1
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Niu X, Liu W, Zhang Y, Liu J, Zhang J, Li B, Qiu Y, Zhao P, Wang Z, Wang Z. Cancer plasticity in therapy resistance: Mechanisms and novel strategies. Drug Resist Updat 2024; 76:101114. [PMID: 38924995 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2024.101114] [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: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Therapy resistance poses a significant obstacle to effective cancer treatment. Recent insights into cell plasticity as a new paradigm for understanding resistance to treatment: as cancer progresses, cancer cells experience phenotypic and molecular alterations, corporately known as cell plasticity. These alterations are caused by microenvironment factors, stochastic genetic and epigenetic changes, and/or selective pressure engendered by treatment, resulting in tumor heterogeneity and therapy resistance. Increasing evidence suggests that cancer cells display remarkable intrinsic plasticity and reversibly adapt to dynamic microenvironment conditions. Dynamic interactions between cell states and with the surrounding microenvironment form a flexible tumor ecosystem, which is able to quickly adapt to external pressure, especially treatment. Here, this review delineates the formation of cancer cell plasticity (CCP) as well as its manipulation of cancer escape from treatment. Furthermore, the intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms driving CCP that promote the development of therapy resistance is summarized. Novel treatment strategies, e.g., inhibiting or reversing CCP is also proposed. Moreover, the review discusses the multiple lines of ongoing clinical trials globally aimed at ameliorating therapy resistance. Such advances provide directions for the development of new treatment modalities and combination therapies against CCP in the context of therapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Niu
- China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, China; Experimental Center of BIOQGene, YuanDong International Academy Of Life Sciences, 999077, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wenjing Liu
- Medical Oncology Department of Thoracic Cancer (2), Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning 110042, China
| | - Yinling Zhang
- Department of Oncology Radiotherapy 1, Qingdao Central Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266042, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110004, China
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Department of Gastric Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning 110042, China
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Orthopedics, Beijing Luhe Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 101149, China
| | - Yue Qiu
- Department of Digestive Diseases 1, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning 110042, China
| | - Peng Zhao
- Department of Medical Imaging, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, 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 China Medical University, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning 110042, China.
| | - Zhe Wang
- Department of Digestive Diseases 1, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning 110042, China.
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2
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Dravillas CE, Coleman SS, Hoyd R, Caryotakis G, Denko L, Chan CH, Churchman ML, Denko N, Dodd RD, Eljilany I, Hardikar S, Husain M, Ikeguchi AP, Jin N, Ma Q, McCarter MD, Osman AE, Robinson LA, Singer EA, Tinoco G, Ulrich CM, Zakharia Y, Spakowicz D, Tarhini AA, Tan AC. The Tumor Microbiome as a Predictor of Outcomes in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:1978-1990. [PMID: 39015091 PMCID: PMC11307144 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-23-0170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
Emerging evidence supports the important role of the tumor microbiome in oncogenesis, cancer immune phenotype, cancer progression, and treatment outcomes in many malignancies. In this study, we investigated the metastatic melanoma tumor microbiome and its potential roles in association with clinical outcomes, such as survival, in patients with metastatic disease treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Baseline tumor samples were collected from 71 patients with metastatic melanoma before treatment with ICIs. Bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was conducted on the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded and fresh frozen tumor samples. Durable clinical benefit (primary clinical endpoint) following ICIs was defined as overall survival >24 months and no change to the primary drug regimen (responders). We processed RNA-seq reads to carefully identify exogenous sequences using the {exotic} tool. The age of the 71 patients with metastatic melanoma ranged from 24 to 83 years, 59% were male, and 55% survived >24 months following the initiation of ICI treatment. Exogenous taxa were identified in the tumor RNA-seq, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses. We found differences in gene expression and microbe abundances in immunotherapy-responsive versus nonresponsive tumors. Responders showed significant enrichment of bacteriophages in the phylum Uroviricota, and nonresponders showed enrichment of several bacteria, including Campylobacter jejuni. These microbes correlated with immune-related gene expression signatures. Finally, we found that models for predicting prolonged survival with immunotherapy using both microbe abundances and gene expression outperformed models using either dataset alone. Our findings warrant further investigation and potentially support therapeutic strategies to modify the tumor microbiome in order to improve treatment outcomes with ICIs. SIGNIFICANCE We analyzed the tumor microbiome and interactions with genes and pathways in metastatic melanoma treated with immunotherapy and identified several microbes associated with immunotherapy response and immune-related gene expression signatures. Machine learning models that combined microbe abundances and gene expression outperformed models using either dataset alone in predicting immunotherapy responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline E. Dravillas
- Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio.
| | - Samuel S. Coleman
- Department of Oncological Science, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
| | - Rebecca Hoyd
- Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio.
| | - Griffin Caryotakis
- Department of Oncological Science, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
| | - Louis Denko
- Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio.
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio.
| | - Carlos H.F. Chan
- Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
| | | | - Nicholas Denko
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio.
| | - Rebecca D. Dodd
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
| | - Islam Eljilany
- Department of Cutaneous Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida.
| | - Sheetal Hardikar
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
| | - Marium Husain
- Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio.
| | - Alexandra P. Ikeguchi
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Stephenson Cancer Center of University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
| | - Ning Jin
- Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio.
| | - Qin Ma
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
| | - Martin D. McCarter
- Department of Surgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado.
| | - Afaf E.G. Osman
- Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
| | - Lary A. Robinson
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida.
| | - Eric A. Singer
- Division of Urologic Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio.
| | - Gabriel Tinoco
- Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio.
| | - Cornelia M. Ulrich
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
| | - Yousef Zakharia
- Division of Oncology, Hematology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Iowa, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, Iowa City, Iowa.
| | - Daniel Spakowicz
- Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio.
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio.
| | - Ahmad A. Tarhini
- Department of Cutaneous Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida.
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida.
| | - Aik Choon Tan
- Department of Oncological Science, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
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3
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Magrill J, Moldoveanu D, Gu J, Lajoie M, Watson IR. Mapping the single cell spatial immune landscapes of the melanoma microenvironment. Clin Exp Metastasis 2024; 41:301-312. [PMID: 38217840 PMCID: PMC11374855 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-023-10252-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
Melanoma is a highly immunogenic malignancy with an elevated mutational burden, diffuse lymphocytic infiltration, and one of the highest response rates to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, over half of all late-stage patients treated with ICIs will either not respond or develop progressive disease. Spatial imaging technologies are being increasingly used to study the melanoma tumor microenvironment (TME). The goal of such studies is to understand the complex interplay between the stroma, melanoma cells, and immune cell-types as well as their association with treatment response. Investigators seeking a better understanding of the role of cell location within the TME and the importance of spatial expression of biomarkers are increasingly turning to highly multiplexed imaging approaches to more accurately measure immune infiltration as well as to quantify receptor-ligand interactions (such as PD-1 and PD-L1) and cell-cell contacts. CyTOF-IMC (Cytometry by Time of Flight - Imaging Mass Cytometry) has enabled high-dimensional profiling of melanomas, allowing researchers to identify complex cellular subpopulations and immune cell interactions with unprecedented resolution. Other spatial imaging technologies, such as multiplexed immunofluorescence and spatial transcriptomics, have revealed distinct patterns of immune cell infiltration, highlighting the importance of spatial relationships, and their impact in modulating immunotherapy responses. Overall, spatial imaging technologies are just beginning to transform our understanding of melanoma biology, providing new avenues for biomarker discovery and therapeutic development. These technologies hold great promise for advancing personalized medicine to improve patient outcomes in melanoma and other solid malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Magrill
- Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Dan Moldoveanu
- Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Jiayao Gu
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Mathieu Lajoie
- Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Ian R Watson
- Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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4
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Liu W, Puri A, Fu D, Chen L, Wang C, Kellis M, Yang J. Dissecting the tumor microenvironment in response to immune checkpoint inhibitors via single-cell and spatial transcriptomics. Clin Exp Metastasis 2024; 41:313-332. [PMID: 38064127 PMCID: PMC11374862 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-023-10246-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
Cancer is a disease that undergoes selective pressure to evolve during its progression, becoming increasingly heterogeneous. Tumoral heterogeneity can dictate therapeutic response. Transcriptomics can be used to uncover complexities in cancer and reveal phenotypic heterogeneity that affects disease response. This is especially pertinent in the immune microenvironment, which contains diverse populations of immune cells, and whose dynamic properties influence disease response. The recent development of immunotherapies has revolutionized cancer therapy, with response rates of up to 50% within certain cancers. However, despite advances in immune checkpoint blockade specifically, there remains a significant population of non-responders to these treatments. Transcriptomics can be used to profile immune and other cell populations following immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment, generate predictive biomarkers of resistance or response, assess immune effector function, and identify potential immune checkpoints. Single-cell RNA sequencing has offered insight into mRNA expression within the complex and heterogeneous tumor microenvironment at single-cell resolution. Spatial transcriptomics has enabled measurement of mRNA expression while adding locational context. Here, we review single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomic research investigating ICI response within a variety of cancer microenvironments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendi Liu
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anusha Puri
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Doris Fu
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Lee Chen
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Cassia Wang
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Manolis Kellis
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jiekun Yang
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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5
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Lu Y, Travnickova J, Badonyi M, Rambow F, Coates A, Khan Z, Marques J, Murphy LC, Garcia-Martinez P, Marais R, Louphrasitthiphol P, Chan AHY, Schofield CJ, von Kriegsheim A, Marsh JA, Pavet V, Sansom OJ, Illingworth RS, Patton EE. ALDH1A3-acetaldehyde metabolism potentiates transcriptional heterogeneity in melanoma. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114406. [PMID: 38963759 PMCID: PMC11290356 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114406] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer cellular heterogeneity and therapy resistance arise substantially from metabolic and transcriptional adaptations, but how these are interconnected is poorly understood. Here, we show that, in melanoma, the cancer stem cell marker aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A3 (ALDH1A3) forms an enzymatic partnership with acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthetase 2 (ACSS2) in the nucleus to couple high glucose metabolic flux with acetyl-histone H3 modification of neural crest (NC) lineage and glucose metabolism genes. Importantly, we show that acetaldehyde is a metabolite source for acetyl-histone H3 modification in an ALDH1A3-dependent manner, providing a physiologic function for this highly volatile and toxic metabolite. In a zebrafish melanoma residual disease model, an ALDH1-high subpopulation emerges following BRAF inhibitor treatment, and targeting these with an ALDH1 suicide inhibitor, nifuroxazide, delays or prevents BRAF inhibitor drug-resistant relapse. Our work reveals that the ALDH1A3-ACSS2 couple directly coordinates nuclear acetaldehyde-acetyl-CoA metabolism with specific chromatin-based gene regulation and represents a potential therapeutic vulnerability in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Lu
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Edinburgh Cancer Research, CRUK Scotland Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
| | - Jana Travnickova
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Edinburgh Cancer Research, CRUK Scotland Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
| | - Mihaly Badonyi
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Florian Rambow
- Department of Applied Computational Cancer Research, Institute for AI in Medicine (IKIM), University Hospital Essen, 45131 Essen, Germany; University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Andrea Coates
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Edinburgh Cancer Research, CRUK Scotland Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
| | - Zaid Khan
- Edinburgh Cancer Research, CRUK Scotland Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
| | - Jair Marques
- Edinburgh Cancer Research, CRUK Scotland Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
| | - Laura C Murphy
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Pablo Garcia-Martinez
- Insitute of Genetics and Cancer, The Univeristy of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Richard Marais
- Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Alderley Park SK10 4TG, UK; Oncodrug Ltd, Alderley Park, Macclesfield SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Pakavarin Louphrasitthiphol
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Alex H Y Chan
- Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 5JJ, UK
| | - Christopher J Schofield
- Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 5JJ, UK
| | - Alex von Kriegsheim
- Edinburgh Cancer Research, CRUK Scotland Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
| | - Joseph A Marsh
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Valeria Pavet
- Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Alderley Park SK10 4TG, UK; Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, CRUK Scotland Centre, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Bearsden Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
| | - Owen J Sansom
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, CRUK Scotland Centre, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Bearsden Glasgow G61 1BD, UK; School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 0ZD, UK
| | - Robert S Illingworth
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh BioQuarter, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - E Elizabeth Patton
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Edinburgh Cancer Research, CRUK Scotland Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK.
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6
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Holder AM, Dedeilia A, Sierra-Davidson K, Cohen S, Liu D, Parikh A, Boland GM. Defining clinically useful biomarkers of immune checkpoint inhibitors in solid tumours. Nat Rev Cancer 2024; 24:498-512. [PMID: 38867074 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-024-00705-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Although more than a decade has passed since the approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for the treatment of melanoma and non-small-cell lung, breast and gastrointestinal cancers, many patients still show limited response. US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved biomarkers include programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PDL1) expression, microsatellite status (that is, microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H)) and tumour mutational burden (TMB), but these have limited utility and/or lack standardized testing approaches for pan-cancer applications. Tissue-based analytes (such as tumour gene signatures, tumour antigen presentation or tumour microenvironment profiles) show a correlation with immune response, but equally, these demonstrate limited efficacy, as they represent a single time point and a single spatial assessment. Patient heterogeneity as well as inter- and intra-tumoural differences across different tissue sites and time points represent substantial challenges for static biomarkers. However, dynamic biomarkers such as longitudinal biopsies or novel, less-invasive markers such as blood-based biomarkers, radiomics and the gut microbiome show increasing potential for the dynamic identification of ICI response, and patient-tailored predictors identified through neoadjuvant trials or novel ex vivo tumour models can help to personalize treatment. In this Perspective, we critically assess the multiple new static, dynamic and patient-specific biomarkers, highlight the newest consortia and trial efforts, and provide recommendations for future clinical trials to make meaningful steps forwards in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M Holder
- Department of Surgical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Sonia Cohen
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Liu
- Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aparna Parikh
- Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Genevieve M Boland
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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7
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Ribeiro AB, de Melo MRS, de Melo Junqueira M, Rodrigues MGL, de Souza TO, Fernandes G, Santos MFC, Ambrósio SR, Bastos JK, Tavares DC. Efficacy and safety of guttiferone E in melanoma-bearing mice. NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERG'S ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY 2024; 397:5265-5274. [PMID: 38270618 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-024-02962-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Melanoma, an aggressive and potentially fatal skin cancer, is constrained by immunosuppression, resistance, and high toxicity in its treatment. Consequently, there is an urgent need for innovative antineoplastic agents. Therefore, this study investigated the antimelanoma potential of guttiferone E (GE). In an allogeneic murine B16 melanoma model, GE was administered subcutaneously and intraperitoneally. Antitumor evaluation included tumor volume/weight measurements and histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis. Furthermore, the toxicity of the treatments was evaluated through body/organ weights, biochemical parameters, and genotoxicity. Subcutaneous administration of 20 mg/kg of GE resulted in a significant reduction in both tumor volume and weight, effectively suppressing melanoma cell proliferation as evidenced by a decrease in mitotic figures. The tumor growth inhibition rate was equivalent to 54%. This treatment upregulated cleaved caspase-3, indicating apoptosis induction. On the other hand, intraperitoneal administration of GE showed no antimelanoma effect. Remarkably, GE treatments exhibited no toxicity, evidenced by non-significant differences in body weight gain, as well as organ weight, biochemical parameters of nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity, and genotoxic damage. This study revealed, for the first time, the efficacy of subcutaneous administration of GE in reducing melanoma, in the absence of toxicity. Furthermore, it was observed that the apoptotic signaling pathway is involved in the antimelanoma property of GE. These findings offer valuable insights for further exploring GE's therapeutic applications in melanoma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Barcelos Ribeiro
- University of Franca, Avenida Dr. Armando Salles Oliveira, 201, Parque Universitário, Franca, São Paulo, 14404-600, Brazil.
| | - Matheus Reis Santos de Melo
- University of Franca, Avenida Dr. Armando Salles Oliveira, 201, Parque Universitário, Franca, São Paulo, 14404-600, Brazil
| | - Marcela de Melo Junqueira
- University of Franca, Avenida Dr. Armando Salles Oliveira, 201, Parque Universitário, Franca, São Paulo, 14404-600, Brazil
| | - Mônica Garcia Leal Rodrigues
- University of Franca, Avenida Dr. Armando Salles Oliveira, 201, Parque Universitário, Franca, São Paulo, 14404-600, Brazil
| | - Thiago Olimpio de Souza
- University of Franca, Avenida Dr. Armando Salles Oliveira, 201, Parque Universitário, Franca, São Paulo, 14404-600, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Fernandes
- University of Franca, Avenida Dr. Armando Salles Oliveira, 201, Parque Universitário, Franca, São Paulo, 14404-600, Brazil
| | | | - Sérgio Ricardo Ambrósio
- University of Franca, Avenida Dr. Armando Salles Oliveira, 201, Parque Universitário, Franca, São Paulo, 14404-600, Brazil
| | - Jairo Kenupp Bastos
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av. do Café s/n, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, 14040-903, Brazil
| | - Denise Crispim Tavares
- University of Franca, Avenida Dr. Armando Salles Oliveira, 201, Parque Universitário, Franca, São Paulo, 14404-600, Brazil.
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8
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Miranda A, Shirley CA, Jenkins RW. Emerging roles of TBK1 in cancer immunobiology. Trends Cancer 2024; 10:531-540. [PMID: 38519366 PMCID: PMC11168882 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2024.02.007] [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: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) is a versatile serine/threonine protein kinase with established roles in innate immunity, metabolism, autophagy, cell death, and inflammation. While best known for its role in regulating innate immunity, TBK1 has emerged as a cancer cell-intrinsic immune evasion gene by virtue of its role in modulating cellular responses to inflammatory signals emanating from the immune system. Beyond its effect on cancer cells, TBK1 appears to regulate lymphoid and myeloid cells in the tumor immune microenvironment. In this review, we detail recent advances in our understanding of the tumor-intrinsic and -extrinsic roles and regulation of TBK1 in tumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Miranda
- Mass General Cancer Center, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Carl A Shirley
- Mass General Cancer Center, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Russell W Jenkins
- Mass General Cancer Center, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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9
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Ma Y, Wang T, Zhang X, Wang P, Long F. The role of circular RNAs in regulating resistance to cancer immunotherapy: mechanisms and implications. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:312. [PMID: 38697964 PMCID: PMC11066075 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06698-3] [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: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has rapidly transformed cancer treatment, yet resistance remains a significant hurdle, limiting its efficacy in many patients. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel class of non-coding RNAs, have emerged as pivotal regulators of gene expression and cellular processes. Increasing evidence indicates their involvement in modulating resistance to cancer immunotherapy. Notably, certain circRNAs function as miRNA sponges or interact with proteins, influencing the expression of immune-related genes, including crucial immune checkpoint molecules. This, in turn, shapes the tumor microenvironment and significantly impacts the response to immunotherapy. In this comprehensive review, we explore the evolving role of circRNAs in orchestrating resistance to cancer immunotherapy, with a specific focus on their mechanisms in influencing immune checkpoint gene expression. Additionally, we underscore the potential of circRNAs as promising therapeutic targets to augment the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy. Understanding the role of circRNAs in cancer immunotherapy resistance could contribute to the development of new therapeutic strategies to overcome resistance and improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Ma
- Department of Clinical Research, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Clinical Research, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xudong Zhang
- Department of Clinical Research, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Pinghan Wang
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Affiliated Women's and Children's Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610032, China
| | - Fangyi Long
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Affiliated Women's and Children's Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610032, China.
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10
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Shi Y, Li W, Jia Q, Wu J, Wu S, Wu S. Inhibition of PD-L1 expression in non-small cell lung cancer may reduce vasculogenic mimicry formation by inhibiting the epithelial mesenchymal transformation process. Exp Cell Res 2024; 437:113996. [PMID: 38508327 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2024.113996] [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: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a kind of highly malignant tumor. Studies have shown that Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) may be responsible for dismal prognosis in NSCLC. Immunotherapy with programmed death-1 (PD-1) or programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) has significantly altered the treatment of assorted cancers, including NSCLC, but its role and mechanism in the formation of Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) in NSCLC remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the role of the anti-PD-L1 antibody in the formation of VM in NSCLC and its possible mechanisms. The results showed that anti-PD-L1 antibody therapy could inhibit the growth of NSCLC-transplanted tumors and reduce the formation of VMs. In addition, this study found that anti-PD-L1 antibodies could increase the expression of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) related factor E-cadherin. zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) is an important transcription factor regulating EMT. Knocking down ZEB1 could significantly inhibit tumor growth, as well as the expression of VE-cadherin and mmp2, while remarkably increase the expression of E-cadherin. During this process, the formation of VM was inhibited by knowing down ZEB1 in both in vitro and in vivo experiments of the constructed ZEB1 knockdown stable transfected cell strains. Therefore, in this study, we found that anti-PD-L1 antibodies may reduce the formation of VMs by inhibiting the EMT process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Shi
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Anhui, 233000, China; Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medicine, Bengbu Medical University, Anhui, 233000, China; Key Laboratory of Cancer Translational Medicine, Bengbu Medical University, Anhui, 233000, China
| | - Wenjuan Li
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Anhui, 233000, China
| | - Qianhao Jia
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Anhui, 233000, China
| | - Jiatao Wu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Clinical and Preclinical Research in Respiratory Disease, Molecular Diagnosis Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Bengbu Medical University, 287 Changhuai Road, Bengbu 233004, Anhui, China
| | - Shoufan Wu
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Anhui, 233000, China
| | - Shiwu Wu
- Department of Pathology, Anhui No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Anhui, 230000, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Health, Anhui No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Hefei, 230041, China.
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11
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Chuang YM, Tzeng SF, Ho PC, Tsai CH. Immunosurveillance encounters cancer metabolism. EMBO Rep 2024; 25:471-488. [PMID: 38216787 PMCID: PMC10897436 DOI: 10.1038/s44319-023-00038-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor cells reprogram nutrient acquisition and metabolic pathways to meet their energetic, biosynthetic, and redox demands. Similarly, metabolic processes in immune cells support host immunity against cancer and determine differentiation and fate of leukocytes. Thus, metabolic deregulation and imbalance in immune cells within the tumor microenvironment have been reported to drive immune evasion and to compromise therapeutic outcomes. Interestingly, emerging evidence indicates that anti-tumor immunity could modulate tumor heterogeneity, aggressiveness, and metabolic reprogramming, suggesting that immunosurveillance can instruct cancer progression in multiple dimensions. This review summarizes our current understanding of how metabolic crosstalk within tumors affects immunogenicity of tumor cells and promotes cancer progression. Furthermore, we explain how defects in the metabolic cascade can contribute to developing dysfunctional immune responses against cancers and discuss the contribution of immunosurveillance to these defects as a feedback mechanism. Finally, we highlight ongoing clinical trials and new therapeutic strategies targeting cellular metabolism in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ming Chuang
- Department of Fundamental Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sheue-Fen Tzeng
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ping-Chih Ho
- Department of Fundamental Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Chin-Hsien Tsai
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Department and Graduate Institute of Biochemistry, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
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12
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Versluis JM, Hoefsmit EP, Shehwana H, Dimitriadis P, Sanders J, Broeks A, Blank CU. Tumor characteristics of dissociated response to immune checkpoint inhibition in advanced melanoma. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2024; 73:28. [PMID: 38280045 PMCID: PMC10821835 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-023-03581-6] [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: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) has improved patients' outcomes in advanced melanoma, often resulting in durable response. However, not all patients have durable responses and the patients with dissociated response are a valuable subgroup to identify mechanisms of ICI resistance. METHODS Stage IV melanoma patients treated with ICI and dissociated response were retrospectively screened for available samples containing sufficient tumor at least at two time-points. Included were one patient with metachronous regressive and progressive lesions at the same site, two patients with regressive and novel lesion at different sites, and three patients with regressive and progressive lesions at different sites. In addition, four patients with acquired resistant tumor samples without a matched second sample were included. RESULTS In the majority of patients, the progressive tumor lesion contained higher CD8+ T cell counts/mm2 and interferon-gamma (IFNγ) signature level, but similar tumor PD-L1 expression. The tumor mutational burden levels were in 2 out 3 lesions higher compared to the corresponding regressive tumors lesion. In the acquired tumor lesions, high CD8+/mm2 and relatively high IFNγ signature levels were observed. In one patient in both the B2M and PTEN gene a stop gaining mutation and in another patient a pathogenic POLE mutation were found. CONCLUSION Intrapatient comparison of progressive versus regressive lesions indicates no defect in tumor T cell infiltration, and in general no tumor immune exclusion were observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Versluis
- Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - E P Hoefsmit
- Division of Molecular Oncology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - H Shehwana
- Division of Molecular Oncology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - P Dimitriadis
- Division of Molecular Oncology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J Sanders
- Department of Pathology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A Broeks
- Core Facility Molecular Pathology and Biobanking, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C U Blank
- Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Division of Molecular Oncology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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13
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Mahgoub EO, Cho WC, Sharifi M, Falahati M, Zeinabad HA, Mare HE, Hasan A. Role of functional genomics in identifying cancer drug resistance and overcoming cancer relapse. Heliyon 2024; 10:e22095. [PMID: 38249111 PMCID: PMC10797146 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22095] [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: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Functional genomics is an emerging field focused on elucidating the functions of genes or proteins, which can help solve challenges related to reliable cancer therapy. One of the main challenges currently faced by cancer therapy is the variations in the number of mutations in patients, leading to drug resistance and cancer relapses. Drug intrinsic or acquired resistance, is generally associated with most cancer relapses. There are advanced tools that can help identify the mutant genes in cancer tissues causing cancer drug resistance (CDR). Such tools include but are not limited to DNA and RNA sequencing as well assynthetic lethality gene screen (CRISPR)-based diagnosis. This review discusses the role of functional genomics in understanding CDR and finding tools for discovering drug target genes for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - William C. Cho
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Majid Sharifi
- Department of Tissue Engineering, School of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, 3614773947, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Falahati
- Department of Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Sciences and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hojjat Alizadeh Zeinabad
- Apoptosis Research Centre, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Hany E. Mare
- Department of Cytology and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35116, Egypt
| | - Anwarul Hasan
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Qatar University, Doha, 2713, Qatar
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, 2713, Qatar
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14
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Wang S, Xiong Y, Zhang Y, Wang H, Chen M, Li J, Luo P, Luo YH, Hecht M, Frey B, Gaipl U, Li X, Zhao Q, Ma H, Zhou JG. TCCIA: a comprehensive resource for exploring CircRNA in cancer immunotherapy. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008040. [PMID: 38212124 PMCID: PMC10806567 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008040] [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: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunotherapies targeting immune checkpoints have gained increasing attention in cancer treatment, emphasizing the need for predictive biomarkers. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators of tumor immunity, particularly in the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, and have shown potential in predicting immunotherapy efficacy. Yet, the detailed roles of circRNAs in cancer immunotherapy are not fully understood. While existing databases focus on either circRNA profiles or immunotherapy cohorts, there is currently no platform that enables the exploration of the intricate interplay between circRNAs and anti-tumor immunotherapy. A comprehensive resource combining circRNA profiles, immunotherapy responses, and clinical outcomes is essential to advance our understanding of circRNA-mediated tumor-immune interactions and to develop effective biomarkers. METHODS To address these gaps, we constructed The Cancer CircRNA Immunome Atlas (TCCIA), the first database that combines circRNA profiles, immunotherapy response data, and clinical outcomes across multicancer types. The construction of TCCIA involved applying standardized preprocessing to the raw sequencing FASTQ files, characterizing circRNA profiles using an ensemble approach based on four established circRNA detection tools, analyzing tumor immunophenotypes, and compiling immunotherapy response data from diverse cohorts treated with immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs). RESULTS TCCIA encompasses over 4,000 clinical samples obtained from 25 cohorts treated with ICBs along with other treatment modalities. The database provides researchers and clinicians with a cloud-based platform that enables interactive exploration of circRNA data in the context of ICB. The platform offers a range of analytical tools, including browse of identified circRNAs, visualization of circRNA abundance and correlation, association analysis between circRNAs and clinical variables, assessment of the tumor immune microenvironment, exploration of tumor molecular signatures, evaluation of treatment response or prognosis, and identification of altered circRNAs in immunotherapy-sensitive and resistant tumors. To illustrate the utility of TCCIA, we showcase two examples, including circTMTC3 and circMGA, by employing analysis of large-scale melanoma and bladder cancer cohorts, which unveil distinct impacts and clinical implications of different circRNA expression in cancer immunotherapy. CONCLUSIONS TCCIA represents a significant advancement over existing resources, providing a comprehensive platform to investigate the role of circRNAs in immuno-oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shixiang Wang
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Xiong
- Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Brain Tumor Research, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Yihao Zhang
- Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Brain Tumor Research, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Haitao Wang
- Center for Precision Medicine Research and Training, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, People's Republic of China
| | - Minjun Chen
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianfeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Shanghai Institute of Hematology, National Research Center for Translational Medicine, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Luo
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yung-Hung Luo
- Department of Chest Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Markus Hecht
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg, Germany
| | - Benjamin Frey
- Translational Radiobiology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
- FAU Profile Center Immunomedicine (FAU I-MED), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Udo Gaipl
- Translational Radiobiology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
- FAU Profile Center Immunomedicine (FAU I-MED), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Xuejun Li
- Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Brain Tumor Research, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Hu Ma
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Guo Zhou
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, People's Republic of China
- Translational Radiobiology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
- FAU Profile Center Immunomedicine (FAU I-MED), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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15
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Pozniak J, Pedri D, Landeloos E, Van Herck Y, Antoranz A, Vanwynsberghe L, Nowosad A, Roda N, Makhzami S, Bervoets G, Maciel LF, Pulido-Vicuña CA, Pollaris L, Seurinck R, Zhao F, Flem-Karlsen K, Damsky W, Chen L, Karagianni D, Cinque S, Kint S, Vandereyken K, Rombaut B, Voet T, Vernaillen F, Annaert W, Lambrechts D, Boecxstaens V, Saeys Y, van den Oord J, Bosisio F, Karras P, Shain AH, Bosenberg M, Leucci E, Paschen A, Rambow F, Bechter O, Marine JC. A TCF4-dependent gene regulatory network confers resistance to immunotherapy in melanoma. Cell 2024; 187:166-183.e25. [PMID: 38181739 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.11.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
To better understand intrinsic resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), we established a comprehensive view of the cellular architecture of the treatment-naive melanoma ecosystem and studied its evolution under ICB. Using single-cell, spatial multi-omics, we showed that the tumor microenvironment promotes the emergence of a complex melanoma transcriptomic landscape. Melanoma cells harboring a mesenchymal-like (MES) state, a population known to confer resistance to targeted therapy, were significantly enriched in early on-treatment biopsies from non-responders to ICB. TCF4 serves as the hub of this landscape by being a master regulator of the MES signature and a suppressor of the melanocytic and antigen presentation transcriptional programs. Targeting TCF4 genetically or pharmacologically, using a bromodomain inhibitor, increased immunogenicity and sensitivity of MES cells to ICB and targeted therapy. We thereby uncovered a TCF4-dependent regulatory network that orchestrates multiple transcriptional programs and contributes to resistance to both targeted therapy and ICB in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Pozniak
- Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Dennis Pedri
- Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory for Membrane Trafficking, Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ewout Landeloos
- Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of General Medical Oncology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Asier Antoranz
- Laboratory of Translational Cell and Tissue Research, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven and UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lukas Vanwynsberghe
- Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ada Nowosad
- Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Niccolò Roda
- Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Samira Makhzami
- Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Greet Bervoets
- Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lucas Ferreira Maciel
- Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Carlos Ariel Pulido-Vicuña
- Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lotte Pollaris
- Data Mining and Modeling for Biomedicine Group, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ruth Seurinck
- Data Mining and Modeling for Biomedicine Group, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Fang Zhao
- Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Immunology, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Karine Flem-Karlsen
- Department of Dermatology, Yale University, 15 York Street, New Haven, CT 05610, USA
| | - William Damsky
- Departments of Dermatology and Pathology, Yale University, 15 York Street, New Haven, CT 05610, USA
| | - Limin Chen
- Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Despoina Karagianni
- Immune Regulation and Tumor Immunotherapy Group, Cancer Immunology Unit, Research Department of Haematology, UCL Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Sonia Cinque
- Laboratory for RNA Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sam Kint
- Laboratory of Reproductive Genomics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Institute for Single Cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Katy Vandereyken
- Laboratory of Reproductive Genomics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Institute for Single Cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Benjamin Rombaut
- Data Mining and Modeling for Biomedicine Group, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thierry Voet
- Laboratory of Reproductive Genomics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Institute for Single Cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Wim Annaert
- Laboratory for Membrane Trafficking, Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Diether Lambrechts
- Laboratory of Translational Genetics, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Center for Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Yvan Saeys
- Data Mining and Modeling for Biomedicine Group, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Joost van den Oord
- Laboratory of Translational Cell and Tissue Research, Department of Pathology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Francesca Bosisio
- Laboratory of Translational Cell and Tissue Research, Department of Pathology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Panagiotis Karras
- Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - A Hunter Shain
- Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Marcus Bosenberg
- Departments of Dermatology, Pathology and Immunobiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 05610, USA
| | - Eleonora Leucci
- Laboratory for RNA Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Annette Paschen
- Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Immunology, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Florian Rambow
- Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Applied Computational Cancer Research, Institute for AI in Medicine (IKIM), University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany; University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
| | - Oliver Bechter
- Department of General Medical Oncology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Jean-Christophe Marine
- Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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16
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Zhang L, Wu J, Yin WW, Hu J, Liao L, Ma J, Xu Z, Wu S. Vasculogenic mimicry-associated novel gene signature predicted prognosis and response to immunotherapy in lung adenocarcinoma. Pathol Res Pract 2024; 253:155048. [PMID: 38147724 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.155048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUNDS It was highlighted by recent studies on the biological significance of vasculogenic mimicry (VM) in tumorigenicity and progression. However, it is unclear whether VM also plays a potential role in immune regulation and tumor microenvironment (TME) formation. METHODS To identify patterns of VM alterations and VM-associated genetic features in non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma, we have screened 309 VM regulators and performed consensus molecular typing by the NMF algorithm. The ssGSEA and CIBORSORT algorithms were employed to measure the relative infiltration of distinct immune cell subpopulations. Individual tumors with immune responses were evaluated for alteration patterns of VM with typing-based differential genes. RESULTS In 490 LUAD samples, two distinctive VM alteration patterns connected to different clinical outcomes and biochemical pathways were established. TME characterization showed that the observed VM patterns were primarily saturated with cell proliferation and metabolic pathways and higher in immune cell infiltration of the C1 type. Vasculogenic mimicry-related genes (VMRG) risk scores were constructed to divide patients with lung adenocarcinoma into subgroups with high and low scores. Patients with lower scores had better immunological scores and longer survival times. Upon further investigation, higher scores were positively correlated with higher tumor mutation burden (TMB), M1-type macrophages and immune checkpoint molecules. Nevertheless, in two other immunotherapy cohorts, individuals with lower scores had enhanced immune responses and long-lasting therapeutic benefits. Finally, we monitored the ANLN gene from the VMRG model, which was highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and negatively correlated with prognosis; it was also highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma cell lines, and knockdown of ANLN elicited low expression of VEGFA, MMP2 and MMP9. CONCLUSION This study highlights that VM modifications are significantly associated with the diversity and complexity of TME, revealing new features of the immune microenvironment in lung adenocarcinoma and providing a new strategy for immunotherapy. Screening ANLN as a critical target for vasculogenic mimicry in lung adenocarcinoma provides a novel perspective for the targeted treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Anhui Province 233080, China
| | - Jiatao Wu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Clinical and Preclinical Research in Respiratory Disease,Molecular Diagnosis Center,First Affiliated Hospital,Bengbu Medical University, 287 Changhuai Road, Anhui, Bengbu 233004, China
| | - Wei Wei Yin
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Anhui Province 233080, China
| | - Junjie Hu
- Department of Radiotherapy, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Anhui Province 233080, China
| | - Lingli Liao
- Department of Clinical Nutrition, the First People's Hospital of Yibin, Sichuan Province 644000, China
| | - Junjie Ma
- Bengbu Medical University, Anhui Province 233030, China
| | - Ziwei Xu
- Bengbu Medical University, Anhui Province 233030, China
| | - Shiwu Wu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Clinical and Preclinical Research in Respiratory Disease,Molecular Diagnosis Center,First Affiliated Hospital,Bengbu Medical University, 287 Changhuai Road, Anhui, Bengbu 233004, China; Anhui No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Hefei 230041, China.
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17
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Xiang S, Jian L, Zeng H, Wu H, Ge B, Zhang P, Lin J, Guo A, Zhou B. Isoliquiritigenin suppresses the progression of malignant melanoma via targeting H2A.Z.1-E2F1 pathway. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 218:115859. [PMID: 37863326 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115859] [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: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Cutaneous melanoma is one of the most prevalent tumors, and it is still a huge challenge in the current clinical treatment. Isoliquiritigenin (ISL), which is isolated from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., has been reported for its anti-tumor effect. However, the underlying mechanism and targets of ISL are still not be revealed clearly. In this study, differentiallyexpressedproteins were identified bylabel-free quantitative mass spectrometry. Two isoforms of the histone variant H2A.Z, including H2A.Z.1 and H2A.Z.2, were significantly down regulated after administration of ISL in melanoma. H2A.Z.1 was highly expressed in melanoma and correlated with poor prognosis of melanoma. The expression of H2A.Z was inhibited by ISL in a concentration-dependent manner. Overexpression of H2A.Z.1 in melanoma cell lines partly restored the repressed cell proliferation and cell cycle by ISL. Moreover, E2F1 was identified as one downstream target of H2A.Z.1, which was also highly expressed in melanoma and correlated with poor prognosis of melanoma. Furthermore, in vivo assays validated the inhibitory role of ISL in melanoma proliferation and the expression of H2A.Z.1 and E2F1.Aboveall,it is indicated that ISL inhibit melanoma proliferation via targeting H2A.Z.1-E2F1 pathway. These findings explain the anti-tumor mechanism of ISL and provide potential therapeutic targets for melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijian Xiang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Active Substance Screening and Translational Research, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lina Jian
- School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China
| | - Haiyan Zeng
- Clinical Laboratory, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Huixing Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China
| | - Bingchen Ge
- Department of Pharmacy, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Active Substance Screening and Translational Research, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pujie Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Active Substance Screening and Translational Research, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jian Lin
- Department of Pharmacy, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Active Substance Screening and Translational Research, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Aoxiang Guo
- Department of Pharmacy, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Active Substance Screening and Translational Research, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Benjie Zhou
- Department of Pharmacy, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Active Substance Screening and Translational Research, Shenzhen, China.
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18
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Hu X, Deng X, Xie J, Tang H, Zou Y. Heterogeneous PD-L1 expression in metastases impacts immunotherapy response. EBioMedicine 2023; 97:104816. [PMID: 37804568 PMCID: PMC10570695 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqian Hu
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Xinpei Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 East Dongfeng Road, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Jindong Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 East Dongfeng Road, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Hailin Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 East Dongfeng Road, Guangzhou 510060, China.
| | - Yutian Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 East Dongfeng Road, Guangzhou 510060, China.
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19
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Yan H, Jiang A, Huang Y, Zhang J, Yang W, Zhang W, Liu T. Exercise sensitizes PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy as a hypoxia modulator in the tumor microenvironment of melanoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1265914. [PMID: 37876940 PMCID: PMC10590877 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1265914] [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: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Hypoxia is associated with unfavorable prognoses in melanoma patients, and the limited response rates of patients to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade could be attributed to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment induced by hypoxia. Exercise offers numerous benefits in the anti-tumor process and has the potential to alleviate hypoxia; however, the precise mechanisms through which it exerts its anti-tumor effects remain unclear, and the presence of synergistic effects with PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy is yet to be definitively established. Methods We established a B16F10 homograft malignant melanoma model and implemented two distinct exercise treatments (low/moderate-intensity swim) based on the mice's exercise status. The specific function manner of exercise-induced anti-tumor effects was determined through RNA sequencing and analysis of changes in the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, moderate-intensity swim that exhibited superior tumor suppression effects was combined with Anti-PD-1 treatment to evaluate its in vivo efficacy in mouse models. Results Exercise intervention yielded a considerable effect in impeding tumor growth and promoting apoptosis. Immunohistochemistry and RNA sequencing revealed improvements in tumor hypoxia and down-regulation of hypoxia-related pathways. Cellular immunofluorescence and ELISA analyses demonstrated a notable increase of cytotoxic T cell amount and a decrease of regulatory T cells, indicating an improvement of tumor immune microenvironment. In comparison to Anti-PD-1 monotherapy, tumor suppressive efficacy of exercise combination therapy was found to be enhanced with improvements in both the hypoxic tumor microenvironment and T cell infiltration. Conclusion Exercise has the potential to function as a hypoxia modulator improving the tumor immune microenvironment, resulting in the promotion of anti-tumor efficacy and the facilitation of biologically safe sensitization of PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiyu Yan
- National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnosis and Biotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- Center for Physical Education, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Aimin Jiang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yinong Huang
- Shaanxi Institute of Pediatric Diseases, Xi’an Children’s Hospital, Xi’an, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Center for Physical Education, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Wenguang Yang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- Department of Talent Highland, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Military Physical Education Teaching and Research Section of Air Force Medical Service Training Base, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Tianya Liu
- Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
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20
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El Naqa I, Karolak A, Luo Y, Folio L, Tarhini AA, Rollison D, Parodi K. Translation of AI into oncology clinical practice. Oncogene 2023; 42:3089-3097. [PMID: 37684407 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02826-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a transformative technology that is capturing popular imagination and can revolutionize biomedicine. AI and machine learning (ML) algorithms have the potential to break through existing barriers in oncology research and practice such as automating workflow processes, personalizing care, and reducing healthcare disparities. Emerging applications of AI/ML in the literature include screening and early detection of cancer, disease diagnosis, response prediction, prognosis, and accelerated drug discovery. Despite this excitement, only few AI/ML models have been properly validated and fewer have become regulated products for routine clinical use. In this review, we highlight the main challenges impeding AI/ML clinical translation. We present different clinical use cases from the domains of radiology, radiation oncology, immunotherapy, and drug discovery in oncology. We dissect the unique challenges and opportunities associated with each of these cases. Finally, we summarize the general requirements for successful AI/ML implementation in the clinic, highlighting specific examples and points of emphasis including the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration of stakeholders, role of domain experts in AI augmentation, transparency of AI/ML models, and the establishment of a comprehensive quality assurance program to mitigate risks of training bias and data drifts, all culminating toward safer and more beneficial AI/ML applications in oncology labs and clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Issam El Naqa
- Department of Machine Learning, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
| | - Aleksandra Karolak
- Department of Machine Learning, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Yi Luo
- Department of Machine Learning, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Les Folio
- Diagnostic Imaging & Interventional Radiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Ahmad A Tarhini
- Cutaneous Oncology and Immunology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Dana Rollison
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Katia Parodi
- Department of Medical Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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21
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Herrera-Reinoza N, Tortelli Junior TC, Teixeira FDS, Chammas R, Salvadori MC. Role of galectin-3 in the elastic response of radial growth phase melanoma cancer cells. Microsc Res Tech 2023; 86:1353-1362. [PMID: 37070727 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.24328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Melanoma is originated from the malignant transformation of the melanocytes and is characterized by a high rate of invasion, the more serious stage compromising deeper layers of the skin and eventually leading to the metastasis. A high mortality due to melanoma lesion persists because most of melanoma lesions are detected in advanced stages, which decreases the chances of survival. The identification of the principal mechanics implicated in the development and progression of melanoma is essential to devise new early diagnosis strategies. Cell mechanics is related with a lot of cellular functions and processes, for instance motility, differentiation, migration and invasion. In particular, the elastic modulus (Young's modulus) is a very explored parameter to describe the cell mechanical properties; most cancer cells reported in the literature smaller elasticity modulus. In this work, we show that the elastic modulus of melanoma cells lacking galectin-3 is significantly lower than those of melanoma cells expressing galectin-3. More interestingly, the gradient of elastic modulus in cells from the nuclear region towards the cell periphery is more pronounced in shGal3 cells. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: AFM imaging and force spectroscopy were used to investigate the morphology and elasticity properties of healthy HaCaT cells and melanoma cells WM1366, with (shSCR) and without (shGal3) expression of galectin-3. It is shown the effect of galectin-3 protein on the elastic properties of cells: the cells without expression of galectin-3 presents lower elastic modulus. By the results, we suggest here that galectin-3 could be used as an effective biomarker of malignancy in both melanoma diagnostic and prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Roger Chammas
- Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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22
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Allais BS, Fay CJ, Kim DY, Semenov YR, LeBoeuf NR. Cutaneous immune-related adverse events from immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy: Moving beyond "maculopapular rash". Immunol Rev 2023; 318:22-36. [PMID: 37583051 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13257] [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: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Uncoupling toxicity from therapeutic effect lies at the foundation of the current state of the field of cutaneous immune-related adverse events to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. This will be achieved through understanding the drivers of toxicity, tumor response, and resistance via large, well-powered population-level studies, institutional cohort data, and cellular-level data. Increasing diagnostic specificity through the application of consensus disease definitions has the power to improve clinical care and each approach to research. Cutaneous immune-related adverse events are associated with increased survival, and their treatment must invoke the maintenance of a delicate balance between immunosuppression, anti-tumor effect of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, and quality of life. The multidisciplinary care of cancer patients with adverse events is critical to optimizing clinical and translational research outcomes and, as such, dermatologists are vital to moving the study of cutaneous adverse events forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blair S Allais
- Inova Schar Cancer Institute, Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Christopher J Fay
- The Center for Cutaneous Oncology, Department of Dermatology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Daniel Y Kim
- Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yevgeniy R Semenov
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nicole R LeBoeuf
- The Center for Cutaneous Oncology, Department of Dermatology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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23
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Kohtamäki L, Leivonen SK, Mäkelä S, Juteau S, Leppä S, Hernberg M. Intra-patient evolution of tumor microenvironment in the pathogenesis of treatment-naïve metastatic melanoma patients. Acta Oncol 2023; 62:1008-1013. [PMID: 37624703 DOI: 10.1080/0284186x.2023.2248371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Kohtamäki
- Department of Oncology, Helsinki University Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Siru Mäkelä
- Department of Oncology, Helsinki University Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Sirpa Leppä
- Department of Oncology, Helsinki University Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Research Programs Unit, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Micaela Hernberg
- Department of Oncology, Helsinki University Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Helsinki, Finland
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24
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Centofanti E, Wang C, Iyer S, Krichevsky O, Oyler-Yaniv A, Oyler-Yaniv J. The spread of interferon-γ in melanomas is highly spatially confined, driving nongenetic variability in tumor cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2304190120. [PMID: 37603742 PMCID: PMC10468618 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2304190120] [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: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Interferon-γ (IFNγ) is a critical antitumor cytokine that has varied effects on different cell types. The global effect of IFNγ in the tumor depends on which cells it acts upon and the spatial extent of its spread. Reported measurements of IFNγ spread vary dramatically in different contexts, ranging from nearest-neighbor signaling to perfusion throughout the entire tumor. Here, we apply theoretical considerations to experiments both in vitro and in vivo to study the spread of IFNγ in melanomas. We observe spatially confined niches of IFNγ signaling in 3-D mouse melanoma cultures and human tumors that generate cellular heterogeneity in gene expression and alter the susceptibility of affected cells to T cell killing. Widespread IFNγ signaling only occurs when niches overlap due to high local densities of IFNγ-producing T cells. We measured length scales of ~30 to 40 μm for IFNγ spread in B16 mouse melanoma cultures and human primary cutaneous melanoma. Our results are consistent with IFNγ spread being governed by a simple diffusion-consumption model and offer insight into how the spatial organization of T cells contributes to intratumor heterogeneity in inflammatory signaling, gene expression, and immune-mediated clearance. Solid tumors are often viewed as collections of diverse cellular "neighborhoods": Our work provides a general explanation for such nongenetic cellular variability due to confinement in the spread of immune mediators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Centofanti
- The Department of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Chad Wang
- The Systems, Synthetic, and Quantitative Biology Graduate Program at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Sandhya Iyer
- The Department of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Oleg Krichevsky
- The Department of Physics at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva8410501, Israel
| | - Alon Oyler-Yaniv
- The Department of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
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25
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Lwin TM, Kaelberer Z, Ruan M, Molina G, Boland G. Surgical Utilization and Outcomes for Patients with Stage IV Melanoma in the Modern Immunotherapy Era. Ann Surg Oncol 2023; 30:5005-5012. [PMID: 37121988 DOI: 10.1245/s10434-023-13543-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The benefit of surgery for patients with stage IV melanoma in the modern era of effective immunotherapy is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate trends and outcomes after surgical resection of stage IV melanoma in the modern immunotherapy era. METHODS Patients with stage IV melanoma who received surgery, immunotherapy, or both from 2012 to 2017 were identified from the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Demographics, facility-level characteristics, and use of immunotherapy were compared between patients who received surgery and those who did not. Multivariate Poisson regression modeling, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and Cox regression analysis were performed. RESULTS The study identified 9800 patients with stage IV melanoma, and 2160 of these patients (22 %) underwent surgery. The patients who received surgery were more likely to be younger (P < 0.001), to have private insurance (P < 0.001), to have a higher median income (P = 0.008), and to receive treatment at academic/research programs (P < 0.001), whereas they were less likely to receive immunotherapy (33.7 % vs 36.6 %; P = 0.013). The patients who received immunotherapy had a lower likelihood of undergoing surgery (relative risk [RR], 0.82; 95 % confidence interval [CI[, 0.75-0.88; P < 0.001). The patients who received both surgery and immunotherapy had a better overall survival rate (hazard ratio [HR], 0.41; 95 % CI, 0.36-0.46; P < 0.01) than the patients who received neither immunotherapy nor surgery. CONCLUSIONS The use of immunotherapy was associated with a lower use of surgery for patients with stage IV melanoma. The patients with stage IV disease who received both surgery and immunotherapy had the highest overall survival rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thinzar M Lwin
- Division of Surgical Oncology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Zoey Kaelberer
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mengyuan Ruan
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - George Molina
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Genevieve Boland
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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26
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Liang XW, Liu B, Chen JC, Cao Z, Chu FR, Lin X, Wang SZ, Wu JC. Characteristics and molecular mechanism of drug-tolerant cells in cancer: a review. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1177466. [PMID: 37483492 PMCID: PMC10360399 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1177466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance in tumours has seriously hindered the therapeutic effect. Tumour drug resistance is divided into primary resistance and acquired resistance, and the recent study has found that a significant proportion of cancer cells can acquire stable drug resistance from scratch. This group of cells first enters the drug tolerance state (DT state) under drug pressure, and gradually acquires stable drug resistance through adaptive mutations in this state. Although the specific mechanisms underlying the formation of drug tolerant cells (DTCs) remain unclear, various proteins and signalling pathways have been identified as being involved in the formation of DTCs. In the current review, we summarize the characteristics, molecular mechanisms and therapeutic strategies of DTCs in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian-Wen Liang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), Haikou, China
| | - Bing- Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine Affiliated Haikou Hospital, Haikou, China
| | - Jia-Cheng Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), Haikou, China
| | - Zhi Cao
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), Haikou, China
| | - Feng-ran Chu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), Haikou, China
| | - Xiong Lin
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), Haikou, China
| | - Sheng-Zhong Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine Affiliated Haikou Hospital, Haikou, China
| | - Jin-Cai Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), Haikou, China
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27
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Ma W, Zhang X, Zhuang L. Exogenous Hydrogen Sulfide Induces A375 Melanoma Cell Apoptosis Through Overactivation of the Unfolded Protein Response. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2023; 16:1641-1651. [PMID: 37396710 PMCID: PMC10314752 DOI: 10.2147/ccid.s412588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Melanomas are highly malignant and rapidly develop drug resistance due to dysregulated apoptosis. Therefore, pro-apoptotic agents could be effective for the management of melanoma. Hydrogen sulfide is ubiquitous in the body, and exogenous hydrogen sulfide has been reported to show inhibitory and pro-apoptotic effects on cancer cells. However, whether high concentrations of exogenous hydrogen sulfide have pro-apoptotic effects on melanoma and its mechanisms remain unknown. Hence, this study aimed to explore the pro-apoptotic effects and mechanisms of exogenous hydrogen sulfide on the A375 melanoma cell line treated with a hydrogen sulfide donor (NaHS). Methods The cell proliferation test, flow cytometric analysis, Hoechst 33258 staining, and Western blotting of B-cell lymphoma 2 and cleaved caspase-3 were used to explore the pro-apoptotic effects of hydrogen sulfide on A375 cells. The transcriptional profile of NaHS-treated A375 cells was further explored via high-throughput sequencing. Western blotting of phosphorylated inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (p-IRE1α), phosphorylated protein kinase R-like ER kinase (p-PERK), phosphorylated eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (p-eIF2α), C/EBP homologous protein, glucose-regulating protein 78, IRE1α, PERK, and eIF2α was performed to verify the changes in the transcriptional profile. Results NaHS inhibited A375 melanoma cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. The endoplasmic reticulum stress unfolded protein response and apoptosis-associated gene expression was upregulated in NaHS-treated A375 melanoma cells. The overactivation of the unfolded protein response and increase in endoplasmic reticulum stress was verified at the protein level. Conclusion Treatment with NaHS increased endoplasmic reticulum stress, which triggered the overactivation of the unfolded protein response and ultimately lead to melanoma cell apoptosis. The pro-apoptotic effect of NaHS suggests that it can be explored as a potential therapeutic agent in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyuan Ma
- Department of Dermatology, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiuwen Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Weihai Municipal Hospital, Weihai, Shandong Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Le Zhuang
- Department of Dermatology, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong Province, People’s Republic of China
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28
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Vredevoogd DW, Peeper DS. Heterogeneity in functional genetic screens: friend or foe? Front Immunol 2023; 14:1162706. [PMID: 37398651 PMCID: PMC10312307 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1162706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional genetic screens to uncover tumor-intrinsic nodes of immune resistance have uncovered numerous mechanisms by which tumors evade our immune system. However, due to technical limitations, tumor heterogeneity is imperfectly captured with many of these analyses. Here, we provide an overview of the nature and sources of heterogeneity that are relevant for tumor-immune interactions. We argue that this heterogeneity may actually contribute to the discovery of novel mechanisms of immune evasion, given a sufficiently large and heterogeneous set of input data. Taking advantage of tumor cell heterogeneity, we provide proof-of-concept analyses of mechanisms of TNF resistance. Thus, consideration of tumor heterogeneity is imperative to increase our understanding of immune resistance mechanisms.
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29
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Wheeler CE, Coleman SS, Hoyd R, Denko L, Chan CHF, Churchman ML, Denko N, Dodd RD, Eljilany I, Hardikar S, Husain M, Ikeguchi AP, Jin N, Ma Q, McCarter MD, Osman AEG, Robinson LA, Singer EA, Tinoco G, Ulrich CM, Zakharia Y, Spakowicz D, Tarhini AA, Tan AC. The tumor microbiome as a predictor of outcomes in patients with metastatic melanoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.24.542123. [PMID: 37292921 PMCID: PMC10245822 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.24.542123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Emerging evidence supports the important role of the tumor microbiome in oncogenesis, cancer immune phenotype, cancer progression, and treatment outcomes in many malignancies. In this study, we investigated the metastatic melanoma tumor microbiome and potential roles in association with clinical outcomes, such as survival, in patients with metastatic disease treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Baseline tumor samples were collected from 71 patients with metastatic melanoma before treatment with ICIs. Bulk RNA-seq was conducted on the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor samples. Durable clinical benefit (primary clinical endpoint) following ICIs was defined as overall survival ≥24 months and no change to the primary drug regimen (responders). We processed RNA-seq reads to carefully identify exogenous sequences using the {exotic} tool. The 71 patients with metastatic melanoma ranged in age from 24 to 83 years, 59% were male, and 55% survived >24 months following the initiation of ICI treatment. Exogenous taxa were identified in the tumor RNA-seq, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses. We found differences in gene expression and microbe abundances in immunotherapy responsive versus non-responsive tumors. Responders showed significant enrichment of several microbes including Fusobacterium nucleatum, and non-responders showed enrichment of fungi, as well as several bacteria. These microbes correlated with immune-related gene expression signatures. Finally, we found that models for predicting prolonged survival with immunotherapy using both microbe abundances and gene expression outperformed models using either dataset alone. Our findings warrant further investigation and potentially support therapeutic strategies to modify the tumor microbiome in order to improve treatment outcomes with ICIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline E Wheeler
- Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Samuel S Coleman
- Departments of Oncological Science and Biomedical Informatics, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Rebecca Hoyd
- Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Louis Denko
- Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Carlos H F Chan
- University of Iowa, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | | | - Nicholas Denko
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Rebecca D Dodd
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Islam Eljilany
- Clinical Science Lab -- Cutaneous Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Sheetal Hardikar
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Marium Husain
- Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Alexandra P Ikeguchi
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Stephenson Cancer Center of University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Ning Jin
- Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Qin Ma
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Martin D McCarter
- Department of Surgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Afaf E G Osman
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Lary A Robinson
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Eric A Singer
- Department of Urologic Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Gabriel Tinoco
- Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Cornelia M Ulrich
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Yousef Zakharia
- Division of Oncology, Hematology and Blood & Marrow Transplantation, University of Iowa, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Daniel Spakowicz
- Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Ahmad A Tarhini
- Departments of Cutaneous Oncology and Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Aik Choon Tan
- Departments of Oncological Science and Biomedical Informatics, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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Dietsch B, Weller C, Sticht C, de la Torre C, Kramer M, Goerdt S, Géraud C, Wohlfeil SA. Hepatic passaging of NRAS-mutant melanoma influences adhesive properties and metastatic pattern. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:436. [PMID: 37179302 PMCID: PMC10182637 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-10912-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liver metastasis is a poor prognostic factor for treatment of advanced cutaneous melanoma with either immunotherapy or targeted therapies. In this study we focused on NRAS mutated melanoma, a cohort with high unmet clinical need. METHODS WT31 melanoma was repeatedly passaged over the liver after intravenous injections five times generating the subline WT31_P5IV. The colonization of target organs, morphology, vascularization and the gene expression profiles of metastases were analyzed. RESULTS After intravenous injection lung metastasis was significantly decreased and a trend towards increased liver metastasis was detected for WT31_P5IV as compared to parental WT31. Besides, the ratio of lung to liver metastases was significantly smaller. Histology of lung metastases revealed reduced proliferation of WT31_P5IV in relation to WT31 while both size and necrotic areas were unaltered. Liver metastases of both sublines showed no differences in vascularization, proliferation or necrosis. To identify tumor-intrinsic factors that altered the metastatic pattern of WT31_P5IV RNA sequencing was performed and revealed a differential regulation of pathways involved in cell adhesion. Ex vivo fluorescence imaging confirmed that initial tumor cell retention in the lungs was significantly reduced in WT31_P5IV in comparison to WT31. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that tumor-intrinsic properties influencing the metastatic pattern of NRAS mutated melanoma are strongly affected by hepatic passaging and the hematogenous route tumor cells take. It has implications for the clinical setting as such effects might also occur during metastatic spread or disease progression in melanoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Dietsch
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology, University Medical Center and Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, and Center of Excellence in Dermatology, Mannheim, Germany
- Section of Clinical and Molecular Dermatology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Céline Weller
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology, University Medical Center and Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, and Center of Excellence in Dermatology, Mannheim, Germany
- Section of Clinical and Molecular Dermatology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Carsten Sticht
- NGS Core Facility, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Carolina de la Torre
- NGS Core Facility, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Martin Kramer
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Small Animal Clinic, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Sergij Goerdt
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology, University Medical Center and Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, and Center of Excellence in Dermatology, Mannheim, Germany
- European Center for Angioscience, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Cyrill Géraud
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology, University Medical Center and Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, and Center of Excellence in Dermatology, Mannheim, Germany
- Section of Clinical and Molecular Dermatology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- European Center for Angioscience, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sebastian A Wohlfeil
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology, University Medical Center and Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, and Center of Excellence in Dermatology, Mannheim, Germany.
- Section of Clinical and Molecular Dermatology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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Liu S, Dharanipragada P, Lomeli SH, Wang Y, Zhang X, Yang Z, Lim RJ, Dumitras C, Scumpia PO, Dubinett SM, Moriceau G, Johnson DB, Moschos SJ, Lo RS. Multi-organ landscape of therapy-resistant melanoma. Nat Med 2023; 29:1123-1134. [PMID: 37106167 PMCID: PMC10202813 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02304-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Metastasis and failure of present-day therapies represent the most common causes of mortality in patients with cutaneous melanoma. To identify the underlying genetic and transcriptomic landscapes, in this study we analyzed multi-organ metastases and tumor-adjacent tissues from 11 rapid autopsies after treatment with MAPK inhibitor (MAPKi) and/or immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and death due to acquired resistance. Either treatment elicits shared genetic alterations that suggest immune-evasive, cross-therapy resistance mechanisms. Large, non-clustered deletions, inversions and inter-chromosomal translocations dominate rearrangements. Analyzing data from separate melanoma cohorts including 345 therapy-naive patients and 35 patients with patient-matched pre-treatment and post-acquired resistance tumor samples, we performed cross-cohort analyses to identify MAPKi and ICB as respective contributors to gene amplifications and deletions enriched in autopsy versus therapy-naive tumors. In the autopsy cohort, private/late mutations and structural variants display shifted mutational and rearrangement signatures, with MAPKi specifically selecting for signatures of defective homologous-recombination, mismatch and base-excision repair. Transcriptomic signatures and crosstalks with tumor-adjacent macroenvironments nominated organ-specific adaptive pathways. An immune-desert, CD8+-macrophage-biased archetype, T-cell exhaustion and type-2 immunity characterized the immune contexture. This multi-organ analysis of therapy-resistant melanoma presents preliminary insights with potential to improve therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sixue Liu
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Prashanthi Dharanipragada
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shirley H Lomeli
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yan Wang
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Zhentao Yang
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Raymond J Lim
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Camelia Dumitras
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Philip O Scumpia
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Steve M Dubinett
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Gatien Moriceau
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Douglas B Johnson
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Stergios J Moschos
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Roger S Lo
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Gruen C, Yang HH, Sassano A, Wu E, Gopalan V, Marie KL, Castro A, Mehrabadi FR, Wu CH, Church I, Needle GA, Smith C, Chin S, Ebersole J, Marcelus C, Fon A, Liu H, Malikic S, Sahinalp C, Carter H, Hannenhalli S, Day CP, Lee MP, Merlino G, Pérez-Guijarro E. Melanoma clonal subline analysis uncovers heterogeneity-driven immunotherapy resistance mechanisms. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.03.535074. [PMID: 37333132 PMCID: PMC10274874 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.03.535074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) can promote cancer progression and treatment failure, but the complexity of the regulatory programs and contextual factors involved complicates its study. To understand the specific contribution of ITH to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) response, we generated single cell-derived clonal sublines from an ICB-sensitive and genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous mouse melanoma model, M4. Genomic and single cell transcriptomic analyses uncovered the diversity of the sublines and evidenced their plasticity. Moreover, a wide range of tumor growth kinetics were observed in vivo , in part associated with mutational profiles and dependent on T cell-response. Further inquiry into melanoma differentiation states and tumor microenvironment (TME) subtypes of untreated tumors from the clonal sublines demonstrated correlations between highly inflamed and differentiated phenotypes with the response to anti-CTLA-4 treatment. Our results demonstrate that M4 sublines generate intratumoral heterogeneity at both levels of intrinsic differentiation status and extrinsic TME profiles, thereby impacting tumor evolution during therapeutic treatment. These clonal sublines proved to be a valuable resource to study the complex determinants of response to ICB, and specifically the role of melanoma plasticity in immune evasion mechanisms.
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Kato S, Maeda Y, Sugiyama D, Watanabe K, Nishikawa H, Hinohara K. The cancer epigenome: Non-cell autonomous player in tumor immunity. Cancer Sci 2023; 114:730-740. [PMID: 36468774 PMCID: PMC9986067 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of the tumor-intrinsic epigenetic circuit is a key driver event for the development of cancer. Accumulating evidence suggests that epigenetic and/or genetic drivers stimulate intrinsic oncogenic pathways as well as extrinsic factors that modulate the immune system. These modulations indeed shape the tumor microenvironment (TME), allowing pro-oncogenic factors to become oncogenic, thereby contributing to cancer development and progression. Here we review the epigenetic dysregulation arising in cancer cells that disseminates throughout the TME and beyond. Recent CRISPR screening has elucidated key epigenetic drivers that play important roles in the proliferation of cancer cells (intrinsic) and inhibition of antitumor immunity (extrinsic), which lead to the development and progression of cancer. These epigenetic players can serve as promising targets for cancer therapy as a dual (two-in-one)-targeted approach. Considering the interplay between cancer and the immune system as a key determinant of immunotherapy, we discuss a novel lineage-tracing technology that enables longitudinal monitoring of cancer and immune phenotypic heterogeneity and fate paths during cancer development, progression, and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinichiro Kato
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Center for 5D Cell Dynamics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yuka Maeda
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Sugiyama
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Keisuke Watanabe
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Nishikawa
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Center for 5D Cell Dynamics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.,Institute for Advanced Study, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kunihiko Hinohara
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Center for 5D Cell Dynamics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Institute for Advanced Study, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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VE-Cadherin modulates β-catenin/TCF-4 to enhance Vasculogenic Mimicry. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:135. [PMID: 36797281 PMCID: PMC9935922 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-05666-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Vasculogenic Mimicry (VM) refers to the capacity to form a blood network from aggressive cancer cells in an independent way of endothelial cells, to provide nutrients and oxygen leading to enhanced microenvironment complexity and treatment failure. In a previous study, we demonstrated that VE-Cadherin and its phosphorylation at Y658 modulated kaiso-dependent gene expression (CCND1 and Wnt 11) through a pathway involving Focal Adhesion kinase (FAK). In the present research, using a proteomic approach, we have found that β-catenin/TCF-4 is associated with nuclear VE-cadherin and enhances the capacity of malignant melanoma cells to undergo VM in cooperation with VE-Cadherin; in addition, preventing the phosphorylation of Y658 of VE-cadherin upon FAK disabling resulted in VE-Cadherin/β-catenin complex dissociation, increased β-catenin degradation while reducing TCF-4-dependent genes transcription (C-Myc and Twist-1). Uveal melanoma cells knockout for VE-Cadherin loses β-catenin expression while the rescue of VE-Cadherin (but not of the phosphorylation defective VE-Cadherin Y658F mutant) permits stabilization of β-catenin and tumor growth reduction in vivo experiments. In vivo, the concomitant treatment with the FAK inhibitor PF-271 and the anti-angiogenic agent bevacizumab leads to a strong reduction in tumor growth concerning the single treatment. In conclusion, the anomalous expression of VE-Cadherin in metastatic melanoma cells (from both uveal and cutaneous origins), together with its permanent phosphorylation at Y658, favors the induction of the aggressive VM phenotype through the cooperation of β-catenin with VE-Cadherin and by enhancing TCF-4 genes-dependent transcription.
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Identification of Pyroptosis-Relevant Signature in Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Prognosis in Skin Cutaneous Melanoma Using Network Analysis. Stem Cells Int 2023; 2023:3827999. [PMID: 36818162 PMCID: PMC9931490 DOI: 10.1155/2023/3827999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Pyroptosis is closely related to the programmed death of cancer cells as well as the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) via the host-tumor crosstalk. However, the role of pyroptosis-related genes as prognosis and TIME-related biomarkers in skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) patients remains unknown. Methods We evaluated the expression profiles, copy number variations, and somatic mutations (CNVs) of 27 genes obtained from MSigDB database regulating pyroptosis among TCGA-SKCM patients. Thereafter, we conducted single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) for evaluating pyroptosis-associated expression patterns among cases and for exploring the associations with clinicopathological factors and prognostic outcome. In addition, a prognostic pyroptosis-related signature (PPRS) model was constructed by performing Cox regression, weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis to score SKCM patients. On the other hand, we plotted the ROC and survival curves for model evaluation and verified the robustness of the model through external test sets (GSE22153, GSE54467, and GSE65904). Meanwhile, we examined the relations of clinical characteristics, oncogene mutations, biological processes (BPs), tumor stemness, immune infiltration degrees, immune checkpoints (ICs), and treatment response with PPRS via multiple methods, including immunophenoscore (IPS) analysis, gene set variation analysis (GSVA), ESTIMATE, and CIBERSORT. Finally, we constructed a nomogram incorporating PPRS and clinical characteristics to improve risk evaluation of SKCM. Results Many pyroptosis-regulated genes showed abnormal expression within SKCM. TP53, TP63, IL1B, IL18, IRF2, CASP5, CHMP4C, CHMP7, CASP1, and GSDME were detected with somatic mutations, among which, a majority displayed CNVs at high frequencies. Pyroptosis-associated profiles established based on pyroptosis-regulated genes showed markedly negative relation to low stage and superior prognostic outcome. Blue module was found to be highly positively correlated with pyroptosis. Later, this study established PPRS based on the expression of 8 PAGs (namely, GBP2, HPDL, FCGR2A, IFITM1, HAPLN3, CCL8, TRIM34, and GRIPAP1), which was highly associated with OS, oncogene mutations, tumor stemness, immune infiltration degrees, IC levels, treatment responses, and multiple biological processes (including cell cycle and immunoinflammatory response) in training and test set samples. Conclusions Based on our observations, analyzing modification patterns associated with pyroptosis among diverse cancer samples via PPRS is important, which can provide more insights into TIME infiltration features and facilitate immunotherapeutic development as well as prognosis prediction.
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Lehmann J, Caduff N, Krzywińska E, Stierli S, Salas-Bastos A, Loos B, Levesque MP, Dummer R, Stockmann C, Münz C, Diener J, Sommer L. Escape from NK cell tumor surveillance by NGFR-induced lipid remodeling in melanoma. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadc8825. [PMID: 36638181 PMCID: PMC9839334 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adc8825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Metastatic disease is a major cause of death for patients with melanoma. Melanoma cells can become metastatic not only due to cell-intrinsic plasticity but also due to cancer-induced protumorigenic remodeling of the immune microenvironment. Here, we report that innate immune surveillance by natural killer (NK) cells is bypassed by human melanoma cells expressing the stem cell marker NGFR. Using in vitro and in vivo cytotoxic assays, we show that NGFR protects melanoma cells from NK cell-mediated killing and, furthermore, boosts metastasis formation in a mouse model with adoptively transferred human NK cells. Mechanistically, NGFR leads to down-regulation of NK cell activating ligands and simultaneous up-regulation of the fatty acid stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase (SCD) in melanoma cells. Notably, pharmacological and small interfering RNA-mediated inhibition of SCD reverted NGFR-induced NK cell evasion in vitro and in vivo. Hence, NGFR orchestrates immune control antagonizing pathways to protect melanoma cells from NK cell clearance, which ultimately favors metastatic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Lehmann
- University of Zurich, Institute of Anatomy, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Nicole Caduff
- University of Zurich, Institute of Experimental Immunology, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Ewelina Krzywińska
- University of Zurich, Institute of Anatomy, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Salome Stierli
- University of Zurich, Institute of Anatomy, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Adrian Salas-Bastos
- University of Zurich, Institute of Anatomy, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin Loos
- University of Zurich, Institute of Anatomy, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Mitchell P. Levesque
- University of Zurich Hospital, Department of Dermatology, Gloriastrasse 31, 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Reinhard Dummer
- University of Zurich Hospital, Department of Dermatology, Gloriastrasse 31, 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christian Stockmann
- University of Zurich, Institute of Anatomy, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christian Münz
- University of Zurich, Institute of Experimental Immunology, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Johanna Diener
- University of Zurich, Institute of Anatomy, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Sommer
- University of Zurich, Institute of Anatomy, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
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Li J, Li L, Dong Y, Zhong B, Yin W. Comprehensive Analysis of Cuproptosis Genes and Identification of Cuproptosis Subtypes in Breast Cancer. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 2023; 26:1578-1593. [PMID: 36683372 PMCID: PMC10249130 DOI: 10.2174/1386207326666230120112904] [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: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Copper-induced death (cuproptosis) is copper-dependent regulated cell death, which is different from known death mechanisms and is dependent on mitochondrial respiration. However, its effect on breast cancer (BRCA) is unclear. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to explore the important clinical significance of cuproptosis genes and to provide a new idea for guiding the personalized immunotherapy strategy of BRCA patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS We collected cuproptosis genes from published work. The gene alteration, differential expression, and prognostic value of cuproptosis genes were explored in BRCA based on TCGA database. We identified two subtypes (clusters A and B) by performing unsupervised clustering. The difference between two clusters was deeply explored, including clinical features, differential expressed genes (DEGs), pathways, and immune cell infiltration. Based on the DEGs between two clusters, a cuproptosis score was constructed and its predictive capability for overall survival of BRCA patients was validated. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Patients with high cuproptosis score have worse survival status, with an increased infiltration level of most immune cells. Further analysis suggested that BRCA patients with high cuproptosis score may be sensitive to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. CONCLUSION Our findings may improve our understanding of cuproptosis in BRCA and may distinguish patients suitable for ICI treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialin Li
- Clinical College, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, China
- Tianyou Hospital of Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Lei Li
- Tianyou Hospital of Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Yi Dong
- General Hospital of Central Theater Command, Wuhan 430000, China
- Southern Medical College University, University, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Bin Zhong
- General Hospital of Central Theater Command, Wuhan 430000, China
- Southern Medical College University, University, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Wei Yin
- Clinical College, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, China
- Tianyou Hospital of Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, China
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Chemotherapy to potentiate the radiation-induced immune response. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 376:143-173. [PMID: 36997268 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2023.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
Abstract
Chemoradiation (CRT) is a conventional therapy used in local cancers, especially when they are locally advanced. Studies have shown that CRT induces strong anti-tumor responses involving several immune effects in pre-clinical models and humans. In this review, we have described the various immune effects involved in CRT efficacy. Indeed, effects such as immunological cell death, activation and maturation of antigen-presenting cells, and activation of an adaptive anti-tumor immune response are attributed to CRT. As often described in other therapies, various immunosuppressive mechanisms mediated, in particular, by Treg and myeloid populations may reduce the CRT efficacy. We have therefore discussed the relevance of combining CRT with other therapies to potentiate the CRT-induced anti-tumor effects.
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Coleman S, Xie M, Tarhini AA, Tan AC. Systematic evaluation of the predictive gene expression signatures of immune checkpoint inhibitors in metastatic melanoma. Mol Carcinog 2023; 62:77-89. [PMID: 35781709 PMCID: PMC9771882 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Advances in immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), have transformed the standard of care for many types of cancer including melanoma. ICIs have improved the overall outcome of melanoma patients; however, a significant proportion of patients suffer from primary or secondary tumor resistance. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop predictive biomarkers to better select patients for ICI therapy. Numerous biomarkers that predict the response of melanoma to ICIs have been investigated, including biomarker signatures based on genomics or transcriptomics. Most of these predictive biomarkers have not been systematically evaluated across different cohorts to determine the reproducibility of these signatures in metastatic melanoma. We evaluated 28 previously published predictive biomarkers of ICIs based on gene expression signatures in eight previously published studies with available RNA-sequencing data in public repositories. We found that signatures related to IFN-γ-responsive genes, T and B cell markers, and chemokines in the tumor immune microenvironment are generally predictive of response to ICIs in these patients. In addition, we identified that these predictive biomarkers have higher predictive values in on-treatment samples as compared to pretreatment samples in metastatic melanoma. The most frequently overlapping genes among the top 18 predictive signatures were CXCL10, CXCL9, PRF1, RANTES, IFNG, HLA-DRA, GZMB, and CD8A. From gene set enrichment analysis and cell type deconvolution, we estimated that the tumors of responders were enriched with infiltrating cytotoxic T-cells and other immune cells and the upregulation of genes related to interferon-γ signaling. Conversely, the tumors of non-responders were enriched with stromal-related cell types such as fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, as well as enrichment with T helper 17 cell types across all cohorts. In summary, our approach of validating and integrating multi-omics data can help guide future biomarker development in the field of ICIs and serve the quest for a more personalized therapeutic approach for melanoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Coleman
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Mengyu Xie
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Ahmad A. Tarhini
- Department of Cutaneous Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Aik Choon Tan
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
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Hu J, Liu B, Hu W, Yang Y. A pretreatment transcriptomic signature that predicts outcomes of immunotherapy in melanoma. Heliyon 2022; 8:e12648. [PMID: 36619423 PMCID: PMC9813707 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12648] [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: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying indicators of immunotherapy response are key to clinical treatment decisions. To date, immunotherapy is most widely used in melanoma because of its higher tumor mutation burden compared to other cancer types. However, less than half of melanoma patients can benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. For this reason, we deciphered pretreatment transcriptomes across a cohort of melanoma patients receiving anti-PD-1 or CTLA-4 alone (sICI) or in combination (cICI). We developed a two-gene signature that could predict the curative effect of ICI in melanoma by using the LASSO method. The pre-ICI signature displayed an equally competitive predictive power as the post-ICI irRECIST assessment that could offer clues regarding long-term ICI therapy response and facilitate risk stratification and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Hu
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive and Genetics, Ministry of Education, Women’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China
| | - Bei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive and Genetics, Ministry of Education, Women’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China
| | - Wangxiong Hu
- Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China,Corresponding author.
| | - Yanmei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive and Genetics, Ministry of Education, Women’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China,Corresponding author.
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The traditional chinese medicine monomer Ailanthone improves the therapeutic efficacy of anti-PD-L1 in melanoma cells by targeting c-Jun. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2022; 41:346. [PMID: 36522774 PMCID: PMC9753288 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-022-02559-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND C-Jun, a critical component of AP-1, exerts essential functions in various tumors, including melanoma, and is believed to be a druggable target for cancer therapy. Unfortunately, no effective c-Jun inhibitors are currently approved for clinical use. The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) has brought a paradigm shift in melanoma therapy, but more than half of patients fail to exhibit clinical responses. The exploration of new combination therapies has become the current pursuit of melanoma treatment strategy. This study aims to screen out Chinese herbal monomers that can target c-Jun, explore the combined effect of c-Jun inhibitor and ICI, and further clarify the related molecular mechanism. METHODS: We adopted a combinatorial screening strategy, including molecular docking, ligand-based online approaches and consensus quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model, to filter out c-Jun inhibitors from a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) library. A mouse melanoma model was used to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of monotherapy and combination therapy. Multicolor flow cytometry was employed to assess the tumor microenvironment (TME). Multiple in vitro assays were performed to verify down-streaming signaling pathway. CD4 + T-cell differentiation assay was applied to investigate Treg differentiation in vitro. RESULTS Ailanthone (AIL) was screened out as a c-Jun inhibitor, and inhibited melanoma cell growth by directly targeting c-Jun and promoting its degradation. Surprisingly, AIL also facilitated the therapeutic efficacy of anti-programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in melanoma cells by reducing the infiltration of Tregs in TME. Additionally, AIL treatment inhibited c-Jun-induced PD-L1 expression and secretion. As a consequence, Treg differentiation was attenuated after treatment with AIL through the c-Jun/PD-L1 axis. CONCLUSION Our findings identified AIL as a novel c-Jun inhibitor, and revealed its previously unrecognized anti-melanoma effects and the vital role in regulating TME by Treg suppression, which provides a novel combination therapeutic strategy of c-Jun inhibition by AIL with ICI. AIL down-regulates c-Jun by reducing its stability, and inhibits the function of Tregs via AIL-c-Jun-PD-L1 pathway, ultimately suppressing melanoma progression and enhancing the efficacy of anti-PD-L1.
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Cabeza-Segura M, Gambardella V, Gimeno-Valiente F, Carbonell-Asins JA, Alarcón-Molero L, González-Vilanova A, Zuñiga-Trejos S, Rentero-Garrido P, Villagrasa R, Gil M, Durá A, Richart P, Alonso N, Huerta M, Roselló S, Roda D, Tarazona N, Martínez-Ciarpaglini C, Castillo J, Cervantes A, Fleitas T. Integrative immune transcriptomic classification improves patient selection for precision immunotherapy in advanced gastro-oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Br J Cancer 2022; 127:2198-2206. [PMID: 36253523 PMCID: PMC9727124 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-022-02005-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Advanced gastro-oesophageal cancer (GEA) treatment has been improved by the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs), yet identifying predictive biomarkers remains a priority, particularly in patients with a combined positive score (CPS) < 5, where the benefit is less clear. Our study assesses certain immune microenvironment features related to sensitivity or resistance to CPIs with the aim of implementing a personalised approach across CPS < 5 GEA. DESIGN Through integrative transcriptomic and clinicopathological analyses, we studied in both a retrospective and a prospective cohort, the immune tumour microenvironment features. We analysed the cell types composing the immune infiltrate highlighting their functional activity. RESULTS This integrative study allowed the identification of four different groups across our patients. Among them, we identified a cluster whose tumours expressed the most gene signatures related to immunomodulatory pathways and immunotherapy response. These tumours presented an enriched immune infiltrate showing high immune function activity that could potentially achieve the best benefit from CPIs. Finally, our findings were proven in an external CPI-exposed population, where the use of our transcriptomic results combined with CPS helped better identify those patients who could benefit from immunotherapy than using CPS alone (p = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS This transcriptomic classification could improve precision immunotherapy for GEA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Cabeza-Segura
- grid.5338.d0000 0001 2173 938XDepartment of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico Universitario, INCLIVA, Biomedical Research Institute, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Valentina Gambardella
- grid.5338.d0000 0001 2173 938XDepartment of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico Universitario, INCLIVA, Biomedical Research Institute, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain ,grid.510933.d0000 0004 8339 0058CIBERONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Gimeno-Valiente
- grid.5338.d0000 0001 2173 938XDepartment of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico Universitario, INCLIVA, Biomedical Research Institute, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain ,grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, UCL Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | - Juan Antonio Carbonell-Asins
- grid.429003.c0000 0004 7413 8491Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics. INCLIVA, Biomedical Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
| | - Lorena Alarcón-Molero
- grid.5338.d0000 0001 2173 938XDepartment of Pathology, INCLIVA, Biomedical Research Institute, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Arturo González-Vilanova
- grid.429003.c0000 0004 7413 8491Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics. INCLIVA, Biomedical Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
| | - Sheila Zuñiga-Trejos
- grid.429003.c0000 0004 7413 8491Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics. INCLIVA, Biomedical Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
| | - Pilar Rentero-Garrido
- grid.429003.c0000 0004 7413 8491Department of Precision Medicine, INCLIVA, Biomedical Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
| | - Rosana Villagrasa
- grid.411308.fDepartment of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Mireia Gil
- grid.106023.60000 0004 1770 977XDepartment of Medical Oncology, Hospital General Universitario, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ana Durá
- grid.106023.60000 0004 1770 977XDepartment of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hospital General Universitario, Valencia, Spain
| | - Paula Richart
- grid.84393.350000 0001 0360 9602Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Noelia Alonso
- grid.84393.350000 0001 0360 9602Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marisol Huerta
- grid.5338.d0000 0001 2173 938XDepartment of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico Universitario, INCLIVA, Biomedical Research Institute, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Susana Roselló
- grid.5338.d0000 0001 2173 938XDepartment of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico Universitario, INCLIVA, Biomedical Research Institute, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain ,grid.510933.d0000 0004 8339 0058CIBERONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Desamparados Roda
- grid.5338.d0000 0001 2173 938XDepartment of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico Universitario, INCLIVA, Biomedical Research Institute, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain ,grid.510933.d0000 0004 8339 0058CIBERONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Noelia Tarazona
- grid.5338.d0000 0001 2173 938XDepartment of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico Universitario, INCLIVA, Biomedical Research Institute, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain ,grid.510933.d0000 0004 8339 0058CIBERONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carolina Martínez-Ciarpaglini
- grid.510933.d0000 0004 8339 0058CIBERONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain ,grid.5338.d0000 0001 2173 938XDepartment of Pathology, INCLIVA, Biomedical Research Institute, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Josefa Castillo
- grid.5338.d0000 0001 2173 938XDepartment of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico Universitario, INCLIVA, Biomedical Research Institute, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain ,grid.510933.d0000 0004 8339 0058CIBERONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain ,grid.5338.d0000 0001 2173 938XDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Andrés Cervantes
- grid.5338.d0000 0001 2173 938XDepartment of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico Universitario, INCLIVA, Biomedical Research Institute, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain ,grid.510933.d0000 0004 8339 0058CIBERONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Tania Fleitas
- grid.5338.d0000 0001 2173 938XDepartment of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico Universitario, INCLIVA, Biomedical Research Institute, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain ,grid.510933.d0000 0004 8339 0058CIBERONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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Rouzbahani E, Majidpoor J, Najafi S, Mortezaee K. Cancer stem cells in immunoregulation and bypassing anti-checkpoint therapy. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 156:113906. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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Jogerst K, Boland G. Could SIRPA expression predict response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy? Cancer Cell 2022; 40:1269-1270. [PMID: 36332626 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2022.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) offer significant promise for patients with melanoma; however, many patients succumb to de novo or acquired ICI resistance. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Zhou et al. propose a mechanism for signal-regulatory protein α1 (SIRPα) expression and describe how its loss may contribute to immunotherapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Jogerst
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Genevieve Boland
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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45
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Marie KL, Merlino G, Day CP. The Hitchhiker’s Guide across a Waddington’s landscape of melanoma. Dev Cell 2022; 57:2447-2449. [DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Morante M, Pandiella A, Crespo P, Herrero A. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and RAS-ERK Pathway-Targeted Drugs as Combined Therapy for the Treatment of Melanoma. Biomolecules 2022; 12:1562. [PMID: 36358912 PMCID: PMC9687808 DOI: 10.3390/biom12111562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic melanoma is a highly immunogenic tumor with very poor survival rates due to immune system escape-mechanisms. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4) and the programmed death-1 (PD1) receptors, are being used to impede immune evasion. This immunotherapy entails an increment in the overall survival rates. However, melanoma cells respond with evasive molecular mechanisms. ERK cascade inhibitors are also used in metastatic melanoma treatment, with the RAF activity blockade being the main therapeutic approach for such purpose, and in combination with MEK inhibitors improves many parameters of clinical efficacy. Despite their efficacy in inhibiting ERK signaling, the rewiring of the melanoma cell-signaling results in disease relapse, constituting the reinstatement of ERK activation, which is a common cause of some resistance mechanisms. Recent studies revealed that the combination of RAS-ERK pathway inhibitors and ICI therapy present promising advantages for metastatic melanoma treatment. Here, we present a recompilation of the combined therapies clinically evaluated in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Morante
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)—Universidad de Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28009 Madrid, Spain
| | - Atanasio Pandiella
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28009 Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)—Universidad de Salamanca and IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Piero Crespo
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)—Universidad de Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28009 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Herrero
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)—Universidad de Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28009 Madrid, Spain
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Biermann J, Melms JC, Amin AD, Wang Y, Caprio LA, Karz A, Tagore S, Barrera I, Ibarra-Arellano MA, Andreatta M, Fullerton BT, Gretarsson KH, Sahu V, Mangipudy VS, Nguyen TTT, Nair A, Rogava M, Ho P, Koch PD, Banu M, Humala N, Mahajan A, Walsh ZH, Shah SB, Vaccaro DH, Caldwell B, Mu M, Wünnemann F, Chazotte M, Berhe S, Luoma AM, Driver J, Ingham M, Khan SA, Rapisuwon S, Slingluff CL, Eigentler T, Röcken M, Carvajal R, Atkins MB, Davies MA, Agustinus A, Bakhoum SF, Azizi E, Siegelin M, Lu C, Carmona SJ, Hibshoosh H, Ribas A, Canoll P, Bruce JN, Bi WL, Agrawal P, Schapiro D, Hernando E, Macosko EZ, Chen F, Schwartz GK, Izar B. Dissecting the treatment-naive ecosystem of human melanoma brain metastasis. Cell 2022; 185:2591-2608.e30. [PMID: 35803246 PMCID: PMC9677434 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Melanoma brain metastasis (MBM) frequently occurs in patients with advanced melanoma; yet, our understanding of the underlying salient biology is rudimentary. Here, we performed single-cell/nucleus RNA-seq in 22 treatment-naive MBMs and 10 extracranial melanoma metastases (ECMs) and matched spatial single-cell transcriptomics and T cell receptor (TCR)-seq. Cancer cells from MBM were more chromosomally unstable, adopted a neuronal-like cell state, and enriched for spatially variably expressed metabolic pathways. Key observations were validated in independent patient cohorts, patient-derived MBM/ECM xenograft models, RNA/ATAC-seq, proteomics, and multiplexed imaging. Integrated spatial analyses revealed distinct geography of putative cancer immune evasion and evidence for more abundant intra-tumoral B to plasma cell differentiation in lymphoid aggregates in MBM. MBM harbored larger fractions of monocyte-derived macrophages and dysfunctional TOX+CD8+ T cells with distinct expression of immune checkpoints. This work provides comprehensive insights into MBM biology and serves as a foundational resource for further discovery and therapeutic exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Biermann
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Program for Mathematical Genomics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Johannes C Melms
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Amit Dipak Amin
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Yiping Wang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Program for Mathematical Genomics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Lindsay A Caprio
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Alcida Karz
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Somnath Tagore
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Irving Barrera
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Miguel A Ibarra-Arellano
- Heidelberg University, Faculty of Medicine, and Heidelberg University Hospital, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Bioquant, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Massimo Andreatta
- Department of Oncology UNIL CHUV, Lausanne Branch, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, CHUV and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1066 Épalinges, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin T Fullerton
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Kristjan H Gretarsson
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Varun Sahu
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Vaibhav S Mangipudy
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Trang T T Nguyen
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ajay Nair
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Meri Rogava
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Patricia Ho
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Peter D Koch
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Matei Banu
- Department of Neurological Surgery, New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Nelson Humala
- Department of Neurological Surgery, New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Aayushi Mahajan
- Department of Neurological Surgery, New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Zachary H Walsh
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Shivem B Shah
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Daniel H Vaccaro
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Blake Caldwell
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Michael Mu
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Florian Wünnemann
- Heidelberg University, Faculty of Medicine, and Heidelberg University Hospital, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Bioquant, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Margot Chazotte
- Heidelberg University, Faculty of Medicine, and Heidelberg University Hospital, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Bioquant, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Simon Berhe
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Adrienne M Luoma
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Joseph Driver
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Matthew Ingham
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Shaheer A Khan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Suthee Rapisuwon
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Medstar Washington Cancer Institute, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - Craig L Slingluff
- Department of Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Thomas Eigentler
- Department of Dermatology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Röcken
- Department of Dermatology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Richard Carvajal
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Michael B Atkins
- Georgetown-Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - Michael A Davies
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Albert Agustinus
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Graduate School, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Samuel F Bakhoum
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Elham Azizi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Irving Institute for Cancer Dynamics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Markus Siegelin
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Chao Lu
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Santiago J Carmona
- Department of Oncology UNIL CHUV, Lausanne Branch, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, CHUV and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1066 Épalinges, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hanina Hibshoosh
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Antoni Ribas
- Department of Medicine, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
| | - Peter Canoll
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Jeffrey N Bruce
- Department of Neurological Surgery, New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Wenya Linda Bi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Praveen Agrawal
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Denis Schapiro
- Heidelberg University, Faculty of Medicine, and Heidelberg University Hospital, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Bioquant, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eva Hernando
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Evan Z Macosko
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Fei Chen
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Gary K Schwartz
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Benjamin Izar
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Program for Mathematical Genomics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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Halima A, Vuong W, Chan TA. Next-generation sequencing: unraveling genetic mechanisms that shape cancer immunotherapy efficacy. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:154945. [PMID: 35703181 PMCID: PMC9197511 DOI: 10.1172/jci154945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunity is governed by fundamental genetic processes. These processes shape the nature of immune cells and set the rules that dictate the myriad complex cellular interactions that power immune systems. Everything from the generation of T cell receptors and antibodies, control of epitope presentation, and recognition of pathogens by the immunoediting of cancer cells is, in large part, made possible by core genetic mechanisms and the cellular machinery that they encode. In the last decade, next-generation sequencing has been used to dissect the complexities of cancer immunity with potent effect. Sequencing of exomes and genomes has begun to reveal how the immune system recognizes “foreign” entities and distinguishes self from non-self, especially in the setting of cancer. High-throughput analyses of transcriptomes have revealed deep insights into how the tumor microenvironment affects immunotherapy efficacy. In this Review, we discuss how high-throughput sequencing has added to our understanding of how immune systems interact with cancer cells and how cancer immunotherapies work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Halima
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, and
| | - Winston Vuong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, and
| | - Timothy A Chan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, and.,Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,National Center for Regenerative Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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49
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Gao H, Tian Q, Zhou Y, Zhu L, Lu Y, Ma Y, Feng J, Jiang Y, Wang B. 3D Collagen Fiber Concentration Regulates Treg Cell Infiltration in Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Front Immunol 2022; 13:904418. [PMID: 35774776 PMCID: PMC9237245 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.904418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by poor prognosis and a lack of effective therapeutic agents owing to the absence of biomarkers. A high abundance of tumor-infiltrating regulatory T cells (Tregs) was associated with worse prognosis in malignant disease. Exploring the association between Treg cell infiltration and TNBC will provide new insights for understanding TNBC immunosuppression and may pave the way for developing novel immune-based treatments. Materials and Methods Patients from TCGA were divided into Treg-high (Treg-H) and Treg-low (Treg-L) groups based on the abundance of Tregs according to CIBERSORT analysis. The association between expression level of Tregs and the clinical characteristics as well as prognosis of breast cancer were evaluated. Next, a Treg-related prognostic model was established after survival-dependent univariate Cox and LASSO regression analysis, companied with an external GEO cohort validation. Then, GO, KEGG and GSEA analyses were performed between the Treg-H and Treg-L groups. Masson and Sirius red/Fast Green staining were applied for ECM characterization. Accordingly, Jurkat T cells were encapsulated in 3D collagen to mimic the ECM microenvironment, and the expression levels of CD4, FOXP3 and CD25 were quantified according to immunofluorescence staining. Results The expression level of Tregs is significantly associated with the clinical characteristics of breast cancer patients, and a high level of Treg cell expression indicates a poor prognosis in TNBC. To further evaluate this, a Treg-related prognostic model was established that accurately predicted outcomes in both TCGA training and GEO validation cohorts of TNBC patients. Subsequently, ECM-associated signaling pathways were identified between the Treg-H and Treg-L groups, indicating the role of ECM in Treg infiltration. Since we found increasing collagen concentrations in TNBC patients with distant migration, we encapsulated Jurkat T cells within a 3D matrix with different collagen concentrations and observed that increasing collagen concentrations promoted the expression of Treg biomarkers, supporting the regulatory role of ECM in Treg infiltration. Conclusion Our results support the association between Treg expression and breast cancer progression as well as prognosis in the TNBC subtype. Moreover, increasing collagen density may promote Treg infiltration, and thus induce an immunosuppressed TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Gao
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Qi Tian
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yan Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Lizhe Zhu
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yinliang Lu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yingying Ma
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Jinteng Feng
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yina Jiang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- *Correspondence: Yina Jiang, ; Bo Wang,
| | - Bo Wang
- Center for Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- *Correspondence: Yina Jiang, ; Bo Wang,
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50
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Saad M, Lee SJ, Tan AC, El Naqa IM, Hodi FS, Butterfield LH, LaFramboise WA, Storkus W, Karunamurthy AD, Conejo-Garcia J, Hwu P, Streicher H, Sondak VK, Kirkwood JM, Tarhini AA. Enhanced immune activation within the tumor microenvironment and circulation of female high-risk melanoma patients and improved survival with adjuvant CTLA4 blockade compared to males. J Transl Med 2022; 20:253. [PMID: 35659704 PMCID: PMC9164320 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03450-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We hypothesized that a gender difference in clinical response may exist to adjuvant CTLA4 blockade with ipilimumab versus high-dose IFNα (HDI). We investigated differences in candidate immune biomarkers in the circulation and tumor microenvironment (TME). PATIENTS AND METHODS This gender-based analysis was nested within the E1609 trial that tested adjuvant therapy with ipilimumab 3 mg/kg (ipi3) and 10 mg/kg (ipi10) versus HDI in high risk resected melanoma. We investigated gender differences in treatment efficacy with ipi3 and ipi10 versus HDI while adjusting for age, stage, ECOG performance (PS), ulceration, primary tumor status and lymph node number. Forest plots were created to compare overall survival (OS) and relapse free survival (RFS) between ipi and HDI. Gene expression profiling (GEP) was performed on tumors of 718 (454 male, 264 female) patients. Similarly, serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) samples were tested for soluble and cellular biomarkers (N = 321 patients; 109 female and 212 male). RESULTS The subgroups of female, stage IIIC, PS = 1, ulcerated primary, in-transit metastasis demonstrated significant improvement in RFS and/or OS with ipi3 versus HDI. Female gender was significant for both OS and RFS and was further explored. In the RFS comparison, a multivariate Cox regression model including significant variables indicated a significant interaction between gender and treatment (P = 0.024). In peripheral blood, percentages of CD3+ T cells (P = 0.024) and CD3+ CD4+ helper T cells (P = 0.0001) were higher in females compared to males. Trends toward higher circulating levels of IL1β (P = 0.07) and IL6 (P = 0.06) were also found in females. Males had higher percentages of monocytes (P = 0.03) with trends toward higher percentages of regulatory T cells (T-reg). Tumor GEP analysis supported enhanced infiltration with immune cells including gammadelta T cells (P = 0.005), NK cells (P = 0.01), dendritic cells (P = 0.01), CD4+ T cells (P = 0.03), CD8+ T cells (P = 0.03) and T-reg (P = 0.008) in the tumors of females compared to males and a higher T-effector and IFNγ gene signature score (P = 0.0244). CONCLUSION Female gender was associated with adjuvant CTLA4 blockade clinical benefits and female patients were more likely to have evidence of type1 immune activation within the TME and the circulation. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01274338. Registered 11 January 2011, https://www. CLINICALTRIALS gov/ct2/show/NCT01274338.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Saad
- grid.468198.a0000 0000 9891 5233Departments of Cutaneous Oncology and Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612 USA 10920 McKinley Dr.,
| | - Sandra J. Lee
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Aik Choon Tan
- grid.468198.a0000 0000 9891 5233Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, USA Florida
| | - Issam M. El Naqa
- grid.468198.a0000 0000 9891 5233Department of Machine Learning, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, USA
| | - F. Stephen Hodi
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA
| | - Lisa H. Butterfield
- grid.489192.f0000 0004 7782 4884Univ. California San Francisco and The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - William A. LaFramboise
- grid.417046.00000 0004 0454 5075Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute, Pathology, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Walter Storkus
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (UPSOM), Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | | | - Jose Conejo-Garcia
- grid.468198.a0000 0000 9891 5233Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Florida Tampa, USA
| | - Patrick Hwu
- grid.468198.a0000 0000 9891 5233Administration, Cutaneous Oncology, Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Florida Tampa, USA
| | - Howard Streicher
- grid.48336.3a0000 0004 1936 8075National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD USA
| | - Vernon K. Sondak
- grid.468198.a0000 0000 9891 5233Department of Cutaneous Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Florida Tampa, USA
| | - John M. Kirkwood
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (UPSOM), Pittsburgh, PA USA ,grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Ahmad A. Tarhini
- grid.468198.a0000 0000 9891 5233Departments of Cutaneous Oncology and Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612 USA 10920 McKinley Dr.,
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