathways, such as STAT3 activation, have been well documented for their tumorigenic role, yet the role of STAT1 in tumor formation remains unclear. In the current study, STAT1-/- mice were used to investigate the role of STAT1 in the tumorigenesis of a spontaneous HPV E6/E7-expressing oral tumor model. Subsequently, our candidate HPV DNA vaccine CRT/E7 was administered to determine whether the STAT1-/- host preserves a therapeutic-responsive tumor microenvironment. The results indicated that STAT1-/- induces robust tumorigenesis, yet a controlled tumor response was attained upon CRT/E7 vaccination. Characterizing this treatment effect, immunological analysis found a higher percentage of circulating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and tumor-specific cytotoxic T cells. In addition, a reduction in exhaustive lymphocyte activity was observed. Further analysis of a whole-cell tumor challenge affirmed these findings, as spontaneous tumor growth was more rapid in STAT1-/- mice. In conclusion, STAT1 deletion accelerates tumorigenesis, but STAT1-/- mice maintains immunocompetency in CRT/E7 treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Lim
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA (T.-C.W.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei 104217, Taiwan;
| | - Ming-Hung Hu
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA (T.-C.W.)
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
- Cancer Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Darrell Fan
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA (T.-C.W.)
| | - Hsin-Fang Tu
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA (T.-C.W.)
| | - Ya-Chea Tsai
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA (T.-C.W.)
| | - Michelle Cheng
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA (T.-C.W.)
| | - Suyang Wang
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA (T.-C.W.)
| | - Chih-Long Chang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei 104217, Taiwan;
| | - Tzyy-Choou Wu
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA (T.-C.W.)
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Chien-Fu Hung
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA (T.-C.W.)
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
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15
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Chen Y, Wu Y, Yan G, Zhang G. Tertiary lymphoid structures in cancer: maturation and induction. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1369626. [PMID: 38690273 PMCID: PMC11058640 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1369626] [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: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) is an ectopic lymphocyte aggregate formed in peripheral non-lymphoid tissues, including inflamed or cancerous tissue. Tumor-associated TLS serves as a prominent center of antigen presentation and adaptive immune activation within the periphery, which has exhibited positive prognostic value in various cancers. In recent years, the concept of maturity regarding TLS has been proposed and mature TLS, characterized by well-developed germinal centers, exhibits a more potent tumor-suppressive capacity with stronger significance. Meanwhile, more and more evidence showed that TLS can be induced by therapeutic interventions during cancer treatments. Thus, the evaluation of TLS maturity and the therapeutic interventions that induce its formation are critical issues in current TLS research. In this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive summary of the existing classifications for TLS maturity and therapeutic strategies capable of inducing its formation in tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulu Chen
- Department of Phototherapy, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Skin Cancer Center, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Photomedicine, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuhao Wu
- Department of Phototherapy, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Skin Cancer Center, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Photomedicine, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guorong Yan
- Department of Phototherapy, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Skin Cancer Center, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Photomedicine, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guolong Zhang
- Department of Phototherapy, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Skin Cancer Center, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Photomedicine, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
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16
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Tao J, Shen L, Zhuang M, Zhai C, Zeng H, Mao Y, Liu X. Suppression of AGRN enhances CD8+ T cell recruitment and inhibits breast cancer progression. FASEB J 2024; 38:e23582. [PMID: 38568853 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202302288r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) stands as a prominent contributor to global cancer-related mortality, with an increasing incidence annually. This study aims to investigate AGRN gene expression in BC, as well as explore its influence on the tumor immune microenvironment. AGRN displayed a pronounced upregulation in BC tissues relative to paracancerous tissues. Single-cell RNA analysis highlighted AGRN-specific elevation within cancer cell clusters and also showed expression expressed in stromal as well as immune cell clusters. AGRN upregulation was positively correlated with clinicopathological stage and negatively correlated with BC prognosis. As revealed by the in vitro experiment, AGRN knockdown effectively hinders BC cells in terms of proliferation, invasion as well as migration. AGRN protein, which may interact with EXT1, LRP4, RAPSN, etc., was primarily distributed in the cell cytoplasm. Notably, immune factors might interact with AGRN in BC, evidenced by its discernible associations with immunofactors like IL10, CD274, and PVRL2. Mass spectrometry and immunohistochemistry revealed that the reduction of AGRN led to an increase in CD8+ T cells with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Mechanistically, the connection between TRIM7 and PD-L1 is improved by AGRN, acting as a scaffold, thereby facilitating the accelerated degradation of PD-L1 by TRIM7. Downregulation of AGRN inhibits BC progression and increases CD8+ T cell recruitment. Targeting AGRN may contribute to BC treatment. The biomarker AGRN, serving as a therapeutic target for BC, emerges as a prospective avenue for enhancing both diagnosis and prognosis in BC cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Tao
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Li Shen
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Minyu Zhuang
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Changyuan Zhai
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hanling Zeng
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuan Mao
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoan Liu
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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17
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Pan H, Yu M, Tang X, Mao X, Liu M, Zhang K, Qian C, Wang J, Xie H, Qiu W, Ding Q, Wang S, Zhou W. Preoperative single-dose camrelizumab and/or microwave ablation in women with early-stage breast cancer: A window-of-opportunity trial. MED 2024; 5:291-310.e5. [PMID: 38417440 DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2024.01.015] [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: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint blockade has shown low response rates for advanced breast cancer, and combination strategies are needed. Microwave ablation (MWA) may be a trigger of antitumor immunity. This window-of-opportunity trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04805736) was conducted to determine the safety and feasibility of preoperative camrelizumab (an anti-PD-1 antibody) combined with MWA in the treatment of early-stage breast cancer. METHODS Sixty participants were randomized to preoperatively receive single-dose camrelizumab alone (n = 20), MWA alone (n = 20), or camrelizumab+MWA (n = 20). A random number table was used to allocate interventions. The primary outcome was the safety and feasibility of MWA combined with camrelizumab. FINDINGS Camrelizumab and MWA were well tolerated alone and in combination without delays in prescheduled surgery. No treatment-related grade III/IV adverse events were observed. Different from in the single-dose camrelizumab or MWA group, participants showed stable counts of blood cells after combination therapy. After combination therapy, peripheral CD8+ T cells showed enhanced cytotoxic and effect-memory functions. Clonal expansional CD8+ T cells showed higher cytotoxic activity and effector memory- and tumor-specific signatures than emergent clones after combination therapy. Enhanced interactions between clonal expansional CD8+ T cells and monocytes were observed, suggesting that monocytes contributed to the enhanced functions of clonal expansional CD8+ T cells. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-related pathways and interferon signaling pathways were activated in monocytes by combination therapy. CONCLUSIONS Camrelizumab combined with MWA was feasible for early-stage breast cancer. Peripheral CD8+ T cells were activated after combination therapy, dependent on monocytes with activated MHC class I pathways. FUNDING This study was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20230017).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Pan
- Department of Breast Surgery & General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention, and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Muxin Yu
- Department of Breast Surgery & General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention, and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Xinyu Tang
- Department of Breast Surgery & General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention, and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Xinrui Mao
- Department of Breast Surgery & General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention, and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Mingduo Liu
- Department of Breast Surgery & General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention, and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Kai Zhang
- Pancreas Center & Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Pancreas Institute of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Chao Qian
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211112, China
| | - Ji Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery & General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention, and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Hui Xie
- Department of Breast Surgery & General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention, and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China.
| | - Wen Qiu
- Department of Immunology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Key Laboratory of Antibody Technology of the Ministry of Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Qiang Ding
- Department of Breast Surgery & General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention, and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Shui Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery & General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention, and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China.
| | - Wenbin Zhou
- Department of Breast Surgery & General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention, and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China.
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18
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Zhu Q, Balasubramanian A, Asirvatham JR, Piyarathna DWB, Kaur J, Mohamed N, Wu L, Chatterjee M, Wang S, Pourfarrokh N, Rasaily U, Xu Y, Zheng J, Jebakumar D, Rao A, Chen SH, Li Y, Chang E, Li X, Aneja R, Zhang XHF, Sreekumar A. Integrative spatial omics reveals distinct tumor-promoting multicellular niches and immunosuppressive mechanisms in African American and European American patients with TNBC. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.17.585428. [PMID: 38562769 PMCID: PMC10983891 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.17.585428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Racial disparities in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) outcomes have been reported. However, the biological mechanisms underlying these disparities remain unclear. We integrated imaging mass cytometry and spatial transcriptomics, to characterize the tumor microenvironment (TME) of African American (AA) and European American (EA) patients with TNBC. The TME in AA patients was characterized by interactions between endothelial cells, macrophages, and mesenchymal-like cells, which were associated with poor patient survival. In contrast, the EA TNBC-associated niche is enriched in T-cells and neutrophils suggestive of an exhaustion and suppression of otherwise active T cell responses. Ligand-receptor and pathway analyses of race-associated niches found AA TNBC to be immune cold and hence immunotherapy resistant tumors, and EA TNBC as inflamed tumors that evolved a distinctive immunosuppressive mechanism. Our study revealed the presence of racially distinct tumor-promoting and immunosuppressive microenvironments in AA and EA patients with TNBC, which may explain the poor clinical outcomes.
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19
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Launonen IM, Erkan EP, Niemiec I, Junquera A, Hincapié-Otero M, Afenteva D, Liang Z, Salko M, Szabo A, Perez-Villatoro F, Falco MM, Li Y, Micoli G, Nagaraj A, Haltia UM, Kahelin E, Oikkonen J, Hynninen J, Virtanen A, Nirmal AJ, Vallius T, Hautaniemi S, Sorger P, Vähärautio A, Färkkilä A. Chemotherapy induces myeloid-driven spatial T-cell exhaustion in ovarian cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.19.585657. [PMID: 38562799 PMCID: PMC10983974 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.19.585657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
To uncover the intricate, chemotherapy-induced spatiotemporal remodeling of the tumor microenvironment, we conducted integrative spatial and molecular characterization of 97 high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) samples collected before and after chemotherapy. Using single-cell and spatial analyses, we identify increasingly versatile immune cell states, which form spatiotemporally dynamic microcommunities at the tumor-stroma interface. We demonstrate that chemotherapy triggers spatial redistribution and exhaustion of CD8+ T cells due to prolonged antigen presentation by macrophages, both within interconnected myeloid networks termed "Myelonets" and at the tumor stroma interface. Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics identifies prominent TIGIT-NECTIN2 ligand-receptor interactions induced by chemotherapy. Using a functional patient-derived immuno-oncology platform, we show that CD8+T-cell activity can be boosted by combining immune checkpoint blockade with chemotherapy. Our discovery of chemotherapy-induced myeloid-driven spatial T-cell exhaustion paves the way for novel immunotherapeutic strategies to unleash CD8+ T-cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity in HGSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga-Maria Launonen
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Iga Niemiec
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ada Junquera
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Daria Afenteva
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Zhihan Liang
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Matilda Salko
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Angela Szabo
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Matias M Falco
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Yilin Li
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Giulia Micoli
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ashwini Nagaraj
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ulla-Maija Haltia
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Oncology, Clinical trials unit, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Essi Kahelin
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki and HUS Diagnostic Center, Helsinki University Hospital
| | - Jaana Oikkonen
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Johanna Hynninen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Anni Virtanen
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki and HUS Diagnostic Center, Helsinki University Hospital
| | - Ajit J Nirmal
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Tuulia Vallius
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Ludwig Center at Harvard
| | - Sampsa Hautaniemi
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Peter Sorger
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Anna Vähärautio
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Foundation for the Finnish Cancer Institute, Finland
| | - Anniina Färkkilä
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Oncology, Clinical trials unit, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, Helsinki, Finland
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, Helsinki Institute for Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
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20
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Wang ZQ, Wu ZX, Wang ZP, Bao JX, Wu HD, Xu DY, Li HF, Xu YY, Wu RX, Dai XX. Pan-cancer analysis of NUP155 and validation of its role in breast cancer cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:353. [PMID: 38504158 PMCID: PMC10953186 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12039-6] [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: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
NUP155 is reported to be correlated with tumor development. However, the role of NUP155 in tumor physiology and the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) has not been previously examined. This study comprehensively investigated the expression, immunological function, and prognostic significance of NUP155 in different cancer types. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that NUP155 was upregulated in 26 types of cancer. Additionally, NUP155 upregulation was strongly correlated with advanced pathological or clinical stages and poor prognosis in several cancers. Furthermore, NUP155 was significantly and positively correlated with DNA methylation, tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability, and stemness score in most cancers. Additionally, NUP155 was also found to be involved in TIME and closely associated with tumor infiltrating immune cells and immunoregulation-related genes. Functional enrichment analysis revealed a strong correlation between NUP155 and immunomodulatory pathways, especially antigen processing and presentation. The role of NUP155 in breast cancer has not been examined. This study, for the first time, demonstrated that NUP155 was upregulated in breast invasive carcinoma (BRCA) cells and revealed its oncogenic role in BRCA using molecular biology experiments. Thus, our study highlights the potential value of NUP155 as a biomarker in the assessment of prognostic prediction, tumor microenvironment and immunotherapeutic response in pan-cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Qiong Wang
- Quzhou People's Hospital, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 100 Minjiang Avenue, Quzhou, Zhejiang, 324000, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Ministry of Education), The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
| | - Zhi-Xuan Wu
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zong-Pan Wang
- Quzhou People's Hospital, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 100 Minjiang Avenue, Quzhou, Zhejiang, 324000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jing-Xia Bao
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hao-Dong Wu
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China
| | - Di-Yan Xu
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hong-Feng Li
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yi-Yin Xu
- Quzhou People's Hospital, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 100 Minjiang Avenue, Quzhou, Zhejiang, 324000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Rong-Xing Wu
- Quzhou People's Hospital, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 100 Minjiang Avenue, Quzhou, Zhejiang, 324000, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Xuan-Xuan Dai
- Quzhou People's Hospital, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 100 Minjiang Avenue, Quzhou, Zhejiang, 324000, Zhejiang, China.
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China.
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Ministry of Education), The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China.
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21
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Cords L, Engler S, Haberecker M, Rüschoff JH, Moch H, de Souza N, Bodenmiller B. Cancer-associated fibroblast phenotypes are associated with patient outcome in non-small cell lung cancer. Cancer Cell 2024; 42:396-412.e5. [PMID: 38242124 PMCID: PMC10929690 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Despite advances in treatment, lung cancer survival rates remain low. A better understanding of the cellular heterogeneity and interplay of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) within the tumor microenvironment will support the development of personalized therapies. We report a spatially resolved single-cell imaging mass cytometry (IMC) analysis of CAFs in a non-small cell lung cancer cohort of 1,070 patients. We identify four prognostic patient groups based on 11 CAF phenotypes with distinct spatial distributions and show that CAFs are independent prognostic factors for patient survival. The presence of tumor-like CAFs is strongly correlated with poor prognosis. In contrast, inflammatory CAFs and interferon-response CAFs are associated with inflamed tumor microenvironments and higher patient survival. High density of matrix CAFs is correlated with low immune infiltration and is negatively correlated with patient survival. In summary, our data identify phenotypic and spatial features of CAFs that are associated with patient outcome in NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Cords
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8049 Zurich, Switzerland; Life Science Zurich Graduate School, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefanie Engler
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8049 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martina Haberecker
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jan Hendrik Rüschoff
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Holger Moch
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Natalie de Souza
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8049 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bernd Bodenmiller
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8049 Zurich, Switzerland.
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22
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Han X, Zhang G, Wu X, Xu S, Liu J, Wang K, Liu T, Wu P. Microfluidics-enabled fluorinated assembly of EGCG-ligands-siTOX nanoparticles for synergetic tumor cells and exhausted t cells regulation in cancer immunotherapy. J Nanobiotechnology 2024; 22:90. [PMID: 38439048 PMCID: PMC10910710 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-024-02328-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-derived evolution offers a versatile means of developing novel immunotherapies that targets programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)/programmed death-1 (PD-1) axis. However, one major challenge is T cell exhaustion, which contributes to low response rates in "cold" tumors. Herein, we introduce a fluorinated assembly system of LFNPs/siTOX complexes consisting of fluorinated EGCG (FEGCG), fluorinated aminolauric acid (LA), and fluorinated polyethylene glycol (PEG) to efficiently deliver small interfering RNA anti-TOX (thymus high mobility group box protein, TOX) for synergistic tumor cells and exhausted T cells regulation. Using a microfluidic approach, a library of LFNPs/siTOX complexes were prepared by altering the placement of the hydrophobe (LA), the surface PEGylation density, and the siTOX ratio. Among the different formulations tested, the lead formulation, LFNPs3-3/siTOX complexes, demonstrated enhanced siRNA complexation, sensitive drug release, improved stability and delivery efficacy, and acceptable biosafety. Upon administration by the intravenous injection, this formulation was able to evoke a robust immune response by inhibiting PD-L1 expression and mitigating T cell exhaustion. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the fluorinated assembly and concomitant optimization of the EGCG-based delivery system. Furthermore, it offers a promising strategy for cancer immunotherapy, highlighting its potential in improving response rates in ''cold'' tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Han
- Department of Radiology, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People's Hospital, Quzhou, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Innovative Institute of Tumor Immunity and Medicine (ITIM), Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
| | - Guozheng Zhang
- Department of Radiology, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People's Hospital, Quzhou, China
| | - Xiaozhen Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
| | - Shufeng Xu
- Department of Radiology, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People's Hospital, Quzhou, China
| | - Jiahuan Liu
- Department of Radiology, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People's Hospital, Quzhou, China
| | - Kaikai Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
| | - Tianqing Liu
- NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, 2145, Australia.
| | - Pengkai Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Innovative Institute of Tumor Immunity and Medicine (ITIM), Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China.
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23
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Reichardt CM, Muñoz-Becerra M, Rius Rigau A, Rückert M, Fietkau R, Schett G, Gaipl US, Frey B, Muñoz LE. Neutrophils seeking new neighbors: radiotherapy affects the cellular framework and the spatial organization in a murine breast cancer model. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2024; 73:67. [PMID: 38430241 PMCID: PMC10908631 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03653-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Neutrophils are known to contribute in many aspects of tumor progression and metastasis. The presence of neutrophils or neutrophil-derived mediators in the tumor microenvironment has been associated with poor prognosis in several types of solid tumors. However, the effects of classical cancer treatments such as radiation therapy on neutrophils are poorly understood. Furthermore, the cellular composition and distribution of immune cells in the tumor is of increasing interest in cancer research and new imaging technologies allow to perform more complex spatial analyses within tumor tissues. Therefore, we aim to offer novel insight into intra-tumoral formation of cellular neighborhoods and communities in murine breast cancer. To address this question, we performed image mass cytometry on tumors of the TS/A breast cancer tumor model, performed spatial neighborhood analyses of the tumor microenvironment and quantified neutrophil-extracellular trap degradation products in serum of the mice. We show that irradiation with 2 × 8 Gy significantly alters the cellular composition and spatial organization in the tumor, especially regarding neutrophils and other cells of the myeloid lineage. Locally applied radiotherapy further affects neutrophils in a systemic manner by decreasing the serum neutrophil extracellular trap concentrations which correlates positively with survival. In addition, the intercellular cohesion is maintained due to radiotherapy as shown by E-Cadherin expression. Radiotherapy, therefore, might affect the epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in tumors and thus prevent metastasis. Our findings underscore the growing importance of the spatial organization of the tumor microenvironment, particularly with respect to radiotherapy, and provide insight into potential mechanisms by which radiotherapy affects epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity and tumor metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Reichardt
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, Rheumatology and Immunology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Ulmenweg 18, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Für Immuntherapie (DZI), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - M Muñoz-Becerra
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, Rheumatology and Immunology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Ulmenweg 18, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Für Immuntherapie (DZI), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - A Rius Rigau
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, Rheumatology and Immunology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Ulmenweg 18, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Für Immuntherapie (DZI), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - M Rückert
- Translational Radiobiology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - R Fietkau
- Deutsches Zentrum Für Immuntherapie (DZI), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - G Schett
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, Rheumatology and Immunology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Ulmenweg 18, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Für Immuntherapie (DZI), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - U S Gaipl
- Deutsches Zentrum Für Immuntherapie (DZI), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
- Translational Radiobiology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - B Frey
- Deutsches Zentrum Für Immuntherapie (DZI), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
- Translational Radiobiology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - L E Muñoz
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, Rheumatology and Immunology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Ulmenweg 18, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
- Deutsches Zentrum Für Immuntherapie (DZI), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
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24
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de Souza N, Zhao S, Bodenmiller B. Multiplex protein imaging in tumour biology. Nat Rev Cancer 2024; 24:171-191. [PMID: 38316945 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-023-00657-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Tissue imaging has become much more colourful in the past decade. Advances in both experimental and analytical methods now make it possible to image protein markers in tissue samples in high multiplex. The ability to routinely image 40-50 markers simultaneously, at single-cell or subcellular resolution, has opened up new vistas in the study of tumour biology. Cellular phenotypes, interaction, communication and spatial organization have become amenable to molecular-level analysis, and application to patient cohorts has identified clinically relevant cellular and tissue features in several cancer types. Here, we review the use of multiplex protein imaging methods to study tumour biology, discuss ongoing attempts to combine these approaches with other forms of spatial omics, and highlight challenges in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie de Souza
- University of Zurich, Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, Zurich, Switzerland
- ETH Zurich, Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, Zurich, Switzerland
- ETH Zurich, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shan Zhao
- University of Zurich, Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, Zurich, Switzerland
- ETH Zurich, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bernd Bodenmiller
- University of Zurich, Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, Zurich, Switzerland.
- ETH Zurich, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland.
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25
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Wang S, Wang H, Li C, Liu B, He S, Tu C. Tertiary lymphoid structures in cancer: immune mechanisms and clinical implications. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e489. [PMID: 38469550 PMCID: PMC10925885 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.489] [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: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a major cause of death globally, and traditional treatments often have limited efficacy and adverse effects. Immunotherapy has shown promise in various malignancies but is less effective in tumors with low immunogenicity or immunosuppressive microenvironment, especially sarcomas. Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) have been associated with a favorable response to immunotherapy and improved survival in cancer patients. However, the immunological mechanisms and clinical significance of TLS in malignant tumors are not fully understood. In this review, we elucidate the composition, neogenesis, and immune characteristics of TLS in tumors, as well as the inflammatory response in cancer development. An in-depth discussion of the unique immune characteristics of TLSs in lung cancer, breast cancer, melanoma, and soft tissue sarcomas will be presented. Additionally, the therapeutic implications of TLS, including its role as a marker of therapeutic response and prognosis, and strategies to promote TLS formation and maturation will be explored. Overall, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of TLS in the tumor immune microenvironment and suggest potential interventions for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Wang
- Department of OrthopaedicsThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized MedicineThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
- Xiangya School of MedicineCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of OrthopaedicsThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized MedicineThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Chenbei Li
- Department of OrthopaedicsThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized MedicineThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Binfeng Liu
- Department of OrthopaedicsThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized MedicineThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Shasha He
- Department of OncologyThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Chao Tu
- Department of OrthopaedicsThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized MedicineThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Central South UniversityGuangdongChina
- Changsha Medical UniversityChangshaChina
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26
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Tan J, Egelston CA, Guo W, Stark JM, Lee PP. STING signalling compensates for low tumour mutation burden to drive anti-tumour immunity. EBioMedicine 2024; 101:105035. [PMID: 38401418 PMCID: PMC10904200 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While mutation-derived neoantigens are well recognized in generating anti-tumour T cell response, increasing evidences highlight the complex association between tumour mutation burden (TMB) and tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). The exploration of non-TMB determinants of active immune response could improve the prognosis prediction and provide guidance for current immunotherapy. METHODS The transcriptomic and whole exome sequence data in The Cancer Genome Atlas were used to examine the relationship between TMB and exhausted CD8+ T cells (Tex), as an indicator of tumour antigen-specific T cells across nine major cancer types. Computational clustering analysis was performed on 4510 tumours to identify different immune profiles. NanoString gene expression analysis and single cell RNA-seq analysis using fresh human breast cancer were performed for finding validation. FINDINGS TMB was found to be poorly correlated with active immune response in various cancer types. Patient clustering analysis revealed a group of tumours with abundant Tex but low TMB. In those tumours, we observed significantly higher expression of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signalling. Dendritic cells, particularly those of BATF3+ lineage, were also found to be essential for accumulation of Tex within tumours. Mechanistically, loss of genomic and cellular integrity, marked by decreased DNA damage repair, defective replication stress response, and increased apoptosis were shown to drive STING activation. INTERPRETATION These results highlight that TMB alone does not fully predict tumour immune profiles, with STING signalling compensating for low TMB in non-hypermutated tumours to enhance anti-tumour immunity. Translating these results, STING agonists may benefit patients with non-hypermutated tumours. STING activation may serve as an additional biomarker to predict response to immune checkpoint blockades alongside TMB. Our research also unravelled the interplay between genomic instability and STING activation, informing potential combined chemotherapy targeting the axis of genomic integrity and immunotherapy. FUNDING City of Hope Christopher Family Endowed Innovation Fund for Alzheimer's Disease and Breast Cancer Research in honor of Vineta Christopher; Breast Cancer Alliance Early Career Investigator Award; National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award number R01CA256989 and R01CA240392.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Tan
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA; Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Colt A Egelston
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Weihua Guo
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Jeremy M Stark
- Department of Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Peter P Lee
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA.
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27
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Zhou W, Kawashima S, Ishino T, Kawase K, Ueda Y, Yamashita K, Watanabe T, Kawazu M, Dansako H, Suzuki Y, Nishikawa H, Inozume T, Nagasaki J, Togashi Y. Stem-like progenitor and terminally differentiated T FH-like CD4 + T cell exhaustion in the tumor microenvironment. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113797. [PMID: 38363680 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113797] [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: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors exert clinical efficacy against various types of cancer through reinvigoration of exhausted CD8+ T cells that attack cancer cells directly in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Using single-cell sequencing and mouse models, we show that CXCL13, highly expressed in tumor-infiltrating exhausted CD8+ T cells, induces CD4+ follicular helper T (TFH) cell infiltration, contributing to anti-tumor immunity. Furthermore, a part of the TFH cells in the TME exhibits cytotoxicity and directly attacks major histocompatibility complex-II-expressing tumors. TFH-like cytotoxic CD4+ T cells have high LAG-3/BLIMP1 and low TCF1 expression without self-renewal ability, whereas non-cytotoxic TFH cells express low LAG-3/BLIMP1 and high TCF1 with self-renewal ability, closely resembling the relationship between terminally differentiated and stem-like progenitor exhaustion in CD8+ T cells, respectively. Our findings provide deep insights into TFH-like CD4+ T cell exhaustion with helper progenitor and cytotoxic differentiated functions, mediating anti-tumor immunity orchestrally with CD8+ T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhao Zhou
- Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan; Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan; Department of Urology Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Shusuke Kawashima
- Department of Dermatology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba 260-8670, Japan; Chiba Cancer Center, Research Institute, Division of Cell Therapy, Chiba 260-8717, Japan
| | - Takamasa Ishino
- Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan; Chiba Cancer Center, Research Institute, Division of Cell Therapy, Chiba 260-8717, Japan; Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan
| | - Katsushige Kawase
- Chiba Cancer Center, Research Institute, Division of Cell Therapy, Chiba 260-8717, Japan; Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan
| | - Youki Ueda
- Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | | | - Tomofumi Watanabe
- Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan; Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-0932, Japan
| | - Masahito Kawazu
- Chiba Cancer Center, Research Institute, Division of Cell Therapy, Chiba 260-8717, Japan
| | - Hiromichi Dansako
- Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Kashiwa 277-8568, Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Nishikawa
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan; Division of Cancer Immunology, National Cancer Center, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), Tokyo 104-0045, Kashiwa 277-8577, Japan
| | - Takashi Inozume
- Department of Dermatology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba 260-8670, Japan; Chiba Cancer Center, Research Institute, Division of Cell Therapy, Chiba 260-8717, Japan
| | - Joji Nagasaki
- Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan; Chiba Cancer Center, Research Institute, Division of Cell Therapy, Chiba 260-8717, Japan.
| | - Yosuke Togashi
- Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan; Chiba Cancer Center, Research Institute, Division of Cell Therapy, Chiba 260-8717, Japan; Division of Cancer Immunology, National Cancer Center, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), Tokyo 104-0045, Kashiwa 277-8577, Japan.
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Ntostoglou K, Theodorou SDP, Proctor T, Nikas IP, Awounvo S, Sepsa A, Georgoulias V, Ryu HS, Pateras IS, Kittas C. Distinct profiles of proliferating CD8+/TCF1+ T cells and CD163+/PD-L1+ macrophages predict risk of relapse differently among treatment-naïve breast cancer subtypes. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2024; 73:46. [PMID: 38349444 PMCID: PMC10864422 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03630-8] [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: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Immunophenotypic analysis of breast cancer microenvironment is gaining attraction as a clinical tool improving breast cancer patient stratification. The aim of this study is to evaluate proliferating CD8 + including CD8 + TCF1 + Τ cells along with PD-L1 expressing tissue-associated macrophages among different breast cancer subtypes. A well-characterized cohort of 791 treatment-naïve breast cancer patients was included. The analysis demonstrated a distinct expression pattern among breast cancer subtypes characterized by increased CD8 + , CD163 + and CD163 + PD-L1 + cells along with high PD-L1 status and decreased fraction of CD8 + Ki67 + T cells in triple negative (TNBC) and HER2 + compared to luminal tumors. Kaplan-Meier and Cox univariate survival analysis revealed that breast cancer patients with high CD8 + , CD8 + Ki67 + , CD8 + TCF1 + cells, PD-L1 score and CD163 + PD-L1 + cells are likely to have a prolonged relapse free survival, while patients with high CD163 + cells have a worse prognosis. A differential impact of high CD8 + , CD8 + Ki67 + , CD8 + TCF1 + T cells, CD163 + PD-L1 + macrophages and PD-L1 status on prognosis was identified among the various breast cancer subtypes since only TNBC patients experience an improved prognosis compared to patients with luminal A tumors. Conversely, high infiltration by CD163 + cells is associated with worse prognosis only in patients with luminal A but not in TNBC tumors. Multivariate Cox regression analysis in TNBC patients revealed that increased CD8 + [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.542; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.309-0.950; p = 0.032), CD8 + TCF1 + (HR = 0.280; 95% CI 0.101-0.779; p = 0.015), CD163 + PD-L1 + (HR: 0.312; 95% CI 0.112-0.870; p = 0.026) cells along with PD-L1 status employing two different scoring methods (HR: 0.362; 95% CI 0.162-0.812; p = 0.014 and HR: 0.395; 95% CI 0.176-0.884; p = 0.024) were independently linked with a lower relapse rate. Multivariate analysis in Luminal type A patients revealed that increased CD163 + was independently associated with a higher relapse rate (HR = 2.360; 95% CI 1.077-5.170; p = 0.032). This study demonstrates that the evaluation of the functional status of CD8 + T cells in combination with the analysis of immunosuppressive elements could provide clinically relevant information in different breast cancer subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Ntostoglou
- Department of Histopathology, Biomedicine Group of Health Company, 15626, Athens, Greece
- Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527, Goudi, Athens, Greece
| | - Sofia D P Theodorou
- Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527, Goudi, Athens, Greece
| | - Tanja Proctor
- Institute of Medical Biometry, University of Heidelberg, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ilias P Nikas
- Medical School, University of Cyprus, 2029, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Sinclair Awounvo
- Institute of Medical Biometry, University of Heidelberg, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Athanasia Sepsa
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Metropolitan Hospital, 9 Ethnarchou Makariou & 1 E. Venizelou Street, Neo Faliro, 18547, Piraeus, Greece
| | | | - Han Suk Ryu
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 03080, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ioannis S Pateras
- 2nd Department of Pathology, Medical School, "Attikon" University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 124 62, Athens, Greece.
| | - Christos Kittas
- Department of Histopathology, Biomedicine Group of Health Company, 15626, Athens, Greece
- Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527, Goudi, Athens, Greece
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29
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Cheng D, Zhang Z, Liu D, Mi Z, Tao W, Fu J, Fan H. Unraveling T cell exhaustion in the immune microenvironment of osteosarcoma via single-cell RNA transcriptome. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2024; 73:35. [PMID: 38280005 PMCID: PMC10821851 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-023-03585-2] [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: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
Osteosarcoma (OS) represents a profoundly invasive malignancy of the skeletal system. T cell exhaustion (Tex) is known to facilitate immunosuppression and tumor progression, but its role in OS remains unclear. In this study, single-cell RNA sequencing data was employed to identify exhausted T cells within the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of OS. We found that exhausted T cells exhibited substantial infiltration in OS samples. Pseudotime trajectory analysis revealed a progressive increase in the expression of various Tex marker genes, including PDCD1, CTLA4, LAG3, ENTPD1, and HAVCR2 in OS. GSVA showed that apoptosis, fatty acid metabolism, xenobiotic metabolism, and the interferon pathway were significantly activated in exhausted T cells in OS. Subsequently, a prognostic model was constructed using two Tex-specific genes, MYC and FCGR2B, which exhibited exceptional prognostic accuracy in two independent cohorts. Drug sensitivity analysis revealed that OS patients with a low Tex risk were responsive to Dasatinib and Pazopanib. Finally, immunohistochemistry verified that MYC and FCGR2B were significantly upregulated in OS tissues compared with adjacent tissues. This study investigates the role of Tex within the TIME of OS, and offers novel insights into the mechanisms underlying disease progression as well as the potential treatment strategies for OS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debin Cheng
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Xi-Jing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Zhao Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Xi-Jing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Dong Liu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Xi-Jing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Zhenzhou Mi
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Xi-Jing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Weidong Tao
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Xi-Jing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Jun Fu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Xi-Jing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
| | - Hongbin Fan
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Xi-Jing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
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Zhang Y, Petukhov V, Biederstedt E, Que R, Zhang K, Kharchenko PV. Gene panel selection for targeted spatial transcriptomics. Genome Biol 2024; 25:35. [PMID: 38273415 PMCID: PMC10811939 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03174-1] [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: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Targeted spatial transcriptomics hold particular promise in analyzing complex tissues. Most such methods, however, measure only a limited panel of transcripts, which need to be selected in advance to inform on the cell types or processes being studied. A limitation of existing gene selection methods is their reliance on scRNA-seq data, ignoring platform effects between technologies. Here we describe gpsFISH, a computational method performing gene selection through optimizing detection of known cell types. By modeling and adjusting for platform effects, gpsFISH outperforms other methods. Furthermore, gpsFISH can incorporate cell type hierarchies and custom gene preferences to accommodate diverse design requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yida Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Viktor Petukhov
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Evan Biederstedt
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Richard Que
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kun Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- San Diego Institute of Science, Altos Labs, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Peter V Kharchenko
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- San Diego Institute of Science, Altos Labs, San Diego, CA, USA.
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31
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Zhang J, Ren Z, Hu Y, Shang S, Wang R, Ma J, Zhang Z, Wu M, Wang F, Yu J, Chen D. High HPK1 +PD-1 +TIM-3 +CD8 + T cells infiltration predicts poor prognosis to immunotherapy in NSCLC patients. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 127:111363. [PMID: 38101218 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.111363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
At present the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) remains limited. The lack of responsiveness in certain patients may be attributed to CD8+ T cell exhaustion within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) has been identified as a mediator of T cell dysfunction, leading to our hypothesis that HPK1 positive exhausted CD8+ T cells could serve as a predictor for ICIs' efficacy in NSCLC patients, and potentially indicate key cellular subset causing ICIs resistance. Here, we retrospectively collected tumor tissue samples from 36 NSCLC patients who underwent first-line immunotherapy. Using multiplex immunohistochemistry, we visualized various PD-1+CD8+ T cell subsets and explore biomarkers for response. The analysis endpoints included overall response rate (ORR), progression free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS), correlating them with levels of cell infiltration or effective density. We found that the proportion of PD-1+CD8+ T cell subsets did not align with predictions for ORR, PFS, and OS. Conversely, a high infiltration of HPK1+PD-1+TIM-3+CD8+ T cells was identified as an independent risk factor for both PFS (P = 0.019) and OS (P = 0.03). These cells were found to express the highest levels of Granzyme B, and the secretion of Granzyme B in CD8+ T cell subsets was related to TCF-1. In conclusion, these data suggest that a high infiltration of HPK1+PD-1+TIM-3+CD8+ T cells correlates with poor clinical outcomes in NSCLC patients receiving immunotherapy. These cells may represent terminally exhausted T cells that fail to respond to ICIs, thereby laying the groundwork for the potential integration of HPK1 inhibitors with immunotherapy to enhance treatment strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxin Zhang
- Shandong University Cancer Center, Jinan, Shandong, China; Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Ziyuan Ren
- Shandong University Cancer Center, Jinan, Shandong, China; Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yun Hu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shijie Shang
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China; Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ruiyang Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Jiachun Ma
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China; Lung Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Zengfu Zhang
- Shandong University Cancer Center, Jinan, Shandong, China; Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Meng Wu
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Jinming Yu
- Shandong University Cancer Center, Jinan, Shandong, China; Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China; Research Unit of Radiation Oncology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China.
| | - Dawei Chen
- Shandong University Cancer Center, Jinan, Shandong, China; Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China.
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Omotesho QA, Escamilla A, Pérez-Ruiz E, Frecha CA, Rueda-Domínguez A, Barragán I. Epigenetic targets to enhance antitumor immune response through the induction of tertiary lymphoid structures. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1348156. [PMID: 38333212 PMCID: PMC10851080 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1348156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are ectopic lymphoid aggregates found in sites of chronic inflammation such as tumors and autoimmune diseases. The discovery that TLS formation at tumor sites correlated with good patient prognosis has triggered extensive research into various techniques to induce their formation at the tumor microenvironment (TME). One strategy is the exogenous induction of specific cytokines and chemokine expression in murine models. However, applying such systemic chemokine expression can result in significant toxicity and damage to healthy tissues. Also, the TLS formed from exogenous chemokine induction is heterogeneous and different from the ones associated with favorable prognosis. Therefore, there is a need to optimize additional approaches like immune cell engineering with lentiviral transduction to improve the TLS formation in vivo. Similarly, the genetic and epigenetic regulation of the different phases of TLS neogenesis are still unknown. Understanding these molecular regulations could help identify novel targets to induce tissue-specific TLS in the TME. This review offers a unique insight into the molecular checkpoints of the different stages and mechanisms involved in TLS formation. This review also highlights potential epigenetic targets to induce TLS neogenesis. The review further explores epigenetic therapies (epi-therapy) and ongoing clinical trials using epi-therapy in cancers. In addition, it builds upon the current knowledge of tools to generate TLS and TLS phenotyping biomarkers with predictive and prognostic clinical potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quadri Ajibola Omotesho
- Medical Oncology Service (Group of Translational Research in Cancer Immunotherapy and Epigenetics), Regional and Clinical University Hospitals, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Malaga, Spain
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Alejandro Escamilla
- Medical Oncology Service (Group of Translational Research in Cancer Immunotherapy and Epigenetics), Regional and Clinical University Hospitals, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Malaga, Spain
- Department of Human Physiology, Human Histology, Pathological Anatomy and Physical Sport Education, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - Elisabeth Pérez-Ruiz
- Medical Oncology Service (Group of Translational Research in Cancer Immunotherapy and Epigenetics), Regional and Clinical University Hospitals, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Malaga, Spain
| | - Cecilia A. Frecha
- Allergy Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Civil Hospital, Malaga, Spain
| | - Antonio Rueda-Domínguez
- Medical Oncology Service (Group of Translational Research in Cancer Immunotherapy and Epigenetics), Regional and Clinical University Hospitals, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Malaga, Spain
| | - Isabel Barragán
- Medical Oncology Service (Group of Translational Research in Cancer Immunotherapy and Epigenetics), Regional and Clinical University Hospitals, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Malaga, Spain
- Group of Pharmacoepigenetics, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Mangelinck A, Dubuisson A, Becht E, Dromaint-Catesson S, Fasquel M, Provost N, Walas D, Darville H, Galizzi JP, Lefebvre C, Blanc V, Lombardi V. Characterization of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells responses in the mixed lymphocyte reaction by flow cytometry and single cell RNA sequencing. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1320481. [PMID: 38283342 PMCID: PMC10820991 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1320481] [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: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The Mixed Lymphocyte Reaction (MLR) consists in the allogeneic co-culture of monocytes derived dendritic cells (MoDCs) with T cells from another donor. This in vitro assay is largely used for the assessment of immunotherapy compounds. Nevertheless, the phenotypic changes associated with lymphocyte responsiveness under MLR have never been thoroughly evaluated. Methods Here, we used multiplex cytokine and chemokine assays, multiparametric flow cytometry and single cell RNA sequencing to deeply characterize T cells activation and function in the context of CD4+- and CD8+-specific MLR kinetics. Results We showed that CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in MLR share common classical markers of response such as polyfunctionality, increased proliferation and CD25 expression but differ in their kinetics and amplitude of activation as well as their patterns of cytokines secretion and immune checkpoints expression. The analysis of immunoreactive Ki-67+CD25+ T cells identified PBK, LRR1 and MYO1G as new potential markers of MLR response. Using cell-cell communication network inference and pathway analysis on single cell RNA sequencing data, we also highlighted key components of the immunological synapse occurring between T cells and the stimulatory MoDCs together with downstream signaling pathways involved in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells activation. Conclusion These results provide a deep understanding of the kinetics of the MLR assay for CD4+ or CD8+ T cells and may allow to better characterize compounds impacting MLR and eventually identify new strategies for immunotherapy in cancer.
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Lee E, Lee D, Fan W, Lytle A, Fu Y, Scott DW, Steidl C, Aparicio S, Roth A. ESQmodel: biologically informed evaluation of 2-D cell segmentation quality in multiplexed tissue images. Bioinformatics 2024; 40:btad783. [PMID: 38152895 PMCID: PMC10783950 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btad783] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Single cell segmentation is critical in the processing of spatial omics data to accurately perform cell type identification and analyze spatial expression patterns. Segmentation methods often rely on semi-supervised annotation or labeled training data which are highly dependent on user expertise. To ensure the quality of segmentation, current evaluation strategies quantify accuracy by assessing cellular masks or through iterative inspection by pathologists. While these strategies each address either the statistical or biological aspects of segmentation, there lacks a unified approach to evaluating segmentation accuracy. RESULTS In this article, we present ESQmodel, a Bayesian probabilistic method to evaluate single cell segmentation using expression data. By using the extracted cellular data from segmentation and a prior belief of cellular composition as input, ESQmodel computes per cell entropy to assess segmentation quality by how consistent cellular expression profiles match with cell type expectations. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION Source code is available on Github at: https://github.com/Roth-Lab/ESQmodel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Lee
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z1L3, Canada
- Graduate Bioinformatics Training Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5T4S6, Canada
| | - Dongkyu Lee
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T1Z4, Canada
| | - Wayne Fan
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Andrew Lytle
- Centre for Lymphoid Cancer, BC Cancer and University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z1L3, Canada
| | - Yuxiang Fu
- Department of Computer Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T1Z4, Canada
| | - IMAXT Consortium
- CRUK IMAXT Grand Challenge Consortium, Cambridge CB20RE, United Kingdom
| | - David W Scott
- Centre for Lymphoid Cancer, BC Cancer and University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z1L3, Canada
| | - Christian Steidl
- Centre for Lymphoid Cancer, BC Cancer and University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z1L3, Canada
| | - Samuel Aparicio
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z1L3, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z7, Canada
| | - Andrew Roth
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z1L3, Canada
- Department of Computer Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T1Z4, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z7, Canada
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Xu W, Lu J, Tian X, Ye S, Wei S, Wang J, Anwaier A, Qu Y, Liu W, Chang K, Zhang H, Ye D. Unveiling the impact of tertiary lymphoid structures on immunotherapeutic responses of clear cell renal cell carcinoma. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e461. [PMID: 38222314 PMCID: PMC10784869 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.461] [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: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are organized aggregates of immune cells that form under pathological conditions. However, the predictive value of TLS in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) for immunotherapies remains unclear. We comprehensively assessed the implications for prognosis and immunological responses of the TLS spatial and maturation heterogeneity in 655 ccRCC patients. A higher proportion of early-TLS was found in peritumoral TLS, while intratumoral TLS mainly comprised secondary follicle-like TLS (SFL-TLS), indicating markedly better survival. Notably, presence of TLS, especially intratumoral TLS and SFL-TLS, significantly correlated with better survival and objective reflection rate for ccRCC patients receiving anti-Programmed Cell Death Protein-1 (PD-1)/Programmed Cell Death-Ligand-1 (PD-L1) immunotherapies. In peritumoral TLS cluster, primary follicle-like TLS, the proportion of tumor-associated macrophages, and Treg infiltration in the peritumoral regions increased prominently, suggesting an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Interestingly, spatial transcriptome annotation and multispectral fluorescence showed that an abundance of mature plasma cells within mature TLS has the capacity to produce IgA and IgG, which demonstrate significantly higher objective response rates and a superior prognosis for ccRCC patients subjected to immunotherapy. In conclusion, this study revealed the implications of TLS spatial and maturation heterogeneity on the immunological status and clinical responses, allowing the improvement of precise immunotherapies of ccRCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhao Xu
- Department of UrologyFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghaiChina
- Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer InstituteShanghaiChina
| | - Jiahe Lu
- Department of UrologyFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghaiChina
- Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer InstituteShanghaiChina
- School of Cellular and Molecular MedicineUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Xi Tian
- Department of UrologyFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghaiChina
- Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer InstituteShanghaiChina
| | - Shiqi Ye
- Department of UrologyFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghaiChina
- Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer InstituteShanghaiChina
| | - Shiyin Wei
- Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for NationalitiesBaiseChina
| | - Jun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South ChinaCollaborativeInnovation Center for Cancer MedicineDepartment of UrologySun Yat‐sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
| | - Aihetaimujiang Anwaier
- Department of UrologyFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghaiChina
- Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer InstituteShanghaiChina
| | - Yuanyuan Qu
- Department of UrologyFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghaiChina
- Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer InstituteShanghaiChina
| | - Wangrui Liu
- Renji HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Kun Chang
- Department of UrologyFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghaiChina
- Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer InstituteShanghaiChina
| | - Hailiang Zhang
- Department of UrologyFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghaiChina
- Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer InstituteShanghaiChina
| | - Dingwei Ye
- Department of UrologyFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghaiChina
- Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer InstituteShanghaiChina
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Harrer DC, Lüke F, Pukrop T, Ghibelli L, Reichle A, Heudobler D. Addressing Genetic Tumor Heterogeneity, Post-Therapy Metastatic Spread, Cancer Repopulation, and Development of Acquired Tumor Cell Resistance. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 16:180. [PMID: 38201607 PMCID: PMC10778239 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16010180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The concept of post-therapy metastatic spread, cancer repopulation and acquired tumor cell resistance (M-CRAC) rationalizes tumor progression because of tumor cell heterogeneity arising from post-therapy genetic damage and subsequent tissue repair mechanisms. Therapeutic strategies designed to specifically address M-CRAC involve tissue editing approaches, such as low-dose metronomic chemotherapy and the use of transcriptional modulators with or without targeted therapies. Notably, tumor tissue editing holds the potential to treat patients, who are refractory to or relapsing (r/r) after conventional chemotherapy, which is usually based on administering a maximum tolerable dose of a cytostatic drugs. Clinical trials enrolling patients with r/r malignancies, e.g., non-small cell lung cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma, Langerhans cell histiocytosis and acute myelocytic leukemia, indicate that tissue editing approaches could yield tangible clinical benefit. In contrast to conventional chemotherapy or state-of-the-art precision medicine, tissue editing employs a multi-pronged approach targeting important drivers of M-CRAC across various tumor entities, thereby, simultaneously engaging tumor cell differentiation, immunomodulation, and inflammation control. In this review, we highlight the M-CRAC concept as a major factor in resistance to conventional cancer therapies and discusses tissue editing as a potential treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Christoph Harrer
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (D.C.H.); (F.L.); (T.P.); (D.H.)
| | - Florian Lüke
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (D.C.H.); (F.L.); (T.P.); (D.H.)
- Division of Personalized Tumor Therapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, 30625 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Pukrop
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (D.C.H.); (F.L.); (T.P.); (D.H.)
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), University Hospital Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Lina Ghibelli
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Albrecht Reichle
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (D.C.H.); (F.L.); (T.P.); (D.H.)
| | - Daniel Heudobler
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (D.C.H.); (F.L.); (T.P.); (D.H.)
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), University Hospital Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
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Chen H, Lee YJ, Ovando JA, Rosas L, Rojas M, Mora AL, Bar-Joseph Z, Lugo-Martinez J. scResolve: Recovering single cell expression profiles from multi-cellular spatial transcriptomics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.18.572269. [PMID: 38187629 PMCID: PMC10769299 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.18.572269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Many popular spatial transcriptomics techniques lack single-cell resolution. Instead, these methods measure the collective gene expression for each location from a mixture of cells, potentially containing multiple cell types. Here, we developed scResolve, a method for recovering single-cell expression profiles from spatial transcriptomics measurements at multi-cellular resolution. scResolve accurately restores expression profiles of individual cells at their locations, which is unattainable from cell type deconvolution. Applications of scResolve on human breast cancer data and human lung disease data demonstrate that scResolve enables cell type-specific differential gene expression analysis between different tissue contexts and accurate identification of rare cell populations. The spatially resolved cellular-level expression profiles obtained through scResolve facilitate more flexible and precise spatial analysis that complements raw multi-cellular level analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Chen
- Ray and Stephanie Lane Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Young Je Lee
- Ray and Stephanie Lane Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Jose A. Ovando
- Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Lorena Rosas
- Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Mauricio Rojas
- Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Ana L. Mora
- Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Ziv Bar-Joseph
- Ray and Stephanie Lane Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Machine Learning Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Jose Lugo-Martinez
- Ray and Stephanie Lane Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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You X, Koop K, Weigert A. Heterogeneity of tertiary lymphoid structures in cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1286850. [PMID: 38111571 PMCID: PMC10725932 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1286850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The success of immunotherapy approaches, such as immune checkpoint blockade and cellular immunotherapy with genetically modified lymphocytes, has firmly embedded the immune system in the roadmap for combating cancer. Unfortunately, the majority of cancer patients do not yet benefit from these therapeutic approaches, even when the prognostic relevance of the immune response in their tumor entity has been demonstrated. Therefore, there is a justified need to explore new strategies for inducing anti-tumor immunity. The recent connection between the formation of ectopic lymphoid aggregates at tumor sites and patient prognosis, along with an effective anti-tumor response, suggests that manipulating the occurrence of these tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) may play a critical role in activating the immune system against a growing tumor. However, mechanisms governing TLS formation and a clear understanding of their substantial heterogeneity are still lacking. Here, we briefly summarize the current state of knowledge regarding the mechanisms driving TLS development, outline the impact of TLS heterogeneity on clinical outcomes in cancer patients, and discuss appropriate systems for modeling TLS heterogeneity that may help identify new strategies for inducing protective TLS formation in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin You
- Goethe-University Frankfurt, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry I, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Kristina Koop
- First Department of Medicine, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Andreas Weigert
- Goethe-University Frankfurt, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry I, Frankfurt, Germany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Cardiopulmonary Institute (CPI), Frankfurt, Germany
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Shorer O, Yizhak K. Metabolic predictors of response to immune checkpoint blockade therapy. iScience 2023; 26:108188. [PMID: 37965137 PMCID: PMC10641254 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108188] [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: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolism of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a critical role in cancer patient response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Yet, a metabolic characterization of immune cells in the TME of patients treated with ICI is lacking. To bridge this gap we performed a semi-supervised analysis of ∼1700 metabolic genes using single-cell RNA-seq data of > 1 million immune cells from ∼230 samples of cancer patients treated with ICI. When clustering cells based on their metabolic gene expression, we found that similar immunological cellular states are found in different metabolic states. Most importantly, we found metabolic states that are significantly associated with patient response. We then built a metabolic predictor based on a dozen gene signature, which significantly differentiates between responding and non-responding patients across different cancer types (AUC = 0.8-0.92). Taken together, our results demonstrate the power of metabolism in predicting patient response to ICI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofir Shorer
- Department of Cell Biology and Cancer Science, The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3525422, Israel
| | - Keren Yizhak
- Department of Cell Biology and Cancer Science, The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3525422, Israel
- The Taub Faculty of Computer Science, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
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Wei J, Yu W, Wu L, Chen Z, Huang G, Hu M, Du H. Intercellular Molecular Crosstalk Networks within Invasive and Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment Subtypes Associated with Clinical Outcomes in Four Cancer Types. Biomedicines 2023; 11:3057. [PMID: 38002057 PMCID: PMC10669098 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11113057] [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: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterogeneity is a critical basis for understanding how the tumor microenvironment (TME) contributes to tumor progression. However, an understanding of the specific characteristics and functions of TME subtypes (subTMEs) in the progression of cancer is required for further investigations into single-cell resolutions. Here, we analyzed single-cell RNA sequencing data of 250 clinical samples with more than 200,000 cells analyzed in each cancer datum. Based on the construction of an intercellular infiltration model and unsupervised clustering analysis, four, three, three, and four subTMEs were revealed in breast, colorectal, esophageal, and pancreatic cancer, respectively. Among the subTMEs, the immune-suppressive subTME (subTME-IS) and matrix remodeling with malignant cells subTME (subTME-MRM) were highly enriched in tumors, whereas the immune cell infiltration subTME (subTME-ICI) and precancerous state of epithelial cells subTME (subTME-PSE) were less in tumors, compared with paracancerous tissues. We detected and compared genes encoding cytokines, chemokines, cytotoxic mediators, PD1, and PD-L1. The results showed that these genes were specifically overexpressed in different cell types, and, compared with normal tissues, they were upregulated in tumor-derived cells. In addition, compared with other subTMEs, the expression levels of PDCD1 and TGFB1 were higher in subTME-IS. The Cox proportional risk regression model was further constructed to identify possible prognostic markers in each subTME across four cancer types. Cell-cell interaction analysis revealed the distinguishing features in molecular pairs among different subTMEs. Notably, ligand-receptor gene pairs, including COL1A1-SDC1, COL6A2-SDC1, COL6A3-SDC1, and COL4A1-ITGA2 between stromal and tumor cells, associated with tumor invasion phenotypes, poor patient prognoses, and tumor advanced progression, were revealed in subTME-MRM. C5AR1-RPS19, LGALS9-HAVCR2, and SPP1-PTGER4 between macrophages and CD8+ T cells, associated with CD8+ T-cell dysfunction, immunosuppressive status, and tumor advanced progression, were revealed in subTME-IS. The spatial co-location information of cellular and molecular interactions was further verified by spatial transcriptome data from colorectal cancer clinical samples. Overall, our study revealed the heterogeneity within the TME, highlighting the potential pro-invasion and pro-immunosuppressive functions and cellular infiltration characteristics of specific subTMEs, and also identified the key cellular and molecular interactions that might be associated with the survival, invasion, immune escape, and classification of cancer patients across four cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Hongli Du
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; (J.W.); (W.Y.); (L.W.); (Z.C.); (G.H.); (M.H.)
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41
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Jacobson DH, Pan S, Fisher J, Secrier M. Multi-scale characterisation of homologous recombination deficiency in breast cancer. Genome Med 2023; 15:90. [PMID: 37919776 PMCID: PMC10621207 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-023-01239-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Homologous recombination is a robust, broadly error-free mechanism of double-strand break repair, and deficiencies lead to PARP inhibitor sensitivity. Patients displaying homologous recombination deficiency can be identified using 'mutational signatures'. However, these patterns are difficult to reliably infer from exome sequencing. Additionally, as mutational signatures are a historical record of mutagenic processes, this limits their utility in describing the current status of a tumour. METHODS We apply two methods for characterising homologous recombination deficiency in breast cancer to explore the features and heterogeneity associated with this phenotype. We develop a likelihood-based method which leverages small insertions and deletions for high-confidence classification of homologous recombination deficiency for exome-sequenced breast cancers. We then use multinomial elastic net regression modelling to develop a transcriptional signature of heterogeneous homologous recombination deficiency. This signature is then applied to single-cell RNA-sequenced breast cancer cohorts enabling analysis of homologous recombination deficiency heterogeneity and differential patterns of tumour microenvironment interactivity. RESULTS We demonstrate that the inclusion of indel events, even at low levels, improves homologous recombination deficiency classification. Whilst BRCA-positive homologous recombination deficient samples display strong similarities to those harbouring BRCA1/2 defects, they appear to deviate in microenvironmental features such as hypoxic signalling. We then present a 228-gene transcriptional signature which simultaneously characterises homologous recombination deficiency and BRCA1/2-defect status, and is associated with PARP inhibitor response. Finally, we show that this signature is applicable to single-cell transcriptomics data and predict that these cells present a distinct milieu of interactions with their microenvironment compared to their homologous recombination proficient counterparts, typified by a decreased cancer cell response to TNFα signalling. CONCLUSIONS We apply multi-scale approaches to characterise homologous recombination deficiency in breast cancer through the development of mutational and transcriptional signatures. We demonstrate how indels can improve homologous recombination deficiency classification in exome-sequenced breast cancers. Additionally, we demonstrate the heterogeneity of homologous recombination deficiency, especially in relation to BRCA1/2-defect status, and show that indications of this feature can be captured at a single-cell level, enabling further investigations into interactions between DNA repair deficient cells and their tumour microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel H Jacobson
- UCL Genetics Institute, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Shi Pan
- UCL Genetics Institute, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Jasmin Fisher
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Maria Secrier
- UCL Genetics Institute, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
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Weizman OE, Luyten S, Lu P, Song E, Qin K, Mostaghimi D, Ring AM, Iwasaki A. Developing synthetic tools to decipher the tumor-immune interactome. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2306632120. [PMID: 37871202 PMCID: PMC10622925 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306632120] [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: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of immune cells to directly interact with transformed cells is an essential component of immune surveillance and critical for optimal tissue function. The tumor-immune interactome (the collective cellular interactions between oncogenic cells and immune cells) is distinct and varied based on the tissue location and immunogenicity of tumor subtypes. However, comprehensive landscape and the consequences of tumor-interacting immune cells in the tumor microenvironment are not well understood. Current tools are limited in their ability to identify and record interactors in vivo or be utilized for downstream analysis. Here, we describe the development and validation of a technology leveraging synthetic Notch receptors reporting physical tumor cell-immune cell contact in vivo in order to decipher the tumor-immune interactome. We call this approach, Tumor-Immune Interactome Non-biased Discovery Retroviral Reporter or TIINDRR. Using TIINDRR, we identify the tumor-immune interactomes that define immunological refractory and sensitive tumors and how different immunotherapies alter these interactions. Thus, TIINDRR provides a flexible and versatile tool for studying in-vivo tumor-immune cell interactions, aiding in the identification of biologically relevant information needed for the rational design of immune-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orr-El Weizman
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Sophia Luyten
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Peiwen Lu
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Eric Song
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
- Department of Ophthalmology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Kai Qin
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Darius Mostaghimi
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Aaron M. Ring
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Akiko Iwasaki
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT06520
- HHMI, Chevy Chase, MD20815
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Fridman WH, Meylan M, Pupier G, Calvez A, Hernandez I, Sautès-Fridman C. Tertiary lymphoid structures and B cells: An intratumoral immunity cycle. Immunity 2023; 56:2254-2269. [PMID: 37699391 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
The generation of anti-tumor immunity in the draining lymph nodes is known as the cancer immunity cycle. Accumulating evidence supports the occurrence of such a cycle at tumor sites in the context of chronic inflammation. Here, we review the role of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in the generation of T and B cell immunities, focusing on the impact of B cells that undergo full maturation, resulting in the generation of plasma cells (PCs) producing high-affinity IgG and IgA antibodies. In this context, we propose that antibodies binding to tumor cells induce macrophage or natural killer (NK)-cell-dependent apoptosis. Subsequently, released antigen-antibody complexes are internalized and processed by dendritic cells (DCs), amplifying antigen presentation to T cells. Immune complexes may also be fixed by follicular DCs (FDCs) in TLS, thereby increasing memory B cell responses. This amplification loop creates an intra-tumoral immunity cycle, capable of increasing sensitivity of tumors to immunotherapy even in cancers with low mutational burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolf H Fridman
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM U1138, Université Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, 75006 Paris, France; Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer (EL 2021), Paris, France.
| | - Maxime Meylan
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM U1138, Université Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, 75006 Paris, France; Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer (EL 2021), Paris, France
| | - Guilhem Pupier
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM U1138, Université Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, 75006 Paris, France; Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer (EL 2021), Paris, France
| | - Anne Calvez
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM U1138, Université Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, 75006 Paris, France; Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer (EL 2021), Paris, France
| | - Isaïas Hernandez
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM U1138, Université Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, 75006 Paris, France; Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer (EL 2021), Paris, France
| | - Catherine Sautès-Fridman
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM U1138, Université Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, 75006 Paris, France; Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer (EL 2021), Paris, France
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Huang LC, Stolze LK, Chen HC, Gelbard A, Shyr Y, Liu Q, Sheng Q. scDemultiplex: An iterative beta-binomial model-based method for accurate demultiplexing with hashtag oligos. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:4044-4055. [PMID: 37664174 PMCID: PMC10469060 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.08.013] [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: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Single-cell sequencing have been widely used to characterize cellular heterogeneity. Sample multiplexing where multiple samples are pooled together for single-cell experiments, attracts wide attention due to its benefits of increasing capacity, reducing costs, and minimizing batch effects. To analyze multiplexed data, the first crucial step is to demultiplex, the process of assigning cells to individual samples. Inaccurate demultiplexing will create false cell types and result in misleading characterization. We propose scDemultiplex, which models hashtag oligo (HTO) counts with beta-binomial distribution and uses an iterative strategy for further refinement. Compared with seven existing demultiplexing approaches, scDemultiplex achieved great performance in both high-quality and low-quality data. Additionally, scDemultiplex can be combined with other approaches to improve their performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Ching Huang
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Center for Quantitative Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Lindsey K. Stolze
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Center for Quantitative Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Hua-Chang Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Center for Quantitative Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Alexander Gelbard
- Department of Otolaryngology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Yu Shyr
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Center for Quantitative Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Center for Quantitative Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Quanhu Sheng
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Center for Quantitative Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
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Cords L, Tietscher S, Anzeneder T, Langwieder C, Rees M, de Souza N, Bodenmiller B. Cancer-associated fibroblast classification in single-cell and spatial proteomics data. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4294. [PMID: 37463917 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39762-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a diverse cell population within the tumour microenvironment, where they have critical effects on tumour evolution and patient prognosis. To define CAF phenotypes, we analyse a single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) dataset of over 16,000 stromal cells from tumours of 14 breast cancer patients, based on which we define and functionally annotate nine CAF phenotypes and one class of pericytes. We validate this classification system in four additional cancer types and use highly multiplexed imaging mass cytometry on matched breast cancer samples to confirm our defined CAF phenotypes at the protein level and to analyse their spatial distribution within tumours. This general CAF classification scheme will allow comparison of CAF phenotypes across studies, facilitate analysis of their functional roles, and potentially guide development of new treatment strategies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Cords
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland
- Life Science Zurich Graduate School, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sandra Tietscher
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland
- Life Science Zurich Graduate School, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Martin Rees
- Pathology at Josefshaus, D-44137, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Natalie de Souza
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bernd Bodenmiller
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
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46
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Jenkins E, Whitehead T, Fellermeyer M, Davis SJ, Sharma S. The current state and future of T-cell exhaustion research. OXFORD OPEN IMMUNOLOGY 2023; 4:iqad006. [PMID: 37554723 PMCID: PMC10352049 DOI: 10.1093/oxfimm/iqad006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
'Exhaustion' is a term used to describe a state of native and redirected T-cell hypo-responsiveness resulting from persistent antigen exposure during chronic viral infections or cancer. Although a well-established phenotype across mice and humans, exhaustion at the molecular level remains poorly defined and inconsistent across the literature. This is, in part, due to an overreliance on surface receptors to define these cells and explain exhaustive behaviours, an incomplete understanding of how exhaustion arises, and a lack of clarity over whether exhaustion is the same across contexts, e.g. chronic viral infections versus cancer. With the development of systems-based genetic approaches such as single-cell RNA-seq and CRISPR screens applied to in vivo data, we are moving closer to a consensus view of exhaustion, although understanding how it arises remains challenging given the difficulty in manipulating the in vivo setting. Accordingly, producing and studying exhausted T-cells ex vivo are burgeoning, allowing experiments to be conducted at scale up and with high throughput. Here, we first review what is currently known about T-cell exhaustion and how it's being studied. We then discuss how improvements in their method of isolation/production and examining the impact of different microenvironmental signals and cell interactions have now become an active area of research. Finally, we discuss what the future holds for the analysis of this physiological condition and, given the diversity of ways in which exhausted cells are now being generated, propose the adoption of a unified approach to clearly defining exhaustion using a set of metabolic-, epigenetic-, transcriptional-, and activation-based phenotypic markers, that we call 'M.E.T.A'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Jenkins
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Toby Whitehead
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Martin Fellermeyer
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Simon J Davis
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Sumana Sharma
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
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47
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Li JH, Hepworth MR, O'Sullivan TE. Regulation of systemic metabolism by tissue-resident immune cell circuits. Immunity 2023; 56:1168-1186. [PMID: 37315533 PMCID: PMC10321269 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated that tissue homeostasis and metabolic function are dependent on distinct tissue-resident immune cells that form functional cell circuits with structural cells. Within these cell circuits, immune cells integrate cues from dietary contents and commensal microbes in addition to endocrine and neuronal signals present in the tissue microenvironment to regulate structural cell metabolism. These tissue-resident immune circuits can become dysregulated during inflammation and dietary overnutrition, contributing to metabolic diseases. Here, we review the evidence describing key cellular networks within and between the liver, gastrointestinal tract, and adipose tissue that control systemic metabolism and how these cell circuits become dysregulated during certain metabolic diseases. We also identify open questions in the field that have the potential to enhance our understanding of metabolic health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joey H Li
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 900953, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Matthew R Hepworth
- Division of Immunology, Immunity to Infection and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research, Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Timothy E O'Sullivan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 900953, USA.
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48
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Salemme V, Centonze G, Avalle L, Natalini D, Piccolantonio A, Arina P, Morellato A, Ala U, Taverna D, Turco E, Defilippi P. The role of tumor microenvironment in drug resistance: emerging technologies to unravel breast cancer heterogeneity. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1170264. [PMID: 37265795 PMCID: PMC10229846 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1170264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease, at both inter- and intra-tumor levels, and this heterogeneity is a crucial determinant of malignant progression and response to treatments. In addition to genetic diversity and plasticity of cancer cells, the tumor microenvironment contributes to tumor heterogeneity shaping the physical and biological surroundings of the tumor. The activity of certain types of immune, endothelial or mesenchymal cells in the microenvironment can change the effectiveness of cancer therapies via a plethora of different mechanisms. Therefore, deciphering the interactions between the distinct cell types, their spatial organization and their specific contribution to tumor growth and drug sensitivity is still a major challenge. Dissecting intra-tumor heterogeneity is currently an urgent need to better define breast cancer biology and to develop therapeutic strategies targeting the microenvironment as helpful tools for combined and personalized treatment. In this review, we analyze the mechanisms by which the tumor microenvironment affects the characteristics of tumor heterogeneity that ultimately result in drug resistance, and we outline state of the art preclinical models and emerging technologies that will be instrumental in unraveling the impact of the tumor microenvironment on resistance to therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Salemme
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Molecular Biotechnology Center (MBC) “Guido Tarone”, Turin, Italy
| | - Giorgia Centonze
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Molecular Biotechnology Center (MBC) “Guido Tarone”, Turin, Italy
| | - Lidia Avalle
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Molecular Biotechnology Center (MBC) “Guido Tarone”, Turin, Italy
| | - Dora Natalini
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Molecular Biotechnology Center (MBC) “Guido Tarone”, Turin, Italy
| | - Alessio Piccolantonio
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Molecular Biotechnology Center (MBC) “Guido Tarone”, Turin, Italy
| | - Pietro Arina
- UCL, Bloomsbury Institute of Intensive Care Medicine, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alessandro Morellato
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Molecular Biotechnology Center (MBC) “Guido Tarone”, Turin, Italy
| | - Ugo Ala
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, TO, Italy
| | - Daniela Taverna
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Molecular Biotechnology Center (MBC) “Guido Tarone”, Turin, Italy
| | - Emilia Turco
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Paola Defilippi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Molecular Biotechnology Center (MBC) “Guido Tarone”, Turin, Italy
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