Total threshold cytotoxicity of therapeutic antibodies for selective destruction of pathogenic memory T cells: implications for immunotherapy of autoimmune and allergenic disorders

GBP2 as a potential prognostic biomarker in pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Background

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is a disease with atypical symptoms, an unfavorable response to therapy, and a poor outcome. Abnormal guanylate-binding proteins (GBPs) play an important role in the host's defense against viral infection and may be related to carcinogenesis. In this study, we sought to determine the relationship between GBP2 expression and phenotype in patients with PAAD and explored the possible underlying biological mechanism.

Method

We analyzed the expression of GBP2 in PAAD tissues using a multiple gene expression database and a cohort of 42 PAAD patients. We evaluated GBP2's prognostic value using Kaplan-Meier analysis and the Cox regression model. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis, co-expression analysis, and GSEA were performed to illustrate the possible underlying biological mechanism. CIBERSORT and the relative expression of immune checkpoints were used to estimate the relationship between GBP2 expression and tumor immunology.

Result

GBP2 was remarkably overexpressed in PAAD tissue. The overexpression of GBP2 was correlated with an advanced T stage and poor overall survival (OS) and GBP2 expression was an independent risk factor for OS in PAAD patients. Functional analysis demonstrated that positively co-expressed genes of GBP2 were closely associated with pathways in cancer and the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway. Most of the characteristic immune checkpoints, including PDCD1, PDCDL1, CTLA4, CD80, TIGIT, LAG3, IDO2, and VISTA, were significantly expressed in the high-GBP2 expression group compared with the low-GBP2 expression group.

Conclusion

GBP2 acted as a potential prognostic biomarker and was associated with immune infiltration and the expression of immune checkpoints in PAAD.

Clinically feasible and prospective immunotherapeutic interventions in multidirectional comprehensive treatment of cancer

INTRODUCTION

The immune system is able to exert both tumor-destructive and tumor-protective functions. Immunotherapeutic technologies aim to enhance immune-based anti-tumor activity and (or) weaken tumor-protective immunity.

AREAS COVERED

Cancer vaccination, antibody (Ab)-mediated cytotoxicity, Ab-based checkpoint molecule inhibition, Ab-based immunostimulation, cytokine therapy, oncoviral therapy, drug-mediated immunostimulation, exovesicular therapy, anti-inflammatory therapy, neurohormonal immunorehabilitation, metabolic therapy, as well as adoptive cell immunotherapy, could be coherently used to synergize and amplify each other in achieving robust anti-cancer responses in cancer patients. Tumor-specific immunotherapy applied at early stages is capable of eliminating remaining tumor cells after surgery, thus preventing the development of minimal residual disease. Patients with advanced disease stages could benefit from combined immunotherapy, which would be aimed at providing tumor cell/mass dormancy. Traditional therapeutic anti-cancer interventions (chemoradiotherapy, hyperthermia, anti-hormonal therapy) could significantly enhance tumor sensitivity to anti-cancer immunotherapy. It is important that lower-dose (metronomic) chemotherapy regimens, which are well-tolerated by normal cells, could advance immune-mediated control over tumor growth.

EXPERT OPINION

We envisage that combined immunotherapy regimens in the context of traditional treatment could become the mainstream modality for treating cancers in all phases of the tumorigenesis. The effectiveness of the anti-cancer treatment could be monitored by the following blood parameters: C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio.

Inhibitory effect of IQ-1S, a selective c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor, on phenotypical and cytokine-producing characteristics in human macrophages and T-cells

c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) is a critical mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) implicated in inflammatory processes, with IQ-1S (11H-indeno[1,2-b]quinoxalin-11-one oxime sodium salt) being a high-affinity JNK inhibitor with pronounced anti-inflammatory properties. Here, we studied direct effects of IQ-1S on phenotypical and cytokine-producing characteristics of activated human monocytes/macrophages and T cells in vitro. Purified monocyte/macrophage cells were activated by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1 μg/ml) for 24 h, while T cells were activated by particles conjugated with antibodies (Abs) against human CD2, CD3, and CD28 for 48 h. Treatment with IQ-1S (0.5-25 μМ) in the presence of LPS reduced percentages of CD197 (CCR7)-positive cells in macrophage cultures, without affecting CD16⁺ (FcγRIII, low-affinity Fc-receptor), CD119⁺ (interferon-γ receptor 1), and CD124⁺ (IL-4 receptor α-subunit) cells. In addition, IQ-1S reduced production of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and IL-10 in macrophage cultures. In activated T cell cultures, IQ-1S decreased CD25⁺ cell numbers in both CD4-positive and CD4-negative T cell compartments. Central memory СD45RA^-/СD197⁺ and effector memory СD45RA^-/СD197^- T cells were more sensitive to IQ-1S-mediated suppression, as compared to naïve СD45RA⁺/СD197⁺ and terminally-differentiated effector СD45RA⁺/СD197^- T cells. IQ-1S also suppressed T-cell cytokine production (IL-2, interferon-ɣ, IL-4, and IL-10). Collectively, the results suggest that both human macrophage and T cells could be immediate cell targets for IQ-1S-based anti-inflammatory immunotherapy. IQ-1S-mediated suppressive effects were unlikely to be associated with macrophage/T helper polariation.