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Britton WR, Cioffi I, Stonebraker C, Spence M, Okolo O, Martin C, Henick B, Nakagawa H, Parikh AS. Advancements in TGF-β Targeting Therapies for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:3047. [PMID: 39272905 PMCID: PMC11394608 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16173047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2024] [Revised: 08/24/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth leading cause of cancer worldwide according to GLOBOCAN estimates from 2022. Current therapy options for recurrent or metastatic disease are limited to conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy and immunotherapy, with few targeted therapy options readily available. Recent single-cell transcriptomic analyses identified TGF-β signaling as an important mediator of functional interplays between cancer-associated fibroblasts and a subset of mesenchymal cancer cells. This signaling was shown to drive invasiveness, treatment resistance, and immune evasion. These data provide renewed interest in the TGF-β pathway as an alternative therapeutic target, prompting a critical review of previous clinical data which suggest a lack of benefit from TGF-β inhibitors. While preclinical data have demonstrated the great anti-tumorigenic potential of TGF-β inhibitors, the underwhelming results of ongoing and completed clinical trials highlight the difficulty actualizing these benefits into clinical practice. This topical review will discuss the relevant preclinical and clinical findings for TGF-β inhibitors in HNSCC and will explore the potential role of patient stratification in the development of this therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- William R Britton
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Isabel Cioffi
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Corinne Stonebraker
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Matthew Spence
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ogoegbunam Okolo
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Cecilia Martin
- Organoid and Cell Culture Core, Columbia University Digestive and Liver Diseases Research Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Brian Henick
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Hiroshi Nakagawa
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Organoid and Cell Culture Core, Columbia University Digestive and Liver Diseases Research Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Anuraag S Parikh
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
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Zhang L, Ren H, Wu Y, Xue L, Bai Y, Wei D, Wu Q. PRG4 represses the genesis and metastasis of osteosarcoma by inhibiting PDL1 expression. Tissue Cell 2024; 88:102409. [PMID: 38781792 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2024.102409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Osteosarcoma is originated from skeletal system. Recombinant human proteoglycan 4 (rhPRG4) can inhibit cell proliferation and migration in multiple cancers. This research is designed to dig out the role and mechanism of PRG4 in osteosarcoma. METHODS Human osteosarcoma cell lines, MG63 and 143B, were transfected with programmed death 1 (PD-L1) overexpression vectors and/or treated with 20, 50, and 100 μg/mL rhPRG4, followed by the determination of cell viability, colony formation, sphere formation, invasion, migration, apoptosis, and the expressions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), PD-L1 and apoptosis-related proteins. Tumor-bearing mouse models were constructed by injection of 143B cells and treatment of anti-PD-L1 antibody and/or adenovirus PRG4 (AdPRG4). Tumor volume was monitored, and immunohistochemical location of Ki67 was performed. Expressions of MMPs, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), PD-L1, and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins were measured in tumors. RESULTS RhPRG4 (20, 50, and 100 μg/mL) inhibited the viability, colony formation, sphere formation, invasion, migration, and the expressions of MMP2, MMP9 and Bcl2 in osteosarcoma cells, while promoting cell apoptosis as well as Bax and c-caspase3 expressions, at a dose-dependent manner; by contrast, PD-L1 overexpression reversed the above effects of 100 μg/mL rhPRG4. AdPRG4 or anti-PD-L1 antibody decreased tumor volume, number of pulmonary metastasis nodule, Ki67 location, and expressions of TGF-β, PD-L1, MMP2, MMP9, Vimentin, and Snail, but increased E-cadherin expression in tumor cells. Moreover, anti-PD-L1 antibody and AdPRG4 together functioned more effectively than them alone in reducing tumor burden. CONCLUSION PRG4 represses the genesis and metastasis of osteosarcoma via inhibiting PD-L1 expression, and AdPRG4 enhances the effectiveness of anti-PD-L1 therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China
| | - Hongwei Ren
- Department of Oncology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China
| | - Yanjuan Wu
- Department of Cardiothoracic surgery, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China
| | - Lili Xue
- Department of Oncology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China
| | - Yang Bai
- Department of Oncology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China
| | - Dong Wei
- Department of Oncology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China
| | - Qilong Wu
- Department of Oncology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China.
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Moore J, Gkantalis J, Guix I, Chou W, Yuen K, Lazar AA, Spitzer M, Combes AJ, Barcellos-Hoff MH. Lack of TGFβ signaling competency predicts immune poor cancer conversion to immune rich and response to checkpoint blockade. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.06.583752. [PMID: 38496519 PMCID: PMC10942434 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.06.583752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Background Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) is well-recognized as an immunosuppressive player in the tumor microenvironment but also has a significant impact on cancer cell phenotypes. Loss of TGFβ signaling impairs DNA repair competency, which is described by a transcriptomic score, βAlt. Cancers with high βAlt have more genomic damage and are more responsive to genotoxic therapy. The growing appreciation that cancer DNA repair deficits are important determinants of immune response prompted us to investigate the association of βAlt with response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). We predicted that high βAlt tumors would be infiltrated with lymphocytes because of DNA damage burden and hence responsive to ICB. Methods We analyzed public transcriptomic data from clinical trials and preclinical models using transcriptomic signatures of TGFβ targets, DNA repair genes, tumor educated immune cells and interferon. A high βAlt, immune poor mammary tumor derived transplant model resistant to programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibodies was studied using multispectral flow cytometry to interrogate the immune system. Results Metastatic bladder patients in IMvigor 210 who responded to ICB had significantly increased βAlt scores and experienced significantly longer overall survival compared to those with low βAlt scores (hazard ratio 0.62, P=0.011) . Unexpectedly, 75% of high βAlt cancers were immune poor as defined by low expression of tumor educated immune cell and interferon signatures. The association of high βAlt with immune poor cancer was also evident in TCGA and preclinical cancer models. We used a high βAlt, immune poor cancer to test therapeutic strategies to overcome its inherent anti-PD-L1 resistance. Combination treatment with radiation and TGFβ inhibition were necessary for lymphocytic infiltration and activated NK cells were required for ICB response. Bioinformatic analysis identified high βAlt, immune poor B16 and CT26 preclinical models and paired biopsies of cancer patients that also demonstrated NK cell activation upon response to ICB. Conclusions Our studies support βAlt as a biomarker that predicts response to ICB albeit in immune poor cancers, which has implications for the development of therapeutic strategies to increase the number of cancer patients who will benefit from immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade Moore
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jim Gkantalis
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ines Guix
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - William Chou
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kobe Yuen
- Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ann A Lazar
- Division of Oral Epidemiology and Division of Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mathew Spitzer
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Department of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, CA USA
- A member of the imCORE Network
| | - Alexis J Combes
- Department of Pathology, CoLabs, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mary Helen Barcellos-Hoff
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- A member of the imCORE Network
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Nguyen KA, DePledge LN, Bian L, Ke Y, Samedi V, Berning AA, Owens P, Wang XJ, Young CD. Polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase gamma are critical to tobacco-mimicking oral carcinogenesis in mice. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007110. [PMID: 37734878 PMCID: PMC10514604 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007110] [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: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a devastating disease most often associated with tobacco consumption that induces a field of mutations from which a tumor arises. Identification of ways to prevent the emergence of cancer in high-risk patients is an ultimate goal for combatting all types of cancer, including OSCC. METHODS Our study employs a mouse model of tongue carcinogenesis induced by tobacco carcinogen mimetic, 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO), to establish tongue dysplasia and OSCC. We use conventional histology, immunohistochemistry, multispectral imaging, mass cytometry, novel cell lines, pharmaceutical inhibition of PI3Kγ, T-cell suppression assays and mouse transplant models in our functional experimentation. RESULTS In our study, we identify Ly6G+ granulocytes as the most abundant immune cell type in a model of tongue carcinogenesis induced by tobacco carcinogen mimetic 4NQO. Targeting Ly6G+ granulocytes with a pharmacologic inhibitor of PI3Kγ, an isoform of PI3K exclusively expressed by myeloid cells, resulted in reduced tongue dysplasia severity, and reduced rates of OSCC. Importantly, we performed functional assays with the Ly6G+ granulocytes induced in cell line models of 4NQO carcinogenesis to demonstrate that these granulocytes have increased polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSC) activity against T-cell proliferation and these PMN-MDSCs play a functional role in promoting tumor formation by inhibiting tumor regression in a PI3Kγ-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our data suggest that recruitment of PMN-MDSCs to sites of dysplasia is critical to immune suppression of CD8 T cells, thereby permitting malignancy, and PI3Kγ inhibitors are one mechanism to reduce PMN-MDSC recruitment, immunosuppression and tumorigenesis in OSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khoa A Nguyen
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Lisa N DePledge
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Li Bian
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Yao Ke
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Von Samedi
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Amber A Berning
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Philip Owens
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Xiao-Jing Wang
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Christian D Young
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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Li X, Ke Y, Hernandez AL, Yu J, Bian L, Hall SC, Nolan K, Wang JH, Young CD, Wang XJ. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-activated Cxcr2 signaling in myeloid cells promotes TGFβ-dependent squamous cell carcinoma lung metastasis. Cancer Lett 2023; 570:216330. [PMID: 37524225 PMCID: PMC10530117 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) activity is linked to metastasis in many cancer types, but whether TGFβ activity is necessary for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) lung metastasis has not been studied. Here we used a lung metastatic SCC model derived from keratin 15 (K15). KrasG12D.Smad4-/- SCC and human SCC specimens to identify metastasis drivers and test therapeutic interventions. We demonstrated that a TGFβ receptor (TGFβR) inhibitor reduced lung metastasis in mouse SCC correlating with reduced CD11b+/Ly6G+ myeloid cells positive for inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Further, TGFβ activity and iNOS were higher in primary human oral SCCs with metastasis than SCCs without metastasis. Consistently, either depleting myeloid cells with anti-Gr1 antibody or inhibiting iNOS with L-N6-(1-iminoethyl)-l-lysine (L-NIL) reduced SCC lung metastasis. L-NIL treated tumor-bearing mice exhibited reductions in tumor-infiltrating myeloid cells and in plasma Cxcl5 levels, and attenuated primary tumor growth with increased apoptosis and decreased proliferation. Blocking Cxcl5 with an antagonist of its receptor Cxcr2, SB225002, also reduced SCC lung metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Li
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, PR China; Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Yao Ke
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Ariel L Hernandez
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Jingjing Yu
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Li Bian
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Spencer C Hall
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Kyle Nolan
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Jing H Wang
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA; UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Christian D Young
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
| | - Xiao-Jing Wang
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA; Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA.
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Benavente S. Remodeling the tumor microenvironment to overcome treatment resistance in HPV-negative head and neck cancer. CANCER DRUG RESISTANCE (ALHAMBRA, CALIF.) 2023; 6:291-313. [PMID: 37457128 PMCID: PMC10344731 DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2022.141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Despite intensive efforts and refined techniques, overall survival in HPV-negative head and neck cancer remains poor. Robust immune priming is required to elicit a strong and durable antitumor immune response in immunologically cold and excluded tumors like HPV-negative head and neck cancer. This review highlights how the tumor microenvironment could be affected by different immune and stromal cell types, weighs the need to integrate metabolic regulation of the tumor microenvironment into cancer treatment strategies and summarizes the emerging clinical applicability of personalized immunotherapeutic strategies in HPV-negative head and neck cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergi Benavente
- Correspondence to: Dr. Sergi Benavente, Department of Radiation Oncology, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Passeig Vall d’Hebron 119, Barcelona 08035, Spain. E-mail:
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7
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Mortezaee K, Majidpoor J. Transforming growth factor-β signalling in tumour resistance to the anti-PD-(L)1 therapy: Updated. J Cell Mol Med 2023; 27:311-321. [PMID: 36625080 PMCID: PMC9889687 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.17666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Low frequency of durable responses in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) demands for taking complementary strategies in order to boost immune responses against cancer. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a multi-tasking cytokine that is frequently expressed in tumours and acts as a critical promoter of tumour hallmarks. TGF-β promotes an immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment (TME) and defines a bypass mechanism to the ICI therapy. A number of cells within the stroma of tumour are influenced from TGF-β activity. There is also evidence of a relation between TGF-β with programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression within TME, and it influences the efficacy of anti-programmed death-1 receptor (PD-1) or anti-PD-L1 therapy. Combination of TGF-β inhibitors with anti-PD(L)1 has come to the promising outcomes, and clinical trials are under way in order to use agents with bifunctional capacity and fusion proteins for bonding TGF-β traps with anti-PD-L1 antibodies aiming at reinvigorating immune responses and promoting persistent responses against advanced stage cancers, especially tumours with immunologically cold ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keywan Mortezaee
- Department of Anatomy, School of MedicineKurdistan University of Medical SciencesSanandajIran
| | - Jamal Majidpoor
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Research CenterGonabad University of Medical SciencesGonabadIran
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8
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Aleman J, Young CD, Karam SD, Wang XJ. Revisiting laminin and extracellular matrix remodeling in metastatic squamous cell carcinoma: What have we learned after more than four decades of research? Mol Carcinog 2023; 62:5-23. [PMID: 35596706 PMCID: PMC9676410 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23417] [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: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) have significantly lower survival upon the development of distant metastases. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a consistent yet dynamic influence on the metastatic capacity of SCCs. The ECM encompasses a milieu of structural proteins, signaling molecules, and enzymes. Just over 40 years ago, the fibrous ECM glycoprotein laminin was identified. Roughly four decades of research have revealed a pivotal role of laminins in metastasis. However, trends in ECM alterations in some cancers have been applied broadly to all metastatic diseases, despite evidence that these characteristics vary by tumor type. We will summarize how laminins influence the SCC metastatic process exclusively. Enhanced laminin protein deposition occurs at the invasive edge of SCC tumors, which correlates with elevated levels of laminin-binding β1 integrins on SCC cells, increased MMP-3 presence, worse prognosis, and lymphatic dissemination. Although these findings are significant, gaps in knowledge of the formation of a premetastatic niche, the processes of intra- and extravasation, and the contributions of the ECM to SCC metastatic cell dormancy persist. Bridging these gaps requires novel in vitro systems and animal models that reproduce tumor-stromal interactions and spontaneous metastasis seen in the clinic. These advances will allow accurate assessment of laminins to predict responders to transforming growth factor-β inhibitors and immunotherapy, as well as potential combinatorial therapies with the standard of care. Such clinical interventions may drastically improve quality of life and patient survival by explicitly targeting SCC metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Aleman
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Christian D. Young
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Sana D. Karam
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Xiao-Jing Wang
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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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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10
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Metropulos AE, Munshi HG, Principe DR. The difficulty in translating the preclinical success of combined TGFβ and immune checkpoint inhibition to clinical trial. EBioMedicine 2022; 86:104380. [PMID: 36455409 PMCID: PMC9706619 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the treatment paradigm for solid tumors. However, even in cancers generally considered ICI-sensitive, responses can vary significantly. Thus, there is an ever-increasing interest in identifying novel means of improving therapeutic responses, both for cancers in which ICIs are indicated and those for which they have yet to show significant anti-tumor activity. To this end, Transforming Growth Factor β (TGFβ) signaling is emerging as an important barrier to the efficacy of ICIs. Accordingly, several preclinical studies now support the use of combined TGFβ and immune checkpoint blockade, with near-uniform positive results across a wide range of tumor types. However, as these approaches have started to emerge in clinical trials, the addition of TGFβ inhibitors has often failed to show a meaningful benefit beyond the current generation of ICIs alone. Here, we summarize landmark clinical studies exploring combined TGFβ and immune checkpoint blockade. These studies not only reinforce the difficulty in translating results from rodents to clinical trials in immune-oncology but also underscore the need to re-evaluate the design of trials exploring this approach, incorporating both mechanism-driven combination strategies and novel, predictive biomarkers to identify the patients most likely to derive clinical benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hidayatullah G Munshi
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
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John J, Woolaver RA, Popolizio V, Chen SMY, Ge H, Krinsky AL, Vashisht M, Kramer Y, Chen Z, Wang JH. Divergent outcomes of anti-PD-L1 treatment coupled with host-intrinsic differences in TCR repertoire and distinct T cell activation states in responding versus non-responding tumors. Front Immunol 2022; 13:992630. [PMID: 36330507 PMCID: PMC9624473 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.992630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Differential responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) may be attributed to tumor-intrinsic factors or environmental cues; however, these mechanisms cannot fully explain the variable ICI responses in different individuals. Here, we investigate the potential contribution of immunological heterogeneity with a focus on differences in T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire to ICI responses, which has not been defined previously. To reveal additional factors underlying heterogeneous responses to ICI, we employed a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) mouse model in which tumor-bearing recipients unambiguously diverged into responders (R) or non-responders (NR) upon anti-PD-L1 treatment. Treatment efficacy absolutely required CD8 T-cells and correlated positively with effector functions of CD8 tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). We showed that TCR repertoires exhibited a similar magnitude of clonal expansion in R vs. NR CD8 TILs. However, the top expanded TCR clonotypes appeared to be mutually exclusive between R and NR CD8 TILs, which also occurred in a recipient-specific manner, demonstrating preferential expansion of distinct TCR clonotypes against the same SCC tumor. Unexpectedly, R vs. NR CD8 TILs reached all activation clusters and did not exhibit substantial global differences in transcriptomes. By linking single-cell transcriptomic data with unique TCR clonotypes, CD8 TILs harboring top TCR clonotypes were found to occupy distinct activation clusters and upregulate genes favoring anti-tumor immunity to different extents in R vs. NR. We conclude that stochastic differences in CD8 TIL TCR repertoire and distinct activation states of top TCR clonotypes may contribute to differential anti-PD-L1 responses. Our study suggests that host-intrinsic immunological heterogeneity may offer a new explanation for differential ICI responses in different individuals, which could impact on strategies for personalized cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessy John
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Hillman Cancer Center, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Rachel A. Woolaver
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Vince Popolizio
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Samantha M. Y. Chen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Huaibin Ge
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Hillman Cancer Center, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Alexandra L. Krinsky
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Monika Vashisht
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Hillman Cancer Center, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Yonatan Kramer
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Zhangguo Chen
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Hillman Cancer Center, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Jing H. Wang
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Hillman Cancer Center, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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12
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Chen Z, John J, Wang JH. Why responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors are heterogeneous in head and neck cancers: Contributions from tumor-intrinsic and host-intrinsic factors. Front Oncol 2022; 12:995434. [PMID: 36330485 PMCID: PMC9623029 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.995434] [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: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer treatment including in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs); however, only a fraction of HNSCC patients respond to ICI, whereas the majority fail to do so. The mechanisms underlying such variable responses remain incompletely understood. A better understanding of such mechanisms may broaden the spectrum of responding patients and enhance the rate of ICI response. HNSCCs exhibit a high level of genetic heterogeneity, manifested as mutations or amplifications of oncogenes (e.g., PIK3CA) and mutations of tumor suppressor genes (e.g., TP53). The immune tumor microenvironment (TME) of HNSCCs also varies significantly in composition and in relative abundance of distinct immune subsets such as CD8 tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) or tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which represents a high degree of immunological heterogeneity. Here, we briefly discuss how heterogeneous ICI responses may be attributed to tumor-intrinsic factors, including genetic, transcriptional, and functional variations in tumor cells, and host-intrinsic factors, including cellular composition of the TME (e.g., CD8 TILs and TAMs), and host-intrinsic differences in the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire of CD8 TILs. We also discuss the potential impact of these factors on designing strategies for personalized immunotherapy of HNSCCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhangguo Chen
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Jessy John
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Jing H. Wang
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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Strait AA, Wang XJ. Setting up clinical trials for success: Applying preclinical advances in combined TGFβ/PD-L1 inhibition to ongoing clinical studies. Mol Carcinog 2022; 61:239-242. [PMID: 34793609 PMCID: PMC8799489 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Combined TGFβ/PD-L1 inhibition is currently undergoing clinical trials in multiple cancer types. The early reported clinical trials of bintrafusp alfa, a bifunctional fusion protein targeting both of these pathways, have had mixed results. Here, we briefly review recent preclinical advances that can be used to refine these ongoing clinical trials and improve their outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander A. Strait
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Xiao-Jing Wang
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA,Veterans Affairs Medical Center, VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
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14
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Gulley JL, Schlom J, Barcellos-Hoff MH, Wang XJ, Seoane J, Audhuy F, Lan Y, Dussault I, Moustakas A. Dual inhibition of TGF-β and PD-L1: a novel approach to cancer treatment. Mol Oncol 2021; 16:2117-2134. [PMID: 34854206 PMCID: PMC9168966 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) initiate signaling pathways with complementary, nonredundant immunosuppressive functions in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In the TME, dysregulated TGF-β signaling suppresses antitumor immunity and promotes cancer fibrosis, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and angiogenesis. Meanwhile, PD-L1 expression inactivates cytotoxic T cells and restricts immunosurveillance in the TME. Anti-PD-L1 therapies have been approved for the treatment of various cancers, but TGF-β signaling in the TME is associated with resistance to these therapies. In this Review, we discuss the importance of the TGF-β and PD-L1 pathways in cancer, as well as clinical strategies using combination therapies that block these pathways separately or approaches with dual-targeting agents (bispecific and bifunctional immunotherapies) that may block them simultaneously. Currently, the furthest developed dual-targeting agent is bintrafusp alfa. This drug is a first-in-class bifunctional fusion protein that consists of the extracellular domain of the TGF-βRII receptor (a TGF-β "trap") fused to a human immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) monoclonal antibody blocking PD-L1. Given the immunosuppressive effects of the TGF-β and PD-L1 pathways within the TME, colocalized and simultaneous inhibition of these pathways may potentially improve clinical activity and reduce toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- James L Gulley
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jeffrey Schlom
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Xiao-Jing Wang
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Joan Seoane
- ICREA, Vall D'Hebron Institute of Oncology, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, CIBERONC, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Yan Lan
- EMD Serono, Billerica, MA, USA
| | - Isabelle Dussault
- EMD Serono, Billerica, MA, USA.,Current affiliation: Fusion Pharmaceuticals, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aristidis Moustakas
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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