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Abdollahi P, Norseth HM, Schjesvold F. Advances and challenges in anti-cancer vaccines for multiple myeloma. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1411352. [PMID: 39161773 PMCID: PMC11331005 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1411352] [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: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological cancer marked by plasma cell accumulation in the bone marrow. Despite treatment advancements, MM remains incurable in most patients. MM-associated immune dysregulation fosters disease progression, prompting research into immunotherapy to combat the disease. An area of immunotherapy investigation is the design of myeloma vaccine therapy to reverse tumor-associated immune suppression and elicit tumor-specific immune responses to effectively target MM cells. This article reviews vaccine immunotherapy for MM, categorizing findings by antigen type and delivery method. Antigens include idiotype (Id), tumor-associated (TAA), tumor-specific (TSA), and whole tumor lysate. Myeloma vaccination has so far shown limited clinical efficacy. However, further studies are essential to optimize various aspects, including antigen and patient selection, vaccine timing and sequencing, and rational combinations with emerging MM treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pegah Abdollahi
- Oslo Myeloma Center, Department of Hematology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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2
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Wang Y, Zhang X, Chen G, Shao M. Clinical research progress of telomerase targeted cancer immunotherapy: a literature review. Transl Cancer Res 2024; 13:3904-3921. [PMID: 39145070 PMCID: PMC11319969 DOI: 10.21037/tcr-24-196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
Background and Objective Telomerase is activated or overexpressed in 85-90% of tumors, which maintains the length of telomere and has become an important anti-cancer target. Increasing clinical and preclinical data suggest that telomerase-targeted cancer immunotherapy could achieve effective killing of tumor cells in vivo. This article reviews the research progress of telomerase targeted cancer immunotherapy in clinical and pre-clinical trials, aiming to provide a reference for further clinical research and treatment of cancers. Methods We investigated the research progress of telomerase immunotherapy in the last 20 years from four electronic databases. Key Content and Findings Telomerase-targeted immunotherapies have been developed with the arising of a new era in immuno-oncology, including peptide vaccines, DNA vaccines, dendritic cells (DCs), adoptive cell transfer (ACT) therapies, antibodies, etc. Some of them have been approved for undergoing clinical trials by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of various cancers, such as pancreatic cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, leukaemia. Of all the treatment modalities, vaccines are the primary treatment methods, some of which have been even entered into phase III clinical trials. The main clinical application direction of telomerase vaccine is the combination with other drugs and treatment modalities, including combination with other vaccines targeting human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), traditional chemotherapy drugs and immunosuppressors. We also summarized the recent findings of immunotherapy targeting hTERT, focusing on various vaccines and the current status of associated clinical trials. We further discussed the advantages, disadvantages and potential developmental directions of various telomerase-targeted immunotherapies. Conclusions Telomerase-targeted cancer immunotherapy has promising prospects in improving patient survival expectancy. This review may provide data support and design ideas for all researchers and pharmaceutical enterprises in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Huzhou University, Huzhou, China
| | - Xiaoying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Huzhou University, Huzhou, China
| | - Guangming Chen
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Huzhou University, Huzhou, China
| | - Mingzhe Shao
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Multidisciplinary Collaboration Group of Diabetic Foot, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, China
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3
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Kumar N, Sethi G. Telomerase and hallmarks of cancer: An intricate interplay governing cancer cell evolution. Cancer Lett 2023; 578:216459. [PMID: 37863351 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Transformed cells must acquire specific characteristics to be malignant. Weinberg and Hanahan characterize these characteristics as cancer hallmarks. Though these features are independently driven, substantial signaling crosstalk in transformed cells efficiently promotes these feature acquisitions. Telomerase is an enzyme complex that maintains telomere length. However, its main component, Telomere reverse transcriptase (TERT), has been found to interact with various signaling molecules like cMYC, NF-kB, BRG1 and cooperate in transcription and metabolic reprogramming, acting as a strong proponent of malignant features such as cell death resistance, sustained proliferation, angiogenesis activation, and metastasis, among others. It allows cells to avoid replicative senescence and achieve endless replicative potential. This review summarizes both the canonical and noncanonical functions of TERT and discusses how they promote cancer hallmarks. Understanding the role of Telomerase in promoting cancer hallmarks provides vital insight into the underlying mechanism of cancer genesis and progression and telomerase intervention as a possible therapeutic target for cancer treatment. More investigation into the precise molecular mechanisms of telomerase-mediated impacts on cancer hallmarks will contribute to developing more focused and customized cancer treatment methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveen Kumar
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), Singapore, 138673, Singapore
| | - Gautam Sethi
- Department of Pharmacology and NUS Centre for Cancer Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117600, Singapore.
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4
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Dhawan N, Afzal MZ, Amin M. Immunotherapy in Anal Cancer. Curr Oncol 2023; 30:4538-4550. [PMID: 37232801 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol30050343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence and mortality of squamous cell carcinoma of the anus has been gradually increasing globally over the last few decades. The evolution of different modalities, including immunotherapies, has changed the treatment paradigm of metastatic anal cancers. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immune-modulating therapies form the backbone of treatment of anal cancer in various stages. Most anal cancers are linked to high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) infections. HPV oncoproteins E6 and E7 are responsible for an anti-tumor immune response triggering the recruitment of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. This has led to the development and utilization of immunotherapy in anal cancers. Current research in anal cancer is moving forward to discover ways to incorporate immunotherapy in the treatment sequencing in various stages of anal cancers. Immune checkpoint inhibitors alone or in combination, adoptive cell therapy, and vaccines are the areas of active investigations in anal cancer in both locally advanced and metastatic settings. Immunomodulating properties of non-immunotherapies are incorporated to enhance immune checkpoint inhibitors' effectiveness in some of the clinical trials. The aim of this review is to summarize the potential role of immunotherapy in anal squamous cell cancers and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Dhawan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dartmouth Cancer Center, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA
| | - Muhammad Z Afzal
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dartmouth Cancer Center, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA
| | - Manik Amin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dartmouth Cancer Center, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA
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5
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Telomerase: A prominent oncological target for development of chemotherapeutic agents. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 249:115121. [PMID: 36669398 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) responsible for the maintenance of chromosomal integrity by stabilizing telomere length. Telomerase is a widely expressed hallmark responsible for replicative immortality in 80-90% of malignant tumors. Cancer cells produce telomerase which prevents telomere shortening by adding telomeres sequences beyond Hayflick's limit; which enables them to divide uncontrollably. The activity of telomerase is relatively low in somatic cells and absent in normal cells, but the re-activation of this RNP in normal cells suppresses p53 activity which leads to the avoidance of senescence causing malignancy. Here, we have focused explicitly on various anti-telomerase therapies and telomerase-inhibiting molecules for the treatment of cancer. We have covered molecules that are reported in developmental, preclinical, and clinical trial stages as potent telomerase inhibitors. Apart from chemotherapy, we have also included details of immunotherapy, gene therapy, G-quadruplex stabilizers, and HSP-90 inhibitors. The purpose of this work is to discuss the challenges behind the development of novel telomerase inhibitors and to identify various perspectives for designing anti-telomerase compounds.
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6
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Gao J, Pickett HA. Targeting telomeres: advances in telomere maintenance mechanism-specific cancer therapies. Nat Rev Cancer 2022; 22:515-532. [PMID: 35790854 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-022-00490-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cancer cells establish replicative immortality by activating a telomere-maintenance mechanism (TMM), be it telomerase or the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway. Targeting telomere maintenance represents an intriguing opportunity to treat the vast majority of all cancer types. Whilst telomerase inhibitors have historically been heralded as promising anticancer agents, the reality has been more challenging, and there are currently no therapeutic options for cancer types that use ALT despite their aggressive nature and poor prognosis. In this Review, we discuss the mechanistic differences between telomere maintenance by telomerase and ALT, the current methods used to detect each mechanism, the utility of these tests for clinical diagnosis, and recent developments in the therapeutic strategies being employed to target both telomerase and ALT. We present notable developments in repurposing established therapeutic agents and new avenues that are emerging to target cancer types according to which TMM they employ. These opportunities extend beyond inhibition of telomere maintenance, by finding and exploiting inherent weaknesses in the telomeres themselves to trigger rapid cellular effects that lead to cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jixuan Gao
- Telomere Length Regulation Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Hilda A Pickett
- Telomere Length Regulation Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
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7
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Telomerase in Cancer: Function, Regulation, and Clinical Translation. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14030808. [PMID: 35159075 PMCID: PMC8834434 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14030808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cells undergoing malignant transformation must circumvent replicative senescence and eventual cell death associated with progressive telomere shortening that occurs through successive cell division. To do so, malignant cells reactivate telomerase to extend their telomeres and achieve cellular immortality, which is a “Hallmark of Cancer”. Here we review the telomere-dependent and -independent functions of telomerase in cancer, as well as its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target to diagnose and treat cancer patients. Abstract During the process of malignant transformation, cells undergo a series of genetic, epigenetic, and phenotypic alterations, including the acquisition and propagation of genomic aberrations that impart survival and proliferative advantages. These changes are mediated in part by the induction of replicative immortality that is accompanied by active telomere elongation. Indeed, telomeres undergo dynamic changes to their lengths and higher-order structures throughout tumor formation and progression, processes overseen in most cancers by telomerase. Telomerase is a multimeric enzyme whose function is exquisitely regulated through diverse transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and post-translational mechanisms to facilitate telomere extension. In turn, telomerase function depends not only on its core components, but also on a suite of binding partners, transcription factors, and intra- and extracellular signaling effectors. Additionally, telomerase exhibits telomere-independent regulation of cancer cell growth by participating directly in cellular metabolism, signal transduction, and the regulation of gene expression in ways that are critical for tumorigenesis. In this review, we summarize the complex mechanisms underlying telomere maintenance, with a particular focus on both the telomeric and extratelomeric functions of telomerase. We also explore the clinical utility of telomeres and telomerase in the diagnosis, prognosis, and development of targeted therapies for primary, metastatic, and recurrent cancers.
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Telomeres and Cancer. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11121405. [PMID: 34947936 PMCID: PMC8704776 DOI: 10.3390/life11121405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres cap the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes and are indispensable chromatin structures for genome protection and replication. Telomere length maintenance has been attributed to several functional modulators, including telomerase, the shelterin complex, and the CST complex, synergizing with DNA replication, repair, and the RNA metabolism pathway components. As dysfunctional telomere maintenance and telomerase activation are associated with several human diseases, including cancer, the molecular mechanisms behind telomere length regulation and protection need particular emphasis. Cancer cells exhibit telomerase activation, enabling replicative immortality. Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) activation is involved in cancer development through diverse activities other than mediating telomere elongation. This review describes the telomere functions, the role of functional modulators, the implications in cancer development, and the future therapeutic opportunities.
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9
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Reciprocal Inhibition of Immunogenic Performance in Mice of Two Potent DNA Immunogens Targeting HCV-Related Liver Cancer. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9051073. [PMID: 34067686 PMCID: PMC8156932 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9051073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic HCV infection and associated liver cancer impose a heavy burden on the healthcare system. Direct acting antivirals eliminate HCV, unless it is drug resistant, and partially reverse liver disease, but they cannot cure HCV-related cancer. A possible remedy could be a multi-component immunotherapeutic vaccine targeting both HCV-infected and malignant cells, but also those not infected with HCV. To meet this need we developed a two-component DNA vaccine based on the highly conserved core protein of HCV to target HCV-infected cells, and a renowned tumor-associated antigen telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) based on the rat TERT, to target malignant cells. Their synthetic genes were expression-optimized, and HCV core was truncated after aa 152 (Core152opt) to delete the domain interfering with immunogenicity. Core152opt and TERT DNA were highly immunogenic in BALB/c mice, inducing IFN-γ/IL-2/TNF-α response of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Additionally, DNA-immunization with TERT enhanced cellular immune response against luciferase encoded by a co-delivered plasmid (Luc DNA). However, DNA-immunization with Core152opt and TERT mix resulted in abrogation of immune response against both components. A loss of bioluminescence signal after co-delivery of TERT and Luc DNA into mice indicated that TERT affects the in vivo expression of luciferase directed by the immediate early cytomegalovirus and interferon-β promoters. Panel of mutant TERT variants was created and tested for their expression effects. TERT with deleted N-terminal nucleoli localization signal and mutations abrogating telomerase activity still suppressed the IFN-β driven Luc expression, while the inactivated reverse transcriptase domain of TERT and its analogue, enzymatically active HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, exerted only weak suppressive effects, implying that suppression relied on the presence of the full-length/nearly full-length TERT, but not its enzymatic activity. The effect(s) could be due to interference of the ectopically expressed xenogeneic rat TERT with biogenesis of mRNA, ribosomes and protein translation in murine cells, affecting the expression of immunogens. HCV core can aggravate this effect, leading to early apoptosis of co-expressing cells, preventing the induction of immune response.
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10
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Lopes A, Bastiancich C, Bausart M, Ligot S, Lambricht L, Vanvarenberg K, Ucakar B, Gallez B, Préat V, Vandermeulen G. New generation of DNA-based immunotherapy induces a potent immune response and increases the survival in different tumor models. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:e001243. [PMID: 33795383 PMCID: PMC8021892 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-001243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Strategies to increase nucleic acid vaccine immunogenicity are needed to move towards clinical applications in oncology. In this study, we designed a new generation of DNA vaccines, encoding an engineered vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein as a carrier of foreign T cell tumor epitopes (plasmid to deliver T cell epitopes, pTOP). We hypothesized that pTOP could activate a more potent response compared with the traditional DNA-based immunotherapies, due to both the innate immune properties of the viral protein and the specific induction of CD4 and CD8 T cells targeting tumor antigens. This could improve the outcome in different tumor models, especially when the DNA-based immunotherapy is combined with a rational therapeutic strategy. METHODS The ability of pTOP DNA vaccine to activate a specific CD4 and CD8 response and the antitumor efficacy were tested in a B16F10-OVA melanoma (subcutaneous model) and GL261 glioblastoma (subcutaneous and orthotopic models). RESULTS In B16F10-OVA melanoma, pTOP promoted immune recognition by adequate processing of both MHC-I and MHC-II epitopes and had a higher antigen-specific cytotoxic T cell (CTL) killing activity. In a GL261 orthotopic glioblastoma, pTOP immunization prior to tumor debulking resulted in 78% durable remission and long-term survival and induced a decrease of the number of immunosuppressive cells and an increase of immunologically active CTLs in the brain. The combination of pTOP with immune checkpoint blockade or with tumor resection improved the survival of mice bearing, a subcutaneous melanoma or an orthotopic glioblastoma, respectively. CONCLUSIONS In this work, we showed that pTOP plasmids encoding an engineered vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein, and containing various foreign T cell tumor epitopes, successfully triggered innate immunity and effectively promoted immune recognition by adequate processing of both MHC-I and MHC-II epitopes. These results highlight the potential of DNA-based immunotherapies coding for viral proteins to induce potent and specific antitumor responses.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antigens, Neoplasm/immunology
- Antigens, Neoplasm/metabolism
- Brain Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Brain Neoplasms/immunology
- Brain Neoplasms/metabolism
- Brain Neoplasms/pathology
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/drug effects
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/drug effects
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- Cancer Vaccines/genetics
- Cancer Vaccines/immunology
- Cancer Vaccines/pharmacology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Combined Modality Therapy
- Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/genetics
- Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/immunology
- Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/pharmacology
- Glioblastoma/drug therapy
- Glioblastoma/immunology
- Glioblastoma/metabolism
- Glioblastoma/pathology
- Histocompatibility Antigens Class I/immunology
- Histocompatibility Antigens Class I/metabolism
- Histocompatibility Antigens Class II/immunology
- Histocompatibility Antigens Class II/metabolism
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Immunity, Innate/drug effects
- Immunogenicity, Vaccine
- Immunotherapy
- Melanoma, Experimental/drug therapy
- Melanoma, Experimental/immunology
- Melanoma, Experimental/metabolism
- Melanoma, Experimental/pathology
- Membrane Glycoproteins/genetics
- Membrane Glycoproteins/immunology
- Membrane Glycoproteins/pharmacology
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Transgenic
- Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Neoplasms/immunology
- Neoplasms/metabolism
- Neoplasms/pathology
- Skin Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Skin Neoplasms/immunology
- Skin Neoplasms/metabolism
- Skin Neoplasms/pathology
- Vaccines, DNA/genetics
- Vaccines, DNA/immunology
- Vaccines, DNA/pharmacology
- Viral Envelope Proteins/genetics
- Viral Envelope Proteins/immunology
- Viral Envelope Proteins/pharmacology
- Mice
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Lopes
- Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Chiara Bastiancich
- Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, INP, Inst Neurophysiopathol, Marseille, France
| | - Mathilde Bausart
- Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sophie Ligot
- Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laure Lambricht
- Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kevin Vanvarenberg
- Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bernard Ucakar
- Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bernard Gallez
- Louvain Drug Research Institute, Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Véronique Préat
- Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gaëlle Vandermeulen
- Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
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11
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Salimi-Jeda A, Badrzadeh F, Esghaei M, Abdoli A. The role of telomerase and viruses interaction in cancer development, and telomerase-dependent therapeutic approaches. Cancer Treat Res Commun 2021; 27:100323. [PMID: 33530025 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctarc.2021.100323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is an enzyme that is critically involved in elongating and maintaining telomeres length to control cell life span and replicative potential. Telomerase activity is continuously expressed in human germ-line cells and most cancer cells, whereas it is suppressed in most somatic cells. In normal cells, by reducing telomerase activity and progressively shortening the telomeres, the cells progress to the senescence or apoptosis process. However, in cancer cells, telomere lengths remain constant due to telomerase's reactivation, and cells continue to proliferate and inhibit apoptosis, and ultimately lead to cancer development and human death due to metastasis. Studies demonstrated that several DNA and RNA oncoviruses could interact with telomerase by integrating their genome sequence within the host cell telomeres specifically. Through the activation of the hTERT promoter and lengthening the telomere, these cells contributes to cancer development. Since oncoviruses can activate telomerase and increase hTERT expression, there are several therapeutic strategies based on targeting the telomerase of cancer cells like telomerase-targeted peptide vaccines, hTERT-targeting dendritic cells (DCs), hTERT-targeting gene therapy, and hTERT-targeting CRISPR/Cas9 system that can overcome tumor-mediated toleration mechanisms and specifically apoptosis in cancer cells. This study reviews available data on the molecular structure of telomerase and the role of oncoviruses and telomerase interaction in cancer development and telomerase-dependent therapeutic approaches to conquest the cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Salimi-Jeda
- Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Fariba Badrzadeh
- Faculti of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical sciences, Golestan, Iran.
| | - Maryam Esghaei
- Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Asghar Abdoli
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
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12
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Somasundaram R, Connelly T, Choi R, Choi H, Samarkina A, Li L, Gregorio E, Chen Y, Thakur R, Abdel-Mohsen M, Beqiri M, Kiernan M, Perego M, Wang F, Xiao M, Brafford P, Yang X, Xu X, Secreto A, Danet-Desnoyers G, Traum D, Kaestner KH, Huang AC, Hristova D, Wang J, Fukunaga-Kalabis M, Krepler C, Ping-Chen F, Zhou X, Gutierrez A, Rebecca VW, Vonteddu P, Dotiwala F, Bala S, Majumdar S, Dweep H, Wickramasinghe J, Kossenkov AV, Reyes-Arbujas J, Santiago K, Nguyen T, Griss J, Keeney F, Hayden J, Gavin BJ, Weiner D, Montaner LJ, Liu Q, Peiffer L, Becker J, Burton EM, Davies MA, Tetzlaff MT, Muthumani K, Wargo JA, Gabrilovich D, Herlyn M. Tumor-infiltrating mast cells are associated with resistance to anti-PD-1 therapy. Nat Commun 2021; 12:346. [PMID: 33436641 PMCID: PMC7804257 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20600-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Anti-PD-1 therapy is used as a front-line treatment for many cancers, but mechanistic insight into this therapy resistance is still lacking. Here we generate a humanized (Hu)-mouse melanoma model by injecting fetal liver-derived CD34+ cells and implanting autologous thymus in immune-deficient NOD-scid IL2Rγnull (NSG) mice. Reconstituted Hu-mice are challenged with HLA-matched melanomas and treated with anti-PD-1, which results in restricted tumor growth but not complete regression. Tumor RNA-seq, multiplexed imaging and immunohistology staining show high expression of chemokines, as well as recruitment of FOXP3+ Treg and mast cells, in selective tumor regions. Reduced HLA-class I expression and CD8+/Granz B+ T cells homeostasis are observed in tumor regions where FOXP3+ Treg and mast cells co-localize, with such features associated with resistance to anti-PD-1 treatment. Combining anti-PD-1 with sunitinib or imatinib results in the depletion of mast cells and complete regression of tumors. Our results thus implicate mast cell depletion for improving the efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy. Immune checkpoint therapies (ICT) are promising for treating various cancers, but response rates vary. Here the authors show, in mouse models, that tumor-infiltrating mast cells colocalize with regulatory T cells, coincide with local reduction of MHC-I and CD8 T cells, and is associated with resistance to ICT, which can be reversed by c-kit inhibitor treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Robin Choi
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Ling Li
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Rohit Thakur
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Fang Wang
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Min Xiao
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Xue Yang
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Xiaowei Xu
- Department of Pathology and Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Anthony Secreto
- Department of Medicine, Stem Cell and Xenograft Core, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gwenn Danet-Desnoyers
- Department of Medicine, Stem Cell and Xenograft Core, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Daniel Traum
- Department of Genetics and Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Klaus H Kaestner
- Department of Genetics and Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alexander C Huang
- Department of Pathology and Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Johannes Griss
- Division of Immunology, Allergy and Infectious Diseases (DIAID), Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Qin Liu
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Elizabeth M Burton
- Department of Surgical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Michael A Davies
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Michael T Tetzlaff
- Department of Pathology and Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kar Muthumani
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,GeneOne Life Science Inc., Fort Washington, PA, USA
| | - Jennifer A Wargo
- Department of Surgical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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Relitti N, Saraswati AP, Federico S, Khan T, Brindisi M, Zisterer D, Brogi S, Gemma S, Butini S, Campiani G. Telomerase-based Cancer Therapeutics: A Review on their Clinical Trials. Curr Top Med Chem 2020; 20:433-457. [PMID: 31894749 DOI: 10.2174/1568026620666200102104930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Telomeres are protective chromosomal ends that shield the chromosomes from DNA damage, exonucleolytic degradation, recombination, and end-to-end fusion. Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein that adds TTAGGG tandem repeats to the telomeric ends. It has been observed that 85 to 90% of human tumors express high levels of telomerase, playing a crucial role in the development of cancers. Interestingly, the telomerase activity is generally absent in normal somatic cells. This selective telomerase expression has driven scientists to develop novel anti-cancer therapeutics with high specificity and potency. Several advancements have been made in this area, which is reflected by the enormous success of the anticancer agent Imetelstat. Since the discovery of Imetelstat, several research groups have contributed to enrich the therapeutic arsenal against cancer. Such contributions include the application of new classes of small molecules, peptides, and hTERT-based immunotherapeutic agents (p540, GV1001, GRNVAC1 or combinations of these such as Vx-001). Many of these therapeutic tools are under different stages of clinical trials and have shown promising outcomes. In this review, we highlight the current status of telomerase-based cancer therapeutics and the outcome of these investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Relitti
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, via Aldo Moro 2, I- 53100 Siena, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Akella P Saraswati
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, via Aldo Moro 2, I- 53100 Siena, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Stefano Federico
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, via Aldo Moro 2, I- 53100 Siena, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Tuhina Khan
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, via Aldo Moro 2, I- 53100 Siena, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Margherita Brindisi
- Department of Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Napoli Federico II, via D. Montesano 49, I-80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Daniela Zisterer
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, 152-160, Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Simone Brogi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, via Bonanno Pisano 6, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Sandra Gemma
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, via Aldo Moro 2, I- 53100 Siena, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Stefania Butini
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, via Aldo Moro 2, I- 53100 Siena, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Campiani
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, via Aldo Moro 2, I- 53100 Siena, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
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14
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Anti-cancer Immunotherapies Targeting Telomerase. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12082260. [PMID: 32806719 PMCID: PMC7465444 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomerase is a reverse transcriptase that maintains telomeres length, compensating for the attrition of chromosomal ends that occurs during each replication cycle. Telomerase is expressed in germ cells and stem cells, whereas it is virtually undetectable in adult somatic cells. On the other hand, telomerase is broadly expressed in the majority of human tumors playing a crucial role in the replicative behavior and immortality of cancer cells. Several studies have demonstrated that telomerase-derived peptides are able to bind to HLA (human leukocyte antigen) class I and class II molecules and effectively activate both CD8+ and CD4+ T cells subsets. Due to its broad and selective expression in cancer cells and its significant immunogenicity, telomerase is considered an ideal universal tumor-associated antigen, and consequently, a very attractive target for anti-cancer immunotherapy. To date, different telomerase targeting immunotherapies have been studied in pre-clinical and clinical settings, these approaches include peptide vaccination and cell-based vaccination. The objective of this review paper is to discuss the role of human telomerase in cancer immunotherapy analyzing recent developments and future perspectives in this field.
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Fernandes SG, Dsouza R, Pandya G, Kirtonia A, Tergaonkar V, Lee SY, Garg M, Khattar E. Role of Telomeres and Telomeric Proteins in Human Malignancies and Their Therapeutic Potential. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E1901. [PMID: 32674474 PMCID: PMC7409176 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12071901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are the ends of linear chromosomes comprised of repetitive nucleotide sequences in humans. Telomeres preserve chromosomal stability and genomic integrity. Telomere length shortens with every cell division in somatic cells, eventually resulting in replicative senescence once telomere length becomes critically short. Telomere shortening can be overcome by telomerase enzyme activity that is undetectable in somatic cells, while being active in germline cells, stem cells, and immune cells. Telomeres are bound by a shelterin complex that regulates telomere lengthening as well as protects them from being identified as DNA damage sites. Telomeres are transcribed by RNA polymerase II, and generate a long noncoding RNA called telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA), which plays a key role in regulating subtelomeric gene expression. Replicative immortality and genome instability are hallmarks of cancer and to attain them cancer cells exploit telomere maintenance and telomere protection mechanisms. Thus, understanding the role of telomeres and their associated proteins in cancer initiation, progression and treatment is very important. The present review highlights the critical role of various telomeric components with recently established functions in cancer. Further, current strategies to target various telomeric components including human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) as a therapeutic approach in human malignancies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stina George Fernandes
- Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM’s NMIMS (Deemed to be University), Vile Parle West, Mumbai 400056, India; (S.G.F.); (R.D.)
| | - Rebecca Dsouza
- Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM’s NMIMS (Deemed to be University), Vile Parle West, Mumbai 400056, India; (S.G.F.); (R.D.)
| | - Gouri Pandya
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research (AIMMSCR), Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida 201313, India; (G.P.); (A.K.)
| | - Anuradha Kirtonia
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research (AIMMSCR), Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida 201313, India; (G.P.); (A.K.)
| | - Vinay Tergaonkar
- Laboratory of NF-κB Signaling, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Singapore; (V.T.); (S.Y.L.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore 117597, Singapore
- Department of Pathology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - Sook Y. Lee
- Laboratory of NF-κB Signaling, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Singapore; (V.T.); (S.Y.L.)
| | - Manoj Garg
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research (AIMMSCR), Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida 201313, India; (G.P.); (A.K.)
| | - Ekta Khattar
- Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM’s NMIMS (Deemed to be University), Vile Parle West, Mumbai 400056, India; (S.G.F.); (R.D.)
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16
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Dosset M, Castro A, Carter H, Zanetti M. Telomerase and CD4 T Cell Immunity in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12061687. [PMID: 32630460 PMCID: PMC7352225 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12061687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is a conserved self-tumor antigen which is overexpressed in most tumors and plays a critical role in tumor formation and progression. As such, TERT is an antigen of great relevance to develop widely applicable immunotherapies. CD4 T cells play a major role in the anti-cancer response alone or with other effector cells such as CD8 T cells and NK cells. To date, efforts have been made to identify TERT peptides capable of stimulating CD4 T cells that are also able to bind diverse MHC-II alleles to ease immune status monitoring and immunotherapies. Here, we review the current status of TERT biology, TERT/MHC-II immunobiology, and past and current vaccine clinical trials. We propose that monitoring CD4 T cell immunity against TERT is a simple and direct way to assess immune surveillance in cancer patients and a new way to predict the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPi). Finally, we present the initial results of a systematic discovery of TERT peptides able to bind the most common HLA Class II alleles worldwide and show that the repertoire of MHC-II TERT peptides is wider than currently appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magalie Dosset
- The Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-081, USA;
| | - Andrea Castro
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine and Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (A.C.); (H.C.)
- Health Science, Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Hannah Carter
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine and Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (A.C.); (H.C.)
| | - Maurizio Zanetti
- The Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-081, USA;
- Correspondence:
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17
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Jansons J, Bayurova E, Skrastina D, Kurlanda A, Fridrihsone I, Kostyushev D, Kostyusheva A, Artyuhov A, Dashinimaev E, Avdoshina D, Kondrashova A, Valuev-Elliston V, Latyshev O, Eliseeva O, Petkov S, Abakumov M, Hippe L, Kholodnyuk I, Starodubova E, Gorodnicheva T, Ivanov A, Gordeychuk I, Isaguliants M. Expression of the Reverse Transcriptase Domain of Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Induces Lytic Cellular Response in DNA-Immunized Mice and Limits Tumorigenic and Metastatic Potential of Murine Adenocarcinoma 4T1 Cells. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8020318. [PMID: 32570805 PMCID: PMC7350266 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8020318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is a classic tumor-associated antigen overexpressed in majority of tumors. Several TERT-based cancer vaccines are currently in clinical trials, but immune correlates of their antitumor activity remain largely unknown. Here, we characterized fine specificity and lytic potential of immune response against rat TERT in mice. BALB/c mice were primed with plasmids encoding expression-optimized hemagglutinin-tagged or nontagged TERT or empty vector and boosted with same DNA mixed with plasmid encoding firefly luciferase (Luc DNA). Injections were followed by electroporation. Photon emission from booster sites was assessed by in vivo bioluminescent imaging. Two weeks post boost, mice were sacrificed and assessed for IFN-γ, interleukin-2 (IL-2), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) production by T-cells upon their stimulation with TERT peptides and for anti-TERT antibodies. All TERT DNA-immunized mice developed cellular and antibody response against epitopes at the N-terminus and reverse transcriptase domain (rtTERT) of TERT. Photon emission from mice boosted with TERT/TERT-HA+Luc DNA was 100 times lower than from vector+Luc DNA-boosted controls. Bioluminescence loss correlated with percent of IFN-γ/IL-2/TNF-α producing CD8+ and CD4+ T-cells specific to rtTERT, indicating immune clearance of TERT/Luc-coexpressing cells. We made murine adenocarcinoma 4T1luc2 cells to express rtTERT by lentiviral transduction. Expression of rtTERT significantly reduced the capacity of 4T1luc2 to form tumors and metastasize in mice, while not affecting in vitro growth. Mice which rejected the tumors developed T-cell response against rtTERT and low/no response to the autoepitope of TERT. This advances rtTERT as key component of TERT-based therapeutic vaccines against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juris Jansons
- Department of Research, and Department of Pathology, Pathology, Rīga Stradiņš University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia; (J.J.); (A.K.); (I.F.); (L.H.); (I.K.)
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia;
| | - Ekaterina Bayurova
- N.F. Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow 127994, Russia; (E.B.); (O.L.); (O.E.); (M.A.); (A.I.); (I.G.)
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127994, Russia; (D.A.); (A.K.)
| | - Dace Skrastina
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia;
| | - Alisa Kurlanda
- Department of Research, and Department of Pathology, Pathology, Rīga Stradiņš University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia; (J.J.); (A.K.); (I.F.); (L.H.); (I.K.)
| | - Ilze Fridrihsone
- Department of Research, and Department of Pathology, Pathology, Rīga Stradiņš University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia; (J.J.); (A.K.); (I.F.); (L.H.); (I.K.)
| | - Dmitry Kostyushev
- National Medical Research Center of Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Health, Moscow 127994, Russia; (D.K.); (A.K.)
| | - Anastasia Kostyusheva
- National Medical Research Center of Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Health, Moscow 127994, Russia; (D.K.); (A.K.)
| | - Alexander Artyuhov
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 127994, Russia; (A.A.); (E.D.)
| | - Erdem Dashinimaev
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 127994, Russia; (A.A.); (E.D.)
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127994, Russia
| | - Darya Avdoshina
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127994, Russia; (D.A.); (A.K.)
| | - Alla Kondrashova
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127994, Russia; (D.A.); (A.K.)
| | - Vladimir Valuev-Elliston
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127994, Russia; (V.V.-E.); (E.S.)
| | - Oleg Latyshev
- N.F. Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow 127994, Russia; (E.B.); (O.L.); (O.E.); (M.A.); (A.I.); (I.G.)
| | - Olesja Eliseeva
- N.F. Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow 127994, Russia; (E.B.); (O.L.); (O.E.); (M.A.); (A.I.); (I.G.)
| | - Stefan Petkov
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - Maxim Abakumov
- N.F. Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow 127994, Russia; (E.B.); (O.L.); (O.E.); (M.A.); (A.I.); (I.G.)
- Laboratory of Biomedical Nanomaterials, National University of Science and Technology MISIS, Moscow 127994, Russia
- Department of Medical Nanobiotechnologies, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 127994, Russia
| | - Laura Hippe
- Department of Research, and Department of Pathology, Pathology, Rīga Stradiņš University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia; (J.J.); (A.K.); (I.F.); (L.H.); (I.K.)
| | - Irina Kholodnyuk
- Department of Research, and Department of Pathology, Pathology, Rīga Stradiņš University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia; (J.J.); (A.K.); (I.F.); (L.H.); (I.K.)
| | - Elizaveta Starodubova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127994, Russia; (V.V.-E.); (E.S.)
| | | | - Alexander Ivanov
- N.F. Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow 127994, Russia; (E.B.); (O.L.); (O.E.); (M.A.); (A.I.); (I.G.)
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127994, Russia; (V.V.-E.); (E.S.)
| | - Ilya Gordeychuk
- N.F. Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow 127994, Russia; (E.B.); (O.L.); (O.E.); (M.A.); (A.I.); (I.G.)
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127994, Russia; (D.A.); (A.K.)
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow 127994, Russia
| | - Maria Isaguliants
- Department of Research, and Department of Pathology, Pathology, Rīga Stradiņš University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia; (J.J.); (A.K.); (I.F.); (L.H.); (I.K.)
- N.F. Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow 127994, Russia; (E.B.); (O.L.); (O.E.); (M.A.); (A.I.); (I.G.)
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127994, Russia; (D.A.); (A.K.)
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden;
- Correspondence:
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Trybek T, Kowalik A, Góźdź S, Kowalska A. Telomeres and telomerase in oncogenesis. Oncol Lett 2020; 20:1015-1027. [PMID: 32724340 PMCID: PMC7377093 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2020.11659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are located at the ends of chromosomes and protect them from degradation. Suppressing the activity of telomerase, a telomere-synthesizing enzyme, and maintaining short telomeres is a protective mechanism against cancer in humans. In most human somatic cells, the expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is repressed and telomerase activity is inhibited. This leads to the progressive shortening of telomeres and inhibition of cell growth in a process called replicative senescence. Most types of primary cancer exhibit telomerase activation, which allows uncontrolled cell proliferation. Previous research indicates that TERT activation also affects cancer development through activities other than the canonical function of mediating telomere elongation. Recent studies have improved the understanding of the structure and function of telomeres and telomerase as well as key mechanisms underlying the activation of TERT and its role in oncogenesis. These advances led to a search for drugs that inhibit telomerase as a target for cancer therapy. The present review article summarizes the organization and function of telomeres, their role in carcinogenesis, and advances in telomerase-targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Trybek
- Endocrinology Clinic, Holycross Cancer Center, 25-734 Kielce, Poland
| | - Artur Kowalik
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Holycross Cancer Center, 25-734 Kielce, Poland
| | - Stanisław Góźdź
- The Faculty of Health Sciences, Jan Kochanowski University, 25-319 Kielce, Poland.,Oncology Clinic, Holycross Cancer Center, 25-734 Kielce, Poland
| | - Aldona Kowalska
- Endocrinology Clinic, Holycross Cancer Center, 25-734 Kielce, Poland.,The Faculty of Health Sciences, Jan Kochanowski University, 25-319 Kielce, Poland
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Bajaj S, Kumar MS, Peters GJ, Mayur YC. Targeting telomerase for its advent in cancer therapeutics. Med Res Rev 2020; 40:1871-1919. [PMID: 32391613 DOI: 10.1002/med.21674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Telomerase has emerged as an important primary target in anticancer therapy. It is a distinctive reverse transcriptase enzyme, which extends the length of telomere at the 3' chromosomal end, and uses telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and telomerase RNA template-containing domains. Telomerase has a vital role and is a contributing factor in human health, mainly affecting cell aging and cell proliferation. Due to its unique feature, it ensures unrestricted cell proliferation in malignancy and plays a major role in cancer disease. The development of telomerase inhibitors with increased specificity and better pharmacokinetics is being considered to design and develop newer potent anticancer agents. Use of natural and synthetic compounds for the inhibition of telomerase activity can lead to an opening of new vistas in cancer treatment. This review details about the telomerase biochemistry, use of natural and synthetic compounds; vaccines and oncolytic virus in therapy that suppress the telomerase activity. We have discussed structure-activity relationships of various natural and synthetic telomerase inhibitors to help medicinal chemists and chemical biology researchers with a ready reference and updated status of their clinical trials. Suppression of human TERT (hTERT) activity through inhibition of hTERT promoter is an important approach for telomerase inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - G J Peters
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Y C Mayur
- SPPSPTM, SVKM's NMIMS, Mumbai, India
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20
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Qin H, Sheng J, Zhang D, Zhang X, Liu L, Li B, Li G, Zhang Z. New Strategies for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2019; 19:213-221. [PMID: 30411693 DOI: 10.2174/1871520618666181109151835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2017] [Revised: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with low response rates to cancer vaccines, short duration of anti-tumor response after vaccination, and relatively weak curative effects are problems that have not been resolved effectively during the development and application of cancer vaccines. With the continuous improvement of knowledge and awareness regarding the immune system and cancer cells, many researches have helped to explain the reasons for poor vaccine efficacy. Input from researchers accompanied by some newly emerged strategies could bring hope to improve the therapeutic effects of vaccines. METHODS Data were collected from Web of Science, Medline, Pubmed, through searching of these keywords: "cancer vaccine", "cancer stem cell", "targeted agent", "immune checkpoint blockade" and "neoantigen". RESULTS It may be more effective in immunotherapy of human cancers, including cancer stem cell vaccines, combination vaccines with targeted agents or immune checkpoint blockade, and neoantigen-based vaccines. CONCLUSION Personalized vaccines will become the mainstream solution of cancer treatment program with the continuous improvement of human understanding of the immune system and the progress of related experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanjiao Qin
- Department of Radiotherapy, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China
| | - Jiyao Sheng
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China
| | - Dan Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China
| | - Xuewen Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China
| | - Linlin Liu
- Department of Radiotherapy, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China
| | - Bingjin Li
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China
| | - Guangquan Li
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China
| | - Zhuo Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 13033, China
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21
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Teixeira L, Medioni J, Garibal J, Adotevi O, Doucet L, Durey MAD, Ghrieb Z, Kiladjian JJ, Brizard M, Laheurte C, Wehbe M, Pliquet E, Escande M, Defrance R, Culine S, Oudard S, Wain-Hobson S, Doppler V, Huet T, Langlade-Demoyen P. A First-in-Human Phase I Study of INVAC-1, an Optimized Human Telomerase DNA Vaccine in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors. Clin Cancer Res 2019; 26:588-597. [PMID: 31558479 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-19-1614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is highly expressed in >85% of human tumors and is thus considered as a good tumor-associated antigen candidate for vaccine development. We conducted a phase I study to investigate the safety, tolerability, clinical response, and immunogenicity of INVAC-1, a DNA plasmid encoding a modified hTERT protein in patients with relapsed or refractory solid tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS INVAC-1 was either administered by intradermal route followed by electroporation or by Tropis, a needle-free injection system. Safety and tolerability were monitored by clinical and laboratory assessments. Progression-free survival and overall survival were reported using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Immunogenicity was studied by ELISpot, Luminex, and Flow Cytometry. RESULTS Twenty-six patients were treated with INVAC-1 administered at three dose levels (100, 400, and 800 μg). Vaccination was well tolerated and no dose-limiting toxicity was reported. One treatment-related grade 3 SAE was reported. Fifty-eight percent of patients experienced disease stabilization. PFS was 2.7 months, median OS was 15 months, and 1-year survival was reached for 65% of patients. INVAC-1 vaccination stimulated specific anti-hTERT CD4 T-cell response as well as cytotoxic CD8 T-cell response. No evidence of peripheral vaccine-induced immunosuppression was observed. CONCLUSIONS INVAC-1 vaccination was safe, well tolerated, and immunogenic when administered intradermally at the three tested doses in patients with relapsed or refractory cancers. Disease stabilization was observed for the majority of patients (58%) during the treatment period and beyond.See related commentary by Slingluff Jr, p. 529.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Teixeira
- Breast Diseases Unit, HIPI INSERM U976, AP-HP, Saint Louis Hospital, Paris University, Paris, France
| | - Jacques Medioni
- Center for Early Clinical Trials, Medical Oncology Department (CEPEC), Georges Pompidou Hospital, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
| | | | - Olivier Adotevi
- University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INSERM, EFS BFC, UMR1098, Biomonitoring Platform, Besançon, France
| | - Ludovic Doucet
- Breast Diseases Unit, HIPI INSERM U976, AP-HP, Saint Louis Hospital, Paris University, Paris, France
| | | | - Zineb Ghrieb
- Breast Diseases Unit, HIPI INSERM U976, AP-HP, Saint Louis Hospital, Paris University, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Jacques Kiladjian
- Breast Diseases Unit, HIPI INSERM U976, AP-HP, Saint Louis Hospital, Paris University, Paris, France
| | - Mara Brizard
- Center for Early Clinical Trials, Medical Oncology Department (CEPEC), Georges Pompidou Hospital, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - Caroline Laheurte
- University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INSERM, EFS BFC, UMR1098, Biomonitoring Platform, Besançon, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Stephane Culine
- Breast Diseases Unit, HIPI INSERM U976, AP-HP, Saint Louis Hospital, Paris University, Paris, France
| | - Stephane Oudard
- Center for Early Clinical Trials, Medical Oncology Department (CEPEC), Georges Pompidou Hospital, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
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22
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Raising the bar in anticancer therapy: recent advances in, and perspectives on, telomerase inhibitors. Drug Discov Today 2019; 24:1370-1388. [PMID: 31136800 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2019.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Telomerase is a ribonucleic reverse transcriptase enzyme that uses an integral RNA component as a template to add tandem telomeric DNA repeats, TTAGGG, at the 3' end of the chromosomes. 85-90% of human tumors and their derived cell lines predominantly express high levels of telomerase, therefore contributing to cancer cell development. However, in normal cells, telomerase activity is almost always absent except in germ cells and stem cells. This differential expression has been exploited to develop highly specific and potent cancer therapeutics. In this review, we outline recent advances in the development of telomerase inhibitors as anticancer agents.
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23
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Thalmensi J, Pliquet E, Liard C, Chamel G, Kreuz C, Bestetti T, Escande M, Kostrzak A, Pailhes-Jimenez AS, Bourges E, Julithe M, Bourre L, Keravel O, Clayette P, Huet T, Wain-Hobson S, Langlade-Demoyen P. A DNA telomerase vaccine for canine cancer immunotherapy. Oncotarget 2019; 10:3361-3372. [PMID: 31164958 PMCID: PMC6534364 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.26927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is highly expressed in more than 90% of canine cancer cells and low to absent in normal cells. Given that immune tolerance to telomerase is easily broken both naturally and experimentally, telomerase is an attractive tumor associated antigen for cancer immunotherapy. Indeed, therapeutic trials using human telomerase peptides have been performed. We have developed an immunogenic yet catalytically inactive human telomerase DNA construct that is in clinical trials with patients presenting solid tumors. Paralleling this human construct, we have developed a canine telomerase DNA vaccine, called pDUV5. When administered intradermally to mice combined with electrogene transfer, pDUV5 induced canine TERT specific cytotoxic T-cells as measured by IFN-γ ELISpot assay. Intradermal vaccination of healthy dogs with 400 μg of pDUV5 generated strong, broad and long lasting TERT specific cellular immune responses. In vitro immunization with cTERT peptides revealed the maintenance of cTERT specific T-cells in PBMCs from tumor bearing dogs showing that this repertoire was not depleted. This study highlights the potential of pDUV5 as a cancer vaccine and supports its evaluation for the treatment of spontaneous canine tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Christine Kreuz
- ImmunoPharmacology and Biosafety Lab, Bertin Pharma/CEA, Fontenay-aux-Roses 92265, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Pascal Clayette
- ImmunoPharmacology and Biosafety Lab, Bertin Pharma/CEA, Fontenay-aux-Roses 92265, France
| | | | - Simon Wain-Hobson
- Invectys, Paris BioPark, Paris 75013, France.,Molecular Retrovirology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS-URA 3015, Paris 75015, France
| | - Pierre Langlade-Demoyen
- Invectys, Paris BioPark, Paris 75013, France.,Molecular Retrovirology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS-URA 3015, Paris 75015, France
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24
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Telomerase-Targeted Cancer Immunotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20081823. [PMID: 31013796 PMCID: PMC6515163 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20081823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomerase, an enzyme responsible for the synthesis of telomeres, is activated in many cancer cells and is involved in the maintenance of telomeres. The activity of telomerase allows cancer cells to replicate and proliferate in an uncontrolled manner, to infiltrate tissue, and to metastasize to distant organs. Studies to date have examined the mechanisms involved in the survival of cancer cells as targets for cancer therapeutics. These efforts led to the development of telomerase inhibitors as anticancer drugs, drugs targeting telomere DNA, viral vectors carrying a promoter for human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) genome, and immunotherapy targeting hTERT. Among these novel therapeutics, this review focuses on immunotherapy targeting hTERT and discusses the current evidence and future perspectives.
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25
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Pliquet E, Ruffie C, Escande M, Thalmensi J, Najburg V, Combredet C, Bestetti T, Julithe M, Liard C, Huet T, Wain-Hobson S, Tangy F, Langlade-Demoyen P. Strong antigen-specific T-cell immunity induced by a recombinant human TERT measles virus vaccine and amplified by a DNA/viral vector prime boost in IFNAR/CD46 mice. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2019; 68:533-544. [PMID: 30656384 PMCID: PMC11028090 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-018-2272-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy is seeing an increasing focus on vaccination with tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). Human telomerase (hTERT) is a TAA expressed by most tumors to overcome telomere shortening. Tolerance to hTERT can be easily broken both naturally and experimentally and hTERT DNA vaccine candidates have been introduced in clinical trials. DNA prime/boost strategies have been widely developed to immunize efficiently against infectious diseases. We explored the use of a recombinant measles virus (MV) hTERT vector to boost DNA priming as recombinant live attenuated measles virus has an impressive safety and efficacy record. Here, we show that a MV-TERT vector can rapidly and strongly boost DNA hTERT priming in MV susceptible IFNAR/CD46 mouse models. The cellular immune responses were Th1 polarized. No humoral responses were elicited. The 4 kb hTERT transgene did not impact MV replication or induction of cell-mediated responses. These findings validate the MV-TERT vector to boost cell-mediated responses following DNA priming in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Pliquet
- Invectys, Pépinière Paris Santé Cochin, 27, rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75014, Paris, France.
- Molecular Retrovirology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS-URA 3015, Paris, France.
| | - Claude Ruffie
- Viral Genomics and Vaccination Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS-UMR 3965, Paris, France
| | - Marie Escande
- Invectys, Pépinière Paris Santé Cochin, 27, rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Jessie Thalmensi
- Invectys, Pépinière Paris Santé Cochin, 27, rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Valérie Najburg
- Viral Genomics and Vaccination Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS-UMR 3965, Paris, France
| | - Chantal Combredet
- Viral Genomics and Vaccination Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS-UMR 3965, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Bestetti
- Invectys, Pépinière Paris Santé Cochin, 27, rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Marion Julithe
- Invectys, Pépinière Paris Santé Cochin, 27, rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Christelle Liard
- Invectys, Pépinière Paris Santé Cochin, 27, rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Thierry Huet
- Invectys, Pépinière Paris Santé Cochin, 27, rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Simon Wain-Hobson
- Invectys, Pépinière Paris Santé Cochin, 27, rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75014, Paris, France
- Molecular Retrovirology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS-URA 3015, Paris, France
| | - Frédéric Tangy
- Viral Genomics and Vaccination Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS-UMR 3965, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Langlade-Demoyen
- Invectys, Pépinière Paris Santé Cochin, 27, rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75014, Paris, France
- Molecular Retrovirology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS-URA 3015, Paris, France
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26
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Huang Y, Dai W, Li Y. Potential associations of testosterone/estradiol ratio, leukocyte hTERT expression and PBMC telomerase activity with aging and the presence of coronary artery disease in men. Exp Gerontol 2019; 117:38-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2018.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2018] [Revised: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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27
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Pierini S, Perales-Linares R, Uribe-Herranz M, Pol JG, Zitvogel L, Kroemer G, Facciabene A, Galluzzi L. Trial watch: DNA-based vaccines for oncological indications. Oncoimmunology 2017; 6:e1398878. [PMID: 29209575 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2017.1398878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA-based vaccination is a promising approach to cancer immunotherapy. DNA-based vaccines specific for tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) are indeed relatively simple to produce, cost-efficient and well tolerated. However, the clinical efficacy of DNA-based vaccines for cancer therapy is considerably limited by central and peripheral tolerance. During the past decade, considerable efforts have been devoted to the development and characterization of novel DNA-based vaccines that would circumvent this obstacle. In this setting, particular attention has been dedicated to the route of administration, expression of modified TAAs, co-expression of immunostimulatory molecules, and co-delivery of immune checkpoint blockers. Here, we review preclinical and clinical progress on DNA-based vaccines for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Pierini
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Ovarian Cancer Research Center (OCRC), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Renzo Perales-Linares
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Ovarian Cancer Research Center (OCRC), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mireia Uribe-Herranz
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Ovarian Cancer Research Center (OCRC), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jonathan G Pol
- Université Paris Descartes/Paris V, France.,Université Pierre et Marie Curie/Paris VI, Paris.,Equipe 11 labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France.,INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Laurence Zitvogel
- Gustave Roussy Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Villejuif, France.,INSERM, Villejuif, France.,Center of Clinical Investigations in Biotherapies of Cancer (CICBT), Villejuif, France.,Université Paris Sud/Paris XI, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Guido Kroemer
- Université Paris Descartes/Paris V, France.,Université Pierre et Marie Curie/Paris VI, Paris.,Equipe 11 labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France.,INSERM, Paris, France.,Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Villejuif, France.,Karolinska Institute, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.,Pôle de Biologie, Hopitâl Européen George Pompidou, AP-HP; Paris, France
| | - Andrea Facciabene
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Ovarian Cancer Research Center (OCRC), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lorenzo Galluzzi
- Université Paris Descartes/Paris V, France.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.,Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
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28
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Telomerase based anticancer immunotherapy and vaccines approaches. Vaccine 2017; 35:5768-5775. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 08/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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