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Kang K, Lin X, Chen P, Liu H, Liu F, Xiong W, Li G, Yi M, Li X, Wang H, Xiang B. T cell exhaustion in human cancers. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189162. [PMID: 39089484 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
T cell exhaustion refers to a progressive state in which T cells become functionally impaired due to sustained antigenic stimulation, which is characterized by increased expression of immune inhibitory receptors, but weakened effector functions, reduced self-renewal capacity, altered epigenetics, transcriptional programme and metabolism. T cell exhaustion is one of the major causes leading to immune escape of cancer, creating an environment that supports tumor development and metastatic spread. In addition, T cell exhaustion plays a pivotal role to the efficacy of current immunotherapies for cancer. This review aims to provide a comprehensive view of roles of T cell exhaustion in cancer development and progression. We summerized the regulatory mechanisms that involved in T cell exhaustion, including transcription factors, epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming events, and various microenvironmental factors such as cytokines, microorganisms, and tumor autocrine substances. The paper also discussed the challenges posed by T cell exhaustion to cancer immunotherapies, including immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies and chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy, highlightsing the obstacles encountered in ICB therapies and CAR-T therapies due to T cell exhaustion. Finally, the article provides an overview of current therapeutic options aimed to reversing or alleviating T cell exhaustion in ICB and CAR-T therapies. These therapeutic approaches seek to overcome T cell exhaustion and enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapies in treating tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuan Kang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Xin Lin
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Pan Chen
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Huai Liu
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China; Department of Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Feng Liu
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China; Department of Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Guiyuan Li
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Mei Yi
- Department of Dermatology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Xiayu Li
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Nonresolving Infammation and Cancer, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China.
| | - Hui Wang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China; Department of Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China.
| | - Bo Xiang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, Hunan, China.
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Yang Y, Nie X, Wang Y, Sun J, Gao X, Zhang J. Evolving insights into erythrocytes in synucleinopathies. Trends Neurosci 2024:S0166-2236(24)00119-X. [PMID: 39043489 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Synucleinopathies, including Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), are characterized by neuronal loss accompanied by α-synuclein (α-syn) accumulation in the brain. While research conventionally focused on brain pathology, there is growing interest in peripheral alterations. Erythrocytes, which are rich in α-syn, have emerged as a compelling site for synucleinopathies-related alterations. Erythrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs), containing pathological α-syn species, can traverse the blood-brain barrier (BBB) under certain conditions and the gastrointestinal tract, where α-syn and gut microbiota interact extensively. This review explores the accumulating evidence of erythrocyte involvement in synucleinopathies, as well as their potential in disease pathogenesis and diagnosis. Given their unique properties, erythrocytes and erythrocyte-derived EVs may also serve as an ideal therapeutic platform for treating synucleinopathies and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Yang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoqian Nie
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yajie Wang
- Department of Cell Biology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, China; Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University & Zhejiang Engineering Laboratory for Stem Cell and Immunotherapy, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Laboratory for Systems & Precision Medicine, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jie Sun
- Department of Cell Biology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, China; Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University & Zhejiang Engineering Laboratory for Stem Cell and Immunotherapy, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Laboratory for Systems & Precision Medicine, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaofei Gao
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; National Health and Disease Human Brain Tissue Resource Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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Schlenker R, Schwalie PC, Dettling S, Huesser T, Irmisch A, Mariani M, Martínez Gómez JM, Ribeiro A, Limani F, Herter S, Yángüez E, Hoves S, Somandin J, Siebourg-Polster J, Kam-Thong T, de Matos IG, Umana P, Dummer R, Levesque MP, Bacac M. Myeloid-T cell interplay and cell state transitions associated with checkpoint inhibitor response in melanoma. MED 2024; 5:759-779.e7. [PMID: 38593812 DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2024.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The treatment of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has greatly benefited from immunotherapy. However, many patients do not show a durable response, which is only partially explained by known resistance mechanisms. METHODS We performed single-cell RNA sequencing of tumor immune infiltrates and matched peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 22 checkpoint inhibitor (CPI)-naive stage III-IV metastatic melanoma patients. After sample collection, the same patients received CPI treatment, and their response was assessed. FINDINGS CPI responders showed high levels of classical monocytes in peripheral blood, which preferentially transitioned toward CXCL9-expressing macrophages in tumors. Trajectories of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells diverged at the level of effector memory/stem-like T cells, with non-responder cells progressing into a state characterized by cellular stress and apoptosis-related gene expression. Consistently, predicted non-responder-enriched myeloid-T/natural killer cell interactions were primarily immunosuppressive, while responder-enriched interactions were supportive of T cell priming and effector function. CONCLUSIONS Our study illustrates that the tumor immune microenvironment prior to CPI treatment can be indicative of response. In perspective, modulating the myeloid and/or effector cell compartment by altering the described cell interactions and transitions could improve immunotherapy response. FUNDING This research was funded by Roche Pharma Research and Early Development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Schlenker
- Roche Innovation Center Munich, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Penzberg, Germany.
| | | | - Steffen Dettling
- Roche Innovation Center Munich, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Penzberg, Germany
| | - Tamara Huesser
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, pRED, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Anja Irmisch
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marisa Mariani
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, pRED, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Julia M Martínez Gómez
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alison Ribeiro
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, pRED, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Florian Limani
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, pRED, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Sylvia Herter
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, pRED, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Emilio Yángüez
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, pRED, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Hoves
- Roche Innovation Center Munich, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Penzberg, Germany
| | - Jitka Somandin
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, pRED, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Pablo Umana
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, pRED, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Reinhard Dummer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mitchell P Levesque
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marina Bacac
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, pRED, Schlieren, Switzerland
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De León-Rodríguez SG, Aguilar-Flores C, Gajón JA, Juárez-Flores Á, Mantilla A, Gerson-Cwilich R, Martínez-Herrera JF, Villegas-Osorno DA, Gutiérrez-Quiroz CT, Buenaventura-Cisneros S, Sánchez-Prieto MA, Castelán-Maldonado E, Rivera Rivera S, Fuentes-Pananá EM, Bonifaz LC. TCF1-positive and TCF1-negative TRM CD8 T cell subsets and cDC1s orchestrate melanoma protection and immunotherapy response. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008739. [PMID: 38969523 PMCID: PMC11227852 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer, has undergone a transformative treatment shift with the advent of checkpoint blockade immunotherapy (CBI). Understanding the intricate network of immune cells infiltrating the tumor and orchestrating the control of melanoma cells and the response to CBI is currently of utmost importance. There is evidence underscoring the significance of tissue-resident memory (TRM) CD8 T cells and classic dendritic cell type 1 (cDC1) in cancer protection. Transcriptomic studies also support the existence of a TCF7+ (encoding TCF1) T cell as the most important for immunotherapy response, although uncertainty exists about whether there is a TCF1+TRM T cell due to evidence indicating TCF1 downregulation for tissue residency activation. METHODS We used multiplexed immunofluorescence and spectral flow cytometry to evaluate TRM CD8 T cells and cDC1 in two melanoma patient cohorts: one immunotherapy-naive and the other receiving immunotherapy. The first cohort was divided between patients free of disease or with metastasis 2 years postdiagnosis while the second between CBI responders and non-responders. RESULTS Our study identifies two CD8+TRM subsets, TCF1+ and TCF1-, correlating with melanoma protection. TCF1+TRM cells show heightened expression of IFN-γ and Ki67 while TCF1- TRM cells exhibit increased expression of cytotoxic molecules. In metastatic patients, TRM subsets undergo a shift in marker expression, with the TCF1- subset displaying increased expression of exhaustion markers. We observed a close spatial correlation between cDC1s and TRMs, with TCF1+TRM/cDC1 pairs enriched in the stroma and TCF1- TRM/cDC1 pairs in tumor areas. Notably, these TCF1- TRMs express cytotoxic molecules and are associated with apoptotic melanoma cells. Both TCF1+ and TCF1- TRM subsets, alongside cDC1, prove relevant to CBI response. CONCLUSIONS Our study supports the importance of TRM CD8 T cells and cDC1 in melanoma protection while also highlighting the existence of functionally distinctive TCF1+ and TCF1- TRM subsets, both crucial for melanoma control and CBI response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saraí G De León-Rodríguez
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Inmunoquímica, UMAE Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Cristina Aguilar-Flores
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Inmunología, UMAE Hospital de Pediatría, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Julián A Gajón
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Inmunoquímica, UMAE Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
- Posgrado en Ciencias Bioquímicas, Facultad de Química, Universad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ángel Juárez-Flores
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Inmunoquímica, UMAE Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
- Unidad de Investigación en Virología y Cáncer, Hospital Infantil de Mexico Federico Gomez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alejandra Mantilla
- Servicio de Patología, Hospital de Oncología Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
| | | | - José Fabián Martínez-Herrera
- Medical Center American British Cowdray, Mexico City, Mexico
- Latin American Network for Cancer Research (LAN-CANCER), Lima, Peru
| | | | - Claudia T Gutiérrez-Quiroz
- UMAE Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional General Manuel Avila Camacho, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Puebla, Mexico
| | | | - Mario Alberto Sánchez-Prieto
- Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad No.25, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
- División de Atención Oncológica en Adultos. Coordinación de Atención Oncológica, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Edmundo Castelán-Maldonado
- Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad No.25, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
| | - Samuel Rivera Rivera
- Medical Center American British Cowdray, Mexico City, Mexico
- División de Atención Oncológica en Adultos. Coordinación de Atención Oncológica, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Ezequiel M Fuentes-Pananá
- Unidad de Investigación en Virología y Cáncer, Hospital Infantil de Mexico Federico Gomez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Laura C Bonifaz
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Inmunoquímica, UMAE Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
- Coordinación de investigación en salud, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
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Yared N, Papadopoulou M, Barennes P, Pham HP, Quiniou V, Netzer S, Kaminski H, Burguet L, Demeste A, Colas P, Mora-Charrot L, Rousseau B, Izotte J, Zouine A, Gauthereau X, Vermijlen D, Déchanet-Merville J, Capone M. Long-lived central memory γδ T cells confer protection against murine cytomegalovirus reinfection. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1010785. [PMID: 38976755 PMCID: PMC11257398 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The involvement of γδ TCR-bearing lymphocytes in immunological memory has gained increasing interest due to their functional duality between adaptive and innate immunity. γδ T effector memory (TEM) and central memory (TCM) subsets have been identified, but their respective roles in memory responses are poorly understood. In the present study, we used subsequent mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infections of αβ T cell deficient mice in order to analyze the memory potential of γδ T cells. As for CMV-specific αβ T cells, MCMV induced the accumulation of cytolytic, KLRG1+CX3CR1+ γδ TEM that principally localized in infected organ vasculature. Typifying T cell memory, γδ T cell expansion in organs and blood was higher after secondary viral challenge than after primary infection. Viral control upon MCMV reinfection was prevented when masking γδ T-cell receptor, and was associated with a preferential amplification of private and unfocused TCR δ chain repertoire composed of a combination of clonotypes expanded post-primary infection and, more unexpectedly, of novel expanded clonotypes. Finally, long-term-primed γδ TCM cells, but not γδ TEM cells, protected T cell-deficient hosts against MCMV-induced death upon adoptive transfer, probably through their ability to survive and to generate TEM in the recipient host. This better survival potential of TCM cells was confirmed by a detailed scRNASeq analysis of the two γδ T cell memory subsets which also revealed their similarity to classically adaptive αβ CD8 T cells. Overall, our study uncovered memory properties of long-lived TCM γδ T cells that confer protection in a chronic infection, highlighting the interest of this T cell subset in vaccination approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Yared
- Bordeaux University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, ImmunoConcEpt, UMR 5164, ERL 1303, ImmunoConcEpt, Bordeaux, France
| | - Maria Papadopoulou
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Institute for Medical Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium
- Université Libre de Bruxelles Center for Research in Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | | | | | | | - Sonia Netzer
- Bordeaux University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, ImmunoConcEpt, UMR 5164, ERL 1303, ImmunoConcEpt, Bordeaux, France
| | - Hanna Kaminski
- Bordeaux University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, ImmunoConcEpt, UMR 5164, ERL 1303, ImmunoConcEpt, Bordeaux, France
| | - Laure Burguet
- Bordeaux University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, ImmunoConcEpt, UMR 5164, ERL 1303, ImmunoConcEpt, Bordeaux, France
| | - Amandine Demeste
- Bordeaux University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, ImmunoConcEpt, UMR 5164, ERL 1303, ImmunoConcEpt, Bordeaux, France
| | - Pacôme Colas
- Bordeaux University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, ImmunoConcEpt, UMR 5164, ERL 1303, ImmunoConcEpt, Bordeaux, France
| | - Lea Mora-Charrot
- Bordeaux University, Service Commun des Animaleries, Bordeaux, France
| | - Benoit Rousseau
- Bordeaux University, Service Commun des Animaleries, Bordeaux, France
| | - Julien Izotte
- Bordeaux University, Service Commun des Animaleries, Bordeaux, France
| | - Atika Zouine
- Bordeaux University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale, FACSility, TBM Core, Bordeaux, France
| | - Xavier Gauthereau
- Bordeaux University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale, OneCell, RT-PCR and Single Cell Libraries, TBM Core, Bordeaux, France
| | - David Vermijlen
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Institute for Medical Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium
- Université Libre de Bruxelles Center for Research in Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- WELBIO department, Walloon ExceLlence Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium
| | - Julie Déchanet-Merville
- Bordeaux University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, ImmunoConcEpt, UMR 5164, ERL 1303, ImmunoConcEpt, Bordeaux, France
| | - Myriam Capone
- Bordeaux University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, ImmunoConcEpt, UMR 5164, ERL 1303, ImmunoConcEpt, Bordeaux, France
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Hao J, Li R, Zhao X, Liu X, Chen X, Xie T, Li X, Yao C, Sun Q, Wei K, Gou M, Chi X, Xu W, Ni L, Dong C. NR4A1 transcriptionally regulates the differentiation of stem-like CD8 + T cells in the tumor microenvironment. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114301. [PMID: 38823016 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
CD8+ T cells are rendered exhausted in tumor and chronic infection. Among heterogeneous exhausted T cells, a subpopulation of progenitor-like (Tpex) cells have been found important for long-term tumor or pathogen control and are also the main responders in immunotherapy. Using an RFP reporter mouse for the orphan nuclear receptor NR4A1, originally characterized as critical in T cell dysfunction, we discover that the reporter is highly expressed in Tpex cells in tumor and chronic infection. Enforced expression of Nr4a1 promotes Tpex cell accumulation, whereas tumor control is improved after Nr4a1 deletion, associated with increased effector function but decreased long-term maintenance of CD8+ T cells. Integrating chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis, NR4A1 is found to bind and promote the expression of Tpex-related genes, as well as suppress terminal differentiation-associated genes. This study therefore has identified a key role of NR4A1 in Tpex regulation and provides a promising target for immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Hao
- Shanghai Immune Therapy Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine-Affiliated Renji Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruifeng Li
- Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaohong Zhao
- Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinwei Liu
- Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiang Chen
- Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Tian Xie
- Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoli Li
- Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Chenjun Yao
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qinli Sun
- Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Kun Wei
- Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Mengting Gou
- Shanghai Immune Therapy Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine-Affiliated Renji Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinxin Chi
- Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Ling Ni
- Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Dong
- Shanghai Immune Therapy Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine-Affiliated Renji Hospital, Shanghai, China; Westlake University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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7
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Mathew D, Marmarelis ME, Foley C, Bauml JM, Ye D, Ghinnagow R, Ngiow SF, Klapholz M, Jun S, Zhang Z, Zorc R, Davis CW, Diehn M, Giles JR, Huang AC, Hwang WT, Zhang NR, Schoenfeld AJ, Carpenter EL, Langer CJ, Wherry EJ, Minn AJ. Combined JAK inhibition and PD-1 immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer patients. Science 2024; 384:eadf1329. [PMID: 38900877 DOI: 10.1126/science.adf1329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Persistent inflammation driven by cytokines such as type-one interferon (IFN-I) can cause immunosuppression. We show that administration of the Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) inhibitor itacitinib after anti-PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) immunotherapy improves immune function and antitumor responses in mice and results in high response rates (67%) in a phase 2 clinical trial for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Patients who failed to respond to initial anti-PD-1 immunotherapy but responded after addition of itacitinib had multiple features of poor immune function to anti-PD-1 alone that improved after JAK inhibition. Itacitinib promoted CD8 T cell plasticity and therapeutic responses of exhausted and effector memory-like T cell clonotypes. Patients with persistent inflammation refractory to itacitinib showed progressive CD8 T cell terminal differentiation and progressive disease. Thus, JAK inhibition may improve the efficacy of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy by pivoting T cell differentiation dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divij Mathew
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Melina E Marmarelis
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Caitlin Foley
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Mark Foundation Center for Immunotherapy, Immune Signaling, and Radiation, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Joshua M Bauml
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Darwin Ye
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Mark Foundation Center for Immunotherapy, Immune Signaling, and Radiation, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Reem Ghinnagow
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Mark Foundation Center for Immunotherapy, Immune Signaling, and Radiation, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shin Foong Ngiow
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Max Klapholz
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Mark Foundation Center for Immunotherapy, Immune Signaling, and Radiation, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Soyeong Jun
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Zhaojun Zhang
- Department of Statistics, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Robert Zorc
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Christiana W Davis
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Maximillian Diehn
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Josephine R Giles
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alexander C Huang
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Wei-Ting Hwang
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nancy R Zhang
- Department of Statistics, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Adam J Schoenfeld
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Erica L Carpenter
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Corey J Langer
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - E John Wherry
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Mark Foundation Center for Immunotherapy, Immune Signaling, and Radiation, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Andy J Minn
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Mark Foundation Center for Immunotherapy, Immune Signaling, and Radiation, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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8
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Lan X, Mi T, Alli S, Guy C, Djekidel MN, Liu X, Boi S, Chowdhury P, He M, Zehn D, Feng Y, Youngblood B. Antitumor progenitor exhausted CD8 + T cells are sustained by TCR engagement. Nat Immunol 2024; 25:1046-1058. [PMID: 38816618 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-024-01843-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
The durability of an antitumor immune response is mediated in part by the persistence of progenitor exhausted CD8+ T cells (Tpex). Tpex serve as a resource for replenishing effector T cells and preserve their quantity through self-renewal. However, it is unknown how T cell receptor (TCR) engagement affects the self-renewal capacity of Tpex in settings of continued antigen exposure. Here we use a Lewis lung carcinoma model that elicits either optimal or attenuated TCR signaling in CD8+ T cells to show that formation of Tpex in tumor-draining lymph nodes and their intratumoral persistence is dependent on optimal TCR engagement. Notably, attenuated TCR stimulation accelerates the terminal differentiation of optimally primed Tpex. This TCR-reinforced Tpex development and self-renewal is coupled to proximal positioning to dendritic cells and epigenetic imprinting involving increased chromatin accessibility at Egr2 and Tcf1 target loci. Collectively, this study highlights the critical function of TCR engagement in sustaining Tpex during tumor progression.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/metabolism
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology
- Mice
- Carcinoma, Lewis Lung/immunology
- Carcinoma, Lewis Lung/pathology
- Carcinoma, Lewis Lung/metabolism
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 1-alpha/metabolism
- Cell Differentiation/immunology
- Dendritic Cells/immunology
- Signal Transduction/immunology
- Mice, Knockout
- Lymphocyte Activation/immunology
- Cell Self Renewal
- Mice, Transgenic
- Early Growth Response Protein 2
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Lan
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
- College of Graduate Health Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Tian Mi
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Shanta Alli
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Cliff Guy
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | | | - Xueyan Liu
- Department of Mathematics, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Shannon Boi
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Partha Chowdhury
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Minghong He
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Dietmar Zehn
- Division of Animal Physiology and Immunology, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Yongqiang Feng
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Ben Youngblood
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
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9
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Fang Z, Ding X, Huang H, Jiang H, Jiang J, Zheng X. Revolutionizing tumor immunotherapy: unleashing the power of progenitor exhausted T cells. Cancer Biol Med 2024; 21:j.issn.2095-3941.2024.0105. [PMID: 38825813 PMCID: PMC11208905 DOI: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2024.0105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
In exploring persistent infections and malignancies, a distinctive subgroup of CD8+ T cells, progenitor exhausted CD8+ T (Tpex) cells, has been identified. These Tpex cells are notable for their remarkable self-renewal and rapid proliferation abilities. Recent strides in immunotherapy have demonstrated that Tpex cells expand and differentiate into responsive exhausted CD8+ T cells, thus underscoring their critical role in the immunotherapeutic retort. Clinical examinations have further clarified a robust positive correlation between the proportional abundance of Tpex cells and enhanced clinical prognosis. Tpex cells have found noteworthy applications in the formulation of inventive immunotherapeutic approaches against tumors. This review describes the functions of Tpex cells in the tumor milieu, particularly their potential utility in tumor immunotherapy. Precisely directing Tpex cells may be essential to achieving successful outcomes in immunotherapy against tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhang Fang
- Department of Tumor Biological Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
- Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for Tumor Immunotherapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
- Institute for Cell Therapy of Soochow University, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
| | - Xinyi Ding
- Department of Tumor Biological Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
- Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for Tumor Immunotherapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
- Institute for Cell Therapy of Soochow University, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
| | - Hao Huang
- Department of Tumor Biological Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
- Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for Tumor Immunotherapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
- Institute for Cell Therapy of Soochow University, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
| | - Hongwei Jiang
- Department of Tumor Biological Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
- Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for Tumor Immunotherapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
- Institute for Cell Therapy of Soochow University, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
| | - Jingting Jiang
- Department of Tumor Biological Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
- Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for Tumor Immunotherapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
- Institute for Cell Therapy of Soochow University, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
| | - Xiao Zheng
- Department of Tumor Biological Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
- Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for Tumor Immunotherapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
- Institute for Cell Therapy of Soochow University, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
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10
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Zou G, Huang Y, Zhang S, Ko KP, Kim B, Zhang J, Venkatesan V, Pizzi MP, Fan Y, Jun S, Niu N, Wang H, Song S, Ajani JA, Park JI. E-cadherin loss drives diffuse-type gastric tumorigenesis via EZH2-mediated reprogramming. J Exp Med 2024; 221:e20230561. [PMID: 38411616 PMCID: PMC10899090 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20230561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Diffuse-type gastric adenocarcinoma (DGAC) is a deadly cancer often diagnosed late and resistant to treatment. While hereditary DGAC is linked to CDH1 mutations, the role of CDH1/E-cadherin inactivation in sporadic DGAC tumorigenesis remains elusive. We discovered CDH1 inactivation in a subset of DGAC patient tumors. Analyzing single-cell transcriptomes in malignant ascites, we identified two DGAC subtypes: DGAC1 (CDH1 loss) and DGAC2 (lacking immune response). DGAC1 displayed distinct molecular signatures, activated DGAC-related pathways, and an abundance of exhausted T cells in ascites. Genetically engineered murine gastric organoids showed that Cdh1 knock-out (KO), KrasG12D, Trp53 KO (EKP) accelerates tumorigenesis with immune evasion compared with KrasG12D, Trp53 KO (KP). We also identified EZH2 as a key mediator promoting CDH1 loss-associated DGAC tumorigenesis. These findings highlight DGAC's molecular diversity and potential for personalized treatment in CDH1-inactivated patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gengyi Zou
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yuanjian Huang
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shengzhe Zhang
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kyung-Pil Ko
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bongjun Kim
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jie Zhang
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Vishwa Venkatesan
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Melissa P. Pizzi
- Department of GI Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yibo Fan
- Department of GI Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sohee Jun
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Na Niu
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Huamin Wang
- Division of Pathology/Lab Medicine, Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shumei Song
- Department of GI Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jaffer A. Ajani
- Department of GI Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jae-Il Park
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Program in Genetics and Epigenetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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11
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Hashimoto M, Ramalingam SS, Ahmed R. Harnessing CD8 T cell responses using PD-1-IL-2 combination therapy. Trends Cancer 2024; 10:332-346. [PMID: 38129234 PMCID: PMC11006586 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2023.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
There is considerable interest in developing more effective programmed cell death (PD)-1 combination therapies against cancer. One major obstacle to these efforts is a dysfunctional/exhausted state of CD8 T cells, which PD-1 monotherapy is not able to overcome. Recent studies have highlighted that PD-1+ T cell factor (TCF)-1+ stem-like CD8 T cells are not fate locked into the exhaustion program and their differentiation trajectory can be changed by interleukin (IL)-2 signals. Modifying the CD8 T cell exhaustion program and generating better effectors from stem-like CD8 T cells by IL-2 form the fundamental immunological basis for combining IL-2 with PD-1 therapy. Many versions of IL-2-based products are being tested and each product should be carefully evaluated for its ability to modulate dysfunctional states of anti-tumor CD8 T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masao Hashimoto
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Suresh S Ramalingam
- Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Rafi Ahmed
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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12
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Sang J, Liu P, Wang M, Xu F, Ma J, Wei Z, Ye X. Stem-like CD8 T cells in stage I lung adenocarcinoma as a prognostic biomarker: A preliminary study. J Cancer Res Ther 2024; 20:669-677. [PMID: 38687939 DOI: 10.4103/jcrt.jcrt_2453_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate the presence of stem-like CD8 T (CD8 TSL) cells in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and explore their relationships with the clinical outcomes. METHODS Multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) was performed to identify CD8 TSL and antigen-presenting cells (APC) in 76 LUAD patients. Differences in the number of CD8 TSL cells based on tumor stage and the spatial relationships between CD8 TSL cells and APC niches were determined. The optimal cutoff value of CD8 TSL cells for predicting survival in patients with stage I LUAD was calculated. RESULTS CD8 TSL cells were present in all tumors, and their numbers were significantly higher in stage I patients than in stage III patients (P = 0.010); CD8 TSL cells located in the APC niches accounted for 69.7% (53/76) of the hotspot fields. The optimal cutoff value for the number of CD8 TSL cells required to predict the overall survival (OS) in patients with stage I LUAD was 2.5 per 10000 μm2. The median OS and progression-free survival (PFS) in the high-level group (>2.5) were significantly (P < 0.001) longer than those in the low-level group (≤2.5). The number of CD8 TSL cells was an independent prognostic factor for stage I LUAD. Patients with more CD8 TSL cells had a lower risk of death and disease progression than those with less CD8 TSL cells. CONCLUSION CD8 TSL cells were observed in patients with stages I-III LUAD and might serve as prognostic biomarkers for stage I LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Sang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Taian City Central Hospital of Qingdao University, Taian, China
| | - Peng Liu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Meixiang Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Fengkuo Xu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Ji Ma
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Zhigang Wei
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Xin Ye
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
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13
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Dixon KO, Lahore GF, Kuchroo VK. Beyond T cell exhaustion: TIM-3 regulation of myeloid cells. Sci Immunol 2024; 9:eadf2223. [PMID: 38457514 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adf2223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3 (TIM-3) is an important immune checkpoint molecule initially identified as a marker of IFN-γ-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Since then, our understanding of its role in immune responses has significantly expanded. Here, we review emerging evidence demonstrating unexpected roles for TIM-3 as a key regulator of myeloid cell function, in addition to recent work establishing TIM-3 as a delineator of terminal T cell exhaustion, thereby positioning TIM-3 at the interface between fatigued immune responses and reinvigoration. We share our perspective on the antagonism between TIM-3 and T cell stemness, discussing both cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic mechanisms underlying this relationship. Looking forward, we discuss approaches to decipher the underlying mechanisms by which TIM-3 regulates stemness, which has remarkable potential for the treatment of cancer, autoimmunity, and autoinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen O Dixon
- Gene Lay Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Gonzalo Fernandez Lahore
- Gene Lay Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Vijay K Kuchroo
- Gene Lay Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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14
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Davies D, Kamdar S, Woolf R, Zlatareva I, Iannitto ML, Morton C, Haque Y, Martin H, Biswas D, Ndagire S, Munonyara M, Gillett C, O'Neill O, Nussbaumer O, Hayday A, Wu Y. PD-1 defines a distinct, functional, tissue-adapted state in Vδ1 + T cells with implications for cancer immunotherapy. NATURE CANCER 2024; 5:420-432. [PMID: 38172341 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-023-00690-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Checkpoint inhibition (CPI), particularly that targeting the inhibitory coreceptor programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), has transformed oncology. Although CPI can derepress cancer (neo)antigen-specific αβ T cells that ordinarily show PD-1-dependent exhaustion, it can also be efficacious against cancers evading αβ T cell recognition. In such settings, γδ T cells have been implicated, but the functional relevance of PD-1 expression by these cells is unclear. Here we demonstrate that intratumoral TRDV1 transcripts (encoding the TCRδ chain of Vδ1+ γδ T cells) predict anti-PD-1 CPI response in patients with melanoma, particularly those harboring below average neoantigens. Moreover, using a protocol yielding substantial numbers of tissue-derived Vδ1+ cells, we show that PD-1+Vδ1+ cells display a transcriptomic program similar to, but distinct from, the canonical exhaustion program of colocated PD-1+CD8+ αβ T cells. In particular, PD-1+Vδ1+ cells retained effector responses to TCR signaling that were inhibitable by PD-1 engagement and derepressed by CPI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Davies
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, King's College London, London, UK
- Centre for Inflammation Biology and Cancer Immunology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Shraddha Kamdar
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, King's College London, London, UK
- Centre for Inflammation Biology and Cancer Immunology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Richard Woolf
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, King's College London, London, UK
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, Guy's Hospital, London, UK
| | - Iva Zlatareva
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - Cienne Morton
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Medical Oncology, Guy's Hospital, London, UK
| | - Yasmin Haque
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Hannah Martin
- Immunosurveillance Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Dhruva Biswas
- Academic Foundation Programme, King's College Hospital, London, UK
| | - Susan Ndagire
- King's Health Partners Cancer Biobank, Guy's Hospital, London, UK
| | | | - Cheryl Gillett
- King's Health Partners Cancer Biobank, Guy's Hospital, London, UK
| | - Olga O'Neill
- Advanced Sequencing Facility, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Oliver Nussbaumer
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Adrian Hayday
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, King's College London, London, UK.
- Centre for Inflammation Biology and Cancer Immunology, King's College London, London, UK.
- Immunosurveillance Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
| | - Yin Wu
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, King's College London, London, UK.
- Centre for Inflammation Biology and Cancer Immunology, King's College London, London, UK.
- Department of Medical Oncology, Guy's Hospital, London, UK.
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15
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Li Y, Han M, Wei H, Huang W, Chen Z, Zhang T, Qian M, Jing L, Nan G, Sun X, Dai S, Wang K, Jiang J, Zhu P, Chen L. Id2 epigenetically controls CD8 + T-cell exhaustion by disrupting the assembly of the Tcf3-LSD1 complex. Cell Mol Immunol 2024; 21:292-308. [PMID: 38287103 PMCID: PMC10902300 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-023-01118-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
CD8+ T-cell exhaustion is a state of dysfunction that promotes tumor progression and is marked by the generation of Slamf6+ progenitor exhausted (Texprog) and Tim-3+ terminally exhausted (Texterm) subpopulations. Inhibitor of DNA binding protein 2 (Id2) has been shown to play important roles in T-cell development and CD8+ T-cell immunity. However, the role of Id2 in CD8+ T-cell exhaustion is unclear. Here, we found that Id2 transcriptionally and epigenetically regulates the generation of Texprog cells and their conversion to Texterm cells. Genetic deletion of Id2 dampens CD8+ T-cell-mediated immune responses and the maintenance of stem-like CD8+ T-cell subpopulations, suppresses PD-1 blockade and increases tumor susceptibility. Mechanistically, through its HLH domain, Id2 binds and disrupts the assembly of the Tcf3-Tal1 transcriptional regulatory complex, and thus modulates chromatin accessibility at the Slamf6 promoter by preventing the interaction of Tcf3 with the histone lysine demethylase LSD1. Therefore, Id2 increases the abundance of the permissive H3K4me2 mark on the Tcf3-occupied E-boxes in the Slamf6 promoter, modulates chromatin accessibility at the Slamf6 promoter and epigenetically regulates the generation of Slamf6+ Texprog cells. An LSD1 inhibitor GSK2879552 can rescue the Id2 knockout phenotype in tumor-bearing mice. Inhibition of LSD1 increases the abundance of Slamf6+Tim-3- Texprog cells in tumors and the expression level of Tcf1 in Id2-deleted CD8+ T cells. This study demonstrates that Id2-mediated transcriptional and epigenetic modification drives hierarchical CD8+ T-cell exhaustion, and the mechanistic insights gained may have implications for therapeutic intervention with tumor immune evasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Li
- Department of Cell Biology of National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine and Department of Clinical Immunology of Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
- State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Mingwei Han
- Department of Cell Biology of National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine and Department of Clinical Immunology of Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
- State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Haolin Wei
- Department of Cell Biology of National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine and Department of Clinical Immunology of Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
- State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Wan Huang
- Department of Cell Biology of National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine and Department of Clinical Immunology of Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
- State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Zhinan Chen
- Department of Cell Biology of National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine and Department of Clinical Immunology of Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
- State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Tianjiao Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology of National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine and Department of Clinical Immunology of Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
- State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Meirui Qian
- Department of Cell Biology of National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine and Department of Clinical Immunology of Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
- State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Lin Jing
- Department of Cell Biology of National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine and Department of Clinical Immunology of Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
- State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Gang Nan
- Department of Cell Biology of National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine and Department of Clinical Immunology of Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
- State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Xiuxuan Sun
- Department of Cell Biology of National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine and Department of Clinical Immunology of Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
- State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Shuhui Dai
- Department of Cell Biology of National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine and Department of Clinical Immunology of Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
- State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Kun Wang
- Department of Cell Biology of National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine and Department of Clinical Immunology of Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
- State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Jianli Jiang
- Department of Cell Biology of National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine and Department of Clinical Immunology of Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China.
- State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China.
| | - Ping Zhu
- Department of Cell Biology of National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine and Department of Clinical Immunology of Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China.
- State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China.
| | - Liang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China.
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China.
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16
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McManus DT, Valanparambil RM, Medina CB, Hu Y, Scharer CD, Sobierajska E, Chang DY, Wieland A, Lee J, Nasti TH, Hashimoto M, Ross JL, Prokhnevska N, Cardenas MA, Gill AL, Clark EC, Abadie K, Kueh HY, Kaye J, Au-Yeung BB, Kissick HT, Ahmed R. Early generation of a precursor CD8 T cell that can adapt to acute or chronic viral infection. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3922168. [PMID: 38410458 PMCID: PMC10896375 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3922168/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Virus specific PD-1+ TCF-1+ TOX+ stem-like CD8+ T cells are essential for maintaining T cell responses during chronic infection and are also critical for PD-1 directed immunotherapy. In this study we have used the mouse model of chronic LCMV infection to examine when these virus specific stem-like CD8+ T cells are generated during the course of chronic infection and what is the role of antigen in maintaining the stem-like program. We found that these stem-like CD8+ T cells are generated early (day 5) during chronic infection and that antigen is essential for maintaining their stem-like program. This early generation of stem-like CD8+ T cells suggested that the fate commitment to this cell population was agnostic to the eventual outcome of infection and the immune system prepares a priori for a potential chronic infection. Indeed, we found that an identical virus specific stem-cell like CD8+ T cell population was also generated during acute LCMV infection but these cells were lost once the virus was cleared. To determine the fate of these early PD-1+TCF-1+TOX+ stem-like CD8+ T cells that are generated during both acute and chronic LCMV infection we set up two reciprocal adoptive transfer experiments. In the first experiment we transferred day 5 stem-like CD8+ T cells from chronically infected into acutely infected mice and examined their differentiation after viral clearance. We found that these early stem-like CD8+ T cells downregulated canonical markers of the chronic stem-like CD8+ T cells and expressed markers (CD127 and CD62L) associated with central memory CD8+ T cells. In the second experiment, we transferred day 5 stem-like cells from acutely infected mice into chronically infected mice and found that these CD8+ T cells could function like resource cells after transfer into a chronic environment by generating effector CD8+ T cells in both lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues while also maintaining the number of stem-like CD8+ T cells. These findings provide insight into the generation and maintenance of virus specific stem-like CD8+ T cells that play a critical role in chronic viral infection. In particular, our study highlights the early generation of stem-like CD8+ T cells and their ability to adapt to either an acute or chronic infection. These findings are of broad significance since these novel stem-like CD8+ T cells play an important role in not only viral infections but also in cancer and autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel T. McManus
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Rajesh M. Valanparambil
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Christopher B. Medina
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yinghong Hu
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Christopher D. Scharer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ewelina Sobierajska
- Department of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Daniel Y. Chang
- Department of Pathology, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andreas Wieland
- Department of Otolaryngology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH
| | - Judong Lee
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Tahseen H. Nasti
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Masao Hashimoto
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - James L. Ross
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nataliya Prokhnevska
- The Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maria A. Cardenas
- Department of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Amanda L. Gill
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elisa C. Clark
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kathleen Abadie
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Hao Yuan Kueh
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jonathan Kaye
- Research Division of Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Byron B. Au-Yeung
- Division of Immunology, Lowance Center for Human Immunology, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Haydn T. Kissick
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Rafi Ahmed
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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17
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Peña-Asensio J, Calvo-Sánchez H, Miquel J, Sanz-de-Villalobos E, González-Praetorius A, Torralba M, Larrubia JR. IL-15 boosts activated HBV core-specific CD8 + progenitor cells via metabolic rebalancing in persistent HBV infection. iScience 2024; 27:108666. [PMID: 38155778 PMCID: PMC10753074 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108666] [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: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
A rebalance between energy supply and demand in HBV-specific-CD8+ activated progenitor (AP) cells could restore the functionality of proliferative progeny (PP) in e-antigen(Ag)-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHBe(-)). We observed that quiescent progenitor (QP [TCF1+/FSClow]) HBVcore-specific-CD8+ cells displayed a memory-like phenotype. Following Ag-encounter, the generated AP [TCF1+/FSChigh] subset maintained the PD1+/CD127+ phenotype and gave rise to proliferative progeny (PP [ TCF1-/FSChigh]). In AP cells, IL-15 compared to IL2 decreased the initial mTORC1 boost, but maintained its activation longer linked to a catabolic profile that correlated with enhanced PP effector abilities. In nucleos(t)ide analogue (NUC)-treated CHBe(-), AP subset showed an anabolic phenotype associated with a dysfunctional PP pool. In CHBe(-) cases with low probability of HBVcore-specific-CD8+ cell on-NUC-treatment restoration, according to a clinical predictive model, IL-15/anti-PD-L1 treatment re-established their reactivity. Therefore, IL-15 could improve AP pool energy balance by decreasing intensity but extending T cell activation and by inducing a more catabolic metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Peña-Asensio
- Department of Biology of Systems, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla La-Mancha (IDISCAM), 45071 Toledo, Castilla La-Mancha, Spain
| | - Henar Calvo-Sánchez
- Section of Gastroenterology, Guadalajara University Hospital, 19002 Guadalajara, Castilla La-Mancha, Spain
- Department of Medicine & Medical Specialties, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla La-Mancha (IDISCAM), 45071 Toledo, Castilla La-Mancha, Spain
| | - Joaquín Miquel
- Section of Gastroenterology, Guadalajara University Hospital, 19002 Guadalajara, Castilla La-Mancha, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla La-Mancha (IDISCAM), 45071 Toledo, Castilla La-Mancha, Spain
| | - Eduardo Sanz-de-Villalobos
- Section of Gastroenterology, Guadalajara University Hospital, 19002 Guadalajara, Castilla La-Mancha, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla La-Mancha (IDISCAM), 45071 Toledo, Castilla La-Mancha, Spain
| | - Alejandro González-Praetorius
- Section of Microbiology, Guadalajara University Hospital, 19002 Guadalajara, Castilla La-Mancha, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla La-Mancha (IDISCAM), 45071 Toledo, Castilla La-Mancha, Spain
| | - Miguel Torralba
- Service of Internal Medicine, Guadalajara University Hospital, 19002 Guadalajara, Castilla La-Mancha, Spain
- Department of Medicine & Medical Specialties, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla La-Mancha (IDISCAM), 45071 Toledo, Castilla La-Mancha, Spain
| | - Juan-Ramón Larrubia
- Section of Gastroenterology, Guadalajara University Hospital, 19002 Guadalajara, Castilla La-Mancha, Spain
- Department of Medicine & Medical Specialties, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla La-Mancha (IDISCAM), 45071 Toledo, Castilla La-Mancha, Spain
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18
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Reticker-Flynn NE, Engleman EG. Lymph nodes: at the intersection of cancer treatment and progression. Trends Cell Biol 2023; 33:1021-1034. [PMID: 37149414 PMCID: PMC10624650 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2023.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Metastasis to lymph nodes (LNs) is a common feature of disease progression in most solid organ malignancies. Consequently, LN biopsy and lymphadenectomy are common clinical practices, not only because of their diagnostic utility but also as a means of deterring further metastatic spread. LN metastases have the potential to seed additional tissues and can induce metastatic tolerance, a process by which tumor-specific immune tolerance in LNs promotes further disease progression. Nonetheless, phylogenetic studies have revealed that distant metastases are not necessarily derived from nodal metastases. Furthermore, immunotherapy efficacy is increasingly being attributed to initiation of systemic immune responses within LNs. We argue that lymphadenectomy and nodal irradiation should be approached with caution, particularly in patients receiving immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan E Reticker-Flynn
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Edgar G Engleman
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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19
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Hsu J, Donahue RN, Katragadda M, Lowry J, Huang W, Srinivasan K, Guntas G, Tang J, Servattalab R, Moisan J, Tsai YT, Stoop A, Palakurthi S, Chopra R, Liu K, Wherry EJ, Su Z, Gulley JL, Bayliffe A, Schlom J. A T cell receptor β chain-directed antibody fusion molecule activates and expands subsets of T cells to promote antitumor activity. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eadi0258. [PMID: 38019931 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adi0258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite the success of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) inhibitors in treating solid tumors, only a proportion of patients respond. Here, we describe a first-in-class bifunctional therapeutic molecule, STAR0602, that comprises an antibody targeting germline Vβ6 and Vβ10 T cell receptors (TCRs) fused to human interleukin-2 (IL-2) and simultaneously engages a nonclonal mode of TCR activation with costimulation to promote activation and expansion of αβ T cell subsets expressing distinct variable β (Vβ) TCR chains. In solution, STAR0602 binds IL-2 receptors in cis with Vβ6/Vβ10 TCRs on the same T cell, promoting expansion of human Vβ6 and Vβ10 CD4+ and CD8+ T cells that acquire an atypical central memory phenotype. Monotherapy with a mouse surrogate molecule induced durable tumor regression across six murine solid tumor models, including several refractory to anti-PD-1. Analysis of murine tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) transcriptomes revealed that expanded Vβ T cells acquired a distinct effector memory phenotype with suppression of genes associated with T cell exhaustion and TCR signaling repression. Sequencing of TIL TCRs also revealed an increased T cell repertoire diversity within targeted Vβ T cell subsets, suggesting clonal revival of tumor T cell responses. These immunological and antitumor effects in mice were recapitulated in studies of STAR0602 in nonhuman primates and human ex vivo models, wherein STAR0602 boosted human antigen-specific T cell responses and killing of tumor organoids. Thus, STAR0602 represents a distinct class of T cell-activating molecules with the potential to deliver enhanced antitumor activity in checkpoint inhibitor-refractory settings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Renee N Donahue
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | | | - Wei Huang
- Marengo Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | | | - Jian Tang
- Marengo Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | | | - Yo-Ting Tsai
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | | | - Raj Chopra
- Marengo Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Ke Liu
- Marengo Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - E John Wherry
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Institute for Immunology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Zhen Su
- Marengo Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - James L Gulley
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | - Jeffrey Schlom
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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20
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Chen DG, Xie J, Su Y, Heath JR. T cell receptor sequences are the dominant factor contributing to the phenotype of CD8 + T cells with specificities against immunogenic viral antigens. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113279. [PMID: 37883974 PMCID: PMC10729740 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Antigen-specific CD8+ T cells mediate pathogen clearance. T cell phenotype is influenced by T cell receptor (TCR) sequences and environmental signals. Quantitative comparisons of these factors in human disease, while challenging to obtain, can provide foundational insights into basic T cell biology. Here, we investigate the phenotype kinetics of 679 CD8+ T cell clonotypes, each with specificity against one of three immunogenic viral antigens. Data were collected from a longitudinal study of 68 COVID-19 patients with antigens from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and influenza. Each antigen is associated with a different type of immune activation during COVID-19. We find TCR sequence to be by far the most important factor in shaping T cell phenotype and persistence for populations specific to any of these antigens. Our work demonstrates the important relationship between TCR sequence and T cell phenotype and persistence and helps explain why T cell phenotype often appears to be determined early in an infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel G Chen
- Institute of Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Clinical Research Division, Program in Immunology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Jingyi Xie
- Institute of Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Yapeng Su
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Clinical Research Division, Program in Immunology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - James R Heath
- Institute of Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.
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21
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Silva JG, Pais Ferreira D, Dumez A, Wyss T, Veber R, Danilo M, Pinschewer DD, Charmoy M, Held W. Emergence and fate of stem cell-like Tcf7+ CD8 + T cells during a primary immune response to viral infection. Sci Immunol 2023; 8:eadh3113. [PMID: 37976346 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adh3113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
In response to infection, naïve CD8+ T (TN) cells yield a large pool of short-lived terminal effector (TTE) cells that eliminate infected host cells. In parallel, a minor population of stem cell-like central memory (TCM) cells forms, which has the capacity to maintain immunity after pathogen clearance. It has remained uncertain whether stem-like TCM cells arise by dedifferentiation from a subset of cytolytic TTE cells or whether priming generates stem-like cells capable of seeding the TCM compartment and, if so, when cytolytic TTE cells branch off. Here, we show that CD8+ T cells with stem-like properties, which are identified by the expression of TCF1 (encoded by Tcf7), are present across the primary response to infection. Priming programs TN cells to undergo multiple cell divisions, over the course of which TCF1 expression is maintained. These TCF1+ cells further expand relatively independently of systemic inflammation, antigen dose, or affinity, and they quantitatively yield TCF1+ TCM cells after pathogen clearance. Inflammatory signals suppress TCF1 expression in early divided TCF1+ cells. TCF1 down-regulation is associated with the irreversible loss of self-renewal capacity and the silencing of stem/memory genes, which precedes the stable acquisition of a TTE state. TCF1 expression restrains cell cycling, explaining in part the limited expansion of TCF1+ relative to TCF1- cells during the primary response. Thus, our data are consistent with terminal differentiation of effector cells being a step-wise process that is initiated by inflammation in primed stem-like cells, which would otherwise become central memory cells by default.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Gomes Silva
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Alexandre Dumez
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tania Wyss
- Translational Data Science Facility, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Romain Veber
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Maxime Danilo
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Daniel D Pinschewer
- Department of Biomedicine, Division of Experimental Virology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mélanie Charmoy
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Werner Held
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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22
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Abstract
T cells can acquire a broad spectrum of differentiation states following activation. At the extreme ends of this continuum are short-lived cells equipped with effector machinery and more quiescent, long-lived cells with heightened proliferative potential and stem cell-like developmental plasticity. The latter encompass stem-like exhausted T cells and memory T cells, both of which have recently emerged as key determinants of cancer immunity and response to immunotherapy. Here, we discuss key similarities and differences in the regulation and function of stem-like exhausted CD8+ T cells and memory CD8+ T cells, and consider their context-specific contributions to protective immunity in diverse outcomes of cancer, including tumour escape, long-term control and eradication. Finally, we emphasize how recent advances in the understanding of the molecular regulation of stem-like exhausted T cells and memory T cells are being explored for clinical benefit in cancer immunotherapies such as checkpoint inhibition, adoptive cell therapy and vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Gebhardt
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Simone L Park
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ian A Parish
- Cancer Immunology Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
- John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
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23
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Zou G, Huang Y, Zhang S, Ko KP, Kim B, Zhang J, Venkatesan V, Pizzi MP, Fan Y, Jun S, Niu N, Wang H, Song S, Ajani JA, Park JI. CDH1 loss promotes diffuse-type gastric cancer tumorigenesis via epigenetic reprogramming and immune evasion. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.23.533976. [PMID: 36993615 PMCID: PMC10055394 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.23.533976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Diffuse-type gastric adenocarcinoma (DGAC) is a deadly cancer often diagnosed late and resistant to treatment. While hereditary DGAC is linked to CDH1 gene mutations, causing E-Cadherin loss, its role in sporadic DGAC is unclear. We discovered CDH1 inactivation in a subset of DGAC patient tumors. Analyzing single-cell transcriptomes in malignant ascites, we identified two DGAC subtypes: DGAC1 (CDH1 loss) and DGAC2 (lacking immune response). DGAC1 displayed distinct molecular signatures, activated DGAC-related pathways, and an abundance of exhausted T cells in ascites. Genetically engineered murine gastric organoids showed that Cdh1 knock-out (KO), KrasG12D, Trp53 KO (EKP) accelerates tumorigenesis with immune evasion compared to KrasG12D, Trp53 KO (KP). We also identified EZH2 as a key mediator promoting CDH1 loss-associated DGAC tumorigenesis. These findings highlight DGAC's molecular diversity and potential for personalized treatment in CDH1-inactivated patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gengyi Zou
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yuanjian Huang
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, China
| | - Shengzhe Zhang
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kyung-Pil Ko
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Bongjun Kim
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Vishwa Venkatesan
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Melissa P. Pizzi
- Department of GI Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yibo Fan
- Department of GI Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sohee Jun
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Na Niu
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Huamin Wang
- Department of Pathology, Division of Pathology/Lab Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shumei Song
- Department of GI Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jaffer A. Ajani
- Department of GI Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jae-Il Park
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Program in Genetics and Epigenetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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24
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Neubert EN, DeRogatis JM, Lewis SA, Viramontes KM, Ortega P, Henriquez ML, Buisson R, Messaoudi I, Tinoco R. HMGB2 regulates the differentiation and stemness of exhausted CD8 + T cells during chronic viral infection and cancer. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5631. [PMID: 37704621 PMCID: PMC10499904 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41352-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic infections and cancers evade the host immune system through mechanisms that induce T cell exhaustion. The heterogeneity within the exhausted CD8+ T cell pool has revealed the importance of stem-like progenitor (Tpex) and terminal (Tex) exhausted T cells, although the mechanisms underlying their development are not fully known. Here we report High Mobility Group Box 2 (HMGB2) protein expression is upregulated and sustained in exhausted CD8+ T cells, and HMGB2 expression is critical for their differentiation. Through epigenetic and transcriptional programming, we identify HMGB2 as a cell-intrinsic regulator of the differentiation and maintenance of Tpex cells during chronic viral infection and in tumors. Despite Hmgb2-/- CD8+ T cells expressing TCF-1 and TOX, these master regulators were unable to sustain Tpex differentiation and long-term survival during persistent antigen. Furthermore, HMGB2 also had a cell-intrinsic function in the differentiation and function of memory CD8+ T cells after acute viral infection. Our findings show that HMGB2 is a key regulator of CD8+ T cells and may be an important molecular target for future T cell-based immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily N Neubert
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Center for Virus Research, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Julia M DeRogatis
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Sloan A Lewis
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Karla M Viramontes
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Pedro Ortega
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism, Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Monique L Henriquez
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Rémi Buisson
- Center for Virus Research, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism, Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Ilhem Messaoudi
- Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Roberto Tinoco
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
- Center for Virus Research, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
- Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
- Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
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25
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Sturmlechner I, Jain A, Mu Y, Weyand CM, Goronzy JJ. T cell fate decisions during memory cell generation with aging. Semin Immunol 2023; 69:101800. [PMID: 37494738 PMCID: PMC10528238 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2023.101800] [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] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
The defense against infectious diseases, either through natural immunity or after vaccinations, relies on the generation and maintenance of protective T cell memory. Naïve T cells are at the center of memory T cell generation during primary responses. Upon activation, they undergo a complex, highly regulated differentiation process towards different functional states. Naïve T cells maintained into older age have undergone epigenetic adaptations that influence their fate decisions during differentiation. We review age-sensitive, molecular pathways and gene regulatory networks that bias naïve T cell differentiation towards effector cell generation at the expense of memory and Tfh cells. As a result, T cell differentiation in older adults is associated with release of bioactive waste products into the microenvironment, higher stress sensitivity as well as skewing towards pro-inflammatory signatures and shorter life spans. These maladaptations not only contribute to poor vaccine responses in older adults but also fuel a more inflammatory state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Sturmlechner
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Abhinav Jain
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Yunmei Mu
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Cornelia M Weyand
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Jörg J Goronzy
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
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26
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Lan X, Zebley CC, Youngblood B. Cellular and molecular waypoints along the path of T cell exhaustion. Sci Immunol 2023; 8:eadg3868. [PMID: 37656775 PMCID: PMC10618911 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adg3868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Thirty years of foundational research investigating molecular and cellular mechanisms promoting T cell exhaustion are now enabling rational design of T cell-based therapies for the treatment of chronic infections and cancer. Once described as a static cell fate, it is now well appreciated that the developmental path toward exhaustion is composed of a heterogeneous pool of cells with varying degrees of effector potential that ultimately converge on a terminally differentiated state. Recent description of the developmental stages along the differentiation trajectory of T cell exhaustion has provided insight into past immunotherapeutic success and future opportunities. Here, we discuss the hallmarks of distinct developmental stages occurring along the path to T cell dysfunction and the impact of these discrete CD8+ T cell fates on cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Lan
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- College of Graduate Health Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Caitlin C. Zebley
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Ben Youngblood
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
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27
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Ivanova DL, Thompson SB, Klarquist J, Harbell MG, Kilgore AM, Lasda EL, Hesselberth JR, Hunter CA, Kedl RM. Vaccine adjuvant-elicited CD8 + T cell immunity is co-dependent on T-bet and FOXO1. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112911. [PMID: 37516968 PMCID: PMC10577800 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
T-bet and FOXO1 are transcription factors canonically associated with effector and memory T cell fates, respectively. During an infectious response, these factors direct the development of CD8+ T cell fates, where T-bet deficiency leads to ablation of only short-lived effector cells, while FOXO1 deficiency results in selective loss of memory. In contrast, following adjuvanted subunit vaccination in mice, both effector- and memory-fated T cells are compromised in the absence of either T-bet or FOXO1. Thus, unlike responses to challenge with Listeria monocytogenes, productive CD8+ T cell responses to adjuvanted vaccination require coordinated regulation of FOXO1 and T-bet transcriptional programs. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis confirms simultaneous T-bet, FOXO1, and TCF1 transcriptional activity in vaccine-elicited, but not infection-elicited, T cells undergoing clonal expansion. Collectively, our data show that subunit vaccine adjuvants elicit T cell responses dependent on transcription factors associated with effector and memory cell fates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria L Ivanova
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Scott B Thompson
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Jared Klarquist
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Michael G Harbell
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Augustus M Kilgore
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Erika L Lasda
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Jay R Hesselberth
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Christopher A Hunter
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ross M Kedl
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
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28
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Sun Q, Hong Z, Zhang C, Wang L, Han Z, Ma D. Immune checkpoint therapy for solid tumours: clinical dilemmas and future trends. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:320. [PMID: 37635168 PMCID: PMC10460796 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01522-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICBs), in addition to targeting CTLA-4, PD-1, and PD-L1, novel targeting LAG-3 drugs have also been approved in clinical application. With the widespread use of the drug, we must deeply analyze the dilemma of the agents and seek a breakthrough in the treatment prospect. Over the past decades, these agents have demonstrated dramatic efficacy, especially in patients with melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Nonetheless, in the field of a broad concept of solid tumours, non-specific indications, inseparable immune response and side effects, unconfirmed progressive disease, and complex regulatory networks of immune resistance are four barriers that limit its widespread application. Fortunately, the successful clinical trials of novel ICB agents and combination therapies, the advent of the era of oncolytic virus gene editing, and the breakthrough of the technical barriers of mRNA vaccines and nano-delivery systems have made remarkable breakthroughs currently. In this review, we enumerate the mechanisms of each immune checkpoint targets, associations between ICB with tumour mutation burden, key immune regulatory or resistance signalling pathways, the specific clinical evidence of the efficacy of classical targets and new targets among different tumour types and put forward dialectical thoughts on drug safety. Finally, we discuss the importance of accurate triage of ICB based on recent advances in predictive biomarkers and diagnostic testing techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Sun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
- Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
| | - Zhenya Hong
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
| | - Cong Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
- Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
| | - Liangliang Wang
- Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
| | - Zhiqiang Han
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China.
- Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China.
| | - Ding Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China.
- Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China.
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29
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Wu JE, Manne S, Ngiow SF, Baxter AE, Huang H, Freilich E, Clark ML, Lee JH, Chen Z, Khan O, Staupe RP, Huang YJ, Shi J, Giles JR, Wherry EJ. In vitro modeling of CD8 + T cell exhaustion enables CRISPR screening to reveal a role for BHLHE40. Sci Immunol 2023; 8:eade3369. [PMID: 37595022 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.ade3369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Identifying molecular mechanisms of exhausted CD8 T cells (Tex) is a key goal of improving immunotherapy of cancer and other diseases. However, high-throughput interrogation of in vivo Tex can be costly and inefficient. In vitro models of Tex are easily customizable and quickly generate high cellular yield, enabling CRISPR screening and other high-throughput assays. We established an in vitro model of chronic stimulation and benchmarked key phenotypic, functional, transcriptional, and epigenetic features against bona fide in vivo Tex. We leveraged this model of in vitro chronic stimulation in combination with CRISPR screening to identify transcriptional regulators of T cell exhaustion. This approach identified several transcription factors, including BHLHE40. In vitro and in vivo validation defined a role for BHLHE40 in regulating a key differentiation checkpoint between progenitor and intermediate Tex subsets. By developing and benchmarking an in vitro model of Tex, then applying high-throughput CRISPR screening, we demonstrate the utility of mechanistically annotated in vitro models of Tex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Wu
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sasikanth Manne
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shin Foong Ngiow
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amy E Baxter
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hua Huang
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Freilich
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Megan L Clark
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Joanna H Lee
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Zeyu Chen
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Omar Khan
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ryan P Staupe
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yinghui J Huang
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Junwei Shi
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Josephine R Giles
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - E John Wherry
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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30
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Castiglioni A, Yang Y, Williams K, Gogineni A, Lane RS, Wang AW, Shyer JA, Zhang Z, Mittman S, Gutierrez A, Astarita JL, Thai M, Hung J, Yang YA, Pourmohamad T, Himmels P, De Simone M, Elstrott J, Capietto AH, Cubas R, Modrusan Z, Sandoval W, Ziai J, Gould SE, Fu W, Wang Y, Koerber JT, Sanjabi S, Mellman I, Turley SJ, Müller S. Combined PD-L1/TGFβ blockade allows expansion and differentiation of stem cell-like CD8 T cells in immune excluded tumors. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4703. [PMID: 37543621 PMCID: PMC10404279 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40398-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023] Open
Abstract
TGFβ signaling is associated with non-response to immune checkpoint blockade in patients with advanced cancers, particularly in the immune-excluded phenotype. While previous work demonstrates that converting tumors from excluded to inflamed phenotypes requires attenuation of PD-L1 and TGFβ signaling, the underlying cellular mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we show that TGFβ and PD-L1 restrain intratumoral stem cell-like CD8 T cell (TSCL) expansion and replacement of progenitor-exhausted and dysfunctional CD8 T cells with non-exhausted T effector cells in the EMT6 tumor model in female mice. Upon combined TGFβ/PD-L1 blockade IFNγhi CD8 T effector cells show enhanced motility and accumulate in the tumor. Ensuing IFNγ signaling transforms myeloid, stromal, and tumor niches to yield an immune-supportive ecosystem. Blocking IFNγ abolishes the anti-PD-L1/anti-TGFβ therapy efficacy. Our data suggest that TGFβ works with PD-L1 to prevent TSCL expansion and replacement of exhausted CD8 T cells, thereby maintaining the T cell compartment in a dysfunctional state.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Zhe Zhang
- Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Minh Thai
- Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
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31
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Gill AL, Wang PH, Lee J, Hudson WH, Ando S, Araki K, Hu Y, Wieland A, Im S, Gavora A, Medina CB, Freeman GJ, Hashimoto M, Reiner SL, Ahmed R. PD-1 blockade increases the self-renewal of stem-like CD8 T cells to compensate for their accelerated differentiation into effectors. Sci Immunol 2023; 8:eadg0539. [PMID: 37624909 PMCID: PMC10798572 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adg0539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
PD-1+TCF-1+ stem-like CD8 T cells act as critical resource cells for maintaining T cell immunity in chronic viral infections and cancer. In addition, they provide the proliferative burst of effector CD8 T cells after programmed death protein 1 (PD-1)-directed immunotherapy. However, it is not known whether checkpoint blockade diminishes the number of these stem-like progenitor cells as effector cell differentiation increases. To investigate this, we used the mouse model of chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection. Treatment of chronically infected mice with either αPD-1 or αPD-L1 antibody not only increased effector cell differentiation from the virus-specific stem-like CD8 T cells but also increased their proliferation so their numbers were maintained. The increased self-renewal of LCMV-specific stem-like CD8 T cells was mTOR dependent. We used microscopy to understand the division of these progenitor cells and found that after PD-1 blockade, an individual dividing cell could give rise to a differentiated TCF-1- daughter cell alongside a self-renewing TCF-1+ sister cell. This asymmetric division helped to preserve the number of stem-like cells. Moreover, we found that the PD-1+TCF-1+ stem-like CD8 T cells retained their transcriptional program and their in vivo functionality in terms of responding to viral infection and to repeat PD-1 blockade. Together, our results demonstrate that PD-1 blockade does not deplete the stem-like population despite increasing effector differentiation. These findings have implications for PD-1-directed immunotherapy in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L. Gill
- Emory Vaccine Center and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Peter H. Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center; New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Judong Lee
- Emory Vaccine Center and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - William H. Hudson
- Emory Vaccine Center and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Satomi Ando
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine; Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Koichi Araki
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine; Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Yinghong Hu
- Emory Vaccine Center and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Andreas Wieland
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University; Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Sejin Im
- Department of Immunology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine; Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Autumn Gavora
- Emory Vaccine Center and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Christopher B. Medina
- Emory Vaccine Center and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Gordon J. Freeman
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Masao Hashimoto
- Emory Vaccine Center and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Steven L. Reiner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center; New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Rafi Ahmed
- Emory Vaccine Center and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
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Micevic G, Daniels A, Flem-Karlsen K, Park K, Talty R, McGeary M, Mirza H, Blackburn HN, Sefik E, Cheung JF, Hornick NI, Aizenbud L, Joshi NS, Kluger H, Iwasaki A, Bosenberg MW, Flavell RA. IL-7R licenses a population of epigenetically poised memory CD8 + T cells with superior antitumor efficacy that are critical for melanoma memory. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2304319120. [PMID: 37459511 PMCID: PMC10372654 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2304319120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Recurrence of advanced melanoma after therapy is a major risk factor for reduced survival, and treatment options are limited. Antitumor immune memory plays a critical role in preventing melanoma recurrence and memory T cells could be a potent cell-based therapy, but the identity, and functional properties of the required immune cells are incompletely understood. Here, we show that an IL-7Rhi tumor-specific CD8+ population is critical for antitumor memory and can be epigenetically augmented to drive powerful antitumor immune responses. Using a model of functional antimelanoma memory, we found that high IL-7R expression selectively marks a CD8+ population in lymphoid organs that plays critical roles in maintaining tumor remission after immunotherapy or surgical resection. This population has intrinsic cytotoxic activity, lacks markers of exhaustion and has superior antitumor efficacy. IL-7Rhi cells have a functionally poised epigenetic landscape regulated by DNA methylation, which can be augmented by hypomethylating agents to confer improved survival and complete melanoma clearance in naive mice. Importantly, greater than 95% of tumor-specific T cells in draining lymph nodes after therapy express high levels of IL-7R. This overlap between IL-7Rhi and antigen-specific T cells allows for enrichment of a potent functional CD8+ population without determining antigen-specificity, which we demonstrate in a melanoma model without a known antigen. We identify that IL-7R expression in human melanoma is an independent prognostic factor of improved survival. These findings advance our basic understanding of antitumor memory and suggest a cell-based therapy using high IL-7R expression to enrich for a lymph node population with superior antitumor activity that can be augmented by hypomethylating agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goran Micevic
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Andrew Daniels
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | | | - Koonam Park
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Ronan Talty
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Meaghan McGeary
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Haris Mirza
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Holly N. Blackburn
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
- Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Esen Sefik
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Julie F. Cheung
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Noah I. Hornick
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Lilach Aizenbud
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
- Department of Medicine (Medical Oncology), Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Nikhil S. Joshi
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Harriet Kluger
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
- Department of Medicine (Medical Oncology), Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Akiko Iwasaki
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
- HHMI, Chevy Chase, MD20815
| | - Marcus W. Bosenberg
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
- Yale Center for Immuno-Oncology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Richard A. Flavell
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
- HHMI, Chevy Chase, MD20815
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Chen L, Lee N, Sarkar R, Katabi N, Li Y, Morris L, Wong R, Sherman E, Reis-Filho JS, Hollmann T, Riaz N. Stem cell-like T cell depletion in the recurrent head and neck cancer immune microenvironment. Oncoimmunology 2023; 12:2230666. [PMID: 37435097 PMCID: PMC10332189 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2023.2230666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Human papilloma virus (HPV)-related oncogenesis in head and neck cancer establishes a local microenvironment rich with immune cells, however the composition of the microenvironment in recurrent disease following definitive treatment is poorly understood. Here, we investigate the composition and spatial relationships between tumor and immune cells in recurrent head and neck cancer following curative intent chemoradiotherapy. Multiplexed immunofluorescence with 12 unique markers, through two multiplex immunofluorescent panels, was performed to evaluate 27 tumor samples including 18 pre-treatment primary and 9 paired recurrent tumors. Tumor and immune cell populations were phenotyped and quantified using a previously validated semi-automated digital pathology platform for cell segmentation. Spatial analysis was conducted by evaluating immune cells within the tumor, peri-tumoral stroma, and distant stroma. Initial tumors in patients with subsequent recurrence were found to be enriched in tumor associated macrophages and displayed an immune excluded spatial distribution. Recurrent tumors after chemoradiation were hypo-inflamed, with a statistically significant reduction in the recently identified stem-like TCF1+ CD8 T-cells, which normally function to maintain HPV-specific immune responses in the setting of chronic antigen exposure. Our findings indicate that the tumor microenvironment of recurrent HPV-related head and neck cancers displays a reduction in stem-like T cells, consistent with an immune microenvironment with a reduced ability to mount T-cell-driven anti-tumor immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Nancy Lee
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Reith Sarkar
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Nora Katabi
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Yanyun Li
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Luc Morris
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Richard Wong
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Eric Sherman
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jorge S. Reis-Filho
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Travis Hollmann
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Nadeem Riaz
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
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Jenkins E, Whitehead T, Fellermeyer M, Davis SJ, Sharma S. The current state and future of T-cell exhaustion research. OXFORD OPEN IMMUNOLOGY 2023; 4:iqad006. [PMID: 37554723 PMCID: PMC10352049 DOI: 10.1093/oxfimm/iqad006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
'Exhaustion' is a term used to describe a state of native and redirected T-cell hypo-responsiveness resulting from persistent antigen exposure during chronic viral infections or cancer. Although a well-established phenotype across mice and humans, exhaustion at the molecular level remains poorly defined and inconsistent across the literature. This is, in part, due to an overreliance on surface receptors to define these cells and explain exhaustive behaviours, an incomplete understanding of how exhaustion arises, and a lack of clarity over whether exhaustion is the same across contexts, e.g. chronic viral infections versus cancer. With the development of systems-based genetic approaches such as single-cell RNA-seq and CRISPR screens applied to in vivo data, we are moving closer to a consensus view of exhaustion, although understanding how it arises remains challenging given the difficulty in manipulating the in vivo setting. Accordingly, producing and studying exhausted T-cells ex vivo are burgeoning, allowing experiments to be conducted at scale up and with high throughput. Here, we first review what is currently known about T-cell exhaustion and how it's being studied. We then discuss how improvements in their method of isolation/production and examining the impact of different microenvironmental signals and cell interactions have now become an active area of research. Finally, we discuss what the future holds for the analysis of this physiological condition and, given the diversity of ways in which exhausted cells are now being generated, propose the adoption of a unified approach to clearly defining exhaustion using a set of metabolic-, epigenetic-, transcriptional-, and activation-based phenotypic markers, that we call 'M.E.T.A'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Jenkins
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Toby Whitehead
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Martin Fellermeyer
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Simon J Davis
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Sumana Sharma
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
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35
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Dagar G, Gupta A, Masoodi T, Nisar S, Merhi M, Hashem S, Chauhan R, Dagar M, Mirza S, Bagga P, Kumar R, Akil ASAS, Macha MA, Haris M, Uddin S, Singh M, Bhat AA. Harnessing the potential of CAR-T cell therapy: progress, challenges, and future directions in hematological and solid tumor treatments. J Transl Med 2023; 21:449. [PMID: 37420216 PMCID: PMC10327392 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04292-3] [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: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditional cancer treatments use nonspecific drugs and monoclonal antibodies to target tumor cells. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy, however, leverages the immune system's T-cells to recognize and attack tumor cells. T-cells are isolated from patients and modified to target tumor-associated antigens. CAR-T therapy has achieved FDA approval for treating blood cancers like B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, large B-cell lymphoma, and multiple myeloma by targeting CD-19 and B-cell maturation antigens. Bi-specific chimeric antigen receptors may contribute to mitigating tumor antigen escape, but their efficacy could be limited in cases where certain tumor cells do not express the targeted antigens. Despite success in blood cancers, CAR-T technology faces challenges in solid tumors, including lack of reliable tumor-associated antigens, hypoxic cores, immunosuppressive tumor environments, enhanced reactive oxygen species, and decreased T-cell infiltration. To overcome these challenges, current research aims to identify reliable tumor-associated antigens and develop cost-effective, tumor microenvironment-specific CAR-T cells. This review covers the evolution of CAR-T therapy against various tumors, including hematological and solid tumors, highlights challenges faced by CAR-T cell therapy, and suggests strategies to overcome these obstacles, such as utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing and artificial intelligence to optimize clinical-grade CAR-T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunjan Dagar
- Department of Medical Oncology (Lab.), Dr. BRAIRCH, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Ashna Gupta
- Department of Medical Oncology (Lab.), Dr. BRAIRCH, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Tariq Masoodi
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Genetics, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sabah Nisar
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Maysaloun Merhi
- National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, 3050, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sheema Hashem
- Department of Human Genetics, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ravi Chauhan
- Department of Medical Oncology (Lab.), Dr. BRAIRCH, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Manisha Dagar
- Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Sameer Mirza
- Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Puneet Bagga
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- School of Biotechnology, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, 182320, India
| | - Ammira S Al-Shabeeb Akil
- Department of Human Genetics-Precision Medicine in Diabetes, Obesity and Cancer Program, Sidra Medicine, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar
| | - Muzafar A Macha
- Watson-Crick Centre for Molecular Medicine, Islamic University of Science and Technology, Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Mohammad Haris
- Center for Advanced Metabolic Imaging in Precision Medicine, Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
- Laboratory Animal Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Shahab Uddin
- Laboratory Animal Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box 3050, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Mayank Singh
- Department of Medical Oncology (Lab.), Dr. BRAIRCH, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, Delhi, 110029, India.
| | - Ajaz A Bhat
- Department of Human Genetics-Precision Medicine in Diabetes, Obesity and Cancer Program, Sidra Medicine, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar.
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Sun L, Su Y, Jiao A, Wang X, Zhang B. T cells in health and disease. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:235. [PMID: 37332039 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01471-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 78.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
T cells are crucial for immune functions to maintain health and prevent disease. T cell development occurs in a stepwise process in the thymus and mainly generates CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets. Upon antigen stimulation, naïve T cells differentiate into CD4+ helper and CD8+ cytotoxic effector and memory cells, mediating direct killing, diverse immune regulatory function, and long-term protection. In response to acute and chronic infections and tumors, T cells adopt distinct differentiation trajectories and develop into a range of heterogeneous populations with various phenotype, differentiation potential, and functionality under precise and elaborate regulations of transcriptional and epigenetic programs. Abnormal T-cell immunity can initiate and promote the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of T cell development, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell classification, and differentiation in physiological settings. We further elaborate the heterogeneity, differentiation, functionality, and regulation network of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in infectious disease, chronic infection and tumor, and autoimmune disease, highlighting the exhausted CD8+ T cell differentiation trajectory, CD4+ T cell helper function, T cell contributions to immunotherapy and autoimmune pathogenesis. We also discuss the development and function of γδ T cells in tissue surveillance, infection, and tumor immunity. Finally, we summarized current T-cell-based immunotherapies in both cancer and autoimmune diseases, with an emphasis on their clinical applications. A better understanding of T cell immunity provides insight into developing novel prophylactic and therapeutic strategies in human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Sun
- Department of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Xi'an Key Laboratory of Immune Related Diseases, Xi'an, Shannxi, 710061, China
| | - Yanhong Su
- Department of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Xi'an Key Laboratory of Immune Related Diseases, Xi'an, Shannxi, 710061, China
| | - Anjun Jiao
- Department of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Xi'an Key Laboratory of Immune Related Diseases, Xi'an, Shannxi, 710061, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
- Xi'an Key Laboratory of Immune Related Diseases, Xi'an, Shannxi, 710061, China
| | - Baojun Zhang
- Department of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China.
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China.
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China.
- Xi'an Key Laboratory of Immune Related Diseases, Xi'an, Shannxi, 710061, China.
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37
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Romine KA, Bottomly D, Yashar W, Long N, Viehdorfer M, McWeeney SK, Tyner JW. Immune cell proportions correlate with clinicogenomic features and ex vivo drug responses in acute myeloid leukemia. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1192829. [PMID: 37361575 PMCID: PMC10285384 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1192829] [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: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The implementation of small-molecule and immunotherapies in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been challenging due to genetic and epigenetic variability amongst patients. There are many potential mechanisms by which immune cells could influence small-molecule or immunotherapy responses, yet, this area remains understudied. Methods Here we performed cell type enrichment analysis from over 560 AML patient bone marrow and peripheral blood samples from the Beat AML dataset to describe the functional immune landscape of AML. Results We identify multiple cell types that significantly correlate with AML clinical and genetic features, and we also observe significant correlations of immune cell proportions with ex vivo small-molecule and immunotherapy responses. Additionally, we generated a signature of terminally exhausted T cells (Tex) and identified AML with high monocytic proportions as strongly correlating with increased proportions of these immunosuppressive T cells. Discussion Our work, which is accessible through a new "Cell Type" module in our visualization platform (Vizome; http://vizome.org/), can be leveraged to investigate potential contributions of different immune cells on many facets of the biology of AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle A. Romine
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Daniel Bottomly
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - William Yashar
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Nicola Long
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- Division of Hematology & Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Matthew Viehdorfer
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Shannon K. McWeeney
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Jeffrey W. Tyner
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- Department of Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
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Zhang J, Lei F, Tan H. The development of CD8 T-cell exhaustion heterogeneity and the therapeutic potentials in cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1166128. [PMID: 37275913 PMCID: PMC10232978 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1166128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
CD8+ T cells are essential lymphocytes with cytotoxic properties for antitumor immunotherapy. However, during chronic infection or tumorigenesis, these cells often become dysfunctional with a gradually depleted ability to release cytokines and the exhibition of reduced cytotoxicity, the state referred to as "T-cell exhaustion" (Tex). This unique state was characterized by the increasing expression of inhibitory checkpoint receptors, and interventions targeting immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs) have been considered as a promising strategy to stimulate T-cell killing. Recent investigations have demonstrated that exhausted T cells not only display functional, metabolic, transcriptional, and epigenetic differences but also comprise a heterogeneous group of cells. In this review, we summarize the current findings on dynamic differentiation process during Tex heterogeneity development in cancer and chronic infection. We discuss how the responses to immunotherapy are determined by these distinct subsets and highlight prospective approaches for improving the efficacy of ICB therapy for cancer by leveraging the heterogeneity of T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Zhang
- Department of Basic Research, Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feifei Lei
- Lab of Liver Disease, Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, China
| | - Huabing Tan
- Lab of Liver Disease, Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, China
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39
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Klein S, Mischke J, Beruldsen F, Prinz I, Antunes DA, Cornberg M, Kraft ARM. Individual Epitope-Specific CD8 + T Cell Immune Responses Are Shaped Differently during Chronic Viral Infection. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12050716. [PMID: 37242386 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12050716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
A hallmark in chronic viral infections are exhausted antigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses and the inability of the immune system to eliminate the virus. Currently, there is limited information on the variability of epitope-specific T cell exhaustion within one immune response and the relevance to the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire. The aim of this study was a comprehensive analysis and comparison of three lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) epitope-specific CD8+ T cell responses (NP396, GP33 and NP205) in a chronic setting with immune intervention, e.g., immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy, in regard to the TCR repertoire. These responses, though measured within the same mice, were individual and independent from each other. The massively exhausted NP396-specific CD8+ T cells revealed a significantly reduced TCR repertoire diversity, whereas less-exhausted GP33-specific CD8+ T cell responses were rather unaffected by chronicity in regard to their TCR repertoire diversity. NP205-specific CD8+ T cell responses showed a very special TCR repertoire with a prominent public motif of TCR clonotypes that was present in all NP205-specific responses, which separated this from NP396- and GP33-specific responses. Additionally, we showed that TCR repertoire shifts induced by ICI therapy are heterogeneous on the epitope level, by revealing profound effects in NP396-, less severe and opposed effects in NP205-, and minor effects in GP33-specific responses. Overall, our data revealed individual epitope-specific responses within one viral response that are differently affected by exhaustion and ICI therapy. These individual shapings of epitope-specific T cell responses and their TCR repertoires in an LCMV mouse model indicates important implications for focusing on epitope-specific responses in future evaluations for therapeutic approaches, e.g., for chronic hepatitis virus infections in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Klein
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Twincore Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Medicine, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Jasmin Mischke
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Twincore Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Medicine, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Finn Beruldsen
- Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Immo Prinz
- Institute of Systems Immunology, University Medical Center Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Immunology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Dinler A Antunes
- Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Markus Cornberg
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Twincore Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Medicine, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine (CIIM), c/o CRC Hannover, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Anke R M Kraft
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Twincore Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Medicine, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine (CIIM), c/o CRC Hannover, 30625 Hannover, Germany
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40
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Jin J, Mu Y, Zhang H, Sturmlechner I, Wang C, Jadhav RR, Xia Q, Weyand CM, Goronzy JJ. CISH impairs lysosomal function in activated T cells resulting in mitochondrial DNA release and inflammaging. NATURE AGING 2023; 3:600-616. [PMID: 37118554 PMCID: PMC10388378 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00399-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Chronic systemic inflammation is one of the hallmarks of the aging immune system. Here we show that activated T cells from older adults contribute to inflammaging by releasing mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) into their environment due to an increased expression of the cytokine-inducible SH2-containing protein (CISH). CISH targets ATP6V1A, an essential component of the proton pump V-ATPase, for proteasomal degradation, thereby impairing lysosomal function. Impaired lysosomal activity caused intracellular accumulation of multivesicular bodies and amphisomes and the export of their cargos, including mtDNA. CISH silencing in T cells from older adults restored lysosomal activity and prevented amphisomal release. In antigen-specific responses in vivo, CISH-deficient CD4+ T cells released less mtDNA and induced fewer inflammatory cytokines. Attenuating CISH expression may present a promising strategy to reduce inflammation in an immune response of older individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Jin
- Multiscale Research Institute for Complex Systems, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Yunmei Mu
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Huimin Zhang
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Chenyao Wang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Rohit R Jadhav
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Qiong Xia
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Cornelia M Weyand
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Jorg J Goronzy
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
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41
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Wu JE, Manne S, Ngiow SF, Baxter AE, Huang H, Freilich E, Clark ML, Lee JH, Chen Z, Khan O, Staupe RP, Huang YJ, Shi J, Giles JR, Wherry EJ. In Vitro Modeling of CD8 T Cell Exhaustion Enables CRISPR Screening to Reveal a Role for BHLHE40. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.17.537229. [PMID: 37131713 PMCID: PMC10153201 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.17.537229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Identifying novel molecular mechanisms of exhausted CD8 T cells (T ex ) is a key goal of improving immunotherapy of cancer and other diseases. However, high-throughput interrogation of in vivo T ex can be costly and inefficient. In vitro models of T ex are easily customizable and quickly generate high cellular yield, offering an opportunity to perform CRISPR screening and other high-throughput assays. We established an in vitro model of chronic stimulation and benchmarked key phenotypic, functional, transcriptional, and epigenetic features against bona fide in vivo T ex . We leveraged this model of in vitro chronic stimulation in combination with pooled CRISPR screening to uncover transcriptional regulators of T cell exhaustion. This approach identified several transcription factors, including BHLHE40. In vitro and in vivo validation defined a role for BHLHE40 in regulating a key differentiation checkpoint between progenitor and intermediate subsets of T ex . By developing and benchmarking an in vitro model of T ex , we demonstrate the utility of mechanistically annotated in vitro models of T ex , in combination with high-throughput approaches, as a discovery pipeline to uncover novel T ex biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E. Wu
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sasikanth Manne
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shin Foong Ngiow
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amy E. Baxter
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hua Huang
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Freilich
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Megan L. Clark
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Joanna H. Lee
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Zeyu Chen
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Present Address: Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA, USA
| | - Omar Khan
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Present Address: Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ryan P. Staupe
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Present Address: Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc, West Point, PA, USA
| | - Yinghui J. Huang
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Junwei Shi
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Josephine R. Giles
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - E. John Wherry
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Zhang C, Sheng Q, Zhang X, Xu K, Jin X, Zhou W, Zhang M, Lv D, Yang C, Li Y, Xu J, Li X. Prioritizing exhausted T cell marker genes highlights immune subtypes in pan-cancer. iScience 2023; 26:106484. [PMID: 37091230 PMCID: PMC10119613 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Exhausted T (TEX) cells are main immunotherapy targets in cancer, but it lacks a general identification method to characterize TEX cell in disease. To assess the characterization of TEX cell, we extract signature of TEX cell from large cancer and chronic infection cohorts. Based on single-cell transcriptomes, a systematic T cell exhaustion prediction (TEXP) model is designed to define TEX cell in cancer and chronic infection. We then prioritize 42 marker genes, including HAVCR2, PDCD1, TOX, TIGIT and LAG3, which are associated with T cell exhaustion. TEXP could identify high TEX and low TEX subtypes in pan-cancer of TCGA. The high TEX subtypes are characterized by high immune score, immune cell infiltration, high expression of TEX marker genes and poor prognosis. In summary, TEXP and marker genes provide a resource for understanding the function of TEX cell, with implications for immune prediction and immunotherapy in chronic infection and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunlong Zhang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China
- College of Information and Computer Engineering, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Qi Sheng
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China
| | - Xue Zhang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China
| | - Kang Xu
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China
| | - Xiaoyan Jin
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China
| | - Weiwei Zhou
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China
| | - Mengying Zhang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China
| | - Dezhong Lv
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China
| | - Changbo Yang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China
| | - Yongsheng Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Information and Engineering, Hainan Women and Children’s Medical Center, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 571199, China
- Corresponding author
| | - Juan Xu
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China
- Corresponding author
| | - Xia Li
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Information and Engineering, Hainan Women and Children’s Medical Center, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 571199, China
- Corresponding author
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43
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Ford BR, Poholek AC. Regulation and Immunotherapeutic Targeting of the Epigenome in Exhausted CD8 T Cell Responses. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2023; 210:869-879. [PMID: 36947818 PMCID: PMC10037537 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Exhaustion is a state of CD8 T cell differentiation that occurs in settings of chronic Ag such as tumors, chronic viral infection, and autoimmunity. Cellular differentiation is driven by a series of environmental signals that promote epigenetic landscapes that set transcriptomes needed for function. For CD8 T cells, the epigenome that underlies exhaustion is distinct from effector and memory cell differentiation, suggesting that signals early on set in motion a process where the epigenome is modified to promote a trajectory toward a dysfunctional state. Although we know many signals that promote exhaustion, putting this in the context of the epigenetic changes that occur during differentiation has been less clear. In this review, we aim to summarize the epigenetic changes associated with exhaustion in the context of signals that promote it, highlighting immunotherapeutic studies that support these observations or areas for future therapeutic opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Rhodes Ford
- Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; and Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Amanda C Poholek
- Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; and Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
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44
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Romine KA, MacPherson K, Cho HJ, Kosaka Y, Flynn PA, Byrd KH, Coy JL, Newman MT, Pandita R, Loo CP, Scott J, Adey AC, Lind EF. BET inhibitors rescue anti-PD1 resistance by enhancing TCF7 accessibility in leukemia-derived terminally exhausted CD8 + T cells. Leukemia 2023; 37:580-592. [PMID: 36681742 PMCID: PMC9991923 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-023-01808-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Many acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients exhibit hallmarks of immune exhaustion, such as increased myeloid-derived suppressor cells, suppressive regulatory T cells and dysfunctional T cells. Similarly, we have identified the same immune-related features, including exhausted CD8+ T cells (TEx) in a mouse model of AML. Here we show that inhibitors that target bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) proteins affect tumor-intrinsic factors but also rescue T cell exhaustion and ICB resistance. Ex vivo treatment of cells from AML mice and AML patients with BET inhibitors (BETi) reversed CD8+ T cell exhaustion by restoring proliferative capacity and expansion of the more functional precursor-exhausted T cells. This reversal was enhanced by combined BETi and anti-PD1 treatment. BETi synergized with anti-PD1 in vivo, resulting in the reduction of circulating leukemia cells, enrichment of CD8+ T cells in the bone marrow, and increase in expression of Tcf7, Slamf6, and Cxcr5 in CD8+ T cells. Finally, we profiled the epigenomes of in vivo JQ1-treated AML-derived CD8+ T cells by single-cell ATAC-seq and found that JQ1 increases Tcf7 accessibility specifically in Tex cells, suggesting that BETi likely acts mechanistically by relieving repression of progenitor programs in Tex CD8+ T cells and maintaining a pool of anti-PD1 responsive CD8+ T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle A Romine
- Department of Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Kevin MacPherson
- Department of Molecular & Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Hyun-Jun Cho
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Yoko Kosaka
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Patrick A Flynn
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Kaelan H Byrd
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Jesse L Coy
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Matthew T Newman
- School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Ravina Pandita
- Department of Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Christopher P Loo
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Jaime Scott
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Andrew C Adey
- Department of Molecular & Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Center for Early Detection Advanced Research, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Evan F Lind
- Department of Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
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45
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Chronic lymphocytic leukemia presence impairs antigen-specific CD8 + T-cell responses through epigenetic reprogramming towards short-lived effectors. Leukemia 2023; 37:606-616. [PMID: 36658390 PMCID: PMC9851097 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-023-01817-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
T-cell dysregulation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) associates with low response rates to autologous T cell-based therapies. How CLL affects antigen-specific T-cell responses remains largely unknown. We investigated (epi)genetic and functional consequences of antigen-specific T-cell responses in presence of CLL in vitro and in an adoptive-transfer murine model. Already at steady-state, antigen-experienced patient-derived T cells were skewed towards short-lived effector cells (SLEC) at the expense of memory-precursor effector cells (MPEC). Stimulation of these T cells in vitro showed rapid induction of effector genes and suppression of key memory transcription factors only in presence of CLL cells, indicating epigenetic regulation. This was investigated in vivo by following antigen-specific responses of naïve OT-I CD8+ cells to mCMV-OVA in presence/absence of TCL1 B-cell leukemia. Presence of leukemia resulted in increased SLEC formation, with disturbed inflammatory cytokine production. Chromatin and transcriptome profiling revealed strong epigenetic modifications, leading to activation of an effector and silencing of a memory profile through presence of CLL cells. Secondary challenge in vivo confirmed dysfunctional memory responses by antigen-experienced OT-I cells generated in presence of CLL. Altogether, we show that presence of CLL induces a short-lived effector phenotype and impaired memory responses by epigenetic reprogramming during primary responses.
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Marx AF, Kallert SM, Brunner TM, Villegas JA, Geier F, Fixemer J, Abreu-Mota T, Reuther P, Bonilla WV, Fadejeva J, Kreutzfeldt M, Wagner I, Aparicio-Domingo P, Scarpellino L, Charmoy M, Utzschneider DT, Hagedorn C, Lu M, Cornille K, Stauffer K, Kreppel F, Merkler D, Zehn D, Held W, Luther SA, Löhning M, Pinschewer DD. The alarmin interleukin-33 promotes the expansion and preserves the stemness of Tcf-1 + CD8 + T cells in chronic viral infection. Immunity 2023; 56:813-828.e10. [PMID: 36809763 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.01.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
T cell factor 1 (Tcf-1) expressing CD8+ T cells exhibit stem-like self-renewing capacity, rendering them key for immune defense against chronic viral infection and cancer. Yet, the signals that promote the formation and maintenance of these stem-like CD8+ T cells (CD8+SL) remain poorly defined. Studying CD8+ T cell differentiation in mice with chronic viral infection, we identified the alarmin interleukin-33 (IL-33) as pivotal for the expansion and stem-like functioning of CD8+SL as well as for virus control. IL-33 receptor (ST2)-deficient CD8+ T cells exhibited biased end differentiation and premature loss of Tcf-1. ST2-deficient CD8+SL responses were restored by blockade of type I interferon signaling, suggesting that IL-33 balances IFN-I effects to control CD8+SL formation in chronic infection. IL-33 signals broadly augmented chromatin accessibility in CD8+SL and determined these cells' re-expansion potential. Our study identifies the IL-33-ST2 axis as an important CD8+SL-promoting pathway in the context of chronic viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Friederike Marx
- Department of Biomedicine, Division of Experimental Virology, University of Basel, 4055 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Sandra M Kallert
- Department of Biomedicine, Division of Experimental Virology, University of Basel, 4055 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tobias M Brunner
- Experimental Immunology and Osteoarthritis Research, Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Pitzer Laboratory of Osteoarthritis Research, German Rheumatism Research Center (DRFZ), a Leibniz Institute, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - José A Villegas
- Department of Immunobiology, University of Lausanne, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Florian Geier
- Department of Biomedicine, Bioinformatics Core Facility, University Hospital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jonas Fixemer
- Department of Biomedicine, Division of Experimental Virology, University of Basel, 4055 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tiago Abreu-Mota
- Department of Biomedicine, Division of Experimental Virology, University of Basel, 4055 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Peter Reuther
- Department of Biomedicine, Division of Experimental Virology, University of Basel, 4055 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Weldy V Bonilla
- Department of Biomedicine, Division of Experimental Virology, University of Basel, 4055 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jelizaveta Fadejeva
- Experimental Immunology and Osteoarthritis Research, Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Pitzer Laboratory of Osteoarthritis Research, German Rheumatism Research Center (DRFZ), a Leibniz Institute, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mario Kreutzfeldt
- Department of Pathology and Immunology University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Division of Clinical Pathology, Geneva University Hospital, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ingrid Wagner
- Department of Pathology and Immunology University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Division of Clinical Pathology, Geneva University Hospital, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Leo Scarpellino
- Department of Immunobiology, University of Lausanne, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Mélanie Charmoy
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Daniel T Utzschneider
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Claudia Hagedorn
- Witten/Herdecke University (UW/H), Faculty of Health/School of Medicine, Stockumer Str. 10, 58453 Witten, Germany
| | - Min Lu
- Department of Biomedicine, Division of Experimental Virology, University of Basel, 4055 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Karen Cornille
- Department of Biomedicine, Division of Experimental Virology, University of Basel, 4055 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Karsten Stauffer
- Department of Biomedicine, Division of Experimental Virology, University of Basel, 4055 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Florian Kreppel
- Witten/Herdecke University (UW/H), Faculty of Health/School of Medicine, Stockumer Str. 10, 58453 Witten, Germany
| | - Doron Merkler
- Department of Pathology and Immunology University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Division of Clinical Pathology, Geneva University Hospital, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dietmar Zehn
- Division of Animal Physiology and Immunology, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Werner Held
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Sanjiv A Luther
- Department of Immunobiology, University of Lausanne, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Max Löhning
- Experimental Immunology and Osteoarthritis Research, Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Pitzer Laboratory of Osteoarthritis Research, German Rheumatism Research Center (DRFZ), a Leibniz Institute, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Daniel D Pinschewer
- Department of Biomedicine, Division of Experimental Virology, University of Basel, 4055 Basel, Switzerland.
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Li K, Chen Y, Lin Y, Zhang G, Su J, Wu X, Cheng C, Wang Y, Yu B, Zhang X. PD-1/PD-L1 blockade is a potent adjuvant in treatment of Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis in mice. Mol Ther 2023; 31:174-192. [PMID: 36104974 PMCID: PMC9840119 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2022.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
There is no effective therapy for implant-associated Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis, a devastating complication after orthopedic surgery. An immune-suppressive profile with up-regulated programmed cell death 1/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) was identified based on our transcriptional data (GEO: GSE166522) from a mouse model of S. aureus osteomyelitis. PD-1/PD-L1 expression was up-regulated mainly in F4/80+ macrophages surrounding the abscess in S. aureus-infected bone. Mechanistically, PD-1/PD-L1 activated mitophagy to suppress production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), suppressing the bactericidal function of macrophages. Using neutralizing antibodies for PD-L1 or PD-1, or knockout of PD-L1 adjuvant to gentamicin markedly reduced mitophagy in bone marrow F4/80+ cells, enhanced bacterial clearance in bone tissue and implants, and reduced bone destruction in mice. PD-1/PD-L1 expression was also increased in the bone marrow from individuals with S. aureus osteomyelitis. These findings uncover a so far unknown function of PD-1/PD-L1-mediated mitophagy in suppressing the bactericidal function of bone marrow macrophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiqun Li
- Division of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Department of Orthopedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 North of Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510515, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Cartilage Regenerative Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 North of Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510515, China
| | - Yuhui Chen
- Division of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Department of Orthopedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 North of Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510515, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Cartilage Regenerative Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 North of Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510515, China
| | - Yihuang Lin
- Division of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Department of Orthopedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 North of Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510515, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Cartilage Regenerative Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 North of Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510515, China
| | - Guangyan Zhang
- Division of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Department of Orthopedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 North of Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510515, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Cartilage Regenerative Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 North of Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510515, China
| | - Jianwen Su
- Division of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Department of Orthopedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 North of Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510515, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Cartilage Regenerative Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 North of Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510515, China
| | - Xiaohu Wu
- Division of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Department of Orthopedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 North of Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510515, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Cartilage Regenerative Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 North of Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510515, China
| | - Caiyu Cheng
- Division of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Department of Orthopedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 North of Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510515, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Cartilage Regenerative Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 North of Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510515, China
| | - Yutian Wang
- Division of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Department of Orthopedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 North of Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510515, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Cartilage Regenerative Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 North of Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510515, China
| | - Bin Yu
- Division of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Department of Orthopedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 North of Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510515, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Cartilage Regenerative Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 North of Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510515, China.
| | - Xianrong Zhang
- Division of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Department of Orthopedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 North of Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510515, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Cartilage Regenerative Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838 North of Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510515, China.
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Brunell AE, Lahesmaa R, Autio A, Thotakura AK. Exhausted T cells hijacking the cancer-immunity cycle: Assets and liabilities. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1151632. [PMID: 37122741 PMCID: PMC10140554 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1151632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
T cell exhaustion is an alternative differentiation path of T cells, sometimes described as a dysfunction. During the last decade, insights of T cell exhaustion acting as a bottle neck in the field of cancer immunotherapy have undoubtedly provoked attention. One of the main drivers of T cell exhaustion is prolonged antigen presentation, a prerequisite in the cancer-immunity cycle. The umbrella term "T cell exhaustion" comprises various stages of T cell functionalities, describing the dynamic, one-way exhaustion process. Together these qualities of T cells at the exhaustion continuum can enable tumor clearance, but if the exhaustion acquired timeframe is exceeded, tumor cells have increased possibilities of escaping immune system surveillance. This could be considered a tipping point where exhausted T cells switch from an asset to a liability. In this review, the contrary role of exhausted T cells is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna E. Brunell
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
- Immuno-Oncology, Oncology Research, Orion Corporation, Turku, Finland
| | - Riitta Lahesmaa
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Anu Autio
- Immuno-Oncology, Oncology Research, Orion Corporation, Turku, Finland
| | - Anil K. Thotakura
- Immuno-Oncology, Oncology Research, Orion Corporation, Turku, Finland
- *Correspondence: Anil K. Thotakura,
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Wang Y, Bui T, Zhang Y. The pleiotropic roles of EZH2 in T-cell immunity and immunotherapy. Int J Hematol 2022; 116:837-845. [PMID: 36271224 DOI: 10.1007/s12185-022-03466-x] [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: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
EZH2 is a histone methyltransferase. It catalyzes trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me3) to control gene transcription critical for cell proliferation, differentiation, expansion, and function. For instance, EZH2 plays a central role in regulating T-cell immune responses. EZH2 restrains terminal differentiation of effector CD8 T cells, promotes formation of precursor and mature memory CD8 T cells, regulates appropriate lineage-specification and identity maintenance of helper CD4 T cells, and maintains survival of differentiated antigen-specific T cells. Most importantly, EZH2 is shown to be important for reinvigoration of exhausted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. Dysregulated EZH2 function has been linked to many forms of cancer, including lymphomas and solid tumors. In B-cell lymphoid malignancies, EZH2 is overexpressed to drive tumorigenesis. These specific effects of EZH2, in the context of its roles in catalyzing H3K27me3 and orchestrating gene transcription programs in both normal and malignant cells, establishes EZH2 as a unique target for drug development. Here, we will discuss Ezh2 regulation of T-cell immunity, EZH2-mediated lymphomagenesis, and therapeutic benefits of EZH2 inhibitors to the treatment of lymphoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- Center for Discovery & Innovation, Hackensack University Medical Center, Nutley, NJ, USA
| | - Tien Bui
- Center for Discovery & Innovation, Hackensack University Medical Center, Nutley, NJ, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Center for Discovery & Innovation, Hackensack University Medical Center, Nutley, NJ, USA.
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Systemic CD4 Immunity and PD-L1/PD-1 Blockade Immunotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232113241. [PMID: 36362027 PMCID: PMC9655397 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
PD-L1/PD-1 blockade immunotherapy has changed the therapeutic approaches for the treatment of many cancers. Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying its efficacy or treatment failure are still unclear. Proficient systemic immunity seems to be a prerequisite for efficacy, as recently shown in patients and in mouse models. It is widely accepted that expansion of anti-tumor CD8 T cell populations is principally responsible for anti-tumor responses. In contrast, the role of CD4 T cells has been less studied. Here we review and discuss the evidence supporting the contribution of CD4 T cells to anti-tumor immunity, especially recent advances linking CD4 T cell subsets to efficacious PD-L1/PD-1 blockade immunotherapy. We also discuss the role of CD4 T cell memory subsets present in peripheral blood before the start of immunotherapies, and their utility as predictors of response.
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