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Arulraj T, Wang H, Deshpande A, Varadhan R, Emens LA, Jaffee EM, Fertig EJ, Santa-Maria CA, Popel AS. Virtual patient analysis identifies strategies to improve the performance of predictive biomarkers for PD-1 blockade. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.21.595235. [PMID: 38826266 PMCID: PMC11142158 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.21.595235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) show variable responses to PD-1 inhibition. Efficient patient selection by predictive biomarkers would be desirable, but is hindered by the limited performance of existing biomarkers. Here, we leveraged in-silico patient cohorts generated using a quantitative systems pharmacology model of metastatic TNBC, informed by transcriptomic and clinical data, to explore potential ways to improve patient selection. We tested 90 biomarker candidates, including various cellular and molecular species, by a cutoff-based biomarker testing algorithm combined with machine learning-based feature selection. Combinations of pre-treatment biomarkers improved the specificity compared to single biomarkers at the cost of reduced sensitivity. On the other hand, early on-treatment biomarkers, such as the relative change in tumor diameter from baseline measured at two weeks after treatment initiation, achieved remarkably higher sensitivity and specificity. Further, blood-based biomarkers had a comparable ability to tumor- or lymph node-based biomarkers in identifying a subset of responders, potentially suggesting a less invasive way for patient selection.
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Chen X. From immune equilibrium to tumor ecodynamics. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1335533. [PMID: 38807760 PMCID: PMC11131381 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1335533] [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: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Objectives There is no theory to quantitatively describe the complex tumor ecosystem. At the same time, cancer immunotherapy is considered a revolution in oncology, but the methods used to describe tumors and the criteria used to evaluate efficacy are not keeping pace. The purpose of this study is to establish a new theory for quantitatively describing the tumor ecosystem, innovating the methods of tumor characterization, and establishing new efficacy evaluation criteria for cancer immunotherapy. Methods Based on the mathematization of immune equilibrium theory and the establishment of immunodynamics in a previous study, the method of reverse immunodynamics was used, namely, the immune braking force was regarded as the tumor ecological force and the immune force was regarded as the tumor ecological braking force, and the concept of momentum in physics was applied to the tumor ecosystem to establish a series of tumor ecodynamic equations. These equations were used to solve the fundamental and applied problems of the complex tumor ecosystem. Results A series of tumor ecodynamic equations were established. The tumor ecological momentum equations and their component factors could be used to distinguish disease progression, pseudoprogression, and hyperprogression in cancer immunotherapy. On this basis, the adjusted tumor momentum equations were established to achieve the equivalence of tumor activity (including immunosuppressive activity and metabolic activity) and tumor volume, which could be used to calculate individual disease remission rate and establish new efficacy evaluation criteria (ieRECIST) for immunotherapy of solid tumor based on tumor ecodynamics. At the same time, the concept of moving cube-to-force square ratio and its expression were proposed to calculate the area under the curve of tumor ecological braking force of blood required to achieve an individual disease remission rate when the adjusted tumor ecological momentum was known. Conclusions A new theory termed tumor ecodynamics emphasizing both tumor activity and tumor volume is established to solve a series of basic and applied problems in the complex tumor ecosystem. It can be predicted that the future will be the era of cancer immune ecotherapy that targets the entire tumor ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoping Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Center for Infection and Immunity, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- CAS Lamvac (Guangzhou) Biomedical Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, China
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Adhikarla V, Awuah D, Caserta E, Minnix M, Kuznetsov M, Krishnan A, Wong JYC, Shively JE, Wang X, Pichiorri F, Rockne RC. Designing combination therapies for cancer treatment: application of a mathematical framework combining CAR T-cell immunotherapy and targeted radionuclide therapy. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1358478. [PMID: 38698840 PMCID: PMC11063284 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1358478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cancer combination treatments involving immunotherapies with targeted radiation therapy are at the forefront of treating cancers. However, dosing and scheduling of these therapies pose a challenge. Mathematical models provide a unique way of optimizing these therapies. Methods Using a preclinical model of multiple myeloma as an example, we demonstrate the capability of a mathematical model to combine these therapies to achieve maximum response, defined as delay in tumor growth. Data from mice studies with targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT) and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell monotherapies and combinations with different intervals between them was used to calibrate mathematical model parameters. The dependence of progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and the time to minimum tumor burden on dosing and scheduling was evaluated. Different dosing and scheduling schemes were evaluated to maximize the PFS and optimize timings of TRT and CAR-T cell therapies. Results Therapy intervals that were too close or too far apart are shown to be detrimental to the therapeutic efficacy, as TRT too close to CAR-T cell therapy results in radiation related CAR-T cell killing while the therapies being too far apart result in tumor regrowth, negatively impacting tumor control and survival. We show that splitting a dose of TRT or CAR-T cells when administered in combination is advantageous only if the first therapy delivered can produce a significant benefit as a monotherapy. Discussion Mathematical models are crucial tools for optimizing the delivery of cancer combination therapy regimens with application along the lines of achieving cure, maximizing survival or minimizing toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikram Adhikarla
- Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Dennis Awuah
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Enrico Caserta
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Megan Minnix
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Maxim Kuznetsov
- Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Amrita Krishnan
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Jefferey Y. C. Wong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - John E. Shively
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Xiuli Wang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Flavia Pichiorri
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Russell C. Rockne
- Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, United States
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Valega-Mackenzie W, Rodriguez Messan M, Yogurtcu ON, Nukala U, Sauna ZE, Yang H. Dose optimization of an adjuvanted peptide-based personalized neoantigen melanoma vaccine. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1011247. [PMID: 38427689 PMCID: PMC10936818 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011247] [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] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The advancements in next-generation sequencing have made it possible to effectively detect somatic mutations, which has led to the development of personalized neoantigen cancer vaccines that are tailored to the unique variants found in a patient's cancer. These vaccines can provide significant clinical benefit by leveraging the patient's immune response to eliminate malignant cells. However, determining the optimal vaccine dose for each patient is a challenge due to the heterogeneity of tumors. To address this challenge, we formulate a mathematical dose optimization problem based on a previous mathematical model that encompasses the immune response cascade produced by the vaccine in a patient. We propose an optimization approach to identify the optimal personalized vaccine doses, considering a fixed vaccination schedule, while simultaneously minimizing the overall number of tumor and activated T cells. To validate our approach, we perform in silico experiments on six real-world clinical trial patients with advanced melanoma. We compare the results of applying an optimal vaccine dose to those of a suboptimal dose (the dose used in the clinical trial and its deviations). Our simulations reveal that an optimal vaccine regimen of higher initial doses and lower final doses may lead to a reduction in tumor size for certain patients. Our mathematical dose optimization offers a promising approach to determining an optimal vaccine dose for each patient and improving clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wencel Valega-Mackenzie
- Office of Biostatistics and Pharmacovigilance, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Marisabel Rodriguez Messan
- Office of Biostatistics and Pharmacovigilance, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Osman N. Yogurtcu
- Office of Biostatistics and Pharmacovigilance, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ujwani Nukala
- Office of Biostatistics and Pharmacovigilance, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Zuben E. Sauna
- Office of Therapeutic Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Hong Yang
- Office of Biostatistics and Pharmacovigilance, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
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Smieja J. Mathematical Modeling Support for Lung Cancer Therapy-A Short Review. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14516. [PMID: 37833963 PMCID: PMC10572824 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914516] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The paper presents a review of models that can be used to describe dynamics of lung cancer growth and its response to treatment at both cell population and intracellular processes levels. To address the latter, models of signaling pathways associated with cellular responses to treatment are overviewed. First, treatment options for lung cancer are discussed, and main signaling pathways and regulatory networks are briefly reviewed. Then, approaches used to model specific therapies are discussed. Following that, models of intracellular processes that are crucial in responses to therapies are presented. The paper is concluded with a discussion of the applicability of the presented approaches in the context of lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaroslaw Smieja
- Department of Systems Biology and Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, ul. Akademicka 16, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
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Han N, Liu Z. Targeting alternative splicing in cancer immunotherapy. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1232146. [PMID: 37635865 PMCID: PMC10450511 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1232146] [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: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor immunotherapy has made great progress in cancer treatment but still faces several challenges, such as a limited number of targetable antigens and varying responses among patients. Alternative splicing (AS) is an essential process for the maturation of nearly all mammalian mRNAs. Recent studies show that AS contributes to expanding cancer-specific antigens and modulating immunogenicity, making it a promising solution to the above challenges. The organoid technology preserves the individual immune microenvironment and reduces the time/economic costs of the experiment model, facilitating the development of splicing-based immunotherapy. Here, we summarize three critical roles of AS in immunotherapy: resources for generating neoantigens, targets for immune-therapeutic modulation, and biomarkers to guide immunotherapy options. Subsequently, we highlight the benefits of adopting organoids to develop AS-based immunotherapies. Finally, we discuss the current challenges in studying AS-based immunotherapy in terms of existing bioinformatics algorithms and biological technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Han
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaoqi Liu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Limeta A, Gatto F, Herrgård MJ, Ji B, Nielsen J. Leveraging high-resolution omics data for predicting responses and adverse events to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:3912-3919. [PMID: 37602228 PMCID: PMC10432706 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.07.032] [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: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
A long-standing goal of personalized and precision medicine is to enable accurate prediction of the outcomes of a given treatment regimen for patients harboring a disease. Currently, many clinical trials fail to meet their endpoints due to underlying factors in the patient population that contribute to either poor responses to the drug of interest or to treatment-related adverse events. Identifying these factors beforehand and correcting for them can lead to an increased success of clinical trials. Comprehensive and large-scale data gathering efforts in biomedicine by omics profiling of the healthy and diseased individuals has led to a treasure-trove of host, disease and environmental factors that contribute to the effectiveness of drugs aiming to treat disease. With increasing omics data, artificial intelligence allows an in-depth analysis of big data and offers a wide range of applications for real-world clinical use, including improved patient selection and identification of actionable targets for companion therapeutics for improved translatability across more patients. As a blueprint for complex drug-disease-host interactions, we here discuss the challenges of utilizing omics data for predicting responses and adverse events in cancer immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The omics-based methodologies for improving patient outcomes as in the ICI case have also been applied across a wide-range of complex disease settings, exemplifying the use of omics for in-depth disease profiling and clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Limeta
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Francesco Gatto
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Göteborg, Sweden
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institute, 171 64 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Boyang Ji
- BioInnovation Institute, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Jens Nielsen
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Göteborg, Sweden
- BioInnovation Institute, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
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Cave J, Shinglot V, Butner JD, Cristini V, Ozpolat B, Calin GA, Dogra P, Wang Z. Mechanistic modeling of anti-microRNA-155 therapy combinations in lung cancer. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2023; 2023:1-4. [PMID: 38083518 DOI: 10.1109/embc40787.2023.10341114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
To improve treatment outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), it is crucial to identify treatment strategies with the potential to exhibit drug synergism. This can lower the required effective dose, reducing exposure to drugs and associated toxicities, while improving treatment efficacy. In previous studies, drugs targeting the microRNA-155 or PD-L1 have been promising in restraining NSCLC tumor growth. We have developed a mathematical model that simulates the in vivo pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the novel nanoparticle-delivered anti-microRNA-155 for potential use with standard-of-care drug atezolizumab for NSCLC. Through modeling and simulation, we identified possible drug synergism between the two drugs that holds promise to improve tumor response at reduced drug exposure.Clinical Relevance-Identifying the possibility of drug synergism for an anti-microRNA-155 based nanotherapeutic with standard-of-care immunotherapy to improve lung cancer treatment outcomes.
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Mc Laughlin AM, Yee C. Letter to the editor: Quality criteria for computational models predicting individual outcomes in CAR-T cell therapy. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:jitc-2023-006990. [PMID: 37094987 PMCID: PMC10152039 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-006990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Cassian Yee
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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