1
|
Huang M, Park J, Seo J, Ko S, Yang YH, Lee Y, Kim HJ, Lee BS, Lee YS, Ko BJ, Jung ST, Park D, Yoo TH, Kim CH. An epidermal growth factor receptor-targeting immunotoxin based on IgG shows potent antitumor activity against head and neck cancer. FASEB J 2024; 38:e23759. [PMID: 38949635 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202301968r] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an important target for cancer therapies. Many head and neck cancer (HNC) cells have been reported to overexpress EGFR; therefore, anti-EGFR therapies have been attempted in patients with HNC. However, its clinical efficacy is limited owing to the development of drug resistance. In this study, we developed an EGFR-targeting immunotoxin consisting of a clinically proven anti-EGFR IgG (cetuximab; CTX) and a toxin fragment (LR-LO10) derived from Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PE) using a novel site-specific conjugation technology (peptide-directed photo-crosslinking reaction), as an alternative option. The immunotoxin (CTX-LR-LO10) showed specific binding to EGFR and properties of a typical IgG, such as stability, interactions with receptors of immune cells, and pharmacokinetics, and inhibited protein synthesis via modification of elongation factor-2. Treatment of EGFR-positive HNC cells with the immunotoxin resulted in apoptotic cell death and the inhibition of cell migration and invasion. The efficacy of CTX-LR-LO10 was evaluated in xenograft mouse models, and the immunotoxin exhibited much stronger tumor suppression than CTX or LR-LO10. Transcriptome analyses revealed that the immunotoxins elicited immune responses and altered the expression of genes related to its mechanisms of action. These results support the notion that CTX-LR-LO10 may serve as a new therapeutic agent targeting EGFR-positive cancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mei Huang
- Department of Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jisoo Park
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jina Seo
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sanghwan Ko
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon Hee Yang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeaji Lee
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo Jeong Kim
- Department of Otolaryngology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Bok-Soon Lee
- Department of Otolaryngology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun Sang Lee
- Department of Otolaryngology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Byoung Joon Ko
- School of Biopharmaceutical and Medical Sciences, Sungshin Women's University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Teak Jung
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Human Genetics, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Deachan Park
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- Advanced College of Bio-convergence Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Hyeon Yoo
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- Advanced College of Bio-convergence Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Chul-Ho Kim
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Otolaryngology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhou L, Velegraki M, Wang Y, Mandula JK, Chang Y, Liu W, Song NJ, Kwon H, Xiao T, Bolyard C, Hong F, Xin G, Ma Q, Rubinstein MP, Wen H, Li Z. Spatial and functional targeting of intratumoral Tregs reverses CD8+ T cell exhaustion and promotes cancer immunotherapy. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e180080. [PMID: 38787791 PMCID: PMC11245154 DOI: 10.1172/jci180080] [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: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Intratumoral Tregs are key mediators of cancer immunotherapy resistance, including anti-programmed cell death (ligand) 1 [anti-PD-(L)1] immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). The mechanisms driving Treg infiltration into the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the consequence on CD8+ T cell exhaustion remain elusive. Here, we report that heat shock protein gp96 (also known as GRP94) was indispensable for Treg tumor infiltration, primarily through the roles of gp96 in chaperoning integrins. Among various gp96-dependent integrins, we found that only LFA-1 (αL integrin), and not αV, CD103 (αE), or β7 integrin, was required for Treg tumor homing. Loss of Treg infiltration into the TME by genetic deletion of gp96/LFA-1 potently induced rejection of tumors in multiple ICB-resistant murine cancer models in a CD8+ T cell-dependent manner, without loss of self-tolerance. Moreover, gp96 deletion impeded Treg activation primarily by suppressing IL-2/STAT5 signaling, which also contributed to tumor regression. By competing for intratumoral IL-2, Tregs prevented the activation of CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, drove thymocyte selection-associated high mobility group box protein (TOX) induction, and induced bona fide CD8+ T cell exhaustion. By contrast, Treg ablation led to striking CD8+ T cell activation without TOX induction, demonstrating clear uncoupling of the 2 processes. Our study reveals that the gp96/LFA-1 axis plays a fundamental role in Treg biology and suggests that Treg-specific gp96/LFA-1 targeting represents a valuable strategy for cancer immunotherapy without inflicting autoinflammatory conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhou
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Maria Velegraki
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Yi Wang
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - J K Mandula
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Yuzhou Chang
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics
| | - Weiwei Liu
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - No-Joon Song
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Hyunwoo Kwon
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, USA
| | - Tong Xiao
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Chelsea Bolyard
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Feng Hong
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, USA
| | - Gang Xin
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, USA
| | - Qin Ma
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics
| | - Mark P. Rubinstein
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, USA
| | - Haitao Wen
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, USA
| | - Zihai Li
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC), Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Mantooth SM, Abdou Y, Saez-Ibañez AR, Upadhaya S, Zaharoff DA. Intratumoral delivery of immunotherapy to treat breast cancer: current development in clinical and preclinical studies. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1385484. [PMID: 38803496 PMCID: PMC11128577 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1385484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer poses one of the largest threats to women's health. Treatment continues to improve for all the subtypes of breast cancer, but some subtypes, such as triple negative breast cancer, still present a significant treatment challenge. Additionally, metastasis and local recurrence are two prevalent problems in breast cancer treatment. A newer type of therapy, immunotherapy, may offer alternatives to traditional treatments for difficult-to-treat subtypes. Immunotherapy engages the host's immune system to eradicate disease, with the potential to induce long-lasting, durable responses. However, systemic immunotherapy is only approved in a limited number of indications, and it benefits only a minority of patients. Furthermore, immune related toxicities following systemic administration of potent immunomodulators limit dosing and, consequently, efficacy. To address these safety considerations and improve treatment efficacy, interest in local delivery at the site of the tumor has increased. Numerous intratumorally delivered immunotherapeutics have been and are being explored clinically and preclinically, including monoclonal antibodies, cellular therapies, viruses, nucleic acids, cytokines, innate immune agonists, and bacteria. This review summarizes the current and past intratumoral immunotherapy clinical landscape in breast cancer as well as current progress that has been made in preclinical studies, with a focus on delivery parameters and considerations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Siena M. Mantooth
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Yara Abdou
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | | | | | - David A. Zaharoff
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Raleigh, NC, United States
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Xie YJ, Tian S, Huang M, Lu LL, Liu ZQ, Chen JH, Fan XX. Depletion of regulatory T cells enhancing the anti-tumor effect of in situ vaccination in solid tumors. Pharmacol Res 2024; 203:107174. [PMID: 38580185 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
The emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has revolutionized the clinical treatment for tumor. However, the low response rate of ICIs remains the major obstacle for curing patients and effective approaches for patients with primary or secondary resistance to ICIs remain lacking. In this study, immune stimulating agent unmethylated CG-enriched (CpG) oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) was locally injected into the tumor to trigger a robust immune response to eradicate cancer cells, while anti-CD25 antibody was applied to remove immunosuppressive regulatory T cells, which further enhanced the host immune activity to attack tumor systematically. The combination of CpG and anti-CD25 antibody obtained notable regression in mouse melanoma model. Furthermore, rechallenge of tumor cells in the xenograft model has resulted in smaller tumor volume, which demonstrated that the combinational treatment enhanced the activity of memory T cells. Remarkably, this combinational therapy presented significant efficacy on multiple types of tumors as well and was able to prevent relapse of tumor partially. Taken together, our combinational immunotherapy provides a new avenue to enhance the clinical outcomes of patients who are insensitive or resistant to ICIs treatments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Jia Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Sha Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao Special Administrative Region of China; College of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Min Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Lin-Lin Lu
- International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhong-Qiu Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicines, Joint International Research Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicines, State Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun-Hui Chen
- Intervention and Cell Therapy Center, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Xing-Xing Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao Special Administrative Region of China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Firestone RS, McAvoy D, Shekarkhand T, Serrano E, Hamadeh I, Wang A, Zhu M, Qin WG, Patel D, Tan CR, Hultcrantz M, Mailankody S, Hassoun H, Shah US, Korde N, Maclachlan KH, Landau HJ, Scordo M, Shah GL, Lahoud OB, Giralt S, Murata K, Hosszu KK, Chung DJ, Lesokhin AM, Usmani SZ. CD8 effector T cells enhance teclistamab response in BCMA-exposed and -naïve multiple myeloma. Blood Adv 2024; 8:1600-1611. [PMID: 37878808 PMCID: PMC10987849 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023011225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Teclistamab, a B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)- and CD3-targeting bispecific antibody, is an effective novel treatment for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (R/RMM), but efficacy in patients exposed to BCMA-directed therapies and mechanisms of resistance have yet to be fully delineated. We conducted a real-world retrospective study of commercial teclistamab, capturing both clinical outcomes and immune correlates of treatment response in a cohort of patients (n = 52) with advanced R/RMM. Teclistamab was highly effective with an overall response rate (ORR) of 64%, including an ORR of 50% for patients with prior anti-BCMA therapy. Pretreatment plasma cell BCMA expression levels had no bearing on response. However, comprehensive pretreatment immune profiling identified that effector CD8+ T-cell populations were associated with response to therapy and a regulatory T-cell population associated with nonresponse, indicating a contribution of immune status in outcomes with potential utility as a biomarker signature to guide patient management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ross S. Firestone
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Devin McAvoy
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Tala Shekarkhand
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Edith Serrano
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Issam Hamadeh
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Alice Wang
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Menglei Zhu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Wei Ge Qin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Dhwani Patel
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Carlyn R. Tan
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Malin Hultcrantz
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Sham Mailankody
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Cellular Therapy Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Hani Hassoun
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Urvi S. Shah
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Neha Korde
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Kylee H. Maclachlan
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Heather J. Landau
- Cellular Therapy Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Bone Marrow Transplant Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Michael Scordo
- Cellular Therapy Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Bone Marrow Transplant Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Gunjan L. Shah
- Cellular Therapy Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Bone Marrow Transplant Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Oscar B. Lahoud
- Cellular Therapy Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Bone Marrow Transplant Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Sergio Giralt
- Cellular Therapy Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Bone Marrow Transplant Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Kazunori Murata
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Kinga K. Hosszu
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - David J. Chung
- Cellular Therapy Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Bone Marrow Transplant Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Alexander M. Lesokhin
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Cellular Therapy Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Saad Z. Usmani
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Cellular Therapy Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Bone Marrow Transplant Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Chaudhuri SM, Weinberg SE, Wang D, Yalom LK, Montauti E, Iyer R, Tang AY, Torres Acosta MA, Shen J, Mani NL, Wang S, Liu K, Lu W, Bui TM, Manzanares LD, Dehghani Z, Wai CM, Gao B, Wei J, Yue F, Cui W, Singer BD, Sumagin R, Zhang Y, Fang D. Mediator complex subunit 1 architects a tumorigenic Treg cell program independent of inflammation. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101441. [PMID: 38428427 PMCID: PMC10983042 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
While immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, its safety has been hampered by immunotherapy-related adverse events. Unexpectedly, we show that Mediator complex subunit 1 (MED1) is required for T regulatory (Treg) cell function specifically in the tumor microenvironment. Treg cell-specific MED1 deletion does not predispose mice to autoimmunity or excessive inflammation. In contrast, MED1 is required for Treg cell promotion of tumor growth because MED1 is required for the terminal differentiation of effector Treg cells in the tumor. Suppression of these terminally differentiated Treg cells is sufficient for eliciting antitumor immunity. Both human and murine Treg cells experience divergent paths of differentiation in tumors and matched tissues with non-malignant inflammation. Collectively, we identify a pathway promoting the differentiation of a Treg cell effector subset specific to tumors and demonstrate that suppression of a subset of Treg cells is sufficient for promoting antitumor immunity in the absence of autoimmune consequences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuvam M Chaudhuri
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Samuel E Weinberg
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Dongmei Wang
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Lenore K Yalom
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Elena Montauti
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Radhika Iyer
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Amy Y Tang
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Manuel A Torres Acosta
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Jian Shen
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Nikita L Mani
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Shengnan Wang
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Kun Liu
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Weiyuan Lu
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Triet M Bui
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Laura D Manzanares
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Zeinab Dehghani
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ching Man Wai
- Center for Genetic Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Beixue Gao
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Juncheng Wei
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Feng Yue
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Weiguo Cui
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Benjamin D Singer
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ronen Sumagin
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Yana Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Deyu Fang
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Xu J, Hissong R, Bareis R, Creech A, Goughenour KD, Freeman CM, Olszewski MA. Batf3-dependent orchestration of the robust Th1 responses and fungal control during cryptococcal infection, the role of cDC1. mBio 2024; 15:e0285323. [PMID: 38349130 PMCID: PMC10936214 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02853-23] [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: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
While type I conventional dendritic cells (cDC1s) are vital for generating adaptive immunity against intracellular pathogens and tumors, their role in defense against fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans remains unclear. We investigated the role of the cDC1 subset in a fungus-restricting mouse model of cryptococcal infection. The cDC1 subset displayed a unique transcriptional signature with highly upregulated T-cell recruitment, polarization, and activation pathways compared to other DC subsets. Using Batf3-/- mice, which lack the cDC1 population, our results support that Batf3-dependent cDC1s are pivotal for the development of the effective immune response against cryptococcal infection, particularly within the lung and brain. Deficiency in Batf3 cDC1 led to diminished CD4 accumulation and decreased IFNγ production across multiple organs, supporting that cDC1s are a major driver of potent Th1 responses during cryptococcal infection. Consistently, mice lacking Batf3-cDC1 demonstrated markedly diminished fungicidal activity and weaker containment of the fungal pathogen. In conclusion, Batf3-dependent cDC1 can function as a linchpin in mounting Th1 response, ensuring effective fungal control during cryptococcal infection. Harnessing cDC1 pathways may present a promising strategy for interventions against this pathogen.IMPORTANCECryptococcus neoformans causes severe meningoencephalitis, accounting for an estimated 200,000 deaths each year. Central to mounting an effective defense against these infections is T-cell-mediated immunity, which is orchestrated by dendritic cells (DCs). The knowledge about the role of specific DC subsets in shaping anti-cryptococcal immunity is limited. Here, we demonstrate that Batf3 cDC1s are important drivers of protective Th1 CD4 T-cell responses required for clearance of cryptococcal infection. Deficiency of Batf3 cDC1 in the infected mice leads to significantly reduced Th1 response and exacerbated fungal growth to the point where depleting the remaining CD4 T cells no longer affects fungal burden. Unveiling this pivotal role of cDC1 in antifungal defense is likely to be important for the development of vaccines and therapies against life-threatening fungal pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jintao Xu
- Research Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Health System, Ann Arbor VA Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Rylan Hissong
- Research Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Health System, Ann Arbor VA Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Rachel Bareis
- Research Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Health System, Ann Arbor VA Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Arianna Creech
- Research Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Health System, Ann Arbor VA Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Kristie D. Goughenour
- Research Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Health System, Ann Arbor VA Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Christine M. Freeman
- Research Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Health System, Ann Arbor VA Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Michal A. Olszewski
- Research Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Health System, Ann Arbor VA Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Pinos I, Coronel J, Albakri A, Blanco A, McQueen P, Molina D, Sim J, Fisher EA, Amengual J. β-Carotene accelerates the resolution of atherosclerosis in mice. eLife 2024; 12:RP87430. [PMID: 38319073 PMCID: PMC10945528 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
β-Carotene oxygenase 1 (BCO1) catalyzes the cleavage of β-carotene to form vitamin A. Besides its role in vision, vitamin A regulates the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism and immune cell differentiation. BCO1 activity is associated with the reduction of plasma cholesterol in humans and mice, while dietary β-carotene reduces hepatic lipid secretion and delays atherosclerosis progression in various experimental models. Here we show that β-carotene also accelerates atherosclerosis resolution in two independent murine models, independently of changes in body weight gain or plasma lipid profile. Experiments in Bco1-/- mice implicate vitamin A production in the effects of β-carotene on atherosclerosis resolution. To explore the direct implication of dietary β-carotene on regulatory T cells (Tregs) differentiation, we utilized anti-CD25 monoclonal antibody infusions. Our data show that β-carotene favors Treg expansion in the plaque, and that the partial inhibition of Tregs mitigates the effect of β-carotene on atherosclerosis resolution. Our data highlight the potential of β-carotene and BCO1 activity in the resolution of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Pinos
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Johana Coronel
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois Urbana ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Asma'a Albakri
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Amparo Blanco
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Patrick McQueen
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Donald Molina
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois Urbana ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - JaeYoung Sim
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois Urbana ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Edward A Fisher
- The Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The Marc and Ruti Bell Program in Vascular Biology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Medical CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Jaume Amengual
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois Urbana ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Pinos I, Coronel J, Albakri A, Blanco A, McQueen P, Molina D, Sim J, Fisher EA, Amengual J. β-carotene accelerates the resolution of atherosclerosis in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.03.07.531563. [PMID: 36945561 PMCID: PMC10028884 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.07.531563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
β-carotene oxygenase 1 (BCO1) catalyzes the cleavage of β-carotene to form vitamin A. Besides its role in vision, vitamin A regulates the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism and immune cell differentiation. BCO1 activity is associated with the reduction of plasma cholesterol in humans and mice, while dietary β-carotene reduces hepatic lipid secretion and delays atherosclerosis progression in various experimental models. Here we show that β-carotene also accelerates atherosclerosis resolution in two independent murine models, independently of changes in body weight gain or plasma lipid profile. Experiments in Bco1-/- mice implicate vitamin A production in the effects of β-carotene on atherosclerosis resolution. To explore the direct implication of dietary β-carotene on regulatory T cells (Tregs) differentiation, we utilized anti-CD25 monoclonal antibody infusions. Our data show that β-carotene favors Treg expansion in the plaque, and that the partial inhibition of Tregs mitigates the effect of β-carotene on atherosclerosis resolution. Our data highlight the potential of β-carotene and BCO1 activity in the resolution of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Pinos
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - Johana Coronel
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - Asma'a Albakri
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - Amparo Blanco
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - Patrick McQueen
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - Donald Molina
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - JaeYoung Sim
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - Edward A Fisher
- The Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The Marc and Ruti Bell Program in Vascular Biology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Medical Center, NY
| | - Jaume Amengual
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Miao Z, Li J, Zeng S, Lv Y, Jia S, Ding D, Li W, Liu Q. Endoplasmic Reticulum-Targeting AIE Photosensitizers to Boost Immunogenic Cell Death for Immunotherapy of Bladder Carcinoma. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:245-260. [PMID: 38113527 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c14068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Bladder cancer is characterized by high rates of recurrence and multifocality. Immunogenic cell death (ICD) of cancer cells has emerged as a promising strategy to improve the immunogenicity of tumor cells for enhanced cancer immunotherapy. Although photosensitizer-based photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been validated as capable of inducing ICD in cancer cells, the photosensitizers with a sufficient ICD induction ability are still rare, and there have been few reports on the development of advanced photosensitizers to strongly evoke the ICD of bladder cancer cells for eliciting potent antitumor immune responses and eradicating bladder carcinoma in situ. In this work, we have synthesized a new kind of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-targeting aggregation-induced emission (AIE) photosensitizer (named DPASCP-Tos), which could effectively anchor to the cellular ER and trigger focused reactive oxygen species (ROS) production within the ER, thereby boosting ICD in bladder cancer cells. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that bladder cancer cells killed by ER-targeted PDT could serve as a therapeutic cancer vaccine to elicit a strong antitumor immunity. Prophylactic vaccination of the bladder cancer cells killed by DPASCP-Tos under light irradiation promoted the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) and the expansion of tumor antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in vivo and protected mice from subsequent in situ bladder tumor rechallenge and extended animal survival. In summary, the ER-targeted AIEgens developed here significantly amplified the ICD of bladder cells through focused ROS-based ER oxidative stress and transformed bladder cancer cells into the therapeutic vaccine to enhance immunogenicity against orthotopic bladder cancer, providing valuable insights for bladder carcinoma treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhizhao Miao
- Tianjin First Central Hospital, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Jisen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Sheng Zeng
- Department of Urology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin 300384, China
| | - Yonghui Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Shaorui Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Dan Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Wen Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Key Laboratory of Biomaterials and Nanotechnology for Cancer Immunotherapy, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Qian Liu
- Tianjin First Central Hospital, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Giardino Torchia ML, Moody G. DIALing-up the preclinical characterization of gene-modified adoptive cellular immunotherapies. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1264882. [PMID: 38090585 PMCID: PMC10713823 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1264882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The preclinical characterization of gene modified adoptive cellular immunotherapy candidates for clinical development often requires the use of mouse models. Gene-modified lymphocytes (GML) incorporating chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) and T-cell receptors (TCR) into immune effector cells require in vivo characterization of biological activity, mechanism of action, and preclinical safety. Typically, this characterization involves the assessment of dose-dependent, on-target, on-tumor activity in severely immunocompromised mice. While suitable for the purpose of evaluating T cell-expressed transgene function in a living host, this approach falls short in translating cellular therapy efficacy, safety, and persistence from preclinical models to humans. To comprehensively characterize cell therapy products in mice, we have developed a framework called "DIAL". This framework aims to enable an end-to-end understanding of genetically engineered cellular immunotherapies in vivo, from infusion to tumor clearance and long-term immunosurveillance. The acronym DIAL stands for Distribution, Infiltration, Accumulation, and Longevity, compartmentalizing the systemic attributes of gene-modified cellular therapy and providing a platform for optimization with the ultimate goal of improving therapeutic efficacy. This review will discuss both existent and emerging examples of DIAL characterization in mouse models, as well as opportunities for future development and optimization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Gordon Moody
- Cell Therapy Unit, Oncology Research, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Knoedler S, Knoedler L, Kauke-Navarro M, Rinkevich Y, Hundeshagen G, Harhaus L, Kneser U, Pomahac B, Orgill DP, Panayi AC. Regulatory T cells in skin regeneration and wound healing. Mil Med Res 2023; 10:49. [PMID: 37867188 PMCID: PMC10591349 DOI: 10.1186/s40779-023-00484-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
As the body's integumentary system, the skin is vulnerable to injuries. The subsequent wound healing processes aim to restore dermal and epidermal integrity and functionality. To this end, multiple tissue-resident cells and recruited immune cells cooperate to efficiently repair the injured tissue. Such temporally- and spatially-coordinated interplay necessitates tight regulation to prevent collateral damage such as overshooting immune responses and excessive inflammation. In this context, regulatory T cells (Tregs) hold a key role in balancing immune homeostasis and mediating cutaneous wound healing. A comprehensive understanding of Tregs' multifaceted field of activity may help decipher wound pathologies and, ultimately, establish new treatment modalities. Herein, we review the role of Tregs in orchestrating the regeneration of skin adnexa and catalyzing healthy wound repair. Further, we discuss how Tregs operate during fibrosis, keloidosis, and scarring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Knoedler
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yale New Haven Hospital, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Institute of Regenerative Biology and Medicine, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, 85764, Germany
| | - Leonard Knoedler
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yale New Haven Hospital, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Martin Kauke-Navarro
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yale New Haven Hospital, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Yuval Rinkevich
- Institute of Regenerative Biology and Medicine, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, 85764, Germany
| | - Gabriel Hundeshagen
- Department of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Microsurgery, Burn Trauma Center, BG Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, University of Heidelberg, Ludwigshafen, 67071, Germany
| | - Leila Harhaus
- Department of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Microsurgery, Burn Trauma Center, BG Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, University of Heidelberg, Ludwigshafen, 67071, Germany
| | - Ulrich Kneser
- Department of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Microsurgery, Burn Trauma Center, BG Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, University of Heidelberg, Ludwigshafen, 67071, Germany
| | - Bohdan Pomahac
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yale New Haven Hospital, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Dennis P Orgill
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Adriana C Panayi
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Microsurgery, Burn Trauma Center, BG Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, University of Heidelberg, Ludwigshafen, 67071, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Alfar R, Napoleon JV, Shahriar I, Finnell R, Walchle C, Johnson A, Low PS. Selective reprogramming of regulatory T cells in solid tumors can strongly enhance or inhibit tumor growth. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1274199. [PMID: 37928524 PMCID: PMC10623129 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1274199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Folate receptor delta (FRδ) has been used as a biomarker for regulatory T cells (Tregs), because its expression is limited to Tregs and ovum. Although FRδ is unable to bind folate, we have used molecular docking software to identify a folate congener that binds FRδ with high affinity and have exploited this FRδ-specific ligand to target attached drugs (imaging agents, immune activators, and immune suppressors) specifically to Tregs in murine tumor xenografts. Analysis of treated tumors demonstrates that targeting of a Toll-like receptor 7 agonist inhibits Treg expression of FOXP3, PD-1, CTLA4, and HELIOS, resulting in 40-80% reduction in tumor growth and repolarization of other tumor-infiltrating immune cells to more inflammatory phenotypes. Targeting of the immunosuppressive drug dexamethasone, in contrast, promotes enhanced tumor growth and shifts the tumor-infiltrating immune cells to more anti-inflammatory phenotypes. Since Tregs comprise <1% of cells in the tumor masses examined, and since the targeted drugs are not internalized by cancer cells, these data demonstrate that Tregs exert a disproportionately large effect on tumor growth. Because the targeted drug did not bind to Tregs or other immune cells in healthy tissues, the data demonstrate that the immunosuppressive properties of Tregs in tumors can be manipulated without causing systemic toxicities associated with global reprogramming of the immune system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rami Alfar
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - John V. Napoleon
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Imrul Shahriar
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Richard Finnell
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Molecular and Human Genetics and Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Cole Walchle
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Austin Johnson
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Philip S. Low
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Yang J, Bae H. Drug conjugates for targeting regulatory T cells in the tumor microenvironment: guided missiles for cancer treatment. Exp Mol Med 2023; 55:1996-2004. [PMID: 37653036 PMCID: PMC10545761 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-023-01080-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Within the tumor microenvironment (TME), regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a key role in suppressing anticancer immune responses; therefore, various strategies targeting Tregs are becoming important for tumor therapy. To prevent the side effects of nonspecific Treg depletion, such as immunotherapy-related adverse events (irAEs), therapeutic strategies that specifically target Tregs in the TME are being investigated. Tumor-targeting drug conjugates are efficient drugs in which a cytotoxic payload is assembled into a carrier that binds Tregs via a linker. By allowing the drug to act selectively on target cells, this approach has the advantage of increasing the therapeutic effect and minimizing the side effects of immunotherapy. Antibody-drug conjugates, immunotoxins, peptide-drug conjugates, and small interfering RNA conjugates are being developed as Treg-targeting drug conjugates. In this review, we discuss key themes and recent advances in drug conjugates targeting Tregs in the TME, as well as future design strategies for successful use of drug conjugates for Treg targeting in immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juwon Yang
- Department of Korean Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunsu Bae
- Department of Korean Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Zhao S, Wu S, Jiang S, Zhao G, Wang B. Developing Effective Cancer Vaccines Using Rendered-Inactive Tumor Cells. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1330. [PMID: 37631898 PMCID: PMC10458160 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11081330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a major public health threat, and researchers are constantly looking for new ways to develop effective treatments. One approach is the use of cancer vaccines, which work by boosting the body's immune system to fight cancer. The goal of this study was to develop an effective cancer vaccine using rendered-inactive tumor cells. A CMS5 fibrosarcoma tumor model in BALB/c mice and an E.G7 lymphoma tumor model in C57BL/6 mice were used to evaluate how mitomycin C-inactivated tumor cells mediated tumor protection. The results showed that immunization with inactivated CMS5 cells significantly improved tumor suppression after a challenge with live CMS5 tumor cells, but no effect was observed using the E.G7 tumor model. The results suggested that DC (dendritic cell) responses to tumor antigens are critical. The maturation and activation of DCs were effectively promoted by mitomycin C-treated CMS5 cells, as well as enhanced phagocytosis ability in vitro. The tumor-protective effects established by the vaccination of inactivated CMS5 cells were CD8+ T cell-dependent, as the antitumor responses disappeared after eliminating CD8+ T cells. It was found that the tumor-prevention efficacy was dramatically increased by combining inactivated CM55 tumor cells with anti-CD25 antibodies to temporarily deplete Treg cells (regulatory T cells). This strategy could also significantly induce the rejection against E.G7 tumors. In addition, vaccination with anti-CD25 antibodies plus inactivated CMS5 cells elicited antitumor responses against heterologous tumors. According to the findings of this study, combining the immunization of inactivated tumor cells with an anti-CD25 antibody may be an effective method for cancer prevention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shushu Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (S.Z.); (S.W.); (S.J.); (G.Z.)
| | - Shuting Wu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (S.Z.); (S.W.); (S.J.); (G.Z.)
| | - Sheng Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (S.Z.); (S.W.); (S.J.); (G.Z.)
| | - Gan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (S.Z.); (S.W.); (S.J.); (G.Z.)
| | - Bin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (S.Z.); (S.W.); (S.J.); (G.Z.)
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Zhang L, Dou X, Zheng Z, Ye C, Lu TX, Liang HL, Wang L, Weichselbaum RR, He C. YTHDF2/m 6 A/NF-κB axis controls anti-tumor immunity by regulating intratumoral Tregs. EMBO J 2023; 42:e113126. [PMID: 37345898 PMCID: PMC10390869 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022113126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
N6 -methyladenosine (m6 A) in messenger RNA (mRNA) regulates immune cells in homeostasis and in response to infection and inflammation. The function of the m6 A reader YTHDF2 in the tumor microenvironment (TME) in these contexts has not been explored. We discovered that the loss of YTHDF2 in regulatory T (Treg) cells reduces tumor growth in mice. Deletion of Ythdf2 in Tregs does not affect peripheral immune homeostasis but leads to increased apoptosis and impaired suppressive function of Treg cells in the TME. Elevated tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling in the TME promotes YTHDF2 expression, which in turn regulates NF-κB signaling by accelerating the degradation of m6 A-modified transcripts that encode NF-κB-negative regulators. This TME-specific regulation of Treg by YTHDF2 points to YTHDF2 as a potential target for anti-cancer immunotherapy, where intratumoral Treg cells can be targeted to enhance anti-tumor immune response while avoiding Treg cells in the periphery to minimize undesired inflammations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linda Zhang
- Department of ChemistryThe University of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Institute for Biophysical DynamicsThe University of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteUniversity of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
| | - Xiaoyang Dou
- Department of ChemistryThe University of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Institute for Biophysical DynamicsThe University of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteUniversity of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
| | - Zhong Zheng
- Department of ChemistryThe University of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Institute for Biophysical DynamicsThe University of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteUniversity of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
| | - Chang Ye
- Department of ChemistryThe University of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Institute for Biophysical DynamicsThe University of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteUniversity of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
| | - Thomas X Lu
- Department of ChemistryThe University of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Institute for Biophysical DynamicsThe University of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Present address:
Southern Indiana PhysiciansIndiana University HealthBloomingtonINUSA
| | - Hua L Liang
- Department of Radiation and Cellular OncologyUniversity of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Ludwig Center for Metastasis ResearchUniversity of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
| | - Liangliang Wang
- Department of Radiation and Cellular OncologyUniversity of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Ludwig Center for Metastasis ResearchUniversity of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
| | - Ralph R Weichselbaum
- Department of Radiation and Cellular OncologyUniversity of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Ludwig Center for Metastasis ResearchUniversity of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
| | - Chuan He
- Department of ChemistryThe University of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Institute for Biophysical DynamicsThe University of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteUniversity of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Lee EY, Dai Z, Jaiswal A, Wang EHC, Anandasabapathy N, Christiano AM. Functional interrogation of lymphocyte subsets in alopecia areata using single-cell RNA sequencing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2305764120. [PMID: 37428932 PMCID: PMC10629527 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2305764120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Alopecia areata (AA) is among the most prevalent autoimmune diseases, but the development of innovative therapeutic strategies has lagged due to an incomplete understanding of the immunological underpinnings of disease. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) of skin-infiltrating immune cells from the graft-induced C3H/HeJ mouse model of AA, coupled with antibody-based depletion to interrogate the functional role of specific cell types in AA in vivo. Since AA is predominantly T cell-mediated, we focused on dissecting lymphocyte function in AA. Both our scRNAseq and functional studies established CD8+ T cells as the primary disease-driving cell type in AA. Only the depletion of CD8+ T cells, but not CD4+ T cells, NK, B, or γδ T cells, was sufficient to prevent and reverse AA. Selective depletion of regulatory T cells (Treg) showed that Treg are protective against AA in C3H/HeJ mice, suggesting that failure of Treg-mediated immunosuppression is not a major disease mechanism in AA. Focused analyses of CD8+ T cells revealed five subsets, whose heterogeneity is defined by an "effectorness gradient" of interrelated transcriptional states that culminate in increased effector function and tissue residency. scRNAseq of human AA skin showed that CD8+ T cells in human AA follow a similar trajectory, underscoring that shared mechanisms drive disease in both murine and human AA. Our study represents a comprehensive, systematic interrogation of lymphocyte heterogeneity in AA and uncovers a novel framework for AA-associated CD8+ T cells with implications for the design of future therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eunice Y. Lee
- Department of Dermatology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY10032
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Columbia University, New York, NY10032
| | - Zhenpeng Dai
- Department of Dermatology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY10032
| | - Abhinav Jaiswal
- Department of Dermatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065
| | - Eddy Hsi Chun Wang
- Department of Dermatology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY10032
| | - Niroshana Anandasabapathy
- Department of Dermatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065
| | - Angela M. Christiano
- Department of Dermatology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY10032
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY10032
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Savino W, Lepletier A. Thymus-derived hormonal and cellular control of cancer. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1168186. [PMID: 37529610 PMCID: PMC10389273 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1168186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The thymus gland is a central lymphoid organ in which developing T cell precursors, known as thymocytes, undergo differentiation into distinct type of mature T cells, ultimately migrating to the periphery where they exert specialized effector functions and orchestrate the immune responses against tumor cells, pathogens and self-antigens. The mechanisms supporting intrathymic T cell differentiation are pleiotropically regulated by thymic peptide hormones and cytokines produced by stromal cells in the thymic microenvironment and developing thymocytes. Interestingly, in the same way as T cells, thymic hormones (herein exemplified by thymosin, thymulin and thymopoietin), can circulate to impact immune cells and other cellular components in the periphery. Evidence on how thymic function influences tumor cell biology and response of patients with cancer to therapies remains unsatisfactory, although there has been some improvement in the knowledge provided by recent studies. Herein, we summarize research progression in the field of thymus-mediated immunoendocrine control of cancer, providing insights into how manipulation of the thymic microenvironment can influence treatment outcomes, including clinical responses and adverse effects of therapies. We review data obtained from clinical and preclinical cancer research to evidence the complexity of immunoendocrine interactions underpinning anti-tumor immunity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wilson Savino
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro Research Network on Neuroinflammation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- INOVA-IOC Network on Neuroimmunomodulation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ailin Lepletier
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Glasner A, Rose SA, Sharma R, Gudjonson H, Chu T, Green JA, Rampersaud S, Valdez IK, Andretta ES, Dhillon BS, Schizas M, Dikiy S, Mendoza A, Hu W, Wang ZM, Chaudhary O, Xu T, Mazutis L, Rizzuto G, Quintanal-Villalonga A, Manoj P, de Stanchina E, Rudin CM, Pe'er D, Rudensky AY. Conserved transcriptional connectivity of regulatory T cells in the tumor microenvironment informs new combination cancer therapy strategies. Nat Immunol 2023; 24:1020-1035. [PMID: 37127830 PMCID: PMC10232368 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-023-01504-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
While regulatory T (Treg) cells are traditionally viewed as professional suppressors of antigen presenting cells and effector T cells in both autoimmunity and cancer, recent findings of distinct Treg cell functions in tissue maintenance suggest that their regulatory purview extends to a wider range of cells and is broader than previously assumed. To elucidate tumoral Treg cell 'connectivity' to diverse tumor-supporting accessory cell types, we explored immediate early changes in their single-cell transcriptomes upon punctual Treg cell depletion in experimental lung cancer and injury-induced inflammation. Before any notable T cell activation and inflammation, fibroblasts, endothelial and myeloid cells exhibited pronounced changes in their gene expression in both cancer and injury settings. Factor analysis revealed shared Treg cell-dependent gene programs, foremost, prominent upregulation of VEGF and CCR2 signaling-related genes upon Treg cell deprivation in either setting, as well as in Treg cell-poor versus Treg cell-rich human lung adenocarcinomas. Accordingly, punctual Treg cell depletion combined with short-term VEGF blockade showed markedly improved control of PD-1 blockade-resistant lung adenocarcinoma progression in mice compared to the corresponding monotherapies, highlighting a promising factor-based querying approach to elucidating new rational combination treatments of solid organ cancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ariella Glasner
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Samuel A Rose
- Program for Computational and Systems Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Roshan Sharma
- Program for Computational and Systems Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Herman Gudjonson
- Program for Computational and Systems Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tinyi Chu
- Program for Computational and Systems Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jesse A Green
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sham Rampersaud
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Izabella K Valdez
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emma S Andretta
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bahawar S Dhillon
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michail Schizas
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stanislav Dikiy
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alejandra Mendoza
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Wei Hu
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zhong-Min Wang
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ojasvi Chaudhary
- Program for Computational and Systems Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tianhao Xu
- Program for Computational and Systems Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Linas Mazutis
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Centre, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Gabrielle Rizzuto
- Human Oncology & Pathogenesis Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Parvathy Manoj
- Department of Medicine, Thoracic Oncology Service, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elisa de Stanchina
- Antitumor Assessment Core Facility, New York, NY, USA
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Charles M Rudin
- Department of Medicine, Thoracic Oncology Service, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dana Pe'er
- Program for Computational and Systems Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Alexander Y Rudensky
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Thomas JA, Gireesh Moly AG, Xavier H, Suboj P, Ladha A, Gupta G, Singh SK, Palit P, Babykutty S. Enhancement of immune surveillance in breast cancer by targeting hypoxic tumor endothelium: Can it be an immunological switch point? Front Oncol 2023; 13:1063051. [PMID: 37056346 PMCID: PMC10088512 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1063051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer ranks second among the causes of cancer-related deaths in women. In spite of the recent advances achieved in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, further study is required to overcome the risk of cancer resistance to treatment and thereby improve the prognosis of individuals with advanced-stage breast cancer. The existence of a hypoxic microenvironment is a well-known event in the development of mutagenesis and rapid proliferation of cancer cells. Tumor cells, purposefully cause local hypoxia in order to induce angiogenesis and growth factors that promote tumor growth and metastatic characteristics, while healthy tissue surrounding the tumor suffers damage or mutate. It has been found that these settings with low oxygen levels cause immunosuppression and a lack of immune surveillance by reducing the activation and recruitment of tumor infiltrating leukocytes (TILs). The immune system is further suppressed by hypoxic tumor endothelium through a variety of ways, which creates an immunosuppressive milieu in the tumor microenvironment. Non responsiveness of tumor endothelium to inflammatory signals or endothelial anergy exclude effector T cells from the tumor milieu. Expression of endothelial specific antigens and immunoinhibitory molecules like Programmed death ligand 1,2 (PDL-1, 2) and T cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing-3 (TIM-3) by tumor endothelium adds fuel to the fire by inhibiting T lymphocytes while promoting regulatory T cells. The hypoxic microenvironment in turn recruits Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells (MDSCs), Tumor Associated Macrophages (TAMs) and T regulatory cells (Treg). The structure and function of newly generated blood vessels within tumors, on the other hand, are aberrant, lacking the specific organization of normal tissue vasculature. Vascular normalisation may work for a variety of tumour types and show to be an advantageous complement to immunotherapy for improving tumour access. By enhancing immune response in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment, via immune-herbal therapeutic and immune-nutraceuticals based approaches that leverage immunological evasion of tumor, will be briefly reviewed in this article. Whether these tactics may be the game changer for emerging immunological switch point to attenuate the breast cancer growth and prevent metastatic cell division, is the key concern of the current study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juvin Ann Thomas
- Centre for Tumor Immunology and Microenvironment, Department of Zoology, Mar Ivanios College, Nalanchira, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Athira Gireesh Gireesh Moly
- Centre for Tumor Immunology and Microenvironment, Department of Zoology, Mar Ivanios College, Nalanchira, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Hima Xavier
- Centre for Tumor Immunology and Microenvironment, Department of Zoology, Mar Ivanios College, Nalanchira, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Priya Suboj
- Department of Botany and Biotechnology, St. Xaviers College, Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Amit Ladha
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West-Midlands, United Kingdom
| | - Gaurav Gupta
- Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Santosh Kumar Singh
- Centre of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Partha Palit
- Drug Discovery Research Laboratory, Assam University, Silchar, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Assam, India
| | - Suboj Babykutty
- Centre for Tumor Immunology and Microenvironment, Department of Zoology, Mar Ivanios College, Nalanchira, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Tian H, Cao J, Li B, Nice EC, Mao H, Zhang Y, Huang C. Managing the immune microenvironment of osteosarcoma: the outlook for osteosarcoma treatment. Bone Res 2023; 11:11. [PMID: 36849442 PMCID: PMC9971189 DOI: 10.1038/s41413-023-00246-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Osteosarcoma, with poor survival after metastasis, is considered the most common primary bone cancer in adolescents. Notwithstanding the efforts of researchers, its five-year survival rate has only shown limited improvement, suggesting that existing therapeutic strategies are insufficient to meet clinical needs. Notably, immunotherapy has shown certain advantages over traditional tumor treatments in inhibiting metastasis. Therefore, managing the immune microenvironment in osteosarcoma can provide novel and valuable insight into the multifaceted mechanisms underlying the heterogeneity and progression of the disease. Additionally, given the advances in nanomedicine, there exist many advanced nanoplatforms for enhanced osteosarcoma immunotherapy with satisfactory physiochemical characteristics. Here, we review the classification, characteristics, and functions of the key components of the immune microenvironment in osteosarcoma. This review also emphasizes the application, progress, and prospects of osteosarcoma immunotherapy and discusses several nanomedicine-based options to enhance the efficiency of osteosarcoma treatment. Furthermore, we examine the disadvantages of standard treatments and present future perspectives for osteosarcoma immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hailong Tian
- grid.13291.380000 0001 0807 1581State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Jiangjun Cao
- grid.13291.380000 0001 0807 1581State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Bowen Li
- grid.13291.380000 0001 0807 1581State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Edouard C. Nice
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Haijiao Mao
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315020, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
| | - Canhua Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Batista-Duharte A, Téllez-Martínez D, Portuondo DL, Carlos IZ. Selective depletion of regulatory T cells enhances the immunogenicity of a recombinant-based vaccine against Sporothrix spp. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 12:1084526. [PMID: 36846549 PMCID: PMC9951613 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1084526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been shown to limit the protective immune response against pathogenic species of the fungus Sporothrix spp, the causal agent of sporotrichosis. However, the specific function of Tregs during vaccination against these fungi is known. Methods We evaluated the effect of Tregs depletion on the immunogenicity of an experimental recombinant anti-Sporothrix vaccine, using the DEREG mice. In this model, only Foxp3(+) Tregs express eGFP and diphtheria toxin (DT) receptors, and transient Tregs depletion is achieved by DT administration. Results Tregs depletion enhanced the frequency of specific IFNγ+ T cells (Th1 lymphocytes) and cytokine production after either the first or second vaccine dose. However, depletion of Tregs during the second dose caused greater stimulation of specific Th1 lymphocytes than depletion during the first dose. Similarly, the highest production of IgG, IgG1, and IgG2a anti rSsEno antibody was detected after Tregs depletion during boost immunization compared to the other immunized groups. Importantly, vaccine immunogenicity improvement after Tregs depletion also had an impact on the more efficient reduction of fungal load in the skin and liver after the challenge with S. brasiliensis in an experimental infection model. Interestingly, the reduction in fungal load was greatest in the Tregs depleted group during boosting. Discussion Our results illustrate that Tregs restrict vaccine-induced immune response and their transient depletion could enhance anti-Sporothrix vaccine immunogenicity. Further studies are required to elucidate whether Tregs depletion may be a way to improve the efficacy of vaccination against Sporothrix spp.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Iracilda Zeppone Carlos
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Takaku S, Shimizu M, Morita R. CD8 + T Cell-Mediated Therapeutic Antitumor Effect of an Herbal Mixture Containing Ganoderma lucidum. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE : ECAM 2023; 2023:9630816. [PMID: 37152373 PMCID: PMC10162866 DOI: 10.1155/2023/9630816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Although Kampo-a traditional Japanese herbal medicine-contributes in the control of tumor growth in vivo in experimental animals, most of the antitumor effects are prophylactic and not therapeutic. In this study, we determined whether oral administration of an herbal mixture containing Ganoderma lucidum (WTMCGEP; Wisteria floribunda, Trapae fructus, Myristica fragrans, Coicis semen, Ganoderma lucidum, Elfvingia applanata, and Punica granatum), anecdotally used in Japan for the palliative care of patients with cancer, exhibits a therapeutic effect on tumor growth in vivo in a hypodermic murine CT26 colorectal tumor model. An in vitro tumor assay revealed that WTMCGEP extract has some direct influence over suppression of tumor growth. In wild-type BALB/c mice, WTMCGEP did not show any antitumor effect in vivo. However, in BALB-CD1d-/- mice with partly mitigated immunosuppression by reason of them being devoid of both antitumoral type I and immunosuppressive type II natural killer T (NKT) cells, WTMCGEP therapeutically suppressed tumor growth. CD8+ T cell depletion significantly accelerated tumor growth in WTMCGEP mice; therefore, its antitumor activity was primarily in a CD8+ T cell-dependent manner. Regarding immunosuppressive cells in tumor-bearing CD1d-/- mice, WTMCGEP did not influence the abundance of tumor-infiltrating CD4+ and Forkhead box protein 3+ regulatory T cells. However, it reduced both intratumoral and splenic Ly6G+ Ly6Clo polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells, which were most likely involved in tumor growth inhibition related to higher frequency of intratumoral CD107a+ CD8+ T cells in these mice. Overall, these data illustrate that the deficiency of NKT cells urges WTMCGEP to exert a therapeutic antitumor effect mainly through CD8+ T cells. Our efforts are the first to scientifically demonstrate the WTMCGEP's contribution to tumor immunity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shun Takaku
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan
- Center for Medical Education, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan
| | - Masumi Shimizu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan
| | - Rimpei Morita
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Qiu Y, Qi Z, Wang Z, Cao Y, Lu L, Zhang H, Mathes D, Pomfret EA, Lu SL, Wang Z. EGF‑IL2 bispecific and bivalent EGF fusion toxin efficacy against syngeneic head and neck cancer mouse models. Oncol Rep 2022; 49:37. [PMID: 36579667 PMCID: PMC9827275 DOI: 10.3892/or.2022.8474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) remains one of the best molecules for developing targeted therapy for multiple human malignancies, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Small molecule inhibitors or antibodies targeting EGFR have been extensively developed in recent decades. Immunotoxin (IT)‑based therapy, which combines cell surface binding ligands or antibodies with a peptide toxin, represents another cancer treatment option. A total of 3 diphtheria toxin (DT)‑based fusion toxins that target human EGFR‑monovalent EGFR IT (mono‑EGF‑IT), bivalent EGFR IT (bi‑EGF‑IT), and a bispecific IT targeting both EGFR and interleukin‑2 receptor (bis‑EGF/IL2‑IT) were recently generated by the authors. Improved efficacy and reduced toxicity of bi‑EGF‑IT compared with mono‑EGF‑IT in immunocompromised HNSCC mouse models was reported. In the present study, bis‑EGF/IL2‑IT were generated using a unique DT‑resistant yeast expression system and evaluated the in vitro and in vivo efficacy and toxicity of the 3 EGF‑ITs in immunocompetent mice. The results demonstrated that while the three EGF‑ITs had different efficacies in vitro and in vivo against HNSCC, bi‑EGF‑IT and bis‑EGF/IL2‑IT had significantly improved in vivo efficacy and remarkably less off‑target toxicity compared with mono‑EGF‑IT. In addition, bis‑EGF/IL2‑IT was superior to bi‑EGF‑IT in reducing tumor size and prolonging survival in the metastatic model. These data suggested that targeting either the tumor immune microenvironment or enhancing the binding affinity could improve the efficacy of IT‑based therapy. Bi‑EGF‑IT and bis‑EGF/IL2‑IT represent improved candidates for IT‑based therapy for future clinical development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yue Qiu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA,Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, P.R. China
| | - Zeng Qi
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA,Division of Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Zhaohui Wang
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA,Division of Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Yu Cao
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA,Department of Breast Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China
| | - Ling Lu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Huiping Zhang
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA,Division of Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - David Mathes
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Pomfret
- Division of Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Shi-Long Lu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA,Dr Shi-Long Lu, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E 19th Avenue Aurora, CO 80045, USA, E-mail:
| | - Zhirui Wang
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA,Division of Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA,Correspondence to: Dr Zhirui Wang, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA, E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Direct AKT activation in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes markedly increases interferon-γ (IFN-γ) for the regression of tumors resistant to PD-1 checkpoint blockade. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18509. [PMID: 36323740 PMCID: PMC9630443 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23016-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade against inhibitory receptors such as receptor programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), has revolutionized cancer treatment. Effective immune reactivity against tumour antigens requires the infiltration and activation of tumour-infiltrating T-cells (TILs). In this context, ligation of the antigen-receptor complex (TCR) in combination with the co-receptor CD28 activates the intracellular mediator AKT (or PKB, protein kinase B) and its downstream targets. PD-1 inhibits the activation of AKT/PKB. Given this, we assessed whether the direct activation of AKT might be effective in activating the immune system to limit the growth of tumors that are resistant to PD-1 checkpoint blockade. We found that the small molecule activator of AKT (SC79) limited growth of a B16 tumor and an EMT-6 syngeneic breast tumor model that are poorly responsive to PD-1 immunotherapy. In the case of B16 tumors, direct AKT activation induced (i) a reduction of suppressor regulatory (Treg) TILs and (ii) an increase in effector CD8+ TILs. SC79 in vivo therapy caused a major increase in the numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ TILs to express interferon-γ (IFN-γ). This effect on IFN-γ expression distinguished responsive from non-responsive anti-tumor responses and could be recapitulated ex vivo with human T-cells. In CD4+FoxP3+Treg TILs, AKT induced IFN-γ expression was accompanied by a loss of suppressor activity, the conversation to CD4+ helper Th1-like TILs and a marked reduction in phospho-SHP2. In CD8+ TILs, we observed an increase in the phospho-activation of PLC-γ. Further, the genetic deletion of the transcription factor T-bet (Tbx21) blocked the increased IFN-γ expression on all subsets while ablating the therapeutic benefits of SC79 on tumor growth. Our study shows that AKT activation therapy acts to induce IFN-γ on CD4 and CD8 TILs that is accompanied by the intra-tumoral conversation of suppressive Tregs into CD4+Th1-like T-cells and augmented CD8 responses.
Collapse
|
26
|
Tang WW, Bauer KM, Barba C, Ekiz HA, O’Connell RM. miR-aculous new avenues for cancer immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:929677. [PMID: 36248881 PMCID: PMC9554277 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.929677] [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: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The rising toll of cancer globally necessitates ingenuity in early detection and therapy. In the last decade, the utilization of immune signatures and immune-based therapies has made significant progress in the clinic; however, clinical standards leave many current and future patients without options. Non-coding RNAs, specifically microRNAs, have been explored in pre-clinical contexts with tremendous success. MicroRNAs play indispensable roles in programming the interactions between immune and cancer cells, many of which are current or potential immunotherapy targets. MicroRNAs mechanistically control a network of target genes that can alter immune and cancer cell biology. These insights provide us with opportunities and tools that may complement and improve immunotherapies. In this review, we discuss immune and cancer cell-derived miRNAs that regulate cancer immunity and examine miRNAs as an integral part of cancer diagnosis, classification, and therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William W. Tang
- Divison of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Hunstman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Kaylyn M. Bauer
- Divison of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Hunstman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Cindy Barba
- Divison of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Hunstman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Huseyin Atakan Ekiz
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Ryan M. O’Connell
- Divison of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Hunstman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Mixed lineage kinase 3 and CD70 cooperation sensitize trastuzumab-resistant HER2 + breast cancer by ceramide-loaded nanoparticles. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2205454119. [PMID: 36095190 PMCID: PMC9499572 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2205454119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Trastuzumab is the first-line therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer, but often patients develop acquired resistance. Although other agents are in clinical use to treat trastuzumab-resistant (TR) breast cancer; still, the patients develop recurrent metastatic disease. One of the primary mechanisms of acquired resistance is the shedding/loss of the HER2 extracellular domain, where trastuzumab binds. We envisioned any new agent acting downstream of the HER2 should overcome trastuzumab resistance. The mixed lineage kinase 3 (MLK3) activation by trastuzumab is necessary for promoting cell death in HER2+ breast cancer. We designed nanoparticles loaded with MLK3 agonist ceramide (PPP-CNP) and tested their efficacy in sensitizing TR cell lines, patient-derived organoids, and patient-derived xenograft (PDX). The PPP-CNP activated MLK3, its downstream JNK kinase activity, and down-regulated AKT pathway signaling in TR cell lines and PDX. The activation of MLK3 and down-regulation of AKT signaling by PPP-CNP induced cell death and inhibited cellular proliferation in TR cells and PDX. The apoptosis in TR cells was dependent on increased CD70 protein expression and caspase-9 and caspase-3 activities by PPP-CNP. The PPP-CNP treatment alike increased the expression of CD70, CD27, cleaved caspase-9, and caspase-3 with a concurrent tumor burden reduction of TR PDX. Moreover, the expressions of CD70 and ceramide levels were lower in TR than sensitive HER2+ human breast tumors. Our in vitro and preclinical animal models suggest that activating the MLK3-CD70 axis by the PPP-CNP could sensitize/overcome trastuzumab resistance in HER2+ breast cancer.
Collapse
|
28
|
Japanese Kampo Medicine Juzentaihoto Improves Antiviral Cellular Immunity in Tumour-Bearing Hosts. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2022; 2022:6122955. [PMID: 35996405 PMCID: PMC9392631 DOI: 10.1155/2022/6122955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Global and antigen-independent immunosuppression by growing tumours can cause life-threating damage when concurrent with an infection in tumour-bearing hosts. In the present study, we investigated whether the oral administration of the Japanese traditional herbal (Kampo) medicine, juzentaihoto (JTT), plays a role in the improvement of antiviral cellular immunity in tumour-bearing hosts. Female BALB/c mice subcutaneously injected with murine colorectal cancer CT26 cells fed a control or JTT diet were inoculated with recombinant vaccinia virus expressing human immunodeficiency virus-1 glycoprotein 160 (vSC25). At 7 days postinfection, anti-vSC25 cellular immunity was evaluated by measuring the abundance of splenic virus-specific CD8+ T cells. JTT had no impact on CT26 tumour growth in vivo. Surprisingly, JTT augmented anti-vSC25 cellular immunity in CT26-bearing mice. Depletion of either CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells or myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) also enhanced anti-vSC25 cellular immunity in tumour-bearing mice but had no therapeutic benefit against tumour growth. However, JTT had no impact on the abundance of these immunosuppressive cells. Overall, our data indicates that JTT contributes to the improvement of anti-vSC25 cellular immunity in tumour-bearing hosts possibly via a mechanism independent of CD25+ Treg cells and MDSCs, suggesting that this Kampo medicine can act as a promising antiviral adjuvant in an immunosuppressive state caused by tumours.
Collapse
|
29
|
Agborbesong E, Li LX, Li L, Li X. Molecular Mechanisms of Epigenetic Regulation, Inflammation, and Cell Death in ADPKD. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:922428. [PMID: 35847973 PMCID: PMC9277309 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.922428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a genetic disorder, which is caused by mutations in the PKD1 and PKD2 genes, characterizing by progressive growth of multiple cysts in the kidneys, eventually leading to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and requiring renal replacement therapy. In addition, studies indicate that disease progression is as a result of a combination of factors. Understanding the molecular mechanisms, therefore, should facilitate the development of precise therapeutic strategies for ADPKD treatment. The roles of epigenetic modulation, interstitial inflammation, and regulated cell death have recently become the focuses in ADPKD. Different epigenetic regulators, and the presence of inflammatory markers detectable even before cyst growth, have been linked to cyst progression. Moreover, the infiltration of inflammatory cells, such as macrophages and T cells, have been associated with cyst growth and deteriorating renal function in humans and PKD animal models. There is evidence supporting a direct role of the PKD gene mutations to the regulation of epigenetic mechanisms and inflammatory response in ADPKD. In addition, the role of regulated cell death, including apoptosis, autophagy and ferroptosis, have been investigated in ADPKD. However, there is no consensus whether cell death promotes or delays cyst growth in ADPKD. It is therefore necessary to develop an interactive picture between PKD gene mutations, the epigenome, inflammation, and cell death to understand why inherited PKD gene mutations in patients may result in the dysregulation of these processes that increase the progression of renal cyst formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ewud Agborbesong
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Linda Xiaoyan Li
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Lu Li
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Xiaogang Li
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Pang Z, Gu MD, Tang T. Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Cancer Therapy: Current Knowledge, Challenges and Future Perspectives. Front Oncol 2022; 12:891187. [PMID: 35574361 PMCID: PMC9095937 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.891187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance, undesirable toxicity and lack of selectivity are the major challenges of conventional cancer therapies, which cause poor clinical outcomes and high mortality in many cancer patients. Development of alternative cancer therapeutics are highly required for the patients who are resistant to the conventional cancer therapies, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The success of a new cancer therapy depends on its high specificity to cancer cells and low toxicity to normal cells. Utilization of bacteria has emerged as a promising strategy for cancer treatment. Attenuated or genetically modified bacteria were used to inhibit tumor growth, modulate host immunity, or deliver anti-tumor agents. The bacteria-derived immunotoxins were capable of destructing tumors with high specificity. These bacteria-based strategies for cancer treatment have shown potent anti-tumor effects both in vivo and in vitro, and some of them have proceeded to clinical trials. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen, is one of the common bacteria used in development of bacteria-based cancer therapy, particularly known for the Pseudomonas exotoxin A-based immunotoxins, which have shown remarkable anti-tumor efficacy and specificity. This review concisely summarizes the current knowledge regarding the utilization of P. aeruginosa in cancer treatment, and discusses the challenges and future perspectives of the P. aeruginosa-based therapeutic strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Pang
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Meng-Di Gu
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Tong Tang
- School of Art & Design, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, China
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Guo R, Liu Y, Xu N, Ling G, Zhang P. Multifunctional nanomedicines for synergistic photodynamic immunotherapy based on tumor immune microenvironment. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2022; 173:103-120. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2022.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
|
32
|
Chen Y, Jia M, Wang S, Xu S, He N. Antagonistic Antibody Targeting TNFR2 Inhibits Regulatory T Cell Function to Promote Anti-Tumor Activity. Front Immunol 2022; 13:835690. [PMID: 35251028 PMCID: PMC8889907 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.835690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Infiltration of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the tumor microenvironment suppresses anti-tumor immune response, and promotes tumor progression. Tumor necrosis factor receptor-2 (TNFR2), which is highly expressed on Tregs, activates Tregs through nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. Moreover, TNFR2+ Tregs have been shown to be most suppressive among all Tregs populations in tumor. Due to the unique expression pattern and function of TNFR2 on Tregs, a TNFR2 blocking antibody is expected to compromise Tregs function, relieve Tregs-mediated immunosuppression, and hence to enhance anti-tumor immune response. AN3025 is an antagonistic anti-human TNFR2 (hTNFR2) antibody that is currently under preclinical development. This study investigates the immunomodulatory and anti-tumor activity of AN3025. AN3025 was generated through rabbit immunization with extracellular domain of human TNFR2 and subsequent humanization by complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) grafting. AN3025 binds to the extracellular domain of both human and cynomolgus with sub-nanomolar affinity and specificity, but not mouse or rat TNFR2. AN3025 inhibited tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) induced cell death of hTNFR2-overexpressing Jurkat cells by competing with TNFα for binding to hTNFR2. In the Tregs/T effector co-culture assay, AN3025 increased T effector proliferation and enhanced interferon gamma (IFNγ) production. As a monotherapy, AN3025 significantly inhibited MC38 tumor growth in TNFR2 humanized mouse model. Subsequent flow cytometry (FACS) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis revealed that administration of AN3025 led to decreased Tregs population, increased CD4+ and CD8+ T cell numbers in the tumor. The anti-tumor activity of AN3025 was dependent on the existence of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, as depletion of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells abolished the anti-tumor activity of AN3025. In addition, AN3025 in combination with anti-PD-1 antibody demonstrated stronger in-vivo anti-tumor activity. The potent anti-tumor efficacy of AN3025, either as a monotherapy or in combination with anti-PD-1 antibody, supports its further clinical development for the treatment of various human tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yonglin Chen
- Department of Biosciences, Adlai Nortye USA Inc., North Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Manxue Jia
- Department of Biosciences, Adlai Nortye USA Inc., North Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Sharon Wang
- Department of Biosciences, Adlai Nortye USA Inc., North Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Sherry Xu
- Department of Biosciences, Adlai Nortye USA Inc., North Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Nanhai He
- Department of Biosciences, Adlai Nortye USA Inc., North Brunswick, NJ, United States
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Mohsen MO, Speiser DE, Michaux J, Pak H, Stevenson BJ, Vogel M, Inchakalody VP, de Brot S, Dermime S, Coukos G, Bassani-Sternberg M, Bachmann MF. Bedside formulation of a personalized multi-neoantigen vaccine against mammary carcinoma. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2021-002927. [PMID: 35017147 PMCID: PMC8753436 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-002927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Harnessing the immune system to purposely recognize and destroy tumors represents a significant breakthrough in clinical oncology. Non-synonymous mutations (neoantigenic peptides) were identified as powerful cancer targets. This knowledge can be exploited for further improvements of active immunotherapies, including cancer vaccines, as T cells specific for neoantigens are not attenuated by immune tolerance mechanism and do not harm healthy tissues. The current study aimed at developing an optimized multitarget vaccine using short or long neoantigenic peptides utilizing virus-like particles (VLPs) as an efficient vaccine platform. Methods Mutations of murine mammary carcinoma cells were identified by integrating mass spectrometry-based immunopeptidomics and whole exome sequencing. Neoantigenic peptides were synthesized and covalently linked to virus-like nanoparticles using a Cu-free click chemistry method for easy preparation of vaccines against mouse mammary carcinoma. Results As compared with short peptides, vaccination with long peptides was superior in the generation of neoantigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, which readily produced interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor-necrosis factor α (TNF-α). The resulting anti-tumor effect was associated with favorable immune re-polarization in the tumor microenvironment through reduction of myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Vaccination with long neoantigenic peptides also decreased post-surgical tumor recurrence and metastases, and prolonged mouse survival, despite the tumor’s low mutational burden. Conclusion Integrating mass spectrometry-based immunopeptidomics and whole exome sequencing is an efficient approach for identifying neoantigenic peptides. Our multitarget VLP-based vaccine shows a promising anti-tumor effect in an aggressive murine mammary carcinoma model. Future clinical application using this strategy is readily feasible and practical, as click chemistry coupling of personalized synthetic peptides to the nanoparticles can be done at the bedside directly before injection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mona O Mohsen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar .,Department of BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Daniel E Speiser
- Department of Oncology UNIL CHUV, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Justine Michaux
- Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - HuiSong Pak
- Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Monique Vogel
- Department of BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Said Dermime
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Doha, Qatar
| | - Georges Coukos
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michal Bassani-Sternberg
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland .,University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martin F Bachmann
- Department of BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Bilotta MT, Antignani A, Fitzgerald DJ. Managing the TME to improve the efficacy of cancer therapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:954992. [PMID: 36341428 PMCID: PMC9630343 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.954992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) influences tumor growth, metastatic spread and response to treatment. Often immunosuppression, mediated by the TME, impairs a beneficial response. The complexity of the tumor composition challenges our abilities to design new and more effective therapies. Going forward we will need to 'manage' the content and or functionality of the TME to improve treatment outcomes. Currently, several different kinds of treatments are available to patients with cancer: there are the traditional approaches of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery; there are targeted agents that inhibit kinases associated with oncogenic pathways; there are monoclonal antibodies that target surface antigens often delivering toxic payloads or cells and finally there are antibodies and biologics that seek to overcome the immunosuppression caused by elements within the TME. How each of these therapies interact with the TME is currently under intense and widespread investigation. In this review we describe how the TME and its immunosuppressive components can influence both tumor progression and response to treatment focusing on three particular tumor types, classic Hodgkin Lymphoma (cHL), Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM). And, finally, we offer five approaches to manipulate or manage the TME to improve outcomes for cancer patients.
Collapse
|
35
|
Elsemary MT, Maritz MF, Smith LE, Warkiani M, Bandara V, Napoli S, Barry SC, Coombs JT, Thierry B. Inertial Microfluidic Purification of CAR-T-Cell Products. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2021; 6:e2101018. [PMID: 34881810 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202101018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy is rapidly becoming a frontline cancer therapy. However, the manufacturing process is time-, labor- and cost-intensive, and it suffers from significant bottlenecks. Many CAR-T products fail to reach the viability release criteria set by regulators for commercial cell therapy products. This results in non-recoupable costs for the manufacturer and is detrimental to patients who may not receive their scheduled treatment or receive out-of-specification suboptimal formulation. It is demonstrated here that inertial microfluidics can, within minutes, efficiently deplete nonviable cells from low-viability CAR-T cell products. The percentage of viable cells increases from 40% (SD ± 0.12) to 71% (SD ± 0.09) for untransduced T cells and from 51% (SD ± 0.12) to 71% (SD ± 0.09) for CAR-T cells, which meets the clinical trials' release parameters. In addition, the processing of CAR-T cells formulated in CryStor yields a 91% reduction in the amount of the cryoprotectant dimethyl sulfoxide. Inertial microfluidic processing has no detrimental effects on the proliferation and cytotoxicity of CAR-T cells. Interestingly, ≈50% of T-regulatory and T-suppressor cells are depleted, suggesting the potential for inertial microfluidic processing to tune the phenotypical composition of T-cell products.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mona T Elsemary
- Future Industries Institute, ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Cell Therapy Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre, University of South Australia Mawson Lakes Campus, Mawson Lakes, SA, 5095, Australia
| | - Michelle F Maritz
- Future Industries Institute, ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, University of South Australia Mawson Lakes Campus, Mawson Lakes, SA, 5095, Australia
| | - Louise E Smith
- Future Industries Institute, Cell Therapy Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre, University of South Australia Mawson Lakes Campus, Mawson Lakes, SA, 5095, Australia
| | - Majid Warkiani
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | | | - Silvana Napoli
- Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, SA, 5006, Australia
| | - Simon C Barry
- Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, SA, 5006, Australia
| | | | - Benjamin Thierry
- Future Industries Institute, ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, University of South Australia Mawson Lakes Campus, Mawson Lakes, SA, 5095, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Waibl Polania J, Lerner EC, Wilkinson DS, Hoyt-Miggelbrink A, Fecci PE. Pushing Past the Blockade: Advancements in T Cell-Based Cancer Immunotherapies. Front Immunol 2021; 12:777073. [PMID: 34868044 PMCID: PMC8636733 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.777073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful cancer immunotherapies rely on a replete and functional immune compartment. Within the immune compartment, T cells are often the effector arm of immune-based strategies due to their potent cytotoxic capabilities. However, many tumors have evolved a variety of mechanisms to evade T cell-mediated killing. Thus, while many T cell-based immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, have achieved considerable success in some solid cancers and hematological malignancies, these therapies often fail in solid tumors due to tumor-imposed T cell dysfunctions. These dysfunctional mechanisms broadly include reduced T cell access into and identification of tumors, as well as an overall immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment that elicits T cell exhaustion. Therefore, novel, rational approaches are necessary to overcome the barriers to T cell function elicited by solid tumors. In this review, we will provide an overview of conventional immunotherapeutic strategies and the various barriers to T cell anti-tumor function encountered in solid tumors that lead to resistance. We will also explore a sampling of emerging strategies specifically aimed to bypass these tumor-imposed boundaries to T cell-based immunotherapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Emily C Lerner
- Duke Medical School, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Daniel S Wilkinson
- Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke, Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | | | - Peter E Fecci
- Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke, Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Sanz L, Ibáñez-Pérez R, Guerrero-Ochoa P, Lacadena J, Anel A. Antibody-Based Immunotoxins for Colorectal Cancer Therapy. Biomedicines 2021; 9:1729. [PMID: 34829955 PMCID: PMC8615520 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9111729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are included among the treatment options for advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). However, while these mAbs effectively target cancer cells, they may have limited clinical activity. A strategy to improve their therapeutic potential is arming them with a toxic payload. Immunotoxins (ITX) combining the cell-killing ability of a toxin with the specificity of a mAb constitute a promising strategy for CRC therapy. However, several important challenges in optimizing ITX remain, including suboptimal pharmacokinetics and especially the immunogenicity of the toxin moiety. Nonetheless, ongoing research is working to solve these limitations and expand CRC patients' therapeutic armory. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of targets and toxins employed in the design of ITX for CRC and highlight a wide selection of ITX tested in CRC patients as well as preclinical candidates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Sanz
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, 28222 Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel Ibáñez-Pérez
- Apoptosis, Immunity and Cancer Group, Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS-Aragón), University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; (R.I.-P.); (P.G.-O.)
| | - Patricia Guerrero-Ochoa
- Apoptosis, Immunity and Cancer Group, Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS-Aragón), University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; (R.I.-P.); (P.G.-O.)
| | - Javier Lacadena
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Anel
- Apoptosis, Immunity and Cancer Group, Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS-Aragón), University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; (R.I.-P.); (P.G.-O.)
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Kos K, de Visser KE. The Multifaceted Role of Regulatory T Cells in Breast Cancer. ANNUAL REVIEW OF CANCER BIOLOGY-SERIES 2021; 5:291-310. [PMID: 34632244 PMCID: PMC7611782 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cancerbio-042920-104912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The microenvironment of breast cancer hosts a dynamic cross talk between diverse players of the immune system. While cytotoxic immune cells are equipped to control tumor growth and metastasis, tumor-corrupted immunosuppressive immune cells strive to impair effective immunity and promote tumor progression. Of these, regulatory T cells (Tregs), the gatekeepers of immune homeostasis, emerge as multifaceted players involved in breast cancer. Intriguingly, clinical observations suggest that blood and intratumoral Tregs can have strong prognostic value, dictated by breast cancer subtype. Accordingly, emerging preclinical evidence shows that Tregs occupy a central role in breast cancer initiation and progression and provide critical support to metastasis formation. Here, Tregs are not only important for immune escape but also promote tumor progression independent of their immune regulatory capacity. Combining insights into Treg biology with advances made across the rapidly growing field of immuno-oncology is expected to set the stage for the design of more effective immunotherapy strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Kos
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karin E de Visser
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Akeus P, Szeponik L, Langenes V, Karlsson V, Sundström P, Bexe-Lindskog E, Tallon C, Slusher BS, Quiding-Järbrink M. Regulatory T cells reduce endothelial neutral sphingomyelinase 2 to prevent T-cell migration into tumors. Eur J Immunol 2021; 51:2317-2329. [PMID: 34272885 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202149208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Endothelial cells are key regulators of transendothelial migration and their secretion of chemokines and expression of adhesion molecules facilitates lymphocyte entry into tissues. Previously, we demonstrated that Tregs can reduce transendothelial migration of T cells into tumors by decreasing endothelial CXCL10 secretion, but the mechanism by which this occurs is still not known. In this study, we aimed to define how Tregs decrease transendothelial migration into tumors. mRNA sequencing of intestinal tumor endothelial cells from Treg depleted mice identified neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase2) as a gene downregulated in the presence of Tregs. nSMase2 is expressed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and was decreased after coculture with Tregs. Furthermore, blocking of nSMase2 activity in vitro decreased VCAM1, CX3CL1, and CXCL10 expression in HUVECs, mirroring the same decrease found in Treg cocultures. In the APCmin/+ mouse model of intestinal cancer, nSMase2 is lower in tumor endothelial cells than in unaffected small intestine and chronic treatment with a nSMase2 inhibitor suppressed the increased migration that is otherwise seen in the absence of Tregs. We conclude that nSMase2 is an important mediator in endothelial cells supporting transendothelial migration, which may be targeted by Tregs to reduce T-cell migration into tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Akeus
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Louis Szeponik
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Veronica Langenes
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Viktoria Karlsson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Patrik Sundström
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Elinor Bexe-Lindskog
- Department of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Carolyn Tallon
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Barbara S Slusher
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marianne Quiding-Järbrink
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Chi A, He X, Hou L, Nguyen NP, Zhu G, Cameron RB, Lee JM. Classification of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer's Tumor Immune Micro-Environment and Strategies to Augment Its Response to Immune Checkpoint Blockade. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13122924. [PMID: 34208113 PMCID: PMC8230820 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13122924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has become a major treatment for lung cancer. Better understanding of the tumor immune micro-environment (TIME) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is urgently needed to better treat it with this type of therapy. In this review, we describe and explore how NSCLC’s TIME relates to response to ICB, as well as how to treat those with unresponsive types of TIME, which will significantly impact future research in lung cancer immunotherapy. Abstract Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) with checkpoint inhibitors has led to significant and durable response in a subset of patients with advanced stage EGFR and ALK wild-type non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This has been consistently shown to be correlated with the unique characteristics of each patient’s tumor immune micro-environment (TIME), including the composition and distribution of the tumor immune cell infiltrate; the expression of various checkpoints by tumor and immune cells, such as PD-L1; and the presence of various cytokines and chemokines. In this review, the classification of various types of TIME that are present in NSCLC and their correlation with response to ICB in NSCLC are discussed. This is conducted with a focus on the characteristics and identifiable biomarkers of different TIME subtypes that may also be used to predict NSCLC’s clinical response to ICB. Finally, treatment strategies to augment response to ICB in NSCLC with unresponsive types of TIME are explored.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Chi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 101100, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Correspondence: (A.C.); (X.H.)
| | - Xia He
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Correspondence: (A.C.); (X.H.)
| | - Lin Hou
- Center for Statistical Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
| | - Nam P. Nguyen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Howard University, Washington, DC 20060, USA;
| | - Guangying Zhu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China;
| | - Robert B. Cameron
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (R.B.C.); (J.M.L.)
| | - Jay M. Lee
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (R.B.C.); (J.M.L.)
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Principe DR, Chiec L, Mohindra NA, Munshi HG. Regulatory T-Cells as an Emerging Barrier to Immune Checkpoint Inhibition in Lung Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:684098. [PMID: 34141625 PMCID: PMC8204014 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.684098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment paradigm for lung cancer in recent years. These strategies consist of neutralizing antibodies against negative regulators of immune function, most notably cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), and PD-1 ligand 1 (PD-L1), thereby impeding the ability of tumor cells to escape immune surveillance. Though ICIs have proven a significant advance in lung cancer therapy, overall survival rates remain low, and lung cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. It is therefore imperative to better understand the barriers to the efficacy of ICIs, particularly additional mechanisms of immunosuppression within the lung cancer microenvironment. Recent evidence suggests that regulatory T-lymphocytes (Tregs) serve as a central mediator of immune function in lung cancer, suppressing sterilizing immunity and contributing to the clinical failure of ICIs. Here, we provide a comprehensive summary of the roles of Tregs in lung cancer pathobiology and therapy, as well as the potential means through which these immunosuppressive mechanisms can be overcome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Principe
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Lauren Chiec
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Nisha A Mohindra
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.,Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, IL, United States.,Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Hidayatullah G Munshi
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.,Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, IL, United States.,Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Bogen JP, Grzeschik J, Jakobsen J, Bähre A, Hock B, Kolmar H. Treating Bladder Cancer: Engineering of Current and Next Generation Antibody-, Fusion Protein-, mRNA-, Cell- and Viral-Based Therapeutics. Front Oncol 2021; 11:672262. [PMID: 34123841 PMCID: PMC8191463 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.672262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Bladder cancer is a frequent malignancy and has a clinical need for new therapeutic approaches. Antibody and protein technologies came a long way in recent years and new engineering approaches were applied to generate innovative therapeutic entities with novel mechanisms of action. Furthermore, mRNA-based pharmaceuticals recently reached the market and CAR-T cells and viral-based gene therapy remain a major focus of biomedical research. This review focuses on the engineering of biologics, particularly therapeutic antibodies and their application in preclinical development and clinical trials, as well as approved monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of bladder cancer. Besides, newly emerging entities in the realm of bladder cancer like mRNA, gene therapy or cell-based therapeutics are discussed and evaluated. As many discussed molecules exhibit unique mechanisms of action based on innovative protein engineering, they reflect the next generation of cancer drugs. This review will shed light on the engineering strategies applied to develop these next generation treatments and provides deeper insights into their preclinical profiles, clinical stages, and ongoing trials. Furthermore, the distribution and expression of the targeted antigens and the intended mechanisms of action are elucidated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan P Bogen
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.,Ferring Darmstadt Laboratory, Biologics Technology and Development, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Julius Grzeschik
- Ferring Darmstadt Laboratory, Biologics Technology and Development, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Joern Jakobsen
- Ferring Pharmaceuticals, International PharmaScience Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alexandra Bähre
- Ferring Pharmaceuticals, International PharmaScience Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Björn Hock
- Global Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Ferring International Center S.A., Saint-Prex, Switzerland
| | - Harald Kolmar
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Emerging Next-Generation Target for Cancer Immunotherapy Research: The Orphan Nuclear Receptor NR2F6. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13112600. [PMID: 34073258 PMCID: PMC8197903 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13112600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The most successful strategies for solid cancer immunotherapy have centered on targeting the co-stimulatory and co-inhibitory T cell molecules that regulate T cell activation. Although immunotherapy that targets surface receptors such as CTLA-4 and/or PD-1 with recombinant antibodies has been a game changer for cancer treatment, a sizeable subset of patients still fail to respond to, and even fewer patients are cured by, these therapy regimens. Here, we discuss the unique potential of NR2F6 as an emerging target for cancer immunotherapy to significantly increase response rates of cancer patients and/or to extend treatment to a broader range of cancer types. Abstract Additional therapeutic targets suitable for boosting anti-tumor effector responses have been found inside effector CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. It is likely that future treatment options will combine surface receptor and intracellular protein targets. Utilizing germline gene ablation as well as CRISPR/Cas9-mediated acute gene mutagenesis, the nuclear receptor NR2F6 (nuclear receptor subfamily 2 group F member 6, also called Ear-2) has been firmly characterized as such an intracellular immune checkpoint in effector T cells. Targeting this receptor appears to be a strategy for improving anti-tumor immunotherapy responses, especially in combination with CTLA-4 and PD-1. Current preclinical experimental knowledge firmly validates the immune checkpoint function of NR2F6 in murine tumor models, which provides a promising perspective for immunotherapy regimens in humans in the near future. While the clinical focus remains on the B7/CD28 family members, protein candidate targets such as NR2F6 are now being investigated in laboratories around the world and in R&D companies. Such an alternative therapeutic approach, if demonstrated to be successful, could supplement the existing therapeutic models and significantly increase response rates of cancer patients and/or expand the reach of immune therapy regimens to include a wider range of cancer entities. In this perspective review, the role of NR2F6 as an emerging and druggable target in immuno-oncology research will be discussed, with special emphasis on the unique potential of NR2F6 and its critical and non-redundant role in both immune and tumor cells.
Collapse
|
44
|
Bhatt D, Kang B, Sawant D, Zheng L, Perez K, Huang Z, Sekirov L, Wolak D, Huang JY, Liu X, DeVoss J, Manzanillo PS, Pierce N, Zhang Z, Symons A, Ouyang W. STARTRAC analyses of scRNAseq data from tumor models reveal T cell dynamics and therapeutic targets. J Exp Med 2021; 218:212026. [PMID: 33900375 PMCID: PMC8077174 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20201329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-cell RNA sequencing is a powerful tool to examine cellular heterogeneity, novel markers and target genes, and therapeutic mechanisms in human cancers and animal models. Here, we analyzed single-cell RNA sequencing data of T cells obtained from multiple mouse tumor models by PCA-based subclustering coupled with TCR tracking using the STARTRAC algorithm. This approach revealed various differentiated T cell subsets and activation states, and a correspondence of T cell subsets between human and mouse tumors. STARTRAC analyses demonstrated peripheral T cell subsets that were developmentally connected with tumor-infiltrating CD8+ cells, CD4+ Th1 cells, and T reg cells. In addition, large amounts of paired TCRα/β sequences enabled us to identify a specific enrichment of paired public TCR clones in tumor. Finally, we identified CCR8 as a tumor-associated T reg cell marker that could preferentially deplete tumor-associated T reg cells. We showed that CCR8-depleting antibody treatment provided therapeutic benefit in CT26 tumors and synergized with anti–PD-1 treatment in MC38 and B16F10 tumor models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dev Bhatt
- Department of Inflammation and Oncology, Amgen Research, Amgen, South San Francisco, CA
| | - Boxi Kang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Genomics, Peking-Tsinghua Centre for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Deepali Sawant
- Department of Inflammation and Oncology, Amgen Research, Amgen, South San Francisco, CA
| | - Liangtao Zheng
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Genomics, Peking-Tsinghua Centre for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Kristy Perez
- Department of Inflammation and Oncology, Amgen Research, Amgen, South San Francisco, CA
| | - Zhiyu Huang
- Department of Inflammation and Oncology, Amgen Research, Amgen, South San Francisco, CA
| | - Laura Sekirov
- Department of Inflammation and Oncology, Amgen Research, Amgen, South San Francisco, CA
| | - Dan Wolak
- Department of Inflammation and Oncology, Amgen Research, Amgen, South San Francisco, CA
| | - Julie Y Huang
- Department of Inflammation and Oncology, Amgen Research, Amgen, South San Francisco, CA
| | - Xian Liu
- Department of Inflammation and Oncology, Amgen Research, Amgen, South San Francisco, CA
| | - Jason DeVoss
- Department of Inflammation and Oncology, Amgen Research, Amgen, South San Francisco, CA
| | - Paolo S Manzanillo
- Department of Inflammation and Oncology, Amgen Research, Amgen, South San Francisco, CA
| | - Nathan Pierce
- Department of Inflammation and Oncology, Amgen Research, Amgen, South San Francisco, CA
| | - Zemin Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Genomics, Peking-Tsinghua Centre for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Antony Symons
- Department of Inflammation and Oncology, Amgen Research, Amgen, South San Francisco, CA
| | - Wenjun Ouyang
- Department of Inflammation and Oncology, Amgen Research, Amgen, South San Francisco, CA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Glasner A, Plitas G. Tumor resident regulatory T cells. Semin Immunol 2021; 52:101476. [PMID: 33906820 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2021.101476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The immune system mediates powerful effector mechanisms to protect against a diversity of pathogens and equally as important regulatory functions, to limit collateral damage of inflammation, prevent misguided immune responses to "self", and promote tissue repair. Inadequate regulatory control can lead to a variety of inflammatory disorders including autoimmunity, metabolic syndrome, allergies, and progression of malignancies. Cancers evolve complex mechanisms to thwart immune eradication including coopting normal host regulatory processes. This is most evident in the analysis of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), where a preponderance of immunosuppressive immune cells, such as regulatory T (Treg) cells are found. Treg cells express the X-chromosome linked transcription factor Foxp3 and play a crucial role in maintaining immune homeostasis by suppressing inflammatory responses in diverse biological settings. Treg cells in the tumor microenvironment promote tumor development and progression by dampening anti-tumor immune responses, directly supporting the survival of transformed cells through elaboration of growth factors, and interacting with accessory cells in tumors such as fibroblasts and endothelial cells. Current insights into the phenotype and function of tumor associated Treg cells have opened up opportunities for their selective targeting in cancer with the goal of alleviating their suppression of anti-tumor immune responses while maintaining overall immune homeostasis. Here, we review Treg cell biology in the context of the tumor microenvironment (TME), and the important role they play in cancer immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ariella Glasner
- Immunology Program and Ludwig Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - George Plitas
- Immunology Program and Ludwig Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA; Breast Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Bhaskaran N, Jayaraman S, Quigley C, Mamileti P, Ghannoum M, Weinberg A, Thuener J, Pan Q, Pandiyan P. The Role of Dectin-1 Signaling in Altering Tumor Immune Microenvironment in the Context of Aging. Front Oncol 2021; 11:669066. [PMID: 33968777 PMCID: PMC8100664 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.669066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
An increased accumulation of immune-dysfunction-associated CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) is observed in aging oral mucosa during infection. Here we studied the function of Tregs during oral cancer development in aging mucosa. First, we found heightened proportions of Tregs and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) accumulating in mouse and human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) tissues. Using the mouse 4-Nitroquinoline 1-oxide(4-NQO) oral carcinogenesis model, we found that tongues of aged mice displayed increased propensity for epithelial cell dysplasia, hyperplasia, and accelerated OSCC development, which coincided with significantly increased abundance of IL-1β, Tregs, and MDSC in tongues. Partial depletion of Tregs reduced tumor burden. Moreover, fungal abundance and dectin-1 signaling were elevated in aged mice suggesting a potential role for dectin-1 in modulating immune environment and tumor development. Confirming this tenet, dectin-1 deficient mice showed diminished IL-1β, reduced infiltration of Tregs and MDSC in the tongues, as well as slower progression and reduced severity of tumor burden. Taken together, these data identify an important role of dectin-1 signaling in establishing the intra-tumoral immunosuppressive milieu and promoting OSCC tumorigenesis in the context of aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natarajan Bhaskaran
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Sangeetha Jayaraman
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Cheriese Quigley
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Prerna Mamileti
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Mahmoud Ghannoum
- Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States.,Dermatology, School of Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Aaron Weinberg
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States.,Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Jason Thuener
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Quintin Pan
- Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States.,Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Pushpa Pandiyan
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States.,Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States.,Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Mattsson J, Ekdahl L, Junghus F, Ajore R, Erlandsson E, Niroula A, Pertesi M, Frendéus B, Teige I, Nilsson B. Accelerating target deconvolution for therapeutic antibody candidates using highly parallelized genome editing. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1277. [PMID: 33627649 PMCID: PMC7904777 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21518-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic antibodies are transforming the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. Today, a key challenge is finding antibodies against new targets. Phenotypic discovery promises to achieve this by enabling discovery of antibodies with therapeutic potential without specifying the molecular target a priori. Yet, deconvoluting the targets of phenotypically discovered antibodies remains a bottleneck; efficient deconvolution methods are needed for phenotypic discovery to reach its full potential. Here, we report a comprehensive investigation of a target deconvolution approach based on pooled CRISPR/Cas9. Applying this approach within three real-world phenotypic discovery programs, we rapidly deconvolute the targets of 38 of 39 test antibodies (97%), a success rate far higher than with existing approaches. Moreover, the approach scales well, requires much less work, and robustly identifies antibodies against the major histocompatibility complex. Our data establish CRISPR/Cas9 as a highly efficient target deconvolution approach, with immediate implications for the development of antibody-based drugs. Efficient deconvolution of antibody targets is needed for phenotype-based discovery. Here, the authors investigate a deconvolution approach based on pooled CRISPR Cas9 to achieve 97% deconvolution success rate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Mattsson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Lund, Sweden.,BioInvent International AB, Ideongatan 1, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ludvig Ekdahl
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Lund, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Junghus
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ram Ajore
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Lund, Sweden
| | - Eva Erlandsson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Lund, Sweden
| | - Abhishek Niroula
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Lund, Sweden.,Broad Institute, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Maroulio Pertesi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Ingrid Teige
- BioInvent International AB, Ideongatan 1, Lund, Sweden
| | - Björn Nilsson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Lund, Sweden. .,Broad Institute, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Coronado E, Yañez Y, Vidal E, Rubio L, Vera-Sempere F, Cañada-Martínez AJ, Panadero J, Cañete A, Ladenstein R, Castel V, Font de Mora J. Intratumoral immunosuppression profiles in 11q-deleted neuroblastomas provide new potential therapeutic targets. Mol Oncol 2021; 15:364-380. [PMID: 33252831 PMCID: PMC7858123 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
High‐risk neuroblastoma (NB) patients with 11q deletion frequently undergo late but consecutive relapse cycles with fatal outcome. To date, no actionable targets to improve current multimodal treatment have been identified. We analyzed immune microenvironment and genetic profiles of high‐risk NB correlating with 11q immune status. We show in two independent cohorts that 11q‐deleted NB exhibits various immune inhibitory mechanisms, including increased CD4+ resting T cells and M2 macrophages, higher expression of programmed death‐ligand 1, interleukin‐10, transforming growth factor‐beta‐1, and indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase 1 (P < 0.05), and also higher chromosomal breakages (P ≤ 0.02) and hemizygosity of immunosuppressive miRNAs than MYCN‐amplified and other 11q‐nondeleted high‐risk NB. We also analyzed benefits of maintenance treatment in 83 high‐risk stage M NB patients focusing on 11q status, either with standard anti‐GD2 immunotherapy (n = 50) or previous retinoic acid‐based therapy alone (n = 33). Immunotherapy associated with higher EFS (50 vs. 30, P = 0.028) and OS (72 vs. 52, P = 0.047) at 3 years in the overall population. Despite benefits from standard anti‐GD2 immunotherapy in high‐risk NB patients, those with 11q deletion still face poor outcome. This NB subgroup displays intratumoral immune suppression profiles, revealing a potential therapeutic strategy with combination immunotherapy to circumvent this immune checkpoint blockade.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esther Coronado
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain.,Clinical and Translational Research in Cancer, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Yania Yañez
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain.,Clinical and Translational Research in Cancer, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Enrique Vidal
- Roche Diagnostics Information Solutions, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Luis Rubio
- Department of Pathology, La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain
| | - Francisco Vera-Sempere
- Department of Pathology, La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain.,School of Medicine, University of Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Joaquín Panadero
- Genomics Unit, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Adela Cañete
- Clinical and Translational Research in Cancer, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain.,School of Medicine, University of Valencia, Spain.,Pediatric Oncology Unit, La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ruth Ladenstein
- Department of Paediatrics, St. Anna Children's Hospital and Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Medical University, Vienna, Austria
| | - Victoria Castel
- School of Medicine, University of Valencia, Spain.,Pediatric Oncology Unit, La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain
| | - Jaime Font de Mora
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain.,Clinical and Translational Research in Cancer, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Middelburg J, Kemper K, Engelberts P, Labrijn AF, Schuurman J, van Hall T. Overcoming Challenges for CD3-Bispecific Antibody Therapy in Solid Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:287. [PMID: 33466732 PMCID: PMC7829968 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13020287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy of cancer with CD3-bispecific antibodies is an approved therapeutic option for some hematological malignancies and is under clinical investigation for solid cancers. However, the treatment of solid tumors faces more pronounced hurdles, such as increased on-target off-tumor toxicities, sparse T-cell infiltration and impaired T-cell quality due to the presence of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, which affect the safety and limit efficacy of CD3-bispecific antibody therapy. In this review, we provide a brief status update of the CD3-bispecific antibody therapy field and identify intrinsic hurdles in solid cancers. Furthermore, we describe potential combinatorial approaches to overcome these challenges in order to generate selective and more effective responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jim Middelburg
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands;
| | - Kristel Kemper
- Genmab, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands; (K.K.); (P.E.); (A.F.L.); (J.S.)
| | - Patrick Engelberts
- Genmab, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands; (K.K.); (P.E.); (A.F.L.); (J.S.)
| | - Aran F. Labrijn
- Genmab, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands; (K.K.); (P.E.); (A.F.L.); (J.S.)
| | - Janine Schuurman
- Genmab, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands; (K.K.); (P.E.); (A.F.L.); (J.S.)
| | - Thorbald van Hall
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands;
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Dees S, Ganesan R, Singh S, Grewal IS. Regulatory T cell targeting in cancer: Emerging strategies in immunotherapy. Eur J Immunol 2020; 51:280-291. [PMID: 33302322 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202048992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The adaptive immune system is modulated by an important subset of CD4+ T lymphocytes called Treg cells that function in maintaining immune homeostasis by preventing excessive immune activation. Both deficiency and overactivation of Treg cell function can result in disease pathology. While loss of Treg function can lead to autoimmunity, an overabundance of Treg activity can promote tumorigenesis. Blocking and/or depleting Tregs has emerged as a viable strategy to enhance antitumor immunity. A major limitation underlying the limited efficacy observed with Treg therapies in the clinic is lack of selective targeting, often attributed to concurrent depletion of antitumor effector T-cell populations. Novel approaches to improve the specificity of Treg targeting in the context of cancer include the use of T-cell receptor mimic antibodies, bispecific antibodies, and near-infrared photoimmunotherapy. Next-generation technology platforms and transcriptomic/computational-based screening methods have been recently developed to identify preferential Treg targets. Herein, we highlight key advancements and challenges pertaining to the development of novel Treg targeting cancer therapeutics and discuss ongoing clinical trials evaluating next-generation Treg therapies for solid tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sundee Dees
- Janssen Biotherapeutics, The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, PA, USA
| | - Rajkumar Ganesan
- Janssen Biotherapeutics, The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, PA, USA
| | - Sanjaya Singh
- Janssen Biotherapeutics, The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, PA, USA
| | - Iqbal S Grewal
- Janssen Biotherapeutics, The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|