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Craig AW, Frieboes HB, Videira PA. Advancing cancer immunotherapy: from innovative preclinical models to clinical insights. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1205. [PMID: 38216668 PMCID: PMC10786836 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51704-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Craig
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Division, Queen's Cancer Research Institute, Kingston, ON, Canada.
| | - Hermann B Frieboes
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
- U of L Health - Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
- Center for Predictive Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
| | - Paula A Videira
- UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal.
- Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal.
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Wu Y, Zhuang J, Qu Z, Yang X, Han S. Advances in immunotyping of colorectal cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1259461. [PMID: 37876934 PMCID: PMC10590894 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1259461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has transformed treatment for various types of malignancy. However, the benefit of immunotherapy is limited to a minority of patients with mismatch-repair-deficient (dMMR) and microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) (dMMR-MSI-H) colorectal cancer (CRC). Understanding the complexity and heterogeneity of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and identifying immune-related CRC subtypes will improve antitumor immunotherapy. Here, we review the current status of immunotherapy and typing schemes for CRC. Immune subtypes have been identified based on TIME and prognostic gene signatures that can both partially explain clinical responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors and the prognosis of patients with CRC. Identifying immune subtypes will improve understanding of complex CRC tumor heterogeneity and refine current immunotherapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinhang Wu
- Huzhou Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital HuZhou University, Huzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Multiomics Research and Clinical Transformation of Digestive Cancer of Huzhou, Huzhou, China
- Huzhou Central Hospital, Fifth Affiliated Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Huzhou, China
| | - Jing Zhuang
- Huzhou Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital HuZhou University, Huzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Multiomics Research and Clinical Transformation of Digestive Cancer of Huzhou, Huzhou, China
- Huzhou Central Hospital, Fifth Affiliated Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Huzhou, China
| | - Zhanbo Qu
- Huzhou Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital HuZhou University, Huzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Multiomics Research and Clinical Transformation of Digestive Cancer of Huzhou, Huzhou, China
- Huzhou Central Hospital, Fifth Affiliated Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Huzhou, China
| | - Xi Yang
- Huzhou Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital HuZhou University, Huzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Multiomics Research and Clinical Transformation of Digestive Cancer of Huzhou, Huzhou, China
- Huzhou Central Hospital, Fifth Affiliated Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Huzhou, China
| | - Shuwen Han
- Huzhou Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital HuZhou University, Huzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Multiomics Research and Clinical Transformation of Digestive Cancer of Huzhou, Huzhou, China
- Huzhou Central Hospital, Fifth Affiliated Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Huzhou, China
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Dianat-Moghadam H, Sharifi M, Salehi R, Keshavarz M, Shahgolzari M, Amoozgar Z. Engaging stemness improves cancer immunotherapy. Cancer Lett 2023; 554:216007. [PMID: 36396102 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.216007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Intra-tumoral immune cells promote the stemness of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME). CSCs promote tumor progression, relapse, and resistance to immunotherapy. Cancer stemness induces the expression of neoantigens and neo-properties in CSCs, creating an opportunity for targeted immunotherapies. Isolation of stem-like T cells or retaining stemness in T clonotypes strategies produces exhaustion-resistance T cells with superior re-expansion capacity and long-lasting responses after adoptive cell therapies. Stem cells-derived NK cells may be the next generation of NK cell products for immunotherapy. Here, we have reviewed mechanisms by which stemness factors modulated the immunoediting of the TME and summarized the potentials of CSCs in the development of immunotherapy regimens, including CAR-T cells, CAR-NK cells, cancer vaccines, and monoclonal antibodies. We have discussed the natural or genetically engineered stem-like T cells and stem cell-derived NK cells with increased cytotoxicity to tumor cells. Finally, we have provided a perspective on approaches that may improve the therapeutic efficacy of these novel adoptive cell-based products in targeting immunosuppressive TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Dianat-Moghadam
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran; Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Mohammadreza Sharifi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Rasoul Salehi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran; Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohsen Keshavarz
- The Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Mehdi Shahgolzari
- Dental Implants Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Zohreh Amoozgar
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories for Tumor Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Identification of immune subtypes and their prognosis and molecular implications in colorectal cancer. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278114. [PMID: 36417424 PMCID: PMC9683557 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune composition is commonly heterogeneous and varies among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. A comprehensive immune classification may act as important characteristics to predict CRC prognosis. Thus, we aimed to identify novel immune specific subtypes to guide future therapies. Unsupervised clustering was used to classify CRC samples into different immune subtypes based on abundances of immune cell populations, during which TCGA and GSE17536 datasets were used as training and validation sets, respectively. The associations between the immune subtypes and patient prognosis were investigated. Further, we identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between immune high and low subtypes, followed by functional enrichment analyses of DEGs. The expression levels of 74 immunomodulators (IMs) across immune subtypes were analyzed. As a result, we clustered CRC samples into three distinct immune subtypes (immune high, moderate, and low). Patients with immune-high subtype showed the best prognosis, and patients with immune-low subtype had the worst survival in both TCGA and GSE17536 cohorts. A group of 2735 up-regulated DEGs were identified across immune high and low subtypes. The main DEGs were the members of complement components, chemokines, immunoglobulins, and immunosuppressive genes that are involved in immune modulation-related pathways (e.g., cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction) or GO terms (e.g., adaptive immune response and T cell activation). The expression levels of 63 IMs were significantly varied across immune subtypes. In conclusion, this study provides a conceptual framework and molecular characteristics of CRC immune subtypes, which may accurately predict prognosis and offer novel targets for personalized immunotherapy through modifying subtype-specific tumor immune microenvironment.
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Lee DH, Jeong YJ, Won JY, Sim HI, Park Y, Jin HS. PBK/TOPK Is a Favorable Prognostic Biomarker Correlated with Antitumor Immunity in Colon Cancers. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10020299. [PMID: 35203508 PMCID: PMC8869639 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10020299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy has proven efficacy in a subset of colon cancer patients featuring a deficient DNA mismatch repair system or a high microsatellite instability profile. However, there is high demand for more effective biomarkers to expand the colon cancer population responding to ICI therapy. PBK/TOPK, a serine/threonine kinase, plays a role in cell cycle regulation and mitotic progression. Here, we investigated the correlation between PBK/TOPK expression and tumor immunity and its prognostic value in colon cancer. Based on large-scale bioinformatics analysis, we discovered that elevated PBK/TOPK expression predicted a favorable outcome in patients with colon cancer and was positively associated with immune infiltration levels of CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, natural killer cells, and M1 macrophages. In contrast, a negative correlation was found between PBK/TOPK expression and immune suppressor cells, including regulatory T cells and M2 macrophages. Furthermore, the expression of PBK/TOPK was correlated with the expression of T-cell cytotoxicity genes in colon cancer. Additionally, high PBK/TOPK expression was associated with mutations in DNA damage repair genes, and thus with increased tumor mutation and neoantigen burden. These findings suggest that PBK/TOPK may serve as a prognostic and predictive biomarker for immunotherapy in colon cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Hee Lee
- Department of Convergence Medicine, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea; (D.-H.L.); (Y.-J.J.); (J.-Y.W.)
| | - Yu-Jeong Jeong
- Department of Convergence Medicine, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea; (D.-H.L.); (Y.-J.J.); (J.-Y.W.)
| | - Ju-Young Won
- Department of Convergence Medicine, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea; (D.-H.L.); (Y.-J.J.); (J.-Y.W.)
| | - Hye-In Sim
- Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Korea;
| | - Yoon Park
- Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Korea;
- Correspondence: (Y.P.); (H.-S.J.)
| | - Hyung-Seung Jin
- Department of Convergence Medicine, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea; (D.-H.L.); (Y.-J.J.); (J.-Y.W.)
- Correspondence: (Y.P.); (H.-S.J.)
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