1
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Ramirez CA, Becker-Hapak M, Singhal K, Russler-Germain DA, Frenkel F, Barnell EK, McClain ED, Desai S, Schappe T, Onyeador OC, Kudryashova O, Belousov V, Bagaev A, Ocheredko E, Kiwala S, Hundal J, Skidmore ZL, Watkins MP, Mooney TB, Walker JR, Krysiak K, Gomez F, Fronick CC, Fulton RS, Schreiber RD, Mehta-Shah N, Cashen AF, Kahl BS, Ataullakhanov R, Bartlett NL, Griffith M, Griffith OL, Fehniger TA. Neoantigen landscape supports feasibility of personalized cancer vaccine for follicular lymphoma. Blood Adv 2024; 8:4035-4049. [PMID: 38713894 PMCID: PMC11339042 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2022007792] [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: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Personalized cancer vaccines designed to target neoantigens represent a promising new treatment paradigm in oncology. In contrast to classical idiotype vaccines, we hypothesized that "polyvalent" vaccines could be engineered for the personalized treatment of follicular lymphoma (FL) using neoantigen discovery by combined whole-exome sequencing (WES) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Fifty-eight tumor samples from 57 patients with FL underwent WES and RNA-seq. Somatic and B-cell clonotype neoantigens were predicted and filtered to identify high-quality neoantigens. B-cell clonality was determined by the alignment of B-cell receptor (BCR) CDR3 regions from RNA-seq data, grouping at the protein level, and comparison with the BCR repertoire from healthy individuals using RNA-seq data. An average of 52 somatic mutations per patient (range, 2-172) were identified, and ≥2 (median, 15) high-quality neoantigens were predicted for 56 of 58 FL samples. The predicted neoantigen peptides were composed of missense mutations (77%), indels (9%), gene fusions (3%), and BCR sequences (11%). Building off of these preclinical analyses, we initiated a pilot clinical trial using personalized neoantigen vaccination combined with PD-1 blockade in patients with relapsed or refractory FL (#NCT03121677). Synthetic long peptide vaccines targeting predicted high-quality neoantigens were successfully synthesized for and administered to all 4 patients enrolled. Initial results demonstrate feasibility, safety, and potential immunologic and clinical responses. Our study suggests that a genomics-driven personalized cancer vaccine strategy is feasible for patients with FL, and this may overcome prior challenges in the field. This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as #NCT03121677.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody A. Ramirez
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | | | - Kartik Singhal
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - David A. Russler-Germain
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | | | - Erica K. Barnell
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Ethan D. McClain
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Sweta Desai
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Timothy Schappe
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Susanna Kiwala
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Jasreet Hundal
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Zachary L. Skidmore
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Marcus P. Watkins
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Thomas B. Mooney
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Jason R. Walker
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Kilannin Krysiak
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Felicia Gomez
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Catrina C. Fronick
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Robert S. Fulton
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Robert D. Schreiber
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Neha Mehta-Shah
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Amanda F. Cashen
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Brad S. Kahl
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | | | - Nancy L. Bartlett
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Malachi Griffith
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Obi L. Griffith
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Todd A. Fehniger
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
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2
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Patel RP, Ghilardi G, Zhang Y, Chiang YH, Xie W, Guruprasad P, Kim KH, Chun I, Angelos MG, Pajarillo R, Hong SJ, Lee YG, Shestova O, Shaw C, Cohen I, Gupta A, Vu T, Qian D, Yang S, Nimmagadda A, Snook AE, Siciliano N, Rotolo A, Inamdar A, Harris J, Ugwuanyi O, Wang M, Carturan A, Paruzzo L, Chen L, Ballard HJ, Blanchard T, Xu C, Abdel-Mohsen M, Gabunia K, Wysocka M, Linette GP, Carreno B, Barrett DM, Teachey DT, Posey AD, Powell DJ, Sauter CT, Pileri S, Pillai V, Scholler J, Rook AH, Schuster SJ, Barta SK, Porazzi P, Ruella M. CD5 deletion enhances the antitumor activity of adoptive T cell therapies. Sci Immunol 2024; 9:eadn6509. [PMID: 39028827 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adn6509] [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: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
Most patients treated with US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells eventually experience disease progression. Furthermore, CAR T cells have not been curative against solid cancers and several hematological malignancies such as T cell lymphomas, which have very poor prognoses. One of the main barriers to the clinical success of adoptive T cell immunotherapies is CAR T cell dysfunction and lack of expansion and/or persistence after infusion. In this study, we found that CD5 inhibits CAR T cell activation and that knockout (KO) of CD5 using CRISPR-Cas9 enhances the antitumor effect of CAR T cells in multiple hematological and solid cancer models. Mechanistically, CD5 KO drives increased T cell effector function with enhanced cytotoxicity, in vivo expansion, and persistence, without apparent toxicity in preclinical models. These findings indicate that CD5 is a critical inhibitor of T cell function and a potential clinical target for enhancing T cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruchi P Patel
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Guido Ghilardi
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yunlin Zhang
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yi-Hao Chiang
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wei Xie
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Puneeth Guruprasad
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ki Hyun Kim
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Inkook Chun
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mathew G Angelos
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Raymone Pajarillo
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Seok Jae Hong
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yong Gu Lee
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- College of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of Korea
| | - Olga Shestova
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Carolyn Shaw
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ivan Cohen
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Aasha Gupta
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Trang Vu
- viTToria Biotherapeutics, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Dean Qian
- viTToria Biotherapeutics, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Steven Yang
- viTToria Biotherapeutics, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Antonia Rotolo
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Arati Inamdar
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jaryse Harris
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ositadimma Ugwuanyi
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael Wang
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alberto Carturan
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Luca Paruzzo
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Linhui Chen
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hatcher J Ballard
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Tatiana Blanchard
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Chong Xu
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Khatuna Gabunia
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Maria Wysocka
- Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gerald P Linette
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Beatriz Carreno
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David M Barrett
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Oncology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David T Teachey
- Division of Oncology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Avery D Posey
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Daniel J Powell
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - C Tor Sauter
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Stefano Pileri
- Division of Haematopathology, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia IRCCS, Italy
| | - Vinodh Pillai
- Division of Hemato-pathology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John Scholler
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alain H Rook
- Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Stephen J Schuster
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Stefan K Barta
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Patrizia Porazzi
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Marco Ruella
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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3
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Linette GP, Bear AS, Carreno BM. Facts and Hopes in Immunotherapy Strategies Targeting Antigens Derived from KRAS Mutations. Clin Cancer Res 2024; 30:2017-2024. [PMID: 38266167 PMCID: PMC11094419 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-1212] [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: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
In this commentary, we advance the notion that mutant KRAS (mKRAS) is an ideal tumor neoantigen that is amenable for targeting by the adaptive immune system. Recent progress highlights key advances on various fronts that validate mKRAS as a molecular target and support further pursuit as an immunological target. Because mKRAS is an intracellular membrane localized protein and not normally expressed on the cell surface, we surmise that proteasome degradation will generate short peptides that bind to HLA class I (HLA-I) molecules in the endoplasmic reticulum for transport through the Golgi for display on the cell surface. T-cell receptors (TCR)αβ and antibodies have been isolated that specifically recognize mKRAS encoded epitope(s) or haptenated-mKRAS peptides in the context of HLA-I on tumor cells. Case reports using adoptive T-cell therapy provide proof of principle that KRAS G12D can be successfully targeted by the immune system in patients with cancer. Among the challenges facing investigators is the requirement of precision medicine to identify and match patients to available mKRAS peptide/HLA therapeutics and to increase the population coverage by targeting additional mKRAS epitopes. Ultimately, we envision mKRAS-directed immunotherapy as an effective treatment option for selected patients that will complement and perhaps synergize with small-molecule mKRAS inhibitors and targeted mKRAS degraders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald P. Linette
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Adham S. Bear
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Beatriz M. Carreno
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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4
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Sotirov S, Dimitrov I. Tumor-Derived Antigenic Peptides as Potential Cancer Vaccines. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4934. [PMID: 38732150 PMCID: PMC11084719 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Peptide antigens derived from tumors have been observed to elicit protective immune responses, categorized as either tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) or tumor-specific antigens (TSAs). Subunit cancer vaccines incorporating these antigens have shown promise in inducing protective immune responses, leading to cancer prevention or eradication. Over recent years, peptide-based cancer vaccines have gained popularity as a treatment modality and are often combined with other forms of cancer therapy. Several clinical trials have explored the safety and efficacy of peptide-based cancer vaccines, with promising outcomes. Advancements in techniques such as whole-exome sequencing, next-generation sequencing, and in silico methods have facilitated the identification of antigens, making it increasingly feasible. Furthermore, the development of novel delivery methods and a deeper understanding of tumor immune evasion mechanisms have heightened the interest in these vaccines among researchers. This article provides an overview of novel insights regarding advancements in the field of peptide-based vaccines as a promising therapeutic avenue for cancer treatment. It summarizes existing computational methods for tumor neoantigen prediction, ongoing clinical trials involving peptide-based cancer vaccines, and recent studies on human vaccination experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ivan Dimitrov
- Drug Design and Bioinformatics Lab, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, 2, Dunav Str., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria;
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5
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Borch A, Carri I, Reynisson B, Alvarez HMG, Munk KK, Montemurro A, Kristensen NP, Tvingsholm SA, Holm JS, Heeke C, Moss KH, Hansen UK, Schaap-Johansen AL, Bagger FO, de Lima VAB, Rohrberg KS, Funt SA, Donia M, Svane IM, Lassen U, Barra C, Nielsen M, Hadrup SR. IMPROVE: a feature model to predict neoepitope immunogenicity through broad-scale validation of T-cell recognition. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1360281. [PMID: 38633261 PMCID: PMC11021644 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1360281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Mutation-derived neoantigens are critical targets for tumor rejection in cancer immunotherapy, and better tools for neoepitope identification and prediction are needed to improve neoepitope targeting strategies. Computational tools have enabled the identification of patient-specific neoantigen candidates from sequencing data, but limited data availability has hindered their capacity to predict which of the many neoepitopes will most likely give rise to T cell recognition. Method To address this, we make use of experimentally validated T cell recognition towards 17,500 neoepitope candidates, with 467 being T cell recognized, across 70 cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy. Results We evaluated 27 neoepitope characteristics, and created a random forest model, IMPROVE, to predict neoepitope immunogenicity. The presence of hydrophobic and aromatic residues in the peptide binding core were the most important features for predicting neoepitope immunogenicity. Conclusion Overall, IMPROVE was found to significantly advance the identification of neoepitopes compared to other current methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Borch
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ibel Carri
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Birkir Reynisson
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Heli M. Garcia Alvarez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Kamilla K. Munk
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | | | - Siri A. Tvingsholm
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jeppe Sejerø Holm
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Christina Heeke
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Keith Henry Moss
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ulla Kring Hansen
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | | | | | | | - Samuel A. Funt
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Marco Donia
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Inge Marie Svane
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Ulrik Lassen
- Department of Oncology, Phase 1 Unit, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carolina Barra
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Morten Nielsen
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sine Reker Hadrup
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
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6
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Chen Y, Wu Z, Wang L, Lin M, Jiang P, Wen J, Li J, Hong Y, Zheng X, Yang X, Zheng J, Gale RP, Yang T, Hu J. Targeting nucleolin improves sensitivity to chemotherapy in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2023; 46:1709-1724. [PMID: 37486460 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-023-00837-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Most patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are treated with chemotherapy as primary care. Although the treatment response is usually positive, resistance and relapse often occur via unknown mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with chemotherapy resistance in ALL. Here, we present clinical and experimental evidence that overexpression of nucleolin (NCL), a multifunctional nucleolar protein, is linked to drug resistance in ALL. METHODS NCL mRNA and protein levels were compared between cell lines and patient samples using qRT-PCR and immunoblotting. NCL mRNA levels were compared between patients of different disease stages from our clinic patients' specimens and publicly available ALL patient datasets. Cells and patient-derived xenograft mouse experiments were performed to assess the effect of NCL inhibition on ALL chemotherapy effectiveness. RESULTS Analysis of patient specimens, and publicly available RNA-sequencing datasets revealed a strong correlation between the abundance of NCL and disease relapse or poor survival in B-ALL. Altering NCL expression results in changes in drug sensitivity in ALL cell lines. High levels of NCL upregulated components of the ATP-binding cassette transporters via activation of the ERK pathway, resulting in a decrease in drug accumulation inside the cells. Targeting NCL with AS1411, an NCL-binding oligonucleotide aptamer, significantly increased the sensitivity of ALL cell lines and cells/patient-derived ALL xenograft mice to chemotherapeutic drugs and prolonged mouse survival. CONCLUSION Our results highlight NCL as a prognostic marker in B-ALL and a potential therapeutic target to combat chemotherapy resistance in ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxin Chen
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Hematology, Fujian Institute of Hematology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
| | - Zhengjun Wu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Hematology, Fujian Institute of Hematology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
| | - Lingyan Wang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Hematology, Fujian Institute of Hematology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
| | - Minhui Lin
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Hematology, Fujian Institute of Hematology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
| | - Peifang Jiang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Hematology, Fujian Institute of Hematology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
| | - Jingjing Wen
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Hematology, Fujian Institute of Hematology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
| | - Jiazheng Li
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Hematology, Fujian Institute of Hematology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
| | - Yunda Hong
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Hematology, Fujian Institute of Hematology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
| | - Xiaoyun Zheng
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Hematology, Fujian Institute of Hematology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
| | - Xiaozhu Yang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Hematology, Fujian Institute of Hematology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
| | - Jing Zheng
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Hematology, Fujian Institute of Hematology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
| | - Robert Peter Gale
- Haematology Research Centre, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial college London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Ting Yang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Hematology, Fujian Institute of Hematology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China.
| | - Jianda Hu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Hematology, Fujian Institute of Hematology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China.
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7
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Pang Z, Lu MM, Zhang Y, Gao Y, Bai JJ, Gu JY, Xie L, Wu WZ. Neoantigen-targeted TCR-engineered T cell immunotherapy: current advances and challenges. Biomark Res 2023; 11:104. [PMID: 38037114 PMCID: PMC10690996 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-023-00534-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy using T cell receptor-engineered T cells (TCR-T) is a promising approach for cancer therapy with an expectation of no significant side effects. In the human body, mature T cells are armed with an incredible diversity of T cell receptors (TCRs) that theoretically react to the variety of random mutations generated by tumor cells. The outcomes, however, of current clinical trials using TCR-T cell therapies are not very successful especially involving solid tumors. The therapy still faces numerous challenges in the efficient screening of tumor-specific antigens and their cognate TCRs. In this review, we first introduce TCR structure-based antigen recognition and signaling, then describe recent advances in neoantigens and their specific TCR screening technologies, and finally summarize ongoing clinical trials of TCR-T therapies against neoantigens. More importantly, we also present the current challenges of TCR-T cell-based immunotherapies, e.g., the safety of viral vectors, the mismatch of T cell receptor, the impediment of suppressive tumor microenvironment. Finally, we highlight new insights and directions for personalized TCR-T therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Pang
- Liver Cancer Institute, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Clinical Center for Biotherapy, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Man-Man Lu
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Jin-Jin Bai
- Liver Cancer Institute, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Clinical Center for Biotherapy, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jian-Ying Gu
- Clinical Center for Biotherapy, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Lu Xie
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Shanghai, 200237, China.
| | - Wei-Zhong Wu
- Liver Cancer Institute, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Clinical Center for Biotherapy, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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8
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Tufail M. Unlocking the potential of the tumor microenvironment for cancer therapy. Pathol Res Pract 2023; 251:154846. [PMID: 37837860 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.154846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) holds a crucial role in the progression of cancer. Epithelial-derived tumors share common traits in shaping the TME. The Warburg effect is a notable phenomenon wherein tumor cells exhibit resistance to apoptosis and an increased reliance on anaerobic glycolysis for energy production. Recognizing the pivotal role of the TME in controlling tumor growth and influencing responses to chemotherapy, researchers have focused on developing potential cancer treatment strategies. A wide array of therapies, including immunotherapies, antiangiogenic agents, interventions targeting cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF), and therapies directed at the extracellular matrix, have been under investigation and have demonstrated efficacy. Additionally, innovative techniques such as tumor tissue explants, "tumor-on-a-chip" models, and multicellular tumor spheres have been explored in laboratory research. This comprehensive review aims to provide insights into the intricate cross-talk between cancer-associated signaling pathways and the TME in cancer progression, current therapeutic approaches targeting the TME, the immune landscape within solid tumors, the role of the viral TME, and cancer cell metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Tufail
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China.
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9
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Ghorani E, Swanton C, Quezada SA. Cancer cell-intrinsic mechanisms driving acquired immune tolerance. Immunity 2023; 56:2270-2295. [PMID: 37820584 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Immune evasion is a hallmark of cancer, enabling tumors to survive contact with the host immune system and evade the cycle of immune recognition and destruction. Here, we review the current understanding of the cancer cell-intrinsic factors driving immune evasion. We focus on T cells as key effectors of anti-cancer immunity and argue that cancer cells evade immune destruction by gaining control over pathways that usually serve to maintain physiological tolerance to self. Using this framework, we place recent mechanistic advances in the understanding of cancer immune evasion into broad categories of control over T cell localization, antigen recognition, and acquisition of optimal effector function. We discuss the redundancy in the pathways involved and identify knowledge gaps that must be overcome to better target immune evasion, including the need for better, routinely available tools that incorporate the growing understanding of evasion mechanisms to stratify patients for therapy and trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Ghorani
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK; Department of Medical Oncology, Imperial College London Hospitals, London, UK.
| | - Charles Swanton
- Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK; Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK; Department of Oncology, University College London Hospitals, London, UK
| | - Sergio A Quezada
- Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK; Cancer Immunology Unit, Research Department of Hematology, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK.
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10
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Melero I, Tanos T, Bustamante M, Sanmamed MF, Calvo E, Moreno I, Moreno V, Hernandez T, Martinez Garcia M, Rodriguez-Vida A, Tabernero J, Azaro A, Ponz-Sarvisé M, Spanggaard I, Rohrberg K, Guarin E, Nüesch E, Davydov II, Ooi C, Duarte J, Chesne E, McIntyre C, Ceppi M, Cañamero M, Krieter O. A first-in-human study of the fibroblast activation protein-targeted, 4-1BB agonist RO7122290 in patients with advanced solid tumors. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eabp9229. [PMID: 37163618 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abp9229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
This first-in-human study evaluated RO7122290, a bispecific fusion protein carrying a split trimeric 4-1BB (CD137) ligand and a fibroblast activation protein α (FAP) binding site that costimulates T cells for improved tumor cell killing in FAP-expressing tumors. Patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors received escalating weekly intravenous doses of RO7122290 as a single agent (n = 65) or in combination with a 1200-milligram fixed dose of the anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (anti-PD-L1) antibody atezolizumab given every 3 weeks (n = 50), across a tested RO7122290 dose range of 5 to 2000 milligrams and 45 to 2000 milligrams, respectively. Three dose-limiting toxicities were reported, two at different RO7122290 single-agent doses (grade 3 febrile neutropenia and grade 3 cytokine release syndrome) and one for the combination (grade 3 pneumonitis). No maximum tolerated dose was identified. The pharmacokinetic profile of RO7122290 suggested nonlinearity in elimination. The observed changes in peripheral and tissue pharmacodynamic (PD) biomarkers were consistent with the postulated mechanism of action. Treatment-induced PD changes included an increase in proliferating and activated T cells in peripheral blood both in the single-agent and combination arms. Increased infiltration of intratumoral CD8+ and Ki67+CD8+ T cells was observed for both treatment regimens, accompanied by the up-regulation of T cell activation genes and gene signatures. Eleven patients experienced a complete or partial response, six of whom were confirmed to be immune checkpoint inhibitor naive. These results support further evaluation of RO7122290 in combination with atezolizumab or other immune-oncology agents for the treatment of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Melero
- Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Clinica Universidad de Navarra and CIMA, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- CIBERONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Tamara Tanos
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mariana Bustamante
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Miguel F Sanmamed
- Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Clinica Universidad de Navarra and CIMA, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- CIBERONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Medical Oncology, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Emiliano Calvo
- START Madrid-CIOCC, Centro Integral Oncológico Clara Campal, 28050 Madrid, Spain
| | - Irene Moreno
- START Madrid-CIOCC, Centro Integral Oncológico Clara Campal, 28050 Madrid, Spain
| | - Victor Moreno
- START Madrid-FJD, Hospital Fundación Jiménez Díaz, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Tatiana Hernandez
- START Madrid-FJD, Hospital Fundación Jiménez Díaz, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Alejo Rodriguez-Vida
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital del Mar-CIBERONC, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Tabernero
- CIBERONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Medical Oncology Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Analia Azaro
- Medical Oncology Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mariano Ponz-Sarvisé
- CIBERONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Medical Oncology, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Iben Spanggaard
- Department of Oncology, Rigshospitalet University Hospital of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristoffer Rohrberg
- Department of Oncology, Rigshospitalet University Hospital of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ernesto Guarin
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Eveline Nüesch
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Iakov I Davydov
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Chiahuey Ooi
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - José Duarte
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Evelyne Chesne
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christine McIntyre
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Welwyn, AL7 1TW Welwyn Garden City, UK
| | - Maurizio Ceppi
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marta Cañamero
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Munich, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Oliver Krieter
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Munich, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
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11
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Hambly JN, Ruby CE, Mourich DV, Bracha S, Dolan BP. Potential Promises and Perils of Human Biological Treatments for Immunotherapy in Veterinary Oncology. Vet Sci 2023; 10:336. [PMID: 37235419 PMCID: PMC10224056 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10050336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of immunotherapy for the treatment of human cancers has heralded a new era in oncology, one that is making its way into the veterinary clinic. As the immune system of many animal species commonly seen by veterinarians is similar to humans, there is great hope for the translation of human therapies into veterinary oncology. The simplest approach for veterinarians would be to adopt existing reagents that have been developed for human medicine, due to the potential of reduced cost and the time it takes to develop a new drug. However, this strategy may not always prove to be effective and safe with regard to certain drug platforms. Here, we review current therapeutic strategies that could exploit human reagents in veterinary medicine and also those therapies which may prove detrimental when human-specific biological molecules are used in veterinary oncology. In keeping with a One Health framework, we also discuss the potential use of single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) derived from camelid species (also known as Nanobodies™) for therapies targeting multiple veterinary animal patients without the need for species-specific reformulation. Such reagents would not only benefit the health of our veterinary species but could also guide human medicine by studying the effects of outbred animals that develop spontaneous tumors, a more relevant model of human diseases compared to traditional laboratory rodent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeilene N. Hambly
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Carl E. Ruby
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Biotesserae Inc., Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Dan V. Mourich
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Biotesserae Inc., Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Shay Bracha
- Biotesserae Inc., Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Brian P. Dolan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
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12
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Smole A, Benton A, Poussin MA, Eiva MA, Mezzanotte C, Camisa B, Greco B, Sharma P, Minutolo NG, Gray F, Bear AS, Baroja ML, Cummins C, Xu C, Sanvito F, Goldgewicht AL, Blanchard T, Rodriguez-Garcia A, Klichinsky M, Bonini C, June CH, Posey AD, Linette GP, Carreno BM, Casucci M, Powell DJ. Expression of inducible factors reprograms CAR-T cells for enhanced function and safety. Cancer Cell 2022; 40:1470-1487.e7. [PMID: 36513049 PMCID: PMC10367115 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2022.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Despite the success of CAR-T cell cancer immunotherapy, challenges in efficacy and safety remain. Investigators have begun to enhance CAR-T cells with the expression of accessory molecules to address these challenges. Current systems rely on constitutive transgene expression or multiple viral vectors, resulting in unregulated response and product heterogeneity. Here, we develop a genetic platform that combines autonomous antigen-induced production of an accessory molecule with constitutive CAR expression in a single lentiviral vector called Uni-Vect. The broad therapeutic application of Uni-Vect is demonstrated in vivo by activation-dependent expression of (1) an immunostimulatory cytokine that improves efficacy, (2) an antibody that ameliorates cytokine-release syndrome, and (3) transcription factors that modulate T cell biology. Uni-Vect is also implemented as a platform to characterize immune receptors. Overall, we demonstrate that Uni-Vect provides a foundation for a more clinically actionable next-generation cellular immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anže Smole
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Alexander Benton
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mathilde A Poussin
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Monika A Eiva
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Claudia Mezzanotte
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Camisa
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Beatrice Greco
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Prannda Sharma
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nicholas G Minutolo
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Falon Gray
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Adham S Bear
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Miren L Baroja
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Casey Cummins
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Chong Xu
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Francesca Sanvito
- Pathology Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Lang Goldgewicht
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Tatiana Blanchard
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alba Rodriguez-Garcia
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael Klichinsky
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Chiara Bonini
- Experimental Hematology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele Scientific Institute and University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Carl H June
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Avery D Posey
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gerald P Linette
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Beatriz M Carreno
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Monica Casucci
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Daniel J Powell
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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13
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Sources of Cancer Neoantigens beyond Single-Nucleotide Variants. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231710131. [PMID: 36077528 PMCID: PMC9455963 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231710131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The success of checkpoint blockade therapy against cancer has unequivocally shown that cancer cells can be effectively recognized by the immune system and eliminated. However, the identity of the cancer antigens that elicit protective immunity remains to be fully explored. Over the last decade, most of the focus has been on somatic mutations derived from non-synonymous single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) and small insertion/deletion mutations (indels) that accumulate during cancer progression. Mutated peptides can be presented on MHC molecules and give rise to novel antigens or neoantigens, which have been shown to induce potent anti-tumor immune responses. A limitation with SNV-neoantigens is that they are patient-specific and their accurate prediction is critical for the development of effective immunotherapies. In addition, cancer types with low mutation burden may not display sufficient high-quality [SNV/small indels] neoantigens to alone stimulate effective T cell responses. Accumulating evidence suggests the existence of alternative sources of cancer neoantigens, such as gene fusions, alternative splicing variants, post-translational modifications, and transposable elements, which may be attractive novel targets for immunotherapy. In this review, we describe the recent technological advances in the identification of these novel sources of neoantigens, the experimental evidence for their presentation on MHC molecules and their immunogenicity, as well as the current clinical development stage of immunotherapy targeting these neoantigens.
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14
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Gough MJ, Crittenden MR. The paradox of radiation and T cells in tumors. Neoplasia 2022; 31:100808. [PMID: 35691060 PMCID: PMC9194456 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2022.100808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
In this review we consider what appears to be a paradox in immunotherapies based around radiation therapy. The paradox is based on three main points. 1. That T cells are needed for radiation's efficacy; 2. That tumor-specific T cells are enriched in the field of treatment; and 3. That radiation kills T cells in the treatment field. We discuss evidence of the effect of radiation on T cells in the field given their ongoing movement in and out of tissues and the tumor, and how the movement of T cells impacts the treated primary tumor and untreated distant metastases. Given this evidence, we revisit the paradox to understand how the extraordinary efficacy of radiation and immunity in preclinical models is dependent on this radiation sensitive cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Gough
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Robert W. Franz Cancer Center, Providence Portland Medical Center, 4805 NE Glisan St., Portland, OR 97213, USA.
| | - Marka R Crittenden
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Robert W. Franz Cancer Center, Providence Portland Medical Center, 4805 NE Glisan St., Portland, OR 97213, USA; The Oregon Clinic, Portland, OR, 97213, USA
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15
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Xu J, Cao W, Wang P, Liu H. Tumor-Derived Membrane Vesicles: A Promising Tool for Personalized Immunotherapy. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15070876. [PMID: 35890175 PMCID: PMC9318328 DOI: 10.3390/ph15070876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor-derived membrane vesicles (TDMVs) are non-invasive, chemotactic, easily obtained characteristics and contain various tumor-borne substances, such as nucleic acid and proteins. The unique properties of tumor cells and membranes make them widely used in drug loading, membrane fusion and vaccines. In particular, personalized vectors prepared using the editable properties of cells can help in the design of personalized vaccines. This review focuses on recent research on TDMV technology and its application in personalized immunotherapy. We elucidate the strengths and challenges of TDMVs to promote their application from theory to clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiabin Xu
- School of Stomatology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China; (J.X.); (P.W.)
- Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Wenqiang Cao
- Zhuhai Jinan Selenium Source Nanotechnology Co., Ltd., Jinan University, Zhuhai 519000, China;
| | - Penglai Wang
- School of Stomatology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China; (J.X.); (P.W.)
- Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Hong Liu
- Zhuhai Jinan Selenium Source Nanotechnology Co., Ltd., Jinan University, Zhuhai 519000, China;
- Correspondence:
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16
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Fessenden TB, Stopfer LE, Chatterjee F, Zulueta J, Mesfin J, Cordero Dumit T, Reijers I, Hoefsmit EP, Blank C, White F, Spranger S. Dendritic cell-mediated cross presentation of tumor-derived peptides is biased against plasma membrane proteins. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2021-004159. [PMID: 35820727 PMCID: PMC9277371 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-004159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background For effective tumor elimination, cytotoxic CD8+ T cells must recognize tumor-derived antigens presented on class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC-I). Despite a general association between the expression of immunogenic antigens, typically neoantigens, and response to immunotherapy, the majority of patients lack strong endogenous responses to most putative neoantigens due to mechanisms that are not well understood. Cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell responses are induced by dendritic cells (DCs) cross-presenting tumor-derived peptides on MHC-I. We hypothesized that cross presentation may form an unappreciated source of bias in the induction of cytotoxic T-cell responses. Methods We used stable isotope labeling of amino acids combined with immunopeptidomics to distinguish cross-presented from endogenous MHC-I peptides on DCs. To test impacts on T-cell activation, we targeted the model antigen SIINFEKL to specific subcellular compartments in tumor cells, which were used as sources for cross presentation to T cells. In vitro observations were validated using DNA and RNA sequencing data from two cohorts of patients with melanoma undergoing checkpoint blockade therapy. We used a novel quantitative mass spectrometry approach to measure the levels of model antigen on cross-presenting DCs following various means of tumor cell death. Results DCs exhibited a strong bias for cross-presenting peptides derived from cytoplasmic proteins and against those from plasma membrane proteins, which was confirmed using the model antigen SIINFEKL. In patients with melanoma, the proportion of membrane-derived neoantigens was correlated with reduced survival and failure to respond to therapy. Quantification of cross-presented SIINFEKL revealed that the mode of cell death could overcome DCs’ bias against plasma membrane proteins. Conclusions Cross presentation of cellular antigens by DCs may impose constraints on the range of peptides available to activate CD8+ T cells that have previously gone unappreciated. The share of neoantigens arising from membrane-derived sources may render some tumors less immunogenic due to inefficient cross presentation. These observations carry important implications for the encounter and intracellular processing of cellular antigens by DCs and merit further clinical studies for their therapeutic potential in stratifying patient populations and design of vaccine-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim B Fessenden
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lauren E Stopfer
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Fiona Chatterjee
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Julian Zulueta
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Josh Mesfin
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Therese Cordero Dumit
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Irene Reijers
- Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Esmee P Hoefsmit
- Department of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Blank
- Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Forest White
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Stefani Spranger
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA .,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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17
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Odales J, Servín-Blanco R, Martínez-Cortés F, Guzman Valle J, Domínguez-Romero AN, Gevorkian G, Manoutcharian K. Antitumor efficacy of MUC1-derived variable epitope library treatments in a mouse model of breast cancer. Vaccine 2022; 40:4796-4805. [PMID: 35788294 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.06.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The identification of novel targets for cancer immunotherapy and the development of new vaccine immunogens are subjects of permanent interest. MUC1 is an overexpressed antigen found in most tumors, and its overexpression correlates with poor prognosis. Many attempts to direct the immune response against MUC1 in tumor cells have failed, including several clinical trials. We have previously developed an innovative Variable Epitope Library (VEL) vaccine platform that carries massively substituted mutant variants of defined epitopes or epitope regions as an alternative to using wild-type peptide sequences-based immunogens. Here, two murine MUC1-derived epitopes equivalent to the previously tested in cancer immunotherapy human MUC1 regions were used to generate VELs. We observed that vaccination with the 23L VEL immunogens, encompassing the entire signal peptide region of MUC1, reduces the tumor area compared to the wild-type sequence treatment. Contrastingly, vaccination with the MUC1 signal peptide-derived predicted CD8++ T cell epitope-based VEL, 9MUC1spL, showed similar tumor area reduction as the wild-type treatment; however, a decrease in lung metastasis after 9MUC1spL treatment was observed. In addition, vaccination induced a large pool of CD8+ T cells which recognized most variant epitopes from 9MUC1spL. Also, we generated MUC1 variable number tandem repeat (VNTR)-based VELs that reduced the metastatic burden when dendritic cells and M13 recombinant bacteriophages were used as vaccine carriers. Collectively, our data demonstrate the immunogenic and antitumor properties of MUC1 signal peptide- and VNTR-derived VEL immunogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josué Odales
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF 04510, MÉXICO
| | - Rodolfo Servín-Blanco
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF 04510, MÉXICO
| | - Fernando Martínez-Cortés
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF 04510, MÉXICO
| | - Jesus Guzman Valle
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF 04510, MÉXICO
| | - Allan Noé Domínguez-Romero
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF 04510, MÉXICO
| | - Goar Gevorkian
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF 04510, MÉXICO
| | - Karen Manoutcharian
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF 04510, MÉXICO.
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18
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Morinaga T, Inozume T, Kawazu M, Ueda Y, Sax N, Yamashita K, Kawashima S, Nagasaki J, Ueno T, Lin J, Ohara Y, Kuwata T, Yukami H, Kawazoe A, Shitara K, Honobe-Tabuchi A, Ohnuma T, Kawamura T, Umeda Y, Kawahara Y, Nakamura Y, Kiniwa Y, Morita A, Ichihara E, Kiura K, Enokida T, Tahara M, Hasegawa Y, Mano H, Suzuki Y, Nishikawa H, Togashi Y. Mixed Response to Cancer Immunotherapy is Driven by Intratumor Heterogeneity and Differential Interlesion Immune Infiltration. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 2:739-753. [PMID: 36923281 PMCID: PMC10010332 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-22-0050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Some patients experience mixed response to immunotherapy, whose biological mechanisms and clinical impact have been obscure. We obtained two tumor samples from lymph node (LN) metastatic lesions in a same patient. Whole exome sequencing for the both tumors and single-cell sequencing for the both tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) demonstrated a significant difference in tumor clonality and TILs' characteristics, especially exhausted T-cell clonotypes, although a close relationship between the tumor cell and T-cell clones were observed as a response of an overlapped exhausted T-cell clone to an overlapped neoantigen. To mimic the clinical setting, we generated a mouse model of several clones from a same tumor cell line. Similarly, differential tumor clones harbored distinct TILs, and one responded to programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade but the other did not in this model. We further conducted cohort study (n = 503) treated with PD-1 blockade monotherapies to investigate the outcome of mixed response. Patients with mixed responses to PD-1 blockade had a poor prognosis in our cohort. Particularly, there were significant differences in both tumor and T-cell clones between the primary and LN lesions in a patient who experienced tumor response to anti-PD-1 mAb followed by disease progression in only LN metastasis. Our results underscore that intertumoral heterogeneity alters characteristics of TILs even in the same patient, leading to mixed response to immunotherapy and significant difference in the outcome. Significance Several patients experience mixed responses to immunotherapies, but the biological mechanisms and clinical significance remain unclear. Our results from clinical and mouse studies underscore that intertumoral heterogeneity alters characteristics of TILs even in the same patient, leading to mixed response to immunotherapy and significant difference in the outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Takashi Inozume
- Chiba Cancer Center, Research Institute, Chiba, Japan.,Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.,Department of Dermatology, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Masahito Kawazu
- Chiba Cancer Center, Research Institute, Chiba, Japan.,Division of Cellular Signaling, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Youki Ueda
- Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
| | | | | | - Shusuke Kawashima
- Chiba Cancer Center, Research Institute, Chiba, Japan.,Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Joji Nagasaki
- Chiba Cancer Center, Research Institute, Chiba, Japan.,Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
| | - Toshihide Ueno
- Division of Cellular Signaling, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jason Lin
- Chiba Cancer Center, Research Institute, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yuuki Ohara
- Department of Pathology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kuwata
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Services, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Hiroki Yukami
- Department of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Akihito Kawazoe
- Department of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Kohei Shitara
- Department of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan
| | | | - Takehiro Ohnuma
- Department of Dermatology, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan.,Department of Dermatology and Plastic Surgery, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | | | - Yoshiyasu Umeda
- Department of Skin Oncology/Dermatology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yu Kawahara
- Department of Skin Oncology/Dermatology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Nakamura
- Department of Skin Oncology/Dermatology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yukiko Kiniwa
- Department of Dermatology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Nagano, Japan
| | - Ayako Morita
- Department of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan
| | - Eiki Ichihara
- Department of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan
| | - Katsuyuki Kiura
- Department of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Enokida
- Department of Head and Neck Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Makoto Tahara
- Department of Head and Neck Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Hasegawa
- Department of Applied Genomics, Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Mano
- Division of Cellular Signaling, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Nishikawa
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo/Kashiwa, Japan.,Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yosuke Togashi
- Chiba Cancer Center, Research Institute, Chiba, Japan.,Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.,Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo/Kashiwa, Japan
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19
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Borden ES, Ghafoor S, Buetow KH, LaFleur BJ, Wilson MA, Hastings KT. NeoScore Integrates Characteristics of the Neoantigen:MHC Class I Interaction and Expression to Accurately Prioritize Immunogenic Neoantigens. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2022; 208:1813-1827. [PMID: 35304420 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2100700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Accurate prioritization of immunogenic neoantigens is key to developing personalized cancer vaccines and distinguishing those patients likely to respond to immune checkpoint inhibition. However, there is no consensus regarding which characteristics best predict neoantigen immunogenicity, and no model to date has both high sensitivity and specificity and a significant association with survival in response to immunotherapy. We address these challenges in the prioritization of immunogenic neoantigens by (1) identifying which neoantigen characteristics best predict immunogenicity; (2) integrating these characteristics into an immunogenicity score, the NeoScore; and (3) demonstrating a significant association of the NeoScore with survival in response to immune checkpoint inhibition. One thousand random and evenly split combinations of immunogenic and nonimmunogenic neoantigens from a validated dataset were analyzed using a regularized regression model for characteristic selection. The selected characteristics, the dissociation constant and binding stability of the neoantigen:MHC class I complex and expression of the mutated gene in the tumor, were integrated into the NeoScore. A web application is provided for calculation of the NeoScore. The NeoScore results in improved, or equivalent, performance in four test datasets as measured by sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operator characteristics curve compared with previous models. Among cutaneous melanoma patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibition, a high maximum NeoScore was associated with improved survival. Overall, the NeoScore has the potential to improve neoantigen prioritization for the development of personalized vaccines and contribute to the determination of which patients are likely to respond to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth S Borden
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine-Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ.,Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Phoenix, AZ
| | - Suhail Ghafoor
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
| | - Kenneth H Buetow
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ; and
| | | | - Melissa A Wilson
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ; and
| | - K Taraszka Hastings
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine-Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ; .,Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Phoenix, AZ
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20
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Neoantigen Cancer Vaccines: Generation, Optimization, and Therapeutic Targeting Strategies. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10020196. [PMID: 35214655 PMCID: PMC8877108 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10020196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternatives to conventional cancer treatments are highly sought after for high-risk malignancies that have a poor response to established treatment modalities. With research advancing rapidly in the past decade, neoantigen-based immunotherapeutic approaches represent an effective and highly tolerable therapeutic option. Neoantigens are tumor-specific antigens that are not expressed in normal cells and possess significant immunogenic potential. Several recent studies have described the conceptual framework and methodologies to generate neoantigen-based vaccines as well as the formulation of appropriate clinical trials to advance this approach for patient care. This review aims to describe some of the key studies in the recent literature in this rapidly evolving field and summarize the current advances in neoantigen identification and selection, vaccine generation and delivery, and the optimization of neoantigen-based therapeutic strategies, including the early data from pivotal clinical studies.
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21
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Füchsl F, Krackhardt AM. Adoptive Cellular Therapy for Multiple Myeloma Using CAR- and TCR-Transgenic T Cells: Response and Resistance. Cells 2022; 11:410. [PMID: 35159220 PMCID: PMC8834324 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the substantial improvement of therapeutic approaches, multiple myeloma (MM) remains mostly incurable. However, immunotherapeutic and especially T cell-based approaches pioneered the therapeutic landscape for relapsed and refractory disease recently. Targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) on myeloma cells has been demonstrated to be highly effective not only by antibody-derived constructs but also by adoptive cellular therapies. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-transgenic T cells lead to deep, albeit mostly not durable responses with manageable side-effects in intensively pretreated patients. The spectrum of adoptive T cell-transfer covers synthetic CARs with diverse specificities as well as currently less well-established T cell receptor (TCR)-based personalized strategies. In this review, we want to focus on treatment characteristics including efficacy and safety of CAR- and TCR-transgenic T cells in MM as well as the future potential these novel therapies may have. ACT with transgenic T cells has only entered clinical trials and various engineering strategies for optimization of T cell responses are necessary to overcome therapy resistance mechanisms. We want to outline the current success in engineering CAR- and TCR-T cells, but also discuss challenges including resistance mechanisms of MM for evading T cell therapy and point out possible novel strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Füchsl
- School of Medicine, Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin III, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaningerstraße 22, 81675 Munich, Germany;
| | - Angela M. Krackhardt
- School of Medicine, Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin III, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaningerstraße 22, 81675 Munich, Germany;
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner-Site Munich, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Einsteinstraße 25, 81675 Munich, Germany
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22
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Wu W, Liu Y, Zeng S, Han Y, Shen H. Intratumor heterogeneity: the hidden barrier to immunotherapy against MSI tumors from the perspective of IFN-γ signaling and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. J Hematol Oncol 2021; 14:160. [PMID: 34620200 PMCID: PMC8499512 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-021-01166-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In this era of precision medicine, with the help of biomarkers, immunotherapy has significantly improved prognosis of many patients with malignant tumor. Deficient mismatch repair (dMMR)/microsatellite instability (MSI) status is used as a biomarker in clinical practice to predict favorable response to immunotherapy and prognosis. MSI is an important characteristic which facilitates mutation and improves the likelihood of a favorable response to immunotherapy. However, many patients with dMMR/MSI still respond poorly to immunotherapies, which partly results from intratumor heterogeneity propelled by dMMR/MSI. In this review, we discuss how dMMR/MSI facilitates mutations in tumor cells and generates intratumor heterogeneity, especially through type II interferon (IFN-γ) signaling and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). We discuss the mechanism of immunotherapy from the perspective of dMMR/MSI, molecular pathways and TILs, and we discuss how intratumor heterogeneity hinders the therapeutic effect of immunotherapy. Finally, we summarize present techniques and strategies to look at the tumor as a whole to design personalized regimes and achieve favorable prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wantao Wu
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China, 410008
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Radiation Oncology of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China, 410008
| | - Yihan Liu
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China, 410008
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Radiation Oncology of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China, 410008
| | - Shan Zeng
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China, 410008.
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Radiation Oncology of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China, 410008.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ying Han
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China, 410008.
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Radiation Oncology of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China, 410008.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hong Shen
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China, 410008.
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Radiation Oncology of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China, 410008.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, People's Republic of China.
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23
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Burger ML, Cruz AM, Crossland GE, Gaglia G, Ritch CC, Blatt SE, Bhutkar A, Canner D, Kienka T, Tavana SZ, Barandiaran AL, Garmilla A, Schenkel JM, Hillman M, de Los Rios Kobara I, Li A, Jaeger AM, Hwang WL, Westcott PMK, Manos MP, Holovatska MM, Hodi FS, Regev A, Santagata S, Jacks T. Antigen dominance hierarchies shape TCF1 + progenitor CD8 T cell phenotypes in tumors. Cell 2021; 184:4996-5014.e26. [PMID: 34534464 PMCID: PMC8522630 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
CD8 T cell responses against different tumor neoantigens occur simultaneously, yet little is known about the interplay between responses and its impact on T cell function and tumor control. In mouse lung adenocarcinoma, we found that immunodominance is established in tumors, wherein CD8 T cell expansion is predominantly driven by the antigen that most stably binds MHC. T cells responding to subdominant antigens were enriched for a TCF1+ progenitor phenotype correlated with response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. However, the subdominant T cell response did not preferentially benefit from ICB due to a dysfunctional subset of TCF1+ cells marked by CCR6 and Tc17 differentiation. Analysis of human samples and sequencing datasets revealed that CCR6+ TCF1+ cells exist across human cancers and are not correlated with ICB response. Vaccination eliminated CCR6+ TCF1+ cells and dramatically improved the subdominant response, highlighting a strategy to optimally engage concurrent neoantigen responses against tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Burger
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Amanda M Cruz
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Grace E Crossland
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Giorgio Gaglia
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ludwig Center at Harvard, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Cecily C Ritch
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ludwig Center at Harvard, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sarah E Blatt
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Arjun Bhutkar
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - David Canner
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Tamina Kienka
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sara Z Tavana
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Alexia L Barandiaran
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Andrea Garmilla
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jason M Schenkel
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Michelle Hillman
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Izumi de Los Rios Kobara
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Amy Li
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Alex M Jaeger
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - William L Hwang
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Peter M K Westcott
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Michael P Manos
- Melanoma Disease Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Center for Immuno-oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Marta M Holovatska
- Melanoma Disease Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Center for Immuno-oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - F Stephen Hodi
- Melanoma Disease Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Center for Immuno-oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Aviv Regev
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Sandro Santagata
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ludwig Center at Harvard, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Tyler Jacks
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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24
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Melero I, Castanon E, Alvarez M, Champiat S, Marabelle A. Intratumoural administration and tumour tissue targeting of cancer immunotherapies. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2021; 18:558-576. [PMID: 34006998 PMCID: PMC8130796 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-021-00507-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 231] [Impact Index Per Article: 77.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Immune-checkpoint inhibitors and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are revolutionizing oncology and haematology practice. With these and other immunotherapies, however, systemic biodistribution raises safety issues, potentially requiring the use of suboptimal doses or even precluding their clinical development. Delivering or attracting immune cells or immunomodulatory factors directly to the tumour and/or draining lymph nodes might overcome these problems. Hence, intratumoural delivery and tumour tissue-targeted compounds are attractive options to increase the in situ bioavailability and, thus, the efficacy of immunotherapies. In mouse models, intratumoural administration of immunostimulatory monoclonal antibodies, pattern recognition receptor agonists, genetically engineered viruses, bacteria, cytokines or immune cells can exert powerful effects not only against the injected tumours but also often against uninjected lesions (abscopal or anenestic effects). Alternatively, or additionally, biotechnology strategies are being used to achieve higher functional concentrations of immune mediators in tumour tissues, either by targeting locally overexpressed moieties or engineering 'unmaskable' agents to be activated by elements enriched within tumour tissues. Clinical trials evaluating these strategies are ongoing, but their development faces issues relating to the administration methodology, pharmacokinetic parameters, pharmacodynamic end points, and immunobiological and clinical response assessments. Herein, we discuss these approaches in the context of their historical development and describe the current landscape of intratumoural or tumour tissue-targeted immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Melero
- Department of Immunology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
- Department of Oncology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
- Program for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Eduardo Castanon
- Department of Immunology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Department of Oncology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Maite Alvarez
- Program for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Stephane Champiat
- Département d'Innovation Thérapeutique et d'Essais Précoces (DITEP), Université Paris Saclay, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
- INSERM U1015, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
- Biotherapies for In Situ Antitumor Immunization (BIOTHERIS), Centre d'Investigation Clinique INSERM CICBT1428, Villejuif, France
| | - Aurelien Marabelle
- Département d'Innovation Thérapeutique et d'Essais Précoces (DITEP), Université Paris Saclay, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France.
- INSERM U1015, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France.
- Biotherapies for In Situ Antitumor Immunization (BIOTHERIS), Centre d'Investigation Clinique INSERM CICBT1428, Villejuif, France.
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25
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Proliferative Clonal T-Cell Infiltrate Mimicking a Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma Arising in Active Regression of Melanoma. Am J Dermatopathol 2021; 44:141-144. [PMID: 34291743 DOI: 10.1097/dad.0000000000002025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Complete melanoma regression is an uncommon phenomenon involving a complex interplay of the tumor microenvironment and host immune response. We report a case of an 84-year-old woman with a history of colon and breast cancers who presented with a right forearm tumor, which was found to be a nodular melanoma; focal features of regression were noted in the biopsy. Approximately 6 weeks later, surgical resection of the site revealed no gross evidence of tumor, and histologic sections showed an extensive lymphoid infiltrate with prominent epidermotropism. Rare residual melanoma cells were present in the dermis, best visualized on immunohistochemical stains. T cells predominated in the infiltrate with an inverted CD4:CD8 ratio at approximately 1:2. There was no appreciable loss of pan[FIGURE DASH]T-cell antigens. T-cell receptor beta and gamma gene rearrangements were performed by polymerase chain reaction and demonstrated clonality in each assay. Although a synchronous cutaneous T-cell lymphoma was considered, the overall clinicopathologic features are more in line with an exaggerated host immune response leading to near complete regression of the tumor.
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26
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Bear AS, Blanchard T, Cesare J, Ford MJ, Richman LP, Xu C, Baroja ML, McCuaig S, Costeas C, Gabunia K, Scholler J, Posey AD, O'Hara MH, Smole A, Powell DJ, Garcia BA, Vonderheide RH, Linette GP, Carreno BM. Biochemical and functional characterization of mutant KRAS epitopes validates this oncoprotein for immunological targeting. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4365. [PMID: 34272369 PMCID: PMC8285372 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24562-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Activating RAS missense mutations are among the most prevalent genomic alterations observed in human cancers and drive oncogenesis in the three most lethal tumor types. Emerging evidence suggests mutant KRAS (mKRAS) may be targeted immunologically, but mKRAS epitopes remain poorly defined. Here we employ a multi-omics approach to characterize HLA class I-restricted mKRAS epitopes. We provide proteomic evidence of mKRAS epitope processing and presentation by high prevalence HLA class I alleles. Select epitopes are immunogenic enabling mKRAS-specific TCRαβ isolation. TCR transfer to primary CD8+ T cells confers cytotoxicity against mKRAS tumor cell lines independent of histologic origin, and the kinetics of lytic activity correlates with mKRAS peptide-HLA class I complex abundance. Adoptive transfer of mKRAS-TCR engineered CD8+ T cells leads to tumor eradication in a xenograft model of metastatic lung cancer. This study validates mKRAS peptides as bona fide epitopes facilitating the development of immune therapies targeting this oncoprotein. KRAS is commonly mutated at codon 12 in several cancer types, offering a unique opportunity for the development of neoantigen-targeted immunotherapy. Here the authors present a pipeline for the prediction, identification and validation of HLA class-I restricted mutant KRAS G12 peptides, leading to the generation of mutant KRAS-specific T cell receptors for adoptive T cell immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adham S Bear
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. .,Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Tatiana Blanchard
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Joseph Cesare
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Lee P Richman
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Chong Xu
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Miren L Baroja
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sarah McCuaig
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Christina Costeas
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Khatuna Gabunia
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John Scholler
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Avery D Posey
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mark H O'Hara
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Anze Smole
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Daniel J Powell
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, 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
| | - Benjamin A Garcia
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Robert H Vonderheide
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, 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
| | - Gerald P Linette
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, 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
| | - Beatriz M Carreno
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, 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. .,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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27
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Trück J, Eugster A, Barennes P, Tipton CM, Luning Prak ET, Bagnara D, Soto C, Sherkow JS, Payne AS, Lefranc MP, Farmer A, Bostick M, Mariotti-Ferrandiz E. Biological controls for standardization and interpretation of adaptive immune receptor repertoire profiling. eLife 2021; 10:e66274. [PMID: 34037521 PMCID: PMC8154019 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Use of adaptive immune receptor repertoire sequencing (AIRR-seq) has become widespread, providing new insights into the immune system with potential broad clinical and diagnostic applications. However, like many high-throughput technologies, it comes with several problems, and the AIRR Community was established to understand and help solve them. We, the AIRR Community's Biological Resources Working Group, have surveyed scientists about the need for standards and controls in generating and annotating AIRR-seq data. Here, we review the current status of AIRR-seq, provide the results of our survey, and based on them, offer recommendations for developing AIRR-seq standards and controls, including future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Trück
- University Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Research Center, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Anne Eugster
- CRTD Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Pierre Barennes
- Sorbonne Université U959, Immunology-Immunopathology-Immunotherapy (i3)ParisFrance
- AP-HP Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Biotherapy (CIC-BTi)ParisFrance
| | - Christopher M Tipton
- Lowance Center for Human Immunology, Emory University School of MedicineAtlantaUnited States
| | - Eline T Luning Prak
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Davide Bagnara
- University of Genoa, Department of Experimental MedicineGenoaItaly
| | - Cinque Soto
- The Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleUnited States
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleUnited States
| | - Jacob S Sherkow
- College of Law, University of IllinoisChampaignUnited States
- Center for Advanced Studies in Biomedical Innovation Law, University of Copenhagen Faculty of LawCopenhagenDenmark
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of IllinoisUrbana, IllinoisUnited States
| | - Aimee S Payne
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Marie-Paule Lefranc
- IMGT, The International ImMunoGeneTics Information System (IMGT), Laboratoire d'ImmunoGénétique Moléculaire (LIGM), Institut de Génétique Humaine (IGH), CNRS, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
- Laboratoire d'ImmunoGénétique Moléculaire (LIGM) CNRS, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
- Institut de Génétique Humaine (IGH), CNRS, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
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28
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Gupta RG, Li F, Roszik J, Lizée G. Exploiting Tumor Neoantigens to Target Cancer Evolution: Current Challenges and Promising Therapeutic Approaches. Cancer Discov 2021; 11:1024-1039. [PMID: 33722796 PMCID: PMC8102318 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-20-1575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapeutic manipulation of the antitumor immune response offers an attractive strategy to target genomic instability in cancer. A subset of tumor-specific somatic mutations can be translated into immunogenic and HLA-bound epitopes called neoantigens, which can induce the activation of helper and cytotoxic T lymphocytes. However, cancer immunoediting and immunosuppressive mechanisms often allow tumors to evade immune recognition. Recent evidence also suggests that the tumor neoantigen landscape extends beyond epitopes originating from nonsynonymous single-nucleotide variants in the coding exome. Here we review emerging approaches for identifying, prioritizing, and immunologically targeting personalized neoantigens using polyvalent cancer vaccines and T-cell receptor gene therapy. SIGNIFICANCE: Several major challenges currently impede the clinical efficacy of neoantigen-directed immunotherapy, such as the relative infrequency of immunogenic neoantigens, suboptimal potency and priming of de novo tumor-specific T cells, and tumor cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms of immune evasion. A deeper understanding of these biological barriers could help facilitate the development of effective and durable immunotherapy for any type of cancer, including immunologically "cold" tumors that are otherwise therapeutically resistant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi G Gupta
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, Camden, New Jersey.
| | - Fenge Li
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jason Roszik
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Gregory Lizée
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
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29
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Neoantigen Cancer Vaccines: Real Opportunity or Another Illusion? Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) 2021; 69:12. [PMID: 33909124 PMCID: PMC8080209 DOI: 10.1007/s00005-021-00615-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In this communication, we will analyze some important factors and immunological phenomena related to neoantigen cancer vaccines, with particular emphasis on recently published Phase I clinical trials. Several obstacles and issues are addressed that challenge the current paradigm and inquire if neoantigens, which are essentially single-use vaccine candidates, are legitimate targets to induce protective immune responses with regard to the evolving mutational landscape. We also share insights into the striking similarities between cancer and antigenically variable pathogens and suggest that any successful vaccine against either should demonstrate a similar property: efficient induction of a diverse pool of immune cells equipped to prevent immune escape. Hence, to confront antigenic variability directly, we have employed our innovative vaccine concept, Variable Epitope Libraries, composed of large combinatorial libraries of heavily mutated epitopes, as a "universal" vaccine platform. Collectively, we offer critical analyses on key issues, which ultimately reflect on the prospective clinical relevance of personalized neoantigen vaccines which is still undefined.
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30
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Blair TC, Alice AF, Zebertavage L, Crittenden MR, Gough MJ. The Dynamic Entropy of Tumor Immune Infiltrates: The Impact of Recirculation, Antigen-Specific Interactions, and Retention on T Cells in Tumors. Front Oncol 2021; 11:653625. [PMID: 33968757 PMCID: PMC8101411 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.653625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of tumor infiltration using conventional methods reveals a snapshot view of lymphocyte interactions with the tumor environment. However, lymphocytes have the unique capacity for continued recirculation, exploring varied tissues for the presence of cognate antigens according to inflammatory triggers and chemokine gradients. We discuss the role of the inflammatory and cellular makeup of the tumor environment, as well as antigen expressed by cancer cells or cross-presented by stromal antigen presenting cells, on recirculation kinetics of T cells. We aim to discuss how current cancer therapies may manipulate lymphocyte recirculation versus retention to impact lymphocyte exclusion in the tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany C Blair
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU), Portland, OR, United States.,Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Alejandro F Alice
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Lauren Zebertavage
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU), Portland, OR, United States.,Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Marka R Crittenden
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States.,The Oregon Clinic, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Michael J Gough
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States
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31
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Medler TR, Blair TC, Crittenden MR, Gough MJ. Defining Immunogenic and Radioimmunogenic Tumors. Front Oncol 2021; 11:667075. [PMID: 33816320 PMCID: PMC8017281 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.667075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the cancer literature tumors are inconsistently labeled as ‘immunogenic’, and experimental results are occasionally dismissed since they are only tested in known ‘responsive’ tumor models. The definition of immunogenicity has moved from its classical definition based on the rejection of secondary tumors to a more nebulous definition based on immune infiltrates and response to immunotherapy interventions. This review discusses the basis behind tumor immunogenicity and the variation between tumor models, then moves to discuss how these principles apply to the response to radiation therapy. In this way we can identify radioimmunogenic tumor models that are particularly responsive to immunotherapy only when combined with radiation, and identify the interventions that can convert unresponsive tumors so that they can also respond to these treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry R Medler
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Tiffany C Blair
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States.,Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, OHSU, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Marka R Crittenden
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States.,Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, OHSU, Portland, OR, United States.,The Oregon Clinic, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Michael J Gough
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States.,Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, OHSU, Portland, OR, United States
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32
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Tumor Heterogeneity: A Great Barrier in the Age of Cancer Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13040806. [PMID: 33671881 PMCID: PMC7918981 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Throughout the history of oncology research, tumor heterogeneity has been a major hurdle for the successful treatment of cancer. As a result of aberrant changes in the tumor microenvironment such as high mutational burden, hypoxic conditions and abnormal vasculature, several malignant subpopulations often exist within a single tumor mass. Therapeutic intervention can also increase selective pressure towards subpopulations with acquired resistance. This phenomenon is often the cause of relapse in previously responsive patients, drastically changing the expected outcome of therapy. In the case of cancer immunotherapy, tumor heterogeneity is a substantial barrier as acquired resistance often takes the form of antigen escape and immunosuppression. In an effort to combat intrinsic resistance mechanisms, therapies are often combined as a multi-pronged approach to target multiple pathways simultaneously. These multi-therapy regimens have long been a mainstay of clinical oncology with chemotherapy cocktails but are more recently being investigated in the emerging landscape of immunotherapy. Furthermore, as high throughput technology becomes more affordable and accessible, researchers continue to deepen their understanding of the factors that influence tumor heterogeneity and shape the TME over the course of treatment regimens. In this review, we will investigate the factors that give rise to tumor heterogeneity and the impact it has on the field of immunotherapy. We will discuss how tumor heterogeneity causes resistance to various treatments and review the strategies currently being employed to overcome this challenging clinical hurdle. Finally, we will outline areas of research that should be prioritized to gain a better understanding of tumor heterogeneity and develop appropriate solutions.
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33
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Mpakali A, Stratikos E. The Role of Antigen Processing and Presentation in Cancer and the Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:E134. [PMID: 33406696 PMCID: PMC7796214 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13010134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent clinical successes of cancer immunotherapy using immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are rapidly changing the landscape of cancer treatment. Regardless of initial impressive clinical results though, the therapeutic benefit of ICIs appears to be limited to a subset of patients and tumor types. Recent analyses have revealed that the potency of ICI therapies depends on the efficient presentation of tumor-specific antigens by cancer cells and professional antigen presenting cells. Here, we review current knowledge on the role of antigen presentation in cancer. We focus on intracellular antigen processing and presentation by Major Histocompatibility class I (MHCI) molecules and how it can affect cancer immune evasion. Finally, we discuss the pharmacological tractability of manipulating intracellular antigen processing as a complementary approach to enhance tumor immunogenicity and the effectiveness of ICI immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Mpakali
- National Centre for Scientific Research Demokritos, Agia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, Greece
| | - Efstratios Stratikos
- National Centre for Scientific Research Demokritos, Agia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, Greece
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zographou, 15784 Athens, Greece
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34
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Padya BS, Pandey A, Pisay M, Koteshwara KB, Chandrashekhar Hariharapura R, Bhat KU, Biswas S, Mutalik S. Stimuli-responsive and cellular targeted nanoplatforms for multimodal therapy of skin cancer. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 890:173633. [PMID: 33049302 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Interdisciplinary applications of nanopharmaceutical sciences have tremendous potential for enhancing pharmacokinetics, efficacy and safety of cancer therapy. The limitations of conventional therapeutic platforms used for skin cancer therapy have been largely overcome by the use of nanoplatforms. This review discusses various nanotechnological approaches experimented for the treatment of skin cancer. The review describes various polymeric, lipidic and inorganic nanoplatforms for efficient therapy of skin cancer. The stimuli-responsive nanoplatforms such as pH-responsive as well as temperature-responsive platforms have also been reviewed. Different strategies for potentiating the nanoparticles application for cancer therapy such as surface engineering, conjugation with drugs, stimulus-responsive and multimodal effect have also been discussed and compared with the available conventional treatments. Although, nanopharmaceuticals face challenges such as toxicity, cost and scale-up, efforts put-in to improve these drawbacks with continuous research would deliver exciting and promising results in coming days.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bharath Singh Padya
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Abhijeet Pandey
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Muralidhar Pisay
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - K B Koteshwara
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Raghu Chandrashekhar Hariharapura
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Kuruveri Udaya Bhat
- Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Mangalore, Karnataka, 575025, India
| | - Swati Biswas
- Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology & Science-Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500078, India
| | - Srinivas Mutalik
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India.
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Domínguez‐Romero AN, Martínez‐Cortés F, Munguía ME, Odales J, Gevorkian G, Manoutcharian K. Generation of multiepitope cancer vaccines based on large combinatorial libraries of survivin-derived mutant epitopes. Immunology 2020; 161:123-138. [PMID: 32619293 PMCID: PMC7496785 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune tolerance is the main challenge in the field of cancer vaccines, so modified peptide sequences or naturally occurring mutated versions of cancer-related wild-type (WT) antigens represent a promising pathway. However, the low immunogenicity of mutation-induced neoantigens and, particularly, their incapacity to activate CD8+ T cells are generating doubts on the success of neoantigen-based cancer vaccines in clinical trials. We developed a novel vaccine approach based on a new class of vaccine immunogens, called variable epitope libraries (VELs). We used three regions of survivin (SVN), composed of 40, 49 and 51 amino acids, along with the complete SVN protein to generate the VELs as multiepitope vaccines. BALB/c mice, challenged with the aggressive and highly metastatic 4T1 cell line, were vaccinated in a therapeutic setting. We showed significant tumor growth inhibition and, most importantly, strong suppression of lung metastasis after a single immunization using VEL vaccines. We demonstrated vaccine-induced broad cellular immune responses concomitant with extensive tumor infiltration of T cells, the activation of CD107a+ IFN-γ+ T cells in the spleen and a significant increase in the number of CD3+ CD8+ Ly6C+ effector T cells. In addition, we observed the presence of interferon-γ-, granzyme B- and perforin-producing lymphocytes along with modifications in the amount of CD11b+ Ly6Cint/low Ly6G+ granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells and CD4+ CD25+ FoxP3+ regulatory T cells in the lungs and tumors of mice. In summary, we showed that the VELs represent a potent new class of cancer immunotherapy and propose the application of the VEL vaccine concept as a true alternative to currently available vaccine platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fernando Martínez‐Cortés
- Instituto de Investigaciones BiomédicasUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)MéxicoDFMéxico
| | - María Elena Munguía
- Instituto de Investigaciones BiomédicasUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)MéxicoDFMéxico
| | - Josué Odales
- Instituto de Investigaciones BiomédicasUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)MéxicoDFMéxico
| | - Goar Gevorkian
- Instituto de Investigaciones BiomédicasUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)MéxicoDFMéxico
| | - Karen Manoutcharian
- Instituto de Investigaciones BiomédicasUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)MéxicoDFMéxico
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Nüssing S, Trapani JA, Parish IA. Revisiting T Cell Tolerance as a Checkpoint Target for Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2020; 11:589641. [PMID: 33072137 PMCID: PMC7538772 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.589641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of cancer. Nevertheless, the majority of patients do not respond to therapy, meaning a deeper understanding of tumor immune evasion strategies is required to boost treatment efficacy. The vast majority of immunotherapy studies have focused on how treatment reinvigorates exhausted CD8+ T cells within the tumor. In contrast, how therapies influence regulatory processes within the draining lymph node is less well studied. In particular, relatively little has been done to examine how tumors may exploit peripheral CD8+ T cell tolerance, an under-studied immune checkpoint that under normal circumstances prevents detrimental autoimmune disease by blocking the initiation of T cell responses. Here we review the therapeutic potential of blocking peripheral CD8+ T cell tolerance for the treatment of cancer. We first comprehensively review what has been learnt about the regulation of CD8+ T cell peripheral tolerance from the non-tumor models in which peripheral tolerance was first defined. We next consider how the tolerant state differs from other states of negative regulation, such as T cell exhaustion and senescence. Finally, we describe how tumors hijack the peripheral tolerance immune checkpoint to prevent anti-tumor immune responses, and argue that disruption of peripheral tolerance may contribute to both the anti-cancer efficacy and autoimmune side-effects of immunotherapy. Overall, we propose that a deeper understanding of peripheral tolerance will ultimately enable the development of more targeted and refined cancer immunotherapy approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Nüssing
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Joseph A Trapani
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Ian A Parish
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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Immune Landscape in Tumor Microenvironment: Implications for Biomarker Development and Immunotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21155521. [PMID: 32752264 PMCID: PMC7432816 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Integration of the tumor microenvironment as a fundamental part of the tumorigenic process has undoubtedly revolutionized our understanding of cancer biology. Increasing evidence indicates that neoplastic cells establish a dependency relationship with normal resident cells in the affected tissue and, furthermore, develop the ability to recruit new accessory cells that aid tumor development. In addition to normal stromal and tumor cells, this tumor ecosystem includes an infiltrated immune component that establishes complex interactions that have a critical effect during the natural history of the tumor. The process by which immune cells modulate tumor progression is known as immunoediting, a dynamic process that creates a selective pressure that finally leads to the generation of immune-resistant cells and the inability of the immune system to eradicate the tumor. In this context, the cellular and functional characterization of the immune compartment within the tumor microenvironment will help to understand tumor progression and, ultimately, will serve to create novel prognostic tools and improve patient stratification for cancer treatment. Here we review the impact of the immune system on tumor development, focusing particularly on its clinical implications and the current technologies used to analyze immune cell diversity within the tumor.
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38
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van Willigen WW, Bloemendal M, Boers-Sonderen MJ, de Groot JWB, Koornstra RHT, van der Veldt AAM, Haanen JBAG, Boudewijns S, Schreibelt G, Gerritsen WR, de Vries IJM, Bol KF. Response and survival of metastatic melanoma patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibition for recurrent disease on adjuvant dendritic cell vaccination. Oncoimmunology 2020; 9:1738814. [PMID: 33457087 PMCID: PMC7790511 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2020.1738814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaccination with autologous dendritic cells (DC) loaded ex vivo with melanoma-associated antigens is currently being tested as an adjuvant treatment modality for resected locoregional metastatic (stage III) melanoma. Based on its mechanism of action, DC vaccination might potentiate the clinical efficacy of concurrent or sequential immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI). The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of ICI administered following recurrent disease during, or after, adjuvant DC vaccination. To this end, we retrospectively analyzed clinical responses of 51 melanoma patients with either irresectable stage III or stage IV disease treated with first- or second-line ICI following recurrence on adjuvant DC vaccination. Patients were analyzed according to the form of ICI administered: PD-1 inhibition monotherapy (nivolumab or pembrolizumab), ipilimumab monotherapy or combined treatment with ipilimumab and nivolumab. Treatment with first- or second-line PD-1 inhibition monotherapy after recurrence on adjuvant DC vaccination resulted in a response rate of 52%. In patients treated with ipilimumab monotherapy and ipilimumab-nivolumab response rates were 35% and 75%, respectively. In conclusion, ICI is effective in melanoma patients with recurrent disease on adjuvant DC vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wouter W van Willigen
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Medical Oncology, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Martine Bloemendal
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Medical Oncology, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Rutger H T Koornstra
- Department of Medical Oncology, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Rijnstate, Arnhem, The Netherlands
| | - Astrid A M van der Veldt
- Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus Medical Center Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - John B A G Haanen
- Division of Medical Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Steve Boudewijns
- Department of Medical Oncology, Bravis Hospital, Roosendaal, The Netherlands
| | - Gerty Schreibelt
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - I Jolanda M de Vries
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Medical Oncology, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Kalijn F Bol
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Medical Oncology, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Cancer immunotherapy: Pros, cons and beyond. Biomed Pharmacother 2020; 124:109821. [PMID: 31962285 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.109821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 328] [Impact Index Per Article: 82.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy is an innovative treatment for tumors today. In various experiments and clinical studies, it has been found that immunotherapy does have incomparable advantages over traditional anti-tumor therapy, which can prolong progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). However, immunotherapy has obvious complexity and uncertainty. Immunotherapy may also cause severe adverse reactions due to an overactive immune system. More effective and fewer adverse reactions immunological checkpoints are still under further exploration. This review gives an overview of recent developments in immunotherapy and indicates a new direction of tumor treatment through analyzing the pros and cons of immunotherapy coupled with keeping a close watch on the development trend of the immunotherapy future.
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