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Niveau C, Sosa Cuevas E, Saas P, Aspord C. Glycans in melanoma: Drivers of tumour progression but sweet targets to exploit for immunotherapy. Immunology 2024; 173:33-52. [PMID: 38742251 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13801] [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: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Aberrant glycosylation recently emerged as an unmissable hallmark of cancer progression in many cancers. In melanoma, there is growing evidence that the tumour 'glycocode' plays a major role in promoting cell proliferation, invasion, migration, but also dictates the nature of the immune infiltrate, which strongly affects immune cell function, and clinical outcome. Aberrant glycosylation patterns dismantle anti-tumour defence through interactions with lectins on immune cells, which are crucial to shape anti-tumour immunity but also to trigger immune evasion. The glycan/lectin axis represents a new immune subversion pathway that is exploited by melanoma to hijack immune cells and escape from immune control. In this review, we describe the glycosylation features of melanoma tumour cells, and further gather findings related to the role of glycosylation in melanoma tumour progression, deciphering in detail its impact on immunity. We also depict glycan-based strategies aiming at restoring a functional anti-tumour response in melanoma patients. Glycans/lectins emerge as key immune checkpoints with promising translational properties. Exploitation of these pathways could reshape potent anti-tumour immunity while impeding immunosuppressive circuits triggered by aberrant tumour glycosylation patterns, holding great promise for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Niveau
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team: Epigenetics, Immunity, Metabolism, Cell Signaling & Cancer, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
- Etablissement Français du Sang Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, R&D Laboratory, Grenoble, France
| | - Eleonora Sosa Cuevas
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team: Epigenetics, Immunity, Metabolism, Cell Signaling & Cancer, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
- Etablissement Français du Sang Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, R&D Laboratory, Grenoble, France
| | - Philippe Saas
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team: Epigenetics, Immunity, Metabolism, Cell Signaling & Cancer, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
- Etablissement Français du Sang Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, R&D Laboratory, Grenoble, France
| | - Caroline Aspord
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team: Epigenetics, Immunity, Metabolism, Cell Signaling & Cancer, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
- Etablissement Français du Sang Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, R&D Laboratory, Grenoble, France
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2
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Mohamed KA, Kruf S, Büll C. Putting a cap on the glycome: Dissecting human sialyltransferase functions. Carbohydr Res 2024; 544:109242. [PMID: 39167930 DOI: 10.1016/j.carres.2024.109242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 07/24/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Human glycans are capped with sialic acids and these nine-carbon sugars mediate many of the biological functions and interactions of glycans. Structurally diverse sialic acid caps mark human cells as self and they form the ligands for the Siglec immune receptors and other glycan-binding proteins. Sialic acids enable host interactions with the human microbiome and many human pathogens utilize sialic acids to infect host cells. Alterations in sialic acid-carrying glycans, sialoglycans, can be found in every major human disease including inflammatory conditions and cancer. Twenty sialyltransferase family members in the Golgi apparatus of human cells transfer sialic acids to distinct glycans and glycoconjugates. Sialyltransferases catalyze specific reactions to form unique sialoglycans or they have shared functions where multiple family members generate the same sialoglycan product. Moreover, some sialyltransferases compete for the same glycan substrate, but create different sialic acid caps. The redundant and competing functions make it difficult to understand the individual roles of the human sialyltransferases in biology and to reveal the specific contributions to pathobiological processes. Recent insights hint towards the existence of biosynthetic rules formed by the individual functions of sialyltransferases, their interactions, and cues from the local Golgi environment that coordinate sialoglycan biosynthesis. In this review, we discuss the current structural and functional understanding of the human sialyltransferase family and we review recent technological advances that enable the dissection of individual sialyltransferase activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khadra A Mohamed
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Faculty of Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Stijn Kruf
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Faculty of Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Christian Büll
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Faculty of Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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3
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Keisham S, Saito S, Kowashi S, Tateno H. Droplet-Based Glycan and RNA Sequencing for Profiling the Distinct Cellular Glyco-States in Single Cells. SMALL METHODS 2024; 8:e2301338. [PMID: 38164999 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202301338] [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: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Plate-based single-cell glycan and RNA sequencing (scGR-seq) is previously developed to realize the integrated analysis of glycome and transcriptome in single cells. However, the sample size is limited to only a few hundred cells. Here, a droplet-based scGR-seq is developed to address this issue by adopting a 10x Chromium platform to simultaneously profile ten thousand cells' glycome and transcriptome in single cells. To establish droplet-based scGR-seq, a comparative analysis of two distinct cell lines is performed: pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells and normal pancreatic duct cells. Droplet-based scGR-seq revealed distinct glycan profiles between the two cell lines that showed a strong correlation with the results obtained by flow cytometry. Next, droplet-based scGR-seq is applied to a more complex sample: peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) containing various immune cells. The method can systematically map the glycan signature for each immune cell in PBMC as well as glycan alterations by cell lineage. Prediction of the association between the glycan expression and the gene expression using regression analysis ultimately leads to the identification of a glycan epitope that impacts cellular functions. In conclusion, the droplet-based scGR-seq realizes the high-throughput profiling of the distinct cellular glyco-states in single cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunanda Keisham
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, Multicellular System Regulation Research Group, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 6, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8566, Japan
- Ph.D. Program in Human Biology, School of Integrative and Global Majors, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8566, Japan
| | - Sayoko Saito
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, Multicellular System Regulation Research Group, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 6, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8566, Japan
| | - Satori Kowashi
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, Multicellular System Regulation Research Group, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 6, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8566, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Tateno
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, Multicellular System Regulation Research Group, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 6, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8566, Japan
- Ph.D. Program in Human Biology, School of Integrative and Global Majors, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8566, Japan
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4
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Boelaars K, Rodriguez E, Huinen ZR, Liu C, Wang D, Springer BO, Olesek K, Goossens-Kruijssen L, van Ee T, Lindijer D, Tak W, de Haas A, Wehry L, Nugteren-Boogaard JP, Mikula A, de Winde CM, Mebius RE, Tuveson DA, Giovannetti E, Bijlsma MF, Wuhrer M, van Vliet SJ, van Kooyk Y. Pancreatic cancer-associated fibroblasts modulate macrophage differentiation via sialic acid-Siglec interactions. Commun Biol 2024; 7:430. [PMID: 38594506 PMCID: PMC11003967 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06087-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite recent advances in cancer immunotherapy, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unresponsive due to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, which is characterized by the abundance of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Once identified, CAF-mediated immune inhibitory mechanisms could be exploited for cancer immunotherapy. Siglec receptors are increasingly recognized as immune checkpoints, and their ligands, sialic acids, are known to be overexpressed by cancer cells. Here, we unveil a previously unrecognized role of sialic acid-containing glycans on PDAC CAFs as crucial modulators of myeloid cells. Using multiplex immunohistochemistry and transcriptomics, we show that PDAC stroma is enriched in sialic acid-containing glycans compared to tumor cells and normal fibroblasts, and characterized by ST3GAL4 expression. We demonstrate that sialic acids on CAF cell lines serve as ligands for Siglec-7, -9, -10 and -15, distinct from the ligands on tumor cells, and that these receptors are found on myeloid cells in the stroma of PDAC biopsies. Furthermore, we show that CAFs drive the differentiation of monocytes to immunosuppressive tumor-associated macrophages in vitro, and that CAF sialylation plays a dominant role in this process compared to tumor cell sialylation. Collectively, our findings unravel sialic acids as a mechanism of CAF-mediated immunomodulation, which may provide targets for immunotherapy in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Boelaars
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ernesto Rodriguez
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Zowi R Huinen
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Chang Liu
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pulmonary Medicine, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Di Wang
- Leiden University Medical Center, Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Babet O Springer
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Katarzyna Olesek
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Goossens-Kruijssen
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas van Ee
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dimitri Lindijer
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Willemijn Tak
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aram de Haas
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laetitia Wehry
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joline P Nugteren-Boogaard
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aleksandra Mikula
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Charlotte M de Winde
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Reina E Mebius
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Elisa Giovannetti
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Medical Oncology, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Pharmacology Lab, AIRC Start-Up Unit, Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza, Pisa, Italy
| | - Maarten F Bijlsma
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory for Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology, Meibergdreef 9, 1105AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Manfred Wuhrer
- Leiden University Medical Center, Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sandra J van Vliet
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yvette van Kooyk
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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5
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Rodriguez E, Lindijer DV, van Vliet SJ, Garcia Vallejo JJ, van Kooyk Y. The transcriptional landscape of glycosylation-related genes in cancer. iScience 2024; 27:109037. [PMID: 38384845 PMCID: PMC10879703 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109037] [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: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Changes in glycosylation patterns have been associated with malignant transformation and clinical outcomes in several cancer types, prompting ongoing research into the mechanisms involved and potential clinical applications. In this study, we performed an extensive transcriptomic analysis of glycosylation-related genes and pathways, using publicly available bulk and single cell transcriptomic datasets from tumor samples and cancer cell lines. We identified genes and pathways strongly associated with different tumor types, which may represent novel diagnostic biomarkers. By using single cell RNA-seq data, we characterized the contribution of different cell types to the overall tumor glycosylation. Transcriptomic analysis of cancer cell lines revealed that they present a simplified landscape of genes compared to tissue. Lastly, we describe the association of different genes and pathways with the clinical outcome of patients. These results can serve as a resource for future research aimed to unravel the role of the glyco-code in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernesto Rodriguez
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dimitri V. Lindijer
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sandra J. van Vliet
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Juan J. Garcia Vallejo
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Yvette van Kooyk
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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6
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Boelaars K, Goossens-Kruijssen L, Wang D, de Winde CM, Rodriguez E, Lindijer D, Springer B, van der Haar Àvila I, de Haas A, Wehry L, Boon L, Mebius RE, van Montfoort N, Wuhrer M, den Haan JMM, van Vliet SJ, van Kooyk Y. Unraveling the impact of sialic acids on the immune landscape and immunotherapy efficacy in pancreatic cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007805. [PMID: 37940346 PMCID: PMC10632901 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007805] [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] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest cancers. Despite the successful application of immune checkpoint blockade in a range of human cancers, immunotherapy in PDAC remains unsuccessful. PDAC is characterized by a desmoplastic, hypoxic and highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), where T-cell infiltration is often lacking (immune desert), or where T cells are located distant from the tumor islands (immune excluded). Converting the TME to an immune-inflamed state, allowing T-cell infiltration, could increase the success of immunotherapy in PDAC. METHOD In this study, we use the KPC3 subcutaneous PDAC mouse model to investigate the role of tumor-derived sialic acids in shaping the tumor immune landscape. A sialic acid deficient KPC3 line was generated by genetic knock-out of the CMAS (cytidine monophosphate N-acetylneuraminic acid synthetase) enzyme, a critical enzyme in the synthesis of sialic acid-containing glycans. The effect of sialic acid-deficiency on immunotherapy efficacy was assessed by treatment with anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and agonistic CD40. RESULT The absence of sialic acids in KPC3 tumors resulted in increased numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the TME, and reduced frequencies of CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) within the T-cell population. Importantly, CD8+ T cells were able to infiltrate the tumor islands in sialic acid-deficient tumors. These favorable alterations in the immune landscape sensitized sialic acid-deficient tumors to immunotherapy, which was ineffective in sialic acid-expressing KPC3 tumors. In addition, high expression of sialylation-related genes in human pancreatic cancer correlated with decreased CD8+ T-cell infiltration, increased presence of Tregs, and poorer survival probability. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate that tumor-derived sialic acids mediate T-cell exclusion within the PDAC TME, thereby impairing immunotherapy efficacy. Targeting sialic acids represents a potential strategy to enhance T-cell infiltration and improve immunotherapy outcomes in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Boelaars
- Molecular Cell Biology & Immunology, Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Goossens-Kruijssen
- Molecular Cell Biology & Immunology, Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Di Wang
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Charlotte M de Winde
- Molecular Cell Biology & Immunology, Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ernesto Rodriguez
- Molecular Cell Biology & Immunology, Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dimitri Lindijer
- Molecular Cell Biology & Immunology, Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Babet Springer
- Molecular Cell Biology & Immunology, Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Irene van der Haar Àvila
- Molecular Cell Biology & Immunology, Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aram de Haas
- Molecular Cell Biology & Immunology, Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laetitia Wehry
- Molecular Cell Biology & Immunology, Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Reina E Mebius
- Molecular Cell Biology & Immunology, Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nadine van Montfoort
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Manfred Wuhrer
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Joke M M den Haan
- Molecular Cell Biology & Immunology, Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sandra J van Vliet
- Molecular Cell Biology & Immunology, Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yvette van Kooyk
- Molecular Cell Biology & Immunology, Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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7
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Rajesh C, Radhakrishnan P. The (Sialyl) Tn antigen: Contributions to immunosuppression in gastrointestinal cancers. Front Oncol 2023; 12:1093496. [PMID: 36686742 PMCID: PMC9852904 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1093496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular signaling pathways are intricately regulated to maintain homeostasis. During cancer progression, these mechanisms are manipulated to become harmful. O-glycosylation, a crucial post-translational modification, is one such pathway that can lead to multiple isoforms of glycoproteins. The Tn (GalNAc-O-Ser/Thr) and Sialyl Tn (STn; Neu5Ac-GalNAc-O-Ser/Thr) antigens resulting from the incomplete synthesis of fully branched O-glycan chains on proteins contribute to disease progression in the pancreas and other gastrointestinal cancers. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a major constituent of tumors and a key modulator of their behavior. Multiple cellular and secretory components of the TME dictate the development and metastasis of tumors. Immune cells like macrophages, natural killer (NK) cells, dendritic cells, B and T lymphocytes are a part of the tumor "immune" microenvironment (TIME). The expression of the Tn and STn antigens on tumors has been found to regulate the function of these immune cells and alter their normal antitumor cytotoxic role. This is possible through multiple cell intrinsic and extrinsic signaling pathways, elaborated in this review. Studying the interaction between Tn/STn antigens and the TIME of gastrointestinal cancers can help develop better and more robust therapies that can counteract immunosuppressive mechanisms to sensitize these tumors to anticancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christabelle Rajesh
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Prakash Radhakrishnan
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
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8
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A roadmap for translational cancer glycoimmunology at single cell resolution. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2022; 41:143. [PMID: 35428302 PMCID: PMC9013178 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-022-02335-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells can evade immune responses by exploiting inhibitory immune checkpoints. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies based on anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies have been extensively explored over the recent years to unleash otherwise compromised anti-cancer immune responses. However, it is also well established that immune suppression is a multifactorial process involving an intricate crosstalk between cancer cells and the immune systems. The cancer glycome is emerging as a relevant source of immune checkpoints governing immunosuppressive behaviour in immune cells, paving an avenue for novel immunotherapeutic options. This review addresses the current state-of-the-art concerning the role played by glycans controlling innate and adaptive immune responses, while shedding light on available experimental models for glycoimmunology. We also emphasize the tremendous progress observed in the development of humanized models for immunology, the paramount contribution of advances in high-throughput single-cell analysis in this context, and the importance of including predictive machine learning algorithms in translational research. This may constitute an important roadmap for glycoimmunology, supporting careful adoption of models foreseeing clinical translation of fundamental glycobiology knowledge towards next generation immunotherapies.
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9
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Dworkin LA, Clausen H, Joshi HJ. Applying transcriptomics to studyglycosylation at the cell type level. iScience 2022; 25:104419. [PMID: 35663018 PMCID: PMC9156939 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The complex multi-step process of glycosylation occurs in a single cell, yet current analytics generally cannot measure the output (the glycome) of a single cell. Here, we addressed this discordance by investigating how single cell RNA-seq data can be used to characterize the state of the glycosylation machinery and metabolic network in a single cell. The metabolic network involves 214 glycosylation and modification enzymes outlined in our previously built atlas of cellular glycosylation pathways. We studied differential mRNA regulation of enzymes at the organ and single cell level, finding that most of the general protein and lipid oligosaccharide scaffolds are produced by enzymes exhibiting limited transcriptional regulation among cells. We predict key enzymes within different glycosylation pathways to be highly transcriptionally regulated as regulatable hotspots of the cellular glycome. We designed the Glycopacity software that enables investigators to extract and interpret glycosylation information from transcriptome data and define hotspots of regulation. RNA-seq can provide information on the glycosylation metabolic network state It is possible to readout glycosylation capacity from single cell RNA-seq data Genes regulating the biosynthesis of common glycan scaffolds show little regulation Key enzymes in the glycosylation network are predicted to be regulatable hotspots
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Affiliation(s)
- Leo Alexander Dworkin
- Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Henrik Clausen
- Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Hiren Jitendra Joshi
- Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
- Corresponding author
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Advances in the Immunomodulatory Properties of Glycoantigens in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14081854. [PMID: 35454762 PMCID: PMC9032556 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14081854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary This work reviews the role of aberrant glycosylation in cancer cells during tumour growth and spreading, as well as in immune evasion. The interaction of tumour-associated glycans with the immune system through C-type lectin receptors can favour immune escape but can also provide opportunities to develop novel tumour immunotherapy strategies. This work highlights the main findings in this area and spotlights the challenges that remain to be investigated. Abstract Aberrant glycosylation in tumour progression is currently a topic of main interest. Tumour-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACAs) are expressed in a wide variety of epithelial cancers, being both a diagnostic tool and a potential treatment target, as they have impact on patient outcome and disease progression. Glycans affect both tumour-cell biology properties as well as the antitumor immune response. It has been ascertained that TACAs affect cell migration, invasion and metastatic properties both when expressed by cancer cells or by their extracellular vesicles. On the other hand, tumour-associated glycans recognized by C-type lectin receptors in immune cells possess immunomodulatory properties which enable tumour growth and immune response evasion. Yet, much remains unknown, concerning mechanisms involved in deregulation of glycan synthesis and how this affects cell biology on a major level. This review summarises the main findings to date concerning how aberrant glycans influence tumour growth and immunity, their application in cancer treatment and spotlights of unanswered challenges remaining to be solved.
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