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Lee RJ, Adappa ND, Palmer JN. Akt activator SC79 stimulates antibacterial nitric oxide generation in human nasal epithelial cells in vitro. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol 2024; 14:1147-1162. [PMID: 38197521 PMCID: PMC11219270 DOI: 10.1002/alr.23318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The role of Akt in nasal immunity is unstudied. Akt phosphorylates and activates endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expressed in epithelial ciliated cells. Nitric oxide (NO) production by ciliated cells can have antibacterial and antiviral effects. Increasing nasal NO may be a useful antipathogen strategy in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). We previously showed that small-molecule Akt activator SC79 induces nasal cell NO production and suppresses IL-8 via the transcription factor Nrf-2. We hypothesized that SC79 NO production may additionally have antibacterial effects. METHODS NO production was measured using fluorescent dye DAF-FM. We tested effects of SC79 during co-culture of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with primary nasal epithelial cells, using CFU counting and live-dead staining to quantify bacterial killing. Pharmacology determined the mechanism of SC79-induced NO production and tested dependence on Akt. RESULTS SC79 induced dose-dependent, Akt-dependent NO production in nasal epithelial cells. The NO production required eNOS and Akt. The NO released into the airway surface liquid killed P. aeruginosa. No toxicity (LDH release) or inflammatory effects (IL8 transcription) were observed over 24 h. CONCLUSIONS Together, these data suggest multiple immune pathways are stimulated by SC79, with antipathogen effects. This in vitro pilot study suggests that a small-molecule Akt activator may have clinical utility in CRS or respiratory other infection settings, warranting future in vivo studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Lee
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
- Department of Physiology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
| | - Nithin D. Adappa
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
| | - James N. Palmer
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
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Shang Z, Fan Y, Xi S, Zhang S, Shen W, Tao L, Xu C, Tan J, Fan M, Ma H, Lai Y, Sun D, Cheng H. Arenobufagin enhances T-cell anti-tumor immunity in colorectal cancer by modulating HSP90β accessibility. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 128:155497. [PMID: 38640855 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a significant public health issue, ranking as one of the predominant cancer types globally in terms of incidence. Intriguingly, Arenobufagin (Are), a compound extracted from toad venom, has demonstrated the potential to inhibit tumor growth effectively. PURPOSE This study aimed to explore Are's molecular targets and unravel its antitumor mechanism in CRC. Specifically, we were interested in its impact on immune checkpoint modulation and correlations with HSP90β-STAT3-PD-L1 axis activity. METHODS We investigated the in vivo antitumor effects of Are by constructing a colorectalcancer subcutaneous xenograft mouse model. Subsequently, we employed single-cell multi-omics technology to study the potential mechanism by which Are inhibits CRC. Utilizing target-responsive accessibility profiling (TRAP) technology, we identified heatshock protein 90β (HSP90β) as the direct target of Are, and confirmed this through a microscale thermophoresis experiment (MST). Further downstream mechanisms were explored through techniques such as co-immunoprecipitation, Western blotting, qPCR, and immunofluorescence. Concurrently, we arrived at the same research conclusion at the organoid level by co-cultivating with immune cells. RESULTS We observed that Are inhibits PD-Ll expression in CRC tumor xenografts at low concentrations. Moreover, TRAP revealed that HSP90β's accessibility significantly decreased upon Are binding. We demonstrated a decrease in the activity of the HSP90β-STAT3-PD-Ll axis following low-concentration Are treatment in vivo. The PDO analysis showed improved enrichment of lymphocytes, particularly T cells, on the PDOs following Are treatment. CONCLUSION Contrary to previous research focusing on the direct cytotoxicity of Are towards tumor cells, our findings indicate that it can also inhibit tumor growth at lower concentrations through the modulation of immune checkpoints. This study unveils a novel anti-tumor mechanism of Are and stimulates contemplation on the dose-response relationship of natural products, which is beneficial for the clinical translational application of Are.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Shang
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China; The First School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China
| | - Yiping Fan
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China; The First School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China; Jiaxing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiaxing 314000, China
| | - Songyang Xi
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China; The First School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China; Zhenjiang Hospital of Chinese Traditional and Western Medicine, Zhenjiang, 212000, China
| | - Shang Zhang
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China; The First School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China
| | - Weixing Shen
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China; The First School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China
| | - Lihuiping Tao
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China; The First School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China
| | - Changliang Xu
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China; The First School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China
| | - Jiani Tan
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China; The First School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China
| | - Minmin Fan
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China; The First School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China
| | - Hongyue Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China
| | - Yueyang Lai
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China; The First School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China.
| | - Dongdong Sun
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China; School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China.
| | - Haibo Cheng
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China; The First School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China.
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Santagata S, Rea G, Bello AM, Capiluongo A, Napolitano M, Desicato S, Fragale A, D'Alterio C, Trotta AM, Ieranò C, Portella L, Persico F, Di Napoli M, Di Maro S, Feroce F, Azzaro R, Gabriele L, Longo N, Pignata S, Perdonà S, Scala S. Targeting CXCR4 impaired T regulatory function through PTEN in renal cancer patients. Br J Cancer 2024; 130:2016-2026. [PMID: 38704478 PMCID: PMC11183124 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-024-02702-x] [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: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tregs trafficking is controlled by CXCR4. In Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC), the effect of the new CXCR4 antagonist, R54, was explored in peripheral blood (PB)-Tregs isolated from primary RCC patients. METHODS PB-Tregs were isolated from 77 RCC patients and 38 healthy donors (HDs). CFSE-T effector-Tregs suppression assay, IL-35, IFN-γ, IL-10, TGF-β1 secretion, and Nrp-1+Tregs frequency were evaluated. Tregs were characterised for CTLA-4, PD-1, CD40L, PTEN, CD25, TGF-β1, FOXP3, DNMT1 transcriptional profile. PTEN-pAKT signalling was evaluated in the presence of R54 and/or triciribine (TCB), an AKT inhibitor. Methylation of TSDR (Treg-Specific-Demethylated-Region) was conducted. RESULTS R54 impaired PB-RCC-Tregs function, reduced Nrp-1+Tregs frequency, the release of IL-35, IL-10, and TGF-β1, while increased IFN-γ Teff-secretion. The CXCR4 ligand, CXCL12, recruited CD25+PTEN+Tregs in RCC while R54 significantly reduced it. IL-2/PMA activates Tregs reducing pAKT+Tregs while R54 increases it. The AKT inhibitor, TCB, prevented the increase in pAKT+Tregs R54-mediated. Moreover, R54 significantly reduced FOXP3-TSDR demethylation with DNMT1 and FOXP3 downregulation. CONCLUSION R54 impairs Tregs function in primary RCC patients targeting PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway, reducing TSDR demethylation and FOXP3 and DNMT1 expression. Thus, CXCR4 targeting is a strategy to inhibit Tregs activity in the RCC tumour microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Santagata
- Microenvironment Molecular Targets, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Rea
- Microenvironment Molecular Targets, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Bello
- Microenvironment Molecular Targets, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Capiluongo
- Microenvironment Molecular Targets, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Napolitano
- Microenvironment Molecular Targets, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Sonia Desicato
- Urology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandra Fragale
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Crescenzo D'Alterio
- Microenvironment Molecular Targets, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Trotta
- Microenvironment Molecular Targets, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Caterina Ieranò
- Microenvironment Molecular Targets, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Portella
- Microenvironment Molecular Targets, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Persico
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Odontostomatology, Urology Unit, University of Naples "Federico II", 80138, Napoli, Italy
| | - Marilena Di Napoli
- Uro-gynecological Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Salvatore Di Maro
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - Florinda Feroce
- Pathology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Rosa Azzaro
- Transfusion Medicine Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Lucia Gabriele
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Longo
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Odontostomatology, Urology Unit, University of Naples "Federico II", 80138, Napoli, Italy
| | - Sandro Pignata
- Uro-gynecological Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Sisto Perdonà
- Urology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Stefania Scala
- Microenvironment Molecular Targets, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131, Naples, Italy.
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Lee RJ, Adappa ND, Palmer JN. Effects of Akt Activator SC79 on Human M0 Macrophage Phagocytosis and Cytokine Production. Cells 2024; 13:902. [PMID: 38891035 PMCID: PMC11171788 DOI: 10.3390/cells13110902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Akt is an important kinase in metabolism. Akt also phosphorylates and activates endothelial and neuronal nitric oxide (NO) synthases (eNOS and nNOS, respectively) expressed in M0 (unpolarized) macrophages. We showed that e/nNOS NO production downstream of bitter taste receptors enhances macrophage phagocytosis. In airway epithelial cells, we also showed that the activation of Akt by a small molecule (SC79) enhances NO production and increases levels of nuclear Nrf2, which reduces IL-8 transcription during concomitant stimulation with Toll-like receptor (TLR) 5 agonist flagellin. We hypothesized that SC79's production of NO in macrophages might likewise enhance phagocytosis and reduce the transcription of some pro-inflammatory cytokines. Using live cell imaging of fluorescent biosensors and indicator dyes, we found that SC79 induces Akt activation, NO production, and downstream cGMP production in primary human M0 macrophages. This was accompanied by a reduction in IL-6, IL-8, and IL-12 production during concomitant stimulation with bacterial lipopolysaccharide, an agonist of pattern recognition receptors including TLR4. Pharmacological inhibitors suggested that this effect was dependent on Akt and Nrf2. Together, these data suggest that several macrophage immune pathways are regulated by SC79 via Akt. A small-molecule Akt activator may be useful in some infection settings, warranting future in vivo studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Lee
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (N.D.A.); (J.N.P.)
- Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Nithin D. Adappa
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (N.D.A.); (J.N.P.)
| | - James N. Palmer
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (N.D.A.); (J.N.P.)
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Kundu M, Butti R, Panda VK, Malhotra D, Das S, Mitra T, Kapse P, Gosavi SW, Kundu GC. Modulation of the tumor microenvironment and mechanism of immunotherapy-based drug resistance in breast cancer. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:92. [PMID: 38715072 PMCID: PMC11075356 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01990-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer, the most frequent female malignancy, is often curable when detected at an early stage. The treatment of metastatic breast cancer is more challenging and may be unresponsive to conventional therapy. Immunotherapy is crucial for treating metastatic breast cancer, but its resistance is a major limitation. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is vital in modulating the immunotherapy response. Various tumor microenvironmental components, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), are involved in TME modulation to cause immunotherapy resistance. This review highlights the role of stromal cells in modulating the breast tumor microenvironment, including the involvement of CAF-TAM interaction, alteration of tumor metabolism leading to immunotherapy failure, and other latest strategies, including high throughput genomic screening, single-cell and spatial omics techniques for identifying tumor immune genes regulating immunotherapy response. This review emphasizes the therapeutic approach to overcome breast cancer immune resistance through CAF reprogramming, modulation of TAM polarization, tumor metabolism, and genomic alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moumita Kundu
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Brainware University, West Bengal, 700125, India
| | - Ramesh Butti
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA
| | - Venketesh K Panda
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
| | - Diksha Malhotra
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
| | - Sumit Das
- National Centre for Cell Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus, Pune, 411007, India
| | - Tandrima Mitra
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
| | - Prachi Kapse
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, 411007, India
| | - Suresh W Gosavi
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, 411007, India
| | - Gopal C Kundu
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India.
- Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India.
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Hoermann B, Dürr EM, Ludwig C, Ercan M, Köhn M. A strategy to disentangle direct and indirect effects on (de)phosphorylation by chemical modulators of the phosphatase PP1 in complex cellular contexts. Chem Sci 2024; 15:2792-2804. [PMID: 38404380 PMCID: PMC10882499 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc04746f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Chemical activators and inhibitors are useful probes to identify substrates and downstream effects of enzymes; however, due to the complex signaling environment within cells, it is challenging to distinguish between direct and indirect effects. This is particularly the case for phosphorylation, where a single (de)phosphorylation event can trigger rapid changes in many other phosphorylation sites. An additional complication arises when a single catalytic entity, which acts in the form of many different holoenzymes with different substrates, is activated or inhibited, as it is unclear which holoenzymes are affected, and in turn which of their substrates are (de)phosphorylated. Direct target engaging MS-based technologies to study targets of drugs do not address these challenges. Here, we tackle this by studying the modulation of protein phosphatase-1 (PP1) activity by PP1-disrupting peptides (PDPs), as well as their selectivity toward PP1, by using a combination of mass spectrometry-based experiments. By combining cellular treatment with the PDP with in vitro dephosphorylation by the enzyme, we identify high confidence substrate candidates and begin to separate direct and indirect effects. Together with experiments analyzing which holoenzymes are particularly susceptible to this treatment, we obtain insights into the effect of the modulator on the complex network of protein (de)phosphorylation. This strategy holds promise for enhancing our understanding of PP1 in particular and, due to the broad applicability of the workflow and the MS-based read-out, of chemical modulators with complex mode of action in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Hoermann
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | - Eva-Maria Dürr
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | - Christina Ludwig
- Chair of Proteomics and Bioanalytics, Technical University of Munich (TUM) Freising Germany
- Bavarian Center for Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry (BayBioMS), Technical University of Munich (TUM) Freising Germany
| | - Melda Ercan
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | - Maja Köhn
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
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Attias M, Piccirillo CA. The impact of Foxp3 + regulatory T-cells on CD8 + T-cell dysfunction in tumour microenvironments and responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Br J Pharmacol 2024. [PMID: 38325330 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been a breakthrough in cancer therapy, inducing durable remissions in responding patients. However, they are associated with variable outcomes, spanning from disease hyperprogression to complete responses with the onset of immune-related adverse events. The consequences of checkpoint inhibition on Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg ) cells remain unclear but could provide key insights into these variable outcomes. In this review, we first cover the mechanisms that underlie the development of hot and cold tumour microenvironments, which determine the efficacy of immunotherapy. We then outline how differences in tumour-intrinsic immunogenicity, T-cell trafficking, local metabolic environments and inhibitory checkpoint signalling differentially impair CD8+ T-cell function in tumour microenvironments, all the while promoting Treg -cell suppressive activity. Finally, we focus on the mechanisms that enable the induction of polyfunctional CD8+ T-cells upon checkpoint blockade and discuss the role of ICI-induced Treg -cell reactivation in acquired resistance to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhaël Attias
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Centre of Excellence in Translational Immunology (CETI), The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Ciriaco A Piccirillo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Centre of Excellence in Translational Immunology (CETI), The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), Montréal, Québec, Canada
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Kwok HH, Yang J, Lam DCL. Breaking the Invisible Barriers: Unleashing the Full Potential of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Oncogene-Driven Lung Adenocarcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:2749. [PMID: 37345086 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15102749] [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: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid development of targeted therapy paved the way toward personalized medicine for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) harboring actionable genetic alternations including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (ALK) and c-ros oncogene 1 (ROS1) treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) incurred lesser treatment toxicity but better therapeutic responses compared with systemic chemotherapy. Angiogenesis inhibitors targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) have also shown an increase in overall survival (OS) for NSCLC patients. However, acquired resistance to these targeted therapies remains a major obstacle to long-term maintenance treatment for lung ADC patients. The emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) against programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) or programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) has changed the treatment paradigm for NSCLC tumors without actionable genetic alternations. Clinical studies have suggested, however, that there are no survival benefits with the combination of targeted therapy and ICIs. In this review, we will summarize and discuss the current knowledge on the tumor immune microenvironment and the dynamics of immune phenotypes, which could be crucial in extending the applicability of ICIs for this subpopulation of lung ADC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoi-Hin Kwok
- Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jiashuang Yang
- Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - David Chi-Leung Lam
- Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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