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Uher O, Hadrava Vanova K, Taïeb D, Calsina B, Robledo M, Clifton-Bligh R, Pacak K. The Immune Landscape of Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma: Current Advances and Perspectives. Endocr Rev 2024; 45:521-552. [PMID: 38377172 PMCID: PMC11244254 DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnae005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs) are rare neuroendocrine tumors derived from neural crest cells from adrenal medullary chromaffin tissues and extra-adrenal paraganglia, respectively. Although the current treatment for PPGLs is surgery, optimal treatment options for advanced and metastatic cases have been limited. Hence, understanding the role of the immune system in PPGL tumorigenesis can provide essential knowledge for the development of better therapeutic and tumor management strategies, especially for those with advanced and metastatic PPGLs. The first part of this review outlines the fundamental principles of the immune system and tumor microenvironment, and their role in cancer immunoediting, particularly emphasizing PPGLs. We focus on how the unique pathophysiology of PPGLs, such as their high molecular, biochemical, and imaging heterogeneity and production of several oncometabolites, creates a tumor-specific microenvironment and immunologically "cold" tumors. Thereafter, we discuss recently published studies related to the reclustering of PPGLs based on their immune signature. The second part of this review discusses future perspectives in PPGL management, including immunodiagnostic and promising immunotherapeutic approaches for converting "cold" tumors into immunologically active or "hot" tumors known for their better immunotherapy response and patient outcomes. Special emphasis is placed on potent immune-related imaging strategies and immune signatures that could be used for the reclassification, prognostication, and management of these tumors to improve patient care and prognosis. Furthermore, we introduce currently available immunotherapies and their possible combinations with other available therapies as an emerging treatment for PPGLs that targets hostile tumor environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondrej Uher
- Section of Medical Neuroendocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1109, USA
| | - Katerina Hadrava Vanova
- Section of Medical Neuroendocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1109, USA
| | - David Taïeb
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, CHU de La Timone, Marseille 13005, France
| | - Bruna Calsina
- Hereditary Endocrine Cancer Group, Human Cancer Genetics Program, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid 28029, Spain
- Familiar Cancer Clinical Unit, Human Cancer Genetics Program, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Mercedes Robledo
- Hereditary Endocrine Cancer Group, Human Cancer Genetics Program, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid 28029, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Roderick Clifton-Bligh
- Department of Endocrinology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney 2065, NSW, Australia
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Kolling Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney 2065, NSW, Australia
| | - Karel Pacak
- Section of Medical Neuroendocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1109, USA
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Sharma S, Singh N, Turk AA, Wan I, Guttikonda A, Dong JL, Zhang X, Opyrchal M. Molecular insights into clinical trials for immune checkpoint inhibitors in colorectal cancer: Unravelling challenges and future directions. World J Gastroenterol 2024; 30:1815-1835. [PMID: 38659481 PMCID: PMC11036501 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i13.1815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a complex disease with diverse etiologies and clinical outcomes. Despite considerable progress in development of CRC therapeutics, challenges remain regarding the diagnosis and management of advanced stage metastatic CRC (mCRC). In particular, the five-year survival rate is very low since mCRC is currently rarely curable. Over the past decade, cancer treatment has significantly improved with the introduction of cancer immunotherapies, specifically immune checkpoint inhibitors. Therapies aimed at blocking immune checkpoints such as PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4 target inhibitory pathways of the immune system, and thereby enhance anti-tumor immunity. These therapies thus have shown promising results in many clinical trials alone or in combination. The efficacy and safety of immunotherapy, either alone or in combination with CRC, have been investigated in several clinical trials. Clinical trials, including KEYNOTE-164 and CheckMate 142, have led to Food and Drug Administration approval of the PD-1 inhibitors pembrolizumab and nivolumab, respectively, for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic microsatellite instability-high or deficient mismatch repair CRC. Unfortunately, these drugs benefit only a small percentage of patients, with the benefits of immunotherapy remaining elusive for the vast majority of CRC patients. To this end, primary and secondary resistance to immunotherapy remains a significant issue, and further research is necessary to optimize the use of immunotherapy in CRC and identify biomarkers to predict the response. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the clinical trials involving immune checkpoint inhibitors in CRC. The underlying rationale, challenges faced, and potential future steps to improve the prognosis and enhance the likelihood of successful trials in this field are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Sharma
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States
| | - Naresh Singh
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States
| | - Anita Ahmed Turk
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States
| | - Isabella Wan
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States
| | - Akshay Guttikonda
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States
| | - Julia Lily Dong
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States
| | - Xinna Zhang
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States
- Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States
| | - Mateusz Opyrchal
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States
- Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States
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3
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Sharma N, Fan X, Atolagbe OT, Ge Z, Dao KN, Sharma P, Allison JP. ICOS costimulation in combination with CTLA-4 blockade remodels tumor-associated macrophages toward an antitumor phenotype. J Exp Med 2024; 221:e20231263. [PMID: 38517331 PMCID: PMC10959121 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20231263] [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: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
We have previously demonstrated synergy between ICOS costimulation (IVAX; ICOSL-transduced B16-F10 cellular vaccine) and CTLA-4 blockade in antitumor therapy. In this study, we employed CyTOF and single-cell RNA sequencing and observed significant remodeling of the lymphoid and myeloid compartments in combination therapy. Compared with anti-CTLA-4 monotherapy, the combination therapy enriched Th1 CD4 T cells, effector CD8 T cells, and M1-like antitumor proinflammatory macrophages. These macrophages were critical to the therapeutic efficacy of anti-CTLA-4 combined with IVAX or anti-PD-1. Macrophage depletion with clodronate reduced the tumor-infiltrating effector CD4 and CD8 T cells, impairing their antitumor functions. Furthermore, the recruitment and polarization of M1-like macrophages required IFN-γ. Therefore, in this study, we show that there is a positive feedback loop between intratumoral effector T cells and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), in which the IFN-γ produced by the T cells polarizes the TAMs into M1-like phenotype, and the TAMs, in turn, reshape the tumor microenvironment to facilitate T cell infiltration, immune function, and tumor rejection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveen Sharma
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xiaozhou Fan
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Zhongqi Ge
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kelly N. Dao
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Padmanee Sharma
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- James P. Allison Institute, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Immunotherapy Platform, James P. Allison Institute, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - James P. Allison
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- James P. Allison Institute, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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4
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Danielson M, Nicolai CJ, Vo TT, Wolf N, Burke TP. Cytosolic bacterial pathogens activate TLR pathways in tumors that synergistically enhance STING agonist cancer therapies. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.30.578087. [PMID: 38352567 PMCID: PMC10862861 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.30.578087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial pathogens that invade the eukaryotic cytosol are distinctive tools for fighting cancer, as they preferentially target tumors and can deliver cancer antigens to MHC-I. Cytosolic bacterial pathogens have undergone extensive preclinical development and human clinical trials, yet the molecular mechanisms by which they are detected by innate immunity in tumors is unclear. We report that intratumoral delivery of phylogenetically distinct cytosolic pathogens, including Listeria, Rickettsia, and Burkholderia species, elicited anti-tumor responses in established, poorly immunogenic melanoma and lymphoma in mice. We were surprised to observe that although the bacteria required entry to the cytosol, the anti-tumor responses were largely independent of the cytosolic sensors cGAS/STING and instead required TLR signaling. Combining pathogens with TLR agonists did not enhance anti-tumor efficacy, while combinations with STING agonists elicited profound, synergistic anti-tumor effects with complete responses in >80% of mice after a single dose. Small molecule TLR agonists also synergistically enhanced the anti-tumor activity of STING agonists. The anti-tumor effects were diminished in Rag2-deficient mice and upon CD8 T cell depletion. Mice cured from combination therapy developed immunity to cancer rechallenge that was superior to STING agonist monotherapy. Together, these data provide a framework for enhancing the efficacy of microbial cancer therapies and small molecule innate immune agonists, via the co-activation of STING and TLRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meggie Danielson
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA USA
| | - Chris J Nicolai
- Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Thaomy T Vo
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA USA
| | - Natalie Wolf
- Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Thomas P Burke
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA USA
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Singh R, Srivastava P, Manna PP. Evaluation of regulatory T-cells in cancer immunotherapy: therapeutic relevance of immune checkpoint inhibition. Med Oncol 2024; 41:59. [PMID: 38238513 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-023-02289-y] [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: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
The evolution of the complex immune system is equipped to defend against perilous intruders and concurrently negatively regulate the deleterious effect of immune-mediated inflammation caused by self and nonself antigens. Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) are specialized cells that minimize immune-mediated inflammation, but in malignancies, this feature has been exploited toward cancer progression by keeping the antitumor immune response in check. The modulation of Treg cell infiltration and their induction in the TME (tumor microenvironment) alongside associated inhibitory molecules, both soluble or membranes tethered in the TME, have proven clinically beneficial in boosting the tumoricidal activity of the immune system. Moreover, Treg-associated immune checkpoints pose a greater obstruction in cancer immunotherapy. Inhibiting or blocking active immune checkpoint signaling in combination with other therapies has proven clinically beneficial. This review summarizes the ontogeny of Treg cells and their migration, stability, and function in the TME. We also elucidate the Treg-associated checkpoint moieties that impede effective antitumor activity and harness these molecules for effective and targeted immunotherapy against cancer nuisance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjeet Singh
- Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, UP, 221005, India
| | - Prateek Srivastava
- Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, UP, 221005, India
| | - Partha Pratim Manna
- Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, UP, 221005, India.
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6
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Almonte AA, Cavic G, Carroll CSE, Neeman T, Fahrer AM. Early T Cell Infiltration Correlates with Anti-CTLA4 Treatment Response in Murine Cancer Models. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2023; 211:1858-1867. [PMID: 37930122 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) Abs are a revolutionary class of cancer treatment, but only ∼30% of patients receive a lasting benefit from therapy. Preclinical studies using animals from the same genetic backgrounds, challenged with the same cancer models, also show nonuniform responses. Most mouse studies that have evaluated tumor-infiltrating leukocytes after ICI therapy cannot directly correlate their findings with treatment outcomes, because terminal methods were used to acquire immune infiltrate data. In the present study, we used fine-needle aspiration (a nonterminal sampling method) to collect multiple aspirates over several days from s.c. implanted P815, CT26, and 4T1 mouse cancer models treated with ICI Abs. These aspirates were then analyzed with flow cytometry to directly correlate tumor-infiltrating leukocyte populations with treatment success. We found that the P815 and CT26 models respond well to anti-CTLA4 therapies. Among P815-challenged animals, mice that regressed following anti-CTLA4 treatment showed significant increases in CD8+ T cells on days 3, 5, and 7 and in CD4+ T cells on days 5 and 7 and a decrease in macrophages and monocytes on days 3, 5, and 7 after treatment. Similar results were obtained in the CT26 model on day 11 posttreatment. Our study is the first, to our knowledge, to directly correlate early tumor infiltration of T cells with anti-CTLA4 treatment success, thus providing a mechanistic clue toward understanding why alloidentical mice challenged with identical tumors do not respond uniformly to ICI therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew A Almonte
- Division of Biomedical Science and Biochemistry, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - George Cavic
- Division of Biomedical Science and Biochemistry, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | | | - Teresa Neeman
- Biological Data Science Institute, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Aude M Fahrer
- Division of Biomedical Science and Biochemistry, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
- Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
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7
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Huang KCY, Ke TW, Chen JY, Hong WZ, Chiang SF, Lai CY, Chen TW, Yang PC, Chen LC, Liang JA, Chen WTL, Chao KSC. Dysfunctional TLR1 reduces the therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapy by attenuating HMGB1-mediated antitumor immunity in locally advanced colorectal cancer. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19440. [PMID: 37945630 PMCID: PMC10636035 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46254-1] [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: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Regional lymph node metastasis is an important predictor for survival outcome and an indicator for postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with colorectal cancer. Even with advances in adjuvant chemotherapeutic regimens, 5-year distant metastasis and survival rates are still unsatisfactory. Here, we evaluate the clinical significance of polymorphisms in receptors for HMGB1, which is the hallmark of chemotherapy-induced immunogenic cell death, in patients with stage II-III colon carcinoma (COAD). We found that high cytosolic HMGB1 is elicited in stage III COAD patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients with the TLR1-N248S polymorphism (rs4833095), which causes loss-of-function in HMGB1-mediated TLR1-TLR2 signaling, may influence the therapeutic efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy, leading to a high risk of distant metastasis within 5 years [HR = 1.694, 95% CI = 1.063-2.698, p = 0.027], suggesting that TLR1-N248S is an independent prognostic factor for locally advanced colon carcinoma patients. We found that defective TLR1 impaired TLR1/2 signaling during dendritic cell (DC) maturation for the antitumor immune response under immunogenic chemotherapy oxaliplatin (OXP) treatment. Defective TLR1 on DCs impaired their maturation ability by HMGB1 and reduced the secretion of IFNγ from T cells to eradicate tumor cells in vitro. Moreover, systemic inhibition of TLR1/2 dramatically reduced the tumor-infiltrating immune cells by OXP treatment, leading to poor therapeutic response to OXP. In contrast, administration of a TLR1/2 agonist synergistically increased the benefit of OXP treatment and triggered a high density of tumor-infiltrating immune cells. We also observed that fewer tumor-infiltrating cytotoxic T lymphocytes were located within the tumor microenvironment in patients bearing the TLR1-N248S polymorphism. Overall, our results suggest that dysfunctional TLR1 may reduce the therapeutic response to adjuvant chemotherapy by impairing HMGB1-mediated DC maturation and attenuating the antitumor immune response in locally advanced colon carcinoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Chih-Yang Huang
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC
- Translation Research Core, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC
- Cancer Biology and Precision Therapeutics Center, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Tao-Wei Ke
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC
- School of Chinese Medicine and Graduate Institute of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Jia-Yi Chen
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC
- Translation Research Core, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC
- Proton Therapy and Science Center, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Wei-Ze Hong
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC
- Translation Research Core, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC
- Proton Therapy and Science Center, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Shu-Fen Chiang
- Lab of Precision Medicine, Feng-Yuan Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taichung, 42055, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chia-Ying Lai
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC
- Translation Research Core, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC
- Proton Therapy and Science Center, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Tsung-Wei Chen
- Department of Pathology, Asia University Hospital, Asia University, Taichung, 41354, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Pei-Chen Yang
- Proton Therapy and Science Center, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Liang-Chi Chen
- Department of Pathology, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ji-An Liang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Radiotherapy, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC
| | - William Tzu-Liang Chen
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC.
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, China Medical University HsinChu Hospital, China Medical University, HsinChu, 302, Taiwan, ROC.
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC.
| | - K S Clifford Chao
- Proton Therapy and Science Center, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC.
- Department of Radiation Oncology, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
- Department of Radiotherapy, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC.
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Riley-Gillis B, Tsaih SW, King E, Wollenhaupt S, Reeb J, Peck AR, Wackman K, Lemke A, Rui H, Dezso Z, Flister MJ. Machine learning reveals genetic modifiers of the immune microenvironment of cancer. iScience 2023; 26:107576. [PMID: 37664640 PMCID: PMC10470213 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107576] [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: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Heritability in the immune tumor microenvironment (iTME) has been widely observed yet remains largely uncharacterized. Here, we developed a machine learning approach to map iTME modifiers within loci from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) for breast cancer (BrCa) incidence. A random forest model was trained on a positive set of immune-oncology (I-O) targets, and then used to assign I-O target probability scores to 1,362 candidate genes in linkage disequilibrium with 155 BrCa GWAS loci. Cluster analysis of the most probable candidates revealed two subfamilies of genes related to effector functions and adaptive immune responses, suggesting that iTME modifiers impact multiple aspects of anticancer immunity. Two of the top ranking BrCa candidates, LSP1 and TLR1, were orthogonally validated as iTME modifiers using BrCa patient biopsies and comparative mapping studies, respectively. Collectively, these data demonstrate a robust and flexible framework for functionally fine-mapping GWAS risk loci to identify translatable therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget Riley-Gillis
- Genomics Research Center, AbbVie Inc, 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - Shirng-Wern Tsaih
- Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Emily King
- Genomics Research Center, AbbVie Inc, 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - Sabrina Wollenhaupt
- Information Research, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, 67061, Knollstrasse, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Jonas Reeb
- Information Research, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, 67061, Knollstrasse, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Amy R. Peck
- Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Kelsey Wackman
- Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Angela Lemke
- Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Hallgeir Rui
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Cancer Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Zoltan Dezso
- Genomics Research Center, AbbVie Bay Area, 1000 Gateway Boulevard, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Michael J. Flister
- Genomics Research Center, AbbVie Inc, 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
- Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Cancer Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
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9
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Esparcia-Pinedo L, Romero-Laorden N, Alfranca A. Tertiary lymphoid structures and B lymphocytes: a promising therapeutic strategy to fight cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1231315. [PMID: 37622111 PMCID: PMC10445545 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1231315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) are clusters of lymphoid cells with an organization that resembles that of secondary lymphoid organs. Both structures share common developmental characteristics, although TLSs usually appear in chronically inflamed non-lymphoid tissues, such as tumors. TLSs contain diverse types of immune cells, with varying degrees of spatial organization that represent different stages of maturation. These structures support both humoral and cellular immune responses, thus the correlation between the existence of TLS and clinical outcomes in cancer patients has been extensively studied. The finding that TLSs are associated with better prognosis in some types of cancer has led to the design of therapeutic strategies based on promoting the formation of these structures. Agents such as chemokines, cytokines, antibodies and cancer vaccines have been used in combination with traditional antitumor treatments to enhance TLS generation, with good results. The induction of TLS formation therefore represents a novel and promising avenue for the treatment of a number of tumor types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Esparcia-Pinedo
- Immunology Department, Hospital Universitario de La Princesa and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nuria Romero-Laorden
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario de La Princesa and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa, Madrid, Spain
- Cátedra Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM)-Fundación Instituto Roche de Medicina Personalizada de Precisión, Madrid, Spain
| | - Arantzazu Alfranca
- Immunology Department, Hospital Universitario de La Princesa and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Cátedra Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM)-Fundación Instituto Roche de Medicina Personalizada de Precisión, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cardiovascular, CIBERCV, Madrid, Spain
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10
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Lax BM, Palmeri JR, Lutz EA, Sheen A, Stinson JA, Duhamel L, Santollani L, Kennedy A, Rothschilds AM, Spranger S, Sansom DM, Wittrup KD. Both intratumoral regulatory T cell depletion and CTLA-4 antagonism are required for maximum efficacy of anti-CTLA-4 antibodies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2300895120. [PMID: 37487077 PMCID: PMC10400942 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2300895120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Anti-CTLA-4 antibodies have successfully elicited durable tumor regression in the clinic; however, long-term benefit is limited to a subset of patients for select cancer indications. The incomplete understanding of their mechanism of action has hindered efforts at improvement, with conflicting hypotheses proposing either antagonism of the CTLA-4:B7 axis or Fc effector-mediated regulatory T cell (Treg) depletion governing efficacy. Here, we report the engineering of a nonantagonistic CTLA-4 binding domain (b1s1e2) that depletes intratumoral Tregs as an Fc fusion. Comparison of b1s1e2-Fc to 9d9, an antagonistic anti-CTLA-4 antibody, allowed for interrogation of the separate contributions of CTLA-4 antagonism and Treg depletion to efficacy. Despite equivalent levels of intratumoral Treg depletion, 9d9 achieved more long-term cures than b1s1e2-Fc in MC38 tumors, demonstrating that CTLA-4 antagonism provided additional survival benefit. Consistent with prior reports that CTLA-4 antagonism enhances priming, treatment with 9d9, but not b1s1e2-Fc, increased the percentage of activated T cells in the tumor-draining lymph node (tdLN). Treg depletion with either construct was restricted to the tumor due to insufficient surface CTLA-4 expression on Tregs in other compartments. Through intratumoral administration of diphtheria toxin in Foxp3-DTR mice, we show that depletion of both intratumoral and nodal Tregs provided even greater survival benefit than 9d9, consistent with Treg-driven restraint of priming in the tdLN. Our data demonstrate that anti-CTLA-4 therapies require both CTLA-4 antagonism and intratumoral Treg depletion for maximum efficacy-but that potential future therapies also capable of depleting nodal Tregs could show efficacy in the absence of CTLA-4 antagonism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna M Lax
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Joseph R Palmeri
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Emi A Lutz
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Allison Sheen
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Jordan A Stinson
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Lauren Duhamel
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Luciano Santollani
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Alan Kennedy
- Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, University College London, London NW3 2PP, United Kingdom
| | - Adrienne M Rothschilds
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Stefani Spranger
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - David M Sansom
- Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, University College London, London NW3 2PP, United Kingdom
| | - K Dane Wittrup
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
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11
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Mota I, Patrucco E, Mastini C, Mahadevan NR, Thai TC, Bergaggio E, Cheong TC, Leonardi G, Karaca-Atabay E, Campisi M, Poggio T, Menotti M, Ambrogio C, Longo DL, Klaeger S, Keshishian H, Sztupinszki ZM, Szallasi Z, Keskin DB, Duke-Cohan JS, Reinhold B, Carr SA, Wu CJ, Moynihan KD, Irvine DJ, Barbie DA, Reinherz EL, Voena C, Awad MM, Blasco RB, Chiarle R. ALK peptide vaccination restores the immunogenicity of ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer. NATURE CANCER 2023; 4:1016-1035. [PMID: 37430060 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-023-00591-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is treated with ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), but the lack of activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is poorly understood. Here, we identified immunogenic ALK peptides to show that ICIs induced rejection of ALK+ tumors in the flank but not in the lung. A single-peptide vaccination restored priming of ALK-specific CD8+ T cells, eradicated lung tumors in combination with ALK TKIs and prevented metastatic dissemination of tumors to the brain. The poor response of ALK+ NSCLC to ICIs was due to ineffective CD8+ T cell priming against ALK antigens and is circumvented through specific vaccination. Finally, we identified human ALK peptides displayed by HLA-A*02:01 and HLA-B*07:02 molecules. These peptides were immunogenic in HLA-transgenic mice and were recognized by CD8+ T cells from individuals with NSCLC, paving the way for the development of a clinical vaccine to treat ALK+ NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Mota
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Enrico Patrucco
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Cristina Mastini
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Navin R Mahadevan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tran C Thai
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elisa Bergaggio
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Taek-Chin Cheong
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Giulia Leonardi
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Marco Campisi
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Teresa Poggio
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Matteo Menotti
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Chiara Ambrogio
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Dario L Longo
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
- Molecular Imaging Center, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Torino, Italy
| | - Susan Klaeger
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Zsófia M Sztupinszki
- Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Computational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zoltan Szallasi
- Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Computational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Bioinformatics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Derin B Keskin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Translational Immunogenomics Laboratory, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Metropolitan College, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Section for Bioinformatics, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jonathan S Duke-Cohan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bruce Reinhold
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Steven A Carr
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Catherine J Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kelly D Moynihan
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Darrell J Irvine
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - David A Barbie
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ellis L Reinherz
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Computational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Claudia Voena
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Mark M Awad
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rafael B Blasco
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Roberto Chiarle
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
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12
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Li J, Xia Q, Di C, Li C, Si H, Zhou B, Yu S, Li Y, Huang J, Lu Y, Huang M, Liang H, Liu X, Zhao Q. Tumor Cell-Intrinsic CD96 Mediates Chemoresistance and Cancer Stemness by Regulating Mitochondrial Fatty Acid β-Oxidation. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2202956. [PMID: 36581470 PMCID: PMC9982582 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202202956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Targeting CD96 that originates in immune cells has shown potential for cancer therapy. However, the role of intrinsic CD96 in solid tumor cells remains unknown. Here, it is found that CD96 is frequently expressed in tumor cells from clinical breast cancer samples and is correlated with poor long-term prognosis in these patients. The CD96+ cancer cell subpopulations exhibit features of both breast cancer stem cells and chemoresistance. In vivo inhibition of cancer cell-intrinsic CD96 enhances the chemotherapeutic response in a patient-derived tumor xenograft model. Mechanistically, CD96 enhances mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation via the CD155-CD96-Src-Stat3-Opa1 pathway, which subsequently promotes chemoresistance in breast cancer stem cells. A previously unknown role is identified for tumor cell-intrinsic CD96 and an attractive target in improving the chemotherapeutic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Qidong Xia
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Can Di
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Chunni Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Hang Si
- Department of Infectious DiseasesThird Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease ResearchThird Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
| | - Boxuan Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Shubin Yu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Yihong Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Jingying Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Yiwen Lu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Min Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Huixin Liang
- Department of Infectious DiseasesThird Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease ResearchThird Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
| | - Xinwei Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Department of Breast SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou450052China
| | - Qiyi Zhao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Department of Infectious DiseasesThird Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease ResearchThird Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
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13
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Ota Y, Nagai Y, Hirose Y, Hori S, Koga-Yamakawa E, Eguchi K, Sumida K, Murata M, Umehara H, Yamamoto S. DSP-0509, a systemically available TLR7 agonist, exhibits combination effect with immune checkpoint blockade by activating anti-tumor immune effects. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1055671. [PMID: 36793737 PMCID: PMC9922899 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1055671] [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: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
TLR7 is an innate immune receptor that recognizes single-stranded RNAs, and its activation leads to anti-tumor immune effects. Although it is the only approved TLR7 agonist in cancer therapy, imiquimod is allowed to be administered with topical formulation. Thus, systemic administrative TLR7 agonist is expected in terms of expanding applicable cancer types. Here, we demonstrated the identification and characterization of DSP-0509 as a novel small-molecule TLR7 agonist. DSP-0509 is designed to have unique physicochemical features that could be administered systemically with a short half-life. DSP-0509 activated bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) and induced inflammatory cytokines including type I interferons. In the LM8 tumor-bearing mouse model, DSP-0509 reduced tumor growth not only in subcutaneous primary lesions but also in lung metastatic lesions. DSP-0509 inhibited tumor growth in several syngeneic tumor-bearing mouse models. We found that the CD8+ T cell infiltration of tumor before treatment tended to be positively correlated with anti-tumor efficacy in several mouse tumor models. The combination of DSP-0509 with anti-PD-1 antibody significantly enhanced the tumor growth inhibition compared to each monotherapy in CT26 model mice. In addition, the effector memory T cells were expanded in both the peripheral blood and tumor, and rejection of tumor re-challenge occurred in the combination group. Moreover, synergistic anti-tumor efficacy and effector memory T cell upregulation were also observed for the combination with anti-CTLA-4 antibody. The analysis of the tumor-immune microenvironment by using the nCounter assay revealed that the combination of DSP-0509 with anti-PD-1 antibody enhanced infiltration by multiple immune cells including cytotoxic T cells. In addition, the T cell function pathway and antigen presentation pathway were activated in the combination group. We confirmed that DSP-0509 enhanced the anti-tumor immune effects of anti-PD-1 antibody by inducing type I interferons via activation of dendritic cells and even CTLs. In conclusion, we expect that DSP-0509, a new TLR7 agonist that synergistically induces anti-tumor effector memory T cells with immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) and can be administered systemically, will be used in the treatment of multiple cancers.
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14
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Yang Y, Li H, Fotopoulou C, Cunnea P, Zhao X. Toll-like receptor-targeted anti-tumor therapies: Advances and challenges. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1049340. [PMID: 36479129 PMCID: PMC9721395 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1049340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are pattern recognition receptors, originally discovered to stimulate innate immune reactions against microbial infection. TLRs also play essential roles in bridging the innate and adaptive immune system, playing multiple roles in inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Thanks to the immune stimulatory potential of TLRs, TLR-targeted strategies in cancer treatment have proved to be able to regulate the tumor microenvironment towards tumoricidal phenotypes. Quantities of pre-clinical studies and clinical trials using TLR-targeted strategies in treating cancer have been initiated, with some drugs already becoming part of standard care. Here we review the structure, ligand, signaling pathways, and expression of TLRs; we then provide an overview of the pre-clinical studies and an updated clinical trial watch targeting each TLR in cancer treatment; and finally, we discuss the challenges and prospects of TLR-targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Development and Related Disease of Women and Children Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hongyi Li
- Development and Related Disease of Women and Children Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Christina Fotopoulou
- Division of Cancer, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paula Cunnea
- Division of Cancer, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Xia Zhao
- Development and Related Disease of Women and Children Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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15
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Su JY, Li WH, Li YM. New opportunities for immunomodulation of the tumour microenvironment using chemical tools. Chem Soc Rev 2022; 51:7944-7970. [PMID: 35996977 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs00486k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapy is recognised as an attractive method for the treatment of cancer, and numerous treatment strategies have emerged over recent years. Investigations of the tumour microenvironment (TME) have led to the identification of many potential therapeutic targets and methods. However, many recently applied immunotherapies are based on previously identified strategies, such as boosting the immune response by combining commonly used stimulators, and the release of drugs through changes in pH. Although methodological improvements such as structural optimisation and combining strategies can be undertaken, applying those novel targets and methods in immunotherapy remains an important goal. In this review, we summarise the latest research on the TME, and discuss how small molecules, immune cells, and their interactions with tumour cells can be regulated in the TME. Additionally, the techniques currently employed for delivery of these agents to the TME are also mentioned. Strategies to modulate cell phenotypes and interactions between immune cells and tumours are mainly discussed. We consider both modulatory and targeting methods aiming to bridge the gap between the TME and chemical modulation thereof.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Yun Su
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China.
| | - Wen-Hao Li
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China.
| | - Yan-Mei Li
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China. .,Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China.,Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, 100069 Beijing, China
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16
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Li S, Li F, Xu L, Liu X, Zhu X, Gao W, Shen X. TLR2 agonist promotes myeloid-derived suppressor cell polarization via Runx1 in hepatocellular carcinoma. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 111:109168. [PMID: 35998504 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) play a critical role in maintaining the tumor immune microenvironment; thus, the promotion of MDSC polarization will improve immunotherapies for cancers. However, the mechanisms involved in controlling MDSC polarization in hepatocellular carcinoma remain largely unclear. In this study, we found that injection of Pam3CSK4 attenuated the process of tumor growth, along with reduction of MDSC and recovery of T cell function. Moreover, Pam3CSK4 promoted MDSC polarization by targeting Runx1. Runx1 inhibitor reversed the therapeutic effect of Pam3CSK4 by increasing tumor size and weight and decreasing the survival rate of tumor mice. In addition, targeting Runx1 reduced the expression of CD11c, F4/80, CD80/CD86 and MHC-II in MDSC after Pam3CSK4 stimulation in vivo and in vitro. MDSC also exhibited consistent changes with increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production after Pam3CSK4 and Ro5-3335 treatment. RNA sequence data revealed that tfrc, steap3, and gclm were up-regulated in the Pam3CSK4/Ro5-3335 group compared with Pam3CSK4 treatment alone, suggesting that the regulatory effect of TLR2 and Runx1 on MDSC might act through the ferroptosis pathway. Overall, our study has identified a critical role for TLR2 and Runx1 in regulating the differentiation and function of MDSCs and has provided a new mechanism of controlling MDSC polarization during HCC immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinan Li
- Institute for Translation Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China; Institute for Translation Medicine, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Fujie Li
- Institute for Translation Medicine, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Lijie Xu
- Institute for Translation Medicine, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Xinying Liu
- Institute for Translation Medicine, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxu Zhu
- Institute for Translation Medicine, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Wanlin Gao
- Institute for Translation Medicine, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Xiaokun Shen
- Institute for Translation Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China; Institute for Translation Medicine, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China.
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17
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Taylor D, Meyer CT, Graves D, Sen R, Fu J, Tran E, Mirza B, Rodriguez G, Lang C, Feng H, Quaranta V, Wilson JT, Kim YJ, Korrer MJ. MuSyC dosing of adjuvanted cancer vaccines optimizes antitumor responses. Front Immunol 2022; 13:936129. [PMID: 36059502 PMCID: PMC9437625 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.936129] [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: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
With the clinical approval of T-cell-dependent immune checkpoint inhibitors for many cancers, therapeutic cancer vaccines have re-emerged as a promising immunotherapy. Cancer vaccines require the addition of immunostimulatory adjuvants to increase vaccine immunogenicity, and increasingly multiple adjuvants are used in combination to bolster further and shape cellular immunity to tumor antigens. However, rigorous quantification of adjuvants' synergistic interactions is challenging due to partial redundancy in costimulatory molecules and cytokine production, leading to the common assumption that combining both adjuvants at the maximum tolerated dose results in optimal efficacy. Herein, we examine this maximum dose assumption and find combinations of these doses are suboptimal. Instead, we optimized dendritic cell activation by extending the Multidimensional Synergy of Combinations (MuSyC) framework that measures the synergy of efficacy and potency between two vaccine adjuvants. Initially, we performed a preliminary in vitro screening of clinically translatable adjuvant receptor targets (TLR, STING, NLL, and RIG-I). We determined that STING agonist (CDN) plus TLR4 agonist (MPL-A) or TLR7/8 agonist (R848) as the best pairwise combinations for dendritic cell activation. In addition, we found that the combination of R848 and CDN is synergistically efficacious and potent in activating both murine and human antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in vitro. These two selected adjuvants were then used to estimate a MuSyC-dose optimized for in vivo T-cell priming using ovalbumin-based peptide vaccines. Finally, using B16 melanoma and MOC1 head and neck cancer models, MuSyC-dose-based adjuvating of cancer vaccines improved the antitumor response, increased tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and induced novel myeloid tumor infiltration changes. Further, the MuSyC-dose-based adjuvants approach did not cause additional weight changes or increased plasma cytokine levels compared to CDN alone. Collectively, our findings offer a proof of principle that our MuSyC-extended approach can be used to optimize cancer vaccine formulations for immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Taylor
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Christian T. Meyer
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Diana Graves
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Rupashree Sen
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Juan Fu
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Emily Tran
- College Arts and Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Bilal Mirza
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Gabriel Rodriguez
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Cara Lang
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Hanwen Feng
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Vito Quaranta
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - John T. Wilson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Young J. Kim
- Oncology Chair, Global Development, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY, United States
| | - Michael J. Korrer
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
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18
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Recent Advances and Challenges in Cancer Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14163972. [PMID: 36010965 PMCID: PMC9406446 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14163972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Immunotherapy helps a person’s immune system to target tumor cells. Recent advances in cancer immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibition, chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy and cancer vaccination, have changed the landscape of cancer treatment. These approaches have had profound success in certain cancer types but still fail in the majority of cases. This review will cover both successes and current challenges in cancer immunotherapy, as well as recent advances in the field of basic tumor immunology that will allow us to overcome resistance to existing treatments. Abstract Cancer immunotherapy has revolutionized the field of oncology in recent years. Harnessing the immune system to treat cancer has led to a large growth in the number of novel immunotherapeutic strategies, including immune checkpoint inhibition, chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy and cancer vaccination. In this review, we will discuss the current landscape of immuno-oncology research, with a focus on elements that influence immunotherapeutic outcomes. We will also highlight recent advances in basic aspects of tumor immunology, in particular, the role of the immunosuppressive cells within the tumor microenvironment in regulating antitumor immunity. Lastly, we will discuss how the understanding of basic tumor immunology can lead to the development of new immunotherapeutic strategies.
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19
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Wang H, Liu J, Yang J, Wang Z, Zhang Z, Peng J, Wang Y, Hong L. A novel tumor mutational burden-based risk model predicts prognosis and correlates with immune infiltration in ovarian cancer. Front Immunol 2022; 13:943389. [PMID: 36003381 PMCID: PMC9393426 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.943389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor mutational burden (TMB) has been reported to determine the response to immunotherapy, thus affecting the patient’s prognosis in many cancers. However, it is unclear whether TMB or TMB-related signature could be used as prognostic indicators for ovarian cancer (OC), as its potential association with immune infiltration remains poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a novel TMB-related risk model (TMBrisk) to predict the prognosis of OC patients on the basis of exploring TMB-related genes, and to explore the potential association between TMB/TMBrisk and immune infiltration. The mutational landscape, TMB scores, and correlations between TMB and clinical characteristics and immune infiltration were investigated in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-OV cohort. Differentially expressed gene (DEG) analyses and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were performed to derive TMB-related genes. TMBrisk was constructed by Cox regression and further validated in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. The mRNA and protein expression levels and biological functions of TMBrisk hub genes were verified through Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), GSCA Lite, the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database, and RT-qPCR. TMBrisk-related biological phenotypes were analyzed in function enrichment and tumor immune infiltration signature. Potential therapeutic regimens were inferred utilizing the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) database and connectivity map (CMap). According to our results, higher TMB was associated with better survival and higher CD8+ T cell, regulatory T cell, and NK cell infiltration. TMBrisk was developed based on CBWD1, ST7L, RFX5-AS1, C3orf38, LRFN1, LEMD1, and HMGB1. High TMBrisk was identified as a poor factor for prognosis in TCGA and GEO datasets; the high-TMBrisk group comprised more higher-grade (G2 and G3) and advanced clinical stage (stage III/IV) tumors. Meanwhile, higher TMBrisk was associated with an immunosuppressive phenotype, with less infiltration of a majority of immunocytes and less expression of several genes of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) family. Moreover, a nomogram containing TMBrisk showed a strong predictive ability demonstrated by time-dependent ROC analysis. Overall, this novel TMB-related risk model (TMBrisk) could predict prognosis, evaluate immune infiltration, and discover new therapeutic regimens in OC, which is very promising in clinical promotion.
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20
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Roessler D, Öcal O, Philipp AB, Markwardt D, Munker S, Mayerle J, Jochheim LS, Hammer K, Lange CM, Geier A, Seidensticker M, Reiter FP, De Toni EN, Ben Khaled N. Ipilimumab and nivolumab in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma after failure of prior immune checkpoint inhibitor-based combination therapies: a multicenter retrospective study. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2022:10.1007/s00432-022-04206-8. [PMID: 35864269 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-022-04206-8] [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: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based regimens are transforming the landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment. We describe the effect of combined ipilimumab and nivolumab in patients with advanced HCC after the failure of prior ICI-based combination treatments. METHODS The clinical course of patients with advanced HCC who received combined ipilimumab and nivolumab after prior ICI-based combination therapies was assessed. Progression-free survival (PFS), overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) per RECIST v1.1 and mRECIST, overall survival (OS), and safety were analyzed. RESULTS Of 109 patients treated with atezolizumab and bevacizumab or other ICI-based combination treatments, ten patients received subsequent therapy with ipilimumab and nivolumab. The majority of patients had Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) Stage C (80%) HCC and a preserved liver function as defined by Child-Pugh A (80%). At a median follow-up of 15.3 months, ORR for ipilimumab and nivolumab was 30% with a DCR of 40%. Median PFS was 2.9 months and the median OS was 7.4 months. CONCLUSION This retrospective study demonstrates that combined ipilimumab and nivolumab can be effective and tolerable after prior ICI-based combination therapies and provides a rationale for the prospective clinical evaluation of this treatment sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Roessler
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Bavaria, Germany. .,Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), Partner site Munich, Munich, Germany.
| | - Osman Öcal
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexander B Philipp
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Daniel Markwardt
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Stefan Munker
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Julia Mayerle
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Bavaria, Germany.,Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), Partner site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Leonie S Jochheim
- Department for Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Hammer
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Christian M Lange
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Bavaria, Germany.,Department for Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Geier
- Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Max Seidensticker
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Florian P Reiter
- Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Enrico N De Toni
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Najib Ben Khaled
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Bavaria, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner site Munich, Munich, Germany
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21
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Rostamizadeh L, Molavi O, Rashid M, Ramazani F, Baradaran B, Lavasanaifar A, Lai R. Recent advances in cancer immunotherapy: Modulation of tumor microenvironment by Toll-like receptor ligands. BIOIMPACTS : BI 2022; 12:261-290. [PMID: 35677663 PMCID: PMC9124882 DOI: 10.34172/bi.2022.23896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
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Immunotherapy is considered a promising approach for cancer treatment. An important strategy for cancer immunotherapy is the use of cancer vaccines, which have been widely used for cancer treatment. Despite the great potential of cancer vaccines for cancer treatment, their therapeutic effects in clinical settings have been limited. The main reason behind the lack of significant therapeutic outcomes for cancer vaccines is believed to be the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). The TME counteracts the therapeutic effects of immunotherapy and provides a favorable environment for tumor growth and progression. Therefore, overcoming the immunosuppressive TME can potentially augment the therapeutic effects of cancer immunotherapy in general and therapeutic cancer vaccines in particular. Among the strategies developed for overcoming immunosuppression in TME, the use of toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists has been suggested as a promising approach to reverse immunosuppression. In this paper, we will review the application of the four most widely studied TLR agonists including agonists of TLR3, 4, 7, and 9 in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Rostamizadeh
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Medical Science, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ommoleila Molavi
- Biotechnology Research Centre, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mohsen Rashid
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Medical Science, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Ramazani
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Medical Science, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Behzad Baradaran
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Afsaneh Lavasanaifar
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Raymond Lai
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
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22
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Duan T, Du Y, Xing C, Wang HY, Wang RF. Toll-Like Receptor Signaling and Its Role in Cell-Mediated Immunity. Front Immunol 2022. [PMID: 35309296 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Innate immunity is the first defense system against invading pathogens. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are well-defined pattern recognition receptors responsible for pathogen recognition and induction of innate immune responses. Since their discovery, TLRs have revolutionized the field of immunology by filling the gap between the initial recognition of pathogens by innate immune cells and the activation of the adaptive immune response. TLRs critically link innate immunity to adaptive immunity by regulating the activation of antigen-presenting cells and key cytokines. Furthermore, recent studies also have shown that TLR signaling can directly regulate the T cell activation, growth, differentiation, development, and function under diverse physiological conditions. This review provides an overview of TLR signaling pathways and their regulators and discusses how TLR signaling, directly and indirectly, regulates cell-mediated immunity. In addition, we also discuss how TLR signaling is critically important in the host's defense against infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianhao Duan
- Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Yang Du
- Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Changsheng Xing
- Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Helen Y Wang
- Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Rong-Fu Wang
- Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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23
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Duan T, Du Y, Xing C, Wang HY, Wang RF. Toll-Like Receptor Signaling and Its Role in Cell-Mediated Immunity. Front Immunol 2022; 13:812774. [PMID: 35309296 PMCID: PMC8927970 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.812774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 92.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Innate immunity is the first defense system against invading pathogens. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are well-defined pattern recognition receptors responsible for pathogen recognition and induction of innate immune responses. Since their discovery, TLRs have revolutionized the field of immunology by filling the gap between the initial recognition of pathogens by innate immune cells and the activation of the adaptive immune response. TLRs critically link innate immunity to adaptive immunity by regulating the activation of antigen-presenting cells and key cytokines. Furthermore, recent studies also have shown that TLR signaling can directly regulate the T cell activation, growth, differentiation, development, and function under diverse physiological conditions. This review provides an overview of TLR signaling pathways and their regulators and discusses how TLR signaling, directly and indirectly, regulates cell-mediated immunity. In addition, we also discuss how TLR signaling is critically important in the host's defense against infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianhao Duan
- Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Yang Du
- Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Changsheng Xing
- Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Helen Y. Wang
- Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Rong-Fu Wang
- Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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24
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Ando H, Suzuki K, Yanagihara T. Insights into Potential Pathogenesis and Treatment Options for Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitor-Related Pneumonitis. Biomedicines 2021; 9:1484. [PMID: 34680601 PMCID: PMC8533467 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9101484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), and programmed cell death-1-ligand 1 (PD-L1) have become new treatment options for various malignancies. ICIs bind to immune-checkpoint inhibitory receptors or to the foregoing ligands and block inhibitory signals to release the brakes on the immune system, thereby enhancing immune anti-tumor responses. On the other hand, unlike conventional chemotherapies, ICIs can cause specific side effects, called immune-related adverse events (irAEs). These toxicities may affect various organs, including the lungs. ICI-related pneumonitis (ICI-pneumonitis) is not the most frequent adverse event, but it is serious and can be fatal. In this review, we summarize recent findings regarding ICI-pneumonitis, with a focus on potential pathogenesis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Ando
- Research Institute for Diseases of the Chest, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan; (H.A.); (K.S.)
| | - Kunihiro Suzuki
- Research Institute for Diseases of the Chest, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan; (H.A.); (K.S.)
| | - Toyoshi Yanagihara
- Research Institute for Diseases of the Chest, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan; (H.A.); (K.S.)
- A Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hamanomachi Hospital, Fukuoka 810-8539, Japan
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25
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Qiu Y, Chen T, Hu R, Zhu R, Li C, Ruan Y, Xie X, Li Y. Next frontier in tumor immunotherapy: macrophage-mediated immune evasion. Biomark Res 2021; 9:72. [PMID: 34625124 PMCID: PMC8501632 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-021-00327-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), at the core of immunosuppressive cells and cytokines networks, play a crucial role in tumor immune evasion. Increasing evidences suggest that potential mechanisms of macrophage-mediated tumor immune escape imply interpretation and breakthrough to bottleneck of current tumor immunotherapy. Therefore, it is pivotal to understand the interactions between macrophages and other immune cells and factors for enhancing existing anti-cancer treatments. In this review, we focus on the specific signaling pathways through which TAMs involve in tumor antigen recognition disorders, recruitment and function of immunosuppressive cells, secretion of immunosuppressive cytokines, crosstalk with immune checkpoints and formation of immune privileged sites. Furthermore, we summarize correlative pre-clinical and clinical studies to provide new ideas for immunotherapy. From our perspective, macrophage-targeted therapy is expected to be the next frontier of cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingqi Qiu
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 253 GongyeDadaoZhong, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510280, P. R. China
| | - Tong Chen
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 253 GongyeDadaoZhong, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510280, P. R. China.,The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, No. 1838 GuangzhongDadaoBei, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, P. R. China
| | - Rong Hu
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 253 GongyeDadaoZhong, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510280, P. R. China
| | - Ruiyi Zhu
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 253 GongyeDadaoZhong, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510280, P. R. China.,The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, No. 1838 GuangzhongDadaoBei, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, P. R. China
| | - Chujun Li
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 253 GongyeDadaoZhong, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510280, P. R. China.,The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, No. 1838 GuangzhongDadaoBei, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, P. R. China
| | - Yingchen Ruan
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 253 GongyeDadaoZhong, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510280, P. R. China.,The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, No. 1838 GuangzhongDadaoBei, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoling Xie
- Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People's Hospital of Shunde Foshan), Foshan, 528308, China.
| | - Yuhua Li
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 253 GongyeDadaoZhong, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510280, P. R. China. .,Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, 510005, P. R. China.
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26
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Jeong S, Choi Y, Kim K. Engineering Therapeutic Strategies in Cancer Immunotherapy via Exogenous Delivery of Toll-like Receptor Agonists. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:1374. [PMID: 34575449 PMCID: PMC8466827 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13091374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
As a currently spotlighted method for cancer treatment, cancer immunotherapy has made a lot of progress in recent years. Among tremendous cancer immunotherapy boosters available nowadays, Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists were specifically selected, because of their effective activation of innate and adaptive immune cells, such as dendritic cells (DCs), T cells, and macrophages. TLR agonists can activate signaling pathways of DCs to express CD80 and CD86 molecules, and secrete various cytokines and chemokines. The maturation of DCs stimulates naïve T cells to differentiate into functional cells, and induces B cell activation. Although TLR agonists have anti-tumor ability by activating the immune system of the host, their drawbacks, which include poor efficiency and remarkably short retention time in the body, must be overcome. In this review, we classify and summarize the recently reported delivery strategies using (1) exogenous TLR agonists to maintain the biological and physiological signaling activities of cargo agonists, (2) usage of multiple TLR agonists for synergistic immune responses, and (3) co-delivery using the combination with other immunomodulators or stimulants. In contrast to naked TLR agonists, these exogenous TLR delivery strategies successfully facilitated immune responses and subsequently mediated anti-tumor efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kyobum Kim
- Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, Dongguk University, 30, Pildong-ro 1-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul 22012, Korea; (S.J.); (Y.C.)
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27
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Zhao Y, Li S, Lv J, Liu Y, Chen Y, Liu Y, Chen X, Li J, Qin X, Wang X, Shi J, Shi Y, Xiang R. Generation of triacyl lipopeptide-modified glycoproteins by metabolic glycoengineering as the neoantigen to boost anti-tumor immune response. Theranostics 2021; 11:7425-7438. [PMID: 34158858 PMCID: PMC8210591 DOI: 10.7150/thno.60211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The lack of tumor specific antigens (TSA) and the immune tolerance are two major obstacles for the immunotherapy of cancer. Current immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) show clinical responses in only limited subsets of cancer patients, which, to some extent, depends on the mutation load of tumor cells that may generate neoantigens. Here, we aimed to generate a neoantigen MDP to exhibit stronger anti-tumor efficacy. Methods: In this study, we utilized chemically modified sialic acid precursor tetra acetyl-N-azidoacetyl-mannosamine (AC4ManNAZ) to engineer the glycoproteins on the membranes of tumor cells for the covalent ligation of hapten adjuvant Pam3CSK4 in vivo, which eventually generated a neoantigen, i.e., ManNAZ-DBCO-Pam3CSK4 (MDP), on tumor cells. The high labeling efficiency, relatively specific biodistribution in tumor tissues and the anti-tumor efficacy were confirmed in the syngeneic murine models of the breast cancer and the lung cancer. Results: The generation of MDP neoantigen in tumor-bearing mice significantly evoked both the humoral and the T-cell-dependent antitumor immune responses, resulting in a strong inhibition on the growth of the breast cancer and the lung cancer allografts and significantly prolonged survival of tumor-bearing mice. Interestingly, MDP neoantigen was able to dramatically increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to ICIs and greatly enhance the anti-tumor efficacy in the murine models of both breast cancer and the lung cancer, which showed no or low responses to the immunotherapy with anti-PD1 antibody alone. Conclusions: We developed a simple metabolic glycoengineering method to artificially generate neoantigens on tumor cells to enhance tumor cell immunogenicity, which is able to significantly improve the response and the clinical outcome of ICIs.
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28
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Sharma N, Atolagbe OT, Ge Z, Allison JP. LILRB4 suppresses immunity in solid tumors and is a potential target for immunotherapy. J Exp Med 2021; 218:212088. [PMID: 33974041 PMCID: PMC8117208 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20201811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune receptors expressed on TAMs are intriguing targets for tumor immunotherapy. In this study, we found inhibitory receptor LILRB4 on a variety of intratumoral immune cell types in murine tumor models and human cancers, most prominently on TAMs. LILRB4, known as gp49B in mice, is a LILRB family receptor. Human and murine LILRB4 have two extracellular domains but differ in the number of intracellular ITIMs (three versus two). We observed a high correlation in LILRB4 expression with other immune inhibitory receptors. After tumor challenge, LILRB4−/− mice and mice treated with anti-LILRB4 antibody showed reduced tumor burden and increased survival. LILRB4−/− genotype or LILRB4 blockade increased tumor immune infiltrates and the effector (Teff) to regulatory (Treg) T cell ratio and modulated phenotypes of TAMs toward less suppressive, CD4+ T cells to Th1 effector, and CD8+ T cells to less exhausted. These findings reveal that LILRB4 strongly suppresses tumor immunity in TME and that alleviating that suppression provides antitumor efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveen Sharma
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | - Zhongqi Ge
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - James P Allison
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.,Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
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29
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Fares J, Ulasov I, Timashev P, Lesniak MS. Emerging principles of brain immunology and immune checkpoint blockade in brain metastases. Brain 2021; 144:1046-1066. [PMID: 33893488 PMCID: PMC8105040 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain metastases are the most common type of brain tumours, harbouring an immune microenvironment that can in principle be targeted via immunotherapy. Elucidating some of the immunological intricacies of brain metastases has opened a therapeutic window to explore the potential of immune checkpoint inhibitors in this globally lethal disease. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that tumour cells hijack the immune regulatory mechanisms in the brain for the benefit of their own survival and progression. Nonetheless, the role of the immune checkpoint in the complex interplays between cancers cells and T cells and in conferring resistance to therapy remains under investigation. Meanwhile, early phase trials with immune checkpoint inhibitors have reported clinical benefit in patients with brain metastases from melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer. In this review, we explore the workings of the immune system in the brain, the immunology of brain metastases, and the current status of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of brain metastases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jawad Fares
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ilya Ulasov
- Group of Experimental Biotherapy and Diagnostics, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, World-Class Research Center “Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare”, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Peter Timashev
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Maciej S Lesniak
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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30
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Huang L, Guo Y, Liu S, Wang H, Zhu J, Ou L, Xu X. Targeting regulatory T cells for immunotherapy in melanoma. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2021; 2:11. [PMID: 34806028 PMCID: PMC8591697 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-021-00038-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are essential in the maintenance of immunity, and they are also a key to immune suppressive microenvironment in solid tumors. Many studies have revealed the biology of Tregs in various human pathologies. Here we review recent understandings of the immunophenotypes and suppressive functions of Tregs in melanoma, including Treg recruitment and expansion in a tumor. Tregs are frequently accumulated in melanoma and the ratio of CD8+ T cells versus Tregs in the melanoma is predictive for patient survival. Hence, depletion of Tregs is a promising strategy for the enhancement of anti-melanoma immunity. Many recent studies are aimed to target Tregs in melanoma. Distinguishing Tregs from other immune cells and understanding the function of different subsets of Tregs may contribute to better therapeutic efficacy. Depletion of functional Tregs from the tumor microenvironment has been tested to induce clinically relevant immune responses against melanomas. However, the lack of Treg specific therapeutic antibodies or Treg specific depleting strategies is a big hurdle that is yet to be overcome. Additional studies to fine-tune currently available therapies and more agents that specifically and selectively target tumor infiltrating Tregs in melanoma are urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Huang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Yeye Guo
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Shujing Liu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Huaishan Wang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Jinjin Zhu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Lingling Ou
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Xiaowei Xu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
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31
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Cendrowicz E, Sas Z, Bremer E, Rygiel TP. The Role of Macrophages in Cancer Development and Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:1946. [PMID: 33919517 PMCID: PMC8073377 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13081946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Macrophages are critical mediators of tissue homeostasis and influence various aspects of immunity. Tumor-associated macrophages are one of the main cellular components of the tumor microenvironment. Depending on their activation status, macrophages can exert a dual influence on tumorigenesis by either antagonizing the cytotoxic activity of immune cells or, less frequently, by enhancing antitumor responses. In most situations, TAMs suppress T cell recruitment and function or regulate other aspects of tumor immunity. The importance of TAMs targeting in cancer therapy is derived from the strong association between the high infiltration of TAMs in the tumor tissue with poor patient prognosis. Several macrophage-targeting approaches in anticancer therapy are developed, including TAM depletion, inhibition of new TAM differentiation, or re-education of TAM activation for cancer cell phagocytosis. In this review, we will describe the role of TAMs in tumor development, including such aspects as protumorigenic inflammation, immune suppression, neoangiogenesis, and enhancement of tissue invasion and distant metastasis. Furthermore, we will discuss therapeutic approaches that aim to deplete TAMs or, on the contrary, re-educate TAMs for cancer cell phagocytosis and antitumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Cendrowicz
- Department of Hematology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; (E.C.); (E.B.)
| | - Zuzanna Sas
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Nielubowicza 5 Street, Building F, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Edwin Bremer
- Department of Hematology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; (E.C.); (E.B.)
| | - Tomasz P. Rygiel
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Nielubowicza 5 Street, Building F, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland;
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32
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Cho S, Kim SB, Lee Y, Song EC, Kim U, Kim HY, Suh JH, Goughnour PC, Kim Y, Yoon I, Shin NY, Kim D, Kim IK, Kang CY, Jang SY, Kim MH, Kim S. Endogenous TLR2 ligand embedded in the catalytic region of human cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase 1. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 8:jitc-2019-000277. [PMID: 32461342 PMCID: PMC7254149 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2019-000277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The generation of antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses is required for successful cancer vaccine therapy. In this regard, ligands of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) have been suggested to activate adaptive immune responses by modulating the function of antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Despite their therapeutic potential, the development of TLR ligands for immunotherapy is often hampered due to rapid systemic toxicity. Regarding the safety concerns of currently available TLR ligands, finding a new TLR agonist with potent efficacy and safety is needed. Methods A unique structural domain (UNE-C1) was identified as a novel TLR2/6 in the catalytic region of human cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase 1 (CARS1) using comprehensive approaches, including RNA sequencing, the human embryonic kidney (HEK)-TLR Blue system, pull-down, and ELISA. The potency of its immunoadjuvant properties was analyzed by assessing antigen-specific antibody and CTL responses. In addition, the efficacy of tumor growth inhibition and the presence of the tumor-infiltrating leukocytes were evaluated using E.G7-OVA and TC-1 mouse models. The combined effect of UNE-C1 with an immune checkpoint inhibitor, anti-CTLA-4 antibody, was also evaluated in vivo. The safety of UNE-C1 immunization was determined by monitoring splenomegaly and cytokine production in the blood. Results Here, we report that CARS1 can be secreted from cancer cells to activate immune responses via specific interactions with TLR2/6 of APCs. A unique domain (UNE-C1) inserted into the catalytic region of CARS1 was determined to activate dendritic cells, leading to the stimulation of robust humoral and cellular immune responses in vivo. UNE-C1 also showed synergistic efficacy with cancer antigens and checkpoint inhibitors against different cancer models in vivo. Further, the safety assessment of UNE-C1 showed lower systemic cytokine levels than other known TLR agonists. Conclusions We identified the endogenous TLR2/6 activating domain from human cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase CARS1. This novel TLR2/6 ligand showed potent immune-stimulating activity with little toxicity. Thus, the UNE-C1 domain can be developed as an effective immunoadjuvant with checkpoint inhibitors or cancer antigens to boost antitumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seongmin Cho
- Medicinal Bioconvergence Research Center and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Suwon, South Korea.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sang Bum Kim
- Medicinal Bioconvergence Research Center and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Suwon, South Korea.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Youngjin Lee
- Infection and Immunity Research Laboratory, Metabolic Regulation Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Ee Chan Song
- Medicinal Bioconvergence Research Center and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Suwon, South Korea.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Uijoo Kim
- Medicinal Bioconvergence Research Center and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Suwon, South Korea.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyeong Yun Kim
- Medicinal Bioconvergence Research Center and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Suwon, South Korea.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ji Hun Suh
- Medicinal Bioconvergence Research Center and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Suwon, South Korea.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Peter C Goughnour
- Medicinal Bioconvergence Research Center and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - YounHa Kim
- Medicinal Bioconvergence Research Center and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Ina Yoon
- Medicinal Bioconvergence Research Center and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Na Young Shin
- Medicinal Bioconvergence Research Center and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Doyeun Kim
- Medicinal Bioconvergence Research Center and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Il-Kyu Kim
- Laboratory of Immunology, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Chang-Yuil Kang
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Laboratory of Immunology, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Song Yee Jang
- Infection and Immunity Research Laboratory, Metabolic Regulation Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Myung Hee Kim
- Infection and Immunity Research Laboratory, Metabolic Regulation Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Sunghoon Kim
- Medicinal Bioconvergence Research Center and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Suwon, South Korea .,Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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Nishimura CD, Pulanco MC, Cui W, Lu L, Zang X. PD-L1 and B7-1 Cis-Interaction: New Mechanisms in Immune Checkpoints and Immunotherapies. Trends Mol Med 2021; 27:207-219. [PMID: 33199209 PMCID: PMC7914151 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2020.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Immune checkpoints negatively regulate immune cell responses. Programmed cell death protein 1:programmed death ligand 1 (PD-1:PD-L1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4):B7-1 are among the most important immune checkpoint pathways, and are key targets for immunotherapies that seek to modulate the balance between stimulatory and inhibitory signals to lead to favorable therapeutic outcomes. The current dogma of these two immune checkpoint pathways has regarded them as independent with no interactions. However, the newly characterized PD-L1:B7-1 ligand-ligand cis-interaction and its ability to bind CTLA-4 and CD28, but not PD-1, suggests that these pathways have significant crosstalk. Here, we propose that the PD-L1:B7-1 cis-interaction brings novel mechanistic understanding of these pathways, new insights into mechanisms of current immunotherapies, and fresh ideas to develop better treatments in a variety of therapeutic settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Nishimura
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Marc C Pulanco
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Wei Cui
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Liming Lu
- Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Xingxing Zang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA; Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA; Department of Urology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA.
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34
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Li M, Yu Y. Innate immune receptor clustering and its role in immune regulation. J Cell Sci 2021; 134:134/4/jcs249318. [PMID: 33597156 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.249318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of receptor clustering in the activation of adaptive immune cells has revolutionized our understanding of the physical basis of immune signal transduction. In contrast to the extensive studies of adaptive immune cells, particularly T cells, there is a lesser, but emerging, recognition that the formation of receptor clusters is also a key regulatory mechanism in host-pathogen interactions. Many kinds of innate immune receptors have been found to assemble into nano- or micro-sized domains on the surfaces of cells. The clusters formed between diverse categories of innate immune receptors function as a multi-component apparatus for pathogen detection and immune response regulation. Here, we highlight these pioneering efforts and the outstanding questions that remain to be answered regarding this largely under-explored research topic. We provide a critical analysis of the current literature on the clustering of innate immune receptors. Our emphasis is on studies that draw connections between the phenomenon of receptor clustering and its functional role in innate immune regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Li
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA
| | - Yan Yu
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA
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35
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Burn OK, Prasit KK, Hermans IF. Modulating the Tumour Microenvironment by Intratumoural Injection of Pattern Recognition Receptor Agonists. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E3824. [PMID: 33352882 PMCID: PMC7765936 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Signalling through pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) leads to strong proinflammatory responses, enhancing the activity of antigen presenting cells and shaping adaptive immune responses against tumour associated antigens. Unfortunately, toxicities associated with systemic administration of these agonists have limited their clinical use to date. Direct injection of PRR agonists into the tumour can enhance immune responses by directly modulating the cells present in the tumour microenvironment. This can improve local antitumour activity, but importantly, also facilitates systemic responses that limit tumour growth at distant sites. As such, this form of therapy could be used clinically where metastatic tumour lesions are accessible, or as neoadjuvant therapy. In this review, we summarise current preclinical data on intratumoural administration of PRR agonists, including new strategies to optimise delivery and impact, and combination studies with current and promising new cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia K. Burn
- Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, P.O. Box 7060, Wellington 6042, New Zealand; (O.K.B.); (K.K.P.)
- Maurice Wilkins Centre, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1042, New Zealand
| | - Kef K. Prasit
- Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, P.O. Box 7060, Wellington 6042, New Zealand; (O.K.B.); (K.K.P.)
- Maurice Wilkins Centre, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1042, New Zealand
| | - Ian F. Hermans
- Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, P.O. Box 7060, Wellington 6042, New Zealand; (O.K.B.); (K.K.P.)
- Maurice Wilkins Centre, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1042, New Zealand
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36
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Li M, Wang H, Li W, Xu XG, Yu Y. Macrophage activation on "phagocytic synapse" arrays: Spacing of nanoclustered ligands directs TLR1/2 signaling with an intrinsic limit. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eabc8482. [PMID: 33268354 PMCID: PMC7821875 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc8482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The activation of Toll-like receptor heterodimer 1/2 (TLR1/2) by microbial components plays a critical role in host immune responses against pathogens. TLR1/2 signaling is sensitive to the chemical structure of ligands, but its dependence on the spatial distribution of ligands on microbial surfaces remains unexplored. Here, we reveal the quantitative relationship between TLR1/2-triggered immune responses and the spacing of ligand clusters by designing an artificial "phagocytic synapse" nanoarray platform to mimic the cell-microbe interface. The ligand spacing dictates the proximity of receptor clusters on the cell surface and consequently the pro-inflammatory responses of macrophages. However, cell responses reach their maximum at small ligand spacings when the receptor nanoclusters become adjacent to one another. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of using spatially patterned ligands to modulate innate immunity. It shows that the receptor clusters of TLR1/2 act as a driver in integrating the spatial cues of ligands into cell-level activation events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Li
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Haomin Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
| | - Wenqian Li
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Xiaoji G Xu
- Department of Chemistry, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
| | - Yan Yu
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
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37
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Almonte AA, Rangarajan H, Yip D, Fahrer AM. How does the gut microbiome influence immune checkpoint blockade therapy? Immunol Cell Biol 2020; 99:361-372. [PMID: 33147357 DOI: 10.1111/imcb.12423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies are revolutionary cancer treatments; however, they only benefit about a third of patients. Therefore, extensive research is underway to find methods to improve their therapeutic efficacy. One avenue of study that has recently emerged is to consider the role the gut microbiome plays in therapeutic success. Several high-impact studies have repeatedly shown that the presence, composition and level of diversity of the gut flora directly impact cancer treatment outcome in both mice and patients. These studies have also highlighted the danger of using antibiotics shortly before or during cancer treatments. However, there are still several questions that need to be answered, including which bacteria promote the greatest benefit, the mechanisms by which they act and how we can use this information to influence treatment outcome. In this review, we explain how the gut microbiome was realized to be of such importance and propose hypotheses for why gut flora have such a critical impact on ICB therapeutic success. We also describe a hypothetical mechanism involving bacterial translocation out of the gut and into the tumor, whereby the bacteria act in an adjuvant capacity to facilitate an antitumor response. By highlighting key papers in the field, we hope to hasten research on the subject so as to find a means to improve the therapeutic efficacy of these ground-breaking cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew A Almonte
- Division of Biomedical Science and Biochemistry, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | - Hareesha Rangarajan
- Division of Biomedical Science and Biochemistry, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | - Desmond Yip
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Canberra Hospital and ANU Medical School, Australian National University, Garran, ACT, Australia
| | - Aude M Fahrer
- Division of Biomedical Science and Biochemistry, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
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38
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Hu HG, Wu JJ, Zhang BD, Li WH, Li YM. Pam3CSK4-CDGSF Augments Antitumor Immunotherapy by Synergistically Activating TLR1/2 and STING. Bioconjug Chem 2020; 31:2499-2503. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.0c00522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Guo Hu
- Key Lab of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
| | - Jun-Jun Wu
- Key Lab of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
| | - Bo-Dou Zhang
- Key Lab of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
| | - Wen-Hao Li
- Key Lab of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
| | - Yan-Mei Li
- Key Lab of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
- Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing 100069, P.R. China
- Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
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39
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Waldman AD, Fritz JM, Lenardo MJ. A guide to cancer immunotherapy: from T cell basic science to clinical practice. Nat Rev Immunol 2020; 20:651-668. [PMID: 32433532 PMCID: PMC7238960 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-020-0306-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2038] [Impact Index Per Article: 509.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The T lymphocyte, especially its capacity for antigen-directed cytotoxicity, has become a central focus for engaging the immune system in the fight against cancer. Basic science discoveries elucidating the molecular and cellular biology of the T cell have led to new strategies in this fight, including checkpoint blockade, adoptive cellular therapy and cancer vaccinology. This area of immunological research has been highly active for the past 50 years and is now enjoying unprecedented bench-to-bedside clinical success. Here, we provide a comprehensive historical and biological perspective regarding the advent and clinical implementation of cancer immunotherapeutics, with an emphasis on the fundamental importance of T lymphocyte regulation. We highlight clinical trials that demonstrate therapeutic efficacy and toxicities associated with each class of drug. Finally, we summarize emerging therapies and emphasize the yet to be elucidated questions and future promise within the field of cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex D Waldman
- Molecular Development of the Immune System Section, Laboratory of Immune System Biology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Clinical Genomics Program, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jill M Fritz
- Molecular Development of the Immune System Section, Laboratory of Immune System Biology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Clinical Genomics Program, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michael J Lenardo
- Molecular Development of the Immune System Section, Laboratory of Immune System Biology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- Clinical Genomics Program, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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40
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Cryoablation and immunotherapy of cancer. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 65:60-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2020.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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41
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Kang K, Xie F, Mao J, Bai Y, Wang X. Significance of Tumor Mutation Burden in Immune Infiltration and Prognosis in Cutaneous Melanoma. Front Oncol 2020; 10:573141. [PMID: 33072607 PMCID: PMC7531222 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.573141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Melanoma is highly immunogenic and therefore suitable for immunotherapy, but the efficacy is limited by response rate. In several types of tumor, tumor mutation burden (TMB) and immune infiltration have been reported to predict the response to immunotherapy, although each has its limitations. In the current study, we aimed to explore the association of TMB with immune infiltration and prognosis in cutaneous melanoma. Methods: The data of cutaneous melanoma used for analyses was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The mutation data was sorted using "maftools" R package. TMB was estimated and then patients were divided into two groups based on TMB. The association of TMB with prognosis and clinical characteristics was explored. Differential analysis between two TMB groups was performed using "DESeq2" R package to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The function enrichment analyses of DEGs were conducted to screen critical pathways. Besides, DEGs were further filtered to identify two hub genes, based on which a risk score model and nomogram for predicting prognosis were conducted, and the validation was performed using three datasets from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Finally, CIBERSORT algorithm and TIMER database were used to assess the effect of TMB and hub genes on immune infiltration. Results: The most common mutation was C > T, and the top three frequently mutated genes were TTN, MUC16, and BRAF. Higher TMB indicated better survival outcomes and lower pathological stages. 735 DEGs were identified and mainly involved in immune-related and adhesion-related pathways. The risk score model and nomogram were validated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calibration curves, and exhibited relatively high predictive capability. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to assess clinical benefit. As for immune infiltration, the proportion was higher for macrophages M1 and M2 in the high-TMB group, while lower for memory B cells and regulatory T cells. Conclusions: In cutaneous melanoma, TMB was positively correlated with prognosis. The risk score model and nomogram can be conveniently used to predict prognosis. The association of TMB with immune infiltration can help improve the predicting methods for the response to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Kang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fucun Xie
- Department of Medical Oncology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinzhu Mao
- Department of Medical Oncology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Bai
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Central Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiang Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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Abstract
Personalized cancer vaccines (PCVs) are reinvigorating vaccine strategies in cancer immunotherapy. In contrast to adoptive T-cell therapy and checkpoint blockade, the PCV strategy modulates the innate and adaptive immune systems with broader activation to redeploy antitumor immunity with individualized tumor-specific antigens (neoantigens). Following a sequential scheme of tumor biopsy, mutation analysis, and epitope prediction, the administration of neoantigens with synthetic long peptide (SLP) or mRNA formulations dramatically improves the population and activity of antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Despite the promising prospect of PCVs, there is still great potential for optimizing prevaccination procedures and vaccine potency. In particular, the arduous development of tumor-associated antigen (TAA)-based vaccines provides valuable experience and rational principles for augmenting vaccine potency which is expected to advance PCV through the design of adjuvants, delivery systems, and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) reversion since current personalized vaccination simply admixes antigens with adjuvants. Considering the broader application of TAA-based vaccine design, these two strategies complement each other and can lead to both personalized and universal therapeutic methods. Chemical strategies provide vast opportunities for (1) exploring novel adjuvants, including synthetic molecules and materials with optimizable activity, (2) constructing efficient and precise delivery systems to avoid systemic diffusion, improve biosafety, target secondary lymphoid organs, and enhance antigen presentation, and (3) combining bioengineering methods to innovate improvements in conventional vaccination, "smartly" re-educate the TME, and modulate antitumor immunity. As chemical strategies have proven versatility, reliability, and universality in the design of T cell- and B cell-based antitumor vaccines, the union of such numerous chemical methods in vaccine construction is expected to provide new vigor and vitality in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Hao Li
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Yan-Mei Li
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China.,Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, 100069 Beijing, China.,Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
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43
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Hossain MA, Liu G, Dai B, Si Y, Yang Q, Wazir J, Birnbaumer L, Yang Y. Reinvigorating exhausted CD8 + cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment and current strategies in cancer immunotherapy. Med Res Rev 2020; 41:156-201. [PMID: 32844499 DOI: 10.1002/med.21727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of cancer in recent years and achieved overall success and long-term clinical benefit in patients with a wide variety of cancer types. However, there is still a large proportion of patients exhibiting limited or no responses to immunotherapeutic strategy, some of which were even observed with hyperprogressive disease. One major obstacle restricting the efficacy is that tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells, which are central for tumor control, undergo exhaustion, and lose their ability to eliminate cancer cells after infiltrating into the strongly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Thus, as a potential therapeutic rationale in the development of cancer immunotherapy, targeting or reinvigorating exhausted CD8+ T cells has been attracting much interest. Hitherto, both intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms that govern CD8+ T-cell exhaustion have been explored. Specifically, the transcriptional and epigenetic landscapes have been depicted utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing or mass cytometry (CyTOF). In addition, cellular metabolism dictating the tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T-cell fate is currently under investigation. A series of clinical trials are being carried out to further establish the current strategies targeting CD8+ T-cell exhaustion. Taken together, despite the proven benefit of immunotherapy in cancer patients, additional efforts are still needed to fully circumvent limitations of exhausted T cells in the treatment. In this review, we will focus on the current cellular and molecular understanding of metabolic changes, epigenetic remodeling, and transcriptional regulation in CD8+ T-cell exhaustion and describe hypothetical treatment approaches based on immunotherapy aiming at reinvigorating exhausted CD8+ T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Amir Hossain
- Center for New Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guilai Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Beiying Dai
- Center for New Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yaxuan Si
- Center for New Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qitao Yang
- Center for New Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Junaid Wazir
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lutz Birnbaumer
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Institute of Biomedical Research (BIOMED), Catholic University of Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Yong Yang
- Center for New Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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44
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Li C, Jiang P, Wei S, Xu X, Wang J. Regulatory T cells in tumor microenvironment: new mechanisms, potential therapeutic strategies and future prospects. Mol Cancer 2020; 19:116. [PMID: 32680511 PMCID: PMC7367382 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-020-01234-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 378] [Impact Index Per Article: 94.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) characterized by the expression of the master transcription factor forkhead box protein p3 (Foxp3) suppress anticancer immunity, thereby hindering protective immunosurveillance of tumours and hampering effective antitumour immune responses in tumour-bearing hosts, constitute a current research hotspot in the field. However, Tregs are also essential for the maintenance of the immune tolerance of the body and share many molecular signalling pathways with conventional T cells, including cytotoxic T cells, the primary mediators of tumour immunity. Hence, the inability to specifically target and neutralize Tregs in the tumour microenvironment without globally compromising self-tolerance poses a significant challenge. Here, we review recent advances in characterizing tumour-infiltrating Tregs with a focus on the functional roles of costimulatory and inhibitory receptors in Tregs, evaluate their potential as clinical targets, and systematically summarize their roles in potential treatment strategies. Also, we propose modalities to integrate our increasing knowledge on Tregs phenotype and function for the rational design of checkpoint inhibitor-based combination therapies. Finally, we propose possible treatment strategies that can be used to develop Treg-targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunxiao Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Ping Jiang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Shuhua Wei
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Xiaofei Xu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Junjie Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China.
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Angrini M, Varthaman A, Cremer I. Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs) in the Tumor Microenvironment (TME): A Dragon-Like Weapon in a Non-fantasy Game of Thrones. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1263:145-173. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-44518-8_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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46
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Biological Factors behind Melanoma Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21114071. [PMID: 32517213 PMCID: PMC7313051 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21114071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern immunotherapy together with targeted therapy has revolutionized the treatment of advanced melanoma. Inhibition of immune checkpoints significantly improved the median overall survival and gave hope to many melanoma patients. However, this treatment has three serious drawbacks: high cost, serious side effects, and an effectiveness limited only to approximately 50% of patients. Some patients do not derive any or short-term benefit from this treatment due to primary or secondary resistance. The response to immunotherapy depends on many factors that fall into three main categories: those associated with melanoma cells, those linked to a tumor and its microenvironment, and those classified as individual ontogenic and physiological features of the patient. The first category comprises expression of PD-L1 and HLA proteins on melanoma cells as well as genetic/genomic metrics such as mutational load, (de)activation of specific signaling pathways and epigenetic factors. The second category is the inflammatory status of the tumor: “hot” versus “cold” (i.e., high versus low infiltration of immune cells). The third category comprises metabolome and single nucleotide polymorphisms of specific genes. Here we present up-to-date data on those biological factors influencing melanoma response to immunotherapy with a special focus on signaling pathways regulating the complex process of anti-tumor immune response. We also discuss their potential predictive capacity.
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Sautès-Fridman C, Verneau J, Sun CM, Moreira M, Chen TWW, Meylan M, Petitprez F, Fridman WH. Tertiary Lymphoid Structures and B cells: Clinical impact and therapeutic modulation in cancer. Semin Immunol 2020; 48:101406. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2020.101406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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48
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Deng G, Song X, Fujimoto S, Piccirillo CA, Nagai Y, Greene MI. Foxp3 Post-translational Modifications and Treg Suppressive Activity. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2486. [PMID: 31681337 PMCID: PMC6813729 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are engaged in maintaining immune homeostasis and preventing autoimmunity. Treg cells include thymic Treg cells and peripheral Treg cells, both of which can suppress the immune response via multiple distinct mechanisms. The differentiation, proliferation, suppressive function and survival of Treg cells are affected by distinct energy metabolic programs. Tissue-resident Treg cells hold unique features in comparison with the lymphoid organ Treg cells. Foxp3 transcription factor is a lineage master regulator for Treg cell development and suppressive activity. Accumulating evidence indicates that the activity of Foxp3 protein is modulated by various post-translational modifications (PTMs), including phosphorylation, O-GlcNAcylation, acetylation, ubiquitylation and methylation. These modifications affect multiple aspects of Foxp3 function. In this review, we define features of Treg cells and roles of Foxp3 in Treg biology, and summarize current research in PTMs of Foxp3 protein involved in modulating Treg function. This review also attempts to define Foxp3 dimer modifications relevant to mediating Foxp3 activity and Treg suppression. Understanding Foxp3 protein features and modulation mechanisms may help in the design of rational therapies for immune diseases and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoping Deng
- Department of Immunology, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaomin Song
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Ciriaco A Piccirillo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Centre of Excellence in Translational Immunology (CETI), Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Yasuhiro Nagai
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Mark I Greene
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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