1
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Fan Y, Liu W, Qi L, Zhao Q, Li S, Zou H, Kong C, Li Z, Ren J, Liu Z, Wang B. Correlation of disulfidptosis and periodontitis: New insights and clinical significance. Arch Oral Biol 2024; 166:106046. [PMID: 38991331 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2024.106046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aims to investigate and predict the therapeutic agents associated with disulfidptosis in periodontitis. DESIGN The dataset GSE10334 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and used to train a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) algorithm to identify genes associated with disulfidptosis in periodontitis. GSE16134 validation sets, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and gingival immunofluorescence were used to verify the results.Single-gene Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was performed to explore the potential mechanisms and functions of the characterized genes. Immune infiltration and correlation analyses were performed, and competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks were constructed. Effective therapeutic drugs were then predicted using the DGIdb database, and molecular docking was used to validate binding affinity. RESULTS Six genes (SLC7A11, SLC3A2, RPN1, NCKAP1, LRPPRC, and NDUFS1) associated with disulfidptosis in periodontitis were obtained. Validation results from external datasets and experiments were consistent with the screening results. Single-gene GSEA analysis was mainly enriched for antigen presentation and immune-related pathways and functions.Immune infiltration and correlation analyses revealed significant regulatory relationships between these genes and plasma cells, resting dendritic cell, and activated NK cells. The ceRNA network was visualized. And ME-344, NV-128, and RILUZOLE, which have good affinity to target genes, were identified as promising agents for the treatment of periodontitis. CONCLUSIONS SLC7A11, SLC3A2, RPN1, NCKAP1, LRPPRC, and NDUFS1 are targets associated with disulfidptosis in periodontitis, and ME-344, NV-128, and RILUZOLE are promising agents for the treatment of periodontitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixin Fan
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Wantong Liu
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Le Qi
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Qi Zhao
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Sining Li
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - He Zou
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Chen Kong
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Zhiwei Li
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Jiwei Ren
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Zhihui Liu
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Bowei Wang
- The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
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2
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Hu Y, Zhang Y, Shi F, Yang R, Yan J, Han T, Guan L. Reversal of T-cell exhaustion: Mechanisms and synergistic approaches. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 138:112571. [PMID: 38941674 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
T cells suffer from long-term antigen stimulation and insufficient energy supply, leading to a decline in their effector functions, memory capabilities, and proliferative capacity, ultimately resulting in T cell exhaustion and an inability to perform normal immune functions in the tumor microenvironment. Therefore, exploring how to restore these exhausted T cells to a state with effector functions is of great significance. Exhausted T cells exhibit a spectrum of molecular alterations, such as heightened expression of inhibitory receptors, shifts in transcription factor profiles, and modifications across epigenetic, metabolic, and transcriptional landscapes. This review provides a comprehensive overview of various strategies to reverse T cell exhaustion, including immune checkpoint blockade, and explores the potential synergistic effects of combining multiple approaches to reverse T cell exhaustion. It offers new insights and methods for achieving more durable and effective reversal of T cell exhaustion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Hu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Yaqi Zhang
- Institutes of Health Central Plains, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China
| | - Fenfen Shi
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Ruihan Yang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Jiayu Yan
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Tao Han
- Institutes of Health Central Plains, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China.
| | - Liping Guan
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China.
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3
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Kaymak I, Watson MJ, Oswald BM, Ma S, Johnson BK, DeCamp LM, Mabvakure BM, Luda KM, Ma EH, Lau K, Fu Z, Muhire B, Kitchen-Goosen SM, Vander Ark A, Dahabieh MS, Samborska B, Vos M, Shen H, Fan ZP, Roddy TP, Kingsbury GA, Sousa CM, Krawczyk CM, Williams KS, Sheldon RD, Kaech SM, Roy DG, Jones RG. ACLY and ACSS2 link nutrient-dependent chromatin accessibility to CD8 T cell effector responses. J Exp Med 2024; 221:e20231820. [PMID: 39150482 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20231820] [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: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Coordination of cellular metabolism is essential for optimal T cell responses. Here, we identify cytosolic acetyl-CoA production as an essential metabolic node for CD8 T cell function in vivo. We show that CD8 T cell responses to infection depend on acetyl-CoA derived from citrate via the enzyme ATP citrate lyase (ACLY). However, ablation of ACLY triggers an alternative, acetate-dependent pathway for acetyl-CoA production mediated by acyl-CoA synthetase short-chain family member 2 (ACSS2). Mechanistically, acetate fuels both the TCA cycle and cytosolic acetyl-CoA production, impacting T cell effector responses, acetate-dependent histone acetylation, and chromatin accessibility at effector gene loci. When ACLY is functional, ACSS2 is not required, suggesting acetate is not an obligate metabolic substrate for CD8 T cell function. However, loss of ACLY renders CD8 T cells dependent on acetate (via ACSS2) to maintain acetyl-CoA production and effector function. Together, ACLY and ACSS2 coordinate cytosolic acetyl-CoA production in CD8 T cells to maintain chromatin accessibility and T cell effector function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irem Kaymak
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - McLane J Watson
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Brandon M Oswald
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Shixin Ma
- NOMIS Center for Immunobiology and Microbial Pathogenesis, Salk Institute for Biological Studies , La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin K Johnson
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program, Van Andel Institute , Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Lisa M DeCamp
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program, Van Andel Institute , Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Batsirai M Mabvakure
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Katarzyna M Luda
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen , København, Denmark
| | - Eric H Ma
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Kin Lau
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core, Van Andel Institute , Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Zhen Fu
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core, Van Andel Institute , Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Brejnev Muhire
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Susan M Kitchen-Goosen
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program, Van Andel Institute , Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Alexandra Vander Ark
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Michael S Dahabieh
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Bozena Samborska
- Goodman Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University , Montréal, Canada
| | - Matthew Vos
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program, Van Andel Institute , Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Hui Shen
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Connie M Krawczyk
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program, Van Andel Institute , Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Kelsey S Williams
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program, Van Andel Institute , Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Ryan D Sheldon
- Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, Van Andel Institute , Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Susan M Kaech
- NOMIS Center for Immunobiology and Microbial Pathogenesis, Salk Institute for Biological Studies , La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Dominic G Roy
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal , Montréal, Canada
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Institut du Cancer de Montréal , Montréal, Canada
| | - Russell G Jones
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program, Van Andel Institute , Grand Rapids, MI, USA
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4
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Yazicioglu YF, Mitchell RJ, Clarke AJ. Mitochondrial control of lymphocyte homeostasis. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2024; 161-162:42-53. [PMID: 38608498 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2024.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Mitochondria play a multitude of essential roles within mammalian cells, and understanding how they control immunity is an emerging area of study. Lymphocytes, as integral cellular components of the adaptive immune system, rely on mitochondria for their function, and mitochondria can dynamically instruct their differentiation and activation by undergoing rapid and profound remodelling. Energy homeostasis and ATP production are often considered the primary functions of mitochondria in immune cells; however, their importance extends across a spectrum of other molecular processes, including regulation of redox balance, signalling pathways, and biosynthesis. In this review, we explore the dynamic landscape of mitochondrial homeostasis in T and B cells, and discuss how mitochondrial disorders compromise adaptive immunity.
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5
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Morandini AC, Ramos-Junior ES. Mitochondrial function in oral health and disease. J Immunol Methods 2024; 532:113729. [PMID: 39067635 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2024.113729] [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: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Monitoring mitochondrial function and mitochondrial quality control in tissues is a crucial aspect of understanding cellular health and dysfunction, which may inform about the pathogenesis of several conditions associated with aging, including chronic inflammatory conditions, neurodegenerative disorders and metabolic diseases. This process involves assessing the functionality, integrity, and abundance of mitochondria within cells. Several lines of evidence have explored techniques and methods for monitoring mitochondrial quality control in tissues. In this review, we summarize and provide our perspective considering the latest evidence in mitochondrial function and mitochondrial quality control in oral health and disease with a particular focus in periodontal inflammation. This research is significant for gaining insights into cellular health and the pathophysiology of periodontal disease, a dysbiosis-related, immune mediated and age-associated chronic condition representing a significant burden to US elderly population. Approaches for assessing mitochondrial health status reviewed here include assessing mitochondrial dynamics, mitophagy, mitochondrial biogenesis, oxidative stress, electron transport chain function and metabolomics. Such assessments help researchers comprehend the role of mitochondrial function in cellular homeostasis and its implications for oral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina Morandini
- Department of Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences, Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA; Department of Periodontics, Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA.
| | - Erivan S Ramos-Junior
- Department of Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences, Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA
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6
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Gubser PM, Wijesinghe S, Heyden L, Gabriel SS, de Souza DP, Hess C, McConville MM, Utzschneider DT, Kallies A. Aerobic glycolysis but not GLS1-dependent glutamine metabolism is critical for anti-tumor immunity and response to checkpoint inhibition. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114632. [PMID: 39159042 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor cells undergo uncontrolled proliferation driven by enhanced anabolic metabolism including glycolysis and glutaminolysis. Targeting these pathways to inhibit cancer growth is a strategy for cancer treatment. Critically, however, tumor-responsive T cells share metabolic features with cancer cells, making them susceptible to these treatments as well. Here, we assess the impact on anti-tumor T cell immunity and T cell exhaustion by genetic ablation of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) and glutaminase1 (GLS1), key enzymes in aerobic glycolysis and glutaminolysis. Loss of LDHA severely impairs expansion of T cells in response to tumors and chronic infection. In contrast, T cells lacking GLS1 can compensate for impaired glutaminolysis by engaging alternative pathways, including upregulation of asparagine synthetase, and thus efficiently respond to tumor challenge and chronic infection as well as immune checkpoint blockade. Targeting GLS1-dependent glutaminolysis, but not aerobic glycolysis, may therefore be a successful strategy in cancer treatment, particularly in combination with immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M Gubser
- The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Sharanya Wijesinghe
- The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Leonie Heyden
- The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Sarah S Gabriel
- The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - David P de Souza
- Metabolomics Australia, Bio21 Molecular Science & Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Christoph Hess
- Department of Biomedicine, Immunobiology, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland; Department of Medicine, CITIID, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Malcolm M McConville
- Metabolomics Australia, Bio21 Molecular Science & Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Daniel T Utzschneider
- The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Axel Kallies
- The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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7
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Nakagawara K, Ando M, Srirat T, Mise-Omata S, Hayakawa T, Ito M, Fukunaga K, Yoshimura A. NR4A ablation improves mitochondrial fitness for long persistence in human CAR-T cells against solid tumors. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008665. [PMID: 39151930 PMCID: PMC11331892 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antitumor effect of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells against solid tumors is limited due to various factors, such as low infiltration rate, poor expansion capacity, and exhaustion of T cells within the tumor. NR4A transcription factors have been shown to play important roles in T-cell exhaustion in mice. However, the precise contribution of each NR4a factor to human T-cell differentiation remains to be clarified. METHODS In this study, we deleted NR4A family factors, NR4A1, NR4A2, and NR4A3, in human CAR-T cells recognizing human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) by using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. We induced T-cell exhaustion in these cells in vitro through repeated co-culturing of CAR-T cells with Her2+A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells and evaluated cell surface markers such as memory and exhaustion phenotypes, proliferative capacity, cytokine production and metabolic activity. We validated the antitumor toxicity of NR4A1/2/3 triple knockout (TKO) CAR-T cells in vivo by transferring CAR-T cells into A549 tumor-bearing immunodeficient mice. RESULTS Human NR4A-TKO CAR-T cells were resistant against exhaustion induced by repeated antigen stimulation in vitro, and maintained higher tumor-killing activity both in vitro and in vivo compared with control CAR-T cells. A comparison of the effectiveness of NR4A single, double, and TKOs demonstrated that triple KO was the most effective in avoiding exhaustion. Furthermore, a strong enhancement of antitumor effects by NR4A TKO was also observed in T cells from various donors including aged persons. Mechanistically, NR4A TKO CAR-T cells showed enhanced mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, therefore could persist for longer periods within the tumors. CONCLUSIONS NR4A factors regulate CAR-T cell persistence and stemness through mitochondrial gene expression, therefore NR4A is a highly promising target for the generation of superior CAR-T cells against solid tumors.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Animals
- Mice
- Mitochondria/metabolism
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive/methods
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/metabolism
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/immunology
- Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 1/metabolism
- Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 1/genetics
- Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 2/metabolism
- Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 2/genetics
- Receptors, Thyroid Hormone/metabolism
- Receptors, Thyroid Hormone/genetics
- Neoplasms/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
- Female
- DNA-Binding Proteins
- Receptors, Steroid
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Affiliation(s)
- Kensuke Nakagawara
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Makoto Ando
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tanakorn Srirat
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Setsuko Mise-Omata
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba, Japan
| | - Taeko Hayakawa
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Minako Ito
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Koichi Fukunaga
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akihiko Yoshimura
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba, Japan
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8
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He J, Chen Y, Ding H, Zhou JA, Xing Z, Yang X, Fan Q, Zuo Y, Wang T, Cheng J. Autocrine VEGF-B signaling maintains lipid synthesis and mitochondrial fitness to support T cell immune responses. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e176586. [PMID: 39145452 PMCID: PMC11324299 DOI: 10.1172/jci176586] [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: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024] Open
Abstract
T cells rewire their metabolic activities to meet the demand of immune responses, but how to coordinate the immune response by metabolic regulators in activated T cells is unknown. Here, we identified autocrine VEGF-B as a metabolic regulator to control lipid synthesis and maintain the integrity of the mitochondrial inner membrane for the survival of activated T cells. Disruption of autocrine VEGF-B signaling in T cells reduced cardiolipin mass, resulting in mitochondrial damage, with increased apoptosis and reduced memory development. The addition of cardiolipin or modulating VEGF-B signaling improved T cell mitochondrial fitness and survival. Autocrine VEGF-B signaling through GA-binding protein α (GABPα) induced sentrin/SUMO-specific protease 2 (SENP2) expression, which further de-SUMOylated PPARγ and enhanced phospholipid synthesis, leading to a cardiolipin increase in activated T cells. These data suggest that autocrine VEGF-B mediates a signal to coordinate lipid synthesis and mitochondrial fitness with T cell activation for survival and immune response. Moreover, autocrine VEGF-B signaling in T cells provides a therapeutic target against infection and tumors as well as an avenue for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianli He
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Tumor Microenvironment and Inflammation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology
| | - Yalan Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Tumor Microenvironment and Inflammation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology
| | - Huihua Ding
- Department of Rheumatology, Renji Hospital
- Shanghai Institute of Rheumatology, Renji Hospital, and
| | - Jin-An Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Center for Single-Cell Omics, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhengcao Xing
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Tumor Microenvironment and Inflammation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology
| | - Xinyu Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Tumor Microenvironment and Inflammation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology
| | - Qiuju Fan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Tumor Microenvironment and Inflammation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology
| | - Yong Zuo
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Tumor Microenvironment and Inflammation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology
| | - Tianshi Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Tumor Microenvironment and Inflammation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology
| | - Jinke Cheng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Tumor Microenvironment and Inflammation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology
- Hainan Medical University, Hainan Academy of Medical Sciences, Haikou, Hainan, China
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9
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Jackson CM, Pant A, Dinalankara W, Choi J, Jain A, Nitta R, Yazigi E, Saleh L, Zhao L, Nirschl TR, Kochel CM, Hwa-Lin Bergsneider B, Routkevitch D, Patel K, Cho KB, Tzeng S, Neshat SY, Kim YH, Smith BJ, Ramello MC, Sotillo E, Wang X, Green JJ, Bettegowda C, Li G, Brem H, Mackall CL, Pardoll DM, Drake CG, Marchionni L, Lim M. The cytokine Meteorin-like inhibits anti-tumor CD8 + T cell responses by disrupting mitochondrial function. Immunity 2024; 57:1864-1877.e9. [PMID: 39111315 PMCID: PMC11324406 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2024.07.003] [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: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) hypofunction contributes to the progression of advanced cancers and is a frequent target of immunotherapy. Emerging evidence indicates that metabolic insufficiency drives T cell hypofunction during tonic stimulation, but the signals that initiate metabolic reprogramming in this context are largely unknown. Here, we found that Meteorin-like (METRNL), a metabolically active cytokine secreted by immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME), induced bioenergetic failure of CD8+ T cells. METRNL was secreted by CD8+ T cells during repeated stimulation and acted via both autocrine and paracrine signaling. Mechanistically, METRNL increased E2F-peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARδ) activity, causing mitochondrial depolarization and decreased oxidative phosphorylation, which triggered a compensatory bioenergetic shift to glycolysis. Metrnl ablation or downregulation improved the metabolic fitness of CD8+ T cells and enhanced tumor control in several tumor models, demonstrating the translational potential of targeting the METRNL-E2F-PPARδ pathway to support bioenergetic fitness of CD8+ TILs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M Jackson
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Ayush Pant
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy, Departments of Oncology and Medicine, and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Wikum Dinalankara
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy, Departments of Oncology and Medicine, and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - John Choi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Aanchal Jain
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ryan Nitta
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Eli Yazigi
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Laura Saleh
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Liang Zhao
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy, Departments of Oncology and Medicine, and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Thomas R Nirschl
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy, Departments of Oncology and Medicine, and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christina M Kochel
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy, Departments of Oncology and Medicine, and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Denis Routkevitch
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kisha Patel
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kwang Bog Cho
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Stephany Tzeng
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sarah Y Neshat
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Young-Hoon Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Barbara J Smith
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Maria Cecilia Ramello
- Center for Cell Therapy, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Elena Sotillo
- Center for Cell Therapy, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Xinnan Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Jordan J Green
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Chetan Bettegowda
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Gordon Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Henry Brem
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Crystal L Mackall
- Center for Cell Therapy, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Drew M Pardoll
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy, Departments of Oncology and Medicine, and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Charles G Drake
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy, Departments of Oncology and Medicine, and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Luigi Marchionni
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy, Departments of Oncology and Medicine, and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michael Lim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
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10
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He Y, Amer HM, Xu Z, Liu L, Wu S, He B, Liu J, Kai G. Exploration of the underlying mechanism of Astragaloside III in attenuating immunosuppression via network pharmacology and vitro/vivo pharmacological validation. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 330:118235. [PMID: 38648891 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Astragalus mongholicus Bunge (AM, recorded in http://www.worldfloraonline.org, 2023-08-03) is a kind of medicine food homology plant with a long medicinal history in China. Astragaloside III (AS-III) has immunomodulatory effects and is one of the most active components in AM. However, its underlying mechanism of action is still not fully explained. AIM OF THE STUDY The research was designed to discuss the protective effects of AS-III on immunosuppression and to elucidate its prospective mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS Molecular docking methods and network pharmacology analysis were used to comprehensively investigate potential targets and relative pathways for AS-III and immunosuppression. In order to study and verify the pharmacological activity and mechanism of AS-III in alleviating immunosuppression, immunosuppression mouse model induced by cyclophosphamide (CTX) in vivo and macrophage RAW264.7 cell model induced by hypoxia/lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro were used. RESULTS A total of 105 common targets were obtained from the AS-III-related and immunosuppression-related target networks. The results of network pharmacology and molecular docking demonstrate that AS-III may treat immunosuppression through by regulating glucose metabolism-related pathways such as regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes, carbohydrate digestion and absorption, cGMP-PKG signaling pathway, central carbon metabolism in cancer together with HIF-1 pathway. The results of molecular docking showed that AS-III has good binding relationship with LDHA, AKT1 and HIF1A. In CTX-induced immunosuppressive mouse model, AS-III had a significant protective effect on the reduction of body weight, immune organ index and hematological indices. It can also protect immune organs from damage. In addition, AS-III could significantly improve the expression of key proteins involved in energy metabolism and serum inflammatory factors. To further validate the animal results, an initial inflammatory/immune response model of macrophage RAW264.7 cells was constructed through hypoxia and LPS. AS-III improved the immune function of macrophages, reduced the release of NO, TNF-α, IL-1β, PDHK-1, LDH, lactate, HK, PK and GLUT-1, and restored the decrease of ATP caused by hypoxia. Besides, AS-III was also demonstrated that it could inhibit the increase of HIF-1α, PDHK-1 and LDH by adding inhibitors and agonists. CONCLUSIONS In this study, the main targets of AS-III for immunosuppressive therapy were initially analyzed. AS-III was systematically confirmed to attenuates immunosuppressive state through the HIF-1α/PDHK-1 pathway. These findings offer an experimental foundation for the use of AS-III as a potential candidate for the treatment of immunosuppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yining He
- Zhejiang Key TCM Laboratory for Chinese Resource Innovation and Transformation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jinhua Academy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 311402, China
| | - Heba M Amer
- Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Dept, National Research Centre, 12622, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Zonghui Xu
- Zhejiang Key TCM Laboratory for Chinese Resource Innovation and Transformation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jinhua Academy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 311402, China
| | - Lin Liu
- Zhejiang Key TCM Laboratory for Chinese Resource Innovation and Transformation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jinhua Academy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 311402, China
| | - Shujing Wu
- Zhejiang Key TCM Laboratory for Chinese Resource Innovation and Transformation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jinhua Academy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 311402, China
| | - Beihui He
- Zhejiang Key TCM Laboratory for Chinese Resource Innovation and Transformation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jinhua Academy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 311402, China
| | - Junqiu Liu
- Zhejiang Key TCM Laboratory for Chinese Resource Innovation and Transformation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jinhua Academy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 311402, China.
| | - Guoyin Kai
- Zhejiang Key TCM Laboratory for Chinese Resource Innovation and Transformation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jinhua Academy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 311402, China; The Third Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China.
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11
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Zhang Z, Yang Y, Chen Y, Su J, Du W. Malic enzyme 2 maintains metabolic state and anti-tumor immunity of CD8 + T cells. Mol Cell 2024:S1097-2765(24)00619-1. [PMID: 39151423 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.07.021] [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: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024]
Abstract
The functional integrity of CD8+ T cells is closely linked to metabolic reprogramming; therefore, understanding the metabolic basis of CD8+ T cell activation and antitumor immunity could provide insights into tumor immunotherapy. Here, we report that ME2 is critical for mouse CD8+ T cell activation and immune response against malignancy. ME2 deficiency suppresses CD8+ T cell activation and anti-tumor immune response in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, ME2 depletion blocks the TCA cycle flux, leading to the accumulation of fumarate. Fumarate directly binds to DAPK1 and inhibits its activity by competing with ATP for binding. Notably, pharmacological inhibition of DAPK1 abolishes the anti-tumor function conferred by ME2 to CD8+ T cells. Collectively, these findings demonstrate a role for ME2 in the regulation of CD8+ T cell metabolism and effector functions as well as an unexpected function for fumarate as a metabolic signal in the inhibition of DAPK1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenxi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Yanting Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Yang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Jingyu Su
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Wenjing Du
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China.
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12
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Zong L, Wang X, Huo M, Yi F, Huang S, Ling T, Fang Y, Ma F, Zhang X, Guan M. Insights into the synergistic toxicity mechanisms caused by nano- and microplastics with triclosan using a dose-dependent functional genomics approach in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 362:142629. [PMID: 38885766 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
The emergence of polystyrene (PS) nano- and microplastics (NMPs) and triclosan (TCS) as environmental contaminants has raised concerns about their combined toxicities to organisms, but the complex toxicity arising from their interactions and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain obscure to us. In this study, we comprehensively detected the combined toxicity of PS-NMPs and TCS via the dose-dependent yeast functional genomics profiling. Firstly, our findings demonstrated that the combined exposure to PS-NMPs and TCS elicited a synergistic toxic effect in which the toxicity depended on the size of the PS-NMPs. Secondly, we found that TCS exposure, either alone or in combination with PS-NMPs, influenced lipid biosynthetic processes and ATP export pathways, while the unique responsive genes triggered by combined exposure to TCS and PS-NMPs are significantly enriched in mitochondrial translation, ribosomal small subunit assembly, and tRNA wobble uridine modification. Thirdly, our results demonstrated that point of departure (POD) at the pathway level was positively correlated with IC50, and POD was a more sensitive predictor of toxicity than the apical toxicity endpoints. More importantly, our findings suggested that the combined exposure of PS-NMPs in a size-dependent manner not only alleviated the harmful effects of TCS on glycerophospholipid metabolism, but also exacerbated its negative impact on oxidative phosphorylation. Collectively, our study not only provides new insights into the intricate molecular mechanisms that control the combined toxicity of PS-NMPs and TCS, but also confirms the effectiveness of the dose-dependent functional genomics approach in elucidating the molecular mechanisms of the combined toxicity of pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linhao Zong
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Rd., Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Xiaoyang Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Rd., Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Miaomiao Huo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Rd., Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Fangying Yi
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Rd., Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Shan Huang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Rd., Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Tianqi Ling
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Rd., Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Yumo Fang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Rd., Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Fei Ma
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Rd., Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Xiaowei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control & Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Ave., Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Miao Guan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Rd., Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China.
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13
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Zebley CC, Zehn D, Gottschalk S, Chi H. T cell dysfunction and therapeutic intervention in cancer. Nat Immunol 2024; 25:1344-1354. [PMID: 39025962 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-024-01896-9] [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: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Recent advances in immunotherapy have affirmed the curative potential of T cell-based approaches for treating relapsed and refractory cancers. However, the therapeutic efficacy is limited in part owing to the ability of cancers to evade immunosurveillance and adapt to immunological pressure. In this Review, we provide a brief overview of cancer-mediated immunosuppressive mechanisms with a specific focus on the repression of the surveillance and effector function of T cells. We discuss CD8+ T cell exhaustion and functional heterogeneity and describe strategies for targeting the molecular checkpoints that restrict T cell differentiation and effector function to bolster immunotherapeutic effects. We also delineate the emerging contributions of the tumor microenvironment to T cell metabolism and conclude by highlighting discovery-based approaches for developing future cellular therapies. Continued exploration of T cell biology and engineering hold great promise for advancing therapeutic interventions for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin C Zebley
- Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
| | - Dietmar Zehn
- Division of Animal Physiology and Immunology, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan and Center for Infection Prevention (ZIP), Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Stephen Gottschalk
- Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Hongbo Chi
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
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14
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Ni L. Potential mechanisms of cancer stem-like progenitor T-cell bio-behaviours. Clin Transl Med 2024; 14:e1817. [PMID: 39169517 PMCID: PMC11338842 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 08/01/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
In situations involving continuous exposure to antigens, such as chronic infections or cancer, antigen-specific CD8+ T cells can become dysfunctional or exhausted. This change is marked by increased expression levels of inhibitory receptors (PD-1 and Tim-3). Stem-like progenitor exhausted (Tpex) cells, a subset of exhausted cells that express TCF-1 and are mainly found in the lymph nodes, demonstrate the ability to self-renew and exhibit a high rate of proliferation. Tpex cells can further differentiate into transitional intermediate exhausted (Tex-int) cells and terminally exhausted (Tex-term) cells. Alternatively, they can directly differentiate into Tex-term cells. Tpex cells are the predominant subset that respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), making them a prime candidate for improving the efficacy of ICI therapy. This review article aimed to present the latest developments in the field of Tpex formation, expansion, and differentiation in the context of cancer, as well as their responses to ICIs in cancer immunotherapy. Consequently, it may be possible to develop novel treatments that exclusively target Tpex cells, thus improving overall treatment outcomes. KEY POINTS: Tpex cells are located in lymph nodes and TLS. Several pathways control the differentiation trajectories of Tpex cells, including epigenetic factors, transcription factors, cytokines, age, sex, etc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Ni
- Institute for Immunology and School of Basic MedicineTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
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15
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Schnell A. Stem-like T cells in cancer and autoimmunity. Immunol Rev 2024; 325:9-22. [PMID: 38804499 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13356] [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] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Stem-like T cells are characterized by their ability to self-renew, survive long-term, and give rise to a heterogeneous pool of effector and memory T cells. Recent advances in single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) and lineage tracing technologies revealed an important role for stem-like T cells in both autoimmunity and cancer. In cancer, stem-like T cells constitute an important arm of the anti-tumor immune response by giving rise to effector T cells that mediate tumor control. In contrast, in autoimmunity stem-like T cells perform an unfavorable role by forming a reservoir of long-lived autoreactive cells that replenish the pathogenic, effector T-cell pool and thereby driving disease pathology. This review provides background on the discovery of stem-like T cells and their function in cancer and autoimmunity. Moreover, the influence of the microbiota and metabolism on the stem-like T-cell pool is summarized. Lastly, the implications of our knowledge about stem-like T cells for clinical treatment strategies for cancer and autoimmunity will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Schnell
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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16
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Thomas P, Paris P, Pecqueur C. Arming Vδ2 T Cells with Chimeric Antigen Receptors to Combat Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2024; 30:3105-3116. [PMID: 38747974 PMCID: PMC11292201 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-3495] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising approach in the field of cancer treatment, with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy demonstrating remarkable success. However, challenges such as tumor antigen heterogeneity, immune evasion, and the limited persistence of CAR-T cells have prompted the exploration of alternative cell types for CAR-based strategies. Gamma delta T cells, a unique subset of lymphocytes with inherent tumor recognition capabilities and versatile immune functions, have garnered increasing attention in recent years. In this review, we present how arming Vδ2-T cells might be the basis for next-generation immunotherapies against solid tumors. Following a comprehensive overview of γδ T-cell biology and innovative CAR engineering strategies, we discuss the clinical potential of Vδ2 CAR-T cells in overcoming the current limitations of immunotherapy in solid tumors. Although the applications of Vδ2 CAR-T cells in cancer research are relatively in their infancy and many challenges are yet to be identified, Vδ2 CAR-T cells represent a promising breakthrough in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Thomas
- Nantes Université, CRCI2NA, INSERM, CNRS, Nantes, France
| | - Pierre Paris
- Nantes Université, CRCI2NA, INSERM, CNRS, Nantes, France
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17
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Zhang Z, Liu B, Lin Z, Mei L, Chen R, Li Z. SPP1 could be an immunological and prognostic biomarker: From pan-cancer comprehensive analysis to osteosarcoma validation. FASEB J 2024; 38:e23783. [PMID: 39037571 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202400622rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1), also known as osteopontin, is a phosphorylated protein. High SPP1 expression levels have been detected in multiple cancers and are associated with poor prognosis and reduced survival rates. However, only a few pan-cancer analyses have targeted SPP1. We conducted a comprehensive analysis using multiple public databases, including TIMER and TCGA, to investigate the expression levels of SPP1 in 33 different tumor types. In addition, we verified the effect of SPP1 on osteosarcoma. To assess the impact of SPP1 on patient outcomes, we employed univariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses to analyze overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and progression-free interval (PFI) in these tumor patients. We also explored SPP1 gene alterations in various tumor tissues using cBioPortal. We then examined the relationship between SPP1 and clinical characteristics, TME, immune regulatory genes, immune checkpoints, TMB, and MSI using R language. In addition, we used GSEA to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of SPP1. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that SPP1 was upregulated in 17 tumors. Overexpression of SPP1 results in poor OS, DSS, and PFI in CESC, ESCA, GBM, LGG, LIHC, PAAD, PRAD, and skin cutaneous melanoma. SPP1 expression was positively associated with immunocyte infiltration, immune regulatory genes, immune checkpoints, TMB, MSI, and drug sensitivity in certain cancers. We found that high expression of SPP1 in osteosarcoma was related to drug resistance and metastasis and further demonstrated that SPP1 can stimulate osteosarcoma cell proliferation via CCND1 by activating the PI3K/Akt pathway. These findings strongly suggest that SPP1 is a potential prognostic marker and novel target for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiming Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Binfeng Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhengjun Lin
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Lin Mei
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Ruiqi Chen
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhihong Li
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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18
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Kang K, Lin X, Chen P, Liu H, Liu F, Xiong W, Li G, Yi M, Li X, Wang H, Xiang B. T cell exhaustion in human cancers. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189162. [PMID: 39089484 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189162] [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: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
T cell exhaustion refers to a progressive state in which T cells become functionally impaired due to sustained antigenic stimulation, which is characterized by increased expression of immune inhibitory receptors, but weakened effector functions, reduced self-renewal capacity, altered epigenetics, transcriptional programme and metabolism. T cell exhaustion is one of the major causes leading to immune escape of cancer, creating an environment that supports tumor development and metastatic spread. In addition, T cell exhaustion plays a pivotal role to the efficacy of current immunotherapies for cancer. This review aims to provide a comprehensive view of roles of T cell exhaustion in cancer development and progression. We summerized the regulatory mechanisms that involved in T cell exhaustion, including transcription factors, epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming events, and various microenvironmental factors such as cytokines, microorganisms, and tumor autocrine substances. The paper also discussed the challenges posed by T cell exhaustion to cancer immunotherapies, including immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies and chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy, highlightsing the obstacles encountered in ICB therapies and CAR-T therapies due to T cell exhaustion. Finally, the article provides an overview of current therapeutic options aimed to reversing or alleviating T cell exhaustion in ICB and CAR-T therapies. These therapeutic approaches seek to overcome T cell exhaustion and enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapies in treating tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuan Kang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Xin Lin
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Pan Chen
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Huai Liu
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China; Department of Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Feng Liu
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China; Department of Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Guiyuan Li
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Mei Yi
- Department of Dermatology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Xiayu Li
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Nonresolving Infammation and Cancer, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China.
| | - Hui Wang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China; Department of Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China.
| | - Bo Xiang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, Hunan, China.
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19
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Assis PA, Allen RM, Schaller MA, Kunkel SL, Bermick JR. Metabolic reprogramming and dysregulated IL-17 production impairs CD4 T cell function post sepsis. iScience 2024; 27:110114. [PMID: 39015145 PMCID: PMC11251092 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110114] [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: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Sepsis survivors are at high risk for infection-related rehospitalization and mortality for years following the resolution of the acute septic event. These infection-causing microorganisms generally do not cause disease in immunocompetent hosts, suggesting that the post-septic immune response is compromised. Given the importance of CD4 T cells in the development of long-lasting protective immunity, we analyzed their post-septic function. Here we showed that sepsis induced chronic increased and non-specific production of IL-17 by CD4 T cells, resulting in the inability to mount an effective immune response to a secondary pneumonia challenge. Altered cell function was associated with metabolic reprogramming, characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction and increased glycolysis. This metabolic reprogramming began during the acute septic event and persisted long after sepsis had resolved. Our findings reveal cell metabolism as a potential therapeutic target. Given the critical role of cell metabolism in the physiological and pathophysiological processes of immune cells, these findings reveal a potential new therapeutic target to help mitigate sepsis survivors' susceptibility to secondary infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia A. Assis
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ronald M. Allen
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Matthew A. Schaller
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Steven L. Kunkel
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jennifer R. Bermick
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
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20
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Zhao J, Wang Z, Tian Y, Ning J, Ye H. T cell exhaustion and senescence for ovarian cancer immunotherapy. Semin Cancer Biol 2024; 104-105:1-15. [PMID: 39032717 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2024.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is a common gynecological malignancy, and its treatment remains challenging. Although ovarian cancer may respond to immunotherapy because of endogenous immunity at the molecular or T cell level, immunotherapy has so far not had the desired effect. The functional status of preexisting T cells is an indispensable determinant of powerful antitumor immunity and immunotherapy. T cell exhaustion and senescence are two crucial states of T cell dysfunction, which share some overlapping phenotypic and functional features, but each status possesses unique molecular and developmental signatures. It has been widely accepted that exhaustion and senescence of T cells are important strategies for cancer cells to evade immunosurveillance and maintain the immunosuppressive microenvironment. Herein, this review summarizes the phenotypic and functional features of exhaust and senescent T cells, and describes the key drivers of the two T cell dysfunctional states in the tumor microenvironment and their functional roles in ovarian cancer. Furthermore, we present a summary of the molecular machinery and signaling pathways governing T cell exhaustion and senescence. Possible strategies that can prevent and/or reverse T cell dysfunction are also explored. An in-depth understanding of exhausted and senescent T cells will provide novel strategies to enhance immunotherapy of ovarian cancer through redirecting tumor-specific T cells away from a dysfunctional developmental trajectory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Zhao
- Department of Gynecology Surgery 3, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning 110042, China
| | - Zhongmiao Wang
- Department of Digestive Diseases 1, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning 110042, China
| | - Yingying Tian
- Department of Oncology Radiotherapy 2, Qingdao Central Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266042, China
| | - Jing Ning
- Department of General Internal Medicine (VIP Ward), Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning 110042, China.
| | - Huinan Ye
- Department of Digestive Diseases 1, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning 110042, China.
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21
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Chen Z, Wang Y, Tang W, Xu S, Yu H, Chen Z. HES6 Mediates Oxidative Phosphorylation Pathway to Promote Immune Infiltration of CD8+ T Cells in Lung Adenocarcinoma. J Immunother 2024:00002371-990000000-00114. [PMID: 39005046 DOI: 10.1097/cji.0000000000000535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Tumor immunotherapy has recently gained popularity as a cancer treatment strategy. The molecular mechanism controlling immune infiltration in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cells, however, is not well characterized. Investigating the immune infiltration modulation mechanism in LUAD is crucial. LUAD patient samples were collected, and HES6 expression and immune infiltration level of CD8+ T cells in patient tissues were analyzed. Bioinformatics was utilized to identify binding relationship between E2F1 and HES6, and enrichment pathway of HES6. The binding of E2F1 to HES6 was verified using dual-luciferase and ChIP experiments. HES6 and E2F1 expression in LUAD cells was detected. LUAD cells were co-cultured with CD8+ T cells, and the CD8+ T cell killing level, IFN-γ secretion, and CD8+ T-cell chemotaxis level were measured. Expression of key genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation was detected, and the oxygen consumption rate of LUAD cells was assessed. A mouse model was constructed to assay Ki67 expression and apoptosis in tumor tissue. High expression of HES6 promoted CD8+ T-cell infiltration and enhanced T-cell killing ability through oxidative phosphorylation. Further bioinformatics analysis, molecular experiments, and cell experiments verified that E2F1 negatively regulated HES6 by oxidative phosphorylation, which suppressed CD8+ T-cell immune infiltration. In addition, in vivo assays illustrated that silencing HES6 repressed tumor cell immune evasion. E2F1 inhibited HES6 transcription, thereby mediating oxidative phosphorylation to suppress immune infiltration of CD8+ T cells in LUAD. The biological functions and signaling pathways of these genes were analyzed, which may help to understand the possible mechanisms regulating immune infiltration in LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhoumiao Chen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yongliang Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xinchang County People's Hospital, Xinchang, China
| | - Weijian Tang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shaohua Xu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hao Yu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhao Chen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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22
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Van der Vreken A, Vanderkerken K, De Bruyne E, De Veirman K, Breckpot K, Menu E. Fueling CARs: metabolic strategies to enhance CAR T-cell therapy. Exp Hematol Oncol 2024; 13:66. [PMID: 38987856 PMCID: PMC11238373 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-024-00535-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
CAR T cells are widely applied for relapsed hematological cancer patients. With six approved cell therapies, for Multiple Myeloma and other B-cell malignancies, new insights emerge. Profound evidence shows that patients who fail CAR T-cell therapy have, aside from antigen escape, a more glycolytic and weakened metabolism in their CAR T cells, accompanied by a short lifespan. Recent advances show that CAR T cells can be metabolically engineered towards oxidative phosphorylation, which increases their longevity via epigenetic and phenotypical changes. In this review we elucidate various strategies to rewire their metabolism, including the design of the CAR construct, co-stimulus choice, genetic modifications of metabolic genes, and pharmacological interventions. We discuss their potential to enhance CAR T-cell functioning and persistence through memory imprinting, thereby improving outcomes. Furthermore, we link the pharmacological treatments with their anti-cancer properties in hematological malignancies to ultimately suggest novel combination strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Van der Vreken
- Translational Oncology Research Center, Team Hematology and Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussels, 1090, Belgium
| | - Karin Vanderkerken
- Translational Oncology Research Center, Team Hematology and Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussels, 1090, Belgium
| | - Elke De Bruyne
- Translational Oncology Research Center, Team Hematology and Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussels, 1090, Belgium
| | - Kim De Veirman
- Translational Oncology Research Center, Team Hematology and Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussels, 1090, Belgium
| | - Karine Breckpot
- Translational Oncology Research Center, Team Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussels, 1090, Belgium
| | - Eline Menu
- Translational Oncology Research Center, Team Hematology and Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussels, 1090, Belgium.
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23
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Ruiz-Pablos M, Paiva B, Zabaleta A. Hypocortisolemic ASIA: a vaccine- and chronic infection-induced syndrome behind the origin of long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1422940. [PMID: 39044822 PMCID: PMC11263040 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1422940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), long COVID (LC) and post-COVID-19 vaccine syndrome show similarities in their pathophysiology and clinical manifestations. These disorders are related to viral or adjuvant persistence, immunological alterations, autoimmune diseases and hormonal imbalances. A developmental model is postulated that involves the interaction between immune hyperactivation, autoimmune hypophysitis or pituitary hypophysitis, and immune depletion. This process might begin with a deficient CD4 T-cell response to viral infections in genetically predisposed individuals (HLA-DRB1), followed by an uncontrolled immune response with CD8 T-cell hyperactivation and elevated antibody production, some of which may be directed against autoantigens, which can trigger autoimmune hypophysitis or direct damage to the pituitary, resulting in decreased production of pituitary hormones, such as ACTH. As the disease progresses, prolonged exposure to viral antigens can lead to exhaustion of the immune system, exacerbating symptoms and pathology. It is suggested that these disorders could be included in the autoimmune/adjuvant-induced inflammatory syndrome (ASIA) because of their similar clinical manifestations and possible relationship to genetic factors, such as polymorphisms in the HLA-DRB1 gene. In addition, it is proposed that treatment with antivirals, corticosteroids/ginseng, antioxidants, and metabolic precursors could improve symptoms by modulating the immune response, pituitary function, inflammation and oxidative stress. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to suggest a possible autoimmune origin against the adenohypophysis and a possible improvement of symptoms after treatment with corticosteroid replacement therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Ruiz-Pablos
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Bruno Paiva
- Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Aintzane Zabaleta
- Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
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24
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Gross G, Alkadieri S, Meir A, Itzhaki O, Aharoni-Tevet Y, Ben Yosef S, Zenab A, Shbiro L, Toren A, Yardeni T, Jacoby E. Improved CAR-T cell activity associated with increased mitochondrial function primed by galactose. Leukemia 2024; 38:1534-1540. [PMID: 38714877 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-024-02257-z] [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: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
CD19 CAR-T cells have led to durable remissions in patients with refractory B-cell malignancies; nevertheless, most patients eventually relapse in the long term. Many interventions aimed at improving current products have been reported, with a subset of them focusing on a direct or indirect link to the metabolic state of the CAR-T cells. We assessed clinical products from an ongoing clinical trial utilizing CD19-28z CAR-T cells from patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. CAR-T clinical products leading to a complete response had significantly higher mitochondrial function (by oxygen consumption rate) irrespective of mitochondrial content. Next, we replaced the carbon source of the media from glucose to galactose to impact cellular metabolism. Galactose-containing media increased mitochondrial activity in CAR-T cells, and improved in in-vitro efficacy, without any consistent phenotypic change in memory profile. Finally, CAR-T cells produced in galactose-based glucose-free media resulted in increased mitochondrial activity. Using an in-vivo model of Nalm6 injected mice, galactose-primed CAR-T cells significantly improved leukemia-free survival compared to standard glucose-cultured CAR-T cells. Our results prove the significance of mitochondrial metabolism on CAR-T cell efficacy and suggest a translational pathway to improve clinical products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Golda Gross
- Cell Therapy Lab, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
- Faculty of Medicinal & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Suha Alkadieri
- Cell Therapy Lab, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
- Faculty of Medicinal & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Amilia Meir
- Cell Therapy Lab, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Orit Itzhaki
- Ella Institute of Immuno-Oncology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Yarden Aharoni-Tevet
- Cell Therapy Lab, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
- Faculty of Medicinal & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Angi Zenab
- Faculty of Medicinal & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Bert Strassburger Metabolic Center for Preventive Medicine, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Liat Shbiro
- Bert Strassburger Metabolic Center for Preventive Medicine, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Amos Toren
- Faculty of Medicinal & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, The Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Tal Yardeni
- Bert Strassburger Metabolic Center for Preventive Medicine, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Elad Jacoby
- Cell Therapy Lab, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
- Faculty of Medicinal & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, The Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
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25
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Tosi A, Lorenzi M, Del Bianco P, Roma A, Pavan A, Scapinello A, Resi MV, Bonanno L, Frega S, Calabrese F, Guarneri V, Rosato A, Pasello G. Extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer in patients receiving atezolizumab plus carboplatin-etoposide: stratification of outcome based on a composite score that combines gene expression profiling and immune characterization of microenvironment. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008974. [PMID: 38955418 PMCID: PMC11218000 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2024-008974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive disease with a dismal prognosis. The addition of immune checkpoints inhibitors to standard platinum-based chemotherapy in first-line setting achieves a durable benefit only in a patient subgroup. Thus, the identification of predictive biomarkers is an urgent unmet medical need. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Tumor samples from naive extensive-stage (ES) SCLC patients receiving atezolizumab plus carboplatin-etoposide were analyzed by gene expression profiling and two 9-color multiplex immunofluorescence panels, to characterize the immune infiltrate and SCLC subtypes. Associations of tissue biomarkers with time-to-treatment failure (TTF), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), were assessed. RESULTS 42 patients were included. Higher expression of exhausted CD8-related genes was independently associated with a longer TTF and PFS while increased density of B lymphocytes correlated with longer TTF and OS. Higher percentage of M2-like macrophages close to tumor cells and of CD8+T cells close to CD4+T lymphocytes correlated with increased risk of TF and longer survival, respectively. A lower risk of TF, disease progression and death was associated with a higher density of ASCL1+tumor cells while the expression of POU2F3 correlated with a shorter survival. A composite score combining the expression of exhausted CD8-related genes, B lymphocyte density, ASCL1 tumor expression and quantification of CD163+macrophages close to tumor cells, was able to stratify patients into high-risk and low-risk groups. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, we identified tissue biomarkers and a combined score that can predict a higher benefit from chemoimmunotherapy in ES-SCLC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Tosi
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Diagnostics, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Martina Lorenzi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Santa Chiara Hospital, Trento, Italy
| | - Paola Del Bianco
- Clinical Trials and Biostatistics, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Anna Roma
- Medical Oncology 3, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Castelfranco Veneto, Italy
| | - Alberto Pavan
- Department of Medical Oncology, AULSS 3 Serenissima, Venezia, Italy
| | | | - Maria Vittoria Resi
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Laura Bonanno
- Medical Oncology 2, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Stefano Frega
- Medical Oncology 2, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Fiorella Calabrese
- Department of CardioThoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Valentina Guarneri
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Medical Oncology 2, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Antonio Rosato
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Diagnostics, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giulia Pasello
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Medical Oncology 2, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy
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26
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Moraly J, Kondo T, Benzaoui M, DuSold J, Talluri S, Pouzolles MC, Chien C, Dardalhon V, Taylor N. Metabolic dialogues: regulators of chimeric antigen receptor T cell function in the tumor microenvironment. Mol Oncol 2024; 18:1695-1718. [PMID: 38922759 PMCID: PMC11223614 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13691] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have demonstrated remarkable success in the treatment of relapsed/refractory melanoma and hematological malignancies, respectively. These treatments have marked a pivotal shift in cancer management. However, as "living drugs," their effectiveness is dependent on their ability to proliferate and persist in patients. Recent studies indicate that the mechanisms regulating these crucial functions, as well as the T cell's differentiation state, are conditioned by metabolic shifts and the distinct utilization of metabolic pathways. These metabolic shifts, conditioned by nutrient availability as well as cell surface expression of metabolite transporters, are coupled to signaling pathways and the epigenetic landscape of the cell, modulating transcriptional, translational, and post-translational profiles. In this review, we discuss the processes underlying the metabolic remodeling of activated T cells, the impact of a tumor metabolic environment on T cell function, and potential metabolic-based strategies to enhance T cell immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josquin Moraly
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer InstituteNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
- Université Sorbonne Paris CitéParisFrance
| | - Taisuke Kondo
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer InstituteNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Mehdi Benzaoui
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer InstituteNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
- Université de Montpellier, Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, CNRSMontpellierFrance
| | - Justyn DuSold
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer InstituteNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Sohan Talluri
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer InstituteNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Marie C. Pouzolles
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer InstituteNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Christopher Chien
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer InstituteNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Valérie Dardalhon
- Université de Montpellier, Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, CNRSMontpellierFrance
| | - Naomi Taylor
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer InstituteNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
- Université de Montpellier, Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, CNRSMontpellierFrance
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27
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Shi H, Chen S, Chi H. Immunometabolism of CD8 + T cell differentiation in cancer. Trends Cancer 2024; 10:610-626. [PMID: 38693002 PMCID: PMC11342304 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2024.03.010] [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: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are central mediators of tumor immunity and immunotherapies. Upon tumor antigen recognition, CTLs differentiate from naive/memory-like toward terminally exhausted populations with more limited function against tumors. Such differentiation is regulated by both immune signals, including T cell receptors (TCRs), co-stimulation, and cytokines, and metabolism-associated processes. These immune signals shape the metabolic landscape via signaling, transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms, while metabolic processes in turn exert spatiotemporal effects to modulate the strength and duration of immune signaling. Here, we review the bidirectional regulation between immune signals and metabolic processes, including nutrient uptake and intracellular metabolic pathways, in shaping CTL differentiation and exhaustion. We also discuss the mechanisms underlying how specific nutrient sources and metabolite-mediated signaling events orchestrate CTL biology. Understanding how metabolic programs and their interplay with immune signals instruct CTL differentiation and exhaustion is crucial to uncover tumor-immune interactions and design novel immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Shi
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Sidi Chen
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; System Biology Institute, Integrated Science & Technology Center, West Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Hongbo Chi
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
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28
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Dahabieh MS, DeCamp LM, Oswald BM, Kitchen-Goosen SM, Fu Z, Vos M, Compton SE, Longo J, Williams KS, Ellis AE, Johnson A, Sodiya I, Vincent M, Lee H, Sheldon RD, Krawczyk CM, Yao C, Wu T, Jones RG. NRF2-dependent regulation of the prostacyclin receptor PTGIR drives CD8 T cell exhaustion. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.23.600279. [PMID: 38979360 PMCID: PMC11230227 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.23.600279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
The progressive decline of CD8 T cell effector function-also known as terminal exhaustion-is a major contributor to immune evasion in cancer. Yet, the molecular mechanisms that drive CD8 T cell dysfunction remain poorly understood. Here, we report that the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1)-Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) signaling axis, which mediates cellular adaptations to oxidative stress, directly regulates CD8 T cell exhaustion. Transcriptional profiling of dysfunctional CD8 T cells from chronic infection and cancer reveals enrichment of NRF2 activity in terminally exhausted (Texterm) CD8 T cells. Increasing NRF2 activity in CD8 T cells (via conditional deletion of KEAP1) promotes increased glutathione production and antioxidant defense yet accelerates the development of terminally exhausted (PD-1+TIM-3+) CD8 T cells in response to chronic infection or tumor challenge. Mechanistically, we identify PTGIR, a receptor for the circulating eicosanoid prostacyclin, as an NRF2-regulated protein that promotes CD8 T cell dysfunction. Silencing PTGIR expression restores the anti-tumor function of KEAP1-deficient T cells. Moreover, lowering PTGIR expression in CD8 T cells both reduces terminal exhaustion and enhances T cell effector responses (i.e. IFN-γ and granzyme production) to chronic infection and cancer. Together, these results establish the KEAP1-NRF2 axis as a metabolic sensor linking oxidative stress to CD8 T cell dysfunction and identify the prostacyclin receptor PTGIR as an NRF2-regulated immune checkpoint that regulates CD8 T cell fate decisions between effector and exhausted states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Dahabieh
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Lisa M DeCamp
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Brandon M Oswald
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Susan M Kitchen-Goosen
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Zhen Fu
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core Facility, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Matthew Vos
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Shelby E Compton
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Joseph Longo
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Kelsey S Williams
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Abigail E Ellis
- Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Amy Johnson
- Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Ibukunoluwa Sodiya
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Michael Vincent
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Hyoungjoo Lee
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Ryan D Sheldon
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Connie M Krawczyk
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Chen Yao
- Department of Immunology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Kidney Cancer Program, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Tuoqi Wu
- Department of Immunology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Russell G Jones
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
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29
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Zhou Z, Wang J, Wang J, Yang S, Wang R, Zhang G, Li Z, Shi R, Wang Z, Lu Q. Deciphering the tumor immune microenvironment from a multidimensional omics perspective: insight into next-generation CAR-T cell immunotherapy and beyond. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:131. [PMID: 38918817 PMCID: PMC11201788 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-02047-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) consists of intra-tumor immunological components and plays a significant role in tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, and response to therapy. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell immunotherapy has revolutionized the cancer treatment paradigm. Although CAR-T cell immunotherapy has emerged as a successful treatment for hematologic malignancies, it remains a conundrum for solid tumors. The heterogeneity of TIME is responsible for poor outcomes in CAR-T cell immunotherapy against solid tumors. The advancement of highly sophisticated technology enhances our exploration in TIME from a multi-omics perspective. In the era of machine learning, multi-omics studies could reveal the characteristics of TIME and its immune resistance mechanism. Therefore, the clinical efficacy of CAR-T cell immunotherapy in solid tumors could be further improved with strategies that target unfavorable conditions in TIME. Herein, this review seeks to investigate the factors influencing TIME formation and propose strategies for improving the effectiveness of CAR-T cell immunotherapy through a multi-omics perspective, with the ultimate goal of developing personalized therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaokai Zhou
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Jiahui Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
- Department of Nephrology, Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, PekingBeijing, 100730, China
| | - Jiaojiao Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Shuai Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Ruizhi Wang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Ge Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Zhengrui Li
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Run Shi
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhan Wang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Qiong Lu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China.
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30
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Wang B, Tang M, Chen Q, Ho W, Teng Y, Xiong X, Jia Z, Li X, Xu X, Zhang XQ. Delivery of mRNA Encoding Interleukin-12 and a Stimulator of Interferon Genes Agonist Potentiates Antitumor Efficacy through Reversing T Cell Exhaustion. ACS NANO 2024; 18:15499-15516. [PMID: 38832815 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
T cell exhaustion has emerged as a major hurdle that impedes the clinical translation of stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonists. It is crucial to explore innovative strategies to rejuvenate exhausted T cells and potentiate the antitumor efficacy. Here, we propose an approach utilizing MSA-2 as a STING agonist, along with nanoparticle-mediated delivery of mRNA encoding interleukin-12 (IL-12) to restore the function of T cells. We developed a lipid nanoparticle (DMT7-IL12 LNP) that encapsulated IL12 mRNA. Our findings convincingly demonstrated that the combination of MSA-2 and DMT7-IL12 LNP can effectively reverse the exhausted T cell phenotype, as evidenced by the enhanced secretion of cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, interferon gamma, and Granzyme B, coupled with reduced levels of inhibitory molecules such as T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-3 and programmed cell death protein-1 on CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, this approach led to improved survival and tumor regression without causing any systemic toxicity in melanoma and lung metastasis models. These findings suggest that mRNA encoding IL-12 in conjunction with STING agonists has the potential to confer superior clinical outcomes, representing a promising advancement in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Wang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Drug Target Identification and Delivery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National Key Laboratory of Innovative Immunotherapy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Maoping Tang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Drug Target Identification and Delivery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National Key Laboratory of Innovative Immunotherapy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Qijing Chen
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Drug Target Identification and Delivery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National Key Laboratory of Innovative Immunotherapy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | | | - Yilong Teng
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Drug Target Identification and Delivery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National Key Laboratory of Innovative Immunotherapy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xiaojian Xiong
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Drug Target Identification and Delivery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National Key Laboratory of Innovative Immunotherapy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Zhitong Jia
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Drug Target Identification and Delivery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National Key Laboratory of Innovative Immunotherapy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xiuling Li
- Shanghai Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200051, China
| | | | - Xue-Qing Zhang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Drug Target Identification and Delivery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National Key Laboratory of Innovative Immunotherapy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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31
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Oberholtzer N, Mills S, Mehta S, Chakraborty P, Mehrotra S. Role of antioxidants in modulating anti-tumor T cell immune resposne. Adv Cancer Res 2024; 162:99-124. [PMID: 39069371 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2024.05.003] [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] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
It has been well established that in addition to oxygen's vital in cellular respiration, a disruption of oxygen balance can lead to increased stress and oxidative injury. Similarly, reduced oxygen during tumor proliferation and invasion generates a hypoxic tumor microenvironment, resulting in dysfunction of immune cells and providing a conducive milieu for tumors to adapt and grow. Strategies to improve the persistence tumor reactive T cells in the highly oxidative tumor environment are being pursued for enhancing immunotherapy outcomes. To this end, we have focused on various strategies that can help increase or maintain the antioxidant capacity of T cells, thus reducing their susceptibility to oxidative stress/damage. Herein we lay out an overview on the role of oxygen in T cell signaling and how pathways regulating oxidative stress or antioxidant signaling can be targeted to enhance immunotherapeutic approaches for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel Oberholtzer
- Department of Surgery, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Stephanie Mills
- Department of Surgery, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Shubham Mehta
- Department of Surgery, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Paramita Chakraborty
- Department of Surgery, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Shikhar Mehrotra
- Department of Surgery, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States.
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32
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Niu Q, Zhang H, Wang F, Xu X, Luo Y, He B, Shi M, Jiang E, Feng X. GSNOR overexpression enhances CAR-T cell stemness and anti-tumor function by enforcing mitochondrial fitness. Mol Ther 2024; 32:1875-1894. [PMID: 38549378 PMCID: PMC11184305 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cell has been developed as a promising agent for patients with refractory or relapsed lymphoma and leukemia, but not all the recipients could achieve a long-lasting remission. The limited capacity of in vivo expansion and memory differentiation post activation is one of the major reasons for suboptimal CAR-T therapeutic efficiency. Nitric oxide (NO) plays multifaceted roles in mitochondrial dynamics and T cell activation, but its function on CAR-T cell persistence and anti-tumor efficacy remains unknown. Herein, we found the continuous signaling from CAR not only promotes excessive NO production, but also suppressed S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) expression in T cells, which collectively led to increased protein S-nitrosylation, resulting in impaired mitochondrial fitness and deficiency of T cell stemness. Intriguingly, enforced expression of GSNOR promoted memory differentiation of CAR-T cell after immune activation, rendered CAR-T better resistance to mitochondrial dysfunction, further enhanced CAR-T cell expansion and anti-tumor capacity in vitro and in a mouse tumor model. Thus, we revealed a critical role of NO in restricting CAR-T cell persistence and functionality, and defined that GSNOR overexpression may provide a solution to combat NO stress and render patients with more durable protection from CAR-T therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy for Blood Diseases, CAMS Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy for Blood Diseases, Tianjin 300020, China; Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin 301600, China; Central Laboratory, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China
| | - Haixiao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy for Blood Diseases, CAMS Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy for Blood Diseases, Tianjin 300020, China; Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin 301600, China
| | - Fang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy for Blood Diseases, CAMS Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy for Blood Diseases, Tianjin 300020, China; Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin 301600, China; Department of Hematology, Hematology Research Center of Yunnan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Xing Xu
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China; Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Yuechen Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy for Blood Diseases, CAMS Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy for Blood Diseases, Tianjin 300020, China; Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin 301600, China
| | - Baolin He
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy for Blood Diseases, CAMS Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy for Blood Diseases, Tianjin 300020, China; Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin 301600, China
| | - Mingxia Shi
- Department of Hematology, Hematology Research Center of Yunnan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Erlie Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy for Blood Diseases, CAMS Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy for Blood Diseases, Tianjin 300020, China; Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin 301600, China.
| | - Xiaoming Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy for Blood Diseases, CAMS Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy for Blood Diseases, Tianjin 300020, China; Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin 301600, China; Central Laboratory, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China.
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33
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Wang Y, Ullah MA, Waltner OG, Bhise SS, Ensbey KS, Schmidt CR, Legg SR, Sekiguchi T, Nelson EL, Kuns RD, Nemychenkov NS, Atilla E, Yeh AC, Takahashi S, Boiko JR, Varelias A, Blazar BR, Koyama M, Minnie SA, Clouston AD, Furlan SN, Zhang P, Hill GR. Calcineurin inhibition rescues alloantigen-specific central memory T cell subsets that promote chronic GVHD. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e170125. [PMID: 38828727 PMCID: PMC11142741 DOI: 10.1172/jci170125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) constitute the backbone of modern acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) prophylaxis regimens but have limited efficacy in the prevention and treatment of chronic GVHD (cGVHD). We investigated the effect of CNIs on immune tolerance after stem cell transplantation with discovery-based single-cell gene expression and T cell receptor (TCR) assays of clonal immunity in tandem with traditional protein-based approaches and preclinical modeling. While cyclosporin and tacrolimus suppressed the clonal expansion of CD8+ T cells during GVHD, alloreactive CD4+ T cell clusters were preferentially expanded. Moreover, CNIs mediated reversible dose-dependent suppression of T cell activation and all stages of donor T cell exhaustion. Critically, CNIs promoted the expansion of both polyclonal and TCR-specific alloreactive central memory CD4+ T cells (TCM) with high self-renewal capacity that mediated cGVHD following drug withdrawal. In contrast to posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PT-Cy), CSA was ineffective in eliminating IL-17A-secreting alloreactive T cell clones that play an important role in the pathogenesis of cGVHD. Collectively, we have shown that, although CNIs attenuate aGVHD, they paradoxically rescue alloantigen-specific TCM, especially within the CD4+ compartment in lymphoid and GVHD target tissues, thus predisposing patients to cGVHD. These data provide further evidence to caution against CNI-based immune suppression without concurrent approaches that eliminate alloreactive T cell clones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yewei Wang
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Hematology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Md Ashik Ullah
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Olivia G. Waltner
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Shruti S. Bhise
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Kathleen S. Ensbey
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Christine R. Schmidt
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Samuel R.W. Legg
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Tomoko Sekiguchi
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Ethan L. Nelson
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Rachel D. Kuns
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nicole S. Nemychenkov
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Erden Atilla
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Albert C. Yeh
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Shuichiro Takahashi
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Julie R. Boiko
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Antiopi Varelias
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Bruce R. Blazar
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Motoko Koyama
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Simone A. Minnie
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Scott N. Furlan
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Pediatrics and
| | - Ping Zhang
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Geoffrey R. Hill
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Division of Medical Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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34
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Lakhani A, Chen X, Chen LC, Hong M, Khericha M, Chen Y, Chen YY, Park JO. Extracellular domains of CARs reprogramme T cell metabolism without antigen stimulation. Nat Metab 2024; 6:1143-1160. [PMID: 38658805 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-024-01034-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Metabolism is an indispensable part of T cell proliferation, activation and exhaustion, yet the metabolism of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells remains incompletely understood. CARs are composed of extracellular domains-often single-chain variable fragments (scFvs)-that determine ligand specificity and intracellular domains that trigger signalling following antigen binding. Here, we show that CARs differing only in the scFv variously reprogramme T cell metabolism. Even without exposure to antigens, some CARs increase proliferation and nutrient uptake in T cells. Using stable isotope tracers and mass spectrometry, we observed basal metabolic fluxes through glycolysis doubling and amino acid uptake overtaking anaplerosis in CAR-T cells harbouring a rituximab scFv, unlike other similar anti-CD20 scFvs. Disparate rituximab and 14G2a-based anti-GD2 CAR-T cells are similarly hypermetabolic and channel excess nutrients to nitrogen overflow metabolism. Modest overflow metabolism of CAR-T cells and metabolic compatibility between cancer cells and CAR-T cells are identified as features of efficacious CAR-T cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliya Lakhani
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ximin Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Laurence C Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mihe Hong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mobina Khericha
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yvonne Y Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Junyoung O Park
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Kesler KW, Abuelo A. Mitochondrial function of dairy calf lymphocytes from birth to immunologic maturity. J Dairy Sci 2024:S0022-0302(24)00870-1. [PMID: 38825145 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2024-24849] [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: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
The inability of dairy calves to fully respond to immune stimuli until they reach maturity at 6 mo of age severely limits the use of parenteral vaccines to protect calves against disease. Immune responses are metabolically demanding, and immune cells rely on mitochondrial metabolites for their functionality. Due to the essential role of mitochondria in driving T-cell responses necessary for vaccine efficacy, we hypothesized that the mitochondrial function of dairy calf lymphocytes changes with age, from birth to immunologic maturity. In this cross-sectional study, groups of dairy calves (n = 4/group) were blood sampled at birth before colostrum intake and at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 16, and 24 wk of age. Mid-lactation adult cows (n = 4) were also sampled to reference fully mature immune cell populations. B, CD4+, CD8+, and γδ T lymphocytes were enriched using magnetic-activated cell sorting, and their mitochondrial function was assessed with an extracellular flux analyzer. Non-mitochondrial oxygen consumption, basal respiration, maximal respiration, spare respiratory capacity, proton leak, and the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) to extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) ratio were reported. Results were compared among groups using a Kruskal-Wallis test. The OCR to ECAR ratio is an indicator of the relative proportions of oxidative phosphorylation and aerobic glycolysis which is associated with effector functions in lymphocytes. The ratio was lower in 0 wk than adults in CD4+ T-cells. For CD8+ T-cells, the OCR to ECAR ratio for the 2 wk group was lower than the 3 wk group. A lower OCR to ECAR ratio indicates more reliance on glycolytic metabolism than oxidative phosphorylation. Maximal respiration is an indication of mitochondrial efficiency and is often associated with mitochondrial mass. For γδ T-cells, the 3 wk group had higher maximal respiration than the 16 wk group, whereas for B cells maximal respiration was higher in the 1 wk compared with the 16 wk group. Basal respiration indicates all cell functions that require oxygen and was lower in the 0 wk group than the 1 wk and 3 wk groups for CD4+ T-cells. γδ T-cells exhibited lower basal respiration in the 2 wk group than the 24 wk one. Although we found minimal differences in the mitochondrial outcomes reported from non-stimulated lymphocytes from birth through 6 mo of age and mid-lactation adults who served as mature immune cell populations, these results align with previous reports from weaning aged calf and adult CD4+ T-cells. In conclusion, there was insufficient evidence to suggest that the mitochondria in the lymphocytes of dairy calves from birth through immunologic maturity had functional changes associated with age. In conclusion, the capacity of unstimulated calf mitochondria to perform oxidative phosphorylation is not associated with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn W Kesler
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, 48824
| | - Angel Abuelo
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, 48824.
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Liang XH, Chen XY, Yan Y, Cheng AY, Lin JY, Jiang YX, Chen HZ, Jin JM, Luan X. Targeting metabolism to enhance immunotherapy within tumor microenvironment. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2024:10.1038/s41401-024-01304-w. [PMID: 38811773 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-024-01304-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer metabolic reprogramming has been considered an emerging hallmark in tumorigenesis and the antitumor immune response. Like cancer cells, immune cells within the tumor microenvironment or premetastatic niche also undergo extensive metabolic reprogramming, which profoundly impacts anti-tumor immune responses. Numerous evidence has illuminated that immunosuppressive TME and the metabolites released by tumor cells, including lactic acid, Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), fatty acids (FAs), cholesterol, D-2-Hydroxyglutaric acid (2-HG), adenosine (ADO), and kynurenine (KYN) can contribute to CD8+ T cell dysfunction. Dynamic alterations of these metabolites between tumor cells and immune cells can similarly initiate metabolic competition in the TME, leading to nutrient deprivation and subsequent microenvironmental acidosis, which impedes immune response. This review summarizes the new landscape beyond the classical metabolic pathways in tumor cells, highlighting the pivotal role of metabolic disturbance in the immunosuppressive microenvironment, especially how nutrient deprivation in TME leads to metabolic reprogramming of CD8+ T cells. Likewise, it emphasizes the current therapeutic targets or strategies related to tumor metabolism and immune response, providing therapeutic benefits for tumor immunotherapy and drug development in the future. Cancer metabolic reprogramming has been considered an emerging hallmark in tumorigenesis and the antitumor immune response. Dynamic alterations of metabolites between tumor cells and immune cells initiate metabolic competition in the TME, leading to nutrient deprivation and subsequent microenvironmental acidosis, which impedes immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Hui Liang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center for Chinese Medicine Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research and Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xin-Yi Chen
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center for Chinese Medicine Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research and Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yue Yan
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center for Chinese Medicine Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research and Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Ao-Yu Cheng
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center for Chinese Medicine Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research and Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Jia-Yi Lin
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center for Chinese Medicine Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research and Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yi-Xin Jiang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center for Chinese Medicine Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research and Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Hong-Zhuan Chen
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center for Chinese Medicine Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research and Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Jin-Mei Jin
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center for Chinese Medicine Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research and Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Xin Luan
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center for Chinese Medicine Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research and Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
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37
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Valencia AP, Pharaoh G, Brandao AF, Marcinek DJ. High-Resolution Fluorespirometry to Assess Dynamic Changes in Mitochondrial Membrane Potential in Human Immune Cells. J Vis Exp 2024:10.3791/66863. [PMID: 38856231 PMCID: PMC11257029 DOI: 10.3791/66863] [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] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMCs) exhibit robust changes in mitochondrial respiratory capacity in response to health and disease. While these changes do not always reflect what occurs in other tissues, such as skeletal muscle, these cells are an accessible and valuable source of viable mitochondria from human subjects. PBMCs are exposed to systemic signals that impact their bioenergetic state. Thus, expanding our tools to interrogate mitochondrial metabolism in this population will elucidate mechanisms related to disease progression. Functional assays of mitochondria are often limited to using respiratory outputs following maximal substrate, inhibitor, and uncoupler concentrations to determine the full range of respiratory capacity, which may not be achievable in vivo. The conversion of adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by ATP-synthase results in a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (mMP) and an increase in oxygen consumption. To provide a more integrated analysis of mitochondrial dynamics, this article describes the use of high-resolution fluorespirometry to measure the simultaneous response of oxygen consumption and mitochondrial membrane potential (mMP) to physiologically relevant concentrations of ADP. This technique uses tetramethylrhodamine methylester (TMRM) to measure mMP polarization in response to ADP titrations following maximal hyperpolarization with complex I and II substrates. This technique can be used to quantify how changes in health status, such as aging and metabolic disease, affect the sensitivity of mitochondrial response to energy demand in PBMCs, T-cells, and monocytes from human subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana P Valencia
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Washington;
| | | | - Arthur F Brandao
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Washington
| | - David J Marcinek
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington;
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Hu Y, Sarkar A, Song K, Michael S, Hook M, Wang R, Heczey A, Song X. Selective refueling of CAR T cells using ADA1 and CD26 boosts antitumor immunity. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101530. [PMID: 38688275 PMCID: PMC11148642 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is hindered in solid tumor treatment due to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and suboptimal T cell persistence. Current strategies do not address nutrient competition in the microenvironment. Hence, we present a metabolic refueling approach using inosine as an alternative fuel. CAR T cells were engineered to express membrane-bound CD26 and cytoplasmic adenosine deaminase 1 (ADA1), converting adenosine to inosine. Autocrine secretion of ADA1 upon CD3/CD26 stimulation activates CAR T cells, improving migration and resistance to transforming growth factor β1 suppression. Fusion of ADA1 with anti-CD3 scFv further boosts inosine production and minimizes tumor cell feeding. In mouse models of hepatocellular carcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer, metabolically refueled CAR T cells exhibit superior tumor reduction compared to unmodified CAR T cells. Overall, our study highlights the potential of selective inosine refueling to enhance CAR T therapy efficacy against solid tumors.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Adenosine Deaminase/metabolism
- Humans
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/immunology
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/metabolism
- Mice
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive/methods
- Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4/metabolism
- Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4/immunology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- Inosine
- Tumor Microenvironment/immunology
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/immunology
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/therapy
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology
- Lung Neoplasms/immunology
- Lung Neoplasms/therapy
- Lung Neoplasms/pathology
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/immunology
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/therapy
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Hu
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Abhijit Sarkar
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kevin Song
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Biology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sara Michael
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Synthesis Biology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Magnus Hook
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ruoning Wang
- Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Hematology/Oncology & BMT, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Andras Heczey
- Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Pediatric, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xiaotong Song
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA.
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Liu Y, Zhang X, Pang Z, Wang Y, Zheng H, Wang G, Wang K, Du J. Prediction of prognosis and immunotherapy efficacy based on metabolic landscape in lung adenocarcinoma by bulk, single-cell RNA sequencing and Mendelian randomization analyses. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:8772-8809. [PMID: 38771130 PMCID: PMC11164486 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205838] [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: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has been a remarkable clinical advancement in cancer treatment, but only a few patients benefit from it. Metabolic reprogramming is tightly associated with immunotherapy efficacy and clinical outcomes. However, comprehensively analyzing their relationship is still lacking in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Herein, we evaluated 84 metabolic pathways in TCGA-LUAD by ssGSEA. A matrix of metabolic pathway pairs was generated and a metabolic pathway-pair score (MPPS) model was established by univariable, LASSO, multivariable Cox regression analyses. The differences of metabolic reprogramming, tumor microenvironment (TME), tumor mutation burden and drug sensitivity in different MPPS groups were further explored. WGCNA and 117 machine learning algorithms were performed to identify MPPS-related genes. Single-cell RNA sequencing and in vitro experiments were used to explore the role of C1QTNF6 on TME. The results showed MPPS model accurately predicted prognosis and immunotherapy efficacy of LUAD patients regardless of sequencing platforms. High-MPPS group had worse prognosis, immunotherapy efficacy and lower immune cells infiltration, immune-related genes expression and cancer-immunity cycle scores than low-MPPS group. Seven MPPS-related genes were identified, of which C1QTNF6 was mainly expressed in fibroblasts. High C1QTNF6 expression in fibroblasts was associated with more infiltration of M2 macrophage, Treg cells and less infiltration of NK cells, memory CD8+ T cells. In vitro experiments validated silencing C1QTNF6 in fibroblasts could inhibit M2 macrophage polarization and migration. The study depicted the metabolic landscape of LUAD and constructed a MPPS model to accurately predict prognosis and immunotherapy efficacy. C1QTNF6 was a promising target to regulate M2 macrophage polarization and migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Liu
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Xiangwei Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Zhaofei Pang
- Department of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Yadong Wang
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Haotian Zheng
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Guanghui Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250021, Shandong, China
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Jiajun Du
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250021, Shandong, China
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250021, Shandong, China
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Li X, Gao J, Wu C, Wang C, Zhang R, He J, Xia ZJ, Joshi N, Karp JM, Kuai R. Precise modulation and use of reactive oxygen species for immunotherapy. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl0479. [PMID: 38748805 PMCID: PMC11095489 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl0479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in regulating the immune system by affecting pathogens, cancer cells, and immune cells. Recent advances in biomaterials have leveraged this mechanism to precisely modulate ROS levels in target tissues for improving the effectiveness of immunotherapies in infectious diseases, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. Moreover, ROS-responsive biomaterials can trigger the release of immunotherapeutics and provide tunable release kinetics, which can further boost their efficacy. This review will discuss the latest biomaterial-based approaches for both precise modulation of ROS levels and using ROS as a stimulus to control the release kinetics of immunotherapeutics. Finally, we will discuss the existing challenges and potential solutions for clinical translation of ROS-modulating and ROS-responsive approaches for immunotherapy, and provide an outlook for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyan Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jingjing Gao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Material Science and Engineering Graduate Program and The Center for Bioactive Delivery-Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Chengcheng Wu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Chaoyu Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ruoshi Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jia He
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ziting Judy Xia
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nitin Joshi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jeffrey M. Karp
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rui Kuai
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
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41
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Chapman NM, Chi H. Metabolic rewiring and communication in cancer immunity. Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:862-883. [PMID: 38428418 PMCID: PMC11177544 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2024.02.001] [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: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
The immune system shapes tumor development and progression. Although immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment, its overall efficacy remains limited, underscoring the need to uncover mechanisms to improve therapeutic effects. Metabolism-associated processes, including intracellular metabolic reprogramming and intercellular metabolic crosstalk, are emerging as instructive signals for anti-tumor immunity. Here, we first summarize the roles of intracellular metabolic pathways in controlling immune cell function in the tumor microenvironment. How intercellular metabolic communication regulates anti-tumor immunity, and the impact of metabolites or nutrients on signaling events, are also discussed. We then describe how targeting metabolic pathways in tumor cells or intratumoral immune cells or via nutrient-based interventions may boost cancer immunotherapies. Finally, we conclude with discussions on profiling and functional perturbation methods of metabolic activity in intratumoral immune cells, and perspectives on future directions. Uncovering the mechanisms for metabolic rewiring and communication in the tumor microenvironment may enable development of novel cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Chapman
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Hongbo Chi
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
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Wen J, Zhang X, Wong CC, Zhang Y, Pan Y, Zhou Y, Cheung AHK, Liu Y, Ji F, Kang X, Liu D, Yu J. Targeting squalene epoxidase restores anti-PD-1 efficacy in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis-induced hepatocellular carcinoma. Gut 2024:gutjnl-2023-331117. [PMID: 38744443 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2023-331117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Squalene epoxidase (SQLE) promotes metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (MASH-HCC), but its role in modulating the tumour immune microenvironment in MASH-HCC remains unclear. DESIGN We established hepatocyte-specific Sqle transgenic (tg) and knockout mice, which were subjected to a choline-deficient high-fat diet plus diethylnitrosamine to induce MASH-HCC. SQLE function was also determined in orthotopic and humanised mice. Immune landscape alterations of MASH-HCC mediated by SQLE were profiled by single-cell RNA sequencing and flow cytometry. RESULTS Hepatocyte-specific Sqle tg mice exhibited a marked increase in MASH-HCC burden compared with wild-type littermates, together with decreased tumour-infiltrating functional IFN-γ+ and Granzyme B+ CD8+ T cells while enriching Arg-1+ myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Conversely, hepatocyte-specific Sqle knockout suppressed tumour growth with increased cytotoxic CD8+ T cells and reduced Arg-1+ MDSCs, inferring that SQLE promotes immunosuppression in MASH-HCC. Mechanistically, SQLE-driven cholesterol accumulation in tumour microenvironment underlies its effect on CD8+ T cells and MDSCs. SQLE and its metabolite, cholesterol, impaired CD8+ T cell activity by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction. Cholesterol depletion in vitro abolished the effect of SQLE-overexpressing MASH-HCC cell supernatant on CD8+ T cell suppression and MDSC activation, whereas cholesterol supplementation had contrasting functions on CD8+ T cells and MDSCs treated with SQLE-knockout supernatant. Targeting SQLE with genetic ablation or pharmacological inhibitor, terbinafine, rescued the efficacy of anti-PD-1 treatment in MASH-HCC models. CONCLUSION SQLE induces an impaired antitumour response in MASH-HCC via attenuating CD8+ T cell function and augmenting immunosuppressive MDSCs. SQLE is a promising target in boosting anti-PD-1 immunotherapy for MASH-HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wen
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiang Zhang
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chi Chun Wong
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yating Zhang
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yasi Pan
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yunfei Zhou
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Alvin Ho-Kwan Cheung
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yali Liu
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Fenfen Ji
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xing Kang
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Dabin Liu
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jun Yu
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Zhu Y, Tan H, Wang J, Zhuang H, Zhao H, Lu X. Molecular insight into T cell exhaustion in hepatocellular carcinoma. Pharmacol Res 2024; 203:107161. [PMID: 38554789 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107161] [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: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality globally. The emergence of immunotherapy has been shown to be a promising therapeutic approach for hepatocellular carcinoma in recent years. It has been well known that T cell plays a key role in current immunotherapy. However, sustained exposure to antigenic stimulation within the tumor microenvironment may lead to T cell exhaustion, which may cause treatment ineffectiveness. Therefore, reversing T cell exhaustion has been an important issue for the clinical application of immunotherapy, and a comprehensive understanding of the intricacies surrounding T cell exhaustion and its underlying mechanisms is imperative for devising strategies to overcome the T cell exhaustion during treatment. In this review, we summarized the reported drivers of T cell exhaustion in hepatocellular carcinoma and delineate potential ways to reverse it. Additionally, we discussed the interplay among metabolic plasticity, epigenetic regulation, and transcriptional factors in exhausted T cells in hepatocellular carcinoma, and their implication for future clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonghua Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Huabing Tan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Hepatology Institute, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei 442000, China; Shiyan Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province 442000, China
| | - Jincheng Wang
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Japan
| | - Haiwen Zhuang
- Department of General Surgery, Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Huanbin Zhao
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
| | - Xiaojie Lu
- Department of General Surgery, Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
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Chi H, Pepper M, Thomas PG. Principles and therapeutic applications of adaptive immunity. Cell 2024; 187:2052-2078. [PMID: 38670065 PMCID: PMC11177542 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Adaptive immunity provides protection against infectious and malignant diseases. These effects are mediated by lymphocytes that sense and respond with targeted precision to perturbations induced by pathogens and tissue damage. Here, we review key principles underlying adaptive immunity orchestrated by distinct T cell and B cell populations and their extensions to disease therapies. We discuss the intracellular and intercellular processes shaping antigen specificity and recognition in immune activation and lymphocyte functions in mediating effector and memory responses. We also describe how lymphocytes balance protective immunity against autoimmunity and immunopathology, including during immune tolerance, response to chronic antigen stimulation, and adaptation to non-lymphoid tissues in coordinating tissue immunity and homeostasis. Finally, we discuss extracellular signals and cell-intrinsic programs underpinning adaptive immunity and conclude by summarizing key advances in vaccination and engineering adaptive immune responses for therapeutic interventions. A deeper understanding of these principles holds promise for uncovering new means to improve human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbo Chi
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
| | - Marion Pepper
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Paul G Thomas
- Department of Host-Microbe Interactions and Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
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Chen Y, Gao J, Ma M, Wang K, Liu F, Yang F, Zou X, Cheng Z, Wu D. The potential role of CMC1 as an immunometabolic checkpoint in T cell immunity. Oncoimmunology 2024; 13:2344905. [PMID: 38659649 PMCID: PMC11042068 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2024.2344905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
T cell immunity is critical for human defensive immune response. Exploring the key molecules during the process provides new targets for T cell-based immunotherapies. CMC1 is a mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) complex IV chaperon protein. By establishing in-vitro cell culture system and Cmc1 gene knock out mice, we evaluated the role of CMC1 in T cell activation and differentiation. The B16-OVA tumor model was used to test the possibility of targeting CMC1 for improving T cell anti-tumor immunity. We identified CMC1 as a positive regulator in CD8+T cells activation and terminal differentiation. Meanwhile, we found that CMC1 increasingly expressed in exhausted T (Tex) cells. Genetic lost of Cmc1 inhibits the development of CD8+T cell exhaustion in mice. Instead, deletion of Cmc1 in T cells prompts cells to differentiate into metabolically and functionally quiescent cells with increased memory-like features and tolerance to cell death upon repetitive or prolonged T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation. Further, the in-vitro mechanistic study revealed that environmental lactate enhances CMC1 expression by inducing USP7, mediated stabilization and de-ubiquitination of CMC1 protein, in which a mechanism we propose here that the lactate-enriched tumor microenvironment (TME) drives CD8+TILs dysfunction through CMC1 regulatory effects on T cells. Taken together, our study unraveled the novel role of CMC1 as a T cell regulator and its possibility to be utilized for anti-tumor immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwen Chen
- Jinshan Hospital Center for Tumor Diagnosis & Therapy, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Gao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Lung Inflammation and Injury, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingyue Ma
- Institute of Metabolism and Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ke Wang
- Jinshan Hospital Center for Tumor Diagnosis & Therapy, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fangming Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Lung Inflammation and Injury, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feiyu Yang
- Center of Emergency and Critical Medicine, Jinshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Zou
- Jinshan Hospital Center for Tumor Diagnosis & Therapy, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhouli Cheng
- Jinshan Hospital Center for Tumor Diagnosis & Therapy, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Duojiao Wu
- Jinshan Hospital Center for Tumor Diagnosis & Therapy, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Lung Inflammation and Injury, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Tang L, Xu H, Wu T, Wu W, Lu Y, Gu J, Wang X, Zhou M, Chen Q, Sun X, Cai H. Advances in tumor microenvironment and underlying molecular mechanisms of bladder cancer: a systematic review. Discov Oncol 2024; 15:111. [PMID: 38602556 PMCID: PMC11009183 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-024-00902-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Bladder cancer is one of the most frequent malignant tumors of the urinary system. The prevalence of bladder cancer among men and women is roughly 5:2, and both its incidence and death have been rising steadily over the past few years. At the moment, metastasis and recurrence of advanced bladder cancer-which are believed to be connected to the malfunction of multigene and multilevel cell signaling network-remain the leading causes of bladder cancer-related death. The therapeutic treatment of bladder cancer will be greatly aided by the elucidation of these mechanisms. New concepts for the treatment of bladder cancer have been made possible by the advancement of research technologies and a number of new treatment options, including immunotherapy and targeted therapy. In this paper, we will extensively review the development of the tumor microenvironment and the possible molecular mechanisms of bladder cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Tang
- Department of Nursing, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haifei Xu
- Department of Urology, Nantong Tumor Hospital and Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Tong Wu
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Medical University The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wenhao Wu
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Medical University The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuhao Lu
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Medical University The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jijia Gu
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Medical University The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaoling Wang
- Department of Urology, Nantong Tumor Hospital and Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Mei Zhou
- Department of Nursing, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Qiuyang Chen
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Medical University The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Xuan Sun
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Medical University The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Hongzhou Cai
- Department of Urology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
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47
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Pan X, Wang J, Zhang L, Li G, Huang B. Metabolic plasticity of T cell fate decision. Chin Med J (Engl) 2024; 137:762-775. [PMID: 38086394 PMCID: PMC10997312 DOI: 10.1097/cm9.0000000000002989] [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: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT The efficacy of adaptive immune responses in cancer treatment relies heavily on the state of the T cells. Upon antigen exposure, T cells undergo metabolic reprogramming, leading to the development of functional effectors or memory populations. However, within the tumor microenvironment (TME), metabolic stress impairs CD8 + T cell anti-tumor immunity, resulting in exhausted differentiation. Recent studies suggested that targeting T cell metabolism could offer promising therapeutic opportunities to enhance T cell immunotherapy. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of the intrinsic and extrinsic factors necessary for metabolic reprogramming during the development of effector and memory T cells in response to acute and chronic inflammatory conditions. Furthermore, we delved into the different metabolic switches that occur during T cell exhaustion, exploring how prolonged metabolic stress within the TME triggers alterations in cellular metabolism and the epigenetic landscape that contribute to T cell exhaustion, ultimately leading to a persistently exhausted state. Understanding the intricate relationship between T cell metabolism and cancer immunotherapy can lead to the development of novel approaches to improve the efficacy of T cell-based treatments against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Pan
- National Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology Regulatory Element, Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Jiajia Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology Regulatory Element, Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Lianjun Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology Regulatory Element, Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Guideng Li
- National Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology Regulatory Element, Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Bo Huang
- Department of Immunology & National Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
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48
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Zotta A, O'Neill LAJ, Yin M. Unlocking potential: the role of the electron transport chain in immunometabolism. Trends Immunol 2024; 45:259-273. [PMID: 38503657 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2024.02.002] [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: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
The electron transport chain (ETC) couples electron transfer with proton pumping to generate ATP and it also regulates particular innate and adaptive immune cell function. While NLRP3 inflammasome activation was initially linked to reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced from Complexes I and III, recent research suggests that an intact ETC fueling ATP is needed. Complex II may be responsible for Th1 cell proliferation and in some cases, effector cytokine production. Complex III is required for regulatory T (Treg) cell function, while oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and Complexes I, IV, and V sustain proliferation and antibody production in B lymphocytes, with OXPHOS also being required for B regulatory (Breg) cell function. Despite challenges, the ETC shows therapeutic targeting potential for immune-related diseases and in immuno-oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Zotta
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Luke A J O'Neill
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
| | - Maureen Yin
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
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49
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Pillai R, LeBoeuf SE, Hao Y, New C, Blum JLE, Rashidfarrokhi A, Huang SM, Bahamon C, Wu WL, Karadal-Ferrena B, Herrera A, Ivanova E, Cross M, Bossowski JP, Ding H, Hayashi M, Rajalingam S, Karakousi T, Sayin VI, Khanna KM, Wong KK, Wild R, Tsirigos A, Poirier JT, Rudin CM, Davidson SM, Koralov SB, Papagiannakopoulos T. Glutamine antagonist DRP-104 suppresses tumor growth and enhances response to checkpoint blockade in KEAP1 mutant lung cancer. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadm9859. [PMID: 38536921 PMCID: PMC10971495 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm9859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Loss-of-function mutations in KEAP1 frequently occur in lung cancer and are associated with poor prognosis and resistance to standard of care treatment, highlighting the need for the development of targeted therapies. We previously showed that KEAP1 mutant tumors consume glutamine to support the metabolic rewiring associated with NRF2-dependent antioxidant production. Here, using preclinical patient-derived xenograft models and antigenic orthotopic lung cancer models, we show that the glutamine antagonist prodrug DRP-104 impairs the growth of KEAP1 mutant tumors. We find that DRP-104 suppresses KEAP1 mutant tumors by inhibiting glutamine-dependent nucleotide synthesis and promoting antitumor T cell responses. Using multimodal single-cell sequencing and ex vivo functional assays, we demonstrate that DRP-104 reverses T cell exhaustion, decreases Tregs, and enhances the function of CD4 and CD8 T cells, culminating in an improved response to anti-PD1 therapy. Our preclinical findings provide compelling evidence that DRP-104, currently in clinical trials, offers a promising therapeutic approach for treating patients with KEAP1 mutant lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ray Pillai
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Sarah E. LeBoeuf
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Yuan Hao
- Applied Bioinformatics Laboratories, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Connie New
- Departments of Biological Engineering and Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jenna L. E. Blum
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, The Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ali Rashidfarrokhi
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Shih Ming Huang
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Christian Bahamon
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Warren L. Wu
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Burcu Karadal-Ferrena
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Alberto Herrera
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Ellie Ivanova
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Michael Cross
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jozef P. Bossowski
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Hongyu Ding
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Makiko Hayashi
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Sahith Rajalingam
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Triantafyllia Karakousi
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Volkan I. Sayin
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Department of Surgery, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kamal M. Khanna
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Kwok-Kin Wong
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Robert Wild
- Dracen Pharmaceuticals Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Aristotelis Tsirigos
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - John T. Poirier
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Charles M. Rudin
- Department of Medicine, Thoracic Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10655, USA
| | - Shawn M. Davidson
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, The Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Sergei B. Koralov
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Thales Papagiannakopoulos
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
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50
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Srirat T, Hayakawa T, Mise-Omata S, Nakagawara K, Ando M, Shichino S, Ito M, Yoshimura A. NR4a1/2 deletion promotes accumulation of TCF1 + stem-like precursors of exhausted CD8 + T cells in the tumor microenvironment. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113898. [PMID: 38451819 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113898] [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: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
T cell exhaustion impairs tumor immunity and contributes to resistance against immune checkpoint inhibitors. The nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A (NR4a) family of nuclear receptors plays a crucial role in driving T cell exhaustion. In this study, we observe that NR4a1 and NR4a2 deficiency in CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) results in potent tumor eradication and exhibits not only reduced exhaustion characteristics but also an increase in the precursors/progenitors of exhausted T (Pre-Tex) cell fraction. Serial transfers of NR4a1-/-NR4a2-/-CD8+ TILs into tumor-bearing mice result in the expansion of TCF1+ (Tcf7+) stem-like Pre-Tex cells, whereas wild-type TILs are depleted upon secondary transfer. NR4a1/2-deficient CD8+ T cells express higher levels of stemness/memory-related genes and illustrate potent mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Collectively, these findings suggest that inhibiting NR4a in tumors represents a potent immuno-oncotherapy strategy by increasing stem-like Pre-Tex cells and reducing exhaustion of CD8+ T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanakorn Srirat
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
| | - Taeko Hayakawa
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Setsuko Mise-Omata
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Kensuke Nakagawara
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Makoto Ando
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Shigeyuki Shichino
- Division of Molecular Regulation of Inflammatory and Immune Diseases, Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2669 Yamazaki, Noda City, Chiba 278-0022, Japan
| | - Minako Ito
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Akihiko Yoshimura
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
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