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Mateiou C, Lokhande L, Diep LH, Knulst M, Carlsson E, Ek S, Sundfeldt K, Gerdtsson A. Spatial tumor immune microenvironment phenotypes in ovarian cancer. NPJ Precis Oncol 2024; 8:148. [PMID: 39026018 PMCID: PMC11258306 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-024-00640-8] [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: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has largely failed in ovarian carcinoma (OC), likely due to that the vast tumor heterogeneity and variation in immune response have hampered clinical trial outcomes. Tumor-immune microenvironment (TIME) profiling may aid in stratification of OC tumors for guiding treatment selection. Here, we used Digital Spatial Profiling combined with image analysis to characterize regions of spatially distinct TIME phenotypes in OC to assess whether immune infiltration pattern can predict presence of immuno-oncology targets. Tumors with diffuse immune infiltration and increased tumor-immune spatial interactions had higher presence of IDO1, PD-L1, PD-1 and Tim-3, while focal immune niches had more CD163 macrophages and a preliminary worse outcome. Immune exclusion was associated with presence of Tregs and Fibronectin. High-grade serous OC showed an overall stronger immune response and presence of multiple targetable checkpoints. Low-grade serous OC was associated with diffuse infiltration and a high expression of STING, while endometrioid OC had higher presence of CTLA-4. Mucinous and clear cell OC were dominated by focal immune clusters and immune-excluded regions, with mucinous tumors displaying T-cell rich immune niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Mateiou
- Department of Pathology and Cytology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Lan Hoa Diep
- Department of Immunotechnology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Mattis Knulst
- Department of Immunotechnology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Elias Carlsson
- Department of Immunotechnology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Sara Ek
- Department of Immunotechnology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Karin Sundfeldt
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Gerdtsson
- Department of Immunotechnology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
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2
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Tocci P, Roman C, Sestito R, Caprara V, Sacconi A, Molineris I, Tonon G, Blandino G, Bagnato A. The endothelin-1-driven tumor-stroma feed-forward loops in high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Clin Sci (Lond) 2024; 138:851-862. [PMID: 38884602 PMCID: PMC11230866 DOI: 10.1042/cs20240346] [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: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
The high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HG-SOC) tumor microenvironment (TME) is constellated by cellular elements and a network of soluble constituents that contribute to tumor progression. In the multitude of the secreted molecules, the endothelin-1 (ET-1) has emerged to be implicated in the tumor/TME interplay; however, the molecular mechanisms induced by the ET-1-driven feed-forward loops (FFL) and associated with the HG-SOC metastatic potential need to be further investigated. The tracking of the patient-derived (PD) HG-SOC cell transcriptome by RNA-seq identified the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene and its associated signature among those mostly up-regulated by ET-1 and down-modulated by the dual ET-1R antagonist macitentan. Within the ligand-receptor pairs concurrently expressed in PD-HG-SOC cells, endothelial cells and activated fibroblasts, we discovered two intertwined FFL, the ET-1/ET-1R and VEGF/VEGF receptors, concurrently activated by ET-1 and shutting-down by macitentan, or by the anti-VEGF antibody bevacizumab. In parallel, we observed that ET-1 fine-tuned the tumoral and stromal secretome toward a pro-invasive pattern. Into the fray of the HG-SOC/TME double and triple co-cultures, the secretion of ET-1 and VEGF, that share a common co-regulation, was inhibited upon the administration of macitentan. Functionally, macitentan, mimicking the effect of bevacizumab, interfered with the HG-SOC/TME FFL-driven communication that fuels the HG-SOC invasive behavior. The identification of ET-1 and VEGF FFL as tumor and TME actionable vulnerabilities, reveals how ET-1R blockade, targeting the HG-SOC cells and the TME simultaneously, may represent an effective therapeutic option for HG-SOC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piera Tocci
- Preclinical Models and New Therapeutic Agents Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Celia Roman
- Preclinical Models and New Therapeutic Agents Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosanna Sestito
- Preclinical Models and New Therapeutic Agents Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Caprara
- Preclinical Models and New Therapeutic Agents Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Sacconi
- Translational Oncology Research Unit, IRCCS, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Ivan Molineris
- Department of Life Science and System Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Giovanni Tonon
- Center for Omics Sciences (COSR) and Functional Genomics of Cancer Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanni Blandino
- Translational Oncology Research Unit, IRCCS, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Bagnato
- Preclinical Models and New Therapeutic Agents Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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3
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Zhang G, Zhang Y, Zhang J, Yang X, Sun W, Liu Y, Liu Y. Immune cell landscapes are associated with high-grade serous ovarian cancer survival. Sci Rep 2024; 14:16140. [PMID: 38997411 PMCID: PMC11245545 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67213-4] [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: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is an aggressive disease known to develop resistance to chemotherapy. We investigated the prognostic significance of tumor cell states and potential mechanisms underlying chemotherapy resistance in HGSOC. Transcriptome deconvolution was performed to address cellular heterogeneity. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted to illustrate the outcomes of patients with varying cellular abundances. The association between gene expression and chemotherapy response was tested. After adjusting for surgery status and grading, several cell states exhibited a significant correlation with patient survival. Cell states can organize into carcinoma ecotypes (CE). CE9 and CE10 were proinflammatory, characterized by higher immunoreactivity, and were associated with favorable survival outcomes. Ratios of cell states and ecotypes had better prognostic abilities than a single cell state or ecotype. A total of 1265 differentially expressed genes were identified between samples with high and low levels of C9 or CE10. These genes were partitioned into three co-expressed modules, which were associated with tumor cells and immune cells. Pogz was identified to be linked with immune cell genes and the chemotherapy response of paclitaxel. Collectively, the survival of HGSOC patients is correlated with specific cell states and ecotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoan Zhang
- Science and Technology Experiment Center, Cangzhou Medical College, Cangzhou, 061001, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Science and Technology Experiment Center, Cangzhou Medical College, Cangzhou, 061001, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- Science and Technology Experiment Center, Cangzhou Medical College, Cangzhou, 061001, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaohui Yang
- Cangzhou Nanobody Technology Innovation Center, Cangzhou Medical College, Cangzhou, 061001, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenjie Sun
- University Nanobody Application Technology Research and Development Center of Hebei Provice, Cangzhou, 061001, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Liu
- Science and Technology Experiment Center, Cangzhou Medical College, Cangzhou, 061001, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yingfu Liu
- Cangzhou Nanobody Technology Innovation Center, Cangzhou Medical College, Cangzhou, 061001, People's Republic of China.
- University Nanobody Application Technology Research and Development Center of Hebei Provice, Cangzhou, 061001, People's Republic of China.
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4
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Alteber Z, Cojocaru G, Granit RZ, Barbiro I, Wool A, Frenkel M, Novik A, Shuchami A, Liang Y, Carmi VD, Sabath N, Foreman R, Petrenko N, He J, Kliger Y, Levy-Barda A, Eitan R, Raban O, Sadot E, Sulimani O, Nathan AA, Adewoye H, Ferre P, Levine Z, Ophir E. PVRIG is Expressed on Stem-Like T Cells in Dendritic Cell-Rich Niches in Tumors and Its Blockade May Induce Immune Infiltration in Non-Inflamed Tumors. Cancer Immunol Res 2024; 12:876-890. [PMID: 38752503 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-23-0752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Cancers that are poorly immune infiltrated pose a substantial challenge, with current immunotherapies yielding limited clinical success. Stem-like memory T cells (TSCM) have been identified as a subgroup of T cells that possess strong proliferative capacity and that can expand and differentiate following interactions with dendritic cells (DCs). In this study, we explored the pattern of expression of a recently discovered inhibitory receptor poliovirus receptor-related immunoglobulin domain protein (PVRIG) and its ligand, poliovirus receptor-related ligand 2 (PVRL2), in the human tumor microenvironment. Using spatial and single-cell RNA transcriptomics data across diverse cancer indications, we found that among the T-cell checkpoints, PVRIG is uniquely expressed on TSCM and PVRL2 is expressed on DCs in immune aggregate niches in tumors. PVRIG blockade could therefore enhance TSCM-DC interactions and efficiently drive T-cell infiltration to tumors. Consistent with these data, following PVRIG blockade in patients with poorly infiltrated tumors, we observed immune modulation including increased tumor T-cell infiltration, T-cell receptor (TCR) clonality, and intratumoral T-cell expansion, all of which were associated with clinical benefit. These data suggest PVRIG blockade as a promising strategy to induce potent antitumor T-cell responses, providing a novel approach to overcome resistance to immunotherapy in immune-excluded tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jiang He
- Vizgen Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Adva Levy-Barda
- Biobank, Department of Pathology, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel
| | - Ram Eitan
- The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
- Gynecologic Oncology Division, Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel
| | - Oded Raban
- The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
- Gynecologic Oncology Division, Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel
| | - Eran Sadot
- The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
- Department of Surgery, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva, Israel
| | - Omri Sulimani
- The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
- Department of Surgery, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva, Israel
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5
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Laury AR, Zheng S, Aho N, Fallegger R, Hänninen S, Saez-Rodriguez J, Tanevski J, Youssef O, Tang J, Carpén OM. Opening the Black Box: Spatial Transcriptomics and the Relevance of Artificial Intelligence-Detected Prognostic Regions in High-Grade Serous Carcinoma. Mod Pathol 2024; 37:100508. [PMID: 38704029 DOI: 10.1016/j.modpat.2024.100508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Image-based deep learning models are used to extract new information from standard hematoxylin and eosin pathology slides; however, biological interpretation of the features detected by artificial intelligence (AI) remains a challenge. High-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary (HGSC) is characterized by aggressive behavior and chemotherapy resistance, but also exhibits striking variability in outcome. Our understanding of this disease is limited, partly due to considerable tumor heterogeneity. We previously trained an AI model to identify HGSC tumor regions that are highly associated with outcome status but are indistinguishable by conventional morphologic methods. Here, we applied spatially resolved transcriptomics to further profile the AI-identified tumor regions in 16 patients (8 per outcome group) and identify molecular features related to disease outcome in patients who underwent primary debulking surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy. We examined formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue from (1) regions identified by the AI model as highly associated with short or extended chemotherapy response, and (2) background tumor regions (not identified by the AI model as highly associated with outcome status) from the same tumors. We show that the transcriptomic profiles of AI-identified regions are more distinct than background regions from the same tumors, are superior in predicting outcome, and differ in several pathways including those associated with chemoresistance in HGSC. Further, we find that poor outcome and good outcome regions are enriched by different tumor subpopulations, suggesting distinctive interaction patterns. In summary, our work presents proof of concept that AI-guided spatial transcriptomic analysis improves recognition of biologic features relevant to patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Ray Laury
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki and HUS Diagnostic Center, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Shuyu Zheng
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Niina Aho
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Robin Fallegger
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Heidelberg University and Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Satu Hänninen
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki and HUS Diagnostic Center, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Julio Saez-Rodriguez
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Heidelberg University and Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jovan Tanevski
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Heidelberg University and Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Knowledge Technologies, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Omar Youssef
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Clinical and Chemical Pathology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Jing Tang
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Olli Mikael Carpén
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki and HUS Diagnostic Center, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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6
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Hamada K, Murakami R, Ueda A, Kashima Y, Miyagawa C, Taki M, Yamanoi K, Yamaguchi K, Hamanishi J, Minamiguchi S, Matsumura N, Mandai M. A Deep Learning-Based Assessment Pipeline for Intraepithelial and Stromal Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2024; 194:1272-1284. [PMID: 38537936 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2024.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are associated with improved survival in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. However, TIL evaluation has not been used in routine clinical practice because of reproducibility issues. The current study developed two convolutional neural network models to detect TILs and to determine their spatial location in whole slide images, and established a spatial assessment pipeline to objectively quantify intraepithelial and stromal TILs in patients with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. The predictions of the established models showed a significant positive correlation with the number of CD8+ T cells and immune gene expressions. Patients with a higher density of intraepithelial TILs had a significantly prolonged overall survival and progression-free survival in multiple cohorts. On the basis of the density of intraepithelial and stromal TILs, patients were classified into three immunophenotypes: immune inflamed, excluded, and desert. The immune-desert subgroup showed the worst prognosis. Gene expression analysis showed that the immune-desert subgroup had lower immune cytolytic activity and T-cell-inflamed gene-expression profile scores, whereas the immune-excluded subgroup had higher expression of interferon-γ and programmed death 1 receptor signaling pathway. The established evaluation method provided detailed and comprehensive quantification of intraepithelial and stromal TILs throughout hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides. It has potential for clinical application for personalized treatment of patients with ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohei Hamada
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Murakami
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Akihiko Ueda
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yoko Kashima
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Chiho Miyagawa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Mana Taki
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Koji Yamanoi
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ken Yamaguchi
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Junzo Hamanishi
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Sachiko Minamiguchi
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Noriomi Matsumura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masaki Mandai
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
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7
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Mirza MR, Tandaric L, Henriksen JR, Mäenpää J, Christensen RD, Waldstrøm M, Lindemann K, Roed H, Auranen A, Akslen LA, Thomsen LCV, Lindberg SN, Madsen K, Bjørge L. NSGO-OV-UMB1/ENGOT-OV30: A phase II study of durvalumab in combination with the anti-CD73 monoclonal antibody Oleclumab in patients with relapsed ovarian cancer. Gynecol Oncol 2024; 188:103-110. [PMID: 38943691 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2024.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), the clinical efficacy of monotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) against PD-1/PD-L1 is modest. To enhance response rates to these immunotherapeutic agents and broaden the indications for their use, new approaches involving combinational therapy are needed. The immune regulator CD73 is a potential target, as it promotes tumor escape by producing immunosuppressive extracellular adenosine in the tumor microenvironment. Here, we present the results from the NSGO-OV-UMB1/ENGOT-OV-30 trial evaluating the activity of combining the anti-CD73 antibody oleclumab with the anti-PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor durvalumab in patients with recurrent EOC. METHODS In this phase II open-label non-randomized study, patients with CD73-positive relapsed EOC were intravenously administered oleclumab (3000 mg, Q2W) and durvalumab (1500 mg, Q4W). The primary endpoint was disease control rate (DCR) at 16 weeks. The expression of PD-L1 and CD8 was assessed by immunohistochemistry of archival tumors. RESULTS This trial included 25 patients with a median age of 66 years (47-77 years). Twenty-two patients were evaluable for treatment activity analysis. The DCR was 27%, the median progression-free survival was 2.7 months (95% CI: 2.2-4.2) and the median overall survival was 8.4 months (95% CI: 5.0-13.4). Infiltration of CD8+ cells and PD-L1 expression on tumor cells were observed in partially overlapping sets of 74% of the tumor samples. Neither CD8- nor PD-L1-positivity were significantly associated with better DCR. CONCLUSIONS Combined treatment with oleclumab and durvalumab was safe and demonstrated limited anti-tumor activity in patients with recurrent EOC.
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Affiliation(s)
- M R Mirza
- Department of Oncology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - L Tandaric
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Norway; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - J R Henriksen
- Department of Oncology, Vejle Hospital, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, Vejle, Denmark
| | - J Mäenpää
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tampere University Hospital and University of Tampere, Finland
| | - R D Christensen
- Research Unit of General Practice, University of Southern Denmark, Institute of Public Health, Odense, Denmark
| | - M Waldstrøm
- Department of Pathology, Hvidovre Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - K Lindemann
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Division of Cancer Medicine, Oslo, Norway
| | - H Roed
- Department of Oncology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - A Auranen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tampere University Hospital and University of Tampere, Finland
| | - L A Akslen
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - L C V Thomsen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - S N Lindberg
- Nordic Society of Gynaecological Oncology Clinical Trial Unit (NSGO-CTU), Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - K Madsen
- Nordic Society of Gynaecological Oncology Clinical Trial Unit (NSGO-CTU), Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - L Bjørge
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
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8
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Spagnol G, Ghisoni E, Morotti M, De Tommasi O, Marchetti M, Bigardi S, Tuninetti V, Tasca G, Noventa M, Saccardi C, Tozzi R, Dangaj Laniti D. The Impact of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy on Ovarian Cancer Tumor Microenvironment: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7070. [PMID: 39000178 PMCID: PMC11241241 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137070] [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: 05/12/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy, particularly the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), has shown limited efficacy in treating ovarian cancer (OC), possibly due to diverse T cell infiltration patterns in the tumor microenvironment. This review explores how neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) impacts the immune landscape of OC, focusing on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), PD-1/PD-L1 expression, and their clinical implications. A comprehensive literature search across four databases yielded nine relevant studies. These studies evaluated stromal (sTILs) and intra-epithelial (ieTILs) TILs before and after NACT. sTIL responses varied, impacting prognostic outcomes, and ieTILs increased in some patients without clear survival associations. PD-L1 expression after NACT correlated with improved overall survival (OS), and increases in granzyme B+ and PD-1 correlated with longer progression-free survival (PFS). Remarkably, reduced FoxP3+ TILs post-NACT correlated with better prognosis. NACT often increases sTIL/ieTIL and CD8+ subpopulations, but their correlation with improved PFS and OS varies. Upregulation of co-inhibitory molecules, notably PD-L1, suggests an immunosuppressive response to chemotherapy. Ongoing trials exploring neoadjuvant ICIs and chemotherapy offer promise for advancing OC treatment. Standardized measurements assessing TIL density, location, and heterogeneity are crucial for addressing genetic complexity and immunological heterogeneity in OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Spagnol
- Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Women and Children's Health, University of Padua, 35122 Padua, Italy
| | - Eleonora Ghisoni
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne (UNIL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Lausanne Branch, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne (UNIL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Morotti
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne (UNIL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Lausanne Branch, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne (UNIL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Orazio De Tommasi
- Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Women and Children's Health, University of Padua, 35122 Padua, Italy
| | - Matteo Marchetti
- Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Women and Children's Health, University of Padua, 35122 Padua, Italy
| | - Sofia Bigardi
- Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Women and Children's Health, University of Padua, 35122 Padua, Italy
| | - Valentina Tuninetti
- Department of Oncology, Ordine Mauriziano Hospital, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
| | - Giulia Tasca
- Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Marco Noventa
- Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Women and Children's Health, University of Padua, 35122 Padua, Italy
| | - Carlo Saccardi
- Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Women and Children's Health, University of Padua, 35122 Padua, Italy
| | - Roberto Tozzi
- Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Women and Children's Health, University of Padua, 35122 Padua, Italy
| | - Denarda Dangaj Laniti
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne (UNIL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Lausanne Branch, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne (UNIL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
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9
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Balog JÁ, Horti-Oravecz K, Kövesdi D, Bozsik A, Papp J, Butz H, Patócs A, Szebeni GJ, Grolmusz VK. Peripheral immunophenotyping reveals lymphocyte stimulation in healthy women living with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome. iScience 2024; 27:109882. [PMID: 38799565 PMCID: PMC11126817 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109882] [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: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Germline pathogenic variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2 (gpath(BRCA1/2)) represent genetic susceptibility for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome. Tumor-immune interactions are key contributors to breast cancer pathogenesis. Although earlier studies confirmed pro-tumorigenic immunological alterations in breast cancer patients, data are lacking in healthy carriers of gpath(BRCA1/2). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 66 women with or without germline predisposition or breast cancer were studied with a mass cytometry panel that identified 4 immune subpopulations of altered frequencies between healthy controls and healthy gpath(BRCA1) carriers, while no difference was observed in healthy gpath(BRCA2) carriers compared to controls. Moreover, 3 (one IgD-CD27+CD95+ B cell subpopulation and two CD45RA-CCR7+CD38+ CD4+ T cell subpopulations) out of these 4 subpopulations were also elevated in triple-negative breast cancer patients compared to controls. Our results reveal an activated peripheral immune phenotype in healthy carriers of gpath(BRCA1) that needs to be further elucidated to be leveraged in risk-reducing strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- József Ágoston Balog
- Institute of Genetics, Laboratory of Functional Genomics, HUN-REN Biological Research Center, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
- Core Facility, HUN-REN Biological Research Center, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Klaudia Horti-Oravecz
- Department of Molecular Genetics and the National Tumorbiology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1122 Budapest, Hungary
- Semmelweis University, Doctoral School, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dorottya Kövesdi
- Department of Immunology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anikó Bozsik
- Department of Molecular Genetics and the National Tumorbiology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1122 Budapest, Hungary
- HUN-REN-SE Hereditary Cancers Research Group, Hungarian Research Network – Semmelweis University, 1122 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Janos Papp
- Department of Molecular Genetics and the National Tumorbiology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1122 Budapest, Hungary
- HUN-REN-SE Hereditary Cancers Research Group, Hungarian Research Network – Semmelweis University, 1122 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Henriett Butz
- Department of Molecular Genetics and the National Tumorbiology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1122 Budapest, Hungary
- HUN-REN-SE Hereditary Cancers Research Group, Hungarian Research Network – Semmelweis University, 1122 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Oncology Biobank, National Institute of Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1122 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1089 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Patócs
- Department of Molecular Genetics and the National Tumorbiology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1122 Budapest, Hungary
- HUN-REN-SE Hereditary Cancers Research Group, Hungarian Research Network – Semmelweis University, 1122 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1089 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor János Szebeni
- Institute of Genetics, Laboratory of Functional Genomics, HUN-REN Biological Research Center, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
- Core Facility, HUN-REN Biological Research Center, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology Centre, Faculty of Medicine University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Vince Kornél Grolmusz
- Department of Molecular Genetics and the National Tumorbiology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1122 Budapest, Hungary
- HUN-REN-SE Hereditary Cancers Research Group, Hungarian Research Network – Semmelweis University, 1122 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1089 Budapest, Hungary
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10
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Torkildsen CF, Austdal M, Jarmund AH, Kleinmanns K, Lamark EK, Nilsen EB, Stefansson I, Sande RK, Iversen AC, Thomsen LCV, Bjørge L. New immune phenotypes for treatment response in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma patients. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1394497. [PMID: 38947323 PMCID: PMC11211251 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1394497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite advances in surgical and therapeutic approaches, high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) prognosis remains poor. Surgery is an indispensable component of therapeutic protocols, as removal of all visible tumor lesions (cytoreduction) profoundly improves the overall survival. Enhanced predictive tools for assessing cytoreduction are essential to optimize therapeutic precision. Patients' immune status broadly reflects the tumor cell biological behavior and the patient responses to disease and treatment. Serum cytokine profiling is a sensitive measure of immune adaption and deviation, yet its integration into treatment paradigms is underexplored. This study is part of the IMPACT trial (NCT03378297) and aimed to characterize immune responses before and during primary treatment for HGSOC to identify biomarkers for treatment selection and prognosis. Longitudinal serum samples from 22 patients were collected from diagnosis until response evaluation. Patients underwent primary cytoreductive surgery or neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) based on laparoscopy scoring. Twenty-seven serum cytokines analyzed by Bio-Plex 200, revealed two immune phenotypes at diagnosis: Immune High with marked higher serum cytokine levels than Immune Low. The immune phenotypes reflected the laparoscopy scoring and allocation to surgical treatment. The five Immune High patients undergoing primary cytoreductive surgery exhibited immune mobilization and extended progression-free survival, compared to the Immune Low patients undergoing the same treatment. Both laparoscopy and cytoreductive surgery induced substantial and transient changes in serum cytokines, with upregulation of the inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and downregulation of the multifunctional cytokines IP-10, Eotaxin, IL-4, and IL-7. Over the study period, cytokine levels uniformly decreased in all patients, leading to the elimination of the initial immune phenotypes regardless of treatment choice. This study reveals distinct pre-treatment immune phenotypes in HGSOC patients that might be informative for treatment stratification and prognosis. This potential novel biomarker holds promise as a foundation for improved assessment of treatment responses in patients with HGSOC. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03378297.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilie Fredvik Torkildsen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Marie Austdal
- Department of Research, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Anders Hagen Jarmund
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, and Centre of Molecular Inflammation Research (CEMIR), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Katrin Kleinmanns
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Eva Karin Lamark
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Elisabeth Berge Nilsen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Ingunn Stefansson
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Pathology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ragnar Kvie Sande
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ann-Charlotte Iversen
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, and Centre of Molecular Inflammation Research (CEMIR), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Liv Cecilie Vestrheim Thomsen
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Line Bjørge
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
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11
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Chen J, Yang L, Ma Y, Zhang Y. Recent advances in understanding the immune microenvironment in ovarian cancer. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1412328. [PMID: 38903506 PMCID: PMC11188340 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1412328] [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: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The occurrence of ovarian cancer (OC) is a major factor in women's mortality rates. Despite progress in medical treatments, like new drugs targeting homologous recombination deficiency, survival rates for OC patients are still not ideal. The tumor microenvironment (TME) includes cancer cells, fibroblasts linked to cancer (CAFs), immune-inflammatory cells, and the substances these cells secrete, along with non-cellular components in the extracellular matrix (ECM). First, the TME mainly plays a role in inhibiting tumor growth and protecting normal cell survival. As tumors progress, the TME gradually becomes a place to promote tumor cell progression. Immune cells in the TME have attracted much attention as targets for immunotherapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has the potential to regulate the TME, suppressing factors that facilitate tumor advancement, reactivating immune cells, managing tumor growth, and extending the survival of patients with advanced cancer. This review presents an outline of current studies on the distinct cellular elements within the OC TME, detailing their main functions and possible signaling pathways. Additionally, we examine immunotherapy rechallenge in OC, with a specific emphasis on the biological reasons behind resistance to ICIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinxin Chen
- Department of Gynecology, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, China
| | - Lu Yang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, China
| | - Yiming Ma
- Department of Medical Oncology, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Cancer Translational Research, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Ye Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, China
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12
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Stiegeler N, Garsed DW, Au-Yeung G, Bowtell DDL, Heinzelmann-Schwarz V, Zwimpfer TA. Homologous recombination proficient subtypes of high-grade serous ovarian cancer: treatment options for a poor prognosis group. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1387281. [PMID: 38894867 PMCID: PMC11183307 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1387281] [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: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Approximately 50% of tubo-ovarian high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSCs) have functional homologous recombination-mediated (HR) DNA repair, so-called HR-proficient tumors, which are often associated with primary platinum resistance (relapse within six months after completion of first-line therapy), minimal benefit from poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, and shorter survival. HR-proficient tumors comprise multiple molecular subtypes including cases with CCNE1 amplification, AKT2 amplification or CDK12 alteration, and are often characterized as "cold" tumors with fewer infiltrating lymphocytes and decreased expression of PD-1/PD-L1. Several new treatment approaches aim to manipulate these negative prognostic features and render HR-proficient tumors more susceptible to treatment. Alterations in multiple different molecules and pathways in the DNA damage response are driving new drug development to target HR-proficient cancer cells, such as inhibitors of the CDK or P13K/AKT pathways, as well as ATR inhibitors. Treatment combinations with chemotherapy or PARP inhibitors and agents targeting DNA replication stress have shown promising preclinical and clinical results. New approaches in immunotherapy are also being explored, including vaccines or antibody drug conjugates. Many approaches are still in the early stages of development and further clinical trials will determine their clinical relevance. There is a need to include HR-proficient tumors in ovarian cancer trials and to analyze them in a more targeted manner to provide further evidence for their specific therapy, as this will be crucial in improving the overall prognosis of HGSC and ovarian cancer in general.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dale W. Garsed
- Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - George Au-Yeung
- Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - David D. L. Bowtell
- Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Tibor A. Zwimpfer
- Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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13
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Davoudian K, Spagnolo S, Lotay N, Satkauskas M, Mészáros G, Hianik T, Keresztes Z, Walker G, Thompson M. Design and Characterization of a Dual-Protein Strategy for an Early-Stage Assay of Ovarian Cancer Biomarker Lysophosphatidic Acid. BIOSENSORS 2024; 14:287. [PMID: 38920591 PMCID: PMC11201771 DOI: 10.3390/bios14060287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
The overall 5-year survival rate of ovarian cancer (OC) is generally low as the disease is often diagnosed at an advanced stage of progression. To save lives, OC must be identified in its early stages when treatment is most effective. Early-stage OC causes the upregulation of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), making the molecule a promising biomarker for early-stage detection. An LPA assay can additionally stage the disease since LPA levels increase with OC progression. This work presents two methods that demonstrate the prospective application for detecting LPA: the electromagnetic piezoelectric acoustic sensor (EMPAS) and a chemiluminescence-based iron oxide nanoparticle (IONP) approach. Both methods incorporate the protein complex gelsolin-actin, which enables testing for detection of the biomarker as the binding of LPA to the complex results in the separation of gelsolin from actin. The EMPAS was characterized with contact angle goniometry and atomic force microscopy, while gelsolin-actin-functionalized IONPs were characterized with transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In addition to characterization, LPA detection was demonstrated as a proof-of-concept in Milli-Q water, buffer, or human serum, highlighting various LPA assays that can be developed for the early-stage detection of OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Davoudian
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada; (K.D.); (N.L.); (M.S.); (G.W.)
| | - Sandro Spagnolo
- Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, Mlynská dolina F1, 842 48 Bratislava, Slovakia; (S.S.); (T.H.)
| | - Navina Lotay
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada; (K.D.); (N.L.); (M.S.); (G.W.)
| | - Monika Satkauskas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada; (K.D.); (N.L.); (M.S.); (G.W.)
| | - Gábor Mészáros
- Functional Interfaces Research Group, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2., H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; (G.M.); (Z.K.)
| | - Tibor Hianik
- Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, Mlynská dolina F1, 842 48 Bratislava, Slovakia; (S.S.); (T.H.)
| | - Zsófia Keresztes
- Functional Interfaces Research Group, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2., H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; (G.M.); (Z.K.)
| | - Gilbert Walker
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada; (K.D.); (N.L.); (M.S.); (G.W.)
| | - Michael Thompson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada; (K.D.); (N.L.); (M.S.); (G.W.)
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14
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Miranda A, Pattnaik S, Hamilton PT, Fuss MA, Kalaria S, Laumont CM, Smazynski J, Mesa M, Banville A, Jiang X, Jenkins R, Cañadas I, Nelson BH. N-MYC impairs innate immune signaling in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj5428. [PMID: 38748789 PMCID: PMC11095474 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj5428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) is a challenging disease, especially for patients with immunologically "cold" tumors devoid of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). We found that HGSC exhibits among the highest levels of MYCN expression and transcriptional signature across human cancers, which is strongly linked to diminished features of antitumor immunity. N-MYC repressed basal and induced IFN type I signaling in HGSC cell lines, leading to decreased chemokine expression and T cell chemoattraction. N-MYC inhibited the induction of IFN type I by suppressing tumor cell-intrinsic STING signaling via reduced STING oligomerization, and by blunting RIG-I-like receptor signaling through inhibition of MAVS aggregation and localization in the mitochondria. Single-cell RNA sequencing of human clinical HGSC samples revealed a strong negative association between cancer cell-intrinsic MYCN transcriptional program and type I IFN signaling. Thus, N-MYC inhibits tumor cell-intrinsic innate immune signaling in HGSC, making it a compelling target for immunotherapy of cold tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Miranda
- Deeley Research Centre, BC Cancer, Victoria, BC V8R 6V5, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Swetansu Pattnaik
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre and Cancer Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 370 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
| | - Phineas T. Hamilton
- Deeley Research Centre, BC Cancer, Victoria, BC V8R 6V5, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | | | - Shreena Kalaria
- Deeley Research Centre, BC Cancer, Victoria, BC V8R 6V5, Canada
| | - Céline M. Laumont
- Deeley Research Centre, BC Cancer, Victoria, BC V8R 6V5, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | | | - Monica Mesa
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 3E6, Canada
| | - Allyson Banville
- Deeley Research Centre, BC Cancer, Victoria, BC V8R 6V5, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Xinpei Jiang
- Nuclear Dynamics and Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Russell Jenkins
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Israel Cañadas
- Nuclear Dynamics and Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Brad H. Nelson
- Deeley Research Centre, BC Cancer, Victoria, BC V8R 6V5, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 3E6, Canada
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15
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Liu J, Liu C, Ma Y, Pan X, Chu R, Yao S, Chen J, Liu C, Chen Z, Sheng C, Zhang K, Xue Y, Schiöth HB, Kong B, Zhang Q, Song K. STING inhibitors sensitize platinum chemotherapy in ovarian cancer by inhibiting the CGAS-STING pathway in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Cancer Lett 2024; 588:216700. [PMID: 38373690 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216700] [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: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer hampers cure rates, with cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) playing a pivotal role. Despite their known impact on cancer progression and chemotherapy resistance, the specific mechanism by which CAFs regulate the tumor inflammatory environment remains unclear. This study reveals that cisplatin facilitates DNA transfer from ovarian cancer cells to CAFs, activating the CGAS-STING-IFNB1 pathway in CAFs and promoting IFNB1 release. Consequently, this reinforces cancer cell resistance to platinum drugs. High STING expression in the tumor stroma was associated with a poor prognosis, while inhibiting STING expression enhanced ovarian cancer sensitivity. Understanding the relevance of the CGAS-STING pathway in CAFs for platinum resistance suggests targeting STING as a promising combination therapy for ovarian cancer, providing potential avenues for improved treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiale Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Chenmian Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Yana Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Xiyu Pan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Ran Chu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Shu Yao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Junyu Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Zhongshao Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Chenchen Sheng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Ying Xue
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Helgi B Schiöth
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Beihua Kong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China.
| | - Kun Song
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China.
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16
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Xu C, Xu P, Zhang J, He S, Hua T, Huang A. Exosomal noncoding RNAs in gynecological cancers: implications for therapy resistance and biomarkers. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1349474. [PMID: 38737906 PMCID: PMC11082286 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1349474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Gynecologic cancers, including ovarian cancer (OC), cervical cancer (CC), and endometrial cancer (EC), pose a serious threat to women's health and quality of life due to their high incidence and lethality. Therapeutic resistance in tumors refers to reduced sensitivity of tumor cells to therapeutic drugs or radiation, which compromises the efficacy of treatment or renders it ineffective. Therapeutic resistance significantly contributes to treatment failure in gynecologic tumors, although the specific molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Exosomes are nanoscale vesicles released and received by distinct kinds of cells. Exosomes contain proteins, lipids, and RNAs closely linked to their origins and functions. Recent studies have demonstrated that exosomal ncRNAs may be involved in intercellular communication and can modulate the progression of tumorigenesis, aggravation and metastasis, tumor microenvironment (TME), and drug resistance. Besides, exosomal ncRNAs also have the potential to become significant diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in various of diseases. In this paper, we reviewed the biological roles and mechanisms of exosomal ncRNAs in the drug resistance of gynecologic tumors, as well as explored the potential of exosomal ncRNAs acting as the liquid biopsy molecular markers in gynecologic cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Aiwu Huang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics , Hangzhou Lin'an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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17
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Kong D, Wu Y, Liu Q, Huang C, Wang T, Huang Z, Gao Y, Li Y, Guo H. Functional analysis and validation of oncodrive gene AP3S1 in ovarian cancer through filtering of mutation data from whole-exome sequencing. Eur J Med Res 2024; 29:231. [PMID: 38609993 PMCID: PMC11015698 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-024-01814-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is the most aggressive and prevalent subtype of ovarian cancer and accounts for a significant portion of ovarian cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite advancements in cancer treatment, the overall survival rate for HGSOC patients remains low, thus highlighting the urgent need for a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving tumorigenesis and for identifying potential therapeutic targets. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) has emerged as a powerful tool for identifying somatic mutations and alterations across the entire exome, thus providing valuable insights into the genetic drivers and molecular pathways underlying cancer development and progression. METHODS Via the analysis of whole-exome sequencing results of tumor samples from 90 ovarian cancer patients, we compared the mutational landscape of ovarian cancer patients with that of TCGA patients to identify similarities and differences. The sequencing data were subjected to bioinformatics analysis to explore tumor driver genes and their functional roles. Furthermore, we conducted basic medical experiments to validate the results obtained from the bioinformatics analysis. RESULTS Whole-exome sequencing revealed the mutational profile of HGSOC, including BRCA1, BRCA2 and TP53 mutations. AP3S1 emerged as the most weighted tumor driver gene. Further analysis of AP3S1 mutations and expression demonstrated their associations with patient survival and the tumor immune response. AP3S1 knockdown experiments in ovarian cancer cells demonstrated its regulatory role in tumor cell migration and invasion through the TGF-β/SMAD pathway. CONCLUSION This comprehensive analysis of somatic mutations in HGSOC provides insight into potential therapeutic targets and molecular pathways for targeted interventions. AP3S1 was identified as being a key player in tumor immunity and prognosis, thus providing new perspectives for personalized treatment strategies. The findings of this study contribute to the understanding of HGSOC pathogenesis and provide a foundation for improved outcomes in patients with this aggressive disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deshui Kong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, No.49 Huayuanbei Rd., Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Yu Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, No.49 Huayuanbei Rd., Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Qiyu Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, No.49 Huayuanbei Rd., Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Cuiyu Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, No.49 Huayuanbei Rd., Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Tongxia Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, No.49 Huayuanbei Rd., Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Zongyao Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, No.49 Huayuanbei Rd., Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Yan Gao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, No.49 Huayuanbei Rd., Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, No.49 Huayuanbei Rd., Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital), Beijing, China.
| | - Hongyan Guo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, No.49 Huayuanbei Rd., Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital), Beijing, China.
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18
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Casey NP, Kleinmanns K, Forcados C, Gelebart PF, Joaquina S, Lode M, Benard E, Kaveh F, Caulier B, Helgestad Gjerde C, García de Jalón E, Warren DJ, Lindemann K, Rokkones E, Davidson B, Myhre MR, Kvalheim G, Bjørge L, McCormack E, Inderberg EM, Wälchli S. Efficient CAR T cell targeting of the CA125 extracellular repeat domain of MUC16. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008179. [PMID: 38604812 PMCID: PMC11015285 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ovarian cancer (OC) is the leading cause of death from gynecologic malignancies in the Western world. Contributing factors include a high frequency of late-stage diagnosis, the development of chemoresistance, and the evasion of host immune responses. Currently, debulking surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy are the treatment cornerstones, although recurrence is common. As the clinical efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade is low, new immunotherapeutic strategies are needed. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy empowers patients' own T cells to fight and eradicate cancer, and has been tested against various targets in OC. A promising candidate is the MUC16 ectodomain. This ectodomain remains on the cell surface after cleavage of cancer antigen 125 (CA125), the domain distal from the membrane, which is currently used as a serum biomarker for OC. CA125 itself has not been tested as a possible CAR target. In this study, we examined the suitability of the CA125 as a target for CAR T cell therapy. METHODS We tested a series of antibodies raised against the CA125 extracellular repeat domain of MUC16 and adapted them to the CAR format. Comparisons between these candidates, and against an existing CAR targeting the MUC16 ectodomain, identified K101 as having high potency and specificity. The K101CAR was subjected to further biochemical and functional tests, including examination of the effect of soluble CA125 on its activity. Finally, we used cell lines and advanced orthotopic patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models to validate, in vivo, the efficiency of our K101CAR construct. RESULTS We observed a high efficacy of K101CAR T cells against cell lines and patient-derived tumors, in vitro and in vivo. We also demonstrated that K101CAR functionality was not impaired by the soluble antigen. Finally, in direct comparisons, K101CAR, which targets the CA125 extracellular repeat domains, was shown to have similar efficacy to the previously validated 4H11CAR, which targets the MUC16 ectodomain. CONCLUSIONS Our in vitro and in vivo results, including PDX studies, demonstrate that the CA125 domain of MUC16 represents an excellent target for treating MUC16-positive malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas P Casey
- Translational Research Unit, Section of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Katrin Kleinmanns
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Christopher Forcados
- Translational Research Unit, Section of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Pascal F Gelebart
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Sandy Joaquina
- Translational Research Unit, Section of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Martine Lode
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Emmanuelle Benard
- Translational Research Unit, Section of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Fatemeh Kaveh
- Translational Research Unit, Section of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Benjamin Caulier
- Translational Research Unit, Section of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Center for Cancer Cell Reprogramming (CanCell), Institute for Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Christiane Helgestad Gjerde
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Elvira García de Jalón
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - David J Warren
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kristina Lindemann
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute for Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Erik Rokkones
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ben Davidson
- Institute for Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Pathology, Division of Laboratory Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marit Renee Myhre
- Translational Research Unit, Section of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gunnar Kvalheim
- Translational Research Unit, Section of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Line Bjørge
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Emmet McCormack
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Centre for Pharmacy, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology Section, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Else Marit Inderberg
- Translational Research Unit, Section of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sébastien Wälchli
- Translational Research Unit, Section of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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19
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Deng Y, Zhang L, Dai C, Xu Y, Gan Q, Cheng J. SLAMF7 predicts prognosis and correlates with immune infiltration in serous ovarian carcinoma. J Gynecol Oncol 2024; 35:35.e79. [PMID: 38606823 DOI: 10.3802/jgo.2024.35.e79] [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: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Signaling lymphocytic activation molecule family members (SLAMFs) play a critical role in immune regulation of malignancies. This study aims to investigate the prognostic value and function of SLAMFs in ovarian cancer (OC). METHODS The expression analysis of SLAMFs was conducted based on The Cancer Genome Atlas Ovarian Cancer Collection (TCGA-OV) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was further performed on tissue arrays (n=98) to determine the expression of SLAMF7. Kaplan-Meier plotter and multivariate Cox regression model were used to evaluate the correlation of SLAMF7 expression with survival outcomes of patients. The molecular function of SLAMF7 in OC was further investigated using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). RESULTS SLAMF7 mRNA expression were significantly upregulated in OC tumor tissue compared to normal tissue. IHC revealed that SLAMF7 expression was located in the interstitial parts of tumor tissue, and higher SLAMF7 expression was associated with favorable survival outcomes. GSEA demonstrated that SLAMF7 is involved immune-related pathways. Further analysis showed that SLAMF7 had a strong correlation with the T cell-specific biomarker (CD3) but not with the B cell (CD19, CD22, and CD23) and natural killer cell-specific biomarkers (CD85C, CD336, and CD337). Furthermore, IHC analysis confirmed that SLAMF7 was expressed in tumor-infiltrating T cells, and the IHC score of SLAMF7 was positively correlated with CD3 (r=0.85, p<0.001). CONCLUSION SLAMF7 is expressed in the interstitial components of clinical OC tissue, and higher SLAMF7 expression indicated a favorable prognosis for patients with OC. Additionally, SLAMF7 is involved in T-cell immune infiltration in OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yalong Deng
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Changyuan Dai
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Xu
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiyu Gan
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingxin Cheng
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai East Hospital Ji'an Hospital, Jiangxi, China.
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20
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Yang S, Du J, Wang W, Zhou D, Xi X. APOC1 is a prognostic biomarker associated with M2 macrophages in ovarian cancer. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:364. [PMID: 38515073 PMCID: PMC10956310 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12105-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies have demonstrated that APOC1 is associated with cancer progression, exerting cancer-promoting and immune infiltration-promoting effects. Nevertheless, there is currently no report on the presence of APOC1 in ovarian cancer (OV). METHOD In this study, we conducted data analysis using the GEO and TCGA databases. We conducted a thorough bioinformatics analysis to investigate the function of APOC1 in OV, utilizing various platforms including cBioPortal, STRING, GeneMANIA, LinkedOmics, GSCALite, TIMER, and CellMarker. Additionally, we performed immunohistochemical staining on tissue microarrays and conducted in vitro cellular assays to validate our findings. RESULT Our findings reveal that APOC1 expression is significantly upregulated in OV compared to normal tissues. Importantly, patients with high APOC1 levels show a significantly poorer prognosis. Furthermore, our study demonstrated that APOC1 exerted a crucial function in promoting the capacity of ovarian cancer cells to proliferate, migrate, and invade. Additionally, we have identified that genes co-expressed with APOC1 are primarily associated with adaptive immune responses. Notably, the levels of APOC1 in OV exhibit a correlation with the presence of M2 Tumor-associated Macrophages (TAMs). CONCLUSION APOC1 emerges as a promising prognostic biomarker for OV and exhibits a significant association with M2 TAMs in OV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shimin Yang
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 650 Xin Songjiang Road, Fang Song Street, Songjiang District, City Shanghai, China
| | - Jingxiao Du
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, City Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 650 Xin Songjiang Road, Fang Song Street, Songjiang District, City Shanghai, China
| | - Dongmei Zhou
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 650 Xin Songjiang Road, Fang Song Street, Songjiang District, City Shanghai, China.
| | - Xiaowei Xi
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 650 Xin Songjiang Road, Fang Song Street, Songjiang District, City Shanghai, China.
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21
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Kasikova L, Rakova J, Hensler M, Lanickova T, Tomankova J, Pasulka J, Drozenova J, Mojzisova K, Fialova A, Vosahlikova S, Laco J, Ryska A, Dundr P, Kocian R, Brtnicky T, Skapa P, Capkova L, Kovar M, Prochazka J, Praznovec I, Koblizek V, Taskova A, Tanaka H, Lischke R, Mendez FC, Vachtenheim J, Heinzelmann-Schwarz V, Jacob F, McNeish IA, Halaska MJ, Rob L, Cibula D, Orsulic S, Galluzzi L, Spisek R, Fucikova J. Tertiary lymphoid structures and B cells determine clinically relevant T cell phenotypes in ovarian cancer. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2528. [PMID: 38514660 PMCID: PMC10957872 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46873-w] [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: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Intratumoral tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) have been associated with improved outcome in various cohorts of patients with cancer, reflecting their contribution to the development of tumor-targeting immunity. Here, we demonstrate that high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) contains distinct immune aggregates with varying degrees of organization and maturation. Specifically, mature TLSs (mTLS) as forming only in 16% of HGSOCs with relatively elevated tumor mutational burden (TMB) are associated with an increased intratumoral density of CD8+ effector T (TEFF) cells and TIM3+PD1+, hence poorly immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-sensitive, CD8+ T cells. Conversely, CD8+ T cells from immunologically hot tumors like non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) are enriched in ICI-responsive TCF1+ PD1+ T cells. Spatial B-cell profiling identifies patterns of in situ maturation and differentiation associated with mTLSs. Moreover, B-cell depletion promotes signs of a dysfunctional CD8+ T cell compartment among tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes from freshly isolated HGSOC and NSCLC biopsies. Taken together, our data demonstrate that - at odds with NSCLC - HGSOC is associated with a low density of follicular helper T cells and thus develops a limited number of mTLS that might be insufficient to preserve a ICI-sensitive TCF1+PD1+ CD8+ T cell phenotype. These findings point to key quantitative and qualitative differences between mTLSs in ICI-responsive vs ICI-irresponsive neoplasms that may guide the development of alternative immunotherapies for patients with HGSOC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Tereza Lanickova
- Sotio Biotech a.s., Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Immunology, Charles University, 2nd Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | | | - Jana Drozenova
- Department of Pathology, 3rd Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | | | | | - Jan Laco
- The Fingerland Department of Pathology, Charles University, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Ales Ryska
- The Fingerland Department of Pathology, Charles University, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Dundr
- Department of Pathology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Kocian
- Department of Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Neonatology, General University Hospital in Prague, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Brtnicky
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, University Hospital Bulovka, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Skapa
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Linda Capkova
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Kovar
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Prochazka
- Czech Center for Phenogenomics, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Praznovec
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Charles University, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimir Koblizek
- Department of Pneumology, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Alice Taskova
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Charles University, 3rd Faculty of Medicine and Thomayer University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Hisashi Tanaka
- Departments of Surgery and Biomedical Sciences, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, West Hollywood, CA, USA
| | - Robert Lischke
- 3rd Department of Surgery, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Fernando Casas Mendez
- Oncology and Pneumology Department, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Vachtenheim
- 3rd Department of Surgery, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Viola Heinzelmann-Schwarz
- Ovarian Cancer Research, Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Francis Jacob
- Ovarian Cancer Research, Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Iain A McNeish
- Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Michal J Halaska
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Charles University, 3rd Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lukas Rob
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Charles University, 3rd Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - David Cibula
- Department of Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Neonatology, General University Hospital in Prague, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Sandra Orsulic
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lorenzo Galluzzi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Radek Spisek
- Sotio Biotech a.s., Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Immunology, Charles University, 2nd Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Fucikova
- Sotio Biotech a.s., Prague, Czech Republic.
- Department of Immunology, Charles University, 2nd Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic.
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22
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Hu H, Sun C, Chen J, Li Z. Organoids in ovarian cancer: a platform for disease modeling, precision medicine, and drug assessment. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2024; 150:146. [PMID: 38509422 PMCID: PMC10955023 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-024-05654-0] [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: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OC) is a major cause of gynecological cancer mortality, necessitating enhanced research. Organoids, cellular clusters grown in 3D model, have emerged as a disruptive paradigm, transcending the limitations inherent to conventional models by faithfully recapitulating key morphological, histological, and genetic attributes. This review undertakes a comprehensive exploration of the potential in organoids derived from murine, healthy population, and patient origins, encompassing a spectrum that spans foundational principles to pioneering applications. Organoids serve as preclinical models, allowing us to predict how patients will respond to treatments and guiding the development of personalized therapies. In the context of evaluating new drugs, organoids act as versatile platforms, enabling thorough testing of innovative combinations and novel agents. Remarkably, organoids mimic the dynamic nature of OC progression, from its initial formation to the spread to other parts of the body, shedding light on intricate details that hold significant importance. By functioning at an individualized level, organoids uncover the complex mechanisms behind drug resistance, revealing strategic opportunities for effective treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyao Hu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Obstetrics and Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chong'en Sun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Obstetrics and Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jingyao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhengyu Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- Key Laboratory of Obstetrics and Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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23
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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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24
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Cai G, Huang F, Gao Y, Li X, Chi J, Xie J, Zhou L, Feng Y, Huang H, Deng T, Zhou Y, Zhang C, Luo X, Xie X, Gao Q, Zhen X, Liu J. Artificial intelligence-based models enabling accurate diagnosis of ovarian cancer using laboratory tests in China: a multicentre, retrospective cohort study. Lancet Digit Health 2024; 6:e176-e186. [PMID: 38212232 DOI: 10.1016/s2589-7500(23)00245-5] [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: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy. Timely diagnosis of ovarian cancer is difficult due to the lack of effective biomarkers. Laboratory tests are widely applied in clinical practice, and some have shown diagnostic and prognostic relevance to ovarian cancer. We aimed to systematically evaluate the value of routine laboratory tests on the prediction of ovarian cancer, and develop a robust and generalisable ensemble artificial intelligence (AI) model to assist in identifying patients with ovarian cancer. METHODS In this multicentre, retrospective cohort study, we collected 98 laboratory tests and clinical features of women with or without ovarian cancer admitted to three hospitals in China during Jan 1, 2012 and April 4, 2021. A multi-criteria decision making-based classification fusion (MCF) risk prediction framework was used to make a model that combined estimations from 20 AI classification models to reach an integrated prediction tool developed for ovarian cancer diagnosis. It was evaluated on an internal validation set (3007 individuals) and two external validation sets (5641 and 2344 individuals). The primary outcome was the prediction accuracy of the model in identifying ovarian cancer. FINDINGS Based on 52 features (51 laboratory tests and age), the MCF achieved an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0·949 (95% CI 0·948-0·950) in the internal validation set, and AUCs of 0·882 (0·880-0·885) and 0·884 (0·882-0·887) in the two external validation sets. The model showed higher AUC and sensitivity compared with CA125 and HE4 in identifying ovarian cancer, especially in patients with early-stage ovarian cancer. The MCF also yielded acceptable prediction accuracy with the exclusion of highly ranked laboratory tests that indicate ovarian cancer, such as CA125 and other tumour markers, and outperformed state-of-the-art models in ovarian cancer prediction. The MCF was wrapped as an ovarian cancer prediction tool, and made publicly available to provide estimated probability of ovarian cancer with input laboratory test values. INTERPRETATION The MCF model consistently achieved satisfactory performance in ovarian cancer prediction when using laboratory tests from the three validation sets. This model offers a low-cost, easily accessible, and accurate diagnostic tool for ovarian cancer. The included laboratory tests, not only CA125 which was the highest ranked laboratory test in importance of diagnostic assistance, contributed to the characterisation of patients with ovarian cancer. FUNDING Ministry of Science and Technology of China; National Natural Science Foundation of China; Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, China; and Science and Technology Project of Guangzhou, China. TRANSLATION For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangyao Cai
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fangjun Huang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yue Gao
- Cancer Biology Research Centre (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiao Li
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianhua Chi
- Cancer Biology Research Centre (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jincheng Xie
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Linghong Zhou
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanling Feng
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - He Huang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ting Deng
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuyao Zhang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaolin Luo
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xing Xie
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qinglei Gao
- Cancer Biology Research Centre (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Xin Zhen
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Jihong Liu
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
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Al-Hawary SIS, Jasim SA, Hjazi A, Oghenemaro EF, Kaur I, Kumar A, Al-Ani AM, Alwaily ER, Redhee AH, Mustafa YF. Nucleic acid-based vaccine for ovarian cancer cells; bench to bedside. Cell Biochem Funct 2024; 42:e3978. [PMID: 38515237 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.3978] [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: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer continues to be a difficult medical issue that affects millions of individuals worldwide. Important platforms for cancer immunotherapy include checkpoint inhibitors, chimeric antigen receptor T cells, bispecific antibodies, cancer vaccines, and other cell-based treatments. To avoid numerous infectious illnesses, conventional vaccinations based on synthetic peptides, recombinant subunit vaccines, and live attenuated and inactivated pathogens are frequently utilized. Vaccine manufacturing processes, however, are not entirely safe and carry a significant danger of contaminating living microorganisms. As a result, the creation of substitute vaccinations is required for both viral and noninfectious illnesses, including cancer. Recently, there has been testing of nucleic acid vaccines, or NAVs, as a cancer therapeutic. Tumor antigens (TAs) are genetically encoded by DNA and mRNA vaccines, which the host uses to trigger immune responses against ovarian cancer cells that exhibit the TAs. Despite being straightforward, safe, and easy to produce, NAVs are not currently thought to be an ideal replacement for peptide vaccines. Some obstacles to this strategy include selecting the appropriate therapeutic agents (TAs), inadequate immunogenicity, and the immunosuppressive characteristic of ovarian cancer. We focus on strategies that have been employed to increase NAVs' effectiveness in the fight against ovarian cancer in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Saade Abdalkareem Jasim
- Medical Laboratory Techniques Department, Al-maarif University College, Anbar, Iraq
- Biotechnology Department, College of Applied Science, Fallujah University, Fallujah, Iraq
| | - Ahmed Hjazi
- Department of Medical Laboratory, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia
| | - Enwa Felix Oghenemaro
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria
| | - Irwanjot Kaur
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetics, Jain (Deemed-to-be) University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
- Department of Allied Healthcare and Sciences, Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Abhinav Kumar
- Department of Nuclear and Renewable Energy, Ural Federal University Named after The First President of Russia, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | | | - Enas R Alwaily
- Microbiology Research Group, College of Pharmacy, Al-Ayen University, Thi-Qar, Iraq
| | - Ahmed Huseen Redhee
- Medical Laboratory Technique College, The Islamic University, Najaf, Iraq
- Medical Laboratory Technique College, The Islamic University of Al Diwaniyah, Al Diwaniyah, Iraq
- Medical Laboratory Technique College, The Islamic University of Babylon, Babylon, Iraq
| | - Yasser Fakri Mustafa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq
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Li W, Zhang K, Wang W, Liu Y, Huang J, Zheng M, Li L, Zhang X, Xu M, Chen G, Wang L, Zhang S. Combined inhibition of HER2 and VEGFR synergistically improves therapeutic efficacy via PI3K-AKT pathway in advanced ovarian cancer. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:56. [PMID: 38403634 PMCID: PMC10895844 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-024-02981-5] [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: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ovarian cancer (OC) is a prevalent malignancy in the female reproductive system, and developing effective targeted therapies for this disease remains challenging. The aim of this study was to use clinically-relevant OC models to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of RC48, an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting HER2, either alone or in combination with the VEGFR inhibitor Cediranib Maleate (CM), for the treatment of advanced OC. METHODS OC tumor specimens and cell lines were analyzed to determine HER2 and VEGFR expression by Western blot, immunocytochemistry and immunofluorescence. Moreover, the OC cell lines, cell-derived xenograft (CDX) and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models were treated with RC48 and/or CM and then subjected to cell proliferation, viability, apoptosis, and tumor growth analyses to evaluate the feasibility of combination therapy for OC both in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, RNA-Seq was performed to investigate the critical mechanism underlying the combination therapy of RC48 and CM. RESULTS Our results demonstrated that RC48 alone effectively targeted and inhibited the growth of HER2-positive OC tumors in both cell lines and PDX models. Furthermore, the combination of RC48 and CM synergistically induced tumor regression in human OC cell lines, as well as CDX and PDX models. Mechanistically, we observed that the combination treatment inhibited the growth of OC cells involved inducing apoptosis and suppressing cell motility. RNA-seq analysis provided further mechanistic insights and revealed that co-administration of RC48 and CM downregulated multiple cancer-related pathways, including the AKT/mTOR pathway, cell cycle, and cell proliferation. Notably, our data further confirmed that the PI3K-AKT pathway played a key role in the inhibition of proliferation triggered by combinational treatment of RC48 and CM in OC cells. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide a preclinical framework supporting the potential of dual targeting HER2 and VEGFR as a promising therapeutic strategy to improve outcomes in patients with OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weisong Li
- Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, 341000, China
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases (Ministry of Education), Gannan Medical University, 1 Hexie Road, Rongjiang New District, Ganzhou, 341000, China
| | - Kai Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases (Ministry of Education), Gannan Medical University, 1 Hexie Road, Rongjiang New District, Ganzhou, 341000, China
- School of Basic Medicine, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, 341000, China
| | - Wenjun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases (Ministry of Education), Gannan Medical University, 1 Hexie Road, Rongjiang New District, Ganzhou, 341000, China
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Ganzhou People's Hospital (The Affiliated Ganzhou Hospital of Nanchang University), Ganzhou, 341000, China
| | - Jianming Huang
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases (Ministry of Education), Gannan Medical University, 1 Hexie Road, Rongjiang New District, Ganzhou, 341000, China
- School of Basic Medicine, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, 341000, China
| | - Meihong Zheng
- Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, 341000, China
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases (Ministry of Education), Gannan Medical University, 1 Hexie Road, Rongjiang New District, Ganzhou, 341000, China
| | - Ling Li
- Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, 341000, China
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases (Ministry of Education), Gannan Medical University, 1 Hexie Road, Rongjiang New District, Ganzhou, 341000, China
| | - Xinyu Zhang
- Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, 341000, China
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases (Ministry of Education), Gannan Medical University, 1 Hexie Road, Rongjiang New District, Ganzhou, 341000, China
| | - Minjuan Xu
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Ganzhou People's Hospital (The Affiliated Ganzhou Hospital of Nanchang University), Ganzhou, 341000, China.
| | - Guofang Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Institute of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Gynecologic Oncology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
| | - Liefeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases (Ministry of Education), Gannan Medical University, 1 Hexie Road, Rongjiang New District, Ganzhou, 341000, China.
- School of Basic Medicine, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, 341000, China.
| | - Shuyong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases (Ministry of Education), Gannan Medical University, 1 Hexie Road, Rongjiang New District, Ganzhou, 341000, China.
- School of Basic Medicine, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, 341000, China.
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Barras D, Ghisoni E, Chiffelle J, Orcurto A, Dagher J, Fahr N, Benedetti F, Crespo I, Grimm AJ, Morotti M, Zimmermann S, Duran R, Imbimbo M, de Olza MO, Navarro B, Homicsko K, Bobisse S, Labes D, Tsourti Z, Andriakopoulou C, Herrera F, Pétremand R, Dummer R, Berthod G, Kraemer AI, Huber F, Thevenet J, Bassani-Sternberg M, Schaefer N, Prior JO, Matter M, Aedo V, Dromain C, Corria-Osorio J, Tissot S, Kandalaft LE, Gottardo R, Pittet M, Sempoux C, Michielin O, Dafni U, Trueb L, Harari A, Laniti DD, Coukos G. Response to tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte adoptive therapy is associated with preexisting CD8 + T-myeloid cell networks in melanoma. Sci Immunol 2024; 9:eadg7995. [PMID: 38306416 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adg7995] [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: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) using ex vivo-expanded tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) can eliminate or shrink metastatic melanoma, but its long-term efficacy remains limited to a fraction of patients. Using longitudinal samples from 13 patients with metastatic melanoma treated with TIL-ACT in a phase 1 clinical study, we interrogated cellular states within the tumor microenvironment (TME) and their interactions. We performed bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing, whole-exome sequencing, and spatial proteomic analyses in pre- and post-ACT tumor tissues, finding that ACT responders exhibited higher basal tumor cell-intrinsic immunogenicity and mutational burden. Compared with nonresponders, CD8+ TILs exhibited increased cytotoxicity, exhaustion, and costimulation, whereas myeloid cells had increased type I interferon signaling in responders. Cell-cell interaction prediction analyses corroborated by spatial neighborhood analyses revealed that responders had rich baseline intratumoral and stromal tumor-reactive T cell networks with activated myeloid populations. Successful TIL-ACT therapy further reprogrammed the myeloid compartment and increased TIL-myeloid networks. Our systematic target discovery study identifies potential T-myeloid cell network-based biomarkers that could improve patient selection and guide the design of ACT clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Barras
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Eleonora Ghisoni
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Service of Immuno-oncology, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johanna Chiffelle
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Angela Orcurto
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Service of Immuno-oncology, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Julien Dagher
- Unit of Translational Oncopathology, Institute of Pathology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Noémie Fahr
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Fabrizio Benedetti
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Isaac Crespo
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alizée J Grimm
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Morotti
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Zimmermann
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Service of Immuno-oncology, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rafael Duran
- Department of Radiology and Interventional Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martina Imbimbo
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Service of Immuno-oncology, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Maria Ochoa de Olza
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Service of Immuno-oncology, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Blanca Navarro
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Service of Immuno-oncology, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Krisztian Homicsko
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Service of Immuno-oncology, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sara Bobisse
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Danny Labes
- Flow Cytometry Facility, Department of Formation and Research, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Zoe Tsourti
- Scientific Research Consulting Hellas, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Fernanda Herrera
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Service of Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rémy Pétremand
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Reinhard Dummer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gregoire Berthod
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anne I Kraemer
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Florian Huber
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jonathan Thevenet
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Oncology, Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michal Bassani-Sternberg
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Niklaus Schaefer
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - John O Prior
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Maurice Matter
- Department of Visceral Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital, and University of Lausanne, Lausannne, Switzerland
| | - Veronica Aedo
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Clarisse Dromain
- Department of Radiology and Interventional Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jesus Corria-Osorio
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stéphanie Tissot
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Oncology, Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lana E Kandalaft
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Oncology, Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Raphael Gottardo
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Biomedical Data Science Center and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mikaël Pittet
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Christine Sempoux
- Unit of Translational Oncopathology, Institute of Pathology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Michielin
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Urania Dafni
- Faculty of Nursing, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Lionel Trueb
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Service of Immuno-oncology, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Harari
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Denarda Dangaj Laniti
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - George Coukos
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Therapy, CHUV-Ludwig Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Service of Immuno-oncology, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Du M, Cai Q, Sun J, Zhang M, Zhang S, Liu X, Zhang M, Zhang X. Aneuploid serves as a prognostic marker and favors immunosuppressive microenvironment in ovarian cancer. J Ovarian Res 2024; 17:30. [PMID: 38308314 PMCID: PMC10836026 DOI: 10.1186/s13048-024-01356-w] [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: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic neoplasm, and most patients experience recurrence and chemoresistance. Even the promising immunotherapy showed limited efficacy in ovarian cancer, probably due to the immunosuppressive microenvironment. However, the behind mechanisms of the immune exclusion or cold phenotype in ovarian cancer still remain to be explored. As a cancer dominated by copy number variations instead of mutations, ovarian cancer contains a high fraction of aneuploid, which might correlate with immune inhibition. Nevertheless, whether or how aneuploid affects ovarian cancer is still unclear. For exploring the role of aneuploid cancer cells and the potential ploidy-immune relationship, herein, the ploidy information was first comprehensively analyzed combining the karyotype data and copy number variation data obtained from Mitelman and cBioPortal databases, respectively. Ovarian cancer showed strong ploidy heterogeneity, with high fraction of aneuploid and recurrent arm-level and whole chromosome changes. Furthermore, clinical parameters were compared between the highly-aneuploid and the near-diploid ovarian cancers. Aneuploid indicated high grade, poor overall survival and poor disease-free survival in ovarian cancer. To understand the biofunction affected by aneuploid, the differentially expressed genes between the highly-aneuploid and the near-diploid groups were analyzed. Transcription data suggested that aneuploid cancer correlated with deregulated MHC expression, abnormal antigen presentation, and less infiltration of macrophages and activated T cells and higher level of T cell exclusion. Furthermore, the ploidy-MHC association was verified using the Human Protein Atlas database. All these data supported that aneuploid might be promising for cancer management and immune surveillance in ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Du
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Qingqing Cai
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Jiaan Sun
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Mingxing Zhang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Shuo Zhang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Xiaoxia Liu
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Mengyu Zhang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Naval Medical Center, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200052, China.
| | - Xiaoyan Zhang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai, 200011, China.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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29
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Yakubovich E, Cook DP, Rodriguez GM, Vanderhyden BC. Mesenchymal ovarian cancer cells promote CD8 + T cell exhaustion through the LGALS3-LAG3 axis. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2023; 9:61. [PMID: 38086828 PMCID: PMC10716312 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-023-00322-4] [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: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells often metastasize by undergoing an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Although abundance of CD8+ T-cells in the tumor microenvironment correlates with improved survival, mesenchymal cancer cells acquire greater resistance to antitumor immunity in some cancers. We hypothesized the EMT modulates the immune response to ovarian cancer. Here we show that cancer cells from infiltrated/inflamed tumors possess more mesenchymal cells, than excluded and desert tumors. We also noted high expression of LGALS3 is associated with EMT in vivo, a finding validated with in vitro EMT models. Dissecting the cellular communications among populations in the tumor revealed that mesenchymal cancer cells in infiltrated tumors communicate through LGALS3 to LAG3 receptor expressed by CD8+ T cells. We found CD8+ T cells express high levels of LAG3, a marker of T cell exhaustion. The results indicate that EMT in ovarian cancer cells promotes interactions between cancer cells and T cells through the LGALS3 - LAG3 axis, which could increase T cell exhaustion in infiltrated tumors, dampening antitumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Yakubovich
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
- Cancer Therapeutics Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
- Center for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - David P Cook
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Cancer Therapeutics Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Galaxia M Rodriguez
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Cancer Therapeutics Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Center for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Barbara C Vanderhyden
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Cancer Therapeutics Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Center for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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30
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Veneziani AC, Gonzalez-Ochoa E, Alqaisi H, Madariaga A, Bhat G, Rouzbahman M, Sneha S, Oza AM. Heterogeneity and treatment landscape of ovarian carcinoma. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2023; 20:820-842. [PMID: 37783747 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-023-00819-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Ovarian carcinoma is characterized by heterogeneity at the molecular, cellular and anatomical levels, both spatially and temporally. This heterogeneity affects response to surgery and/or systemic therapy, and also facilitates inherent and acquired drug resistance. As a consequence, this tumour type is often aggressive and frequently lethal. Ovarian carcinoma is not a single disease entity and comprises various subtypes, each with distinct complex molecular landscapes that change during progression and therapy. The interactions of cancer and stromal cells within the tumour microenvironment further affects disease evolution and response to therapy. In past decades, researchers have characterized the cellular, molecular, microenvironmental and immunological heterogeneity of ovarian carcinoma. Traditional treatment approaches have considered ovarian carcinoma as a single entity. This landscape is slowly changing with the increasing appreciation of heterogeneity and the recognition that delivering ineffective therapies can delay the development of effective personalized approaches as well as potentially change the molecular and cellular characteristics of the tumour, which might lead to additional resistance to subsequent therapy. In this Review we discuss the heterogeneity of ovarian carcinoma, outline the current treatment landscape for this malignancy and highlight potentially effective therapeutic strategies in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C Veneziani
- Division of Medical Oncology and Haematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Eduardo Gonzalez-Ochoa
- Division of Medical Oncology and Haematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Husam Alqaisi
- Division of Medical Oncology and Haematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ainhoa Madariaga
- Medical Oncology Department, 12 De Octubre University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gita Bhat
- Division of Medical Oncology and Haematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marjan Rouzbahman
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Suku Sneha
- Division of Medical Oncology and Haematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amit M Oza
- Division of Medical Oncology and Haematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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31
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McKenzie ND, Ahmad S, Awada A, Kuhn TM, Recio FO, Holloway RW. Prognostic features of the tumor microenvironment in high-grade serous ovarian cancer and dietary immunomodulation. Life Sci 2023; 333:122178. [PMID: 37839778 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.122178] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is a particularly lethal malignancy that is prognostically influenced by the immune profile of the tumor microenvironment (TME). TME immune profiles have been sub-categorized according to features associated with both survival outcomes as well as response to systemic therapies. Five suggested immune phenotypes have been described and correlated with overall survival outcomes. Phenotypes associated with shorter overall survival rates appear to have prominent immunosuppressive features within their TME. The opportunity to triage patients according to their prognostic TME profile might allow selection of individual patients with poor prognostic features who could most benefit from innovative immunomodulatory treatment strategies. Two potential strategies to indirectly manipulate the TME (and oncologic outcomes) are alteration of the gut microbiome composition and alteration of TME metabolism through dietary interventions. Experimental dietary modifications in humans designed for influencing cancer outcomes are only beginning to be studied in a prospective fashion. Herein we summarize prognostic TME features in HGSOC and potential opportunities for immunomodulation via dietary and gut microbial interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie D McKenzie
- AdventHealth Cancer Institute, Gynecologic Oncology Program, Orlando, FL 32804, USA.
| | - Sarfraz Ahmad
- AdventHealth Cancer Institute, Gynecologic Oncology Program, Orlando, FL 32804, USA.
| | - Ahmad Awada
- AdventHealth Cancer Institute, Gynecologic Oncology Program, Orlando, FL 32804, USA
| | - Theresa M Kuhn
- AdventHealth Cancer Institute, Gynecologic Oncology Program, Orlando, FL 32804, USA
| | - Fernando O Recio
- AdventHealth Cancer Institute, Gynecologic Oncology Program, Orlando, FL 32804, USA
| | - Robert W Holloway
- AdventHealth Cancer Institute, Gynecologic Oncology Program, Orlando, FL 32804, USA
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32
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Jia W, Li M. Unveiling Insights into Ovarian Cancer Metabolism through Space- and Time-Resolved Analysis. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4881. [PMID: 37835575 PMCID: PMC10572059 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15194881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
High-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) represents a formidable challenge in the realm of ovarian cancer, notorious for its elusive early detection, poor prognosis and limited understanding of the intricacies of its pathogenesis [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Jia
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong 999077, Hong Kong
- Center for Translational Medicine and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, The Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China;
| | - Mengci Li
- Center for Translational Medicine and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, The Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China;
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33
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El Baba R, Haidar Ahmad S, Monnien F, Mansar R, Bibeau F, Herbein G. Polyploidy, EZH2 upregulation, and transformation in cytomegalovirus-infected human ovarian epithelial cells. Oncogene 2023; 42:3047-3061. [PMID: 37634008 PMCID: PMC10555822 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02813-4] [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: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection has been implicated in epithelial ovarian cancer (OC). Polyploidy giant cancer cells (PGCCs) have been observed in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC); they possess cancer stem cell-like characteristics and give rise to progeny cells expressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. EZH2 plays a potential oncogenic role, correlating with high proliferative index and tumor grade in OC. Herein, we present the experimental evidence for HCMV as a reprogramming vector that elicited human ovarian epithelial cells (OECs) transformation leading to the generation of "CMV-transformed Ovarian cells" (CTO). The infection with the two high-risk clinical strains, namely HCMV-DB and BL provoked a distinct cellular and molecular mechanisms in infected OECs. EZH2 upregulation and cellular proliferation were curtailed by using EZH2 inhibitors. The HGSOC biopsies were characterized by an elevated EZH2 expression, possessing a strong positive correlation between the aforementioned marker and HCMV. From HGSOC biopsies, we isolated three HCMV clinical strains that transformed OECs generating CTO cells which displayed proliferative potentials in addition to EZH2 upregulation and PGCCs generation; these features were reduced upon EZH2 inhibition. High-risk HCMV strains transformed OECs confirming an HCMV-induced epithelial ovarian cancer model and highlighting EZH2 tumorigenic properties. Our findings might be highly relevant in the pathophysiology of ovarian tumors thereby nominating new targeted therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranim El Baba
- Department of Pathogens & Inflammation-EPILAB Laboratory EA4266, University of Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Sandy Haidar Ahmad
- Department of Pathogens & Inflammation-EPILAB Laboratory EA4266, University of Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | | | - Racha Mansar
- Department of Pathology, CHU Besançon, Besançon, France
| | | | - Georges Herbein
- Department of Pathogens & Inflammation-EPILAB Laboratory EA4266, University of Franche-Comté, Besançon, France.
- Department of Virology, CHU Besançon, Besançon, France.
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Bobisse S, Bianchi V, Tanyi JL, Sarivalasis A, Missiaglia E, Pétremand R, Benedetti F, Torigian DA, Genolet R, Barras D, Michel A, Mastroyannis SA, Zsiros E, Dangaj Laniti D, Tsourti Z, Stevenson BJ, Iseli C, Levine BL, Speiser DE, Gfeller D, Bassani-Sternberg M, Powell DJ, June CH, Dafni U, Kandalaft LE, Harari A, Coukos G. A phase 1 trial of adoptive transfer of vaccine-primed autologous circulating T cells in ovarian cancer. NATURE CANCER 2023; 4:1410-1417. [PMID: 37735588 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-023-00623-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
We have previously shown that vaccination with tumor-pulsed dendritic cells amplifies neoantigen recognition in ovarian cancer. Here, in a phase 1 clinical study ( NCT01312376 /UPCC26810) including 19 patients, we show that such responses are further reinvigorated by subsequent adoptive transfer of vaccine-primed, ex vivo-expanded autologous peripheral blood T cells. The treatment is safe, and epitope spreading with novel neopeptide reactivities was observed after cell infusion in patients who experienced clinical benefit, suggesting reinvigoration of tumor-sculpting immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Bobisse
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Valentina Bianchi
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Janos L Tanyi
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Apostolos Sarivalasis
- Center for Cell Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Edoardo Missiaglia
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rémy Pétremand
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Fabrizio Benedetti
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Drew A Torigian
- Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Raphael Genolet
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - David Barras
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandra Michel
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Spyridon A Mastroyannis
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Emese Zsiros
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Denarda Dangaj Laniti
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Zoi Tsourti
- Laboratory of Biostatistics, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Brian J Stevenson
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christian Iseli
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Bioinformatics Competence Center, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bruce L Levine
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Daniel E Speiser
- Center for Cell Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - David Gfeller
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michal Bassani-Sternberg
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Daniel J Powell
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Carl H June
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Urania Dafni
- Laboratory of Biostatistics, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Lana E Kandalaft
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Harari
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Cell Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - George Coukos
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Center for Cell Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
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35
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Ren S, Lan T, Wu F, Chen S, Jiang X, Huo C, Li Z, Xie S, Wu D, Wang R, Li Y, Qiu L, Huang G, Li S, Wang X, Cen M, Cai T, Lin Z, Li J, Li B. Intratumoral CD103 + CD8 + T cells predict response to neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer Commun (Lond) 2023; 43:1143-1163. [PMID: 37658605 PMCID: PMC10565384 DOI: 10.1002/cac2.12480] [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: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune cell heterogenicity is known to determine the therapeutic response to cancer progression. Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy (NACI) has shown clinical benefits in some patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), but the underlying mechanism behind this clinical response is unknown. The efficacy of NACI needs to be potentiated by identifying accurate biomarkers to predict clinical responses. Here, we attempted to identify molecules predicting NACI response in advanced HNSCC. METHODS We performed combined single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and multiplex immunofluorescence (mIHC) staining with tumor samples derived from NACI-treated HNSCC patients to identify a new tumor-infiltrating cell (TIL) subtype, CD103+ CD8+ TILs, associated with clinical response, while both in vitro and in vivo assays were carried out to determine its antitumor efficiency. The regulatory mechanism of the CD103+ CD8+ TILs population was examined by performing cell-cell interaction analysis of the scRNA-seq data and spatial analysis of the mIHC images. RESULTS We established intratumoral CD103+ CD8+ TILs density as a determinant of NACI efficacy in cancers. Our scRNA-seq results indicated that the population of CD103+ CD8+ TILs was dramatically increased in the responders of NACI-treated HNSCC patients, while mIHC analysis confirmed the correlation between intratumoral CD103+ CD8+ TILs density and NACI efficacy in HNSCC patients. Further receiver operating characteristic curve analysis defined this TIL subset as a potent marker to predict patient response to NACI. Functional assays showed that CD103+ CD8+ TILs were tumor-reactive T cells, while programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) blockade enhanced CD103+ CD8+ TILs cytotoxicity against tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, targeting the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2-positive (TREM2+ ) macrophages might enhance the population of CD103+ CD8+ TILs and facilitate antitumor immunity during NACI treatment. CONCLUSIONS Our study highlights the impact of intratumoral CD103+ CD8+ TILs density on NACI efficacy in different cancers, while the efforts to elevate its population warrant further clinical investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Ren
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgerySun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong‐Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA MedicineMedical Research Center, Sun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
| | - Tianjun Lan
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgerySun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong‐Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA MedicineMedical Research Center, Sun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
| | - Fan Wu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgerySun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong‐Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA MedicineMedical Research Center, Sun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
| | - Suling Chen
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgerySun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong‐Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA MedicineMedical Research Center, Sun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
| | - Xue Jiang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong‐Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA MedicineMedical Research Center, Sun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
| | - Chuying Huo
- Department of Gynecological OncologySun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
| | - Zitian Li
- School of Stomatology, Jilin UniversityJilinP. R. China
| | - Shule Xie
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgerySun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong‐Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA MedicineMedical Research Center, Sun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
| | - Donghui Wu
- Stomatology Hospital of Haizhu districtGuangdongP. R. China
| | - Ruixin Wang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgerySun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong‐Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA MedicineMedical Research Center, Sun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
| | - Yanyan Li
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgerySun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong‐Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA MedicineMedical Research Center, Sun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
| | - Lin Qiu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgerySun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong‐Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA MedicineMedical Research Center, Sun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
| | - Guoxin Huang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgerySun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong‐Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA MedicineMedical Research Center, Sun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
| | - Shurui Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong‐Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA MedicineMedical Research Center, Sun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
| | - Xiaojuan Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong‐Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA MedicineMedical Research Center, Sun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
| | - Meifeng Cen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong‐Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA MedicineMedical Research Center, Sun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
| | - Tingting Cai
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgerySun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
| | - Zhaoyu Lin
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgerySun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong‐Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA MedicineMedical Research Center, Sun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
| | - Jinsong Li
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgerySun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong‐Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA MedicineMedical Research Center, Sun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
| | - Bowen Li
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgerySun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong‐Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA MedicineMedical Research Center, Sun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangdongP. R. China
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Davoudian K, Bhattacharya S, Thompson D, Thompson M. Coupled Electrostatic and Hydrophobic Destabilisation of the Gelsolin-Actin Complex Enables Facile Detection of Ovarian Cancer Biomarker Lysophosphatidic Acid. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1426. [PMID: 37759826 PMCID: PMC10527313 DOI: 10.3390/biom13091426] [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: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a promising biomarker candidate to screen for ovarian cancer (OC) and potentially stratify and treat patients according to disease stage. LPA is known to target the actin-binding protein gelsolin which is a key regulator of actin filament assembly. Previous studies have shown that the phosphate headgroup of LPA alone is inadequate to bind to the short chain of amino acids in gelsolin known as the PIP2-binding domain. Thus, the molecular-level detail of the mechanism of LPA binding is poorly understood. Here, we model LPA binding to the PIP2-binding domain of gelsolin in the gelsolin-actin complex through extensive ten-microsecond atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We predict that LPA binding causes a local conformational rearrangement due to LPA interactions with both gelsolin and actin residues. These conformational changes are a result of the amphipathic nature of LPA, where the anionic phosphate, polar glycerol and ester groups, and lipophilic aliphatic tail mediate LPA binding via charged electrostatic, hydrogen bonding, and van der Waals interactions. The negatively-charged LPA headgroup binds to the PIP2-binding domain of gelsolin-actin while its hydrophobic tail is inserted into actin, creating a strong LPA-insertion pocket that weakens the gelsolin-actin interface. The computed structure, dynamics, and energetics of the ternary gelsolin-LPA-actin complex confirms that a quantitative OC assay is possible based on LPA-triggered actin release from the gelsolin-actin complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Davoudian
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada;
| | - Shayon Bhattacharya
- SSPC—The Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Pharmaceuticals, V94 T9PX Limerick, Ireland;
- Department of Physics, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, V94 T9PX Limerick, Ireland
| | - Damien Thompson
- SSPC—The Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Pharmaceuticals, V94 T9PX Limerick, Ireland;
- Department of Physics, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, V94 T9PX Limerick, Ireland
| | - Michael Thompson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada;
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37
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Taki M. Mini-review: Immunology in ovarian cancer. J Obstet Gynaecol Res 2023; 49:2245-2251. [PMID: 37415252 DOI: 10.1111/jog.15730] [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: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy for ovarian cancer has been studied for many years and programmed cell death protein 1 ligand/programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-L1/PD-1) blockade has been attempted in several clinical trials; however, the expected therapeutic effect has not been achieved. In contrast, the PD-L1/PD-1 blockade has been clinically applied to endometrial and cervical cancers, and a certain therapeutic effect has been observed. In endometrial cancer, promising outcomes have been achieved with a combination of an anti-PD-1 antibody and lenvatinib, regardless of the number of regimens, even in cases of recurrence after platinum administration. Therefore, immunotherapy is expected to have a therapeutic effect on ovarian cancer regardless of platinum resistance. In this review, considering immunotherapy for ovarian cancer, we discuss the immune mechanisms that exist in ovarian cancer and the immunotherapeutic strategies that should be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mana Taki
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
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Yang D, Duan MH, Yuan QE, Li ZL, Luo CH, Cui LY, Li LC, Xiao Y, Zhu XY, Zhang HL, Feng GK, Liu GC, Deng R, Li JD, Zhu XF. Suppressive stroma-immune prognostic signature impedes immunotherapy in ovarian cancer and can be reversed by PDGFRB inhibitors. J Transl Med 2023; 21:586. [PMID: 37658364 PMCID: PMC10472577 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04422-x] [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: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND As the most lethal gynecologic cancer, ovarian cancer (OV) holds the potential of being immunotherapy-responsive. However, only modest therapeutic effects have been achieved by immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint blockade. This study aims to propose a generalized stroma-immune prognostic signature (SIPS) to identify OV patients who may benefit from immunotherapy. METHODS The 2097 OV patients included in the study were significant with high-grade serous ovarian cancer in the III/IV stage. The 470 immune-related signatures were collected and analyzed by the Cox regression and Lasso algorithm to generalize a credible SIPS. Correlations between the SIPS signature and tumor microenvironment were further analyzed. The critical immunosuppressive role of stroma indicated by the SIPS was further validated by targeting the major suppressive stroma component (CAFs, Cancer-associated fibroblasts) in vitro and in vivo. With four machine-learning methods predicting tumor immune subtypes, the stroma-immune signature was upgraded to a 23-gene signature. RESULTS The SIPS effectively discriminated the high-risk individuals in the training and validating cohorts, where the high SIPS succeeded in predicting worse survival in several immunotherapy cohorts. The SIPS signature was positively correlated with stroma components, especially CAFs and immunosuppressive cells in the tumor microenvironment, indicating the critical suppressive stroma-immune network. The combination of CAFs' marker PDGFRB inhibitors and frontline PARP inhibitors substantially inhibited tumor growth and promoted the survival of OV-bearing mice. The stroma-immune signature was upgraded to a 23-gene signature to improve clinical utility. Several drug types that suppress stroma-immune signatures, such as EGFR inhibitors, could be candidates for potential immunotherapeutic combinations in ovarian cancer. CONCLUSIONS The stroma-immune signature could efficiently predict the immunotherapeutic sensitivity of OV patients. Immunotherapy and auxiliary drugs targeting stroma could enhance immunotherapeutic efficacy in ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Mei-Han Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, China
- Department of Medical Imaging, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiu-Er Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, China
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Ling Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Chuang-Hua Luo
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lan-Yue Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Li-Chao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Ying Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, China
- Department of Intensive Care Unit, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xian-Ying Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, China
- Department of Intensive Care Unit, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hai-Liang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Gong-Kan Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Guo-Chen Liu
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rong Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
| | - Jun-Dong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Xiao-Feng Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
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Liu S, Liu Y, Ma J, Lv R, Wang F. Construction of an aging-related risk signature in high-grade serous ovarian cancer for predicting survival outcome and immunogenicity. Medicine (Baltimore) 2023; 102:e34851. [PMID: 37657028 PMCID: PMC10476771 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000034851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies have shown that aging significantly impacts tumorigenesis, survival outcome, and treatment efficacy in various tumors, covering high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). Therefore, the objective for this investigation is to construct an aging-relevant risk signature for the first time, which will help evaluate the immunogenicity and survival status for patients with HGSOC. Totaling 1727 patients with HGSOC, along with their mRNA genomic data and clinical survival data, were obtained based on 5 independent cohorts. The Lasso-Cox regression model was utilized to identify the aging genes that had the most significant impact on prognosis. The risk signature was developed by integrating the determined gene expression and accordant model weights. Additionally, immunocytes in the microenvironment, signaling pathways, and immune-relevant signatures were assessed based on distinct risk subgroups. Finally, 2 cohorts that underwent treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) were employed to confirm the effects of identified risk signature on ICI efficacy. An aging signature was constructed from 12 relevant genes, which showed improved survival outcomes in low-risk HGSOC patients across discovery and 4 validation cohorts (all P < .05). The low-risk subgroup showed better immunocyte infiltration and higher enrichment of immune pathways and ICI predictors based on further immunology analysis. Notably, in the immunotherapeutic cohorts, low-risk aging signature was observed to link to better immunotherapeutic outcomes and increased response rates. Together, our constructed signature of aging has the potential to assess not only the prognosis outcome and immunogenicity, but also, importantly, the efficacy of ICI treatment. This signature provides valuable insights for prognosis prediction and immunotherapeutic effect evaluation, ultimately promoting individualized treatment for HGSOC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suxia Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Donggang Branch, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Gansu Lanzhou, China
| | - Yuexia Liu
- Medical Security Service Center of Pingchuan District, Gansu Baiyin, China
| | - Jianhong Ma
- The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Gansu Lanzhou, China
| | - Rou Lv
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Donggang Branch, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Gansu Lanzhou, China
| | - Fang Wang
- The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Gansu Lanzhou, China
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40
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Plaja A, Teruel I, Ochoa-de-Olza M, Cucurull M, Arroyo ÁJ, Pardo B, Ortiz I, Gil-Martin M, Piulats JM, Pla H, Fina C, Carbó A, Barretina-Ginesta MP, Martínez-Román S, Carballas E, González A, Esteve A, Romeo M. Prognostic Role of Neutrophil, Monocyte and Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratios in Advanced Ovarian Cancer According to the Time of Debulking Surgery. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11420. [PMID: 37511180 PMCID: PMC10380459 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411420] [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: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite a multimodal radical treatment, mortality of advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (AEOC) remains high. Host-related factors, such as systemic inflammatory response and its interplay with the immune system, remain underexplored. We hypothesized that the prognostic impact of this response could vary between patients undergoing primary debulking surgery (PDS) and those undergoing interval debulking surgery (IDS). Therefore, we evaluated the outcomes of two surgical groups of newly diagnosed AEOC patients according to the neutrophil, monocyte and platelet to lymphocyte ratios (NLR, MLR, PLR), taking median ratio values as cutoffs. In the PDS group (n = 61), low NLR and PLR subgroups showed significantly better overall survival (not reached (NR) vs. 72.7 months, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 40.9-95.2, p = 0.019; and NR vs. 56.1 months, 95% CI: 40.9-95.2, p = 0.004, respectively) than those with high values. Similar results were observed in progression free survival. NLR and PLR-high values resulted in negative prognostic factors, adjusting for residual disease, BRCA1/2 status and stage (HR 2.48, 95% CI: 1.03-5.99, p = 0.043, and HR 2.91, 95% CI: 1.11-7.64, p = 0.03, respectively). In the IDS group (n = 85), ratios were not significant prognostic factors. We conclude that NLR and PLR may have prognostic value in the PDS setting, but none in IDS, suggesting that time of surgery can modulate the prognostic impact of baseline complete blood count (CBC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Plaja
- Medical Oncology Department, Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO)-Badalona, Badalona Applied Research Group in Oncology (BARGO), Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Iris Teruel
- Medical Oncology Department, Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO)-Badalona, Badalona Applied Research Group in Oncology (BARGO), Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Maria Ochoa-de-Olza
- Medical Oncology Department, Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO)-Badalona, Badalona Applied Research Group in Oncology (BARGO), Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Marc Cucurull
- Medical Oncology Department, Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO)-Badalona, Badalona Applied Research Group in Oncology (BARGO), Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Álvaro Javier Arroyo
- Medical Oncology Department, Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO)-L'Hospitalet, Hospital Duran i Reynals, Institut d'Investigació de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Beatriz Pardo
- Medical Oncology Department, Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO)-L'Hospitalet, Hospital Duran i Reynals, Institut d'Investigació de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Irene Ortiz
- Medical Oncology Department, Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO)-L'Hospitalet, Hospital Duran i Reynals, Institut d'Investigació de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Gil-Martin
- Medical Oncology Department, Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO)-L'Hospitalet, Hospital Duran i Reynals, Institut d'Investigació de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep María Piulats
- Medical Oncology Department, Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO)-L'Hospitalet, Hospital Duran i Reynals, Institut d'Investigació de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Helena Pla
- Medical Oncology Department, Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO)-Girona, Girona Biomedical Research Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona (IDIBGi), 17007 Girona, Spain
| | - Claudia Fina
- Medical Oncology Department, Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO)-Girona, Girona Biomedical Research Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona (IDIBGi), 17007 Girona, Spain
| | - Anna Carbó
- Medical Oncology Department, Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO)-Girona, Girona Biomedical Research Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona (IDIBGi), 17007 Girona, Spain
| | - Maria-Pilar Barretina-Ginesta
- Medical Oncology Department, Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO)-Girona, Girona Biomedical Research Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona (IDIBGi), 17007 Girona, Spain
| | - Sergio Martínez-Román
- Obstetrics and Gynecologycal Department, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Elvira Carballas
- Obstetrics and Gynecologycal Department, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Andrea González
- Medical Oncology Department, Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO)-Badalona, Badalona Applied Research Group in Oncology (BARGO), Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Anna Esteve
- Medical Oncology Department, Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO)-Badalona, Badalona Applied Research Group in Oncology (BARGO), Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Margarita Romeo
- Medical Oncology Department, Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO)-Badalona, Badalona Applied Research Group in Oncology (BARGO), Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), 08916 Badalona, Spain
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Pan Q, Wang Q, Zhao T, Zhao X, Liang Y, Shi M, Chen C, Lin F. FAK inhibitor PF-562271 inhibits the migration and proliferation of high-grade serous ovarian cancer cells through FAK and FAK mediated cell cycle arrest. Med Oncol 2023; 40:215. [PMID: 37382687 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-023-02092-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a promising therapeutic target for various cancers and its inhibitor development is in full swing. PF-562271 is a classic FAK inhibitor that has shown promising preclinical data and has been found to exhibit an anti-migration effect on some cancer cells. However, its anticancer effect on high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) has not been reported. In this study, we evaluated the anti-migration and anti-proliferation effects of PF-562271 against HGSOC SKOV3 and A2780 cells, as well as the underlying mechanism. The results demonstrated that FAK was overexpressed in clinical HGSOC tissues and was positively correlated with the pathological progression of HGSOC. Moreover, HGSOC patients with high FAK expression levels exhibited low survival rates. PF-562271 treatment significantly inhibited the cell adhesion and migration of SKOV3 and A2780 cells by inhibiting p-FAK expression and decreasing the FA surface area. Additionally, PF-562271 treatment inhibited colony formation and induced cell senescence through G1 phase cell cycle arrest mediated DNA replication inhibition. Taken together, the findings demonstrated that FAK inhibitor PF-562271 significantly inhibits HGSOC cell adhesion, migration, and proliferation process through FAK and/or FAK mediated cell cycle arrest, and suggested that PF-562271 could serve as a potential oncotherapeutic agent for HGSOC targeting treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qionghui Pan
- Third Affiliated Hospital of Shanghai University, Wenzhou Third Clinical Institute Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou People's Hospital, Wenzhou, China
| | - Qingyu Wang
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tianshu Zhao
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xinyu Zhao
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yixin Liang
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mengyun Shi
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Cong Chen
- Third Affiliated Hospital of Shanghai University, Wenzhou Third Clinical Institute Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou People's Hospital, Wenzhou, China
| | - Feng Lin
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China.
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Yoon WH, DeFazio A, Kasherman L. Immune checkpoint inhibitors in ovarian cancer: where do we go from here? CANCER DRUG RESISTANCE (ALHAMBRA, CALIF.) 2023; 6:358-377. [PMID: 37457131 PMCID: PMC10344730 DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2023.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most lethal gynaecological malignancy, and despite advancements in therapeutics, most women unfortunately still succumb to their disease. Immunotherapies, in particular immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), have been therapeutically transformative in many tumour types, including gynaecological malignancies such as cervical and endometrial cancer. Unfortunately, these therapeutic successes have not been mirrored in ovarian cancer clinical studies. This review provides an overview of the ovarian tumour microenvironment (TME), particularly factors associated with survival, and explores current research into immunotherapeutic strategies in EOC, with an exploratory focus on novel therapeutics in navigating drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won-Hee Yoon
- Department of Medical Oncology, Blacktown Cancer and Haematology Centre, Blacktown Hospital, Blacktown 2148, Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre, Westmead Hospital, Westmead 2145, Australia
- Centre for Cancer Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead 2145, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown 2050, Australia
| | - Anna DeFazio
- Centre for Cancer Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead 2145, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown 2050, Australia
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead 2145, Australia
- The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a joint venture with Cancer Council New South Wales, Sydney 2011, Australia
| | - Lawrence Kasherman
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown 2050, Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Illawarra Cancer Care Centre, Wollongong 2500, Australia
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McGray AJR, Chiello JL, Tsuji T, Long M, Maraszek K, Gaulin N, Rosario SR, Hess SM, Abrams SI, Kozbor D, Odunsi K, Zsiros E. BiTE secretion by adoptively transferred stem-like T cells improves FRα+ ovarian cancer control. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e006863. [PMID: 37647218 PMCID: PMC10314690 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-006863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer immunotherapies can produce complete therapeutic responses, however, outcomes in ovarian cancer (OC) are modest. While adoptive T-cell transfer (ACT) has been evaluated in OC, durable effects are rare. Poor therapeutic efficacy is likely multifactorial, stemming from limited antigen recognition, insufficient tumor targeting due to a suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), and limited intratumoral accumulation/persistence of infused T cells. Importantly, host T cells infiltrate tumors, and ACT approaches that leverage endogenous tumor-infiltrating T cells for antitumor immunity could effectively magnify therapeutic responses. METHODS Using retroviral transduction, we have generated T cells that secrete a folate receptor alpha (FRα)-directed bispecific T-cell engager (FR-B T cells), a tumor antigen commonly overexpressed in OC and other tumor types. The antitumor activity and therapeutic efficacy of FR-B T cells was assessed using FRα+ cancer cell lines, OC patient samples, and preclinical tumor models with accompanying mechanistic studies. Different cytokine stimulation of T cells (interleukin (IL)-2+IL-7 vs IL-2+IL-15) during FR-B T cell production and the resulting impact on therapeutic outcome following ACT was also assessed. RESULTS FR-B T cells efficiently lysed FRα+ cell lines, targeted FRα+ OC patient tumor cells, and were found to engage and activate patient T cells present in the TME through secretion of T cell engagers. Additionally, FR-B T cell therapy was effective in an immunocompetent in vivo OC model, with response duration dependent on both endogenous T cells and FR-B T cell persistence. IL-2/IL-15 preconditioning prior to ACT produced less differentiated FR-B T cells and enhanced therapeutic efficacy, with mechanistic studies revealing preferential accumulation of TCF-1+CD39-CD69- stem-like CD8+ FR B T cells in the peritoneal cavity over solid tumors. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of FR-B T cells in OC and suggest FR-B T cells can persist in extratumoral spaces while actively directing antitumor immunity. As the therapeutic activity of infused T cell therapies in solid tumor indications is often limited by poor intratumoral accumulation of transferred T cells, engager-secreting T cells that can effectively leverage endogenous immunity may have distinct mechanistic advantages for enhancing therapeutic responses rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Robert McGray
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Jessie L Chiello
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Takemasa Tsuji
- Center for Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
- University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Mark Long
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Kathryn Maraszek
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Nicole Gaulin
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Spencer R Rosario
- Center for Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Suzanne M Hess
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Scott I Abrams
- Center for Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Danuta Kozbor
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Kunle Odunsi
- Center for Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
- University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Emese Zsiros
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
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Kumari R, Hosseini ES, Warrington KE, Milonas T, Payne KK. Butyrophilins: Dynamic Regulators of Protective T Cell Immunity in Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108722. [PMID: 37240071 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The efficacy of current immunotherapies remains limited in many solid epithelial malignancies. Recent investigations into the biology of butyrophilin (BTN) and butyrophilin-like (BTNL) molecules, however, suggest these molecules are potent immunosuppressors of antigen-specific protective T cell activity in tumor beds. BTN and BTNL molecules also associate with each other dynamically on cellular surfaces in specific contexts, which modulates their biology. At least in the case of BTN3A1, this dynamism drives the immunosuppression of αβ T cells or the activation of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells. Clearly, there is much to learn regarding the biology of BTN and BTNL molecules in the context of cancer, where they may represent intriguing immunotherapeutic targets that could potentially synergize with the current class of immune modulators in cancer. Here, we discuss our current understanding of BTN and BTNL biology, with a particular focus on BTN3A1, and potential therapeutic implications for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rinkee Kumari
- Medical Immunology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Elaheh Sadat Hosseini
- Medical Immunology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Rutgers School of Graduate Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Kristen E Warrington
- Medical Immunology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Tyler Milonas
- Medical Immunology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Kyle K Payne
- Medical Immunology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Rutgers School of Graduate Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA
- Department of Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
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45
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Kim JW, Kim S, Yang SY, Joung JG, Hwang S. T-Cell Receptor Repertoire Characteristics Associated with Prognostic Significance in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14040785. [PMID: 37107543 PMCID: PMC10137910 DOI: 10.3390/genes14040785] [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: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is a fatal gynecological malignancy. Somatic recombination occurring during T-cell receptor (TCR) development results in TCR diversity, and the TCR repertoire, thus produced, is associated with immune response. This study analyzed the difference in the TCR repertoire and their prognostic significance in 51 patients with HGSOC. The patient's clinical characteristics, gene expression pattern, TCR clonotypes, and degree of tumor-infiltrating leukocytes (TILs) were analyzed, and the patients were divided into groups depending on their recurrence pattern, tumor-infiltrating leukocyte (TIL) score, and homologous recombinant repair pathway deficiency (HRD)-associated mutations. The TCR repertoire was low in patients with recurrence and showed the expansion of eight TCR segments. Interestingly, a few genes correlated with the TCRs also showed a difference in expression according to the prognosis. Among them, seven genes were related to immune responses and KIAA1199 was up-regulated in ovarian cancer. Our study shows that the differences in the TCR repertoire in patients with ovarian cancer and their associated immune pathways could affect the prognosis of HGSOC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju-Won Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam 13488, Republic of Korea
| | - Sewha Kim
- Department of Pathology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam 13496, Republic of Korea
- Department of Pathology, Korea Medical Institute, Seoul 03173, Republic of Korea
| | - So-Yun Yang
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam 13488, Republic of Korea
| | - Je-Gun Joung
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam 13488, Republic of Korea
- Institute for Biomedical Informatics, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam 13488, Republic of Korea
- CHA Future Medicine Research Institute, CHA Bundang Medical Center, Seongnam 13488, Republic of Korea
| | - Sohyun Hwang
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam 13488, Republic of Korea
- Department of Pathology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam 13496, Republic of Korea
- CHA Future Medicine Research Institute, CHA Bundang Medical Center, Seongnam 13488, Republic of Korea
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Li C, Deng T, Cao J, Zhou Y, Luo X, Feng Y, Huang H, Liu J. Identifying ITGB2 as a Potential Prognostic Biomarker in Ovarian Cancer. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13061169. [PMID: 36980477 PMCID: PMC10047357 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13061169] [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: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer is by far the most lethal gynecological malignancy. The exploration of promising immunomarkers to predict prognosis in ovarian cancer patients remains challenging. In our research, we carried out an integrated bioinformatic analysis of genome expressions and their immune characteristics in the ovarian cancer microenvironment with validation in different experiments. We filtrated 332 differentially expressed genes with 10 upregulated hub genes from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. These genes were closely related to ovarian tumorigenesis. Subsequently, the survival and immune infiltration analysis demonstrated that the upregulation of five candidate genes, ITGB2, VEGFA, CLDN4, OCLN, and SPP1, were correlated with an unfavorable clinical outcome and increased immune cell infiltration in ovarian cancer. Of these genes, ITGB2 tended to be the gene most correlated with various immune cell infiltrations and had a strong correlation with significant M2 macrophages infiltration (r = 0.707, p = 4.71 × 10-39), while it had a moderate correlation with CD4+/CD8+ T cells and B cells. This characteristic explains why the high expression of ITGB2 was accompanied by immune activation but did not reverse carcinogenesis. Additionally, we confirmed that ITGB2 was over-expressed in ovarian cancer tissues and was mainly located in cytoplasm, detected by Western blotting and the immunohistochemical method. In summary, ITGB2 may serve as a prognostic immunomarker for ovarian cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanyuan Li
- Cancer Center, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Ting Deng
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Junya Cao
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Xiaolin Luo
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Yanling Feng
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - He Huang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Jihong Liu
- Cancer Center, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
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47
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Han S, Chen X, Li Z. Innate Immune Program in Formation of Tumor-Initiating Cells from Cells-of-Origin of Breast, Prostate, and Ovarian Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15030757. [PMID: 36765715 PMCID: PMC9913549 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15030757] [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: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor-initiating cells (TICs), also known as cancer stem cells (CSCs), are cancer cells that can initiate a tumor, possess self-renewal capacity, and can contribute to tumor heterogeneity. TICs/CSCs are developed from their cells-of-origin. In breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers, progenitor cells for mammary alveolar cells, prostate luminal (secretory) cells, and fallopian tube secretory cells are the preferred cellular origins for their corresponding cancer types. These luminal progenitors (LPs) express common innate immune program (e.g., Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling)-related genes. Microbes such as bacteria are now found in breast, prostate, and fallopian tube tissues and their corresponding cancer types, raising the possibility that their LPs may sense the presence of microbes and trigger their innate immune/TLR pathways, leading to an inflammatory microenvironment. Crosstalk between immune cells (e.g., macrophages) and affected epithelial cells (e.g., LPs) may eventually contribute to formation of TICs/CSCs from their corresponding LPs, in part via STAT3 and/or NFκB pathways. As such, TICs/CSCs can inherit expression of innate-immunity/TLR-pathway-related genes from their cells-of-origin; the innate immune program may also represent their unique vulnerability, which can be explored therapeutically (e.g., by enhancing immunotherapy via augmenting TLR signaling).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Han
- Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Xueqing Chen
- Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Zhe Li
- Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-617-525-4740
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Cavarzerani E, Caligiuri I, Bartoletti M, Canzonieri V, Rizzolio F. 3D dynamic cultures of HGSOC organoids to model innovative and standard therapies. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1135374. [PMID: 37143603 PMCID: PMC10151532 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1135374] [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: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) needs new technologies for improving cancer diagnosis and therapy. It is a fatal disease with few options for the patients. In this context, dynamic culture systems coupling with patient-derived cancer 3D microstructures could offer a new opportunity for exploring novel therapeutic approaches. In this study, we optimized a passive microfluidic platform with 3D cancer organoids, which allows a standardized approach among different patients, a minimum requirement of samples, multiple interrogations of biological events, and a rapid response. The passive flow was optimized to improve the growth of cancer organoids, avoiding the disruption of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Under optimized conditions of the OrganoFlow (tilting angle of 15° and an interval of rocking every 8 min), the cancer organoids grow faster than when they are in static conditions and the number of dead cells is reduced over time. To calculate the IC 50 values of standard chemotherapeutic drugs (carboplatin, paclitaxel, and doxorubicin) and targeted drugs (ATRA), different approaches were utilized. Resazurin staining, ATP-based assay, and DAPI/PI colocalization assays were compared, and the IC 50 values were calculated. The results showed that in the passive flow, the IC 50 values are lower than in static conditions. FITC-labeled paclitaxel shows a better penetration of ECM under passive flow than in static conditions, and cancer organoids start to die after 48 h instead of 96 h, respectively. Cancer organoids are the last frontiers for ex vivo testing of drugs that replicate the response of patients in the clinic. For this study, organoids derived from ascites or tissues of patients with Ovarian Cancer have been used. In conclusion, it was possible to develop a protocol for organoid cultures in a passive microfluidic platform with a higher growth rate, faster drug response, and better penetration of drugs into ECM, maintaining the samples' vitals and collecting the data on the same plate for up to 16 drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Cavarzerani
- Pathology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (C.R.O.) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Venice, Italy
| | - Isabella Caligiuri
- Pathology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (C.R.O.) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Michele Bartoletti
- Unit of Medical Oncology and Cancer Prevention, Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Canzonieri
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Venice, Italy
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Flavio Rizzolio
- Pathology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (C.R.O.) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Venice, Italy
- *Correspondence: Flavio Rizzolio,
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49
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Dangaj Laniti D, Coukos G. Genetics and anatomy sculpt immune-cell partners of ovarian cancer. Nature 2022; 612:634-636. [PMID: 36517683 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-022-04169-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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