CD8+ T cell metabolism in infection and cancer

Reversal of T-cell exhaustion: Mechanisms and synergistic approaches

T cells suffer from long-term antigen stimulation and insufficient energy supply, leading to a decline in their effector functions, memory capabilities, and proliferative capacity, ultimately resulting in T cell exhaustion and an inability to perform normal immune functions in the tumor microenvironment. Therefore, exploring how to restore these exhausted T cells to a state with effector functions is of great significance. Exhausted T cells exhibit a spectrum of molecular alterations, such as heightened expression of inhibitory receptors, shifts in transcription factor profiles, and modifications across epigenetic, metabolic, and transcriptional landscapes. This review provides a comprehensive overview of various strategies to reverse T cell exhaustion, including immune checkpoint blockade, and explores the potential synergistic effects of combining multiple approaches to reverse T cell exhaustion. It offers new insights and methods for achieving more durable and effective reversal of T cell exhaustion.

ARHGAP4 promotes colon cancer metastasis through the TGF-β signaling pathway and may be associated with T cell exhaustion

BACKGROUND

Colon cancer is a prevalent invasive neoplasm in the gastrointestinal system with a high degree of malignancy. Despite extensive research, the underlying mechanisms of its recurrence and metastasis remain elusive.Rho GTPase activating protein 4 (ARHGAP4), a member of the small GTPases protein family, may be closely related to tumor metastasis, and its expression is increased in colon cancer. However, the role of ARHGAP4 in colon cancer metastasis is uncertain. This study investigates the impact of ARHGAP4 on the metastasis of colon cancer cells. Our objective is to determine the role of ARHGAP4 in regulating the invasive behavior of colon cancer cells.

METHODS

We downloaded colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and performed differential analysis and survival analysis. By using the CIBERSORT algorithm, we evaluated the proportion of infiltrating immune cells in colon cancer. We further analyzed whether ARHGAP4 is associated with T cell exhaustion. Finally, we investigated the impact of ARHGAP4 knockdown on the migration and invasion of colon cancer cells through in vitro cell experiments. Additionally, we utilized western blotting to assess the expression of protein related to the TGF-β signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

RESULTS

We found that ARHGAP4 is upregulated in colon cancer. Subsequent survival analysis revealed that the high-expression group had significantly lower survival rates compared to the low-expression group. Immune infiltration analysis showed that ARHGAP4 was not only positively correlated with CD8+ T cells, but also positively correlated with T cell exhaustion markers programmed cell death 1 (PDCD-1), cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), and lymphocyte activating 3 (LAG-3). In vitro cell experiments, the knockdown of ARHGAP4 inhibited the migration and invasion of colon cancer cells. Among EMT-related proteins, when ARHGAP4 was knocked down, the expression of E-cadherin was increased, while the expression of N-cadherin and Vimentin was decreased. Meanwhile, the expression of TGF-β1, p-Smad2, and p-Smad3, which are associated with the TGF-β/Smad pathway, all decreased.

CONCLUSION

ARHGAP4 promotes colon cancer metastasis through the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway and may be associated with T cell exhaustion. It plays an important role in the progression of colon cancer and may serve as a potential target for diagnosis and treatment of colon cancer.

The cytokine Meteorin-like inhibits anti-tumor CD8+ T cell responses by disrupting mitochondrial function

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) hypofunction contributes to the progression of advanced cancers and is a frequent target of immunotherapy. Emerging evidence indicates that metabolic insufficiency drives T cell hypofunction during tonic stimulation, but the signals that initiate metabolic reprogramming in this context are largely unknown. Here, we found that Meteorin-like (METRNL), a metabolically active cytokine secreted by immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME), induced bioenergetic failure of CD8+ T cells. METRNL was secreted by CD8+ T cells during repeated stimulation and acted via both autocrine and paracrine signaling. Mechanistically, METRNL increased E2F-peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARδ) activity, causing mitochondrial depolarization and decreased oxidative phosphorylation, which triggered a compensatory bioenergetic shift to glycolysis. Metrnl ablation or downregulation improved the metabolic fitness of CD8+ T cells and enhanced tumor control in several tumor models, demonstrating the translational potential of targeting the METRNL-E2F-PPARδ pathway to support bioenergetic fitness of CD8+ TILs.

Fe3O4@R837 Nanoplatform Enhances Chemical Dynamic Therapy and Immunotherapy: Integrated Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Key Genes in Breast Cancer Prognosis

Breast cancer represents a substantial contributor to mortality rates among women with cancer. Chemical dynamic therapy is a promising anticancer strategy that utilizes the Fenton reaction to transform naturally occurring hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into hydroxyl radicals (•OH). Additionally, cancer immunotherapy using immune drugs, such as imiquimod (R837), has shown promise in activating T cells to kill tumor cells. In this study, we proposed a Fe3O4@R837 smart nanoplatform that can trigger the Fenton reaction and induce immune responses in breast cancer treatment. Furthermore, we performed transcriptome sequencing on breast cancer samples and used the R package (limma) to analyze differential expression profiles and select differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We obtained clinical information and RNA expression matrix data from The Cancer Genome Atlas database to perform survival analysis and identify prognostic-related genes (PRGs) and molecular subtypes with distinct prognoses. We used the TIMER 2.0 web and other methods to determine the tumor immune microenvironment and immune status of different prognostic subtypes. We identified DPGs by taking the intersection of DEGs and PRGs and performed functional analyses, including gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis, to elucidate potential mechanisms. Subsequently, we constructed a protein-protein interaction network using the STRING database to visualize the interactions between the DPGs. We screened hub genes from the DPGs using the Cytoscape plugin and identified six hub genes: CD3E, GZMK, CD27, SH2D1A, ZAP70, and TIGIT. Our results indicate that these six key genes regulate immune cell recruitment to increase T-cell cytotoxicity and kill tumors. Targeting these key genes can enhance immunotherapy and improve the breast cancer prognosis.

Malic enzyme 2 maintains metabolic state and anti-tumor immunity of CD8+ T cells

The functional integrity of CD8+ T cells is closely linked to metabolic reprogramming; therefore, understanding the metabolic basis of CD8+ T cell activation and antitumor immunity could provide insights into tumor immunotherapy. Here, we report that ME2 is critical for mouse CD8+ T cell activation and immune response against malignancy. ME2 deficiency suppresses CD8+ T cell activation and anti-tumor immune response in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, ME2 depletion blocks the TCA cycle flux, leading to the accumulation of fumarate. Fumarate directly binds to DAPK1 and inhibits its activity by competing with ATP for binding. Notably, pharmacological inhibition of DAPK1 abolishes the anti-tumor function conferred by ME2 to CD8+ T cells. Collectively, these findings demonstrate a role for ME2 in the regulation of CD8+ T cell metabolism and effector functions as well as an unexpected function for fumarate as a metabolic signal in the inhibition of DAPK1.

Novel insights: crosstalk with non-puerperal mastitis and immunity

The two primary types of non-puerperal mastitis (NPM) are granulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM) and plasma cell mastitis (PCM). Existing research indicates that immune inflammatory response is considered to be the core of the pathogenesis of GLM and PCM, and both innate and adaptive immune responses play an important role in the pathophysiology of PCM and GLM. However, the regulatory balance between various immune cells in these diseases is still unclear. Consequently, we present a comprehensive summary of the immune-related variables and recent advances in GLM and PCM.

Disulfidptosis-Related LncRNA Signatures for Prognostic Prediction in Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma

INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND

Disulfidptosis is a prevalent apoptotic mechanism, intrinsically linked to cancer prognosis. However, the specific involvement of disulfidptosis-related long non-coding RNA (DRLncRNAs) in Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) remains incompletely understood. This study aims to elucidate the potential prognostic significance of disulfidptosis-related LncRNAs in KIRC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Expression profiles and clinical data of KIRC patients were retrieved from the TCGA database to discern differentially expressed DRLncRNAs correlated with overall survival. Cox univariate analysis, Lasso Regression, and Cox multivariate analysis were used to construct a clinical prediction model.

RESULTS

Six signatures, namely FAM83C.AS1, AC136475.2, AC121338.2, AC026401.3, AC254562.3, and AC000050.2, were established to evaluate overall survival (OS) in the context of Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) in this study. Survival analysis and ROC curves demonstrated the strong predictive performance of the associated signature. The nomogram exhibited accurate prognostic predictions for overall patient survival, offering substantial clinical utility. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that risk signals were enriched in various immune-related pathways. Furthermore, the risk features exhibited significant correlations with immune cells, immune function, immune cell infiltration, and immune checkpoints.

CONCLUSION

This study has unveiled, for the first time, six disulfdptosis-related LncRNA signatures, laying a solid foundation for enhanced and precise prognostic predictions in KIRC.

Integrated bioinformatics analysis of nucleotide metabolism based molecular subtyping and biomarkers in lung adenocarcinoma

Background

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), a predominant subtype of non-small cell lung cancers, continues to challenge treatment outcomes due to its heterogeneity and complex tumor microenvironment (TME). Dysregulation in nucleotide metabolism has been identified as a significant factor in tumorigenesis, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target.

Methods

This study analyzed LUAD samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) using Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) clustering, Weighted Correlation Network Analysis (WGCNA), and various machine learning techniques. We investigated the role of nucleotide metabolism in relation to clinical features and immune microenvironment through large-scale data analysis and single-cell sequencing. Using in vivo and in vitro experiments such as RT-qPCR, Western Blot, immunohistochemistry, and subcutaneous tumor formation in mice, we further validated the functions of key nucleotide metabolism genes in cell lines and animals.

Results

Nucleotide metabolism genes classified LUAD patients into two distinct subtypes with significant prognostic differences. The 'C1' subtype associated with active nucleotide metabolism pathways showed poorer prognosis and a more aggressive tumor phenotype. Furthermore, a nucleotide metabolism-related score (NMRS) calculated from the expression of 28 key genes effectively differentiated between patient outcomes and predicted associations with oncogenic pathways and immune responses. By integrating various immune infiltration algorithms, we delineated the associations between nucleotide metabolism signature genes and the tumor microenvironment, and characterized their distribution differences at the cellular level by analyzing single-cell sequencing dataset related to immunochemotherapy. Finally, we demonstrated the differential expression of the key nucleotide metabolism gene AUNIP acts as an oncogene to promote LUAD cell proliferation and is associated with tumor immune infiltration.

Conclusion

The study underscores the pivotal role of nucleotide metabolism in LUAD progression and prognosis, highlighting the NMRS as a valuable biomarker for clinical outcomes and therapeutic responses. Specifically, AUNIP functions as a critical oncogene, offering a promising target for novel treatment strategies in LUAD.

Liraglutide enhances the effect of checkpoint blockade in lung and liver cancers through the inhibition of neutrophil extracellular traps

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) regulates glycemic excursions by augmenting insulin production and inhibiting glucagon secretion. Liraglutide, a long-acting GLP-1 analog, can improve glycemic control for treating type 2 diabetes and prevent neutrophil extravasation in inflammation. Here, we explored the role of liraglutide in the development and therapy of murine lung and liver cancers. In this study, liraglutide substantially decreased circulating neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) markers myeloperoxidase, elastase, and dsDNA in Lewis lung cancer (LLC) and Hepa1-6 tumor-bearing mice. Furthermore, liraglutide downregulated NETs and reactive oxygen species (ROS) of neutrophils in the tumor microenvironment. Functionally, in vitro experiments showed that liraglutide reduced NET formation by inhibiting ROS. In addition, we showed that liraglutide enhanced the anti-tumoral efficiency of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) inhibition in LLC and Hepa1-6 tumor-bearing C57BL/6 mice. However, the removal of NETs significantly weakened the antitumor efficiency of liraglutide. We further demonstrated that the long-term antitumor CD8+ T cell responses induced by the combination therapy rejected rechallenges by respective tumor cell lines. Taken together, our findings suggest that liraglutide may promote the anti-tumoral efficiency of PD-1 inhibition by reducing NETs in lung and liver cancers.

A novel m6A/m5C/m1A/m7G-related classification and risk signature predicts prognosis and reveals immunotherapy inclination in gastric cancer

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) is characterized by high morbidity and mortality rates, and the prognosis is not optimistic. Therefore, the search for new biomarkers is crucial. Methylation modifications in RNA modifications play a crucial role in tumors. However, the role of methylation modification of integrated m6A/m5C/m1A/m7G, in GC and its related analysis have not been reported. It still needs to be studied in depth. Our study aims to deepen our understanding of m6A/m5C/m1A/m7G methylation and potentially provide new strategies for GC treatment.

Methods

We used TCGA-STAD (The Cancer Genome Atlas-Stomach Adenocarcinoma) as a training set and GSE84433 as a validation set to analyze and determine potential associations between m6A/m5C/m1A/m7G-related genes and clinical risk of GC. In addition, we explored the prognostic value and potential biological mechanisms of m6A/m5C/m1A/m7G-related genes in GC through consistent clustering, differential expression gene identification, enrichment analysis, and immune infiltration analysis. Finally, we constructed m6A/m5C/m1A/m7G-related risk signature (MRRS) to evaluate the correlation between risk grade and survival prognosis, drug sensitivity, and immune infiltration, and validated the validity by immunohistochemical staining.

Results

We identified subgroups of C1, C2, and C3 patients by consensus clustering using data from 45 m6A/m5C/m1A/m7G-related genes. The three groups showed significant differences in survival, immune scores, and immune cell infiltration. We then constructed MRRS using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis, including SLC5A6, FKBP10, GPC3, and GGH, which could accurately differentiate between high-/low-risk populations. Its accuracy was further validated in the validation set and immunohistochemical staining. These results suggest that m6A/m5C/m1A/m7G are closely related to the GC tumor immune microenvironment, and MRRS has good performance in predicting the survival of GC patients.

Conclusions

In this study, we highlighted the association of m6A/m5C/m1A/m7G subtypes with changes in the GC immunotumor microenvironment. We constructed and validated MRRS, which is valuable in predicting survival, immune infiltration and drug sensitivity in GC patients. This helps to deepen our understanding of m6A/m5C/m1A/m7G methylation and potentially provides new strategies for GC treatment.

G protein-coupled receptor-mediated signaling of immunomodulation in tumor progression

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are essential contributors to tumor growth and metastasis due to their roles in immune cell regulation. Therefore, GPCRs are potential targets for cancer immunotherapy. Here, we discuss the current understanding of the roles of GPCRs and their signaling pathways in tumor progression from an immunocellular perspective. Additionally, we focus on the roles of GPCRs in regulating immune checkpoint proteins involved in immune evasion. Finally, we review the progress of clinical trials of GPCR-targeted drugs for cancer treatment, which may be combined with immunotherapy to improve treatment efficacy. This expanded understanding of the role of GPCRs may shed light on the mechanisms underlying tumor progression and provide a novel perspective on cancer immunotherapy.

T cell exhaustion in human cancers

T cell exhaustion refers to a progressive state in which T cells become functionally impaired due to sustained antigenic stimulation, which is characterized by increased expression of immune inhibitory receptors, but weakened effector functions, reduced self-renewal capacity, altered epigenetics, transcriptional programme and metabolism. T cell exhaustion is one of the major causes leading to immune escape of cancer, creating an environment that supports tumor development and metastatic spread. In addition, T cell exhaustion plays a pivotal role to the efficacy of current immunotherapies for cancer. This review aims to provide a comprehensive view of roles of T cell exhaustion in cancer development and progression. We summerized the regulatory mechanisms that involved in T cell exhaustion, including transcription factors, epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming events, and various microenvironmental factors such as cytokines, microorganisms, and tumor autocrine substances. The paper also discussed the challenges posed by T cell exhaustion to cancer immunotherapies, including immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies and chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy, highlightsing the obstacles encountered in ICB therapies and CAR-T therapies due to T cell exhaustion. Finally, the article provides an overview of current therapeutic options aimed to reversing or alleviating T cell exhaustion in ICB and CAR-T therapies. These therapeutic approaches seek to overcome T cell exhaustion and enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapies in treating tumors.

Immune-inflammatory modulation by natural products derived from edible and medicinal herbs used in Chinese classical prescriptions

BACKGROUND

Edible and medicinal herbs1 (EMHs) refer to a class of substances with dual attribution of food and medicine. These substances are traditionally used as food and also listed in many international pharmacopoeias, including the European Pharmacopoeia, the United States Pharmacopoeia, and the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Some classical formulas that are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine include a series of EMHs, which have been shown to be effective with obvious characteristics and advantages. Notably, these EMHs and Chinese classical prescriptions2 (CCPs) have also attracted attention in international herbal medicine research because of their low toxicity and high efficiency as well as the rich body of experience for their long-term clinical use.

PURPOSE

Our purpose is to explore the potential therapeutic effect of EMHs with immune-inflammatory modulation for the study of modern cancer drugs.

STUDY DESIGN

In the present study, we present a detailed account of some EMHs used in CCPs that have shown considerable research potential in studies exploring modern drugs with immune-inflammatory modulation.

METHODS

Approximately 500 publications in the past 30 years were collected from PubMed, Web of Science and ScienceDirect using the keywords, such as natural products, edible and medicinal herbs, Chinese medicine, classical prescription, immune-inflammatory, tumor microenvironment and some related synonyms. The active ingredients instead of herbal extracts or botanical mixtures were focused on and the research conducted over the past decade were discussed emphatically and analyzed comprehensively.

RESULTS

More than ten natural products derived from EMHs used in CCPs are discussed and their immune-inflammatory modulation activities, including enhancing antitumor immunity, regulating inflammatory signaling pathways, lowering the proportion of immunosuppressive cells, inhibiting the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, immunosuppressive factors, and inflammatory mediators, are summarized.

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrate the immune-inflammatory modulating role of those EMHs used in CCPs and provide new ideas for cancer treatment in clinical settings.

Cytosolic protein translation regulates cell asymmetry and function in early TCR activation of human CD8+ T lymphocytes

Introduction

CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are highly effective in defending against viral infections and tumours. They are activated through the recognition of peptide-MHC-I complex by the T-cell receptor (TCR) and co-stimulation. This cognate interaction promotes the organisation of intimate cell-cell connections that involve cytoskeleton rearrangement to enable effector function and clearance of the target cell. This is key for the asymmetric transport and mobilisation of lytic granules to the cell-cell contact, promoting directed secretion of lytic mediators such as granzymes and perforin. Mitochondria play a role in regulating CTL function by controlling processes such as calcium flux, providing the necessary energy through oxidative phosphorylation, and its own protein translation on 70S ribosomes. However, the effect of acute inhibition of cytosolic translation in the rapid response after TCR has not been studied in mature CTLs.

Methods

Here, we investigated the importance of cytosolic protein synthesis in human CTLs after early TCR activation and CD28 co-stimulation for the dynamic reorganisation of the cytoskeleton, mitochondria, and lytic granules through short-term chemical inhibition of 80S ribosomes by cycloheximide and 80S and 70S by puromycin.

Results

We observed that eukaryotic ribosome function is required to allow proper asymmetric reorganisation of the tubulin cytoskeleton and mitochondria and mTOR pathway activation early upon TCR activation in human primary CTLs.

Discussion

Cytosolic protein translation is required to increase glucose metabolism and degranulation capacity upon TCR activation and thus to regulate the full effector function of human CTLs.

The recruitment of CD8+ T cells through YBX1 stabilization abrogates tumor intrinsic oncogenic role of MIR155HG in lung adenocarcinoma

Previous studies revealed that MIR155HG possessed an oncogenic role in many types of tumors including lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), along with higher expression in tumors. However, in our study, we observed a positive correlation between MIR155HG expression and overall survival across different cohorts. The transferred PBMC on the NCG mouse model abrogated the tumor intrinsic oncogenic role of MIR155HG in LUAD. Upregulation of MIR155HG positively correlated with CD8+ T cell infiltration both in vitro and in vivo, as well as LUAD tissues. Mechanistically, we revealed that MIR155HG increased the cytokine CCL5 expression at the transcriptional level, which depended on the interaction between MIR155HG and YBX1 protein, a novel transcription factor of CCL5, resulting in the more protein stability of YBX1 through dampening ubiquitination. Additionally, we also observed that MIR155 could increase PD-L1 expression to hamper the activity of recruited CD8+ T cells, which could be rescued through PD-L1 mAb addition. Finally, we uncovered that patients with high MIR155HG expression had a higher response rate to immunotherapy, and the combination of MIR155HG overexpression and PD-L1 mAb increased the efficacy of PD-L1 mAb. Together, our study provides a novel biomarker and potential combination treatment strategy for patients who received immunotherapy.

A Bioinformatic Assay of Quercetin in Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) remains a significant global health challenge, with high mortality rates, especially in developing countries. Current treatments are invasive and have considerable risks, necessitating the exploration of safer alternatives. Quercetin (QRC), a flavonoid present in various plants and foods, has demonstrated multiple health benefits, including anticancer properties. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of QRC in the treatment of GC. We utilized advanced molecular techniques to assess the impact of QRC on GC cells, examining its effects on cellular pathways and gene expression. Our findings indicate that QRC significantly inhibits GC cell proliferation and induces apoptosis, suggesting its potential as a safer therapeutic option for GC treatment. Further research is required to validate these results and explore the clinical applications of QRC in cancer therapy.

The ATP-exporting channel Pannexin 1 promotes CD8+ T cell effector and memory responses

Sensing of extracellular ATP (eATP) controls CD8+ T cell function. Their accumulation can occur through export by specialized molecules, such as the release channel Pannexin 1 (Panx1). Whether Panx1 controls CD8+ T cell immune responses in vivo, however, has not been previously addressed. Here, we report that T-cell-specific Panx1 is needed for CD8+ T cell responses to viral infections and cancer. We found that CD8-specific Panx1 promotes both effector and memory CD8+ T cell responses. Panx1 favors initial effector CD8+ T cell activation through extracellular ATP (eATP) export and subsequent P2RX4 activation, which helps promote full effector differentiation through extracellular lactate accumulation and its subsequent recycling. In contrast, Panx1 promotes memory CD8+ T cell survival primarily through ATP export and subsequent P2RX7 engagement, leading to improved mitochondrial metabolism. In summary, Panx1-mediated eATP export regulates effector and memory CD8+ T cells through distinct purinergic receptors and different metabolic and signaling pathways.

Establishment of an ovarian cancer exhausted CD8+T cells-related genes model by integrated analysis of scRNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq

Ovarian cancer (OC) was the fifth leading cause of cancer death and the deadliest gynecological cancer in women. This was largely attributed to its late diagnosis, high therapeutic resistance, and a dearth of effective treatments. Clinical and preclinical studies have revealed that tumor-infiltrating CD8+T cells often lost their effector function, the dysfunctional state of CD8+T cells was known as exhaustion. Our objective was to identify genes associated with exhausted CD8+T cells (CD8TEXGs) and their prognostic significance in OC. We downloaded the RNA-seq and clinical data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. CD8TEXGs were initially identified from single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) datasets, then univariate Cox regression, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and multivariate Cox regression were utilized to calculate risk score and to develop the CD8TEXGs risk signature. Kaplan-Meier analysis, univariate Cox regression, multivariate Cox regression, time-dependent receiver operating characteristics (ROC), nomogram, and calibration were conducted to verify and evaluate the risk signature. Gene set enrichment analyses (GSEA) in the risk groups were used to figure out the closely correlated pathways with the risk group. The role of risk score has been further explored in the homologous recombination repair deficiency (HRD), BRAC1/2 gene mutations and tumor mutation burden (TMB). A risk signature with 4 CD8TEXGs in OC was finally built in the TCGA database and further validated in large GEO cohorts. The signature also demonstrated broad applicability across various types of cancer in the pan-cancer analysis. The high-risk score was significantly associated with a worse prognosis and the risk score was proven to be an independent prognostic biomarker. The 1-, 3-, and 5-years ROC values, nomogram, calibration, and comparison with the previously published models confirmed the excellent prediction power of this model. The low-risk group patients tended to exhibit a higher HRD score, BRCA1/2 gene mutation ratio and TMB. The low-risk group patients were more sensitive to Poly-ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPi). Our findings of the prognostic value of CD8TEXGs in prognosis and drug response provided valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms and clinical management of OC.

Comprehensive analysis and identification of subtypes and hub genes of high immune response in lung adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

The advent of immunotherapy targeting immune checkpoints has conferred significant clinical advantages to patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD); However, only a limited subset of patients exhibit responsiveness to this treatment. Consequently, there is an imperative need to stratify LUAD patients based on their response to immunotherapy and enhance the therapeutic efficacy of these treatments.

METHODS

The differentially co-expressed genes associated with CD8 + T cells were identified through weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) database. These gene signatures facilitated consensus clustering for TCGA-LUAD and GEO cohorts, categorizing them into distinct immune subtypes (C1, C2, C3, and C4). The Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) model and Immunophenoscore (IPS) analysis were employed to assess the immunotherapy response of these subtypes. Additionally, the impact of inhibitors targeting five hub genes on the interaction between CD8 + T cells and LUAD cells was evaluated using CCK8 and EDU assays. To ascertain the effects of these inhibitors on immune checkpoint genes and the cytotoxicity mediated by CD8 + T cells, flow cytometry, qPCR, and ELISA methods were utilized.

RESULTS

Among the identified immune subtypes, subtypes C1 and C3 were characterized by an abundance of immune components and enhanced immunogenicity. Notably, both C1 and C3 exhibited higher T cell dysfunction scores and elevated expression of immune checkpoint genes. Multi-cohort analysis of Lung Adenocarcinoma (LUAD) suggested that these subtypes might elicit superior responses to immunotherapy and chemotherapy. In vitro experiments involved co-culturing LUAD cells with CD8 + T cells and implementing the inhibition of five pivotal genes to assess their function. The inhibition of these genes mitigated the immunosuppression on CD8 + T cells, reduced the levels of PD1 and PD-L1, and promoted the secretion of IFN-γ and IL-2.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, this study delineated LUAD into four distinct subtypes and identified five hub genes correlated with CD8 + T cell activity. It lays the groundwork for refining personalized therapy and immunotherapy strategies for patients with LUAD.

A Nomogram Based on Platelet Distribution Width-to-Lymphocyte Ratio to Predict Overall Survival in Patients with Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Purpose

To evaluate the prognostic significance of platelet distribution width-to-lymphocyte ratio (PDWLR) in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC). Moreover, a nomogram based on PDWLR was built and validated to predict the overall survival (OS) of this population.

Patients and Methods

All LA-NPC patients who were diagnosed and treated between January 2015 and December 2017 at Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital were included. Cox regression analyses were performed to assess PDWLR and clinical features that might affect OS to screen for independent predictors. The independent predictors and important clinical variables were used to build and validate a nomogram for predicting OS. Then, the capability of the model was estimated by discrimination, calibration and clinical usefulness. Risk stratification was conducted using the nomogram-calculated risk score, and the comparison of survival in the high-risk group and the low-risk group was through Kaplan-Meier method.

Results

This study included 746 LA-NPC patients. Multivariate Cox analysis suggested that age (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.81, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.18-2.78, P = 0.007), gender (HR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.12-3.68, P = 0.019), pre-treatment plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA (HR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.01-2.39, P = 0.047), PDWLR (HR: 2.61, 95% CI: 1.67-4.09, P < 0.001) were independent predictors of OS. Compared to the 8th edition TNM staging system, the nomogram based on the above four factors and important clinical variables (T stage and N stage) demonstrated better predictive performance. Moreover, the model had the ability to identify individuals at high risk.

Conclusion

PDWLR was a promising negative predictor for patients with LA-NPC. The nomogram based on PDWLR demonstrated better predictive performance than the current staging system.

IL3-Driven T Cell-Basophil Crosstalk Enhances Antitumor Immunity

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are pivotal in combating cancer, yet their efficacy is often hindered by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, resulting in CTL exhaustion. This study investigates the role of interleukin-3 (IL3) in orchestrating antitumor immunity through CTL modulation. We found that intratumoral CTLs exhibited a progressive decline in IL3 production, which was correlated with impaired cytotoxic function. Augmenting IL3 supplementation, through intraperitoneal administration of recombinant IL3, IL3-expressing tumor cells, or IL3-engineered CD8+ T cells, conferred protection against tumor progression, concomitant with increased CTL activity. CTLs were critical for this therapeutic efficacy as IL3 demonstrated no impact on tumor growth in Rag1 knockout mice or following CD8+ T-cell depletion. Rather than acting directly, CTL-derived IL3 exerted its influence on basophils, concomitantly amplifying antitumor immunity within CTLs. Introducing IL3-activated basophils retarded tumor progression, whereas basophil depletion diminished the effectiveness of IL3 supplementation. Furthermore, IL3 prompted basophils to produce IL4, which subsequently elevated CTL IFNγ production and viability. Further, the importance of basophil-derived IL4 was evident from the absence of benefits of IL3 supplementation in IL4 knockout tumor-bearing mice. Overall, this research has unveiled a role for IL3-mediated CTL-basophil cross-talk in regulating antitumor immunity and suggests harnessing IL3 sustenance as a promising approach for optimizing and enhancing cancer immunotherapy. See related Spotlight, p. 798.

Identification of novel disulfidptosis-related lncRNA signatures to predict the prognosis and immune microenvironment of skin cutaneous melanoma patients

BACKGROUND

Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is an aggressive form of malignant melanoma with poor prognosis and high mortality rates. Disulfidptosis is a newly discovered cell death regulatory mechanism caused by the abnormal accumulation of disulfides. This unique pathway is guiding significant new research to understand cancer progression for targeted treatment. However, the correlation between disulfidptosis with long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in SKCM remains unknown at present.

METHODS

The Cancer Genome Atlas database furnished lncRNA expression data and clinical information for SKCM patients. Pearson correlation and Cox regression analyses identified disulfidptosis-related lncRNAs associated with SKCM prognosis. ROC curves and a nomogram validated the model. TME, immune infiltration, GSEA analysis, immune checkpoint gene expression profiling, and drug sensitivity were assessed in high and low-risk groups. Consistent clustering categorized SKCM patients for personalized clinical treatment guidance.

RESULTS

A total of twelve disulfidptosis-related lncRNAs were identified for the development of prognosis prediction models. The area under the curve (AUC) values of the ROC curve and the nomogram provided reliable discrimination to evaluate the prognostic potential for SKCM patients. The TME played a crucial role in tumorigenesis, progression and prognosis, and the risk scores were closely related to immune cell infiltration. Meanwhile, the combination of chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy was recommended for low-risk patients based on drug sensitivity and immune efficacy analyses.

CONCLUSION

We identified a risk model of twelve disulfidptosis-related lncRNAs that could be used to predict the prognosis of SKCM patients and help guide immunotherapy and chemotherapy for personalized treatment plans.

Immunometabolism of CD8+ T cell differentiation in cancer

CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are central mediators of tumor immunity and immunotherapies. Upon tumor antigen recognition, CTLs differentiate from naive/memory-like toward terminally exhausted populations with more limited function against tumors. Such differentiation is regulated by both immune signals, including T cell receptors (TCRs), co-stimulation, and cytokines, and metabolism-associated processes. These immune signals shape the metabolic landscape via signaling, transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms, while metabolic processes in turn exert spatiotemporal effects to modulate the strength and duration of immune signaling. Here, we review the bidirectional regulation between immune signals and metabolic processes, including nutrient uptake and intracellular metabolic pathways, in shaping CTL differentiation and exhaustion. We also discuss the mechanisms underlying how specific nutrient sources and metabolite-mediated signaling events orchestrate CTL biology. Understanding how metabolic programs and their interplay with immune signals instruct CTL differentiation and exhaustion is crucial to uncover tumor-immune interactions and design novel immunotherapies.

A Pathologically Friendly Strategy for Determining the Organ-specific Spatial Tumor Microenvironment Topology in Lung Adenocarcinoma Through the Integration of snRandom-seq and Imaging Mass Cytometry

Heterogeneous organ-specific responses to immunotherapy exist in lung cancer. Dissecting tumor microenvironment (TME) can provide new insights into the mechanisms of divergent responses, the process of which remains poor, partly due to the challenges associated with single-cell profiling using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) materials. In this study, single-cell nuclei RNA sequencing and imaging mass cytometry (IMC) are used to dissect organ-specific cellular and spatial TME based on FFPE samples from paired primary lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and metastases. Single-cell analyses of 84 294 cells from sequencing and 250 600 cells from IMC reveal divergent organ-specific immune niches. For sites of LUAD responding well to immunotherapy, including primary LUAD and adrenal gland metastases, a significant enrichment of B, plasma, and T cells is detected. Spatially resolved maps reveal cellular neighborhoods recapitulating functional units of the tumor ecosystem and the spatial proximity of B and CD4+ T cells at immunogenic sites. Various organ-specific densities of tertiary lymphoid structures are observed. Immunosuppressive sites, including brain and liver metastases, are deposited with collagen I, and T cells at these sites highly express TIM-3. This study originally deciphers the single-cell landscape of the organ-specific TME at both cellular and spatial levels for LUAD, indicating the necessity for organ-specific treatment approaches.

Identification and functional analyses of CD4-1+ cells in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

In mammals, CD4 is found to be expressed on T cells and innate immune cells, however, teleost cells bearing CD4 have not been well identified and characterized. In this study, we identified two different CD4-1+ cell subsets in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella): CD4-1+ lymphocytes (Lym) and CD4-1+ myeloid cells (Mye), both of which had the highest proportions in the head kidney. The mRNA expression analysis showed that CD4-1, CD4-2, TCRβ, CD3γ/δ, and LCK1 are highly expressed in CD4-1+ Lym and also expressed in CD4-1+ Mye. Furthermore, we found that CD4-1+ Lym have a Lym morphology and highly express T-cell cytokines, suggesting that they are CD4+ T cells equivalent to mammalian Th cells. On the other hand, CD4-1+ Mye were found to have a morphology of macrophage and highly express macrophage marker gene MCSFR, indicating that they are macrophages. In addition, functional analysis revealed that CD4-1+ Mye possess phagocytic ability and great antigen-processing ability. Taken together, our study sheds further light on the composition and function of CD4+ cells in teleost fish.

Heterogeneity of lymphocyte subsets in predicting immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment response in advanced lung cancer: an analysis across different pathological types, therapeutic drugs, and age groups

Background

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) has become pivotal in the treatment of advanced lung cancer, yet the absence of reliable biomarkers for assessing treatment response poses a significant challenge. This study aims to explore the predictive value of various lymphocyte subsets in different lung cancer subtypes, thus potentially identifying novel biomarkers to improve ICI treatment stratification and outcomes.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 146 stage III or IV lung cancer patients undergoing ICI treatment. The study focused on exploring the relationship between various lymphocyte subsets and the efficacy of ICIs, aiming to determine their predictive value for post-treatment outcomes.

Results

Subgroup analysis revealed a positive correlation (P=0.01) between lower CD3+CD8+ T lymphocyte levels and treatment response in squamous cell carcinoma patients. However, no significance was observed in lung adenocarcinoma patients. Additionally, the predictive ability of lymphocyte subsets for different immunotherapy drugs varies. In individuals receiving anti-programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) treatment, a lower CD3+CD8+ T lymphocyte levels is significantly associated with a positive treatment outcome (P=0.002), while there is no difference for programmed death 1 (PD-1) drugs. Among patients under 60, higher expression of CD3+CD4+ T lymphocytes (P=0.03) combined with lower CD3+CD8+ T lymphocyte levels (P=0.006) showed a statistically significant association with improved treatment response. However, in patients aged over 60, no discernible correlation was ascertained between lymphocyte subsets and therapeutic response. Through prognostic analysis, two distinct lymphocyte subsets were identified, both exerting considerable impact on progression-free survival subsequent to ICIs treatment: CD3+CD4+ T lymphocytes [hazard ratio (HR) =0.50, P=0.006] and CD3+CD8+ T lymphocytes (HR =1.78, P=0.02).

Conclusions

Our findings underscore the significant heterogeneity in the predictive value of distinct lymphocyte subsets for lung cancer patients undergoing ICI treatment. These findings are particularly salient when considering various pathological types, immunotherapeutic agents, and patient age groups.

Role of T cell-induced autoimmune response in the pathogenesis of glaucoma

PURPOSE

This review aims to elucidate the role of T cell-induced autoimmune responses in the pathogenesis of glaucoma, focusing on the immunological changes contributing to retinal ganglion cell (RGC) damage.

METHODS

A comprehensive review of recent studies examining immunological mechanisms in glaucoma was conducted. This included analyses of T cell interactions, heat shock proteins (HSPs), and resultant autoimmune responses. Key findings from experimental models and clinical observations were synthesized to present a coherent understanding of immune dynamics in glaucoma.

RESULTS

Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease marked by optic nerve atrophy and irreversible vision loss due to RGC damage. The disease is etiologically heterogeneous, with multiple risk factors and pathogenic mechanisms. Recent research highlights the dual immunomodulatory role of T cells in immune protection and injury. T cells, pre-sensitized by bacterial HSPs, can cross-react with endogenous HSPs in RGCs under stress, leading to autoimmune damage. Elevated levels of HSP autoantibodies and abnormal T cell activity have been observed in glaucoma patients, indicating a significant autoimmune component in disease progression.

CONCLUSIONS

T cell-induced autoimmune responses are crucial in the pathogenesis of glaucoma, contributing to RGC degeneration beyond the effects of elevated intraocular pressure. Understanding these immunological mechanisms is vital for developing targeted neuroprotective therapies for glaucoma.

An Aggregation-Induced Emission-Based Dual Emitting Nanoprobe for Detecting Intracellular pH and Unravelling Metabolic Variations in Differentiating Lymphocytes

Monitoring T lymphocyte differentiation is essential for understanding T cell fate regulation and advancing adoptive T cell immunotherapy. However, current biomarker analysis methods necessitate cell lysis, leading to source depletion. Intracellular pH (pHi) can be affected by the presence of lactic acid (LA), a metabolic mediator of T cell activity such as glycolysis during T cell activation; therefore, it is a potentially a good biomarker of T cell state. In this work, a dual emitting enhancement-based nanoprobe, namely, AIEgen@F127-AptCD8, was developed to accurately detect the pHi of T cells to "read" the T cell differentiation process. The nanocore of this probe comprises a pair of AIE dyes, TPE-AMC (pH-sensitive moiety) and TPE-TCF, that form a donor-acceptor pair for sensitive detection of pHi by dual emitting enhancement analysis. The nanoprobe exhibits a distinctly sensitive narrow range of pHi values (from 6.0 to 7.4) that can precisely distinguish the differentiated lymphocytes from naïve ones based on their distinct pHi profiles. Activated CD8+ T cells demonstrate lower pHi (6.49 ± 0.09) than the naïve cells (7.26 ± 0.11); Jurkat cells exhibit lower pHi (6.43 ± 0.06) compared to that of nonactivated ones (7.29 ± 0.09) on 7 days post-activation. The glycolytic product profiles in T cells strongly correlate with their pHi profiles, ascertaining the reliability of probing pHi for predicting T cell states. The specificity and dynamic detection capabilities of this nanoprobe make it a promising tool for indirectly and noninvasively monitoring T cell activation and differentiation states.

Development of prognostic signatures and risk index related to lipid metabolism in ccRCC

Background

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a metabolic disorder characterized by abnormal lipid accumulation in the cytoplasm. Lipid metabolism-related genes may have important clinical significance for prognosis prediction and individualized treatment.

Methods

We collected bulk and single-cell transcriptomic data of ccRCC and normal samples to identify key lipid metabolism-related prognostic signatures. qPCR was used to confirm the expression of signatures in cancer cell lines. Based on the identified signatures, we developed a lipid metabolism risk score (LMRS) as a risk index. We explored the potential application value of prognostic signatures and LMRS in precise treatment from multiple perspectives.

Results

Through comprehensive analysis, we identified five lipid metabolism-related prognostic signatures (ACADM, ACAT1, ECHS1, HPGD, DGKZ). We developed a risk index LMRS, which was significantly associated with poor prognosis in patients. There was a significant correlation between LMRS and the infiltration levels of multiple immune cells. Patients with high LMRS may be more likely to respond to immunotherapy. The different LMRS groups were suitable for different anticancer drug treatment regimens.

Conclusion

Prognostic signatures and LMRS we developed may be applied to the risk assessment of ccRCC patients, which may have potential guiding significance in the diagnosis and precise treatment of ccRCC patients.

The CD8+ T cell tolerance checkpoint triggers a distinct differentiation state defined by protein translation defects

Peripheral CD8+ T cell tolerance is a checkpoint in both autoimmune disease and anti-cancer immunity. Despite its importance, the relationship between tolerance-induced states and other CD8+ T cell differentiation states remains unclear. Using flow cytometric phenotyping, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), and chromatin accessibility profiling, we demonstrated that in vivo peripheral tolerance to a self-antigen triggered a fundamentally distinct differentiation state separate from exhaustion, memory, and functional effector cells but analogous to cells defectively primed against tumors. Tolerant cells diverged early and progressively from effector cells, adopting a transcriptionally and epigenetically distinct state within 60 h of antigen encounter. Breaching tolerance required the synergistic actions of strong T cell receptor (TCR) signaling and inflammation, which cooperatively induced gene modules that enhanced protein translation. Weak TCR signaling during bystander infection failed to breach tolerance due to the uncoupling of effector gene expression from protein translation. Thus, tolerance engages a distinct differentiation trajectory enforced by protein translation defects.

Tertiary Lymphoid Structure-Associated B Cells Enhance CXCL13+CD103+CD8+ Tissue-Resident Memory T-Cell Response to Programmed Cell Death Protein 1 Blockade in Cancer Immunotherapy

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Although the presence of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) correlates with positive responses to immunotherapy in many solid malignancies, the mechanism by which TLS enhances antitumor immunity is not well understood. The present study aimed to investigate the underlying cross talk circuits between B cells and tissue-resident memory T (Trm) cells within the TLS and to understand their role in the context of immunotherapy.

METHODS

Immunostaining and H&E staining of TLS and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 13 (CXCL13)+ cluster of differentiation (CD)103+CD8+ Trm cells were performed on tumor sections from patients with gastric cancer (GC). The mechanism of communication between B cells and CXCL13+CD103+CD8+ Trm cells was determined in vitro and in vivo. The effect of CXCL13+CD103+CD8+ Trm cells in suppressing tumor growth was evaluated through anti-programmed cell death protein (PD)-1 therapy.

RESULTS

The presence of TLS and CXCL13+CD103+CD8+ Trm cells in tumor tissues favored a superior response to anti-PD-1 therapy in patients with GC. Additionally, our research identified that activated B cells enhanced CXCL13 and granzyme B secretion by CD103+CD8+ Trm cells. Mechanistically, B cells facilitated the glycolysis of CD103+CD8+ Trm cells through the lymphotoxin-α/tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2) axis, and the mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling pathway played a critical role in CD103+CD8+ Trm cells glycolysis during this process. Moreover, the presence of TLS and CXCL13+CD103+CD8+ Trm cells correlated with potent responsiveness to anti-PD-1 therapy in a TNFR2-dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONS

This study further reveals a crucial role for cellular communication between TLS-associated B cell and CXCL13+CD103+CD8+ Trm cells in antitumor immunity, providing valuable insights into the potential use of the lymphotoxin-α/TNFR2 axis within CXCL13+CD103+CD8+ Trm cells for advancing immunotherapy strategies in GC.

Secondary metabolites of mulberry leaves exert anti-lung cancer activity through regulating the PD-L1/PD-1 signaling pathway

Lung cancer ranks the top of malignancies that cause cancer-related deaths worldwide. The leaves of Morus alba L are traditional Chinese medicine widely applied in respiratory diseases. Our previous work has demonstrated the anti-lung cancer effect of secondary metabolites of mulberry leaf, but their mechanism of action has still not fully elucidated. We synthesized Moracin N (MAN)-Probe conjugated with alkyne to label lung cancer cells and identified protein targets by chemical proteomic analysis. MAN and its probe exerted similar growth-inhibitory effect on human lung cancer cells. Chemical proteomic results showed that MAN targeted the programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) checkpoint pathway and T cell receptor (TCR) signaling pathway, indicating its immune-regulatory function. Cell-free surface plasmon resonance (SPR) results showed the direct interaction of MAN with PD-L1 protein. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated that MAN bound to E158 residue of PD-L1 protein. MAN downregulated the expression levels of PD-L1 in a time- and dose-dependent manner and disrupted the PD-L1/programmed death 1 (PD-1) binding, including other secondary metabolites of mulberry leaves Guangsangon E (GSE) and Chalcomoracin (CMR). Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) co-cultured with MAN-treated A549 cells, resulting in the increase of CD8+ GZMB+ T cells and the decrease of CD8+ PD-1+ T cells. It suggested that MAN exerts anti-cancer effect through blocking the PD-L1/PD-1 signaling. In vivo, MAN combined with anti-PD-1 antibody significantly inhibited lung cancer development and metastasis, indicating their synergistic effect. Taken together, secondary metabolites of mulberry leaves target the PD-L1/PD-1 signaling, enhance T cell-mediated immunity and inhibit the tumorigenesis of lung cancer. Their modulatory effect on tumor microenvironment makes them able to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in lung cancer.

The complexities of T-cell dysfunction in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a B-cell malignancy characterized by profound alterations and defects in the T-cell compartment. This observation has gained renewed interest as T-cell treatment strategies, which are successfully applied in more aggressive B-cell malignancies, have yielded disappointing results in CLL. Despite ongoing efforts to understand and address the observed T-cell defects, the exact mechanisms and nature underlying this dysfunction remain largely unknown. In this review, we examine the supporting signals from T cells to CLL cells in the lymph node niche, summarize key findings on T-cell functional defects, delve into potential underlying causes, and explore novel strategies for reversing these deficiencies. Our goal is to identify strategies aimed at resolving CLL-induced T-cell dysfunction which, in the future, will enhance the efficacy of autologous T-cell-based therapies for CLL patients.

Interactions between LAMP3+ dendritic cells and T-cell subpopulations promote immune evasion in papillary thyroid carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The incidence of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) continues to rise all over the world, 10-15% of the patients have a poor prognosis. Although immunotherapy has been applied in clinical practice, its therapeutic efficacy remains far from satisfactory, necessitating further investigation of the mechanism of PTC immune remodeling and exploration of novel treatment targets.

METHODS

This study conducted a single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis using 18 surgical tissue specimens procured from 14 patients diagnosed with adjacent tissues, non-progressive PTC or progressive PTC. Key findings were authenticated through spatial transcriptomics RNA sequencing, immunohistochemistry, multiplex immunohistochemistry, and an independent bulk RNA-seq data set containing 502 samples.

RESULTS

A total of 151,238 individual cells derived from 18 adjacent tissues, non-progressive PTC and progressive PTC specimens underwent scRNA-seq analysis. We found that progressive PTC exhibits the following characteristics: a significant decrease in overall immune cells, enhanced immune evasion of tumor cells, and disrupted antigen presentation function. Moreover, we identified a subpopulation of lysosomal associated membrane protein 3 (LAMP3+) dendritic cells (DCs) exhibiting heightened infiltration in progressive PTC and associated with advanced T stage and poor prognosis of PTC. LAMP3+ DCs promote CD8+ T cells exhaustion (mediated by NECTIN2-TIGIT) and increase infiltration abundance of regulatory T cells (mediated by chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 17 (CCL17)-chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 4 (CCR4)) establishing an immune-suppressive microenvironment. Ultimately, we unveiled that progressive PTC tumor cells facilitate the retention of LAMP3+ DCs within the tumor microenvironment through NECTIN3-NECTIN2 interactions, thereby rendering tumor cells more susceptible to immune evasion.

CONCLUSION

Our findings expound valuable insights into the role of the interaction between LAMP3+ DCs and T-cell subpopulations and offer new and effective ideas and strategies for immunotherapy in patients with progressive PTC.

Targeting SIGLEC15 as an emerging immunotherapy for anaplastic thyroid cancer

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is the most aggressive subtype of thyroid cancer with few effective therapies. Though immunotherapies such as targeting PD-1/PD-L1 axis have benefited patients with solid tumor, the druggable immune checkpoints are quite limited in ATC. In our study, we focused on the anti-tumor potential of sialic acid-binding Ig-like lectins (Siglecs) in ATC. Through screening by integrating microarray datasets including 216 thyroid-cancer tissues and single-cell RNA-sequencing, SIGLEC family members CD33, SIGLEC1, SIGLEC10 and SIGLEC15 were significantly overexpressed in ATC, among which SIGLEC15 increased highest and mainly expressed on cancer cells. SIGLEC15high ATC cells are characterized by high expression of serine protease PRSS23 and cancer stem cell marker CD44. Compared with SIGLEC15low cancer cells, SIGLEC15high ATC cells exhibited higher interaction frequency with tumor microenvironment cells. Further study showed that SIGLEC15high cancer cells mainly interacted with T cells by immunosuppressive signals such as MIF-TNFRSF14 and CXCL12-CXCR4. Notably, treatment of anti-SIGLEC15 antibody profoundly increased the cytotoxic ability of CD8+ T cells in a co-culture model and zebrafish-derived ATC xenografts. Consistently, administration of anti-SIGLEC15 antibody significantly inhibited tumor growth and prolonged mouse survival in an immunocompetent model of murine ATC, which was associated with increase of M1/M2, natural killer (NK) cells and CD8+ T cells, and decrease of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). SIGLEC15 inhibited T cell activation by reducing NFAT1, NFAT2, and NF-κB signals. Blocking SIGLEC15 increased the secretion of IFN-γ and IL-2 in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, our finding demonstrates that SIGLEC15 is an emerging and promising target for immunotherapy in ATC.

Deciphering the circulating immunological landscape of thoracic aortic aneurysm: Insights from a two-sample Mendelian randomization study

Background

Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm (TAA) poses significant health risks due to aortic dilation. Recent evidence suggests a pivotal role for the immune-inflammatory response in the mechanism of aortic aneurysm formation. In this study, we aim to investigate the causal relationship between circulating immune cells and TAA.

Methods

This study employs a two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) approach, utilizing genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics for 731 immune cell types and two TAA data from large-scale studies. Causal effects of both peripheral immune cells on TAA and TAA on peripheral immune cells are explored. To ensure more accurate results, we intersected the findings from two TAA data from large-scale studies, excluding results where the direction of the odds ratio (OR) was inconsistent.

Findings

The study identifies specific immune cells associated with TAA. Notably, CD45+ NKT cell (OR: 0.95, 95CI%: 0.90-0.99 in FinnGen study; OR: 0.91, 95CI%: 0.84-0.99 in CHIP + MGI study) and CD45+ HLA-DR + CD8+ T cells (OR: 0.95, 95CI%: 0.90-0.99 in FinnGen study; OR: 0.90, 95CI%: 0.82-0.99 in CHIP + MGI study) demonstrate a protective role against TAA. In addition, CD28+ CD45RA- CD8+ T cells (relative cell counts and absolute cell counts) and HVEM + CM + CD8+ T cells are adversely affected by TAA.

Interpretation

The findings indicate that the potential protective influence exerted by specific subsets of peripheral NKT cells and CD8+ T cells in mitigating the development of TAA, while simultaneously highlighting the reciprocal effects of TAA on peripheral Treg cells subsets and T cell subsets. The complex interaction between immune cells and TAA could provide valuable clues for earlier detection and more efficacious treatment strategies for TAA.

Targeting metabolism to enhance immunotherapy within tumor microenvironment

Cancer metabolic reprogramming has been considered an emerging hallmark in tumorigenesis and the antitumor immune response. Like cancer cells, immune cells within the tumor microenvironment or premetastatic niche also undergo extensive metabolic reprogramming, which profoundly impacts anti-tumor immune responses. Numerous evidence has illuminated that immunosuppressive TME and the metabolites released by tumor cells, including lactic acid, Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), fatty acids (FAs), cholesterol, D-2-Hydroxyglutaric acid (2-HG), adenosine (ADO), and kynurenine (KYN) can contribute to CD8+ T cell dysfunction. Dynamic alterations of these metabolites between tumor cells and immune cells can similarly initiate metabolic competition in the TME, leading to nutrient deprivation and subsequent microenvironmental acidosis, which impedes immune response. This review summarizes the new landscape beyond the classical metabolic pathways in tumor cells, highlighting the pivotal role of metabolic disturbance in the immunosuppressive microenvironment, especially how nutrient deprivation in TME leads to metabolic reprogramming of CD8+ T cells. Likewise, it emphasizes the current therapeutic targets or strategies related to tumor metabolism and immune response, providing therapeutic benefits for tumor immunotherapy and drug development in the future. Cancer metabolic reprogramming has been considered an emerging hallmark in tumorigenesis and the antitumor immune response. Dynamic alterations of metabolites between tumor cells and immune cells initiate metabolic competition in the TME, leading to nutrient deprivation and subsequent microenvironmental acidosis, which impedes immune response.

ER-associated degradation adapter Sel1L is required for CD8+ T cell function and memory formation following acute viral infection

The maintenance of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells underlies the efficacy of vaccines and immunotherapies. Pathways contributing to CD8+ T cell loss are not completely understood. Uncovering the pathways underlying the limited persistence of CD8+ T cells would be of significant benefit for developing novel strategies of promoting T cell persistence. Here, we demonstrate that murine CD8+ T cells experience endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress following activation and that the ER-associated degradation (ERAD) adapter Sel1L is induced in activated CD8+ T cells. Sel1L loss limits CD8+ T cell function and memory formation following acute viral infection. Mechanistically, Sel1L is required for optimal bioenergetics and c-Myc expression. Finally, we demonstrate that human CD8+ T cells experience ER stress upon activation and that ER stress is negatively associated with improved T cell functionality in T cell-redirecting therapies. Together, these results demonstrate that ER stress and ERAD are important regulators of T cell function and persistence.

Immunocytes interact directly with cancer cells in the tumor microenvironment: one coin with two sides and future perspectives

The tumor microenvironment is closely linked to the initiation, promotion, and progression of solid tumors. Among its constitutions, immunologic cells emerge as critical players, facilitating immune evasion and tumor progression. Apart from their indirect impact on anti-tumor immunity, immunocytes directly influence neoplastic cells, either bolstering or impeding tumor advancement. However, current therapeutic modalities aimed at alleviating immunosuppression from regulatory cells on effector immune cell populations may not consistently yield satisfactory results in various solid tumors, such as breast carcinoma, colorectal cancer, etc. Therefore, this review outlines and summarizes the direct, dualistic effects of immunocytes such as T cells, innate lymphoid cells, B cells, eosinophils, and tumor-associated macrophages on tumor cells within the tumor microenvironment. The review also delves into the underlying mechanisms involved and presents the outcomes of clinical trials based on these direct effects, aiming to propose innovative and efficacious therapeutic strategies for addressing solid tumors.

Update on Early-Life T Cells: Impact on Oral Rotavirus Vaccines

Rotavirus infection continues to be a significant public health problem in developing countries, despite the availability of several vaccines. The efficacy of oral rotavirus vaccines in young children may be affected by significant immunological differences between individuals in early life and adults. Therefore, understanding the dynamics of early-life systemic and mucosal immune responses and the factors that affect them is essential to improve the current rotavirus vaccines and develop the next generation of mucosal vaccines. This review focuses on the advances in T-cell development during early life in mice and humans, discussing how immune homeostasis and response to pathogens is established in this period compared to adults. Finally, the review explores how this knowledge of early-life T-cell immunity could be utilized to enhance current and novel rotavirus vaccines.

Integrated Exploration of Epigenetic Dysregulation Reveals a Stemness/EMT Subtype and MMP12 Linked to the Progression and Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Epigenetic dysregulation drives aberrant transcriptional programs playing a critical role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which may provide novel insights into the heterogeneity of HCC. This study performed an integrated exploration on the epigenetic dysregulation of miRNA and methylation. We discovered and validated three patterns endowed with gene-related transcriptional traits and clinical outcomes. Specially, a stemness/epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) subtype was featured by immune exhaustion and the worst prognosis. Besides, MMP12, a characteristic gene, was highly expressed in the stemness/EMT subtype, which was verified as a pivotal regulator linked to the unfavorable prognosis and further proven to promote tumor proliferation, invasion, and metastasis in vitro experiments. Proteomic analysis by mass spectrometry sequencing also indicated that the overexpression of MMP12 was significantly associated with cell proliferation and adhesion. Taken together, this study unveils innovative insights into epigenetic dysregulation and identifies a stemness/EMT subtype-specific gene, MMP12, correlated with the progression and prognosis of HCC.

Comment on "An Injectable Hydrogel to Modulate T Cells for Cancer Immunotherapy"

Recent clinical successes of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies represents a milestone as a novel anti-tumor strategy beyond surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy in cancer therapy. T cells, especially CD8+ T cells, play crucial roles in anti-tumor immune responses. However, most T cells in the tumor microenvironment express high inhibitory receptors, such as PD-1, TIM-3, and LAG-3, and decreased T cell response in response to stimuli. Applying ICB therapies, such as anti-PD-1, promotes T cell activation and increases cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response, leading to the enhanced anti-tumor immune response in patients with malignancy. Therefore, studies aimed to define novel targets that can restrain T cell terminal exhaustion are urgently required to provide new strategies for patients resistant to immunotherapy. The previously published study by Zhang et al. (An Injectable Hydrogel to Modulate T Cells for Cancer Immunotherapy, https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202202663) introduces a new type of injectable hydrogel that can regulate the function of T cells, thereby improving their effectiveness in cancer immunotherapy. However, it remains to be discussed for its conclusion, as the flow cell assay of this article may not be proper.

FDG PET/CT Imaging 1 Week after a Single Dose of Pembrolizumab Predicts Treatment Response in Patients with Advanced Melanoma

PURPOSE

Immunologic response to anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) therapy can occur rapidly with T-cell responses detectable in as little as one week. Given that activated immune cells are FDG avid, we hypothesized that an early FDG PET/CT obtained approximately 1 week after starting pembrolizumab could be used to visualize a metabolic flare (MF), with increased tumor FDG activity due to infiltration by activated immune cells, or a metabolic response (MR), due to tumor cell death, that would predict response.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Nineteen patients with advanced melanoma scheduled to receive pembrolizumab were prospectively enrolled. FDG PET/CT imaging was performed at baseline and approximately 1 week after starting treatment. FDG PET/CT scans were evaluated for changes in maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and thresholds were identified by ROC analysis; MF was defined as >70% increase in tumor SUVmax, and MR as >30% decrease in tumor SUVmax.

RESULTS

An MF or MR was identified in 6 of 11 (55%) responders and 0 of 8 (0%) nonresponders, with an objective response rate (ORR) of 100% in the MF-MR group and an ORR of 38% in the stable metabolism (SM) group. An MF or MR was associated with T-cell reinvigoration in the peripheral blood and immune infiltration in the tumor. Overall survival at 3 years was 83% in the MF-MR group and 62% in the SM group. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was >38 months (median not reached) in the MF-MR group and 2.8 months (95% confidence interval, 0.3-5.2) in the SM group (P = 0.017).

CONCLUSIONS

Early FDG PET/CT can identify metabolic changes in melanoma metastases that are potentially predictive of response to pembrolizumab and significantly correlated with PFS.

Tuberculosis Vaccines and T Cell Immune Memory

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major infectious disease partly due to the lack of an effective vaccine. Therefore, developing new and more effective TB vaccines is crucial for controlling TB. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) usually parasitizes in macrophages; therefore, cell-mediated immunity plays an important role. The maintenance of memory T cells following M. tuberculosis infection or vaccination is a hallmark of immune protection. This review analyzes the development of memory T cells during M. tuberculosis infection and vaccine immunization, especially on immune memory induced by BCG and subunit vaccines. Furthermore, the factors affecting the development of memory T cells are discussed in detail. The understanding of the development of memory T cells should contribute to designing more effective TB vaccines and optimizing vaccination strategies.

The potential role of CMC1 as an immunometabolic checkpoint in T cell immunity

T cell immunity is critical for human defensive immune response. Exploring the key molecules during the process provides new targets for T cell-based immunotherapies. CMC1 is a mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) complex IV chaperon protein. By establishing in-vitro cell culture system and Cmc1 gene knock out mice, we evaluated the role of CMC1 in T cell activation and differentiation. The B16-OVA tumor model was used to test the possibility of targeting CMC1 for improving T cell anti-tumor immunity. We identified CMC1 as a positive regulator in CD8+T cells activation and terminal differentiation. Meanwhile, we found that CMC1 increasingly expressed in exhausted T (Tex) cells. Genetic lost of Cmc1 inhibits the development of CD8+T cell exhaustion in mice. Instead, deletion of Cmc1 in T cells prompts cells to differentiate into metabolically and functionally quiescent cells with increased memory-like features and tolerance to cell death upon repetitive or prolonged T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation. Further, the in-vitro mechanistic study revealed that environmental lactate enhances CMC1 expression by inducing USP7, mediated stabilization and de-ubiquitination of CMC1 protein, in which a mechanism we propose here that the lactate-enriched tumor microenvironment (TME) drives CD8+TILs dysfunction through CMC1 regulatory effects on T cells. Taken together, our study unraveled the novel role of CMC1 as a T cell regulator and its possibility to be utilized for anti-tumor immunotherapy.

Inference of Developmental Hierarchy and Functional States of Exhausted T Cells from Epigenetic Profiles with Deep Learning

Exhausted T cells are a key component of immune cells that play a crucial role in the immune response against cancer and influence the efficacy of immunotherapy. Accurate assessment and measurement of T-cell exhaustion (TEX) are critical for understanding the heterogeneity of TEX in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and tailoring individualized immunotherapeutic strategies. In this study, we introduced DeepEpiTEX, a novel computational framework based on deep neural networks, for inferring the developmental hierarchy and functional states of exhausted T cells in the TME from epigenetic profiles. DeepEpiTEX was trained using various modalities of epigenetic data, including DNA methylation data, microRNA expression data, and long non-coding RNA expression data from 30 bulk solid cancer types in the TCGA pan-cancer cohort, and identified five optimal TEX subsets with significant survival differences across the majority of cancer types. The performance of DeepEpiTEX was further evaluated and validated in external multi-center and multi-type cancer cohorts, consistently demonstrating its generalizability and applicability in different experimental settings. In addition, we discovered the potential relationship between TEX subsets identified by DeepEpiTEX and the response to immune checkpoint blockade therapy, indicating that individuals with immune-favorable TEX subsets may experience the greatest benefits. In conclusion, our study sheds light on the role of epigenetic regulation in TEX and provides a powerful and promising tool for categorizing TEX in different disease settings.

Designing a predictive Framework: Immune-Related Gene-Based nomogram and prognostic model for kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma (KIRP) is frequently associated with an unfavorable prognosis for affected individuals. Unfortunately, there has been insufficient exploration in search for a reliable prognosis signature and predictive indicators to forecast outcomes for KIRP patients.

AIM

The aim of this study is to employ a comprehensive analysis of data for the identification of prognosis genes, leading to the development of a nomogram with strong predictive capabilities. The objective is to provide a valuable statistical tool that, when implemented in a clinical setting, can offer patients an early opportunity for treatment and enhance their chances of ultimate recovery from this life-threatening disease.

METHODS

Different packages in R were used to analyze RNA-seq data from the TCGA data portal. Multivariate Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier analysis were also used to investigate the prognostic values of immune-related genes and construct the predictive model and nomogram. A p-value < 0.05 was considered to be significant.

RESULTS

A total of 368 immune-related genes and 60 TFs were identified as differentially expressed in KIRP tissues compared with normal tissues. Of the 368, 23 were found to be related to overall survival. GO and KEGG analysis suggested that these prognostic immune-related genes mainly participated in the ERK1 and ERK2 cascades, Rap1 signaling pathway, and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. 9 genes were identified from Cox regression to be statistically significant prognostic-related genes. Survival analysis showed that a model based on these 9 prognostic-related genes has high predictive performance. Immunohistochemistry results show that APOH, BIRC5, CCL19, and GRN were significantly increased in kidney cancer. B cells and CD4 + T cells were positively correlated with risk score model.

CONCLUSION

A prognostic model was successfully created based on 9 immune-related genes correlated with overall survival in KIRP. This work aims to provide some insight into therapeutic approaches and prognostic predictors of KIRP.

Cancer immunometabolism: advent, challenges, and perspective

For decades, great strides have been made in the field of immunometabolism. A plethora of evidence ranging from basic mechanisms to clinical transformation has gradually embarked on immunometabolism to the center stage of innate and adaptive immunomodulation. Given this, we focus on changes in immunometabolism, a converging series of biochemical events that alters immune cell function, propose the immune roles played by diversified metabolic derivatives and enzymes, emphasize the key metabolism-related checkpoints in distinct immune cell types, and discuss the ongoing and upcoming realities of clinical treatment. It is expected that future research will reduce the current limitations of immunotherapy and provide a positive hand in immune responses to exert a broader therapeutic role.