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James JL, Taylor BC, Axelrod ML, Sun X, Guerin LN, Gonzalez-Ericsson PI, Wang Y, Sanchez V, Fahey CC, Sanders ME, Xu Y, Hodges E, Johnson DB, Balko JM. Polycomb repressor complex 2 suppresses interferon-responsive MHC-II expression in melanoma cells and is associated with anti-PD-1 resistance. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007736. [PMID: 38315170 PMCID: PMC10660662 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the remarkable success of immunotherapy in treating melanoma, understanding of the underlying mechanisms of resistance remains limited. Emerging evidence suggests that upregulation of tumor-specific major histocompatibility complex-II (tsMHC-II) serves as a predictive marker for the response to anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) therapy in various cancer types. The genetic and epigenetic pathways modulating tsMHC-II expression remain incompletely characterized. Here, we provide evidence that polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2)/EZH2 signaling and resulting H3K27 hypermethylation suppresses tsMHC-II. METHODS RNA sequencing data from tumor biopsies from patients with cutaneous melanoma treated with or without anti-PD-1, targeted inhibition assays, and assays for transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing were used to observe the relationship between EZH2 inhibition and interferon (IFN)-γ inducibility within the MHC-II pathway. RESULTS We find that increased EZH2 pathway messenger RNA (mRNA) expression correlates with reduced mRNA expression of both presentation and T-cell genes. Notably, targeted inhibition assays revealed that inhibition of EZH2 influences the expression dynamics and inducibility of the MHC-II pathway following IFN-γ stimulation. Additionally, our analysis of patients with metastatic melanoma revealed a significant inverse association between PRC2-related gene expression and response to anti-PD-1 therapy. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our findings demonstrate that EZH2 inhibition leads to enhanced MHC-II expression potentially resulting from improved chromatin accessibility at CIITA, the master regulator of MHC-II. These insights shed light on the molecular mechanisms involved in tsMHC-II suppression and highlight the potential of targeting EZH2 as a therapeutic strategy to improve immunotherapy efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamaal L James
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Brandie C Taylor
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Margaret L Axelrod
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Xiaopeng Sun
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Lindsey N Guerin
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Paula I Gonzalez-Ericsson
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Breast Cancer Research Program, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Violeta Sanchez
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Catherine C Fahey
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Hematology/Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Melinda E Sanders
- Breast Cancer Research Program, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Yaomin Xu
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Emily Hodges
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Douglas B Johnson
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Justin M Balko
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Breast Cancer Research Program, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Lv M, Guo S, Zhang X, Zou Y, Chen Q, Zang C, Huang S, Hu Y, Wang Y, Wang Q, Zhong J. Attenuated Salmonella-delivered PD-1 siRNA enhances the antitumor effects of EZH2 inhibitors in colorectal cancer. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 124:110918. [PMID: 37708707 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.110918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has made significant progress in the treatment of malignant tumors. However, strategies to combine immunotherapy with anticancer drugs have attracted great attention due to the low response rate and unique toxicity profile of immunotherapies and the subsequent development of acquired resistance in some initial responders. EZH2, a histone methyl transferase subunit of a Polycomb repressor complex,is highly expressed in a variety of tumors, and targeting EZH2 has become a new strategy for tumor therapy and drug combination. Here,we studied the effect of EZH2 inhibitors on colorectal cancer cells and their combination with immunotherapy. Our results demonstrated that EZH2 inhibitors can not only significantly inhibit the survival of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and induce apoptosis, effectively inhibit cell invasion and migration, but also cause an increase in the expression of PD-L1 receptors on the cell surface. To determine the effect of EZH2 in combination with immunotherapy, we combine EZH2 inhibitors with PD-1 siRNA delivered by attenuated Salmonella. The vivo experiments have shown that the combination of EZH2 inhibitors and Salmonella-delivered PD-1 siRNA can further inhibit the development of CRC, trigger effective anti-tumor immunity, and improve therapeutic efficacy. Its underlying mechanisms mainly involve synergistic immunomodulation and apoptosis. This study suggests an emerging strategy based on a combination of EZH2 inhibitor and immunotherapy based on PD-1 inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengmeng Lv
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China; Department of Pathology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Sheng Guo
- Institute of Precision Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China, Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Tumor Vaccine and Immunotherapy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Xinyu Zhang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China; Department of Pathology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Yan Zou
- Department of Pathology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Qiang Chen
- Department of Pathology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Chongyi Zang
- Department of Pathology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Shuo Huang
- Department of Pathology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Yuhan Hu
- Department of Pathology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Yanling Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Qianqing Wang
- Department of Gynecology, Xinxiang Central Hospital, The Fourth Clinical College of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China.
| | - Jiateng Zhong
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China; Department of Pathology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China; Department of Gynecology, Xinxiang Central Hospital, The Fourth Clinical College of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China.
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Hegde M, Kumar A, Girisa S, Alqahtani MS, Abbas M, Goel A, Hui KM, Sethi G, Kunnumakkara AB. Exosomal noncoding RNA-mediated spatiotemporal regulation of lipid metabolism: Implications in immune evasion and chronic inflammation. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2023; 73:114-134. [PMID: 37419767 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2023.06.001] [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: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
The hallmark of chronic inflammatory diseases is immune evasion. Successful immune evasion involves numerous mechanisms to suppress both adaptive and innate immune responses. Either direct contact between cells or paracrine signaling triggers these responses. Exosomes are critical drivers of these interactions and exhibit both immunogenic and immune evasion properties during the development and progression of various chronic inflammatory diseases. Exosomes carry diverse molecular cargo, including lipids, proteins, and RNAs that are crucial for immunomodulation. Moreover, recent studies have revealed that exosomes and their cargo-loaded molecules are extensively involved in lipid remodeling and metabolism during immune surveillance and disease. Many studies have also shown the involvement of lipids in controlling immune cell activities and their crucial upstream functions in regulating inflammasome activation, suggesting that any perturbation in lipid metabolism results in abnormal immune responses. Strikingly, the expanded immunometabolic reprogramming capacities of exosomes and their contents provided insights into the novel mechanisms behind the prophylaxis of inflammatory diseases. By summarizing the tremendous therapeutic potential of exosomes, this review emphasizes the role of exosome-derived noncoding RNAs in regulating immune responses through the modulation of lipid metabolism and their promising therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mangala Hegde
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
| | - Aviral Kumar
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
| | - Sosmitha Girisa
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
| | - Mohammed S Alqahtani
- Radiological Sciences Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia; BioImaging Unit, Space Research Centre, Michael Atiyah Building, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Mohamed Abbas
- Electrical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia; Computers and communications Department College of Engineering Delta University for Science and Technology, Gamasa 35712, Egypt
| | - Akul Goel
- California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Kam Man Hui
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Research, Humphrey Oei Institute of Cancer Research, National Cancer Centre, Singapore 169610, Singapore
| | - Gautam Sethi
- Department of Pharmacology and NUS Centre for Cancer Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117600, Singapore.
| | - Ajaikumar B Kunnumakkara
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India.
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Shi Y, Shin DS. Dysregulation of SWI/SNF Chromatin Remodelers in NSCLC: Its Influence on Cancer Therapies including Immunotherapy. Biomolecules 2023; 13:984. [PMID: 37371564 DOI: 10.3390/biom13060984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Molecularly targeted therapeutics and immunotherapy revolutionized the clinical care of NSCLC patients. However, not all NSCLC patients harbor molecular targets (e.g., mutated EGFR), and only a subset benefits from immunotherapy. Moreover, we are lacking reliable biomarkers for immunotherapy, although PD-L1 expression has been mainly used for guiding front-line therapeutic options. Alterations of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeler occur commonly in patients with NSCLC. This subset of NSCLC tumors tends to be undifferentiated and presents high heterogeneity in histology, and it shows a dismal prognosis because of poor response to the current standard therapies. Catalytic subunits SMARCA4/A2 and DNA binding subunits ARID1A/ARID1B/ARID2 as well as PBRM1 were identified to be the most commonly mutated subunits of SWI/SNF complexes in NSCLC. Mechanistically, alteration of these SWI/SNF subunits contributes to the tumorigenesis of NSCLC through compromising the function of critical tumor suppressor genes, enhancing oncogenic activity as well as impaired DNA repair capacity related to genomic instability. Several vulnerabilities of NSCLCS with altered SWI/SNF subunits were detected and evaluated clinically using EZH2 inhibitors, PROTACs of mutual synthetic lethal paralogs of the SWI/SNF subunits as well as PARP inhibitors. The response of NSCLC tumors with an alteration of SWI/SNF to ICIs might be confounded by the coexistence of mutations in genes capable of influencing patients' response to ICIs. High heterogenicity in the tumor with SWI/SNF deficiency might also be responsible for the seemingly conflicting results of ICI treatment of NSCLC patients with alterations of SWI/SNF. In addition, an alteration of each different SWI/SNF subunit might have a unique impact on the response of NSCLC with deficient SWI/SNF subunits. Prospective studies are required to evaluate how the alterations of the SWI/SNF in the subset of NSCLC patients impact the response to ICI treatment. Finally, it is worthwhile to point out that combining inhibitors of other chromatin modulators with ICIs has been proven to be effective for the treatment of NSCLC with deficient SWI/SNF chromatin remodelers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijiang Shi
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA
| | - Daniel Sanghoon Shin
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA
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Chen F, Byrd AL, Liu J, Flight RM, DuCote TJ, Naughton KJ, Song X, Edgin AR, Lukyanchuk A, Dixon DT, Gosser CM, Esoe DP, Jayswal RD, Orkin SH, Moseley HNB, Wang C, Brainson CF. Polycomb deficiency drives a FOXP2-high aggressive state targetable by epigenetic inhibitors. Nat Commun 2023; 14:336. [PMID: 36670102 PMCID: PMC9859827 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35784-x] [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: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibitors of the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) histone methyltransferase EZH2 are approved for certain cancers, but realizing their wider utility relies upon understanding PRC2 biology in each cancer system. Using a genetic model to delete Ezh2 in KRAS-driven lung adenocarcinomas, we observed that Ezh2 haplo-insufficient tumors were less lethal and lower grade than Ezh2 fully-insufficient tumors, which were poorly differentiated and metastatic. Using three-dimensional cultures and in vivo experiments, we determined that EZH2-deficient tumors were vulnerable to H3K27 demethylase or BET inhibitors. PRC2 loss/inhibition led to de-repression of FOXP2, a transcription factor that promotes migration and stemness, and FOXP2 could be suppressed by BET inhibition. Poorly differentiated human lung cancers were enriched for an H3K27me3-low state, representing a subtype that may benefit from BET inhibition as a single therapy or combined with additional EZH2 inhibition. These data highlight diverse roles of PRC2 in KRAS-driven lung adenocarcinomas, and demonstrate the utility of three-dimensional cultures for exploring epigenetic drug sensitivities for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Chen
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, 510060, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Aria L Byrd
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Jinpeng Liu
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Robert M Flight
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Tanner J DuCote
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Kassandra J Naughton
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Xiulong Song
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Abigail R Edgin
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Alexsandr Lukyanchuk
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Danielle T Dixon
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Christian M Gosser
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Dave-Preston Esoe
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Rani D Jayswal
- Markey Cancer Center Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource Facility, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Stuart H Orkin
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Hunter N B Moseley
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Chi Wang
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Christine Fillmore Brainson
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.
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Huang Q, Kemnade J, Cornwell L, Kheradmand F, Sabichi AL, Das D. Non-small cell lung cancer in the era of immunotherapy. Semin Oncol 2022; 49:S0093-7754(22)00049-5. [PMID: 35879123 DOI: 10.1053/j.seminoncol.2022.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has revolutionized treatment for those with advanced disease, and recent data have emerged providing evidence for its benefits in earlier stages of the disease. Several pivotal clinical trials provide compelling data that adaptive immune cells may be highly effective and possibly even curative for NSCLC. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can unleash highly reactive memory immune responses to tumor antigens with durable effects against advanced or recurrent disease. Despite these encouraging results, many critical questions remain in the field including, for example, how to identify the subsets of NSCLC patients who most benefit from ICI treatment, and how ICI efficacy might be enhanced by utilizing combinations or sequencing of agents. A deeper understanding of biological mechanisms involved in lung cancer offers a unique opportunity to further explore the interaction between the adaptive immune landscape and NSCLC. Given the high incidence of lung cancer in Veterans and many Veterans being treated with immunotherapy for this disease, it is timely to have their adequate representation in future clinical trials. New clinical trials focused on Veterans can assist in exploring ways to mitigate resistant mechanisms as well as to investigate predictive and prognostic biomarkers for response to ICIs and other treatments. This paper will review current data and indications for immunotherapy in NSCLC, introduce new areas of research within immunotherapy, and discuss its applicability to the Veteran population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quillan Huang
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX; Medical Care Line, Section of Hematology Oncology, Michael E DeBakey VA, Houston, TX
| | - Jan Kemnade
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX; Medical Care Line, Section of Hematology Oncology, Michael E DeBakey VA, Houston, TX
| | - Loraine Cornwell
- Surgical Care Line, Section of Thoracic Surgery Michael E DeBakey VAMC, Houston, TX
| | - Farrah Kheradmand
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX; Medical Care Line, Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care Michael E DeBakey VA, Houston, TX.
| | - Anita L Sabichi
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX; Medical Care Line, Section of Hematology Oncology, Michael E DeBakey VA, Houston, TX.
| | - Devika Das
- Hematology and Oncology, Birmingham VA Medical Center, Birmingham, AL; Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, UAB, Birmingham, AL.
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