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Farhangnia P, Khorramdelazad H, Nickho H, Delbandi AA. Current and future immunotherapeutic approaches in pancreatic cancer treatment. J Hematol Oncol 2024; 17:40. [PMID: 38835055 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-024-01561-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a major cause of cancer-related death, but despondently, the outlook and prognosis for this resistant type of tumor have remained grim for a long time. Currently, it is extremely challenging to prevent or detect it early enough for effective treatment because patients rarely exhibit symptoms and there are no reliable indicators for detection. Most patients have advanced or spreading cancer that is difficult to treat, and treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy can only slightly prolong their life by a few months. Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of pancreatic cancer, yet its effectiveness is limited by the tumor's immunosuppressive and hard-to-reach microenvironment. First, this article explains the immunosuppressive microenvironment of pancreatic cancer and highlights a wide range of immunotherapy options, including therapies involving oncolytic viruses, modified T cells (T-cell receptor [TCR]-engineered and chimeric antigen receptor [CAR] T-cell therapy), CAR natural killer cell therapy, cytokine-induced killer cells, immune checkpoint inhibitors, immunomodulators, cancer vaccines, and strategies targeting myeloid cells in the context of contemporary knowledge and future trends. Lastly, it discusses the main challenges ahead of pancreatic cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooya Farhangnia
- Reproductive Sciences and Technology Research Center, Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Immunology Board for Transplantation and Cell-Based Therapeutics (ImmunoTACT), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Khorramdelazad
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Hamid Nickho
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali-Akbar Delbandi
- Reproductive Sciences and Technology Research Center, Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Chavanton A, Mialhe F, Abrey J, Baeza Garcia A, Garrido C. LAG-3 : recent developments in combinational therapies in cancer. Cancer Sci 2024. [PMID: 38702996 DOI: 10.1111/cas.16205] [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: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The study of anticancer immune responses and in particular the action of immune checkpoint inhibitors that overcome T cell inhibition has revolutionized metastatic patients' care. Unfortunately, many patients are resistant to these innovative immunotherapies. Over the last decade, several immune checkpoint inhibitors, currently available in the clinic, have been developed, such as anti-PD-1/PD-L1 or anti-CTLA-4. More recently, other immune checkpoints have been characterized, among them lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG-3). LAG-3 has been the subject of numerous therapeutic studies and may be involved in cancer-associated immune resistance phenomena. This review summarizes the latest knowledge on LAG-3 as an immunotherapeutic target, particularly in combination with standard or innovative therapies. Indeed, many studies are looking at combining LAG-3 inhibitors with chemotherapeutic, immunotherapeutic, radiotherapeutic treatments, or adoptive cell therapies to potentiate their antitumor effects and/or to overcome patients' resistance. We will particularly focus on the association therapies that are currently in phase III clinical trials and innovative combinations in preclinical phase. These new discoveries highlight the possibility of developing other types of therapeutic combinations currently unavailable in the clinic, which could broaden the therapeutic spectrum of personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aude Chavanton
- INSERM, UMR 1231, Laboratoire d'Excellence LipSTIC and « Equipe labellisée par la Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer », Dijon, France
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Flavie Mialhe
- INSERM, UMR 1231, Laboratoire d'Excellence LipSTIC and « Equipe labellisée par la Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer », Dijon, France
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Jimena Abrey
- INSERM, UMR 1231, Laboratoire d'Excellence LipSTIC and « Equipe labellisée par la Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer », Dijon, France
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Alvaro Baeza Garcia
- INSERM, UMR 1231, Laboratoire d'Excellence LipSTIC and « Equipe labellisée par la Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer », Dijon, France
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Carmen Garrido
- INSERM, UMR 1231, Laboratoire d'Excellence LipSTIC and « Equipe labellisée par la Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer », Dijon, France
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
- Center for Cancer Georges-François Leclerc, Dijon, France
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3
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Tang Q, Khvorova A. RNAi-based drug design: considerations and future directions. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2024; 23:341-364. [PMID: 38570694 PMCID: PMC11144061 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-024-00912-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
More than 25 years after its discovery, the post-transcriptional gene regulation mechanism termed RNAi is now transforming pharmaceutical development, proved by the recent FDA approval of multiple small interfering RNA (siRNA) drugs that target the liver. Synthetic siRNAs that trigger RNAi have the potential to specifically silence virtually any therapeutic target with unprecedented potency and durability. Bringing this innovative class of medicines to patients, however, has been riddled with substantial challenges, with delivery issues at the forefront. Several classes of siRNA drug are under clinical evaluation, but their utility in treating extrahepatic diseases remains limited, demanding continued innovation. In this Review, we discuss principal considerations and future directions in the design of therapeutic siRNAs, with a particular emphasis on chemistry, the application of informatics, delivery strategies and the importance of careful target selection, which together influence therapeutic success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Tang
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Department of Dermatology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Anastasia Khvorova
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
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Li G, Tanaka T, Ouchida T, Kaneko MK, Suzuki H, Kato Y. Cx 1Mab-1: A Novel Anti-mouse CXCR1 Monoclonal Antibody for Flow Cytometry. Monoclon Antib Immunodiagn Immunother 2024; 43:59-66. [PMID: 38593439 DOI: 10.1089/mab.2023.0031] [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] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The C-X-C motif chemokine receptor-1 (CXCR1) is a rhodopsin-like G-protein-coupled receptor, expressed on the cell surface of immune cells and tumors. CXCR1 interacts with some C-X-C chemokines, such as CXCL6, CXCL7, and CXCL8/interleukin-8, which are produced by various cells. Since CXCR1 is involved in several diseases including tumors and diabetes mellitus, drugs targeting CXCR1 have been developed. Therefore, the development of sensitive monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for CXCR1 has been desired for the diagnosis and treatment. This study established a novel anti-mouse CXCR1 (mCXCR1) mAb, Cx1Mab-1 (rat IgG1, kappa), using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening method. Cx1Mab-1 reacted with mCXCR1-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary-K1 (CHO/mCXCR1) and mCXCR1-overexpressed LN229 glioblastoma (LN229/mCXCR1) in flow cytometry. Cx1Mab-1 demonstrated a high binding affinity for CHO/mCXCR1 and LN229/mCXCR1 with a dissociation constant of 2.6 × 10-9 M and 2.1 × 10-8 M, respectively. Furthermore, Cx1Mab-1 could detect mCXCR1 by Western blot analysis. These results indicated that Cx1Mab-1 is useful for detecting mCXCR1, and provides a possibility for targeting mCXCR1-expressing cells in vivo experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanjie Li
- Department of Antibody Drug Development, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Tanaka
- Department of Antibody Drug Development, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Tsunenori Ouchida
- Department of Antibody Drug Development, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Mika K Kaneko
- Department of Antibody Drug Development, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Suzuki
- Department of Antibody Drug Development, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yukinari Kato
- Department of Antibody Drug Development, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
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Han HV, Efem R, Rosati B, Lu K, Maimouni S, Jiang YP, Montoya V, Van Der Velden A, Zong WX, Lin RZ. Propionyl-CoA carboxylase subunit B regulates anti-tumor T cells in a pancreatic cancer mouse model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.07.24.550301. [PMID: 37546948 PMCID: PMC10402106 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.24.550301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Most human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are not infiltrated with cytotoxic T cells and are highly resistant to immunotherapy. Over 90% of PDAC have oncogenic KRAS mutations, and phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) are direct effectors of KRAS. Our previous study demonstrated that ablation of Pik3ca in KPC (KrasG12D; Trp53R172H; Pdx1-Cre) pancreatic cancer cells induced host T cells to infiltrate and completely eliminate the tumors in a syngeneic orthotopic implantation mouse model. Now, we show that implantation of Pik3ca-/- KPC (named αKO) cancer cells induces clonal expansion of cytotoxic T cells infiltrating the pancreatic tumors. To identify potential molecules that can regulate the activity of these anti-tumor T cells, we conducted an in vivo genome-wide gene-deletion screen using αKO cells implanted in the mouse pancreas. The result shows that deletion of propionyl-CoA carboxylase subunit B gene (Pccb) in αKO cells (named p-αKO) leads to immune evasion, tumor progression and death of host mice. Surprisingly, p-αKO tumors are still infiltrated with clonally expanded CD8+ T cells but they are inactive against tumor cells. However, blockade of PD-L1/PD1 interaction reactivated these clonally expanded T cells infiltrating p-αKO tumors, leading to slower tumor progression and improve survival of host mice. These results indicate that Pccb can modulate the activity of cytotoxic T cells infiltrating some pancreatic cancers and this understanding may lead to improvement in immunotherapy for this difficult-to-treat cancer.
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Wang C, He W, Wang F, Yong H, Bo T, Yao D, Zhao Y, Pan C, Cao Q, Zhang S, Li M. Recent progress of non-linear topological structure polymers: synthesis, and gene delivery. J Nanobiotechnology 2024; 22:40. [PMID: 38280987 PMCID: PMC10821314 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-024-02299-6] [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: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Currently, many types of non-linear topological structure polymers, such as brush-shaped, star, branched and dendritic structures, have captured much attention in the field of gene delivery and nanomedicine. Compared with linear polymers, non-linear topological structural polymers offer many advantages, including multiple terminal groups, broad and complicated spatial architecture and multi-functionality sites to enhance gene delivery efficiency and targeting capabilities. Nevertheless, the complexity of their synthesis process severely hampers the development and applications of nonlinear topological polymers. This review aims to highlight various synthetic approaches of non-linear topological architecture polymers, including reversible-deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) including atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), nitroxide-mediated polymerization (NMP), reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, click chemistry reactions and Michael addition, and thoroughly discuss their advantages and disadvantages, as well as analyze their further application potential. Finally, we comprehensively discuss and summarize different non-linear topological structure polymers for genetic materials delivering performance both in vitro and in vivo, which indicated that topological effects and nonlinear topologies play a crucial role in enhancing the transfection performance of polymeric vectors. This review offered a promising guideline for the design and development of novel nonlinear polymers and facilitated the development of a new generation of polymer-based gene vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenfei Wang
- Department of Dermatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai, 201102, China.
| | - Wei He
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, 232000, Anhui, China
| | - Feifei Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Haiyang Yong
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, Shaanxi, China
| | - Tao Bo
- Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Dingjin Yao
- Shanghai EditorGene Technology Co., Ltd, Shanghai, 200000, China
| | - Yitong Zhao
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, 232000, Anhui, China
| | - Chaolan Pan
- Department of Dermatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai, 201102, China
| | - Qiaoyu Cao
- Department of Dermatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai, 201102, China
| | - Si Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research Ministry of Public Health, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Ming Li
- Department of Dermatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai, 201102, China.
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Li J, Meng Z, Cao Z, Lu W, Yang Y, Li Z, Lu S. ADGRE5-centered Tsurv model in T cells recognizes responders to neoadjuvant cancer immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1304183. [PMID: 38343549 PMCID: PMC10853338 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1304183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Neoadjuvant immunotherapy with anti-programmed death-1 (neo-antiPD1) has revolutionized perioperative methods for improvement of overall survival (OS), while approaches for major pathologic response patients' (MPR) recognition along with methods for overcoming non-MPR resistance are still in urgent need. Methods We utilized and integrated publicly-available immune checkpoint inhibitors regimens (ICIs) single-cell (sc) data as the discovery datasets, and innovatively developed a cell-communication analysis pipeline, along with a VIPER-based-SCENIC process, to thoroughly dissect MPR-responding subsets. Besides, we further employed our own non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) ICIs cohort's sc data for validation in-silico. Afterward, we resorted to ICIs-resistant murine models developed by us with multimodal investigation, including bulk-RNA-sequencing, Chip-sequencing and high-dimensional cytometry by time of flight (CYTOF) to consolidate our findings in-vivo. To comprehensively explore mechanisms, we adopted 3D ex-vivo hydrogel models for analysis. Furthermore, we constructed an ADGRE5-centered Tsurv model from our discovery dataset by machine learning (ML) algorithms for a wide range of tumor types (NSCLC, melanoma, urothelial cancer, etc.) and verified it in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) sc datasets. Results Through a meta-analysis of multimodal sequential sc sequencing data from pre-ICIs and post-ICIs, we identified an MPR-expanding T cells meta-cluster (MPR-E) in the tumor microenvironment (TME), characterized by a stem-like CD8+ T cluster (survT) with STAT5-ADGRE5 axis enhancement compared to non-MPR or pre-ICIs TME. Through multi-omics analysis of murine TME, we further confirmed the existence of survT with silenced function and immune checkpoints (ICs) in MPR-E. After verification of the STAT5-ADGRE5 axis of survT in independent ICIs cohorts, an ADGRE5-centered Tsurv model was then developed through ML for identification of MPR patients pre-ICIs and post-ICIs, both in TME and PBMCs, which was further verified in pan-cancer immunotherapy cohorts. Mechanistically, we unveiled ICIs stimulated ADGRE5 upregulation in a STAT5-IL32 dependent manner in a 3D ex-vivo system (3D-HYGTIC) developed by us previously, which marked Tsurv with better survival flexibility, enhanced stemness and potential cytotoxicity within TME. Conclusion Our research provides insights into mechanisms underlying MPR in neo-antiPD1 and a well-performed model for the identification of non-MPR.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Ziming Li
- Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shun Lu
- Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Luo W, Wen T, Qu X. Tumor immune microenvironment-based therapies in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: time to update the concept. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:8. [PMID: 38167055 PMCID: PMC10759657 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02935-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal solid tumors. The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) formed by interactions among cancer cells, immune cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF), and extracellular matrix (ECM) components drives PDAC in a more immunosuppressive direction: this is a major cause of therapy resistance and poor prognosis. In recent years, research has advanced our understanding of the signaling mechanism by which TIME components interact with the tumor and the evolution of immunophenotyping. Through revolutionary technologies such as single-cell sequencing, we have gone from simply classifying PDACs as "cold" and "hot" to a more comprehensive approach of immunophenotyping that considers all the cells and matrix components. This is key to improving the clinical efficacy of PDAC treatments. In this review, we elaborate on various TIME components in PDAC, the signaling mechanisms underlying their interactions, and the latest research into PDAC immunophenotyping. A deep understanding of these network interactions will contribute to the effective combination of TIME-based therapeutic approaches, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), adoptive cell therapy, therapies targeting myeloid cells, CAF reprogramming, and stromal normalization. By selecting the appropriate integrated therapies based on precise immunophenotyping, significant advances in the future treatment of PDAC are possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Luo
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China
- Key Laboratory of Anticancer Drugs and Biotherapy of Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China
- Clinical Cancer Research Center of Shenyang, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors, Ministry of Education, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China
| | - Ti Wen
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China.
- Key Laboratory of Anticancer Drugs and Biotherapy of Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China.
- Clinical Cancer Research Center of Shenyang, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors, Ministry of Education, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China.
| | - Xiujuan Qu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China.
- Key Laboratory of Anticancer Drugs and Biotherapy of Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China.
- Clinical Cancer Research Center of Shenyang, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors, Ministry of Education, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China.
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Peng J, Du Z, Sun Y, Zhou Z. A combined analysis of multi-omics data reveals the prognostic values and immunotherapy response of LAG3 in human cancers. Eur J Med Res 2023; 28:604. [PMID: 38115039 PMCID: PMC10729452 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-023-01583-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG3) is a highly anticipated immune checkpoint in the context of cancer, exerting regulatory control over immune cell proliferation and function to reinforce the advancement of cancers. However, the comprehensive functional analysis of LAG3 across various cancer types remains undisclosed; thus, this study aims to investigate the pan-cancer expression profile of LAG3. We have investigated the expression profile, prognostic significance, and genetic alterations of LAG3 in various cancers while elucidating its characteristic in immune response regulation. Our findings demonstrated that elevated LAG3 expression is significantly associated with favorable prognosis in patients with cutaneous melanoma (SKCM), and it may be a potential biomarker for SKCM. Furthermore, multiple immune algorithms have highlighted the important regulatory role of LAG3 for the tumor-infiltrating immune cells including CD8 + T cells, B cells, dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, and natural killer (NK) cells. We also examined the distribution of LAG3 at the single-cell level and explored its functional significance. A comprehensive and systematic analysis of LAG3 would facilitate a comprehensive evaluation of LAG3 in cancer biology and provide valuable insights for cancer management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinwu Peng
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Changde Hospital, Changde, 415000, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Zhihao Du
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Yuwei Sun
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Zhiyang Zhou
- Department of Breast Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
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10
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Boumelha J, Molina-Arcas M, Downward J. Facts and Hopes on RAS Inhibitors and Cancer Immunotherapy. Clin Cancer Res 2023; 29:5012-5020. [PMID: 37581538 PMCID: PMC10722141 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-3655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
Although the past decade has seen great strides in the development of immunotherapies that reactivate the immune system against tumors, there have also been major advances in the discovery of drugs blocking oncogenic drivers of cancer growth. However, there has been very little progress in combining immunotherapies with drugs that target oncogenic driver pathways. Some of the most important oncogenes in human cancer encode RAS family proteins, although these have proven challenging to target. Recently drugs have been approved that inhibit a specific mutant form of KRAS: G12C. These have improved the treatment of patients with lung cancer harboring this mutation, but development of acquired drug resistance after initial responses has limited the impact on overall survival. Because of the immunosuppressive nature of the signaling network controlled by oncogenic KRAS, targeted KRAS G12C inhibition can indirectly affect antitumor immunity, and does so without compromising the critical role of normal RAS proteins in immune cells. This serves as a rationale for combination with immune checkpoint blockade, which can provide additional combinatorial therapeutic benefit in some preclinical cancer models. However, in clinical trials, combination of KRAS G12C inhibitors with PD-(L)1 blockade has yet to show improved outcome, in part due to treatment toxicities. A greater understanding of how oncogenic KRAS drives immune evasion and how mutant-specific KRAS inhibition impacts the tumor microenvironment can lead to novel approaches to combining RAS inhibition with immunotherapies.
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Du HX, Wang H, Ma XP, Chen H, Dai AB, Zhu KX. Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α kinase 2 in pancreatic cancer: An approach towards managing clinical prognosis and molecular immunological characterization. Oncol Lett 2023; 26:478. [PMID: 37818134 PMCID: PMC10561166 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2023.14066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Most patients with pancreatic cancer are already in the late stages of the disease when they are diagnosed, and pancreatic cancer is a deadly disease with a poor prognosis. With the advancement of research, immunotherapy has become a new focus in the treatment of tumors. To the best of our knowledge, there is currently no reliable diagnostic or prognostic marker for pancreatic cancer; therefore, the present study investigated the potential of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α kinase 2 (EIF2AK2) as a predictive and diagnostic marker for pancreatic cancer. Immunohistochemical staining of clinical samples independently verified that EIF2AK2 expression was significantly higher in clinically operated pancreatic cancer tissues than in adjacent pancreatic tissues., and EIF2AK2 expression and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using downloadable RNA sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Genomic Tumor Expression Atlas. In addition, Gene Ontology/Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses and immune cell infiltration were used for functional enrichment analysis of EIF2AK2-associated DEGs. The clinical importance of EIF2AK2 was also determined using Kaplan-Meier survival, Cox regression and time-dependent survival receiver operating characteristic curve analyses, and a predictive nomogram model was generated. Finally, the functional role of EIF2AK2 was assessed in PANC-1 cells using a short hairpin RNA-EIF2AK2 knockdown approach, including CCK-8, wound healing assay, cell cycle and apoptosis assays. The findings suggested that EIF2AK2 may have potential as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for patients with pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, EIF2AK2 may provide a new therapeutic target for patients with pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao-Xuan Du
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
| | - Hu Wang
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Peng Ma
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
| | - Hao Chen
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
| | - Ai-Bin Dai
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
| | - Ke-Xiang Zhu
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
- Department of General Surgery, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine of Gansu Province, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
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Goswami S, Raychaudhuri D, Singh P, Natarajan SM, Chen Y, Poon C, Hennessey M, Tannir AJ, Zhang J, Anandhan S, Kerrigan BP, Macaluso MD, He Z, Jindal S, Lang FF, Basu S, Sharma P. Myeloid-specific KDM6B inhibition sensitizes glioblastoma to PD1 blockade. NATURE CANCER 2023; 4:1455-1473. [PMID: 37653141 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-023-00620-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) tumors are enriched in immune-suppressive myeloid cells and are refractory to immune checkpoint therapy (ICT). Targeting epigenetic pathways to reprogram the functional phenotype of immune-suppressive myeloid cells to overcome resistance to ICT remains unexplored. Single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analyses of human GBM tumors demonstrated high expression of an epigenetic enzyme-histone 3 lysine 27 demethylase (KDM6B)-in intratumoral immune-suppressive myeloid cell subsets. Importantly, myeloid cell-specific Kdm6b deletion enhanced proinflammatory pathways and improved survival in GBM tumor-bearing mice. Mechanistic studies showed that the absence of Kdm6b enhances antigen presentation, interferon response and phagocytosis in myeloid cells by inhibition of mediators of immune suppression including Mafb, Socs3 and Sirpa. Further, pharmacological inhibition of KDM6B mirrored the functional phenotype of Kdm6b-deleted myeloid cells and enhanced anti-PD1 efficacy. This study thus identified KDM6B as an epigenetic regulator of the functional phenotype of myeloid cell subsets and a potential therapeutic target for enhanced response to ICT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangeeta Goswami
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- James P. Allison Institute, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Deblina Raychaudhuri
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Pratishtha Singh
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Seanu Meena Natarajan
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yulong Chen
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Candice Poon
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mercedes Hennessey
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Aminah J Tannir
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jan Zhang
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Swetha Anandhan
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Marc D Macaluso
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Zhong He
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sonali Jindal
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Frederick F Lang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sreyashi Basu
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Padmanee Sharma
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- James P. Allison Institute, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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13
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Han J, Xu J, Liu Y, Liang S, LaBella KA, Chakravarti D, Spring DJ, Xia Y, DePinho RA. Stromal-derived NRG1 enables oncogenic KRAS bypass in pancreas cancer. Genes Dev 2023; 37:818-828. [PMID: 37775182 PMCID: PMC10621596 DOI: 10.1101/gad.351037.123] [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: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Activating KRAS mutations (KRAS*) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) drive anabolic metabolism and support tumor maintenance. KRAS* inhibitors show initial antitumor activity followed by recurrence due to cancer cell-intrinsic and immune-mediated paracrine mechanisms. Here, we explored the potential role of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in enabling KRAS* bypass and identified CAF-derived NRG1 activation of cancer cell ERBB2 and ERBB3 receptor tyrosine kinases as a mechanism by which KRAS*-independent growth is supported. Genetic extinction or pharmacological inhibition of KRAS* resulted in up-regulation of ERBB2 and ERBB3 expression in human and murine models, which prompted cancer cell utilization of CAF-derived NRG1 as a survival factor. Genetic depletion or pharmacological inhibition of ERBB2/3 or NRG1 abolished KRAS* bypass and synergized with KRASG12D inhibitors in combination treatments in mouse and human PDAC models. Thus, we found that CAFs can contribute to KRAS* inhibitor therapy resistance via paracrine mechanisms, providing an actionable therapeutic strategy to improve the effectiveness of KRAS* inhibitors in PDAC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jincheng Han
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Jiaqian Xu
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, Division of Diagnostic Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Yonghong Liu
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Shaoheng Liang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Kyle A LaBella
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Deepavali Chakravarti
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Denise J Spring
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Yan Xia
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Ronald A DePinho
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA;
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14
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Shao RN, Bai KH, Huang QQ, Chen SL, Huang X, Dai YJ. A novel prognostic prediction model of cuprotosis-related genes signature in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1180625. [PMID: 37608927 PMCID: PMC10440422 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1180625] [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: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Cuprotosis is a recently discovered copper-dependent cell death mechanism that relies on mitochondrial respiration. However, the role of cuprotosis-related genes (CRGs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and their prognostic significances remain unknown. Methods: Based on the recently published CRGs, the LASSO Cox regression analysis was applied to construct a CRGs risk model using the gene expression data from the International Cancer Genome Consortium as a training set, followed by validation with datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE14520). Functional enrichment analysis of the CRGs was performed by single-sample gene set enrichment analysis. Results: Five of the 13 previously published CRGs were identified to be associated with prognosis in HCC. Kaplan-Meier analysis suggested that patients with high-risk scores have a shorter overall survival time than patients with low-risk scores. ROC curves indicated that the average AUC was more than 0.7, even at 4 years, and at least 0.5 at 5 years. Moreover, addition of this CRG risk score can significantly improve the efficiency of predicting overall survival compared to using traditional factors alone. Functional analysis demonstrated increased presence of Treg cells in patients with high-risk scores, suggesting a suppressed immune state in these patients. Finally, we point to the possibility that novel immunotherapies such as inhibitors of PDCD1, TIGIT, IDO1, CD274, CTLA4, and LAG3 may have potential benefits in high-risk patients. Conclusion: We constructed a better prognostic model for liver cancer by using CRGs. The CRG risk score established in this study can serve as a potentially valuable tool for predicting clinical outcome of patients with HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruo-Nan Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Hematologic Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kun-Hao Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Endoscopy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qian-Qian Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Hematologic Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Si-Liang Chen
- Department of Hematology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xin Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Pancreatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Jun Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Hematologic Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
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15
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Liu S, Li F, Ma Q, Du M, Wang H, Zhu Y, Deng L, Gao W, Wang C, Liu Y, Zhao Z, Liu H, Wang R, Tian Y, Hu M, Wan Y, Lu W, Zhang M, Zhao M, Cao Y, Zhang H, Wang W, Wang H, Wang Y. OX40L-Armed Oncolytic Virus Boosts T-cell Response and Remodels Tumor Microenvironment for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment. Theranostics 2023; 13:4016-4029. [PMID: 37554264 PMCID: PMC10405835 DOI: 10.7150/thno.83495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale: The resistance of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) to immunotherapies is caused by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and dense extracellular matrix. Currently, the efficacy of an isolated strategy targeting stromal desmoplasia or immune cells has been met with limited success in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Oncolytic virus (OV) therapy can remodel the TME and damage tumor cells either by directly killing them or by enhancing the anti-tumor immune response, which holds promise for the treatment of PDAC. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of OX40L-armed OV on PDAC and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Murine OX40L was inserted into herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) to construct OV-mOX40L. Its expression and function were assessed using reporter cells, cytopathic effect, and immunogenic cell death assays. The efficacy of OV-mOX40L was then evaluated in a KPC syngeneic mouse model. Tumor-infiltrating immune and stromal cells were analyzed using flow cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing to gain insight into the mechanisms of oncolytic virotherapy. Results: OV-mOX40L treatment delayed tumor growth in KPC tumor-bearing C57BL/6 mice. It also boosted the tumor-infiltrating CD4+ T cell response, mitigated cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) exhaustion, and reduced the number of regulatory T cells. The treatment of OV-mOX40L reprogrammed macrophages and neutrophils to a more pro-inflammatory anti-tumor state. In addition, the number of myofibroblastic cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) was reduced after treatment. Based on single-cell sequencing analysis, OV-mOX40L, in combination with anti-IL6 and anti-PD-1, significantly extended the lifespan of PDAC mice. Conclusion: OV-mOX40L converted the immunosuppressive tumor immune microenvironment to a more activated state, remodeled the stromal matrix, and enhanced T cell response. OV-mOX40L significantly prolonged the survival of PDAC mice, either as a monotherapy or in combination with synergistic antibodies. Thus, this study provides a multimodal therapeutic strategy for pancreatic cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of life science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- CNBG-Nankai University Joint Research and Development Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Fan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of life science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- CNBG-Nankai University Joint Research and Development Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Qiongqiong Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of life science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- CNBG-Nankai University Joint Research and Development Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Mingjuan Du
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haoran Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of life science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yiping Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of life science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- CNBG-Nankai University Joint Research and Development Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Li Deng
- CNBG-Nankai University Joint Research and Development Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenrui Gao
- CNBG-Nankai University Joint Research and Development Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Chunlei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of life science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- CNBG-Nankai University Joint Research and Development Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Yanqin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of life science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- CNBG-Nankai University Joint Research and Development Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhuoqian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of life science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Huanzhen Liu
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruikun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of life science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yujie Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of life science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- CNBG-Nankai University Joint Research and Development Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Manli Hu
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yajuan Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of life science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenyi Lu
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Mingfeng Zhao
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Youjia Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of life science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Hongkai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of life science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- CNBG-Nankai University Joint Research and Development Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Wang
- CNBG-Nankai University Joint Research and Development Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of life science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- CNBG-Nankai University Joint Research and Development Center, Tianjin, China
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16
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Daunke T, Beckinger S, Rahn S, Krüger S, Heckl S, Schäfer H, Wesch D, Pilarsky C, Eckstein M, Hartmann A, Röcken C, Wandmacher AM, Sebens S. Expression and role of the immune checkpoint regulator PD-L1 in the tumor-stroma interplay of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1157397. [PMID: 37449210 PMCID: PMC10337136 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1157397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), e.g., targeting programmed cell death protein 1-ligand 1 (PD-L1) or its receptor PD-1, have markedly improved the therapy of many cancers but so far failed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Macrophages represent one of the most abundant immune cell populations within the tumor microenvironment (TME) of PDAC being able to either support or restrain tumor progression depending on their phenotype. To better understand treatment failure of PD-L1/PD-1 inhibitors in PDAC, this study examined PD-L1 expression in the context of a dynamic TME in PDAC with a particular focus on the impact of macrophages. Methods Formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded tissue samples of primary PDAC tissues and corresponding liver metastases were used for immunohistochemical analyses. Serial sections were stained with antibodies detecting Pan-Cytokeratin, CD68, CD163, CD8, and PD-L1.To investigate whether the PD-1/PD-L1 axis and macrophages contribute to immune escape of PDAC cells, a stroma enriched 3D spheroid coculture model was established in vitro, using different PDAC cell lines and macrophages subtypes as well as CD8+ T cells. Functional and flow cytometry analyses were conducted to characterize cell populations. Results Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that PD-L1 is mainly expressed by stroma cells, including macrophages and not PDAC cells in primary PDAC tissues and corresponding liver metastases. Notably, high local abundance of macrophages and strong PD-L1 staining were commonly found at invasion fronts of tumoral lesions between CD8+ T cells and tumor cells. In order to investigate whether PD-L1 expressing macrophages impact the response of PDAC cells to treatment with PD-L1/PD-1 inhibitors, we developed a spheroid model comprising two different PDAC cell lines and different ratios of in vitro differentiated primary M1- or M2-like polarized macrophages. In line with our in situ findings, high PD-L1 expression was observed in macrophages rather than PDAC cells, which was further increased by the presence of PDAC cells. The effector phenotype of co-cultured CD8+ T cells exemplified by expression of activation markers and release of effector molecules was rather enhanced by PDAC macrophage spheroids, particularly with M1-like macrophages compared to mono-culture spheroids. However, this was not associated with enhanced PDAC cell death. ICI treatment with either Durvalumab or Pembrolizumab alone or in combination with Gemcitabine hardly affected the effector phenotype of CD8+ T cells along with PDAC cell death. Thus, despite strong PD-L1 expression in macrophages, ICI treatment did not result in an enhanced activation and cytotoxic phenotype of CD8+ T cells. Conclusion Overall, our study revealed novel insights into the interplay of PDAC cells and macrophages in the presence of ICI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Daunke
- Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, Kiel University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Silje Beckinger
- Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, Kiel University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Sascha Rahn
- Biochemical Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Sandra Krüger
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Steffen Heckl
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Heiner Schäfer
- Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, Kiel University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Daniela Wesch
- Institute of Immunology, Kiel University and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Kiel, Germany
| | - Christian Pilarsky
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Markus Eckstein
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Arndt Hartmann
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Christoph Röcken
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Anna Maxi Wandmacher
- Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, Kiel University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Susanne Sebens
- Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, Kiel University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
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17
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Pan S, Zhao W, Li Y, Ying Z, Luo Y, Wang Q, Li X, Lu W, Dong X, Wu Y, Wu X. Prediction of risk and overall survival of pancreatic cancer from blood soluble immune checkpoint-related proteins. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1189161. [PMID: 37256126 PMCID: PMC10225568 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1189161] [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: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Immune checkpoint inhibition holds promise as a novel treatment for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The clinical significance of soluble immune checkpoint (ICK) related proteins have not yet fully explored in PDAC. Methods We comprehensively profiled 14 soluble ICK-related proteins in plasma in 70 PDAC patients and 70 matched healthy controls. Epidemiological data of all subjects were obtained through structured interviews, and patients' clinical data were retrieved from electronical health records. We evaluated the associations between the biomarkers with the risk of PDAC using unconditional multivariate logistic regression. Consensus clustering (k-means algorithm) with significant biomarkers was performed to identify immune subtypes in PDAC patients. Prediction models for overall survival (OS) in PDAC patients were developed using multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression. Harrell's concordance index (C-index), time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration curve were utilized to evaluate performance of prediction models. Gene expressions of the identified ICK-related proteins in tumors from TCGA were analyzed to provide insight into underlying mechanisms. Results Soluble BTLA, CD28, CD137, GITR and LAG-3 were significantly upregulated in PDAC patients (all q < 0.05), and elevation of each of them was correlated with PDAC increased risk (all p < 0.05). PDAC patients were classified into soluble immune-high and soluble immune-low subtypes, using these 5 biomarkers. Patients in soluble immune-high subtype had significantly poorer OS than those in soluble immune-low subtype (log-rank p = 9.7E-03). The model with clinical variables and soluble immune subtypes had excellent predictive power (C-index = 0.809) for the OS of PDAC patients. Furthermore, the immune subtypes identified with corresponding genes' expression in PDAC tumor samples in TCGA showed an opposite correlation with OS to that of immune subtypes based on blood soluble ICK-related proteins (log-rank p =0.02). The immune-high subtype tumors displayed higher cytolytic activity (CYT) score than immune-low subtype tumors (p < 2E-16). Conclusion Five soluble ICK-related proteins were identified to be significantly associated with the risk and prognosis of PDAC. Patients who were classified as soluble immune-low subtype based on these biomarkers had better overall survival than those of the soluble immune-high subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Pan
- Center for Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Big Data, The Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wenting Zhao
- Center for Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Big Data, The Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yizhan Li
- Center for Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Big Data, The Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhijun Ying
- Center for Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Big Data, The Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yihong Luo
- Center for Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Big Data, The Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qinchuan Wang
- Center for Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Big Data, The Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The Affiliated Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiawei Li
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wenjie Lu
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xin Dong
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yulian Wu
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xifeng Wu
- Center for Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Big Data, The Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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18
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Menjivar RE, Nwosu ZC, Du W, Donahue KL, Hong HS, Espinoza C, Brown K, Velez-Delgado A, Yan W, Lima F, Bischoff A, Kadiyala P, Salas-Escabillas D, Crawford HC, Bednar F, Carpenter E, Zhang Y, Halbrook CJ, Lyssiotis CA, Pasca di Magliano M. Arginase 1 is a key driver of immune suppression in pancreatic cancer. eLife 2023; 12:e80721. [PMID: 36727849 PMCID: PMC10260021 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
An extensive fibroinflammatory stroma rich in macrophages is a hallmark of pancreatic cancer. In this disease, it is well appreciated that macrophages are immunosuppressive and contribute to the poor response to immunotherapy; however, the mechanisms of immune suppression are complex and not fully understood. Immunosuppressive macrophages are classically defined by the expression of the enzyme Arginase 1 (ARG1), which we demonstrated is potently expressed in pancreatic tumor-associated macrophages from both human patients and mouse models. While routinely used as a polarization marker, ARG1 also catabolizes arginine, an amino acid required for T cell activation and proliferation. To investigate this metabolic function, we used a genetic and a pharmacologic approach to target Arg1 in pancreatic cancer. Genetic inactivation of Arg1 in macrophages, using a dual recombinase genetically engineered mouse model of pancreatic cancer, delayed formation of invasive disease, while increasing CD8+ T cell infiltration. Additionally, Arg1 deletion induced compensatory mechanisms, including Arg1 overexpression in epithelial cells, namely Tuft cells, and Arg2 overexpression in a subset of macrophages. To overcome these compensatory mechanisms, we used a pharmacological approach to inhibit arginase. Treatment of established tumors with the arginase inhibitor CB-1158 exhibited further increased CD8+ T cell infiltration, beyond that seen with the macrophage-specific knockout, and sensitized the tumors to anti-PD1 immune checkpoint blockade. Our data demonstrate that Arg1 drives immune suppression in pancreatic cancer by depleting arginine and inhibiting T cell activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa E Menjivar
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Zeribe C Nwosu
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Wenting Du
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Katelyn L Donahue
- Cancer Biology Program, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Hanna S Hong
- Department of Immunology, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Carlos Espinoza
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Kristee Brown
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Ashley Velez-Delgado
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Wei Yan
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Fatima Lima
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Allison Bischoff
- Cancer Biology Program, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Padma Kadiyala
- Department of Immunology, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
| | | | | | - Filip Bednar
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
- Rogel Cancer CenterAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Eileen Carpenter
- Rogel Cancer CenterAnn ArborUnited States
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterolog, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Yaqing Zhang
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
- Rogel Cancer CenterAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Christopher J Halbrook
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, IrvineIrvineUnited States
- Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, IrvineIrvineUnited States
| | - Costas A Lyssiotis
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
- Cancer Biology Program, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
- Rogel Cancer CenterAnn ArborUnited States
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterolog, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Marina Pasca di Magliano
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
- Cancer Biology Program, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
- Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer CenterDetroitUnited States
- Rogel Cancer CenterAnn ArborUnited States
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19
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Beckinger S, Daunke T, Aldag L, Krüger S, Heckl S, Wesch D, Schäfer H, Röcken C, Rahn S, Sebens S. Hepatic myofibroblasts exert immunosuppressive effects independent of the immune checkpoint regulator PD-L1 in liver metastasis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1160824. [PMID: 37207152 PMCID: PMC10189124 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1160824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) represents the 4th most common cause of cancer-related deaths in Western countries. Most patients are diagnosed at advanced stages, often already with metastases. The main site of metastasis is the liver and hepatic myofibroblasts (HMF) play a pivotal role in metastatic outgrowth. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) targeting programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) or programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) improved treatment of several cancers but not of PDAC. Therefore, this study aimed to better understand the impact of HMF on PD-L1 expression and immune evasion of PDAC cells during liver metastasis. Methods Formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded biopsy samples or diagnostic resection specimens from liver metastases of 15 PDAC patients were used for immunohistochemical analyses. Serial sections were stained with antibodies directed against Pan-Cytokeratin, αSMA, CD8, and PD-L1. To investigate whether the PD-1/PD-L1 axis and HMF contribute to immune escape of PDAC liver metastases, a stroma enriched 3D spheroid coculture model was established in vitro, using two different PDAC cell lines, HMF, and CD8+ T cells. Here, functional and flow cytometry analyses were conducted. Results Immunohistochemical analysis of liver tissue sections of PDAC patients revealed that HMF represent an abundant stroma population in liver metastases, with clear differences in the spatial distribution in small (1500 µm) and large (> 1500 μm) metastases. In the latter, PD-L1 expression was mainly located at the invasion front or evenly distributed, while small metastases either lacked PD-L1 expression or showed mostly weak expression in the center. Double stainings revealed that PD-L1 is predominantly expressed by stromal cells, especially HMF. Small liver metastases with no or low PD-L1 expression comprised more CD8+ T cells in the tumor center, while large metastases exhibiting stronger PD-L1 expression comprised less CD8+ T cells being mostly located at the invasion front. HMF-enriched spheroid cocultures with different ratios of PDAC cells and HMF well mimicking conditions of hepatic metastases in situ. Here, HMF impaired the release of effector molecules by CD8+ T cells and the induction of PDAC cell death, an effect that was dependent on the amount of HMF but also of PDAC cells. ICI treatment led to elevated secretion of distinct CD8+ T cell effector molecules but did not increase PDAC cell death under either spheroid condition. Conclusion Our findings indicate a spatial reorganization of HMF, CD8+ T cells, and PD-L1 expression during progression of PDAC liver metastases. Furthermore, HMF potently impair the effector phenotype of CD8+ T cells but the PD-L1/PD-1 axis apparently plays a minor role in this scenario suggesting that immune evasion of PDAC liver metastases relies on other immunosuppressive mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silje Beckinger
- Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, Kiel University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Tina Daunke
- Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, Kiel University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Leon Aldag
- Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, Kiel University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Sandra Krüger
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Steffen Heckl
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Daniela Wesch
- Institute of Immunology, Kiel University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Heiner Schäfer
- Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, Kiel University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Christoph Röcken
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Sascha Rahn
- Institute of Biochemistry, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Susanne Sebens
- Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, Kiel University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- *Correspondence: Susanne Sebens,
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