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Jia Y, He P, Ma X, Lv K, Liu Y, Xu Y. PIK3IP1: structure, aberration, function, and regulation in diseases. Eur J Pharmacol 2024; 977:176753. [PMID: 38897445 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.176753] [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: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, controlling diverse functions in cells, is one of the most frequently dysregulated pathways in cancer. Several negative regulators have been reported to intricately constrain the overactivation of PI3K pathway. Phosphatidylinoinosidine-3-kinase interacting protein 1 (PIK3IP1), as a unique transmembrane protein, is a newly discovered negative regulator of PI3K pathway. PIK3IP1 negatively regulates PI3K activity by directly binding to the p110 catalytic subunit of PI3K. It has been reported that PIK3IP1 is frequently low expressed in tumors and autoimmune diseases. In tumor cells and impaired cardiomyocyte, PIK3IP1 inhibits cell proliferation and survival. Consistently, the expression of PIK3IP1 is related with the condition of cancer. In addition, PIK3IP1 inhibits the inflammatory response and immune function via maintaining the quiescent state of immune cells. Thus, low expression of PIK3IP1 represents the severe condition of autoimmune diseases. PIK3IP1 is regulated by transcription factors, epigenetic factors or micro-RNAs to facilitate its normal function in different cellular contexts. This review integrates the total findings on PIK3IP1 in different disease, and summaries the structure, biological functions and regulatory mechanisms of PIK3IP1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingjie Jia
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Pengxing He
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xubin Ma
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Kaili Lv
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ying Liu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Yichao Xu
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China; State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
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2
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Lu W, Chu P, Tang A, Si L, Fang D. The secoiridoid glycoside Gentiopicroside is a USP22 inhibitor with potent antitumor immunotherapeutic activity. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 177:116974. [PMID: 38968798 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116974] [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: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, immunotherapies have brought about significant changes in how we approach the treatment of various solid tumors and blood-related cancers. However, the effectiveness of checkpoint blockade therapy has been constrained to a rate of under 30 %. A significant challenge in the realm of tumor immunotherapy revolves around comprehending the mechanisms through which regulatory T (Treg) cells induce immunosuppression. We have recently discovered that USP22 (ubiquitin-specific peptidase 22) a deubiquitinating enzyme that is increased in various tumors, is an oncogene and controls Treg immune suppressive activity for tumor evasion, providing a rationale for USP22 targeting to achieve both onco- and immuno-therapeutic efficacies. Herein, we identified the traditional Chinese secoiridoid compound gentiopicroside as a USP22 inhibitor. Gentiopicroside treatment decreased the forkhead box P3 (Foxp3) expression, which subsequently reduced Treg immune suppressive activity. Treatment of cancer cells by gentiopicroside resulted in an increase in histone 2B monoubiquitination (H2Bub) in a USP22-dependent manner and a decrease in programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, both of which are known as USP22-specific substrates. Docking and molecular dynamic simulation revealed that gentiopicroside stably binds to USP22 catalytic pocket, supporting that gentiopicroside is a USP22 inhibitor. Importantly, administration of gentiopicroside to mice significantly inhibited the growth of syngenetic lung adenocarcinoma. Further analysis of intratumoral immune cells revealed a dramatic increase CD8+ T cell production of IFN-γ and granzyme B (GZMB), confirming that gentiopicroside enhances antitumor immunity. Our study revealed that gentiopicroside is a USP22-specific inhibitor with potent antitumor therapeutic potentials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyuan Lu
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 E. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Pediatrics, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang 150028, China
| | - Peng Chu
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Amy Tang
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 E. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ligang Si
- Department of Pediatrics, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang 150028, China
| | - Deyu Fang
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 E. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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3
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Sumida TS, Cheru NT, Hafler DA. The regulation and differentiation of regulatory T cells and their dysfunction in autoimmune diseases. Nat Rev Immunol 2024; 24:503-517. [PMID: 38374298 PMCID: PMC11216899 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-024-00994-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
The discovery of FOXP3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells as a distinct cell lineage with a central role in regulating immune responses provided a deeper understanding of self-tolerance. The transcription factor FOXP3 serves a key role in Treg cell lineage determination and maintenance, but is not sufficient to enable the full potential of Treg cell suppression, indicating that other factors orchestrate the fine-tuning of Treg cell function. Moreover, FOXP3-independent mechanisms have recently been shown to contribute to Treg cell dysfunction. FOXP3 mutations in humans cause lethal fulminant systemic autoinflammation (IPEX syndrome). However, it remains unclear to what degree Treg cell dysfunction is contributing to the pathophysiology of common autoimmune diseases. In this Review, we discuss the origins of Treg cells in the periphery and the multilayered mechanisms by which Treg cells are induced, as well as the FOXP3-dependent and FOXP3-independent cellular programmes that maintain the suppressive function of Treg cells in humans and mice. Further, we examine evidence for Treg cell dysfunction in the context of common autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomokazu S Sumida
- Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Nardos T Cheru
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - David A Hafler
- Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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4
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Ramírez-Valle F, Maranville JC, Roy S, Plenge RM. Sequential immunotherapy: towards cures for autoimmunity. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2024; 23:501-524. [PMID: 38839912 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-024-00959-8] [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: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Despite major progress in the treatment of autoimmune diseases in the past two decades, most therapies do not cure disease and can be associated with increased risk of infection through broad suppression of the immune system. However, advances in understanding the causes of autoimmune disease and clinical data from novel therapeutic modalities such as chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapies provide evidence that it may be possible to re-establish immune homeostasis and, potentially, prolong remission or even cure autoimmune diseases. Here, we propose a 'sequential immunotherapy' framework for immune system modulation to help achieve this ambitious goal. This framework encompasses three steps: controlling inflammation; resetting the immune system through elimination of pathogenic immune memory cells; and promoting and maintaining immune homeostasis via immune regulatory agents and tissue repair. We discuss existing drugs and those in development for each of the three steps. We also highlight the importance of causal human biology in identifying and prioritizing novel immunotherapeutic strategies as well as informing their application in specific patient subsets, enabling precision medicine approaches that have the potential to transform clinical care.
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Pimentel H, Freimer JW, Arce MM, Garrido CM, Marson A, Pritchard JK. A model for accurate quantification of CRISPR effects in pooled FACS screens. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.17.599448. [PMID: 38948774 PMCID: PMC11213010 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.17.599448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
CRISPR screens are powerful tools to identify key genes that underlie biological processes. One important type of screen uses fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) to sort perturbed cells into bins based on the expression level of marker genes, followed by guide RNA (gRNA) sequencing. Analysis of these data presents several statistical challenges due to multiple factors including the discrete nature of the bins and typically small numbers of replicate experiments. To address these challenges, we developed a robust and powerful Bayesian random effects model and software package called Waterbear. Furthermore, we used Waterbear to explore how various experimental design parameters affect statistical power to establish principled guidelines for future screens. Finally, we experimentally validated our experimental design model findings that, when using Waterbear for analysis, high power is maintained even at low cell coverage and a high multiplicity of infection. We anticipate that Waterbear will be of broad utility for analyzing FACS-based CRISPR screens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harold Pimentel
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Departments of Computational Medicine and Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Jacob W Freimer
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Present address: Genentech Research and Early Development, South San Francisco, CA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Maya M Arce
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Christian M Garrido
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Alexander Marson
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- These authors jointly supervised this work
| | - Jonathan K Pritchard
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- These authors jointly supervised this work
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Huang J, Yin Q, Wang Y, Zhou X, Guo Y, Tang Y, Cheng R, Yu X, Zhang J, Huang C, Huang Z, Zhang J, Guo Z, Huo X, Sun Y, Li Y, Wang H, Yang J, Xue L. EZH2 Inhibition Enhances PD-L1 Protein Stability Through USP22-Mediated Deubiquitination in Colorectal Cancer. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2308045. [PMID: 38520088 PMCID: PMC11187912 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202308045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
The regulation of PD-L1 is the key question, which largely determines the outcome of the immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) based therapy. However, besides the transcription level, the protein stability of PD-L1 is closely correlated with its function and has drawn increasing attention. In this study, EZH2 inhibition enhances PD-L1 expression and protein stability, and the deubiquitinase ubiquitin-specific peptidase 22 (USP22) is identified as a key mediator in this process. EZH2 inhibition transcriptionally upregulates USP22 expression, and upregulated USP22 further stabilizes PD-L1. Importantly, a combination of EZH2 inhibitors with anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade therapy improves the tumor microenvironment, enhances sensitivity to immunotherapy, and exerts synergistic anticancer effects. In addition, knocking down USP22 can potentially enhance the therapeutic efficacy of EZH2 inhibitors on colon cancer. These findings unveil the novel role of EZH2 inhibitors in tumor immune evasion by upregulating PD-L1, and this drawback can be compensated by combining ICI immunotherapy. Therefore, these findings provide valuable insights into the EZH2-USP22-PD-L1 regulatory axis, shedding light on the optimization of combining both immune checkpoint blockade and EZH2 inhibitor-based epigenetic therapies to achieve more efficacies and accuracy in cancer treatment.
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7
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Liu X, Xu X, Liao Y, Yao W, Geng X, Zeng X, Sun X, Tang A, Yang P. Psychological stress to ovalbumin peptide-specific T-cell receptor transgenic mice impairs the suppressive ability of type 1 regulatory T cell. Immunology 2024; 172:210-225. [PMID: 38366844 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13767] [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: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Numerous diseases of the immune system can be traced back to the malfunctioning of the regulatory T cells. The aetiology is unclear. Psychological stress can cause disruption to the immune regulation. The synergistic effects of psychological stress and immune response on immune regulation have yet to be fully understood. The intention of this study is to analyse the interaction between psychological stress and immune responses and how it affects the functional status of type 1 regulatory T (Tr1) cells. In this study, ovalbumin peptide T-cell receptor transgenic mice were utilised. Mice were subjected to restraint stress to induce psychological stress. An airway allergy murine model was established, in which a mouse strain with RING finger protein 20 (Rnf20)-deficient CD4+ T cells were used. The results showed that concomitant exposure to restraint stress and immune response could exacerbate endoplasmic reticulum stress in Tr1 cells. Corticosterone was responsible for the elevated expression of X-box protein-1 (XBP1) in mouse Tr1 cells after exposure to both restraint stress and immune response. XBP1 mediated the effects of corticosterone on inducing Rnf20 in Tr1 cells. The reduction of the interleukin-10 expression in Tr1 cells was facilitated by Rnf20. Inhibition of Rnf20 alleviated experimental airway allergy by restoring the immune regulatory ability of Tr1 cells. In conclusion, the functions of Tr1 cells are negatively impacted by simultaneous exposure to psychological stress and immune response. Tr1 cells' immune suppressive functions can be restored by inhibiting Rnf20, which has the translational potential for the treatment of diseases of the immune system.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/metabolism
- Ovalbumin/immunology
- Stress, Psychological/immunology
- Mice, Transgenic
- Mice
- Interleukin-10/metabolism
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/metabolism
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology
- X-Box Binding Protein 1/metabolism
- X-Box Binding Protein 1/genetics
- Corticosterone/blood
- Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolism
- Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/genetics
- Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress/immunology
- Disease Models, Animal
- Restraint, Physical
- Mice, Knockout
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Respiratory Hypersensitivity/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Liu
- Institute of Allergy & Immunology of Shenzhen University School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases Shenzhen University Division, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Regional Disease Key Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xuejie Xu
- Institute of Allergy & Immunology of Shenzhen University School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases Shenzhen University Division, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Regional Disease Key Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yun Liao
- Institute of Allergy & Immunology of Shenzhen University School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases Shenzhen University Division, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Regional Disease Key Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Clinical College, Guangzhou Chinese Traditional Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wenkai Yao
- Institute of Allergy & Immunology of Shenzhen University School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases Shenzhen University Division, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Regional Disease Key Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaorui Geng
- Department of Otolaryngology, Longgang ENT Hospital and Shenzhen ENT Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xianhai Zeng
- Department of Otolaryngology, Longgang ENT Hospital and Shenzhen ENT Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xizhuo Sun
- Department of General Practice Medicine and Respirology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Aifa Tang
- Department of General Practice Medicine and Respirology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pingchang Yang
- Institute of Allergy & Immunology of Shenzhen University School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases Shenzhen University Division, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Regional Disease Key Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
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8
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Mortezaee K. FOXP3 (in)stability and cancer immunotherapy. Cytokine 2024; 178:156589. [PMID: 38547750 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2024.156589] [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: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Dysregulation of regulatory T cells (Tregs) is described in the context of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) is a transcription factor that its activity is an indicator of Treg identity. FOXP3 induces metabolic versatility in intra-tumoral Tregs, so that its deficiency mediates Treg instability or even gives rise to the acquisition of effector T cell phenotype. FOXP3 dysregulation and defectiveness occurs upon ubiquitination, methylation and presumably acetylation. Stimulators of PTEN, mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2), and nucleus accumbens-associated protein-1 (NAC1), and inhibitors of B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein-1 (Blimp-1), Deltex1 (DTX1) and ubiquitin-specific peptidase 22 (USP22) are suggested to hamper FOXP3 stability, and to promote its downregulation and further Treg depletion. A point is that Treg subsets reveal different reliance on FOXP3, which indicates that not all Tregs are strictly dependent on FOXP3, and presumably Tregs with different origin rely on diverse regulators of FOXP3 stability. The focus of this review is over the current understanding toward FOXP3, its activity in Tregs and influence from different regulators within tumor microenvironment (TME). Implication of FOXP3 targeting in cancer immunotherapy is another focus of this paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keywan Mortezaee
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.
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9
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Borrelli C, Gurtner A, Arnold IC, Moor AE. Stress-free single-cell transcriptomic profiling and functional genomics of murine eosinophils. Nat Protoc 2024; 19:1679-1709. [PMID: 38504138 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-024-00967-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Eosinophils are a class of granulocytes with pleiotropic functions in homeostasis and various human diseases. Nevertheless, they are absent from conventional single-cell RNA sequencing atlases owing to technical difficulties preventing their transcriptomic interrogation. Consequently, eosinophil heterogeneity and the gene regulatory networks underpinning their diverse functions remain poorly understood. We have developed a stress-free protocol for single-cell RNA capture from murine tissue-resident eosinophils, which revealed distinct intestinal subsets and their roles in colitis. Here we describe in detail how to enrich eosinophils from multiple tissues of residence and how to capture high-quality single-cell transcriptomes by preventing transcript degradation. By combining magnetic eosinophil enrichment with microwell-based single-cell RNA capture (BD Rhapsody), our approach minimizes shear stress and processing time. Moreover, we report how to perform genome-wide CRISPR pooled genetic screening in ex vivo-conditioned bone marrow-derived eosinophils to functionally probe pathways required for their differentiation and intestinal maturation. These protocols can be performed by any researcher with basic skills in molecular biology and flow cytometry, and can be adapted to investigate other granulocytes, such as neutrophils and mast cells, thereby offering potential insights into their roles in both homeostasis and disease pathogenesis. Single-cell transcriptomics of eosinophils can be performed in 2-3 d, while functional genomics assays may require up to 1 month.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costanza Borrelli
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alessandra Gurtner
- Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle C Arnold
- Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Andreas E Moor
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland.
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10
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Magni S, Sawlekar R, Capelle CM, Tslaf V, Baron A, Zeng N, Mombaerts L, Yue Z, Yuan Y, Hefeng FQ, Gonçalves J. Inferring upstream regulatory genes of FOXP3 in human regulatory T cells from time-series transcriptomic data. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2024; 10:59. [PMID: 38811598 PMCID: PMC11137136 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-024-00387-9] [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: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
The discovery of upstream regulatory genes of a gene of interest still remains challenging. Here we applied a scalable computational method to unbiasedly predict candidate regulatory genes of critical transcription factors by searching the whole genome. We illustrated our approach with a case study on the master regulator FOXP3 of human primary regulatory T cells (Tregs). While target genes of FOXP3 have been identified, its upstream regulatory machinery still remains elusive. Our methodology selected five top-ranked candidates that were tested via proof-of-concept experiments. Following knockdown, three out of five candidates showed significant effects on the mRNA expression of FOXP3 across multiple donors. This provides insights into the regulatory mechanisms modulating FOXP3 transcriptional expression in Tregs. Overall, at the genome level this represents a high level of accuracy in predicting upstream regulatory genes of key genes of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Magni
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Rucha Sawlekar
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
- Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Christophe M Capelle
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
- Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Vera Tslaf
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
- Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
- Transversal Translational Medicine, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Strassen, Luxembourg
| | - Alexandre Baron
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Ni Zeng
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Laurent Mombaerts
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Zuogong Yue
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Ye Yuan
- School of Artificial Intelligence and Automation, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Feng Q Hefeng
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
| | - Jorge Gonçalves
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg.
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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11
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Cheng Y, Wang S, Gao Q, Fang D. ATXN3 functions as a tumor suppressor through potentiating galectin-9-mediated apoptosis in human colon adenocarcinoma. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107415. [PMID: 38815863 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107415] [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: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
While deubiquitinase ATXN3 has been implicated as a potential oncogene in various types of human cancers, its role in colon adenocarcinoma remains understudied. Surprisingly, our findings demonstrate that ATXN3 exerts an antitumor effect in human colon cancers through potentiating Galectin-9-induced apoptosis. CRISPR-mediated ATXN3 deletion unexpectedly intensified colon cancer growth both in vitro and in xenograft colon cancers. At the molecular level, we identified ATXN3 as a bona fide deubiquitinase specifically targeting Galectin-9, as ATXN3 interacted with and inhibited Galectin-9 ubiquitination. Consequently, targeted ATXN3 ablation resulted in reduced Galectin-9 protein expression, thereby diminishing Galectin-9-induced colon cancer apoptosis and cell growth arrest. The ectopic expression of Galectin-9 fully reversed the growth of ATXN3-null colon cancer in mice. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry staining revealed a significant reduction in both ATXN3 and Galectin-9 protein expression, along with a positive correlation between them in human colon cancer. Our study identifies the first Galectin-9-specific deubiquitinase and unveils a tumor-suppressive role of ATXN3 in human colon cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Cheng
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Shengnan Wang
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Qiong Gao
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Deyu Fang
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Center for Human Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
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12
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Zwick D, Vo MT, Shim YJ, Reijonen H, Do JS. BACH2: The Future of Induced T-Regulatory Cell Therapies. Cells 2024; 13:891. [PMID: 38891024 PMCID: PMC11172166 DOI: 10.3390/cells13110891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACH2 (BTB Domain and CNC Homolog 2) is a transcription factor that serves as a central regulator of immune cell differentiation and function, particularly in T and B lymphocytes. A picture is emerging that BACH2 may function as a master regulator of cell fate that is exquisitely sensitive to cell activation status. In particular, BACH2 plays a key role in stabilizing the phenotype and suppressive function of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β)-derived human forkhead box protein P3 (FOXP3)+ inducible regulatory T cells (iTregs), a cell type that holds great clinical potential as a cell therapeutic for diverse inflammatory conditions. As such, BACH2 potentially could be targeted to overcome the instability of the iTreg phenotype and suppressive function that has hampered their clinical application. In this review, we focus on the role of BACH2 in T cell fate and iTreg function and stability. We suggest approaches to modulate BACH2 function that may lead to more stable and efficacious Treg cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Zwick
- Frederick National Laboratory, Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - Mai Tram Vo
- School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Young Jun Shim
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA;
| | - Helena Reijonen
- Department of Immunology and Theranostics, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA;
| | - Jeong-su Do
- Department of Immunology and Theranostics, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA;
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13
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Hsu SK, Chou CK, Lin IL, Chang WT, Kuo IY, Chiu CC. Deubiquitinating enzymes: potential regulators of the tumor microenvironment and implications for immune evasion. Cell Commun Signal 2024; 22:259. [PMID: 38715050 PMCID: PMC11075295 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-024-01633-7] [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: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Ubiquitination and deubiquitination are important forms of posttranslational modification that govern protein homeostasis. Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), a protein superfamily consisting of more than 100 members, deconjugate ubiquitin chains from client proteins to regulate cellular homeostasis. However, the dysregulation of DUBs is reportedly associated with several diseases, including cancer. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a highly complex entity comprising diverse noncancerous cells (e.g., immune cells and stromal cells) and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Since TME heterogeneity is closely related to tumorigenesis and immune evasion, targeting TME components has recently been considered an attractive therapeutic strategy for restoring antitumor immunity. Emerging studies have revealed the involvement of DUBs in immune modulation within the TME, including the regulation of immune checkpoints and immunocyte infiltration and function, which renders DUBs promising for potent cancer immunotherapy. Nevertheless, the roles of DUBs in the crosstalk between tumors and their surrounding components have not been comprehensively reviewed. In this review, we discuss the involvement of DUBs in the dynamic interplay between tumors, immune cells, and stromal cells and illustrate how dysregulated DUBs facilitate immune evasion and promote tumor progression. We also summarize potential small molecules that target DUBs to alleviate immunosuppression and suppress tumorigenesis. Finally, we discuss the prospects and challenges regarding the targeting of DUBs in cancer immunotherapeutics and several urgent problems that warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-Kai Hsu
- Department of Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan
| | - Chon-Kit Chou
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Science, University of Macau, Macau SAR, 999078, P.R. China
| | - I-Ling Lin
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Tsan Chang
- Division of General and Digestive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan
- Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan
| | - I-Ying Kuo
- Department of Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan.
| | - Chien-Chih Chiu
- Department of Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan.
- Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan.
- Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, 804, Taiwan.
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan.
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14
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Zhang ML, Li HB, Jin Y. Application and perspective of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology in human diseases modeling and gene therapy. Front Genet 2024; 15:1364742. [PMID: 38666293 PMCID: PMC11043577 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1364742] [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: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR) mediated Cas9 nuclease system has been extensively used for genome editing and gene modification in eukaryotic cells. CRISPR/Cas9 technology holds great potential for various applications, including the correction of genetic defects or mutations within the human genome. The application of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing system in human disease research is anticipated to solve a multitude of intricate molecular biology challenges encountered in life science research. Here, we review the fundamental principles underlying CRISPR/Cas9 technology and its recent application in neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune related diseases, and cancer, focusing on the disease modeling and gene therapy potential of CRISPR/Cas9 in these diseases. Finally, we provide an overview of the limitations and future prospects associated with employing CRISPR/Cas9 technology for diseases study and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man-Ling Zhang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory for Pathogenesis and Diagnosis of Rheumatic and Autoimmune Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
| | - Hong-Bin Li
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory for Pathogenesis and Diagnosis of Rheumatic and Autoimmune Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
| | - Yong Jin
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory for Pathogenesis and Diagnosis of Rheumatic and Autoimmune Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
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15
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Lin CP, Levy PL, Alflen A, Apriamashvili G, Ligtenberg MA, Vredevoogd DW, Bleijerveld OB, Alkan F, Malka Y, Hoekman L, Markovits E, George A, Traets JJH, Krijgsman O, van Vliet A, Poźniak J, Pulido-Vicuña CA, de Bruijn B, van Hal-van Veen SE, Boshuizen J, van der Helm PW, Díaz-Gómez J, Warda H, Behrens LM, Mardesic P, Dehni B, Visser NL, Marine JC, Markel G, Faller WJ, Altelaar M, Agami R, Besser MJ, Peeper DS. Multimodal stimulation screens reveal unique and shared genes limiting T cell fitness. Cancer Cell 2024; 42:623-645.e10. [PMID: 38490212 PMCID: PMC11003465 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2024.02.016] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Genes limiting T cell antitumor activity may serve as therapeutic targets. It has not been systematically studied whether there are regulators that uniquely or broadly contribute to T cell fitness. We perform genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screens in primary CD8 T cells to uncover genes negatively impacting fitness upon three modes of stimulation: (1) intense, triggering activation-induced cell death (AICD); (2) acute, triggering expansion; (3) chronic, causing dysfunction. Besides established regulators, we uncover genes controlling T cell fitness either specifically or commonly upon differential stimulation. Dap5 ablation, ranking highly in all three screens, increases translation while enhancing tumor killing. Loss of Icam1-mediated homotypic T cell clustering amplifies cell expansion and effector functions after both acute and intense stimulation. Lastly, Ctbp1 inactivation induces functional T cell persistence exclusively upon chronic stimulation. Our results functionally annotate fitness regulators based on their unique or shared contribution to traits limiting T cell antitumor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Pu Lin
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Pierre L Levy
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Group, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Astrid Alflen
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg-University, 55131 Mainz, Germany; Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg-University, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Georgi Apriamashvili
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maarten A Ligtenberg
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - David W Vredevoogd
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Onno B Bleijerveld
- Proteomics Facility, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ferhat Alkan
- Division of Oncogenomics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Yuval Malka
- Division of Oncogenomics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Liesbeth Hoekman
- Proteomics Facility, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ettai Markovits
- Ella Lemelbaum Institute for Immuno-oncology and Melanoma, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 52612, Israel; Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Austin George
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Joleen J H Traets
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Oscar Krijgsman
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Alex van Vliet
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Joanna Poźniak
- Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Carlos Ariel Pulido-Vicuña
- Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Beaunelle de Bruijn
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Susan E van Hal-van Veen
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Julia Boshuizen
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Pim W van der Helm
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Judit Díaz-Gómez
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hamdy Warda
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Leonie M Behrens
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Paula Mardesic
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Bilal Dehni
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Nils L Visser
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jean-Christophe Marine
- Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Gal Markel
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 6997801, Israel; Davidoff Cancer Center and Samueli Integrative Cancer Pioneering Institute, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva 4941492, Israel
| | - William J Faller
- Division of Oncogenomics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maarten Altelaar
- Proteomics Facility, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Reuven Agami
- Division of Oncogenomics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michal J Besser
- Ella Lemelbaum Institute for Immuno-oncology and Melanoma, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 52612, Israel; Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 6997801, Israel; Davidoff Cancer Center and Samueli Integrative Cancer Pioneering Institute, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva 4941492, Israel; Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Daniel S Peeper
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Pathology, VU University Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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16
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Xiang M, Li H, Zhan Y, Ma D, Gao Q, Fang Y. Functional CRISPR screens in T cells reveal new opportunities for cancer immunotherapies. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:73. [PMID: 38581063 PMCID: PMC10996278 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01987-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: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
T cells are fundamental components in tumour immunity and cancer immunotherapies, which have made immense strides and revolutionized cancer treatment paradigm. However, recent studies delineate the predicament of T cell dysregulation in tumour microenvironment and the compromised efficacy of cancer immunotherapies. CRISPR screens enable unbiased interrogation of gene function in T cells and have revealed functional determinators, genetic regulatory networks, and intercellular interactions in T cell life cycle, thereby providing opportunities to revamp cancer immunotherapies. In this review, we briefly described the central roles of T cells in successful cancer immunotherapies, comprehensively summarised the studies of CRISPR screens in T cells, elaborated resultant master genes that control T cell activation, proliferation, fate determination, effector function, and exhaustion, and highlighted genes (BATF, PRDM1, and TOX) and signalling cascades (JAK-STAT and NF-κB pathways) that extensively engage in multiple branches of T cell responses. In conclusion, this review bridged the gap between discovering element genes to a specific process of T cell activities and apprehending these genes in the global T cell life cycle, deepened the understanding of T cell biology in tumour immunity, and outlined CRISPR screens resources that might facilitate the development and implementation of cancer immunotherapies in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghua Xiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Huayi Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhan
- Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ding Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qinglei Gao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Yong Fang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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17
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Chaudhuri SM, Weinberg SE, Wang D, Yalom LK, Montauti E, Iyer R, Tang AY, Torres Acosta MA, Shen J, Mani NL, Wang S, Liu K, Lu W, Bui TM, Manzanares LD, Dehghani Z, Wai CM, Gao B, Wei J, Yue F, Cui W, Singer BD, Sumagin R, Zhang Y, Fang D. Mediator complex subunit 1 architects a tumorigenic Treg cell program independent of inflammation. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101441. [PMID: 38428427 PMCID: PMC10983042 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101441] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
While immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, its safety has been hampered by immunotherapy-related adverse events. Unexpectedly, we show that Mediator complex subunit 1 (MED1) is required for T regulatory (Treg) cell function specifically in the tumor microenvironment. Treg cell-specific MED1 deletion does not predispose mice to autoimmunity or excessive inflammation. In contrast, MED1 is required for Treg cell promotion of tumor growth because MED1 is required for the terminal differentiation of effector Treg cells in the tumor. Suppression of these terminally differentiated Treg cells is sufficient for eliciting antitumor immunity. Both human and murine Treg cells experience divergent paths of differentiation in tumors and matched tissues with non-malignant inflammation. Collectively, we identify a pathway promoting the differentiation of a Treg cell effector subset specific to tumors and demonstrate that suppression of a subset of Treg cells is sufficient for promoting antitumor immunity in the absence of autoimmune consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuvam M Chaudhuri
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Samuel E Weinberg
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Dongmei Wang
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Lenore K Yalom
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Elena Montauti
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Radhika Iyer
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Amy Y Tang
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Manuel A Torres Acosta
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Jian Shen
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Nikita L Mani
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Shengnan Wang
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Kun Liu
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Weiyuan Lu
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Triet M Bui
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Laura D Manzanares
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Zeinab Dehghani
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ching Man Wai
- Center for Genetic Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Beixue Gao
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Juncheng Wei
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Feng Yue
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Weiguo Cui
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Benjamin D Singer
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ronen Sumagin
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Yana Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Deyu Fang
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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18
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Xia Y, Gao D, Wang X, Liu B, Shan X, Sun Y, Ma D. Role of Treg cell subsets in cardiovascular disease pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1331609. [PMID: 38558816 PMCID: PMC10978666 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1331609] [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: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
In the genesis and progression of cardiovascular diseases involving both innate and adaptive immune responses, inflammation plays a pivotal and dual role. Studies in experimental animals indicate that certain immune responses are protective, while others exacerbate the disease. T-helper (Th) 1 cell immune responses are recognized as key drivers of inflammatory progression in cardiovascular diseases. Consequently, the CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are gaining increasing attention for their roles in inflammation and immune regulation. Given the critical role of Tregs in maintaining immune-inflammatory balance and homeostasis, abnormalities in their generation or function might lead to aberrant immune responses, thereby initiating pathological changes. Numerous preclinical studies and clinical trials have unveiled the central role of Tregs in cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis. Here, we review the roles and mechanisms of Treg subsets in cardiovascular conditions like atherosclerosis, hypertension, myocardial infarction and remodeling, myocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy, and heart failure. While the precise molecular mechanisms of Tregs in cardiac protection remain elusive, therapeutic strategies targeting Tregs present a promising new direction for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Yunpeng Sun
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Dashi Ma
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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19
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Spisak S, Chen D, Likasitwatanakul P, Doan P, Li Z, Bala P, Vizkeleti L, Tisza V, De Silva P, Giannakis M, Wolpin B, Qi J, Sethi NS. Identifying regulators of aberrant stem cell and differentiation activity in colorectal cancer using a dual endogenous reporter system. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2230. [PMID: 38472198 PMCID: PMC10933491 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46285-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: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Aberrant stem cell-like activity and impaired differentiation are central to the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). To identify functional mediators of these key cellular programs, we engineer a dual endogenous reporter system by genome-editing the SOX9 and KRT20 loci of human CRC cell lines to express fluorescent reporters, broadcasting aberrant stem cell-like and differentiation activity, respectively. By applying a CRISPR screen targeting 78 epigenetic regulators with 542 sgRNAs to this platform, we identify factors that contribute to stem cell-like activity and differentiation in CRC. Perturbation single cell RNA sequencing (Perturb-seq) of validated hits nominate SMARCB1 of the BAF complex (also known as SWI/SNF) as a negative regulator of differentiation across an array of neoplastic colon models. SMARCB1 is a dependency and required for in vivo growth of human CRC models. These studies highlight the utility of biologically designed endogenous reporter platforms to uncover regulators with therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandor Spisak
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - David Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Pornlada Likasitwatanakul
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Paul Doan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Zhixin Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Pratyusha Bala
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Laura Vizkeleti
- Department of Bioinformatics, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1094, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Viktoria Tisza
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Pushpamali De Silva
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marios Giannakis
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brian Wolpin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jun Qi
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nilay S Sethi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
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20
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Feng B, Liu H, Yao W, Li Y, Wu G, Yang L, Yang P. Endoplasmic reticulum stress interferes with the development of type 1 regulating T cells. Inflamm Res 2024; 73:381-392. [PMID: 38265686 DOI: 10.1007/s00011-023-01841-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: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A variety of stimuli can cause endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which is a common cellular reaction. It is not yet clear how ER stress contributes to the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC). The deregulation of regulatory T cell (Treg) is associated with UC. The goal of this study is to shed light on how ER stress affects Treg's development. METHODS CD4+ CD25- T cells were isolated from blood samples collected from UC patients and healthy control (HC) subjects. ER stress-associated molecule expression in CD4+ CD25- T cell was assessed by RNA sequencing and RT-qPCR. RESULTS The presence of ER stress in peripheral CD4+ CD25- T cells was observed in patients with UC compared to HC subjects. The induction of ER stress in HC CD4+ CD25- T cells by polyclonal activation was made worse by the presence of 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol (MNP; a common environmental pollutant). Exposure to MNP in culture resulted in an increase in the expression of ring finger protein 20 (Rnf20) in CD4+ CD25- T cells. The synergistic effects of MNP and ER stress on the reduction of IL-10 levels in CD4+ CD25- T cells are mediated by Rnf20, which prevents the development of Tr1 cells. Inhibition of Rnf20 resulted in the development of Tr1 cells from CD4+ CD25- T cells in UC patients. CONCLUSIONS The synergistic effects of ER stress and MNP interfere with the development of Tr1 cells. The development of Tr1 from CD4+ CD25- T cells in patients with UC is re-established by Rnf20 inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baisui Feng
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Huazhen Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Regional Disease Key Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
- Institute of Allergy and Immunology of Shenzhen University, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases Allergy Division at Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wenkai Yao
- Guangdong Provincial Regional Disease Key Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
- Institute of Allergy and Immunology of Shenzhen University, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases Allergy Division at Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Gaohui Wu
- Department of Respirology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Liteng Yang
- Department of Respirology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Pingchang Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Regional Disease Key Laboratory, Shenzhen, China.
- Institute of Allergy and Immunology of Shenzhen University, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases Allergy Division at Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
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21
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Jiang S, Wang W, Yang Y. TIGIT: A potential immunotherapy target for gynecological cancers. Pathol Res Pract 2024; 255:155202. [PMID: 38367600 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2024.155202] [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: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Gynecological cancer represents a significant global health challenge, and conventional treatment modalities have demonstrated limited efficacy. However, recent investigations into immune checkpoint pathways have unveiled promising opportunities for enhancing the prognosis of patients with cancer. Among these pathways, TIGIT has surfaced as a compelling candidate owing to its capacity to augment the immune function of NK and T cells through blockade, thereby yielding improved anti-tumor effects and prolonged patient survival. Global clinical trials exploring TIGIT blockade therapy have yielded promising preliminary findings. Nevertheless, further research is imperative to comprehensively grasp the potential of TIGIT-based immunotherapy in optimizing therapeutic outcomes for gynecological cancers. This review primarily delineates the regulatory network and immunosuppressive mechanism of TIGIT, expounds upon its expression and therapeutic potential in three major gynecological cancers, and synthesizes the clinical trials of TIGIT-based cancer immunotherapy. Such insights aim to furnish novel perspectives and serve as reference points for subsequent research and clinical application targeting TIGIT in gynecological cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyue Jiang
- The third People's Hospital of Suining, Suining, Sichuan, China
| | - Wenhua Wang
- First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Yongxiu Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Key Laboratory of Gynecologic Oncology Gansu Province, Lanzhou, Gansu, China.
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22
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Liu J, Zhang B, Zhang G, Shang D. Reprogramming of regulatory T cells in inflammatory tumor microenvironment: can it become immunotherapy turning point? Front Immunol 2024; 15:1345838. [PMID: 38449875 PMCID: PMC10915070 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1345838] [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: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Overcoming the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and identifying widely used immunosuppressants with minimal side effects are two major challenges currently hampering cancer immunotherapy. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are present in almost all cancer tissues and play an important role in preserving autoimmune tolerance and tissue homeostasis. The tumor inflammatory microenvironment causes the reprogramming of Tregs, resulting in the conversion of Tregs to immunosuppressive phenotypes. This process ultimately facilitates tumor immune escape or tumor progression. However, current systemic Treg depletion therapies may lead to severe autoimmune toxicity. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the mechanism of Treg reprogramming and develop immunotherapies that selectively target Tregs within tumors. This article provides a comprehensive review of the potential mechanisms involved in Treg cell reprogramming and explores the application of Treg cell immunotherapy. The interference with reprogramming pathways has shown promise in reducing the number of tumor-associated Tregs or impairing their function during immunotherapy, thereby improving anti-tumor immune responses. Furthermore, a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that drive Treg cell reprogramming could reveal new molecular targets for future treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinming Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Clinical Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Biao Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Clinical Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Guolin Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Dong Shang
- Department of General Surgery, Clinical Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
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23
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Dong B, Wang X, Song X, Wang J, Liu X, Yu Z, Zhou Y, Deng J, Wu Y. RNF20 contributes to epigenetic immunosuppression through CDK9-dependent LSD1 stabilization. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2307150121. [PMID: 38315842 PMCID: PMC10873621 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307150121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) plays a critical role in transcription initiation and is essential for maintaining gene silencing at heterochromatic loci. Inhibition of CDK9 increases sensitivity to immunotherapy, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We now report that RNF20 stabilizes LSD1 via K29-mediated ubiquitination, which is dependent on CDK9-mediated phosphorylation. This CDK9- and RNF20-dependent LSD1 stabilization is necessary for the demethylation of histone H3K4, then subsequent repression of endogenous retrovirus, and an interferon response, leading to epigenetic immunosuppression. Moreover, we found that loss of RNF20 sensitizes cancer cells to the immune checkpoint inhibitor anti-PD-1 in vivo and that this effect can be rescued by the expression of ectopic LSD1. Our findings are supported by the observation that RNF20 levels correlate with LSD1 levels in human breast cancer specimens. This study sheds light on the role of RNF20 in CDK9-dependent LSD1 stabilization, which is crucial for epigenetic silencing and immunosuppression. Our findings explore the potential importance of targeting the CDK9-RNF20-LSD1 axis in the development of new cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Dong
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
- Markey Cancer Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
| | - Xinzhao Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
- Markey Cancer Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
- Department of Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong250355, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiang Song
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
- Markey Cancer Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
- Department of Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong250355, People’s Republic of China
- First Clinical Medical College, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong250355, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianlin Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
- Markey Cancer Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
| | - Xia Liu
- Markey Cancer Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
| | - Zhiyong Yu
- Department of Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong250355, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yongkun Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong250355, People’s Republic of China
- First Clinical Medical College, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong250355, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiong Deng
- Medical Research Institute, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou256600, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yadi Wu
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
- Markey Cancer Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
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24
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Spisak S, Chen D, Likasitwatanakul P, Doan P, Li Z, Bala P, Vizkeleti L, Tisza V, De Silva P, Giannakis M, Wolpin B, Qi J, Sethi NS. Utilizing a dual endogenous reporter system to identify functional regulators of aberrant stem cell and differentiation activity in colorectal cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.06.21.545895. [PMID: 38293113 PMCID: PMC10827082 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.21.545895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Aberrant stem cell-like activity and impaired differentiation are central to the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). To identify functional mediators that regulate these key cellular programs in CRC, we developed an endogenous reporter system by genome-editing human CRC cell lines with knock-in fluorescent reporters at the SOX9 and KRT20 locus to report aberrant stem cell-like activity and differentiation, respectively, and then performed pooled genetic perturbation screens. Constructing a dual reporter system that simultaneously monitored aberrant stem cell-like and differentiation activity in the same CRC cell line improved our signal to noise discrimination. Using a focused-library CRISPR screen targeting 78 epigenetic regulators with 542 sgRNAs, we identified factors that contribute to stem cell-like activity and differentiation in CRC. Perturbation single cell RNA sequencing (Perturb-seq) of validated hits nominated SMARCB1 of the BAF complex (also known as SWI/SNF) as a negative regulator of differentiation across an array of neoplastic colon models. SMARCB1 is a dependency in CRC and required for in vivo growth of human CRC models. These studies highlight the utility of a biologically designed endogenous reporter system to uncover novel therapeutic targets for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandor Spisak
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Institute of Enzymology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - David Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Pornlada Likasitwatanakul
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Paul Doan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Zhixin Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Pratyusha Bala
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Laura Vizkeleti
- Department of Bioinformatics, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1094 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Viktoria Tisza
- Institute of Enzymology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Pushpamail De Silva
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marios Giannakis
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brian Wolpin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jun Qi
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nilay S. Sethi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
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25
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Georgiev P, Benamar M, Han S, Haigis MC, Sharpe AH, Chatila TA. Regulatory T cells in dominant immunologic tolerance. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2024; 153:28-41. [PMID: 37778472 PMCID: PMC10842646 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.09.025] [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: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Regulatory T cells expressing the transcription factor forkhead box protein 3 mediate peripheral immune tolerance both to self-antigens and to the commensal flora. Their defective function due to inborn errors of immunity or acquired insults is associated with a broad range of autoimmune and immune dysregulatory diseases. Although their function in suppressing autoimmunity and enforcing commensalism is established, a broader role for regulatory T cells in tissue repair and metabolic regulation has emerged, enabled by unique programs of tissue adaptability and specialization. In this review, we focus on the myriad roles played by regulatory T cells in immunologic tolerance and host homeostasis and the potential to harness these cells in novel therapeutic approaches to human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Georgiev
- Department of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Department of Immunology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | - Mehdi Benamar
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Mass; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | - SeongJun Han
- Department of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Department of Immunology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | - Marcia C Haigis
- Department of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | - Arlene H Sharpe
- Department of Immunology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | - Talal A Chatila
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Mass; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.
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26
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Li YR, Lyu Z, Tian Y, Fang Y, Zhu Y, Chen Y, Yang L. Advancements in CRISPR screens for the development of cancer immunotherapy strategies. Mol Ther Oncolytics 2023; 31:100733. [PMID: 37876793 PMCID: PMC10591018 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2023.100733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR screen technology enables systematic and scalable interrogation of gene function by using the CRISPR-Cas9 system to perturb gene expression. In the field of cancer immunotherapy, this technology has empowered the discovery of genes, biomarkers, and pathways that regulate tumor development and progression, immune reactivity, and the effectiveness of immunotherapeutic interventions. By conducting large-scale genetic screens, researchers have successfully identified novel targets to impede tumor growth, enhance anti-tumor immune responses, and surmount immunosuppression within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, we present an overview of CRISPR screens conducted in tumor cells for the purpose of identifying novel therapeutic targets. We also explore the application of CRISPR screens in immune cells to propel the advancement of cell-based therapies, encompassing T cells, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages. Furthermore, we outline the crucial components necessary for the successful implementation of immune-specific CRISPR screens and explore potential directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Ruide Li
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Zibai Lyu
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Yanxin Tian
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ying Fang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Yichen Zhu
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Yuning Chen
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Lili Yang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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27
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Lu C, Garipler G, Dai C, Roush T, Salome-Correa J, Martin A, Liscovitch-Brauer N, Mazzoni EO, Sanjana NE. Essential transcription factors for induced neuron differentiation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8362. [PMID: 38102126 PMCID: PMC10724217 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43602-7] [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: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurogenins are proneural transcription factors required to specify neuronal identity. Their overexpression in human pluripotent stem cells rapidly produces cortical-like neurons with spiking activity and, because of this, they have been widely adopted for human neuron disease models. However, we do not fully understand the key downstream regulatory effectors responsible for driving neural differentiation. Here, using inducible expression of NEUROG1 and NEUROG2, we identify transcription factors (TFs) required for directed neuronal differentiation by combining expression and chromatin accessibility analyses with a pooled in vitro CRISPR-Cas9 screen targeting all ~1900 TFs in the human genome. The loss of one of these essential TFs (ZBTB18) yields few MAP2-positive neurons. Differentiated ZBTB18-null cells have radically altered gene expression, leading to cytoskeletal defects and stunted neurites and spines. In addition to identifying key downstream TFs for neuronal differentiation, our work develops an integrative multi-omics and TFome-wide perturbation platform to rapidly characterize essential TFs for the differentiation of any human cell type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congyi Lu
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Görkem Garipler
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chao Dai
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Timothy Roush
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jose Salome-Correa
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alex Martin
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Noa Liscovitch-Brauer
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Esteban O Mazzoni
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Cell Biology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Neville E Sanjana
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
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28
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Schlabach MR, Lin S, Collester ZR, Wrocklage C, Shenker S, Calnan C, Xu T, Gannon HS, Williams LJ, Thompson F, Dunbar PR, LaMothe RA, Garrett TE, Colletti N, Hohmann AF, Tubo NJ, Bullock CP, Le Mercier I, Sofjan K, Merkin JJ, Keegan S, Kryukov GV, Dugopolski C, Stegmeier F, Wong K, Sharp FA, Cadzow L, Benson MJ. Rational design of a SOCS1-edited tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy using CRISPR/Cas9 screens. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e163096. [PMID: 38099496 PMCID: PMC10721144 DOI: 10.1172/jci163096] [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: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell therapies such as tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy have shown promise in the treatment of patients with refractory solid tumors, with improvement in response rates and durability of responses nevertheless sought. To identify targets capable of enhancing the antitumor activity of T cell therapies, large-scale in vitro and in vivo clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 screens were performed, with the SOCS1 gene identified as a top T cell-enhancing target. In murine CD8+ T cell-therapy models, SOCS1 served as a critical checkpoint in restraining the accumulation of central memory T cells in lymphoid organs as well as intermediate (Texint) and effector (Texeff) exhausted T cell subsets derived from progenitor exhausted T cells (Texprog) in tumors. A comprehensive CRISPR tiling screen of the SOCS1-coding region identified sgRNAs targeting the SH2 domain of SOCS1 as the most potent, with an sgRNA with minimal off-target cut sites used to manufacture KSQ-001, an engineered TIL therapy with SOCS1 inactivated by CRISPR/Cas9. KSQ-001 possessed increased responsiveness to cytokine signals and enhanced in vivo antitumor function in mouse models. These data demonstrate the use of CRISPR/Cas9 screens in the rational design of T cell therapies.
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29
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Veenstra J, Ozog D, Loveless I, Adrianto I, Dimitrion P, Subedi K, Friedman BJ, Zhou L, Mi QS. Distinguishing Keratoacanthoma from Well-Differentiated Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Using Single-Cell Spatial Pathology. J Invest Dermatol 2023; 143:2397-2407.e8. [PMID: 37419445 PMCID: PMC10840781 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2023.06.192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Keratoacanthoma (KA) is a common keratinocyte neoplasm that is regularly classified as a type of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) despite demonstrating benign behavior. Differentiating KA from well-differentiated cSCC is difficult in many cases due to the substantial overlap of clinical and histological features. Currently, no reliable discriminating markers have been defined, and consequently, KAs are often treated similarly to cSCC, creating unnecessary surgical morbidity and healthcare costs. In this study, we used RNA sequencing to identify key differences in transcriptomes between KA and cSCC, which suggested divergent keratinocyte populations between each tumor. Imaging mass cytometry was then used to identify single-cell tissue characteristics, including cellular phenotype, frequency, topography, functional status, and interactions between KA and well-differentiated cSCC. We found that cSCC had significantly increased proportions of Ki67+ keratinocytes among tumor keratinocytes, which were dispersed significantly throughout non-basal keratinocyte communities. In cSCC, regulatory T-cells were more prevalent and held greater suppressive capacity. Furthermore, cSCC regulatory T-cells, tumor-associated macrophages, and fibroblasts had significant associations with Ki67+ keratinocytes as opposed to avoidances with KA, indicating a more immunosuppressive environment. Our data suggest that multicellular spatial features can serve as a foundation to enhance the histological discrimination of ambiguous KA and cSCC lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Veenstra
- Department of Dermatology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan, USA; Center for Cutaneous Biology and Immunology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan, USA; Department of Medicine, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - David Ozog
- Department of Dermatology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan, USA; Department of Medicine, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Ian Loveless
- Center for Cutaneous Biology and Immunology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan, USA; Center for Bioinformatics, Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan, USA; Department of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering; Medical Imaging and Data Integration Lab; Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Indra Adrianto
- Center for Cutaneous Biology and Immunology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan, USA; Center for Bioinformatics, Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan, USA; Department of Medicine, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Peter Dimitrion
- Center for Cutaneous Biology and Immunology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Kalpana Subedi
- Department of Dermatology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan, USA; Center for Cutaneous Biology and Immunology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Ben J Friedman
- Department of Dermatology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Li Zhou
- Department of Dermatology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan, USA; Center for Cutaneous Biology and Immunology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan, USA; Department of Medicine, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Qing-Sheng Mi
- Department of Dermatology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan, USA; Center for Cutaneous Biology and Immunology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan, USA; Department of Medicine, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
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30
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Wang S, Iyer R, Han X, Wei J, Li N, Cheng Y, Zhou Y, Gao Q, Zhang L, Yan M, Sun Z, Fang D. CRISPR screening identifies the deubiquitylase ATXN3 as a PD-L1-positive regulator for tumor immune evasion. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e167728. [PMID: 38038129 PMCID: PMC10688982 DOI: 10.1172/jci167728] [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: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulation of tumoral PD-L1 expression is critical to advancing our understanding of tumor immune evasion and the improvement of existing antitumor immunotherapies. Herein, we describe a CRISPR-based screening platform and identified ATXN3 as a positive regulator for PD-L1 transcription. TCGA database analysis revealed a positive correlation between ATXN3 and CD274 in more than 80% of human cancers. ATXN3-induced Pd-l1 transcription was promoted by tumor microenvironmental factors, including the inflammatory cytokine IFN-γ and hypoxia, through protection of their downstream transcription factors IRF1, STAT3, and HIF-2α. Moreover, ATXN3 functioned as a deubiquitinase of the AP-1 transcription factor JunB, indicating that ATNX3 promotes PD-L1 expression through multiple pathways. Targeted deletion of ATXN3 in cancer cells largely abolished IFN-γ- and hypoxia-induced PD-L1 expression and consequently enhanced antitumor immunity in mice, and these effects were partially reversed by PD-L1 reconstitution. Furthermore, tumoral ATXN3 suppression improved the preclinical efficacy of checkpoint blockade antitumor immunotherapy. Importantly, ATXN3 expression was increased in human lung adenocarcinoma and melanoma, and its levels were positively correlated with PD-L1 as well as its transcription factors IRF1 and HIF-2α. Collectively, our study identifies what we believe to be a previously unknown deubiquitinase, ATXN3, as a positive regulator for PD-L1 transcription and provides a rationale for targeting ATXN3 to sensitize checkpoint blockade antitumor immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengnan Wang
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Radhika Iyer
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Xiaohua Han
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Juncheng Wei
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Na Li
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Yang Cheng
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Yuanzhang Zhou
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Qiong Gao
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Lingqiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Yan
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology and Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhaolin Sun
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Deyu Fang
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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31
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Pinioti S, Sharma H, Flerin NC, Yu Q, Tzoumpa A, Cafarello ST, De Bousser E, Callewaert N, Oldenhove G, Schlenner S, Thienpont B, Garg AD, Di Matteo M, Mazzone M. A Metabolic Gene Survey Pinpoints Fucosylation as a Key Pathway Underlying the Suppressive Function of Regulatory T Cells in Cancer. Cancer Immunol Res 2023; 11:1611-1629. [PMID: 37933083 PMCID: PMC7615342 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0606] [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] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Forkhead box P3 (Foxp3)-expressing regulatory T cells (Treg) are the guardians of controlled immune reactions and prevent the development of autoimmune diseases. However, in the tumor context, their increased number suppresses antitumor immune responses, indicating the importance of understanding the mechanisms behind their function and stability. Metabolic reprogramming can affect Foxp3 regulation and, therefore, Treg suppressive function and fitness. Here, we performed a metabolic CRISPR/Cas9 screen and pinpointed novel candidate positive and negative metabolic regulators of Foxp3. Among the positive regulators, we revealed that targeting the GDP-fucose transporter Slc35c1, and more broadly fucosylation (Fuco), in Tregs compromises their proliferation and suppressive function both in vitro and in vivo, leading to alteration of the tumor microenvironment and impaired tumor progression and protumoral immune responses. Pharmacologic inhibition of Fuco dampened tumor immunosuppression mostly by targeting Tregs, thus resulting in reduced tumor growth. In order to substantiate these findings in humans, tumoral Tregs from patients with colorectal cancer were clustered on the basis of the expression of Fuco-related genes. FucoLOW Tregs were found to exhibit a more immunogenic profile compared with FucoHIGH Tregs. Furthermore, an enrichment of a FucoLOW signature, mainly derived from Tregs, correlated with better prognosis and response to immune checkpoint blockade in melanoma patients. In conclusion, Slc35c1-dependent Fuco is able to regulate the suppressive function of Tregs, and measuring its expression in Tregs might pave the way towards a useful biomarker model for patients with cancer. See related Spotlight by Silveria and DuPage, p. 1570.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sotiria Pinioti
- laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and Angiogenesis, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven B3000, Belgium
- laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and Angiogenesis, Center for Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven B3000, Belgium
| | - Himal Sharma
- laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and Angiogenesis, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven B3000, Belgium
- laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and Angiogenesis, Center for Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven B3000, Belgium
| | - Nina C Flerin
- laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and Angiogenesis, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven B3000, Belgium
- laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and Angiogenesis, Center for Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven B3000, Belgium
| | - Qian Yu
- laboratory for Functional Epigenetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven B3000, Belgium
| | - Amalia Tzoumpa
- laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and Angiogenesis, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven B3000, Belgium
- laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and Angiogenesis, Center for Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven B3000, Belgium
| | - Sarah Trusso Cafarello
- laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and Angiogenesis, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven B3000, Belgium
- laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and Angiogenesis, Center for Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven B3000, Belgium
| | - Elien De Bousser
- Medical Biotechnology Center, VIB, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nico Callewaert
- Medical Biotechnology Center, VIB, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Guillaume Oldenhove
- laboratory of Immunobiology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Gosselies, Belgium
- U-CRI (UCL Center for Research in Immunobiology), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Susan Schlenner
- KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Leuven B3000, Belgium
| | - Bernard Thienpont
- laboratory for Functional Epigenetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven B3000, Belgium
| | - Abhishek D Garg
- laboratory for Cell Stress & Immunity (CSI), Department for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven B3000, Belgium
| | - Mario Di Matteo
- laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and Angiogenesis, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven B3000, Belgium
- laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and Angiogenesis, Center for Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven B3000, Belgium
| | - Massimiliano Mazzone
- laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and Angiogenesis, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven B3000, Belgium
- laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and Angiogenesis, Center for Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven B3000, Belgium
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Wang A, Huang H, Shi JH, Yu X, Ding R, Zhang Y, Han Q, Ni ZY, Li X, Zhao R, Zou Q. USP47 inhibits m6A-dependent c-Myc translation to maintain regulatory T cell metabolic and functional homeostasis. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e169365. [PMID: 37788092 PMCID: PMC10688989 DOI: 10.1172/jci169365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The functional integrity of Tregs is interwoven with cellular metabolism; however, the mechanisms governing Treg metabolic programs remain elusive. Here, we identified that the deubiquitinase USP47 inhibited c-Myc translation mediated by the RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) reader YTHDF1 to maintain Treg metabolic and functional homeostasis. USP47 positively correlated with the tumor-infiltrating Treg signature in samples from patients with colorectal cancer and gastric cancer. USP47 ablation compromised Treg homeostasis and function in vivo, resulting in the development of inflammatory disorders, and boosted antitumor immune responses. USP47 deficiency in Tregs triggered the accumulation of the c-Myc protein and in turn exacerbated hyperglycolysis. Mechanistically, USP47 prevented YTHDF1 ubiquitination to attenuate the association of YTHDF1 with translation initiation machinery, thereby decreasing m6A-based c-Myc translation efficiency. Our findings reveal that USP47 directs m6A-dependent metabolic programs to orchestrate Treg homeostasis and suggest novel approaches for selective immune modulation in cancer and autoimmune diseases by targeting of USP47.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiting Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, and
- Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Center for Cancer Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Haiyan Huang
- Department of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, and
| | - Jian-Hong Shi
- Central Laboratory, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center of Tumor Microecological Metabolism Regulation, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei Province, China
| | - Xiaoyan Yu
- Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Ding
- Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuerong Zhang
- Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiaoqiao Han
- Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhi-Yu Ni
- Central Laboratory, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center of Tumor Microecological Metabolism Regulation, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei Province, China
| | - Xia Li
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
| | - Ren Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, and
| | - Qiang Zou
- Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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33
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Zhang Y, Song J, Zhou Y, Jia H, Zhou T, Sun Y, Gao Q, Zhao Y, Pan Y, Sun Z, Chu P. Discovery of selective and potent USP22 inhibitors via structure-based virtual screening and bioassays exerting anti-tumor activity. Bioorg Chem 2023; 141:106842. [PMID: 37769523 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106842] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Ubiquitin-specific protease 22 (USP22) plays a prominent role in tumor development, invasion, metastasis and immune reprogramming, which has been proposed as a potential therapeutic target for cancer. Herein, we employed a structure-based discovery and biological evaluation and discovered that Rottlerin (IC50 = 2.53 μM) and Morusin (IC50 = 8.29 μM) and as selective and potent USP22 inhibitors. Treatment of HCT116 cells and A375 cells with each of the two compounds resulted in increased monoubiquitination of histones H2A and H2B, as well as reduced protein expression levels of Sirt1 and PD-L1, all of which are known as USP22 substrates. Additionally, our study demonstrated that the administration of Rottlerin or Morusin resulted in an increase H2Bub levels, while simultaneously reducing the expression of Sirt1 and PD-L1 in a manner dependent on USP22. Furthermore, Rottlerin and Morusin were found to enhance the degradation of PD-L1 and Sirt1, as well as increase the polyubiquitination of endogenous PD-L1 and Sirt1 in HCT116 cells. Moreover, in an in vivo syngeneic tumor model, Rottlerin and Morusin exhibited potent antitumor activity, which was accompanied by an enhanced infiltration of T cells into the tumor tissues. Using in-depth molecular dynamics (MD) and binding free energy calculation, conserved residue Leu475 and non-conserved residue Arg419 were proven to be crucial for the binding affinity and inhibitory function of USP22 inhibitors. In summary, our study established a highly efficient approach for USP22-specific inhibitor discovery, which lead to identification of two selective and potent USP22 inhibitors as potential drugs in anticancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Jiankun Song
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Yuanzhang Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Huijun Jia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Tianyu Zhou
- College of Pharmacy, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Yingbo Sun
- College of Pharmacy, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Qiong Gao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Yue Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Yujie Pan
- College of Pharmacy, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Zhaolin Sun
- College of Pharmacy, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China.
| | - Peng Chu
- College of Pharmacy, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China.
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34
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Sato Y, Osada E, Manome Y. Non-canonical NFKB signaling endows suppressive function through FOXP3-dependent regulatory T cell program. Heliyon 2023; 9:e22911. [PMID: 38125410 PMCID: PMC10730750 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a central role in modulating adaptive immune responses in humans and mice. The precise biological role of non-canonical nuclear factor 'κ-light-chain-enhancer' of activated B cells (NFKB) signaling in human Tregs has yet to be fully elucidated. To gain insight into this process, a Treg-like cell line (MT-2) was genetically modified using CRISPR/Cas9. Interestingly, NFKB2 knockout MT-2 cells exhibited downregulation of FOXP3, while NFKB1 knockout did not. Additionally, mRNA expression of FOXP3-dependent molecules was significantly reduced in NFKB2 knockout MT-2 cells. To better understand the functional role of the NFKB signaling, the NFKB1/NFKB2 loci of human primary Tregs were genetically edited using CRISPR/Cas9. Similar to MT-2 cells, NFKB2 knockout human Tregs displayed significantly reduced FOXP3 expression. Furthermore, NFKB2 knockout human Tregs showed downregulation of FOXP3-dependent molecules and a diminished suppressive function compared to wild-type and NFKB1 knockout Tregs. These findings indicate that non-canonical NFKB signaling maintains a Treg-like phenotype and suppressive function in human Tregs through the FOXP3-dependent regulatory T cell program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohei Sato
- Corresponding author. 3-25-8 Nishi-shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
| | | | - Yoshinobu Manome
- Core Research Facilities, Research Center for Medical Sciences, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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35
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Chen Q, Chuai G, Zhang H, Tang J, Duan L, Guan H, Li W, Li W, Wen J, Zuo E, Zhang Q, Liu Q. Genome-wide CRISPR off-target prediction and optimization using RNA-DNA interaction fingerprints. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7521. [PMID: 37980345 PMCID: PMC10657421 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42695-4] [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: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The powerful CRISPR genome editing system is hindered by its off-target effects, and existing computational tools achieved limited performance in genome-wide off-target prediction due to the lack of deep understanding of the CRISPR molecular mechanism. In this study, we propose to incorporate molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in the computational analysis of CRISPR system, and present CRISOT, an integrated tool suite containing four related modules, i.e., CRISOT-FP, CRISOT-Score, CRISOT-Spec, CRISORT-Opti for RNA-DNA molecular interaction fingerprint generation, genome-wide CRISPR off-target prediction, sgRNA specificity evaluation and sgRNA optimization of Cas9 system respectively. Our comprehensive computational and experimental tests reveal that CRISOT outperforms existing tools with extensive in silico validations and proof-of-concept experimental validations. In addition, CRISOT shows potential in accurately predicting off-target effects of the base editors and prime editors, indicating that the derived RNA-DNA molecular interaction fingerprint captures the underlying mechanisms of RNA-DNA interaction among distinct CRISPR systems. Collectively, CRISOT provides an efficient and generalizable framework for genome-wide CRISPR off-target prediction, evaluation and sgRNA optimization for improved targeting specificity in CRISPR genome editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinchang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration (Tongji University), Ministry of Education, Orthopaedic Department of Tongji Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Bioinformatics Department, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
- Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Bioinformatics Department, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
- Research Institute of Intelligent Computing, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Guohui Chuai
- Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Bioinformatics Department, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
- Shanghai Research Institute for Intelligent Autonomous Systems, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Haihang Zhang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Gene Editing Technologies (Hainan), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jin Tang
- Research Institute of Intelligent Computing, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Liwen Duan
- Research Institute of Intelligent Computing, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Huan Guan
- Research Institute of Intelligent Computing, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Wenhui Li
- Research Institute of Intelligent Computing, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Wannian Li
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration (Tongji University), Ministry of Education, Orthopaedic Department of Tongji Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Bioinformatics Department, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Jiaying Wen
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration (Tongji University), Ministry of Education, Orthopaedic Department of Tongji Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Bioinformatics Department, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Erwei Zuo
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Gene Editing Technologies (Hainan), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Qing Zhang
- Roche R&D Center (China) Ltd., China Innovation Center of Roche, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- Ailomics Therapeutics, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Qi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration (Tongji University), Ministry of Education, Orthopaedic Department of Tongji Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Bioinformatics Department, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
- Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Bioinformatics Department, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
- Research Institute of Intelligent Computing, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, 311121, China.
- Shanghai Research Institute for Intelligent Autonomous Systems, Shanghai, 201210, China.
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Zhang K, Sun T, Li W, Guo Y, Li A, Hsieh M, Wang J, Wu J, Arvanitis L, Raz DJ. Inhibition of USP7 upregulates USP22 and activates its downstream cancer-related signaling pathways in human cancer cells. Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:319. [PMID: 37946202 PMCID: PMC10634000 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01320-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: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Deubiquitinases (DUBs) play important roles in various human cancers and targeting DUBs is considered as a novel anticancer therapeutic strategy. Overexpression of ubiquitin specific protease 7 and 22 (USP7 and USP22) are associated with malignancy, therapy resistance, and poor prognosis in many cancers. Although both DUBs are involved in the regulation of similar genes and signaling pathways, such as histone H2B monoubiquitination (H2Bub1), c-Myc, FOXP3, and p53, the interdependence of USP22 and USP7 expression has never been described. In the study, we found that targeting USP7 via either siRNA-mediated knockdown or pharmaceutical inhibitors dramatically upregulates USP22 in cancer cells. Mechanistically, the elevated USP22 occurs through a transcriptional pathway, possibly due to desuppression of the transcriptional activity of SP1 via promoting its degradation upon USP7 inhibition. Importantly, increased USP22 expression leads to significant activation of downstream signal pathways including H2Bub1 and c-Myc, which may potentially enhance cancer malignancy and counteract the anticancer efficacy of USP7 inhibition. Importantly, targeting USP7 further suppresses the in vitro proliferation of USP22-knockout (USP22-Ko) A549 and H1299 lung cancer cells and induces a stronger activation of p53 tumor suppressor signaling pathway. In addition, USP22-Ko cancer cells are more sensitive to a combination of cisplatin and USP7 inhibitor. USP7 inhibitor treatment further suppresses in vivo angiogenesis and tumor growth and induced more apoptosis in USP22-Ko cancer xenografts. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that USP7 inhibition can dramatically upregulate USP22 in cancer cells; and targeting USP7 and USP22 may represent a more effective approach for targeted cancer therapy, which warrants further study. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keqiang Zhang
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA.
| | - Ting Sun
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
- Faculty of Health Science, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Wendong Li
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Yuming Guo
- Division of Comparative Medicine, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Aimin Li
- Pathology Core of Shared Resources, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Marcus Hsieh
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Jinghan Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Wu
- Division of Comparative Medicine, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Leonidas Arvanitis
- Department of Pathology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Dan J Raz
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA.
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Zhou X, Renauer PA, Zhou L, Fang SY, Chen S. Applications of CRISPR technology in cellular immunotherapy. Immunol Rev 2023; 320:199-216. [PMID: 37449673 PMCID: PMC10787818 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR technology has transformed multiple fields, including cancer and immunology. CRISPR-based gene editing and screening empowers direct genomic manipulation of immune cells, opening doors to unbiased functional genetic screens. These screens aid in the discovery of novel factors that regulate and reprogram immune responses, offering novel drug targets. The engineering of immune cells using CRISPR has sparked a transformation in the cellular immunotherapy field, resulting in a multitude of ongoing clinical trials. In this review, we discuss the development and applications of CRISPR and related gene editing technologies in immune cells, focusing on functional genomics screening, gene editing-based cell therapies, as well as future directions in this rapidly advancing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Zhou
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Paul A. Renauer
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Liqun Zhou
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Immunobiology Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Shao-Yu Fang
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sidi Chen
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Immunobiology Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics, and Development Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Stem Cell Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Biomedical Data Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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Luo J, Zhou C, Wang S, Tao S, Liao Y, Shi Z, Tang Z, Wu Y, Liu Y, Yang P. Cortisol synergizing with endoplasmic reticulum stress induces regulatory T-cell dysfunction. Immunology 2023; 170:334-343. [PMID: 37475539 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The dysfunction of regulatory T cell (Treg) is associated with the pathogenesis of many immune diseases. The regiments used to re-establish Treg's function are currently unsatisfactory and need to be improved. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the synergistic effects of cortisol and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress on impairing regulatory T cell functions. In this study, blood samples were collected from patients with food allergy (FA). Immune cells were purified from blood specimens by flow cytometry. A mouse model of FA was established with ovalbumin as a specific antigen. We observed that serum cortisol levels of FA patients were negatively correlated with peripheral Treg counts. Overwhelmed ER stress status was detected in Tregs of FA patients. The antigen-specific immune response induced ER stress in Tregs, which was exacerbated by concurrent cortisol exposure. ER stress mediated the effects of cortisol on impairing the immune suppressive ability of Tregs. The expression of Rnf20 was observed in Tregs upon exposure to cortisol. Rnf20 reduced the expression of Foxp3 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β in Tregs. Rnf20 inhibition re-established the immunosuppressive functions of Tregs obtained in patients with FA. The experimental FA in mice was attenuated by inhibition of Rnf20 in Tregs. In summary, specific immune response in synergy with cortisol to induce the expression of Rnf20 in Tregs. Rnf20 reduces the levels of Foxp3 and TGF-β to impair the immune suppressive function. Inhibition of Rnf20 can restore the immune suppressive ability of Tregs obtained from FA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangping Luo
- Department of Chinese Traditional Medicine, Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Caijie Zhou
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Shenzhen Hospital (Longgang), Shenzhen, China
| | - Shiqi Wang
- Shenzhen Clinical College, Guangzhou Chinese Traditional Medical University, Shenzhen, China
- Institute of Allergy & Immunology of Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases Shenzhen University Division, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Allergy & Immunology, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Standardization Allergen Engineering Research Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shuang Tao
- Shenzhen Clinical College, Guangzhou Chinese Traditional Medical University, Shenzhen, China
- Institute of Allergy & Immunology of Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases Shenzhen University Division, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Allergy & Immunology, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Standardization Allergen Engineering Research Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yun Liao
- Shenzhen Clinical College, Guangzhou Chinese Traditional Medical University, Shenzhen, China
- Institute of Allergy & Immunology of Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases Shenzhen University Division, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Allergy & Immunology, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Standardization Allergen Engineering Research Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhaohui Shi
- Department of Allergy, Longgang ENT Hospital, Shenzhen ENT Institute & Shenzhen Key Laboratory of ENT, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhiyuan Tang
- Department of Allergy, Longgang ENT Hospital, Shenzhen ENT Institute & Shenzhen Key Laboratory of ENT, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yongjin Wu
- Department of Allergy, Longgang ENT Hospital, Shenzhen ENT Institute & Shenzhen Key Laboratory of ENT, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Chinese Traditional Medicine, Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pingchang Yang
- Institute of Allergy & Immunology of Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases Shenzhen University Division, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Allergy & Immunology, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Standardization Allergen Engineering Research Center, Shenzhen, China
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Tuomela K, Salim K, Levings MK. Eras of designer Tregs: Harnessing synthetic biology for immune suppression. Immunol Rev 2023; 320:250-267. [PMID: 37522861 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Since their discovery, CD4+ CD25hi FOXP3hi regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been firmly established as a critical cell type for regulating immune homeostasis through a plethora of mechanisms. Due to their immunoregulatory power, delivery of polyclonal Tregs has been explored as a therapy to dampen inflammation in the settings of transplantation and autoimmunity. Evidence shows that Treg therapy is safe and well-tolerated, but efficacy remains undefined and could be limited by poor persistence in vivo and lack of antigen specificity. With the advent of new genetic engineering tools, it is now possible to create bespoke "designer" Tregs that not only overcome possible limitations of polyclonal Tregs but also introduce new features. Here, we review the development of designer Tregs through the perspective of three 'eras': (1) the era of FOXP3 engineering, in which breakthroughs in the biological understanding of this transcription factor enabled the conversion of conventional T cells to Tregs; (2) the antigen-specificity era, in which transgenic T-cell receptors and chimeric antigen receptors were introduced to create more potent and directed Treg therapies; and (3) the current era, which is harnessing advanced genome-editing techniques to introduce and refine existing and new engineering approaches. The year 2022 marked the entry of "designer" Tregs into the clinic, with exciting potential for application and efficacy in a wide variety of immune-mediated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karoliina Tuomela
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kevin Salim
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Megan K Levings
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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40
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Knoedler S, Knoedler L, Kauke-Navarro M, Rinkevich Y, Hundeshagen G, Harhaus L, Kneser U, Pomahac B, Orgill DP, Panayi AC. Regulatory T cells in skin regeneration and wound healing. Mil Med Res 2023; 10:49. [PMID: 37867188 PMCID: PMC10591349 DOI: 10.1186/s40779-023-00484-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
As the body's integumentary system, the skin is vulnerable to injuries. The subsequent wound healing processes aim to restore dermal and epidermal integrity and functionality. To this end, multiple tissue-resident cells and recruited immune cells cooperate to efficiently repair the injured tissue. Such temporally- and spatially-coordinated interplay necessitates tight regulation to prevent collateral damage such as overshooting immune responses and excessive inflammation. In this context, regulatory T cells (Tregs) hold a key role in balancing immune homeostasis and mediating cutaneous wound healing. A comprehensive understanding of Tregs' multifaceted field of activity may help decipher wound pathologies and, ultimately, establish new treatment modalities. Herein, we review the role of Tregs in orchestrating the regeneration of skin adnexa and catalyzing healthy wound repair. Further, we discuss how Tregs operate during fibrosis, keloidosis, and scarring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Knoedler
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yale New Haven Hospital, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Institute of Regenerative Biology and Medicine, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, 85764, Germany
| | - Leonard Knoedler
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yale New Haven Hospital, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Martin Kauke-Navarro
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yale New Haven Hospital, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Yuval Rinkevich
- Institute of Regenerative Biology and Medicine, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, 85764, Germany
| | - Gabriel Hundeshagen
- Department of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Microsurgery, Burn Trauma Center, BG Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, University of Heidelberg, Ludwigshafen, 67071, Germany
| | - Leila Harhaus
- Department of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Microsurgery, Burn Trauma Center, BG Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, University of Heidelberg, Ludwigshafen, 67071, Germany
| | - Ulrich Kneser
- Department of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Microsurgery, Burn Trauma Center, BG Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, University of Heidelberg, Ludwigshafen, 67071, Germany
| | - Bohdan Pomahac
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yale New Haven Hospital, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Dennis P Orgill
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Adriana C Panayi
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Microsurgery, Burn Trauma Center, BG Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, University of Heidelberg, Ludwigshafen, 67071, Germany.
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Friebus-Kardash J, Christ TC, Dietlein N, Elwy A, Abdelrahman H, Holnsteiner L, Hu Z, Rodewald HR, Lang KS. Usp22 Deficiency Leads to Downregulation of PD-L1 and Pathological Activation of CD8 + T Cells and Causes Immunopathology in Response to Acute LCMV Infection. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1563. [PMID: 37896966 PMCID: PMC10610587 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11101563] [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: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 22 (Usp22) cleaves ubiquitin moieties from numerous proteins, including histone H2B and transcription factors. Recently, it was reported that Usp22 acts as a negative regulator of interferon-dependent responses. In the current study, we investigated the role of Usp22 deficiency in acute viral infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). We found that the lack of Usp22 on bone marrow-derived cells (Usp22fl/fl Vav1-Cre mice) reduced the induction of type I and II interferons. A limited type I interferon response did not influence virus replication. However, restricted expression of PD-L1 led to increased frequencies of functional virus-specific CD8+ T cells and rapid death of Usp22-deficient mice. CD8+ T cell depletion experiments revealed that accelerated CD8+ T cells were responsible for enhanced lethality in Usp22 deficient mice. In conclusion, we found that the lack of Usp22 generated a pathological CD8+ T cell response, which gave rise to severe disease in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justa Friebus-Kardash
- Institute of Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (T.C.C.); (A.E.); (H.A.); (L.H.); (Z.H.); (K.S.L.)
- Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Theresa Charlotte Christ
- Institute of Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (T.C.C.); (A.E.); (H.A.); (L.H.); (Z.H.); (K.S.L.)
| | - Nikolaus Dietlein
- Division of Cellular Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (N.D.)
| | - Abdelrahman Elwy
- Institute of Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (T.C.C.); (A.E.); (H.A.); (L.H.); (Z.H.); (K.S.L.)
| | - Hossam Abdelrahman
- Institute of Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (T.C.C.); (A.E.); (H.A.); (L.H.); (Z.H.); (K.S.L.)
| | - Lisa Holnsteiner
- Institute of Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (T.C.C.); (A.E.); (H.A.); (L.H.); (Z.H.); (K.S.L.)
| | - Zhongwen Hu
- Institute of Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (T.C.C.); (A.E.); (H.A.); (L.H.); (Z.H.); (K.S.L.)
| | - Hans-Reimer Rodewald
- Division of Cellular Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (N.D.)
| | - Karl Sebastian Lang
- Institute of Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (T.C.C.); (A.E.); (H.A.); (L.H.); (Z.H.); (K.S.L.)
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42
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Chai X, Tao Q, Li L. The role of RING finger proteins in chromatin remodeling and biological functions. Epigenomics 2023; 15:1053-1068. [PMID: 37964749 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2023-0234] [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] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammalian DNA duplexes are highly condensed with different components, including histones, enabling chromatin formation. Chromatin remodeling is involved in multiple biological processes, including gene transcription regulation and DNA damage repair. Recent research has highlighted the significant involvement of really interesting new gene (RING) finger proteins in chromatin remodeling, primarily attributed to their E3 ubiquitin ligase activities. In this review, we highlight the pivotal role of RING finger proteins in chromatin remodeling and provide an overview of their capacity to ubiquitinate specific histones, modulate ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes and interact with various histone post-translational modifications. We also discuss the diverse biological effects of RING finger protein-mediated chromatin remodeling and explore potential therapeutic strategies for targeting these proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxue Chai
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Clinical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Sir YK Pao Center for Cancer, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Qian Tao
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Clinical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Sir YK Pao Center for Cancer, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Lili Li
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Clinical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Sir YK Pao Center for Cancer, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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43
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Wang S, Liu K, Han X, Cheng Y, Zhao E, Brat DJ, Sun Z, Fang D. ATXN3 deubiquitinates YAP1 to promote tumor growth. Am J Cancer Res 2023; 13:4222-4234. [PMID: 37818078 PMCID: PMC10560956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The ubiquitin-specific peptidase Ataxin-3 (ATXN3) has emerged as a potential oncogene in a variety of human cancers. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying how ATXN3 achieves its tumorigenic functions remain largely undefined. Herein, we report that targeted deletion of the ATXN3 gene in cancer cells by the CRISPR-Cas9 system resulted in decreased protein expression of Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) without altering its mRNA transcription. Interestingly, genetic ATXN3 suppression selectively inhibited the expression levels of YAP1 target genes including the connective tissue growth factor (Ctgf) and cysteine-rich angiogenic inducer 61 (Cyr61), both of which have important functions in cell adhesion, migration, proliferation and angiogenesis. Consequently, ATXN3 suppression resulted in reduced cancer cell growth and migration, which can also be largely rescued by YAP1 reconstitution. At the molecular level, ATNX3 interacts with the WW domains of YAP1 to protect YAP1 from ubiquitination-mediated degradation. Immunohistology analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between ATXN3 and YAP1 protein expression in human breast and pancreatic cancers. Collectively, our study defines ATXN3 as a previously unknown YAP1 deubiquitinase in tumorigenesis and provides a rationale for ATXN3 targeting in antitumor chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengnan Wang
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical UniversityDalian 116044, Liaoning, China
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Kun Liu
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Xiaohua Han
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao UniversityNingxia Road 308, Qingdao 266071, Shandong, China
| | - Yang Cheng
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical UniversityDalian 116044, Liaoning, China
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Emily Zhao
- Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL 60201, USA
| | - Daniel J Brat
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Zhaolin Sun
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical UniversityDalian 116044, Liaoning, China
| | - Deyu Fang
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicago, IL 60611, USA
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Gao H, Yin J, Ji C, Yu X, Xue J, Guan X, Zhang S, Liu X, Xing F. Targeting ubiquitin specific proteases (USPs) in cancer immunotherapy: from basic research to preclinical application. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2023; 42:225. [PMID: 37658402 PMCID: PMC10472646 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02805-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumors have evolved in various mechanisms to evade the immune system, hindering the antitumor immune response and facilitating tumor progression. Immunotherapy has become a potential treatment strategy specific to different cancer types by utilizing multifarious molecular mechanisms to enhance the immune response against tumors. Among these mechanisms, the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is a significant non-lysosomal pathway specific to protein degradation, regulated by deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) that counterbalance ubiquitin signaling. Ubiquitin-specific proteases (USPs), the largest DUB family with the strongest variety, play critical roles in modulating immune cell function, regulating immune response, and participating in antigen processing and presentation during tumor progression. According to recent studies, the expressions of some USP family members in tumor cells are involved in tumor immune escape and immune microenvironment. This review explores the potential of targeting USPs as a new approach for cancer immunotherapy, highlighting recent basic and preclinical studies investigating the applications of USP inhibitors. By providing insights into the structure and function of USPs in cancer immunity, this review aims at assisting in developing new therapeutic approaches for enhancing the immunotherapy efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongli Gao
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, China
| | - Jianqiao Yin
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, China
| | - Ce Ji
- Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, China
| | - Xiaopeng Yu
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, China
| | - Jinqi Xue
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, China
| | - Xin Guan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, China
| | - Shuang Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, China
| | - Xun Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, China.
| | - Fei Xing
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, China.
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Mulik S, Berber E, Sehrawat S, Rouse BT. Controlling viral inflammatory lesions by rebalancing immune response patterns. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1257192. [PMID: 37671156 PMCID: PMC10475736 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1257192] [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: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In this review, we discuss a variety of immune modulating approaches that could be used to counteract tissue-damaging viral immunoinflammatory lesions which typify many chronic viral infections. We make the point that in several viral infections the lesions can be largely the result of one or more aspects of the host response mediating the cell and tissue damage rather than the virus itself being directly responsible. However, within the reactive inflammatory lesions along with the pro-inflammatory participants there are also other aspects of the host response that may be acting to constrain the activity of the damaging components and are contributing to resolution. This scenario should provide the prospect of rebalancing the contributions of different host responses and hence diminish or even fully control the virus-induced lesions. We identify several aspects of the host reactions that influence the pattern of immune responsiveness and describe approaches that have been used successfully, mainly in model systems, to modulate the activity of damaging participants and which has led to lesion control. We emphasize examples where such therapies are, or could be, translated for practical use in the clinic to control inflammatory lesions caused by viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachin Mulik
- Center for Biomedical Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, Tyler, TX, United States
| | - Engin Berber
- Infection Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Sharvan Sehrawat
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Department of Biological Sciences, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Barry Tyrrell Rouse
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
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Mo L, Liu Y, Xu X, Wang X, Zhang S, Hu S, Wu Y, Tang Z, Huang Q, Li J, Sun X, Yang P. Endoplasmic reticulum stress impairs the immune regulation property of macrophages in asthmatic patients. Clin Immunol 2023; 252:109639. [PMID: 37172666 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2023.109639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The current study aims to characterize the counteraction of M2 cells in response to Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. ER stress was detected in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) Mϕs, which was at unresolved state in asthma patients. A positive correlation was detected between ER stress in Mϕs and lung functions/allergic mediators/Th2 cytokines in BALF or specific IgE in the serum. Levels of immune regulatory mediator in the BALF were negatively correlated to ER stress in BALF Mϕs. The ER stress state influenced the immune regulatory property of BALF Mϕ. Exposure to environmental pollutant, 3-metheyl-4-nitrophenol, exacerbated ER stress in Mϕ, which affected the Mϕ phenotyping. Exacerbation of ER stress suppressed the expression of IL-10 and programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) in Mϕs by increasing the expression of the ring finger protein 20 (Rnf20). Conditional inhibition of Rnf20 in Mϕs attenuated experimental airway allergy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihua Mo
- Department of General Practice Medicine and Respirology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Guangdong Provincial Regional Disease Key Laboratory, Shenzhen, China; Institute of Allergy & Immunology of Shenzhen University, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases Allergy Division at Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of General Practice Medicine and Respirology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xuejie Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Regional Disease Key Laboratory, Shenzhen, China; Institute of Allergy & Immunology of Shenzhen University, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases Allergy Division at Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xinxin Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Regional Disease Key Laboratory, Shenzhen, China; Institute of Allergy & Immunology of Shenzhen University, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases Allergy Division at Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shuang Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Regional Disease Key Laboratory, Shenzhen, China; Institute of Allergy & Immunology of Shenzhen University, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases Allergy Division at Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Suqin Hu
- Department of General Practice Medicine and Respirology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yongjin Wu
- Department of Allergy, Longgang ENT Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhiyuan Tang
- Department of Allergy, Longgang ENT Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qinmiao Huang
- Department of General Practice Medicine and Respirology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Allergy, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Xizhuo Sun
- Department of General Practice Medicine and Respirology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Pingchang Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Regional Disease Key Laboratory, Shenzhen, China; Institute of Allergy & Immunology of Shenzhen University, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases Allergy Division at Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
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Liu K, Gao Q, Jia Y, Wei J, Chaudhuri S, Wang S, Tang A, Mani N, Iyer R, Cheng Y, Gao B, Lu W, Sun Z, Liu H, Fang D. Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 22 controls integrin-dependent cancer cell stemness and metastasis. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2922367. [PMID: 37398311 PMCID: PMC10312927 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2922367/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Integrins plays critical roles in connecting the extracellular matrix and actin skeleton for cell adhesion, migration, signal transduction, and gene transcription, which upregulation is involved in cancer stemness and metastasis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying how integrins are upregulated in cancer stem cells (CSCs) remain as a biomedical mystery. Herein, we show that the death from cancer signature gene USP22 is essential to maintain the stemness of breast cancer cells through promoting the transcription of a group of integrin family members in particular integrin β1 (ITGB1). Both genetic and pharmacological USP22 inhibition largely impaired breast cancer stem cell self-renewal and prevented their metastasis. Integrin β1 reconstitution partially rescued USP22-null breast cancer stemness and their metastasis. At the molecular level, USP22 functions as a bona fide deubiquitinase to protect the proteasomal degradation of the forkhead box M1 (FoxM1), a transcription factor for tumoral ITGB1 gene transcription. Importantly unbiased analysis of the TCGA database revealed a strong positive correlation between the death from cancer signature gene ubiquitin-specific peptidase 22 (USP22) and ITGB1, both of which are critical for cancer stemness, in more than 90% of human cancer types, implying that USP22 functions as a key factor to maintain stemness for a broad spectrum of human cancer types possibly through regulating ITGB1. To support this notion, immunohistochemistry staining detected a positive correlation among USP22, FoxM1 and integrin β1 in human breast cancers. Collectively, our study identifies the USP22-FoxM1-integrin β1 signaling axis critical for cancer stemness and offers a potential target for antitumor therapy.
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Campelo SN, Huang PH, Buie CR, Davalos RV. Recent Advancements in Electroporation Technologies: From Bench to Clinic. Annu Rev Biomed Eng 2023; 25:77-100. [PMID: 36854260 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-110220-023800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decade, the increased adoption of electroporation-based technologies has led to an expansion of clinical research initiatives. Electroporation has been utilized in molecular biology for mammalian and bacterial transfection; for food sanitation; and in therapeutic settings to increase drug uptake, for gene therapy, and to eliminate cancerous tissues. We begin this article by discussing the biophysics required for understanding the concepts behind the cell permeation phenomenon that is electroporation. We then review nano- and microscale single-cell electroporation technologies before scaling up to emerging in vivo applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina N Campelo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA;
| | - Po-Hsun Huang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Cullen R Buie
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rafael V Davalos
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA;
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Han SJ, Jain P, Gilad Y, Xia Y, Sung N, Park MJ, Dean AM, Lanz RB, Xu J, Dacso CC, Lonard DM, O'Malley BW. Steroid receptor coactivator 3 is a key modulator of regulatory T cell-mediated tumor evasion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2221707120. [PMID: 37253006 PMCID: PMC10266015 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2221707120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Steroid receptor coactivator 3 (SRC-3) is most strongly expressed in regulatory T cells (Tregs) and B cells, suggesting that it plays an important role in the regulation of Treg function. Using an aggressive E0771 mouse breast cell line syngeneic immune-intact murine model, we observed that breast tumors were "permanently eradicated" in a genetically engineered tamoxifen-inducible Treg-cell-specific SRC-3 knockout (KO) female mouse that does not possess a systemic autoimmune pathological phenotype. A similar eradication of tumor was noted in a syngeneic model of prostate cancer. A subsequent injection of additional E0771 cancer cells into these mice showed continued resistance to tumor development without the need for tamoxifen induction to produce additional SRC-3 KO Tregs. SRC-3 KO Tregs were highly proliferative and preferentially infiltrated into breast tumors by activating the chemokine (C-C motif) ligand (Ccl) 19/Ccl21/chemokine (C-C motif) receptor (Ccr)7 signaling axis, generating antitumor immunity by enhancing the interferon-γ/C-X-C motif chemokine ligand (Cxcl) 9 signaling axis to facilitate the entrance and function of effector T cells and natural killer cells. SRC-3 KO Tregs also show a dominant effect by blocking the immune suppressive function of WT Tregs. Importantly, a single adoptive transfer of SRC-3 KO Tregs into wild-type E0771 tumor-bearing mice can completely abolish preestablished breast tumors by generating potent antitumor immunity with a durable effect that prevents tumor reoccurrence. Therefore, treatment with SRC-3-deleted Tregs represents an approach to completely block tumor growth and recurrence without the autoimmune side effects that typically accompany immune checkpoint modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang Jun Han
- Department of Molecular Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Nuclear Receptor, Transcription and Chromatin Biology Program, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Prashi Jain
- Department of Molecular Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Yosef Gilad
- Department of Molecular Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Yan Xia
- Department of Molecular Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Nuri Sung
- Department of Molecular Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Mi Jin Park
- Department of Molecular Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Adam M. Dean
- Department of Molecular Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Rainer B. Lanz
- Department of Molecular Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Jianming Xu
- Department of Molecular Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Nuclear Receptor, Transcription and Chromatin Biology Program, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Clifford C. Dacso
- Department of Molecular Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Nuclear Receptor, Transcription and Chromatin Biology Program, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - David M. Lonard
- Department of Molecular Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Nuclear Receptor, Transcription and Chromatin Biology Program, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Bert W. O'Malley
- Department of Molecular Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Nuclear Receptor, Transcription and Chromatin Biology Program, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
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50
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Hirano M, Galarza-Muñoz G, Nagasawa C, Schott G, Wang L, Antonia AL, Jain V, Yu X, Widen SG, Briggs FBS, Gregory SG, Ko DC, Fagg WS, Bradrick S, Garcia-Blanco MA. The RNA helicase DDX39B activates FOXP3 RNA splicing to control T regulatory cell fate. eLife 2023; 12:e76927. [PMID: 37261960 PMCID: PMC10234631 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76927] [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: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Genes associated with increased susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS) have been identified, but their functions are incompletely understood. One of these genes codes for the RNA helicase DExD/H-Box Polypeptide 39B (DDX39B), which shows genetic and functional epistasis with interleukin-7 receptor-α gene (IL7R) in MS-risk. Based on evolutionary and functional arguments, we postulated that DDX39B enhances immune tolerance thereby decreasing MS risk. Consistent with such a role we show that DDX39B controls the expression of many MS susceptibility genes and important immune-related genes. Among these we identified Forkhead Box P3 (FOXP3), which codes for the master transcriptional factor in CD4+/CD25+ T regulatory cells. DDX39B knockdown led to loss of immune-regulatory and gain of immune-effector expression signatures. Splicing of FOXP3 introns, which belong to a previously unrecognized type of introns with C-rich polypyrimidine tracts, was exquisitely sensitive to DDX39B levels. Given the importance of FOXP3 in autoimmunity, this work cements DDX39B as an important guardian of immune tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minato Hirano
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonUnited States
- National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Disease, Nagasaki UniversityNagasakiJapan
| | - Gaddiel Galarza-Muñoz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonUnited States
- Autoimmunity Biological SolutionsGalvestonUnited States
| | - Chloe Nagasawa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonUnited States
- Human Pathophysiology and Translational Medicine Program, Institute for Translational Sciences, University of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonUnited States
| | - Geraldine Schott
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonUnited States
| | - Liuyang Wang
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
| | - Alejandro L Antonia
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
| | - Vaibhav Jain
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
| | - Xiaoying Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonUnited States
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Population Health, University of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonUnited States
| | - Steven G Widen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonUnited States
| | - Farren BS Briggs
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve UniversityClevelandUnited States
| | - Simon G Gregory
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of MedicineDurhamUnited States
| | - Dennis C Ko
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
| | - William S Fagg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonUnited States
- Transplant Division, Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonUnited States
| | - Shelton Bradrick
- Institute of Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonUnited States
| | - Mariano A Garcia-Blanco
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonUnited States
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonUnited States
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, University of VirginiaCharlottesvilleUnited States
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