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Huang Y, Chen Z, Shen G, Fang S, Zheng J, Chi Z, Zhang Y, Zou Y, Gan Q, Liao C, Yao Y, Kong J, Fan X. Immune regulation and the tumor microenvironment in anti-PD-1/PDL-1 and anti-CTLA-4 therapies for cancer immune evasion: A bibliometric analysis. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2024; 20:2318815. [PMID: 38419524 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2024.2318815] [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: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis, employing visualization tools to examine literature pertaining to tumor immune evasion related to anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy from 1999 to 2022. A special emphasis is placed on the interplay between tumor microenvironment, signaling pathways, immune cells and immune evasion, with data sourced from the Web of Science core collection (WoSCC). Advanced tools, including VOSviewer, Citespace, and Scimago Graphica, were utilized to analyze various parameters, such as co-authorship/co-citation patterns, regional contributions, journal preferences, keyword co-occurrences, and significant citation bursts. Out of 4778 publications reviewed, there was a marked increase in research focusing on immune evasion, with bladder cancer being notably prominent. Geographically, China, the USA, and Japan were the leading contributors. Prestigious institutions like MD Anderson Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Fudan University, and Sun Yat Sen University emerged as major players. Renowned journals in this domain included Frontiers in Immunology, Cancers, and Frontiers in Oncology. Ehen LP and Wang W were identified as prolific authors on this topic, while Topalian SL stood out as one of the most cited. Research current situation is notably pivoting toward challenges like immunotherapy resistance and the intricate signaling pathways driving drug resistance. This bibliometric study seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of past and current research trends, emphasizing the potential role of tumor microenvironment, signaling pathways and immune cells in the context of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and tumor immune evasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Huang
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Zhijian Chen
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Gang Shen
- Department of Urology, DUSHU Lake Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Shuogui Fang
- Department of Radiotherapy, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Junjiong Zheng
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Zepai Chi
- Department of urology, Shantou Central Hospital, Shantou, China
| | - Yuanfeng Zhang
- Department of urology, Shantou Central Hospital, Shantou, China
| | - Yitong Zou
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Qinghua Gan
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Chengxiao Liao
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Yuhui Yao
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Jianqiu Kong
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Xinxiang Fan
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
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Evans ST, Jani Y, Jansen CS, Yildirim A, Kalemoglu E, Bilen MA. Understanding and overcoming resistance to immunotherapy in genitourinary cancers. Cancer Biol Ther 2024; 25:2342599. [PMID: 38629578 PMCID: PMC11028033 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2024.2342599] [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: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The introduction of novel immunotherapies has significantly transformed the treatment landscape of genitourinary (GU) cancers, even becoming the standard of care in some settings. One such type of immunotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) like nivolumab, ipilimumab, pembrolizumab, and atezolizumab play a pivotal role by disturbing signaling pathways that limit the immune system's ability to fight tumor cells. Despite the profound impact of these treatments, not all tumors are responsive. Recent research efforts have been focused on understanding how cancer cells manage to evade the immune response and identifying the possible mechanisms behind resistance to immunotherapy. In response, ICIs are being combined with other treatments to reduce resistance and attack cancer cells through multiple cellular pathways. Additionally, novel, targeted strategies are currently being investigated to develop innovative methods of overcoming resistance and treatment failure. This article presents a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms of immunotherapy resistance in GU cancers as currently described in the literature. It explores studies that have identified genetic markers, cytokines, and proteins that may predict resistance or response to immunotherapy. Additionally, we review current efforts to overcome this resistance, which include combination ICIs and sequential therapies, novel insights into the host immune profile, and new targeted therapies. Various approaches that combine immunotherapy with chemotherapy, targeted therapy, vaccines, and radiation have been studied in an effort to more effectively overcome resistance to immunotherapy. While each of these combination therapies has shown some efficacy in clinical trials, a deeper understanding of the immune system's role underscores the potential of novel targeted therapies as a particularly promising area of current research. Currently, several targeted agents are in development, along with the identification of key immune mediators involved in immunotherapy resistance. Further research is necessary to identify predictors of response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean T Evans
- Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yash Jani
- Undergraduate studies, Mercer University, Macon, GA, USA
| | - Caroline S Jansen
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Genitourinary Medical Oncology Program, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ahmet Yildirim
- Genitourinary Medical Oncology Program, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ecem Kalemoglu
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Basic Oncology, Health Institute of Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Asim Bilen
- Genitourinary Medical Oncology Program, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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3
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Aparicio B, Theunissen P, Hervas-Stubbs S, Fortes P, Sarobe P. Relevance of mutation-derived neoantigens and non-classical antigens for anticancer therapies. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2024; 20:2303799. [PMID: 38346926 PMCID: PMC10863374 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2024.2303799] [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: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Efficacy of cancer immunotherapies relies on correct recognition of tumor antigens by lymphocytes, eliciting thus functional responses capable of eliminating tumor cells. Therefore, important efforts have been carried out in antigen identification, with the aim of understanding mechanisms of response to immunotherapy and to design safer and more efficient strategies. In addition to classical tumor-associated antigens identified during the last decades, implementation of next-generation sequencing methodologies is enabling the identification of neoantigens (neoAgs) arising from mutations, leading to the development of new neoAg-directed therapies. Moreover, there are numerous non-classical tumor antigens originated from other sources and identified by new methodologies. Here, we review the relevance of neoAgs in different immunotherapies and the results obtained by applying neoAg-based strategies. In addition, the different types of non-classical tumor antigens and the best approaches for their identification are described. This will help to increase the spectrum of targetable molecules useful in cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belen Aparicio
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Cancer Center Clinica Universidad de Navarra (CCUN), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
- CIBERehd, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Patrick Theunissen
- Cancer Center Clinica Universidad de Navarra (CCUN), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
- CIBERehd, Pamplona, Spain
- DNA and RNA Medicine Division, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Sandra Hervas-Stubbs
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Cancer Center Clinica Universidad de Navarra (CCUN), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
- CIBERehd, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Puri Fortes
- Cancer Center Clinica Universidad de Navarra (CCUN), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
- CIBERehd, Pamplona, Spain
- DNA and RNA Medicine Division, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Spanish Network for Advanced Therapies (TERAV ISCIII), Spain
| | - Pablo Sarobe
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Cancer Center Clinica Universidad de Navarra (CCUN), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
- CIBERehd, Pamplona, Spain
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4
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Santiago-Sánchez GS, Fabian KP, Hodge JW. A landscape of checkpoint blockade resistance in cancer: underlying mechanisms and current strategies to overcome resistance. Cancer Biol Ther 2024; 25:2308097. [PMID: 38306161 PMCID: PMC10841019 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2024.2308097] [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: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The discovery of immune checkpoints and the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have achieved a durable response in advanced-stage cancer patients. However, there is still a high proportion of patients who do not benefit from ICI therapy due to a lack of response when first treated (primary resistance) or detection of disease progression months after objective response is observed (acquired resistance). Here, we review the current FDA-approved ICI for the treatment of certain solid malignancies, evaluate the contrasting responses to checkpoint blockade in different cancer types, explore the known mechanisms associated with checkpoint blockade resistance (CBR), and assess current strategies in the field that seek to overcome these mechanisms. In order to improve current therapies and develop new ones, the immunotherapy field still has an unmet need in identifying other molecules that act as immune checkpoints, and uncovering other mechanisms that promote CBR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ginette S. Santiago-Sánchez
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kellsye P. Fabian
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - James W. Hodge
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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5
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Lozac'hmeur A, Danek T, Yang Q, Rosasco MG, Welch JS, Go WY, Ng EW, Mardiros A, Maloney DG, Garon EB, Kirtane K, Simeone DM, Molina JR, Salahudeen AA, Stein MM, Hecht JR. Detecting HLA loss of heterozygosity within a standard diagnostic sequencing workflow for prognostic and therapeutic opportunities. NPJ Precis Oncol 2024; 8:174. [PMID: 39103508 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-024-00665-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
To enable interrogation of tumor HLA LOH as a clinical diagnostic for precision oncology, we developed and validated an assay that detects HLA LOH within the context of an FDA-approved clinical diagnostic test, Tempus xT CDx. Validation was conducted via: (1) analytical evaluation of 17 archival patient samples and 42 cell line admixtures and (2) independent clinical evaluation of LOH prevalence in the HLA-A gene (HLA-A LOH) across 10,982 patients. To evaluate the prognostic relevance of HLA-A LOH we assessed 256 immunotherapy-treated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. To determine the feasibility of prospectively identifying and enrolling HLA-A LOH patients into a clinical trial, we established BASECAMP-1 (NCT04981119). We observed a positive predictive agreement of 97% and a negative predictive agreement of 100% in samples with ≥ 40% tumor purity. We observed HLA-A LOH in 16.1% of patients (1771/10,982), comparable to previous reports. HLA-A LOH was associated with longer survival among NSCLC adenocarcinoma patients (HR = 0.60, 95% CI [0.37, 0.96], p = 0.032) with a trend towards shorter survival among squamous cell patients (HR = 1.64, 95% CI [0.80, 3.41], p = 0.183). In 20 months, we prospectively screened 1720 subjects using the Tempus AWARE program, identifying 26 HLA-A*02 LOH patients at 8 sites, with 14 (54%) enrolled into BASECAMP-1. In conclusion, we developed and validated an investigational assay that detects tumor HLA LOH within an FDA-approved clinical diagnostic test, enabling HLA LOH utilization in diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Eric W Ng
- A2 Biotherapeutics, Agoura Hills, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Edward B Garon
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Diane M Simeone
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego Health, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Ameen A Salahudeen
- University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Departments of Medicine, Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - J Randolph Hecht
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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6
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Wee Y, Wang J, Wilson EC, Rich CP, Rogers A, Tong Z, DeGroot E, Gopal YNV, Davies MA, Ekiz HA, Tay JKH, Stubben C, Boucher KM, Oviedo JM, Fairfax KC, Williams MA, Holmen SL, Wolff RK, Grossmann AH. Tumour-intrinsic endomembrane trafficking by ARF6 shapes an immunosuppressive microenvironment that drives melanomagenesis and response to checkpoint blockade therapy. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6613. [PMID: 39098861 PMCID: PMC11298541 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50881-1] [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: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumour-host immune interactions lead to complex changes in the tumour microenvironment (TME), impacting progression, metastasis and response to therapy. While it is clear that cancer cells can have the capacity to alter immune landscapes, our understanding of this process is incomplete. Herein we show that endocytic trafficking at the plasma membrane, mediated by the small GTPase ARF6, enables melanoma cells to impose an immunosuppressive TME that accelerates tumour development. This ARF6-dependent TME is vulnerable to immune checkpoint blockade therapy (ICB) but in murine melanoma, loss of Arf6 causes resistance to ICB. Likewise, downregulation of ARF6 in patient tumours correlates with inferior overall survival after ICB. Mechanistically, these phenotypes are at least partially explained by ARF6-dependent recycling, which controls plasma membrane density of the interferon-gamma receptor. Collectively, our findings reveal the importance of endomembrane trafficking in outfitting tumour cells with the ability to shape their immune microenvironment and respond to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinshen Wee
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- School of Dentistry, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Junhua Wang
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Oncologic Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Emily C Wilson
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Coulson P Rich
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Aaron Rogers
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Zongzhong Tong
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Evelyn DeGroot
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Y N Vashisht Gopal
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Michael A Davies
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - H Atakan Ekiz
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, Gulbahce, Urla, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Joshua K H Tay
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Chris Stubben
- Bioinformatics Shared Resource, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Kenneth M Boucher
- Cancer Biostatistics Shared Resource, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Juan M Oviedo
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Keke C Fairfax
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Matthew A Williams
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Sheri L Holmen
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Oncologic Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Roger K Wolff
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Allie H Grossmann
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
- Department of Oncologic Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
- Providence Cancer Institute of Oregon, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Portland, OR, USA.
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Pacholczak-Madej R, Bartoletti M, Musacchio L, Püsküllüoglu M, Blecharz P, Lorusso D. Immunotherapy in MMR-d/MSI-H recurrent/metastatic endometrial cancer. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2024; 24:717-729. [PMID: 38863432 DOI: 10.1080/14737140.2024.2367472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The advent of immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has revolutionized the management of mismatch repair deficient (MMR-d)/microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) endometrial cancer (EC). Initially investigated as monotherapy in phase I-II clinical trials for recurrent disease, immunotherapy demonstrated remarkable activity, yielding overall response rates (ORR) ranging from 27% to 58%. Based on these promising findings, phase III trials have explored the integration of immunotherapy into first-line treatment regimens for advanced/recurrent EC in combination with chemotherapy or other agents such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), resulting in improved ORR, progression-free survival, and overall survival compared to the standard chemotherapy regimen of paclitaxel and carboplatin. As a result, the incorporation of ICIs with standard platinum-based chemotherapy is becoming a new standard of care in MMR-d/MSI-H EC. AREAS COVERED This review synthesizes literature from PubMed, Embase databases, and recent congress abstracts on gynecological cancers. It covers MMR-d/MSI-H EC incidence, molecular diagnostics, clinical trial outcomes, predictive biomarkers for ICIs, patient profiles likely to benefit, resistance mechanisms, and the future of immunotherapy in this setting. EXPERT OPINION By offering a comprehensive overview, this review delineates the pivotal role of ICIs in the management of MMR-d/MSI-H EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Pacholczak-Madej
- Department of Gynaecological Oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Krakow Branch, Krakow, Poland
- Department of Chemotherapy, The District Hospital, Sucha Beskidzka, Poland
- Department of Anatomy, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Michele Bartoletti
- Unit of Medical Oncology and Cancer Prevention, Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Lucia Musacchio
- Department of Women and Child Health, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Mirosława Püsküllüoglu
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Krakow Branch, Krakow, Poland
| | - Paweł Blecharz
- Department of Gynaecological Oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Krakow Branch, Krakow, Poland
| | - Domenica Lorusso
- Department of Gynaecological Oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Krakow Branch, Krakow, Poland
- Gynecologic Oncology Unit, Humanitas San Pio X Milan and Humanitas University Rozzano, Milan, Italy
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8
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Gervais C, Auclin E, Saltel-Fulero A, Clair G, Oudard S, Mirghani H. Nivolumab immunotherapy rechallenge for progressive laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma after failure of conventional treatment: A CARE case report. Eur Ann Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Dis 2024; 141:231-234. [PMID: 38418356 DOI: 10.1016/j.anorl.2024.02.003] [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: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Analysis of rechallenge with nivolumab as 5th-line therapy for locally and nodally failed laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma following conventional therapeutic modalities: radiotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy. OBSERVATION A 70-year-old male, with local and nodal progression of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma after treatment with chemoradiotherapy and surgery, was initially treated for recurrence with carboplatin, 5-fluorouracile (FU) and cetuximab, followed by second-line nivolumab, and then two lines of conventional chemotherapy with paclitaxel and cetuximab followed by carboplatin and cetuximab. He underwent rechallenge with nivolumab in 5th line, achieving 12months' response, ongoing at the time of writing, and 42.5months' survival since initiation of exclusive systemic management after failure of conventional treatment. CONCLUSION This case report highlights the benefit of nivolumab rechallenge in 5th line following previous failure as stand-alone therapy in 2nd line for a patient with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma locally and nodally uncontrolled after conventional treatment. Clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of this approach are necessary to assess its contribution, as it is currently not a standard therapeutic option.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Gervais
- Université Paris Cité, Service d'Oncologie Médicale, Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou, 20, rue Leblanc, 75015 Paris, France.
| | - E Auclin
- Université Paris Cité, Service d'Oncologie Médicale, Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou, 20, rue Leblanc, 75015 Paris, France
| | - A Saltel-Fulero
- Université Paris Cité, Service d'Imagerie, Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou, 20, rue Leblanc, 75015 Paris, France
| | - G Clair
- Université Paris Cité, Service d'Anatomopathologie, Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou, 20, rue Leblanc, 75015 Paris, France
| | - S Oudard
- Université Paris Cité, Service d'Oncologie Médicale, Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou, 20, rue Leblanc, 75015 Paris, France; Inserm U970, PARCC, Paris, France
| | - H Mirghani
- Université Paris Cité, Service d'Oto-Rhino-Laryngologie et Chirurgie Cervicofaciale, Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou, 20, rue Leblanc, 75015 Paris, France
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9
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Abdel-Wahab N, Suarez-Almazor ME. Rheumatic adverse events of immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer immunotherapy. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2024; 20:873-893. [PMID: 38400840 DOI: 10.1080/1744666x.2024.2323966] [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: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in cancer treatment has marked a transformative era, albeit tempered by immune-related adverse events (irAEs), including those impacting the musculoskeletal system. The lack of precise epidemiologic data on rheumatic irAEs is attributed to factors such as potential underrecognition, underreporting in clinical trials, and the tendency to overlook manifestations without immediate life-threatening implications, further complicating the determination of accurate incidence rates, while the complete understanding of the mechanisms driving rheumatic irAEs remains elusive. AREAS COVERED This literature review comprehensively examines rheumatic irAEs in cancer patients undergoing ICI therapy, encompassing epidemiology, risk factors, mechanisms, clinical manifestations, and current management guidance for prevalent conditions such as inflammatory arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, and myositis. Less frequent rheumatic and musculoskeletal irAEs are also explored, alongside insights into ongoing clinical trials testing therapeutic and preventive strategies for irAEs. A thorough literature search on Medline and the National Cancer Institute Clinical Trials Database was conducted up to October 2023 to compile relevant information. EXPERT OPINION In light of the evolving landscape of cancer immunotherapy, there is a compelling need for prospective longitudinal studies to enhance understanding and inform clinical management strategies for rheumatic irAEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noha Abdel-Wahab
- Section of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of General Internal Medicine; and Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Assiut University Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University Hospitals, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Maria E Suarez-Almazor
- Department of Health Services Research; and Section of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of General Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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10
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Wu L, Pi W, Huang X, Yang L, Zhang X, Lu J, Yao S, Lin X, Tan X, Wang Z, Wang P. Orchestrated metal-coordinated carrier-free celastrol hydrogel intensifies T cell activation and regulates response to immune checkpoint blockade for synergistic chemo-immunotherapy. Biomaterials 2024; 312:122723. [PMID: 39121732 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2024.122723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
The challenges generated by insufficient T cell activation and infiltration have constrained the application of immunotherapy. Making matters worse, the complex tumor microenvironment (TME), resistance to apoptosis collectively poses obstacles for cancer treatment. The carrier-free small molecular self-assembly strategy is a current research hotspot to overcome these challenges. This strategy can transform multiple functional agents into sustain-released hydrogel without the addition of any excipients. Herein, a coordination and hydrogen bond mediated tricomponent hydrogel (Cel hydrogel) composed of glycyrrhizic acid (GA), copper ions (Cu2+) and celastrol (Cel) was initially constructed. The hydrogel can regulate TME by chemo-dynamic therapy (CDT), which increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) in conjunction with GA and Cel, synergistically expediting cellular apoptosis. What's more, copper induced cuproptosis also contributes to the anti-tumor effect. In terms of regulating immunity, ROS generated by Cel hydrogel can polarize tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) into M1-TAMs, Cel can induce T cell proliferation as well as activate DC mediated antigen presentation, which subsequently induce T cell proliferation, elevate T cell infiltration and enhance the specific killing of tumor cells, along with the upregulation of PD-L1 expression. Upon co-administration with aPD-L1, this synergy mitigated both primary and metastasis tumors, showing promising clinical translational value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linying Wu
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Wenmin Pi
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Xuemei Huang
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Luping Yang
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Xiang Zhang
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Jihui Lu
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Shuchang Yao
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Xiaoyu Lin
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Xinru Tan
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Zhixia Wang
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Penglong Wang
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China.
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11
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Monette A, Warren S, Barrett JC, Garnett-Benson C, Schalper KA, Taube JM, Topp B, Snyder A. Biomarker development for PD-(L)1 axis inhibition: a consensus view from the SITC Biomarkers Committee. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e009427. [PMID: 39032943 PMCID: PMC11261685 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2024-009427] [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] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Therapies targeting the programmed cell death protein-1/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) (abbreviated as PD-(L)1) axis are a significant advancement in the treatment of many tumor types. However, many patients receiving these agents fail to respond or have an initial response followed by cancer progression. For these patients, while subsequent immunotherapies that either target a different axis of immune biology or non-immune combination therapies are reasonable treatment options, the lack of predictive biomarkers to follow-on agents is impeding progress in the field. This review summarizes the current knowledge of mechanisms driving resistance to PD-(L)1 therapies, the state of biomarker development along this axis, and inherent challenges in future biomarker development for these immunotherapies. Innovation in the development and application of novel biomarkers and patient selection strategies for PD-(L)1 agents is required to accelerate the delivery of effective treatments to the patients most likely to respond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Monette
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | - Janis M Taube
- The Mark Foundation Center for Advanced Genomics and Imaging at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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12
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Jiang Z, Fang Z, Hong D, Wang X. Cancer Immunotherapy with "Vascular-Immune" Crosstalk as Entry Point: Associated Mechanisms, Therapeutic Drugs and Nano-Delivery Systems. Int J Nanomedicine 2024; 19:7383-7398. [PMID: 39050878 PMCID: PMC11268745 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s467222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor vessels characterized by abnormal functions and structures hinder the infiltration and immune antigen presentation of immune cells by inducing the formation of an immunosuppressive microenvironment ("cold" environment). Vascular-targeted therapy has been proven to enhance immune stimulation and the effectiveness of immunotherapy by modulating the "cold" microenvironment, such as hypoxia and an acidic microenvironment. Notably, a therapeutic strategy based on "vascular-immune" crosstalk can achieve dual regulation of tumor vessels and the immune system by reprogramming the tumor microenvironment (TME), thus forming a positive feedback loop between tumor vessels and the immune microenvironment. From this perspective, we discuss the factors of tumor angiogenesis and "cold" TME formation. Building on this foundation, some vascular-targeted therapeutic drugs will be elaborated upon in detail to achieve dual regulation of tumor vessels and immunity. More importantly, we focus on cutting-edge nanotechnology in view of "vascular-immune" crosstalk and discuss the rational fabrication of tailor-made nanosystems for efficiently enhancing immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijie Jiang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhujun Fang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Dongsheng Hong
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaojuan Wang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310000, People’s Republic of China
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Yamaguchi H, Hsu JM, Sun L, Wang SC, Hung MC. Advances and prospects of biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101621. [PMID: 38906149 PMCID: PMC11293349 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) activate anti-cancer immunity by blocking T cell checkpoint molecules such as programmed death 1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4). Although ICIs induce some durable responses in various cancer patients, they also have disadvantages, including low response rates, the potential for severe side effects, and high treatment costs. Therefore, selection of patients who can benefit from ICI treatment is critical, and identification of biomarkers is essential to improve the efficiency of ICIs. In this review, we provide updated information on established predictive biomarkers (tumor programmed death-ligand 1 [PD-L1] expression, DNA mismatch repair deficiency, microsatellite instability high, and tumor mutational burden) and potential biomarkers currently under investigation such as tumor-infiltrated and peripheral lymphocytes, gut microbiome, and signaling pathways related to DNA damage and antigen presentation. In particular, this review aims to summarize the current knowledge of biomarkers, discuss issues, and further explore future biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirohito Yamaguchi
- Graduate Institute of Cell Biology, China Medical University, Taichung City 406040, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences and Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, China Medical University, Taichung City 406040, Taiwan; Cancer Biology and Precision Therapeutics Center and Research Center for Cancer Biology, China Medical University, Taichung City 40402, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Mao Hsu
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences and Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, China Medical University, Taichung City 406040, Taiwan; Cancer Biology and Precision Therapeutics Center and Research Center for Cancer Biology, China Medical University, Taichung City 40402, Taiwan
| | - Linlin Sun
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Lung Cancer Metastasis and Tumor Microenvironment, Lung Cancer Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Shao-Chun Wang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences and Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, China Medical University, Taichung City 406040, Taiwan; Cancer Biology and Precision Therapeutics Center and Research Center for Cancer Biology, China Medical University, Taichung City 40402, Taiwan; Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung City 40402, Taiwan
| | - Mien-Chie Hung
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences and Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, China Medical University, Taichung City 406040, Taiwan; Cancer Biology and Precision Therapeutics Center and Research Center for Cancer Biology, China Medical University, Taichung City 40402, Taiwan; Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung City 40402, Taiwan.
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14
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Cao L, Huang D, Zhang S, Li Z, Cai Q, Chen F, Zhu M, Ba Y, Chen J, Zhang H. Constructing an immune-related prognostic signature for predicting prognosis and immune response in hepatocellular carcinoma. Heliyon 2024; 10:e34012. [PMID: 39071637 PMCID: PMC11282973 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34012] [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: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Currently, there are few studies on immune-related prognostic analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our aim was to establish an immune-correlated prognostic model for HCC. Methods Immune-associated cells were obtained from the scRNA-seq dataset (GSE149614) of HCC. Differentially expressed genes between normal and tumor cells from immune-associated cells and the immune-related genes from the ImmPort database were used to identify immune-related differentially expressed genes (IRDEGs). Subsequently, the risk model was established in the TCGA-LIHC cohort (n = 438) from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database by using Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survival curve, univariate/multivariate Cox regression analysis. Subsequently, we further analyzed tumor immune microenvironment characteristics, somatic mutation, immune checkpoint and its ligand expression levels between high- and low-risk groups, as well as drug sensitivity prediction. ICGC cohort was set as the validation cohort. TCGA-LIHC cohort and three independent the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets (GSE54236, GSE14520, and GSE64041) was used to verify IRDEGs expression, as well as PCR assays using clinical samples. Results The IRDEGs was composed of 4 genes, namely B2M, SPP1, PPIA, and HRG. The 438 HCC patients were divided into high- and low-risk group. The high-risk group was associated with poor prognosis, including higher T stage, advanced pathological stages, less immune cell infiltration, higher TP53 mutation rate, the high expression of CTLA4 and HAVCR2. Besides, high-risk populations benefit from most chemotherapy drugs. Similarly, the performance of the risk model was validated in the ICGC. All four datasets (TCGA-LIHC cohort, GSE54236, GSE14520, and GSE64041) and clinical q-PCR results demonstrated that, compared with normal samples, the expressions of B2M and HRG were lower in tumor samples, and the expression of SPP1 was higher. Conclusion In summary, the immune-related prognostic signature had a good predictive performance on prognosis and immunotherapy for HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lichao Cao
- Shenzhen Nucleus Gene Technology Co., Ltd., 518071, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Deliang Huang
- Department of Liver Diseases, The Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, 518100, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Shenrui Zhang
- Shenzhen Nucleus Gene Technology Co., Ltd., 518071, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Zhiwei Li
- Department of Liver Diseases, The Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, 518100, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Qingxian Cai
- Department of Liver Diseases, The Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, 518100, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Fang Chen
- Shenzhen Nucleus Gene Technology Co., Ltd., 518071, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Meilan Zhu
- Shenzhen Nucleus Gene Technology Co., Ltd., 518071, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Ying Ba
- Shenzhen Nucleus Gene Technology Co., Ltd., 518071, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of Liver Diseases, The Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, 518100, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Hezi Zhang
- Shenzhen Nucleus Gene Technology Co., Ltd., 518071, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
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Boumelha J, de Castro A, Bah N, Cha H, de Carné Trécesson S, Rana S, Tomaschko M, Anastasiou P, Mugarza E, Moore C, Goldstone R, East P, Litchfield K, Lee SH, Molina-Arcas M, Downward J. CRISPR-Cas9 Screening Identifies KRAS-Induced COX2 as a Driver of Immunotherapy Resistance in Lung Cancer. Cancer Res 2024; 84:2231-2246. [PMID: 38635884 PMCID: PMC11247323 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-2627] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Oncogenic KRAS impairs antitumor immune responses. As effective strategies to combine KRAS inhibitors and immunotherapies have so far proven elusive, a better understanding of the mechanisms by which oncogenic KRAS drives immune evasion is needed to identify approaches that could sensitize KRAS-mutant lung cancer to immunotherapy. In vivo CRISPR-Cas9 screening in an immunogenic murine lung cancer model identified mechanisms by which oncogenic KRAS promotes immune evasion, most notably via upregulation of immunosuppressive COX2 in cancer cells. Oncogenic KRAS potently induced COX2 in both mouse and human lung cancer, which was suppressed using KRAS inhibitors. COX2 acted via prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) to promote resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in lung adenocarcinoma. Targeting COX2/PGE2 remodeled the tumor microenvironment by inducing proinflammatory polarization of myeloid cells and influx of activated cytotoxic CD8+ T cells, which increased the efficacy of ICB. Restoration of COX2 expression contributed to tumor relapse after prolonged KRAS inhibition. These results provide the rationale for testing COX2/PGE2 pathway inhibitors in combination with KRASG12C inhibition or ICB in patients with KRAS-mutant lung cancer. Significance: COX2 signaling via prostaglandin E2 is a major mediator of immune evasion driven by oncogenic KRAS that promotes immunotherapy and KRAS-targeted therapy resistance, suggesting effective combination treatments for KRAS-mutant lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Boumelha
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Andrea de Castro
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Nourdine Bah
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Hongui Cha
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London, United Kingdom.
| | | | - Sareena Rana
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Mona Tomaschko
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.
| | | | - Edurne Mugarza
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Christopher Moore
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Robert Goldstone
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Phil East
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Kevin Litchfield
- Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Se-Hoon Lee
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Miriam Molina-Arcas
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Julian Downward
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.
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Zhou H, Wang W, Xu H, Liang Y, Ding J, Lv M, Ren B, Peng H, Fu YX, Zhu M. Metabolic reprograming mediated by tumor cell-intrinsic type I IFN signaling is required for CD47-SIRPα blockade efficacy. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5759. [PMID: 38982116 PMCID: PMC11233683 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50136-z] [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: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Type I interferons have been well recognized for their roles in various types of immune cells during tumor immunotherapy. However, their direct effects on tumor cells are less understood. Oxidative phosphorylation is typically latent in tumor cells. Whether oxidative phosphorylation can be targeted for immunotherapy remains unclear. Here, we find that tumor cell responsiveness to type I, but not type II interferons, is essential for CD47-SIRPα blockade immunotherapy in female mice. Mechanistically, type I interferons directly reprogram tumor cell metabolism by activating oxidative phosphorylation for ATP production in an ISG15-dependent manner. ATP extracellular release is also promoted by type I interferons due to enhanced secretory autophagy. Functionally, tumor cells with genetic deficiency in oxidative phosphorylation or autophagy are resistant to CD47-SIRPα blockade. ATP released upon CD47-SIRPα blockade is required for antitumor T cell response induction via P2X7 receptor-mediated dendritic cell activation. Based on this mechanism, combinations with inhibitors of ATP-degrading ectoenzymes, CD39 and CD73, are designed and show synergistic antitumor effects with CD47-SIRPα blockade. Together, these data reveal an important role of type I interferons on tumor cell metabolic reprograming for tumor immunotherapy and provide rational strategies harnessing this mechanism for enhanced efficacy of CD47-SIRPα blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetic Regulation and Intervention, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenjun Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Hairong Xu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetic Regulation and Intervention, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Liang
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiyu Ding
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetic Regulation and Intervention, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mengjie Lv
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Boyang Ren
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetic Regulation and Intervention, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hua Peng
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetic Regulation and Intervention, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yang-Xin Fu
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
| | - Mingzhao Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetic Regulation and Intervention, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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17
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Aebisher D, Przygórzewska A, Bartusik-Aebisher D. The Latest Look at PDT and Immune Checkpoints. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2024; 46:7239-7257. [PMID: 39057071 PMCID: PMC11275601 DOI: 10.3390/cimb46070430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) can not only directly eliminate cancer cells, but can also stimulate antitumor immune responses. It also affects the expression of immune checkpoints. The purpose of this review is to collect, analyze, and summarize recent news about PDT and immune checkpoints, along with their inhibitors, and to identify future research directions that may enhance the effectiveness of this approach. A search for research articles published between January 2023 and March 2024 was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE. Eligibility criteria were as follows: (1) papers describing PDT and immune checkpoints, (2) only original research papers, (3) only papers describing new reports in the field of PDT and immune checkpoints, and (4) both in vitro and in vivo papers. Exclusion criteria included (1) papers written in a language other than Polish or English, (2) review papers, and (3) papers published before January 2023. 24 papers describing new data on PDT and immune checkpoints have been published since January 2023. These included information on the effects of PDT on immune checkpoints, and attempts to associate PDT with ICI and with other molecules to modulate immune checkpoints, improve the immunosuppressive environment of the tumor, and resolve PDT-related problems. They also focused on the development of new nanoparticles that can improve the delivery of photosensitizers and drugs selectively to the tumor. The effect of PDT on the level of immune checkpoints and the associated activity of the immune system has not been fully elucidated further, and reports in this area are divergent, indicating the complexity of the interaction between PDT and the immune system. PDT-based strategies have been shown to have a beneficial effect on the delivery of ICI to the tumor. The utility of PDT in enhancing the induction of the antitumor response by participating in the triggering of immunogenic cell death, the exposure of tumor antigens, and the release of various alarm signals that together promote the activation of dendritic cells and other components of the immune system has also been demonstrated, with the result that PDT can enhance the antitumor immune response induced by ICI therapy. PDT also enables multifaceted regulation of the tumor's immunosuppressive environment, as a result of which ICI therapy has the potential to achieve better antitumor efficacy. The current review has presented evidence of PDT's ability to modulate the level of immune checkpoints and the effectiveness of the association of PDT with ICIs and other molecules in inducing an effective immune response against cancer cells. However, these studies are at an early stage and many more observations need to be made to confirm their efficacy. The new research directions indicated may contribute to the development of further strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Aebisher
- Department of Photomedicine and Physical Chemistry, Medical College, The Rzeszów University, 35-959 Rzeszów, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Przygórzewska
- English Division Science Club, Medical College of The Rzeszów University, 35-025 Rzeszów, Poland;
| | - Dorota Bartusik-Aebisher
- Department of Biochemistry and General Chemistry, Medical College of The Rzeszów University, 35-025 Rzeszów, Poland;
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18
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Mullen NJ, Shukla SK, Thakur R, Kollala SS, Wang D, Chaika N, Santana JF, Miklavcic WR, LaBreck DA, Mallareddy JR, Price DH, Natarajan A, Mehla K, Sykes DB, Hollingsworth MA, Singh PK. DHODH inhibition enhances the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade by increasing cancer cell antigen presentation. eLife 2024; 12:RP87292. [PMID: 38973593 PMCID: PMC11230627 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis is a druggable metabolic dependency of cancer cells, and chemotherapy agents targeting pyrimidine metabolism are the backbone of treatment for many cancers. Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) is an essential enzyme in the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway that can be targeted by clinically approved inhibitors. However, despite robust preclinical anticancer efficacy, DHODH inhibitors have shown limited single-agent activity in phase 1 and 2 clinical trials. Therefore, novel combination therapy strategies are necessary to realize the potential of these drugs. To search for therapeutic vulnerabilities induced by DHODH inhibition, we examined gene expression changes in cancer cells treated with the potent and selective DHODH inhibitor brequinar (BQ). This revealed that BQ treatment causes upregulation of antigen presentation pathway genes and cell surface MHC class I expression. Mechanistic studies showed that this effect is (1) strictly dependent on pyrimidine nucleotide depletion, (2) independent of canonical antigen presentation pathway transcriptional regulators, and (3) mediated by RNA polymerase II elongation control by positive transcription elongation factor B (P-TEFb). Furthermore, BQ showed impressive single-agent efficacy in the immunocompetent B16F10 melanoma model, and combination treatment with BQ and dual immune checkpoint blockade (anti-CTLA-4 plus anti-PD-1) significantly prolonged mouse survival compared to either therapy alone. Our results have important implications for the clinical development of DHODH inhibitors and provide a rationale for combination therapy with BQ and immune checkpoint blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Mullen
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Surendra K Shukla
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences CenterOklahoma CityUnited States
| | - Ravi Thakur
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences CenterOklahoma CityUnited States
| | - Sai Sundeep Kollala
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Dezhen Wang
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Nina Chaika
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Juan F Santana
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
| | - William R Miklavcic
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Drew A LaBreck
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences CenterOklahoma CityUnited States
| | - Jayapal Reddy Mallareddy
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - David H Price
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
| | - Amarnath Natarajan
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Kamiya Mehla
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences CenterOklahoma CityUnited States
| | - David B Sykes
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General HospitalBostonUnited States
- Harvard Stem Cell InstituteCambridgeUnited States
| | - Michael A Hollingsworth
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Pankaj K Singh
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences CenterOklahoma CityUnited States
- OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences CenterOklahoma CityUnited States
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19
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Guasp P, Reiche C, Sethna Z, Balachandran VP. RNA vaccines for cancer: Principles to practice. Cancer Cell 2024; 42:1163-1184. [PMID: 38848720 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2024.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Vaccines are the most impactful medicines to improve health. Though potent against pathogens, vaccines for cancer remain an unfulfilled promise. However, recent advances in RNA technology coupled with scientific and clinical breakthroughs have spurred rapid discovery and potent delivery of tumor antigens at speed and scale, transforming cancer vaccines into a tantalizing prospect. Yet, despite being at a pivotal juncture, with several randomized clinical trials maturing in upcoming years, several critical questions remain: which antigens, tumors, platforms, and hosts can trigger potent immunity with clinical impact? Here, we address these questions with a principled framework of cancer vaccination from antigen detection to delivery. With this framework, we outline features of emergent RNA technology that enable rapid, robust, real-time vaccination with somatic mutation-derived neoantigens-an emerging "ideal" antigen class-and highlight latent features that have sparked the belief that RNA could realize the enduring vision for vaccines against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Guasp
- Immuno-Oncology Service, Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Hepatopancreatobiliary Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Charlotte Reiche
- Immuno-Oncology Service, Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Hepatopancreatobiliary Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zachary Sethna
- Immuno-Oncology Service, Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Hepatopancreatobiliary Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Vinod P Balachandran
- Immuno-Oncology Service, Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Hepatopancreatobiliary Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
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20
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König D, Sandholzer MT, Uzun S, Zingg A, Ritschard R, Thut H, Glatz K, Kappos EA, Schaefer DJ, Kettelhack C, Passweg JR, Holbro A, Baur K, Medinger M, Buser A, Lardinois D, Jeker LT, Khanna N, Stenner F, Kasenda B, Homicsko K, Matter M, Rodrigues Mantuano N, Zippelius A, Läubli H. Melanoma Clonal Heterogeneity Leads to Secondary Resistance after Adoptive Cell Therapy with Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes. Cancer Immunol Res 2024; 12:814-821. [PMID: 38631025 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-23-0757] [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: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) is effective in patients with melanoma, although long-term responses seem restricted in patients who have complete remissions. Many patients develop secondary resistance to TIL-ACT but the involved mechanisms are unclear. In this study, we describe a case of secondary resistance to TIL-ACT possibly due to intratumoral heterogeneity and selection of a resistant tumor cell clone by the transferred T cells. To the best our knowledge, this is the first case of clonal selection of a pre-existing nondominant tumor cell clone; this report demonstrates the mechanism involved in secondary resistance to TIL-ACT that can potentially change current clinical practice because it advocates for T-cell collection from multiple tumor sites and analysis of tumor heterogeneity before treatment with TIL-ACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- David König
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Division of Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Innovation Focus Cell Therapies, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Sarp Uzun
- Institute of Pathology and Medical Genetics, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Zingg
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Reto Ritschard
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Division of Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Innovation Focus Cell Therapies, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Helen Thut
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Innovation Focus Cell Therapies, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Katharina Glatz
- Institute of Pathology and Medical Genetics, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Elisabeth A Kappos
- Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, Aesthetic and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dirk J Schaefer
- Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, Aesthetic and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Kettelhack
- Visceral Surgery, Clarunis University Center for Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease, University Hospital and Claraspital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jakob R Passweg
- Innovation Focus Cell Therapies, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Division of Hematology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Holbro
- Innovation Focus Cell Therapies, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Division of Hematology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Blood Donation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Katharina Baur
- Innovation Focus Cell Therapies, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Division of Hematology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael Medinger
- Division of Hematology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Buser
- Innovation Focus Cell Therapies, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Division of Hematology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Blood Donation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Didier Lardinois
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lukas T Jeker
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Innovation Focus Cell Therapies, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Division of Transplantation Immunology and Nephrology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nina Khanna
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Innovation Focus Cell Therapies, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Frank Stenner
- Division of Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin Kasenda
- Division of Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Innovation Focus Cell Therapies, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Krisztian Homicsko
- AGORA Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Oncology, CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Matter
- Institute of Pathology and Medical Genetics, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Alfred Zippelius
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Division of Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Innovation Focus Cell Therapies, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Heinz Läubli
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Division of Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Innovation Focus Cell Therapies, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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21
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Mok S, Ağaç Çobanoğlu D, Liu H, Mancuso JJ, Allison JP. Post-immunotherapy CTLA-4 Ig treatment improves antitumor efficacy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2404661121. [PMID: 38923991 PMCID: PMC11228532 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2404661121] [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: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint therapies (ICT) improve overall survival of patients with cancer but may cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs) such as myocarditis. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 immunoglobulin fusion protein (CTLA-4 Ig), an inhibitor of T cell costimulation through CD28, reverses irAEs in animal models. However, concerns exist about potentially compromising antitumor response of ICT. In mouse tumor models, we administered CTLA-4 Ig 1) concomitantly with ICT or 2) after ICT completion. Concomitant treatment reduced antitumor efficacy, while post-ICT administration improved efficacy without affecting frequency and function of CD8 T cells. The improved response was independent of the ICT used, whether CTLA-4 or PD-1 blockade. The frequency of Tregs was significantly decreased with CTLA-4 Ig. The resulting increased CD8/Treg ratio potentially underlies the enhanced efficacy of ICT followed by CTLA-4 Ig. This paradoxical mechanism shows that a CTLA-4 Ig regimen shown to reduce irAE severity does not compromise antitumor efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Mok
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX77030
| | - Didem Ağaç Çobanoğlu
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX77030
| | - Huey Liu
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX77030
| | - James J. Mancuso
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX77030
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX77030
| | - James P. Allison
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX77030
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX77030
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22
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Wu J, Song L, Lu M, Gao Q, Xu S, Zhou P, Ma T. The multifaceted functions of DNA-PKcs: implications for the therapy of human diseases. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e613. [PMID: 38898995 PMCID: PMC11185949 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.613] [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: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), catalytic subunit, also known as DNA-PKcs, is complexed with the heterodimer Ku70/Ku80 to form DNA-PK holoenzyme, which is well recognized as initiator in the nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) repair after double strand break (DSB). During NHEJ, DNA-PKcs is essential for both DNA end processing and end joining. Besides its classical function in DSB repair, DNA-PKcs also shows multifaceted functions in various biological activities such as class switch recombination (CSR) and variable (V) diversity (D) joining (J) recombination in B/T lymphocytes development, innate immunity through cGAS-STING pathway, transcription, alternative splicing, and so on, which are dependent on its function in NHEJ or not. Moreover, DNA-PKcs deficiency has been proven to be related with human diseases such as neurological pathogenesis, cancer, immunological disorder, and so on through different mechanisms. Therefore, it is imperative to summarize the latest findings about DNA-PKcs and diseases for better targeting DNA-PKcs, which have shown efficacy in cancer treatment in preclinical models. Here, we discuss the multifaceted roles of DNA-PKcs in human diseases, meanwhile, we discuss the progresses of DNA-PKcs inhibitors and their potential in clinical trials. The most updated review about DNA-PKcs will hopefully provide insights and ideas to understand DNA-PKcs associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinghong Wu
- Cancer Research CenterBeijing Chest HospitalCapital Medical University/Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research InstituteBeijingChina
| | - Liwei Song
- Department of Thoracic SurgeryBeijing Chest HospitalCapital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research InstituteBeijingChina
| | - Mingjun Lu
- Cancer Research CenterBeijing Chest HospitalCapital Medical University/Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research InstituteBeijingChina
| | - Qing Gao
- Cancer Research CenterBeijing Chest HospitalCapital Medical University/Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research InstituteBeijingChina
| | - Shaofa Xu
- Department of Thoracic SurgeryBeijing Chest HospitalCapital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research InstituteBeijingChina
| | - Ping‐Kun Zhou
- Beijing Key Laboratory for RadiobiologyBeijing Institute of Radiation MedicineBeijingChina
| | - Teng Ma
- Cancer Research CenterBeijing Chest HospitalCapital Medical University/Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research InstituteBeijingChina
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23
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Tanegashima T, Shiota M, Fujiyama N, Narita S, Habuchi T, Fukuchi G, Takamatsu D, Oda Y, Miyake H, Takahashi M, Oya M, Tsuchiya N, Masumori N, Matsuyama H, Obara W, Shinohara N, Fujimoto K, Nozawa M, Ohba K, Ohyama C, Hashine K, Akamatsu S, Kamba T, Mita K, Gotoh M, Tatarano S, Fujisawa M, Tomita Y, Mukai S, Ito K, Tokunaga S, Eto M. Effect of HLA Genotype on Anti-PD-1 Antibody Treatment for Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma in the SNiP-RCC Study. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2024; 213:23-28. [PMID: 38758119 PMCID: PMC11212726 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade therapies are widely used for cancer treatment, including advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This study aimed to investigate the impact of zygosity in HLA genes and individual HLA genotypes on the efficacy of an anti-PD-1 Ab, nivolumab, in treating advanced RCC. Patient enrollment was conducted across 23 institutions in Japan from August 19, 2019, to September 30, 2020, with follow-up concluding on March 31, 2021. HLA genotype imputation of HLA-A, B, and C, DQB1, and DRB1 loci was performed. Among 222 patients, the presence of at least one homozygosity of the HLA-II allele significantly improved the best objective response (hazard ratio, 0.34; 95% confidence interval, 0.21-0.96; p = 0.042). The HLA evolutionary divergence (HED) of the HLA-A and HLA-B loci was higher than the HLA-C (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0001, respectively), with high HED of the HLA-B locus correlating to clinical benefits in nivolumab treatment (hazard ratio, 0.44; 95% confidence interval, 0.21-0.90; p = 0.024) and improving cancer-specific survival compared with the low group (p = 0.0202). Additionally, high HED of the HLA-B locus was correlated with the number of infiltrated CD8+ cells in the tumor microenvironment (correlation coefficient, 0.4042). These findings indicate that the diversity of the HLA-B locus plays a significant role in the anti-tumor effect of nivolumab treatment in advanced RCC, potentially offering insights for improved risk stratification in nivolumab treatment and leading to better medical management of advanced RCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tokiyoshi Tanegashima
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Masaki Shiota
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Fujiyama
- Center for Kidney Disease and Transplantation, Akita University Hospital, Akita, Japan
| | - Shintaro Narita
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Akita University, Akita, Japan
| | - Tomonori Habuchi
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Akita University, Akita, Japan
| | - Genshiro Fukuchi
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Dai Takamatsu
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yoshinao Oda
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hideaki Miyake
- Department of Urology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Masayuki Takahashi
- Department of Urology, Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Mototsugu Oya
- Department of Urology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Norihiko Tsuchiya
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata University, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Naoya Masumori
- Department of Urology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Hideyasu Matsuyama
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Ube, Japan
| | - Wataru Obara
- Department of Urology, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Iwate, Japan
| | - Nobuo Shinohara
- Department of Renal and Genitourinary Surgery, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | | | - Masahiro Nozawa
- Department of Urology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kojiro Ohba
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Chikara Ohyama
- Department of Urology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Katsuyoshi Hashine
- Department of Urology, National Hospital Organization Shikoku Cancer Center, Ehime, Japan
| | - Shusuke Akamatsu
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tomomi Kamba
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto Japan
| | - Koji Mita
- Department of Urology, Hiroshima City Asa Citizens Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Momokazu Gotoh
- Department of Urology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Shuichi Tatarano
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Masato Fujisawa
- Department of Urology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Tomita
- Department of Urology and Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Shoichiro Mukai
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Keiichi Ito
- Department of Urology, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan
| | - Shoji Tokunaga
- Medical Information Center, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Eto
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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24
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Wang D, Dou L, Sui L, Xue Y, Xu S. Natural killer cells in cancer immunotherapy. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e626. [PMID: 38882209 PMCID: PMC11179524 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.626] [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: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells, as innate lymphocytes, possess cytotoxic capabilities and engage target cells through a repertoire of activating and inhibitory receptors. Particularly, natural killer group 2, member D (NKG2D) receptor on NK cells recognizes stress-induced ligands-the MHC class I chain-related molecules A and B (MICA/B) presented on tumor cells and is key to trigger the cytolytic response of NK cells. However, tumors have developed sophisticated strategies to evade NK cell surveillance, which lead to failure of tumor immunotherapy. In this paper, we summarized these immune escaping strategies, including the downregulation of ligands for activating receptors, upregulation of ligands for inhibitory receptors, secretion of immunosuppressive compounds, and the development of apoptosis resistance. Then, we focus on recent advancements in NK cell immune therapies, which include engaging activating NK cell receptors, upregulating NKG2D ligand MICA/B expression, blocking inhibitory NK cell receptors, adoptive NK cell therapy, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered NK cells (CAR-NK), and NKG2D CAR-T cells, especially several vaccines targeting MICA/B. This review will inspire the research in NK cell biology in tumor and provide significant hope for improving cancer treatment outcomes by harnessing the potent cytotoxic activity of NK cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- DanRu Wang
- National Key Lab of Immunity and Inflammation and Institute of Immunology Naval Medical University Shanghai China
| | - LingYun Dou
- National Key Lab of Immunity and Inflammation and Institute of Immunology Naval Medical University Shanghai China
| | - LiHao Sui
- National Key Lab of Immunity and Inflammation and Institute of Immunology Naval Medical University Shanghai China
| | - Yiquan Xue
- National Key Lab of Immunity and Inflammation and Institute of Immunology Naval Medical University Shanghai China
| | - Sheng Xu
- National Key Lab of Immunity and Inflammation and Institute of Immunology Naval Medical University Shanghai China
- Shanghai Institute of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation Dongfang Hospital Shanghai China
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25
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Holder AM, Dedeilia A, Sierra-Davidson K, Cohen S, Liu D, Parikh A, Boland GM. Defining clinically useful biomarkers of immune checkpoint inhibitors in solid tumours. Nat Rev Cancer 2024; 24:498-512. [PMID: 38867074 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-024-00705-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Although more than a decade has passed since the approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for the treatment of melanoma and non-small-cell lung, breast and gastrointestinal cancers, many patients still show limited response. US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved biomarkers include programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PDL1) expression, microsatellite status (that is, microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H)) and tumour mutational burden (TMB), but these have limited utility and/or lack standardized testing approaches for pan-cancer applications. Tissue-based analytes (such as tumour gene signatures, tumour antigen presentation or tumour microenvironment profiles) show a correlation with immune response, but equally, these demonstrate limited efficacy, as they represent a single time point and a single spatial assessment. Patient heterogeneity as well as inter- and intra-tumoural differences across different tissue sites and time points represent substantial challenges for static biomarkers. However, dynamic biomarkers such as longitudinal biopsies or novel, less-invasive markers such as blood-based biomarkers, radiomics and the gut microbiome show increasing potential for the dynamic identification of ICI response, and patient-tailored predictors identified through neoadjuvant trials or novel ex vivo tumour models can help to personalize treatment. In this Perspective, we critically assess the multiple new static, dynamic and patient-specific biomarkers, highlight the newest consortia and trial efforts, and provide recommendations for future clinical trials to make meaningful steps forwards in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M Holder
- Department of Surgical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Sonia Cohen
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Liu
- Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aparna Parikh
- Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Genevieve M Boland
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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26
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Wang M, Reynolds KL, Montazeri K, Schaefer EA, Sullivan RJ, Dougan M. Tofacitinib is Effective in Treating Refractory Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Hepatitis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024; 22:1539-1541.e2. [PMID: 38142835 DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2023.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have improved metastatic melanoma outcomes; however, toxicities, such as hepatitis, can be dose-limiting or even fatal.1 Systemic glucocorticoids and antimetabolite immunosuppressive medications remain the mainstay of treatment for ICI-hepatitis, but options for patients refractory to these therapies are limited.2 Herein we present 3 cases of glucocorticoid-refractory ICI-hepatitis treated with tofacitinib, an inhibitor of Janus kinase (JAK) 1 and 3. These patients represent consecutive patients referred to the Massachusetts General Hospital Severe Immunotherapy Complications service who were determined by our experts to have treatment failure with systemic glucocorticoid and antimetabolite combination therapy between August 2022 and September 2023.3 These were the only 3 patients managed by the Severe Immunotherapy Complications service who were treated with tofacitinib for ICI-hepatitis during that time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike Wang
- Mass General Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kerry L Reynolds
- Mass General Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kamaneh Montazeri
- Mass General Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Esperance A Schaefer
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ryan J Sullivan
- Mass General Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
| | - Michael Dougan
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
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27
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Luan J, Liu Y, Cao M, Guo X, Guo N. The pathogenic response of cytotoxic T‑lymphocytes, a common therapeutic target for cancer, has a direct impact on treatment outcomes (Review). Oncol Rep 2024; 52:98. [PMID: 38904200 PMCID: PMC11200153 DOI: 10.3892/or.2024.8757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), also known as CD8+ T cells, participate in immune function by secreting various cytokines after recognizing specific antigens and class I major histocompatibility complex molecules associated with tumor cells, and thus have a key role in antitumor immunity. However, certain CD8+ T cells show low reactivity and thus cannot effectively remove tumor cells or viral antigens. Due to this heterogeneity, effective biomarkers representing these differences in CD8+ cells are needed. The identification of suitable biomarkers will also enhance the management of cancer treatment. Recent research has improved the understanding of CD8+ T lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment and circulatory system. Treatment efficacy is impacted directly by the pathogenic response of CTLs, and thus, the use of adjuvant therapies to address these pathological changes, e.g., stimulating the increase in the proportion of reactive T cells or suppressing the proportion of terminally exhausted T cells, would be advantageous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Luan
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, P.R. China
| | - Yuxin Liu
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, P.R. China
| | - Meng Cao
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, P.R. China
| | - Xianing Guo
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, P.R. China
| | - Na Guo
- Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, P.R. China
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Becker JC, Stang A, Schrama D, Ugurel S. Merkel Cell Carcinoma: Integrating Epidemiology, Immunology, and Therapeutic Updates. Am J Clin Dermatol 2024; 25:541-557. [PMID: 38649621 PMCID: PMC11193695 DOI: 10.1007/s40257-024-00858-z] [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: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare skin cancer characterized by neuroendocrine differentiation. Its carcinogenesis is based either on the integration of the Merkel cell polyomavirus or on ultraviolet (UV) mutagenesis, both of which lead to high immunogenicity either through the expression of viral proteins or neoantigens. Despite this immunogenicity resulting from viral or UV-associated carcinogenesis, it exhibits highly aggressive behavior. However, owing to the rarity of MCC and the lack of epidemiologic registries with detailed clinical data, there is some uncertainty regarding the spontaneous course of the disease. Historically, advanced MCC patients were treated with conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy yielding a median response duration of only 3 months. Starting in 2017, four programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) immune checkpoint inhibitors-avelumab, pembrolizumab, nivolumab (utilized in both neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings), and retifanlimab-have demonstrated efficacy in treating patients with disseminated MCC on the basis of prospective clinical trials. However, generating clinical evidence for rare cancers, such as MCC, is challenging owing to difficulties in conducting large-scale trials, resulting in small sample sizes and therefore lacking statistical power. Thus, to comprehensively understand the available clinical evidence on various immunotherapy approaches for MCC, we also delve into the epidemiology and immune biology of this cancer. Nevertheless, while randomized studies directly comparing immune checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapy in MCC are lacking, immunotherapy shows response rates comparable to those previously reported with chemotherapy but with more enduring responses. Notably, adjuvant nivolumab has proven superiority to the standard-of-care therapy (observation) in the adjuvant setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen C Becker
- Department of Translational Skin Cancer Research (TSCR), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 1, 45141, Essen, Germany.
- Department of Dermatology, University Medicine Essen, Essen, Germany.
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Andreas Stang
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
- Cancer Registry of North Rhine-Westphalia, Bochum, Germany
| | - David Schrama
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Selma Ugurel
- Department of Dermatology, University Medicine Essen, Essen, Germany
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Hofman T, Ng SW, Garcés-Lázaro I, Heigwer F, Boutros M, Cerwenka A. IFNγ mediates the resistance of tumor cells to distinct NK cell subsets. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e009410. [PMID: 38955423 PMCID: PMC11218003 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2024-009410] [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: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint blockade targeting the adaptive immune system has revolutionized the treatment of cancer. Despite impressive clinical benefits observed, patient subgroups remain non-responsive underscoring the necessity for combinational therapies harnessing additional immune cells. Natural killer (NK) cells are emerging tools for cancer therapy. However, only subpopulations of NK cells that are differentially controlled by inhibitory receptors exert reactivity against particular cancer types. How to leverage the complete anti-tumor potential of all NK cell subsets without favoring the emergence of NK cell-resistant tumor cells remains unresolved. METHODS We performed a genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 knockout resistance screen in melanoma cells in co-cultures with human primary NK cells. We comprehensively evaluated factors regulating tumor resistance and susceptibility by focusing on NK cell subsets in an allogenic setting. Moreover, we tested therapeutic blocking antibodies currently used in clinical trials. RESULTS Melanoma cells deficient in antigen-presenting or the IFNγ-signaling pathways were depleted in remaining NK cell-co-cultured melanoma cells and displayed enhanced sensitivity to NK cells. Treatment with IFNγ induced potent resistance of melanoma cells to resting, IL-2-cultured and ADCC-activated NK cells that depended on B2M required for the expression of both classical and non-classical MHC-I. IFNγ-induced expression of HLA-E mediated the resistance of melanoma cells to the NKG2A+ KIR- and partially to the NKG2A+ KIR+ NK cell subset. The expression of classical MHC-I by itself was sufficient for the inhibition of the NKG2A- KIR+, but not the NKG2A+ KIR+ NK cell subset. Treatment of NK cells with monalizumab, an NKG2A blocking mAb, enhanced the reactivity of a corresponding subset of NK cells. The combination of monalizumab with lirilumab, blocking KIR2 receptors, together with DX9, blocking KIR3DL1, was required to restore cytotoxicity of all NK cell subsets against IFNγ-induced resistant tumor cells in melanoma and tumors of different origins. CONCLUSION Our data reveal that in the context of NK cells, IFNγ induces the resistance of tumor cells by the upregulation of classical and non-classical MHC-I. Moreover, we reveal insights into NK cell subset reactivity and propose a therapeutic strategy involving combinational monalizumab/lirilumab/DX9 treatment to fully restore the antitumor response across NK cell subsets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Hofman
- Department of Immunobiochemistry, Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Siu Wang Ng
- Signalling and Functional Genomics, German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Irene Garcés-Lázaro
- Department of Immunobiochemistry, Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Florian Heigwer
- Signalling and Functional Genomics, German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Applied Sciences Bingen, Bingen am Rhein, Germany
| | - Michael Boutros
- Signalling and Functional Genomics, German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Adelheid Cerwenka
- Department of Immunobiochemistry, Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
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Hossain SM, Carpenter C, Eccles MR. Genomic and Epigenomic Biomarkers of Immune Checkpoint Immunotherapy Response in Melanoma: Current and Future Perspectives. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7252. [PMID: 39000359 PMCID: PMC11241335 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137252] [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: 05/12/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) demonstrate durable responses, long-term survival benefits, and improved outcomes in cancer patients compared to chemotherapy. However, the majority of cancer patients do not respond to ICIs, and a high proportion of those patients who do respond to ICI therapy develop innate or acquired resistance to ICIs, limiting their clinical utility. The most studied predictive tissue biomarkers for ICI response are PD-L1 immunohistochemical expression, DNA mismatch repair deficiency, and tumour mutation burden, although these are weak predictors of ICI response. The identification of better predictive biomarkers remains an important goal to improve the identification of patients who would benefit from ICIs. Here, we review established and emerging biomarkers of ICI response, focusing on epigenomic and genomic alterations in cancer patients, which have the potential to help guide single-agent ICI immunotherapy or ICI immunotherapy in combination with other ICI immunotherapies or agents. We briefly review the current status of ICI response biomarkers, including investigational biomarkers, and we present insights into several emerging and promising epigenomic biomarker candidates, including current knowledge gaps in the context of ICI immunotherapy response in melanoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sultana Mehbuba Hossain
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand; (S.M.H.); (C.C.)
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Level 2, 3A Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Carien Carpenter
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand; (S.M.H.); (C.C.)
| | - Michael R. Eccles
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand; (S.M.H.); (C.C.)
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Level 2, 3A Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
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Xie W, Zhang Y, Zhang Z, Li Q, Tao L, Zhang R. ISG15 promotes tumor progression via IL6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in ccRCC. Clin Exp Med 2024; 24:140. [PMID: 38951255 PMCID: PMC11217101 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-024-01414-z] [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: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Although renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a prevalent type of cancer, the most common pathological subtype, clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), still has poorly understood molecular mechanisms of progression. Moreover, interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) is associated with various types of cancer; however, its biological role in ccRCC remains unclear.This study aimed to explore the role of ISG15 in ccRCC progression.ISG15 expression was upregulated in ccRCC and associated with poor prognosis. RNA sequence analysis and subsequent experiments indicated that ISG15 modulated IL6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling to promote ccRCC proliferation, migration, and invasion. Additionally, our animal experiments confirmed that sustained ISG15 knockdown reduced tumor growth rate in nude mice and promoted cell apoptosis. ISG15 modulates the IL6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway, making it a potential therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker for ccRCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Xie
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Linjiang Road. 74, Jiangbei, Chongqing, China
| | - Yuanfeng Zhang
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Linjiang Road. 74, Jiangbei, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhechuan Zhang
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Linjiang Road. 74, Jiangbei, Chongqing, China
| | - Qinke Li
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Linjiang Road. 74, Yuzhong, Chongqing, China
| | - Lesha Tao
- Department of Urology, Chongqing People's Hospital, Xingguang Road.118, Chongqing, China
| | - Ronggui Zhang
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Linjiang Road. 74, Jiangbei, Chongqing, China.
- Department of Urology, Chongqing People's Hospital, Xingguang Road.118, Chongqing, China.
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Zhang X, Chen R, Huo Z, Li W, Jiang M, Su G, Liu Y, Cai Y, Huang W, Xiong Y, Wang S. Blood-based molecular and cellular biomarkers of early response to neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Cancer Cell Int 2024; 24:225. [PMID: 38951894 PMCID: PMC11218110 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-024-03412-3] [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: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the improved survival observed in PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy, a substantial proportion of cancer patients, including those with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), still lack a response. METHODS Transcriptomic profiling was conducted on a discovery cohort comprising 100 whole blood samples, as collected multiple times from 48 healthy controls (including 43 published data) and 31 NSCLC patients that under treatment with a combination of anti-PD-1 Tislelizumab and chemotherapy. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs), simulated immune cell subsets, and germline DNA mutational markers were identified from patients achieved a pathological complete response during the early treatment cycles. The predictive values of mutational markers were further validated in an independent immunotherapy cohort of 1661 subjects, and then confirmed in genetically matched lung cancer cell lines by a co-culturing model. RESULTS The gene expression of hundreds of DEGs (FDR p < 0.05, fold change < -2 or > 2) distinguished responders from healthy controls, indicating the potential to stratify patients utilizing early on-treatment features from blood. PD-1-mediated cell abundance changes in memory CD4 + and regulatory T cell subset were more significant or exclusively observed in responders. A panel of top-ranked genetic alterations showed significant associations with improved survival (p < 0.05) and heightened responsiveness to anti-PD-1 treatment in patient cohort and co-cultured cell lines. CONCLUSION This study discovered and validated peripheral blood-based biomarkers with evident predictive efficacy for early therapy response and patient stratification before treatment for neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade in NSCLC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Zhang
- School of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China.
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Northwest University, 710069, Shaanxi, Xi'an, China.
| | - Rui Chen
- School of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China
| | - Zirong Huo
- School of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China
| | - Wenqing Li
- School of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China
| | - Mengju Jiang
- School of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China
| | - Guodong Su
- School of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China
| | - Yuru Liu
- School of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China
| | - Yu Cai
- School of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China
| | - Wuhao Huang
- Department of Lung Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Lung Cancer Center, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Yuyan Xiong
- School of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Northwest University, 710069, Shaanxi, Xi'an, China
| | - Shengguang Wang
- Department of Lung Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Lung Cancer Center, Tianjin, 300060, China.
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Ooki A, Osumi H, Yoshino K, Yamaguchi K. Potent therapeutic strategy in gastric cancer with microsatellite instability-high and/or deficient mismatch repair. Gastric Cancer 2024:10.1007/s10120-024-01523-4. [PMID: 38922524 DOI: 10.1007/s10120-024-01523-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) is a common malignancy that presents challenges in patient care worldwide. The mismatch repair (MMR) system is a highly conserved DNA repair mechanism that protects genome integrity during replication. Deficient MMR (dMMR) results in an increased accumulation of genetic errors in microsatellite sequences, leading to the development of a microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) phenotype. Most MSI-H/dMMR GCs arise sporadically, mainly due to MutL homolog 1 (MLH1) epigenetic silencing. Unlike microsatellite-stable (MSS)/proficient MMR (pMMR) GCs, MSI-H/dMMR GCs are relatively rare and represent a distinct subtype with genomic instability, a high somatic mutational burden, favorable immunogenicity, different responses to treatment, and prognosis. dMMR/MSI-H status is a robust predictive biomarker for treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) due to high neoantigen load, prominent tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) overexpression. However, a subset of MSI-H/dMMR GC patients does not benefit from immunotherapy, highlighting the need for further research into predictive biomarkers and resistance mechanisms. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the clinical, molecular, immunogenic, and therapeutic aspects of MSI-H/dMMR GC, with a focus on the impact of ICIs in immunotherapy and their potential as neoadjuvant therapies. Understanding the complexity and diversity of the molecular and immunological profiles of MSI-H/dMMR GC will drive the development of more effective therapeutic strategies and molecular targets for future precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Ooki
- Department of Gastroenterological Chemotherapy, Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto-Ku, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.
| | - Hiroki Osumi
- Department of Gastroenterological Chemotherapy, Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto-Ku, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan
| | - Koichiro Yoshino
- Department of Gastroenterological Chemotherapy, Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto-Ku, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan
| | - Kensei Yamaguchi
- Department of Gastroenterological Chemotherapy, Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto-Ku, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan
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Li T, Ma W, Al-Obeidi E. Evolving Precision First-Line Systemic Treatment for Patients with Unresectable Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2350. [PMID: 39001412 PMCID: PMC11240640 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16132350] [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: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
First-line systemic therapy for patients with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has rapidly evolved over the past two decades. First, molecularly targeted therapy for a growing number of gain-of-function molecular targets has been shown to improve progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) with favorable toxicity profiles compared to platinum-containing chemotherapy and can be given as first-line systemic therapy in ~25% of patients with NSCLC. Actionable genetic alterations include EGFR, BRAF V600E, and MET exon 14 splicing site-sensitizing mutations, as well as ALK-, ROS1-, RET-, and NTRK-gene fusions. Secondly, inhibitors of programmed cell death protein 1 or its ligand 1 (PD-1/L1) such as pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, or cemiplimab monotherapy have become a standard of care for ~25% of patients with NSCLC whose tumors have high PD-L1 expression (total proportion score (TPS) ≥50%) and no sensitizing EGFR/ALK alterations. Lastly, for the remaining ~50% of patients who are fit and whose tumors have no or low PD-L1 expression (TPS of 0-49%) and no sensitizing EGFR/ALK aberrations, platinum-containing chemotherapy with the addition of a PD-1/L1 inhibitor alone or in combination of a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) inhibitor improves PFS and OS compared to chemotherapy alone. The objectives of this review are to summarize the current data and perspectives on first-line systemic treatment in patients with unresectable NSCLC and propose a practical algorithm for implementing precision biomarker testing at diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianhong Li
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis School of Medicine, University of California Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; (W.M.)
- Medical Service, Hematology/Oncology, Veterans Affairs Northern California Health Care System, 10535 Hospital Way, Mather, CA 95655, USA
| | - Weijie Ma
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis School of Medicine, University of California Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; (W.M.)
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA
| | - Ebaa Al-Obeidi
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis School of Medicine, University of California Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; (W.M.)
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Gadina M, O'Shea JJ. JAKing up immunity. Science 2024; 384:1303-1304. [PMID: 38900897 DOI: 10.1126/science.adq1717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors improve antitumor responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Gadina
- Translational Immunology Section, Office of Science and Technology, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - John J O'Shea
- Lymphocyte Cell Biology Section, Molecular Immunology and Inflammation Branch, NIAMS, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Mathew D, Marmarelis ME, Foley C, Bauml JM, Ye D, Ghinnagow R, Ngiow SF, Klapholz M, Jun S, Zhang Z, Zorc R, Davis CW, Diehn M, Giles JR, Huang AC, Hwang WT, Zhang NR, Schoenfeld AJ, Carpenter EL, Langer CJ, Wherry EJ, Minn AJ. Combined JAK inhibition and PD-1 immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer patients. Science 2024; 384:eadf1329. [PMID: 38900877 PMCID: PMC11327955 DOI: 10.1126/science.adf1329] [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: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Persistent inflammation driven by cytokines such as type-one interferon (IFN-I) can cause immunosuppression. We show that administration of the Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) inhibitor itacitinib after anti-PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) immunotherapy improves immune function and antitumor responses in mice and results in high response rates (67%) in a phase 2 clinical trial for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Patients who failed to respond to initial anti-PD-1 immunotherapy but responded after addition of itacitinib had multiple features of poor immune function to anti-PD-1 alone that improved after JAK inhibition. Itacitinib promoted CD8 T cell plasticity and therapeutic responses of exhausted and effector memory-like T cell clonotypes. Patients with persistent inflammation refractory to itacitinib showed progressive CD8 T cell terminal differentiation and progressive disease. Thus, JAK inhibition may improve the efficacy of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy by pivoting T cell differentiation dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divij Mathew
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Melina E Marmarelis
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Caitlin Foley
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Mark Foundation Center for Immunotherapy, Immune Signaling, and Radiation, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Joshua M Bauml
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Darwin Ye
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Mark Foundation Center for Immunotherapy, Immune Signaling, and Radiation, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Reem Ghinnagow
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Mark Foundation Center for Immunotherapy, Immune Signaling, and Radiation, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shin Foong Ngiow
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Max Klapholz
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Mark Foundation Center for Immunotherapy, Immune Signaling, and Radiation, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Soyeong Jun
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Zhaojun Zhang
- Department of Statistics, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Robert Zorc
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Christiana W Davis
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Maximillian Diehn
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Josephine R Giles
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alexander C Huang
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Wei-Ting Hwang
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nancy R Zhang
- Department of Statistics, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Adam J Schoenfeld
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Erica L Carpenter
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Corey J Langer
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - E John Wherry
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Mark Foundation Center for Immunotherapy, Immune Signaling, and Radiation, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Andy J Minn
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Mark Foundation Center for Immunotherapy, Immune Signaling, and Radiation, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Bidgood GM, Keating N, Doggett K, Nicholson SE. SOCS1 is a critical checkpoint in immune homeostasis, inflammation and tumor immunity. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1419951. [PMID: 38947335 PMCID: PMC11211259 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1419951] [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: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling (SOCS) family proteins are important negative regulators of cytokine signaling. SOCS1 is the prototypical member of the SOCS family and functions in a classic negative-feedback loop to inhibit signaling in response to interferon, interleukin-12 and interleukin-2 family cytokines. These cytokines have a critical role in orchestrating our immune defence against viral pathogens and cancer. The ability of SOCS1 to limit cytokine signaling positions it as an important immune checkpoint, as evidenced by the detection of detrimental SOCS1 variants in patients with cytokine-driven inflammatory and autoimmune disease. SOCS1 has also emerged as a key checkpoint that restricts anti-tumor immunity, playing both a tumor intrinsic role and impacting the ability of various immune cells to mount an effective anti-tumor response. In this review, we describe the mechanism of SOCS1 action, focusing on the role of SOCS1 in autoimmunity and cancer, and discuss the potential for new SOCS1-directed cancer therapies that could be used to enhance adoptive immunotherapy and immune checkpoint blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace M. Bidgood
- Inflammation Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Narelle Keating
- Inflammation Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Karen Doggett
- Inflammation Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sandra E. Nicholson
- Inflammation Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Lee SH, Pankaj A, Rickelt S, Ting D, Ferrone C, Patil DT, Yilmaz O, Berger D, Deshpande V, Yilmaz O. β2-microglobulin expression is associated with aggressive histology, activated tumor immune milieu, and outcome in colon carcinoma. Am J Clin Pathol 2024:aqae066. [PMID: 38869306 DOI: 10.1093/ajcp/aqae066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We sought to assess the expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) proteins and β2-microglobulin (B2M) in tumor cells and the relationship with immune microenvironment and outcome in colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS A total of 953 CRC cases were evaluated by immunohistochemistry for HLA class I, HLA class II, and B2M. The expression level of these biomarkers was correlated with clinicopathologic information, BRAF V600E and mismatch repair (MMR) proteins, and the quantitated expression levels of immune cells (CD8 and CD163) and immune regulatory proteins (FoxP3, programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 [PD-L1], and LAG3). RESULTS We found that B2M-low tumors were statistically correlated with aggressive histologic features, including higher stage, higher grade, extramural venous invasion, perineural invasion, and distant metastasis. Expression of B2M was positively correlated (R2 = 0.3) and significantly associated with MMR-deficient tumors (P < .001); B2M-low tumors were also associated with an "immune cold"' microenvironment, including a reduced number of immune cells (CD8 and CD163), reduced expression of immune regulatory proteins by immune cells (PD-L1, FoxP3, and LAG3), and reduced tumor cell expression of PD-L1. These B2M-low tumors correlated with lower disease-specific survival (P = .018), a finding that maintained significance only for the proficient MMR cohort (P = .037). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that B2M expression may support predictive models for both outcome and checkpoint inhibitor therapy treatment response for colorectal adenocarcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soo Hyun Lee
- Department of Pathology, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, US
| | - Amaya Pankaj
- Departments of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, US
| | - Steffen Rickelt
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, US
| | - David Ting
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, US
- Departments of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, US
| | - Cristina Ferrone
- Departments of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, US
| | - Deepa T Patil
- Departments of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, US
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, US
| | - Omer Yilmaz
- Departments of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, US
- Departments of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, US
| | - David Berger
- Division of General Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, US
| | - Vikram Deshpande
- Departments of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, US
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, US
| | - Osman Yilmaz
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, US
- Departments of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, US
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Yan S, Wang W, Feng Z, Xue J, Liang W, Wu X, Tan Z, Zhang X, Zhang S, Li X, Zhang C. Immune checkpoint inhibitors in colorectal cancer: limitation and challenges. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1403533. [PMID: 38919624 PMCID: PMC11196401 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1403533] [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: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer exhibits a notable prevalence and propensity for metastasis, but the current therapeutic interventions for metastatic colorectal cancer have yielded suboptimal results. ICIs can decrease tumor development by preventing the tumor's immune evasion, presenting cancer patients with a new treatment alternative. The increased use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in CRC has brought several issues. In particular, ICIs have demonstrated significant clinical effectiveness in patients with MSI-H CRC, whereas their efficacy is limited in MSS. Acquired resistance can still occur in patients with a positive response to ICIs. This paper describes the efficacy of ICIs currently in the clinical treatment of CRC, discusses the mechanisms by which acquired resistance occurs, primarily related to loss and impaired presentation of tumor antigens, reduced response of IFN-λ and cytokine or metabolic dysregulation, and summarizes the incidence of adverse effects. We posit that the future of ICIs hinges upon the advancement of precise prediction biomarkers and the implementation of combination therapies. This study aims to elucidate the constraints associated with ICIs in CRC and foster targeted problem-solving approaches, thereby enhancing the potential benefits for more patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suying Yan
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Wanting Wang
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhiqiang Feng
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Jun Xue
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, China
| | - Weizheng Liang
- Central Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, China
| | - Xueliang Wu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, China
- Institute of Cancer, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, China
| | - Zhiquan Tan
- Department of Scientific and Technical Information, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Xipeng Zhang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China
- The Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin Union Medical Center of Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Institute of Coloproctology, Tianjin, China
| | - Shuai Zhang
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Xichuan Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Chunze Zhang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China
- The Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin Union Medical Center of Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Institute of Coloproctology, Tianjin, China
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Chaudhry Z, Boyadzhyan A, Sasaninia K, Rai V. Targeting Neoantigens in Cancer: Possibilities and Opportunities in Breast Cancer. Antibodies (Basel) 2024; 13:46. [PMID: 38920970 PMCID: PMC11200483 DOI: 10.3390/antib13020046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
As one of the most prevalent forms of cancer worldwide, breast cancer has garnered significant attention within the clinical research setting. While traditional treatment employs a multidisciplinary approach including a variety of therapies such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and even surgery, researchers have since directed their attention to the budding role of neoantigens. Neoantigens are defined as tumor-specific antigens that result from a multitude of genetic alterations, the most prevalent of which is the single nucleotide variant. As a result of their foreign nature, neoantigens elicit immune responses upon presentation by Major Histocompatibility Complexes I and II followed by recognition by T cell receptors. Previously, researchers have been able to utilize these immunogenic properties and manufacture neoantigen-specific T-cells and neoantigen vaccines. Within the context of breast cancer, biomarkers such as tumor protein 53 (TP53), Survivin, Partner and Localizer of BRCA2 (PALB2), and protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor T (PTPRT) display exceeding potential to serve as neoantigens. However, despite their seemingly limitless potential, neoantigens must overcome various obstacles if they are to be fairly distributed to patients. For instance, a prolonged period between the identification of a neoantigen and the dispersal of treatment poses a serious risk within the context of breast cancer. Regardless of these current obstacles, it appears highly promising that future research into neoantigens will make an everlasting impact on the health outcomes within the realm of breast cancer. The purpose of this literature review is to comprehensively discuss the etiology of various forms of breast cancer and current treatment modalities followed by the significance of neoantigens in cancer therapeutics and their application to breast cancer. Further, we have discussed the limitations, future directions, and the role of transcriptomics in neoantigen identification and personalized medicine. The concepts discussed in the original and review articles were included in this review article.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Vikrant Rai
- Department of Translational Research, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA; (Z.C.); (A.B.); (K.S.)
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He C, Guo Y, Zhou N, Wang Z, Liu T, Xu X, Wang F, Zhu H, Yang Z, Yang X, Xia L. Construction and Application of a PD-L1-Targeted Multimodal Diagnostic and Dual-Functional Theranostics Nanoprobe. Int J Nanomedicine 2024; 19:5479-5492. [PMID: 38863646 PMCID: PMC11166151 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s461701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background In recent years, PD-L1 has been primarily utilized as an immune checkpoint marker in cancer immunotherapy. However, due to tumor heterogeneity, the response rate to such therapies often falls short of expectations. In addition to its role in immunotherapy, PD-L1 serves as a specific target on the surface of tumor cells for targeted diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. There is an absence of a fully developed PD-L1-targeted diagnostic and therapeutic probe for clinical use, which constrains the exploration and clinical exploitation of this target. Methods and Results In this study, we engineered a PD-L1-targeted probe with multimodal imaging and dual therapeutic functionalities utilizing organic melanin nanoparticles. Functionalization with the WL12-SH peptide endowed the nanoprobe with specific targeting capabilities. Subsequent radiolabeling with 89Zr (half-life: 100.8 hours) and chelation of Mn2+ ions afforded the probe the capacity for simultaneous PET and MRI imaging modalities. Cellular uptake assays revealed pronounced specificity, with -positive cells exhibiting significantly higher uptake than -negative counterparts (p < 0.05). Dual-modal PET/MRI imaging delineated rapid and sustained accumulation at the neoplastic site, yielding tumor-to-non-tumor (T/NT) signal ratios at 24 hours post-injection of 16.67±3.45 for PET and 6.63±0.64 for MRI, respectively. We conjugated the therapeutic radionuclide 131I (half-life: 8.02 days) to the construct and combined low-dose radiotherapy and photothermal treatment (PTT), culminating in superior antitumor efficacy while preserving a high safety profile. The tumors in the cohort receiving the dual-modality therapy exhibited significantly reduced volume and weight compared to those in the control and monotherapy groups. Conclusion We developed and applied a novel -targeted multimodal theranostic nanoprobe, characterized by its high specificity and superior imaging capabilities as demonstrated in PET/MRI modalities. Furthermore, this nanoprobe facilitates potent therapeutic efficacy at lower radionuclide doses when used in conjunction with PTT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengxue He
- Medical College, Guizhou University, Guiyang, GuiZhou Province, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals (National Medical Products Administration), Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - YanHui Guo
- Department of Radiology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Nina Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals (National Medical Products Administration), Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education, Beijing), Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Sarcoma Center, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Teli Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals (National Medical Products Administration), Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoxia Xu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals (National Medical Products Administration), Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Feng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals (National Medical Products Administration), Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hua Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals (National Medical Products Administration), Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhi Yang
- Medical College, Guizhou University, Guiyang, GuiZhou Province, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals (National Medical Products Administration), Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xianteng Yang
- Medical College, Guizhou University, Guiyang, GuiZhou Province, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Orthopedics, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, GuiZhou Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lei Xia
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals (National Medical Products Administration), Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
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Berland L, Gabr Z, Chang M, Ilié M, Hofman V, Rignol G, Ghiringhelli F, Mograbi B, Rashidian M, Hofman P. Further knowledge and developments in resistance mechanisms to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1384121. [PMID: 38903504 PMCID: PMC11188684 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1384121] [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: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The past decade has witnessed a revolution in cancer treatment, shifting from conventional drugs (chemotherapies) towards targeted molecular therapies and immune-based therapies, in particular immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). These immunotherapies release the host's immune system against the tumor and have shown unprecedented durable remission for patients with cancers that were thought incurable, such as metastatic melanoma, metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC), microsatellite instability (MSI) high colorectal cancer and late stages of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, about 80% of the patients fail to respond to these immunotherapies and are therefore left with other less effective and potentially toxic treatments. Identifying and understanding the mechanisms that enable cancerous cells to adapt to and eventually overcome therapy can help circumvent resistance and improve treatment. In this review, we describe the recent discoveries on the onco-immunological processes which govern the tumor microenvironment and their impact on the resistance to PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Berland
- Inserm U1081 Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, Nice (IRCAN) Team 4, Université Côte d’Azur, Institut Hospitalo Universitaire (IHU) RespirERA, Federation Hospitalo Universitaire (FHU) OncoAge, Nice, France
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Zeina Gabr
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
- School of Life Science, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michelle Chang
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Marius Ilié
- Inserm U1081 Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, Nice (IRCAN) Team 4, Université Côte d’Azur, Institut Hospitalo Universitaire (IHU) RespirERA, Federation Hospitalo Universitaire (FHU) OncoAge, Nice, France
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Institut Hospitalo Universitaire (IHU) RespirERA, Federation Hospitalo Universitaire (FHU) OncoAge, Pasteur Hospital, Université Côte d’Azur, Nice, France
- Institut Hospitalo Universitaire (IHU) RespirERA, Nice, France
- Hospital-Integrated Biobank (BB-0033–00025), Pasteur Hospital, Nice, France
| | - Véronique Hofman
- Inserm U1081 Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, Nice (IRCAN) Team 4, Université Côte d’Azur, Institut Hospitalo Universitaire (IHU) RespirERA, Federation Hospitalo Universitaire (FHU) OncoAge, Nice, France
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Institut Hospitalo Universitaire (IHU) RespirERA, Federation Hospitalo Universitaire (FHU) OncoAge, Pasteur Hospital, Université Côte d’Azur, Nice, France
- Institut Hospitalo Universitaire (IHU) RespirERA, Nice, France
- Hospital-Integrated Biobank (BB-0033–00025), Pasteur Hospital, Nice, France
| | - Guylène Rignol
- Inserm U1081 Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, Nice (IRCAN) Team 4, Université Côte d’Azur, Institut Hospitalo Universitaire (IHU) RespirERA, Federation Hospitalo Universitaire (FHU) OncoAge, Nice, France
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Institut Hospitalo Universitaire (IHU) RespirERA, Federation Hospitalo Universitaire (FHU) OncoAge, Pasteur Hospital, Université Côte d’Azur, Nice, France
- Institut Hospitalo Universitaire (IHU) RespirERA, Nice, France
| | - François Ghiringhelli
- Institut Hospitalo Universitaire (IHU) RespirERA, Nice, France
- Department of Biology and Pathology of Tumors, Georges-Francois Leclerc Cancer Center-UNICANCER, Dijon, France
| | - Baharia Mograbi
- Inserm U1081 Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, Nice (IRCAN) Team 4, Université Côte d’Azur, Institut Hospitalo Universitaire (IHU) RespirERA, Federation Hospitalo Universitaire (FHU) OncoAge, Nice, France
- Institut Hospitalo Universitaire (IHU) RespirERA, Nice, France
| | - Mohamad Rashidian
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Paul Hofman
- Inserm U1081 Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, Nice (IRCAN) Team 4, Université Côte d’Azur, Institut Hospitalo Universitaire (IHU) RespirERA, Federation Hospitalo Universitaire (FHU) OncoAge, Nice, France
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Institut Hospitalo Universitaire (IHU) RespirERA, Federation Hospitalo Universitaire (FHU) OncoAge, Pasteur Hospital, Université Côte d’Azur, Nice, France
- Institut Hospitalo Universitaire (IHU) RespirERA, Nice, France
- Hospital-Integrated Biobank (BB-0033–00025), Pasteur Hospital, Nice, France
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Pineda JMB, Bradley RK. DUX4 is a common driver of immune evasion and immunotherapy failure in metastatic cancers. eLife 2024; 12:RP89017. [PMID: 38829686 PMCID: PMC11147511 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89017] [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] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer immune evasion contributes to checkpoint immunotherapy failure in many patients with metastatic cancers. The embryonic transcription factor DUX4 was recently characterized as a suppressor of interferon-γ signaling and antigen presentation that is aberrantly expressed in a small subset of primary tumors. Here, we report that DUX4 expression is a common feature of metastatic tumors, with ~10-50% of advanced bladder, breast, kidney, prostate, and skin cancers expressing DUX4. DUX4 expression is significantly associated with immune cell exclusion and decreased objective response to PD-L1 blockade in a large cohort of urothelial carcinoma patients. DUX4 expression is a significant predictor of survival even after accounting for tumor mutational burden and other molecular and clinical features in this cohort, with DUX4 expression associated with a median reduction in survival of over 1 year. Our data motivate future attempts to develop DUX4 as a biomarker and therapeutic target for checkpoint immunotherapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Mario Bello Pineda
- Computational Biology Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer CenterSeattleUnited States
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer CenterSeattleUnited States
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Robert K Bradley
- Computational Biology Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer CenterSeattleUnited States
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer CenterSeattleUnited States
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
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Bell HN, Zou W. Beyond the Barrier: Unraveling the Mechanisms of Immunotherapy Resistance. Annu Rev Immunol 2024; 42:521-550. [PMID: 38382538 PMCID: PMC11213679 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-101819-024752] [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] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) induces a remarkable and durable response in a subset of cancer patients. However, most patients exhibit either primary or acquired resistance to ICB. This resistance arises from a complex interplay of diverse dynamic mechanisms within the tumor microenvironment (TME). These mechanisms include genetic, epigenetic, and metabolic alterations that prevent T cell trafficking to the tumor site, induce immune cell dysfunction, interfere with antigen presentation, drive heightened expression of coinhibitory molecules, and promote tumor survival after immune attack. The TME worsens ICB resistance through the formation of immunosuppressive networks via immune inhibition, regulatory metabolites, and abnormal resource consumption. Finally, patient lifestyle factors, including obesity and microbiome composition, influence ICB resistance. Understanding the heterogeneity of cellular, molecular, and environmental factors contributing to ICB resistance is crucial to develop targeted therapeutic interventions that enhance the clinical response. This comprehensive overview highlights key mechanisms of ICB resistance that may be clinically translatable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah N Bell
- Center of Excellence for Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Michigan Medical School, Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Graduate Programs in Cancer Biology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; ,
| | - Weiping Zou
- Center of Excellence for Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Michigan Medical School, Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; ,
- Graduate Programs in Cancer Biology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Townsend MJ, Benque IJ, Li M, Grover S. Review article: Contemporary management of gastrointestinal, pancreatic and hepatic toxicities of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2024; 59:1350-1365. [PMID: 38590108 DOI: 10.1111/apt.17980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are effective oncologic agents which frequently cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs) which can impact multiple organ systems. Onco-Gastroenterology is a novel and emerging subspecialty within gastroenterology focused on cancer treatment-related complications. Gastroenterologists must be prepared to identify and manage diverse immune-mediated toxicities including enterocolitis, hepatitis, pancreatitis and other ICI-induced toxicities. AIM To provide a narrative review of the epidemiology, diagnostic evaluation and management of checkpoint inhibitor-induced gastrointestinal and hepatic toxicities. METHODS We searched Cochrane and PubMed databases for articles published through August 2023. RESULTS Gastrointestinal and hepatic irAEs include most commonly enterocolitis and hepatitis, but also pancreatitis, oesophagitis, gastritis, motility disorders (gastroparesis) and other rarer toxicities. Guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, American Society of Clinical Oncology and European Society for Medical Oncology, in combination with emerging cohort and clinical trial data, offer strategies for management of ICI toxicities. Evaluation of irAEs severity by formal classification and clinical stability, and a thorough workup for alternative etiologies which may clinically mimic irAEs underlie initial management. Treatments include corticosteroids, biologics and other immunosuppressive agents plus supportive care; decisions on dosing, timing and choice of steroid adjuncts and potential for subsequent checkpoint inhibitor dosing are nuanced and toxicity-specific. CONCLUSIONS Expanding clinical trial and cohort data have clarified the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of gastrointestinal, pancreatic and hepatic toxicities of ICIs. Guidelines, though valuable, remain based principally on retrospective cohort data. Quality prospective, controlled studies may refine algorithms for treatment and potential immunotherapy rechallenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Townsend
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Hospital, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Isaac J Benque
- University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Michael Li
- University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, California, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of California San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Shilpa Grover
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endoscopy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Lou B, Guo M, Zheng T, Liu J, Wang C, Chen T, Chen F, Fan X, Gao S, Liang X, Qiang H, Li L, Zhou B, Yuan Z, She J. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals the altered innate immunity in immune checkpoint inhibitor-related myocarditis. Immunology 2024; 172:235-251. [PMID: 38425094 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13770] [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: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Myocarditis has emerged as a rare but lethal immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-associated toxicity. However, the exact mechanism and the specific therapeutic targets remain underexplored. In this study, we aim to characterise the transcriptomic profiles based on single-cell RNA sequencing from ICI-related myocarditis. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples were collected from four groups for single-cell RNA sequencing: (1) patients with newly diagnosed lung squamous cell carcinoma before treatment (Control Group); (2) patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma with PD-1 inhibitor therapy who did not develop myocarditis (PD-1 Group); (3) patients during fulminant ICI-related myocarditis onset (Myocarditis Group); and (4) Patients with fulminant ICI-related myocarditis during disease remission (Recovery Group). Subcluster determination, functional analysis, single-cell trajectory and cell-cell interaction analysis were performed after scRNA-seq. Bulk-RNA sequencing was performed for further validation. Our results revealed the diversity of cellular populations in ICI-related myocarditis, marked by their distinct transcriptional profiles and biological functions. Monocytes, NKs as well as B cells contribute to the regulation of innate immunity and inflammation in ICI-related myocarditis. With integrated analysis of scRNA-seq and bulk sequencing, we identified S100A protein family as a potential serum marker for ICI-related myocarditis. Our study has created a cell atlas of PBMC during ICI-related myocarditis, which would shed light on the pathophysiological mechanism and potential therapeutic targets of ICI-related myocarditis in continuous exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Lou
- Department of Cardiovascular, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Manyun Guo
- Department of Cardiovascular, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Tao Zheng
- Department of Cardiovascular, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Junhui Liu
- Department of Cardiovascular, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of Cardiovascular, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Tao Chen
- Department of Cardiovascular, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Fangyuan Chen
- Department of Cardiovascular, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaojuan Fan
- Department of Cardiovascular, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shanshan Gao
- Department of Cardiovascular, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiao Liang
- Department of Cardiovascular, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hua Qiang
- Department of Cardiovascular, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Lijuan Li
- Department of Cardiovascular, Wuzhong People's Hospital, Ningxia, China
| | - Bo Zhou
- Department of Respiratory, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zuyi Yuan
- Department of Cardiovascular, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jianqing She
- Department of Cardiovascular, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
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Hoke ATK, Takahashi Y, Padget MR, Gomez J, Amit M, Burks J, Bell D, Xie T, Soon-Shiong P, Hodge JW, Hanna EY, London NR. Targeting sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma with a combinatory immunotherapy approach. Transl Oncol 2024; 44:101943. [PMID: 38593586 PMCID: PMC11024348 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2024.101943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC) is a rare, aggressive malignancy of the sinonasal cavity with poor prognosis and limited treatment options. To investigate the potential for SNUC sensitivity to combinatory immunotherapy, we performed in vitro studies with SNUC cell lines and used multi-spectral immunofluorescence to characterize the in vivo patient SNUC tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Human-derived SNUC cell lines were used for in vitro studies of tumor cell susceptibility to natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapeutic strategies. Tumor samples from 14 treatment naïve SNUC patients were examined via multi-spectral immunofluorescence and clinical correlations assessed. RESULTS Anti-PD-L1 blockade enhanced NK cell lysis of SNUC cell lines ∼5.4 fold (P ≤ 0.0001). This effect was blocked by a CD16 neutralizing antibody demonstrating activity through an antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) mediated pathway. ADCC-dependent lysis of SNUC cells was further enhanced by upregulation of PD-L1 on tumor cells by exogenous interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) administration or interleukin-15 (IL-15) stimulated IFN-γ release from NK cells. Combination treatment with anti-PD-L1 blockade and IL-15 superagonism enhanced NK-cell killing of SNUC cells 9.6-fold (P ≤ 0.0001). Untreated SNUC patient tumor samples were found to have an NK cell infiltrate and PD-L1+ tumor cells at a median of 5.4 cells per mm2. A striking 55.7-fold increase in CKlow tumor cell/NK cell interactions was observed in patients without disease recurrence after treatment (P = 0.022). Patients with higher CD3+CD8+ in the stroma had a significantly improved 5-year overall survival (P = 0.0029) and a significant increase in CKlow tumor cell/CD8+ cytotoxic T cell interactions was noted in long-term survivors (P = 0.0225). CONCLUSION These data provide the pre-clinical rationale for ongoing investigation into combinatory immunotherapy approaches for SNUC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin T K Hoke
- Sinonasal and Skull Base Tumor Program, Surgical Oncology Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Yoko Takahashi
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Michelle R Padget
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Javier Gomez
- Department of Leukemia, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Moran Amit
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jared Burks
- Department of Leukemia, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Diana Bell
- Department of Pathology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Tongxin Xie
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | | | - James W Hodge
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Ehab Y Hanna
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Nyall R London
- Sinonasal and Skull Base Tumor Program, Surgical Oncology Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
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48
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Wohlfarth J, Kosnopfel C, Faber D, Berthold M, Siedel C, Bernhardt M, Schlosser A, Aprati T, Liu D, Schrama D, Houben R, Schadendorf D, Goebeler M, Meierjohann S, Schilling B. Loss of p14 diminishes immunogenicity in melanoma via non-canonical Wnt signaling by reducing the peptide surface density. Mol Oncol 2024. [PMID: 38807304 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has achieved tremendous success in melanoma. However, only around 50% of advanced melanoma patients benefit from immunotherapy. Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A), encoding the two tumor-suppressor proteins p14ARF and p16INK4a, belongs to the most frequently inactivated gene loci in melanoma and leads to decreased T cell infiltration. While the role of p16INK4a has been extensively investigated, knowledge about p14ARF in melanoma is scarce. In this study, we elucidate the impact of reduced p14ARF expression on melanoma immunogenicity. Knockdown of p14ARF in melanoma cell lines diminished their recognition and killing by melanoma differentiation antigen (MDA)-specific T cells. Resistance was caused by a reduction of the peptide surface density of presented MDAs. Immunopeptidomic analyses revealed that antigen presentation via human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA-I) molecules was enhanced upon p14ARF downregulation in general, but absolute and relative expression of cognate peptides was decreased. However, this phenotype is associated with a favorable outcome for melanoma patients. Limiting Wnt5a signaling reverted this phenotype, suggesting an involvement of non-canonical Wnt signaling. Taken together, our data indicate a new mechanism limiting MDA-specific T cell responses by decreasing both absolute and relative MDA-peptide presentation in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Wohlfarth
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Würzburg, Germany
| | - Corinna Kosnopfel
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Würzburg, Germany
| | - Dominic Faber
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marion Berthold
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Würzburg, Germany
| | - Claudia Siedel
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Würzburg, Germany
| | - Melissa Bernhardt
- Rudolf-Virchow-Centre for Integrative and Translational Bioimaging, University of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Schlosser
- Rudolf-Virchow-Centre for Integrative and Translational Bioimaging, University of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Tyler Aprati
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David Liu
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David Schrama
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Würzburg, Germany
| | - Roland Houben
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Würzburg, Germany
| | - Dirk Schadendorf
- Department of Dermatology, Comprehensive Cancer Center (Westdeutsches Tumorzentrum), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK, partner site Essen) and University Hospital Essen, Germany
| | - Matthias Goebeler
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Bastian Schilling
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Würzburg, Germany
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49
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Choi SH, Mani M, Kim J, Cho WJ, Martin TFJ, Kim JH, Chu HS, Jeong WJ, Won YW, Lee BJ, Ahn B, Kim J, Jeon DY, Park JW. DRG2 is required for surface localization of PD-L1 and the efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:260. [PMID: 38802348 PMCID: PMC11130180 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-02027-x] [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: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
More than half of tumor patients with high PD-L1 expression do not respond to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, and the underlying mechanisms are yet to be clarified. Here we show that developmentally regulated GTP-binding protein 2 (DRG2) is required for response of PD-L1-expressing tumors to anti-PD-1 therapy. DRG2 depletion enhanced IFN-γ signaling and increased the PD-L1 level in melanoma cells. However, it inhibited recycling of endosomal PD-L1 and reduced surface PD-L1 levels, which led to defects in interaction with PD-1. Anti-PD-1 did not expand effector-like T cells within DRG2-depleted tumors and failed to improve the survival of DRG2-depleted tumor-bearing mice. Cohort analysis revealed that patients bearing melanoma with low DRG2 protein levels were resistant to anti-PD-1 therapy. These findings identify DRG2 as a key regulator of recycling of endosomal PD-L1 and response to anti-PD-1 therapy and provide insights into how to increase the correlation between PD-L1 expression and response to anti-PD-1 therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seong Hee Choi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea
- RopheLBio, B102, Seoul Forest M Tower, Seoul, Korea
| | - Muralidharan Mani
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jeonghwan Kim
- School of System Biomedical Science, Soongsil University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Wha Ja Cho
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea
| | - Thomas F J Martin
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jee Hyun Kim
- RopheLBio, B102, Seoul Forest M Tower, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hun Su Chu
- RopheLBio, B102, Seoul Forest M Tower, Seoul, Korea
| | | | - Young-Wook Won
- RopheLBio, B102, Seoul Forest M Tower, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Byung Ju Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea
- Basic-Clinic Convergence Research Institute, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea
| | - Byungyong Ahn
- Basic-Clinic Convergence Research Institute, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea
| | - Junil Kim
- School of System Biomedical Science, Soongsil University, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Do Yong Jeon
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea.
| | - Jeong Woo Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea.
- Basic-Clinic Convergence Research Institute, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea.
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50
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Li Y, Wu X, Sheng C, Liu H, Liu H, Tang Y, Liu C, Ding Q, Xie B, Xiao X, Zheng R, Yu Q, Guo Z, Ma J, Wang J, Gao J, Tian M, Wang W, Zhou J, Jiang L, Gu M, Shi S, Paull M, Yang G, Yang W, Landau S, Bao X, Hu X, Liu XS, Xiao T. IGSF8 is an innate immune checkpoint and cancer immunotherapy target. Cell 2024; 187:2703-2716.e23. [PMID: 38657602 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Antigen presentation defects in tumors are prevalent mechanisms of adaptive immune evasion and resistance to cancer immunotherapy, whereas how tumors evade innate immunity is less clear. Using CRISPR screens, we discovered that IGSF8 expressed on tumors suppresses NK cell function by interacting with human KIR3DL2 and mouse Klra9 receptors on NK cells. IGSF8 is normally expressed in neuronal tissues and is not required for cell survival in vitro or in vivo. It is overexpressed and associated with low antigen presentation, low immune infiltration, and worse clinical outcomes in many tumors. An antibody that blocks IGSF8-NK receptor interaction enhances NK cell killing of malignant cells in vitro and upregulates antigen presentation, NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity, and T cell signaling in vivo. In syngeneic tumor models, anti-IGSF8 alone, or in combination with anti-PD1, inhibits tumor growth. Our results indicate that IGSF8 is an innate immune checkpoint that could be exploited as a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulong Li
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xiangyang Wu
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Caibin Sheng
- GV20 Therapeutics LLC, 237 Putnam Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Hailing Liu
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Huizhu Liu
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yixuan Tang
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Chao Liu
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Qingyang Ding
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Bin Xie
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xi Xiao
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Rongbin Zheng
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Quan Yu
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Zengdan Guo
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Jian Ma
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Jin Wang
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Jinghong Gao
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Mei Tian
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Jia Zhou
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Li Jiang
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Mengmeng Gu
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Sailing Shi
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Michael Paull
- GV20 Therapeutics LLC, 237 Putnam Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Guanhua Yang
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Wei Yang
- GV20 Therapeutics LLC, 237 Putnam Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Steve Landau
- GV20 Therapeutics LLC, 237 Putnam Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Xingfeng Bao
- GV20 Therapeutics LLC, 237 Putnam Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Xihao Hu
- GV20 Therapeutics LLC, 237 Putnam Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - X Shirley Liu
- GV20 Therapeutics LLC, 237 Putnam Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - Tengfei Xiao
- Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 3rd floor of Building 4, No. 3728, Jinke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201203, China.
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