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Falanga AP, Lupia A, Tripodi L, Morgillo CM, Moraca F, Roviello GN, Catalanotti B, Amato J, Pastore L, Cerullo V, D'Errico S, Piccialli G, Oliviero G, Borbone N. Exploring the DNA 2-PNA heterotriplex formation in targeting the Bcl-2 gene promoter: A structural insight by physico-chemical and microsecond-scale MD investigation. Heliyon 2024; 10:e24599. [PMID: 38317891 PMCID: PMC10839560 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Peptide Nucleic Acids (PNAs) represent a promising tool for gene modulation in anticancer treatment. The uncharged peptidyl backbone and the resistance to chemical and enzymatic degradation make PNAs highly advantageous to form stable hybrid complexes with complementary DNA and RNA strands, providing higher stability than the corresponding natural analogues. Our and other groups' research has successfully shown that tailored PNA sequences can effectively downregulate the expression of human oncogenes using antigene, antisense, or anti-miRNA approaches. Specifically, we identified a seven bases-long PNA sequence, complementary to the longer loop of the main G-quadruplex structure formed by the bcl2midG4 promoter sequence, capable of downregulating the expression of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein and enhancing the anticancer activity of an oncolytic adenovirus. Here, we extended the length of the PNA probe with the aim of including the double-stranded Bcl-2 promoter among the targets of the PNA probe. Our investigation primarily focused on the structural aspects of the resulting DNA2-PNA heterotriplex that were determined by employing conventional and accelerated microsecond-scale molecular dynamics simulations and chemical-physical analysis. Additionally, we conducted preliminary biological experiments using cytotoxicity assays on human A549 and MDA-MB-436 adenocarcinoma cell lines, employing the oncolytic adenovirus delivery strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea P. Falanga
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Antonio Lupia
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Lorella Tripodi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, 80131, Italy
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore S.c.a.r.l., Naples, 80145, Italy
| | - Carmine M. Morgillo
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Federica Moraca
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Giovanni N. Roviello
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Bruno Catalanotti
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Jussara Amato
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Lucio Pastore
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, 80131, Italy
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore S.c.a.r.l., Naples, 80145, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Cerullo
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, 80131, Italy
- ImmunoViroTherapy Lab (IVT), Drug Research Program (DRP), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, 00100, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Stefano D'Errico
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Gennaro Piccialli
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Giorgia Oliviero
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Nicola Borbone
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, 80131, Italy
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Balasco N, Tagliamonte M, Buonaguro L, Vitagliano L, Paladino A. Structural and Dynamic-Based Characterization of the Recognition Patterns of E7 and TRP-2 Epitopes by MHC Class I Receptors through Computational Approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1384. [PMID: 38338663 PMCID: PMC10855917 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
A detailed comprehension of MHC-epitope recognition is essential for the design and development of new antigens that could be effectively used in immunotherapy. Yet, the high variability of the peptide together with the large abundance of MHC variants binding makes the process highly specific and large-scale characterizations extremely challenging by standard experimental techniques. Taking advantage of the striking predictive accuracy of AlphaFold, we report a structural and dynamic-based strategy to gain insights into the molecular basis that drives the recognition and interaction of MHC class I in the immune response triggered by pathogens and/or tumor-derived peptides. Here, we investigated at the atomic level the recognition of E7 and TRP-2 epitopes to their known receptors, thus offering a structural explanation for the different binding preferences of the studied receptors for specific residues in certain positions of the antigen sequences. Moreover, our analysis provides clues on the determinants that dictate the affinity of the same epitope with different receptors. Collectively, the data here presented indicate the reliability of the approach that can be straightforwardly extended to a large number of related systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Balasco
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology IBPM-CNR c/o Department Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Maria Tagliamonte
- Immunological Models Lab, Istituto Nazionale Tumori—Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS)—“Fond. G. Pascale”, Via Mariano Semmola 53, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (M.T.); (L.B.)
| | - Luigi Buonaguro
- Immunological Models Lab, Istituto Nazionale Tumori—Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS)—“Fond. G. Pascale”, Via Mariano Semmola 53, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (M.T.); (L.B.)
| | - Luigi Vitagliano
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging IBB-CNR, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Antonella Paladino
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging IBB-CNR, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Napoli, Italy;
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3
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Garofalo M, Wieczorek M, Anders I, Staniszewska M, Lazniewski M, Prygiel M, Zasada AA, Szczepińska T, Plewczynski D, Salmaso S, Caliceti P, Cerullo V, Alemany R, Rinner B, Pancer K, Kuryk L. Novel combinatorial therapy of oncolytic adenovirus AdV5/3-D24-ICOSL-CD40L with anti PD-1 exhibits enhanced anti-cancer efficacy through promotion of intratumoral T-cell infiltration and modulation of tumour microenvironment in mesothelioma mouse model. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1259314. [PMID: 38053658 PMCID: PMC10694471 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1259314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Malignant mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Despite improvements in cancer treatment, there are still no curative treatment modalities for advanced stage of the malignancy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-tumor efficacy of a novel combinatorial therapy combining AdV5/3-D24-ICOSL-CD40L, an oncolytic vector, with an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody. Methods The efficacy of the vector was confirmed in vitro in three mesothelioma cell lines - H226, Mero-82, and MSTO-211H, and subsequently the antineoplastic properties in combination with anti-PD-1 was evaluated in xenograft H226 mesothelioma BALB/c and humanized NSG mouse models. Results and discussion Anticancer efficacy was attributed to reduced tumour volume and increased infiltration of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes, including activated cytotoxic T-cells (GrB+CD8+). Additionally, a correlation between tumour volume and activated CD8+ tumour infiltrating lymphocytes was observed. These findings were confirmed by transcriptomic analysis carried out on resected human tumour tissue, which also revealed upregulation of CD83 and CRTAM, as well as several chemokines (CXCL3, CXCL9, CXCL11) in the tumour microenvironment. Furthermore, according to observations, the combinatorial therapy had the strongest effect on reducing mesothelin and MUC16 levels. Gene set enrichment analysis suggested that the combinatorial therapy induced changes to the expression of genes belonging to the "adaptive immune response" gene ontology category. Combinatorial therapy with oncolytic adenovirus with checkpoint inhibitors may improve anticancer efficacy and survival by targeted cancer cell destruction and triggering of immunogenic cell death. Obtained results support further assessment of the AdV5/3-D24-ICOSL-CD40L in combination with checkpoint inhibitors as a novel therapeutic perspective for mesothelioma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariangela Garofalo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Magdalena Wieczorek
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Public Health, National Institute of Hygiene (NIH) - National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ines Anders
- Division of Biomedical Research, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Monika Staniszewska
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michal Lazniewski
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Bacteriology and Biocontamination Control, National Institute of Public Health, National Institute of Hygiene (NIH) - National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta Prygiel
- Departament of Sera and Vaccines Evaluation, National Institute of Public Health, National Institute of Hygiene (NIH) - National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Anna Zasada
- Departament of Sera and Vaccines Evaluation, National Institute of Public Health, National Institute of Hygiene (NIH) - National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Teresa Szczepińska
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dariusz Plewczynski
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Computational Genomics, Faculty of Mathematics and Information Science, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
- Laboratory of Functional and Structural Genomics, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Stefano Salmaso
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Paolo Caliceti
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Cerullo
- Drug Research Program (DRP), ImmunoViroTherapy Lab (IVT), Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Translational Immunology Program (TRIMM), Faculty of Medicine Helsinki University, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship (iCAN), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology and CEINGE, Naples University Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Ramon Alemany
- Oncobell Program of Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), ProCure Program of Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Avinguda de la Granvia de l’Hospitalet, L'Hospitalet de Llobrega, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Beate Rinner
- Division of Biomedical Research, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Katarzyna Pancer
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Public Health, National Institute of Hygiene (NIH) - National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Lukasz Kuryk
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Public Health, National Institute of Hygiene (NIH) - National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
- Clinical Science, Valo Therapeutics, Helsinki, Finland
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Tripodi L, Feola S, Granata I, Whalley T, Passariello M, Capasso C, Coluccino L, Vitale M, Scalia G, Gentile L, De Lorenzo C, Guarracino MR, Castaldo G, D’Argenio V, Szomolay B, Cerullo V, Pastore L. Bifidobacterium affects antitumor efficacy of oncolytic adenovirus in a mouse model of melanoma. iScience 2023; 26:107668. [PMID: 37720092 PMCID: PMC10502363 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Gut microbiota plays a key role in modulating responses to cancer immunotherapy in melanoma patients. Oncolytic viruses (OVs) represent emerging tools in cancer therapy, inducing a potent immunogenic cancer cell death (ICD) and recruiting immune cells in tumors, poorly infiltrated by T cells. We investigated whether the antitumoral activity of oncolytic adenovirus Ad5D24-CpG (Ad-CpG) was gut microbiota-mediated in a syngeneic mouse model of melanoma and observed that ICD was weakened by vancomycin-mediated perturbation of gut microbiota. Ad-CpG efficacy was increased by oral supplementation with Bifidobacterium, reducing melanoma progression and tumor-infiltrating regulatory T cells. Fecal microbiota was enriched in bacterial species belonging to the Firmicutes phylum in mice treated with both Bifidobacterium and Ad-CpG; furthermore, our data suggest that molecular mimicry between melanoma and Bifidobacterium-derived epitopes may favor activation of cross-reactive T cells and constitutes one of the mechanisms by which gut microbiota modulates OVs response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorella Tripodi
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore s.c.a.r.l, Napoli, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Sara Feola
- Drug Research Program (DRP), ImmunoViroTherapy Lab (IVT), Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5E, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ilaria Granata
- Institute for High-Performance Computing and Networking National Research Council Branch of Naples, 509066 Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Thomas Whalley
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, Wales, UK
| | - Margherita Passariello
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore s.c.a.r.l, Napoli, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Cristian Capasso
- Drug Research Program (DRP), ImmunoViroTherapy Lab (IVT), Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5E, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ludovica Coluccino
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore s.c.a.r.l, Napoli, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Maria Vitale
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore s.c.a.r.l, Napoli, Italy
| | - Giulia Scalia
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore s.c.a.r.l, Napoli, Italy
| | - Laura Gentile
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore s.c.a.r.l, Napoli, Italy
| | - Claudia De Lorenzo
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore s.c.a.r.l, Napoli, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Mario Rosario Guarracino
- University of Cassino and Southern Lazio Department of Economics and Law, 154984 Cassino, Frosinone, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Castaldo
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore s.c.a.r.l, Napoli, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Valeria D’Argenio
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore s.c.a.r.l, Napoli, Italy
- Department of Human Sciences and Quality of Life Promotion, San Raffaele Open University, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Szomolay
- Division of Infection and Immunity and Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff CF14 4XN, Wales, UK
| | - Vincenzo Cerullo
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy
- Drug Research Program (DRP), ImmunoViroTherapy Lab (IVT), Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5E, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lucio Pastore
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore s.c.a.r.l, Napoli, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy
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Systems Biology Approaches for the Improvement of Oncolytic Virus-Based Immunotherapies. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15041297. [PMID: 36831638 PMCID: PMC9954314 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15041297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Oncolytic virus (OV)-based immunotherapy is mainly dependent on establishing an efficient cell-mediated antitumor immunity. OV-mediated antitumor immunity elicits a renewed antitumor reactivity, stimulating a T-cell response against tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) and recruiting natural killer cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Despite the fact that OVs are unspecific cancer vaccine platforms, to further enhance antitumor immunity, it is crucial to identify the potentially immunogenic T-cell restricted TAAs, the main key orchestrators in evoking a specific and durable cytotoxic T-cell response. Today, innovative approaches derived from systems biology are exploited to improve target discovery in several types of cancer and to identify the MHC-I and II restricted peptide repertoire recognized by T-cells. Using specific computation pipelines, it is possible to select the best tumor peptide candidates that can be efficiently vectorized and delivered by numerous OV-based platforms, in order to reinforce anticancer immune responses. Beyond the identification of TAAs, system biology can also support the engineering of OVs with improved oncotropism to reduce toxicity and maintain a sufficient portion of the wild-type virus virulence. Finally, these technologies can also pave the way towards a more rational design of armed OVs where a transgene of interest can be delivered to TME to develop an intratumoral gene therapy to enhance specific immune stimuli.
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Kuryk L, Møller ASW. Next generation oncolytic viruses expressing PADI1 and TIMP2 exhibit anti-tumor activity against melanoma in nude and humanized mouse models. Mol Ther Oncolytics 2023; 28:158-170. [PMID: 36816748 PMCID: PMC9922816 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2023.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy of metastatic melanoma (MM) has vastly improved the longevity of only a minority of patients. To broaden the repertoire of agents against MM, we investigated the effectiveness of locally interrupting tumor blood endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis, arginine deprivation, or both on the growth of melanoma by constructing and characterizing the effectiveness of four oncolytic adenoviruses. ONCOS-207 (which expressed tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease type 2 [TIMP2]), ONCOS-209 (which expressed peptidyl arginine deiminase [PADI1]), and ONCOS-210 and ONCOS-212 (which expressed both TIMP2 and PADI1) exhibited oncolytic activity against four melanoma cell lines in vitro. ONCOS-212 treatments significantly inhibited tumor growth in an A2058 tumor model in nude mice compared with vehicle control. The inhibitory effects of the two transgenes of ONCOS-212 on tumor growth appeared to be synergistic. These viruses also significantly inhibited tumor growth in a humanized NOG model of melanoma (A2058 xenograft). All viruses significantly increased the percentage of activated CD8+ T cells in the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. The abscopal effect of ONCOS-212 treatments in the A2058 tumor challenge model in hNOG mice supports the hypothesis that the human immune response contributes to the anti-tumor activity of ONCOS-212. These results support the further development of ONCOS-212 for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Kuryk
- Targovax ASA, Clinical Science, Vollsveien 19, NO-1366 Lysaker Oslo, Norway,National Institute of Public Health NIH – National Research Institute, Department of Virology, Chocimska 24, 00-791 Warsaw, Poland,Corresponding author: Lukasz Kuryk, National Institute of Public Health NIH – National Research Institute, Department of Virology, Chocimska 24, 00-791 Warsaw, Poland.
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Yao M, Cheng S, Zhai X, Zhao H, Hong J, Li X, Meng Y, Chen W. Prognostic Comparison between cTACE and H101-TACE in Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC): A Propensity-Score Matching Analysis. Appl Bionics Biomech 2022; 2022:9084852. [PMID: 36091626 PMCID: PMC9463032 DOI: 10.1155/2022/9084852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the most common treatment for patients with HCC who are unsuitable for radical therapies. Conventional TACE (cTACE) takes advantage of the preferential hepatic arterial supply of HCC for the targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic agents suspended in lipiodol, followed by embolization or reduction of arterial flow using various types of particles while sparing the surrounding liver parenchyma. Aims and Objectives. The current study is aimed at comparing the efficacy and safety profiles of transarterial infusion of recombinant human type-5 adenovirus (H101-TACE) with conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Unresectable HCC patients that received H101-based TACE or cTACE from August 2018 to September 2021 were retrospectively evaluated. Propensity score matching (PSM) has a 1 : 1 ratio to eliminate possible confounder imbalances across cohorts. The main outcome was overall survival (OS), while secondary outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS) and tumor response. Results This study included 111 patients classified across two cohorts: the H101-TACE cohort (n = 37) and the cTACE cohort (n = 74). Median OS within the H101-TACE cohort was 9.0 months longer than within the cTACE cohort before PSM (22.1 vs. 13.1 months, P = 0.043) and 9.3 months longer following PSM (22.1 vs. 12.8 months, P = 0.004). The median PFS within the H101-TACE cohort was 3.2 months longer compared to the cTACE cohort before PSM (6.5 vs. 3.3 months, P = 0.046) and 2.5 months after PSM (6.5 vs. 4.0 months, P = 0.012). The disease control rate for H101 and control cohorts was 81.1% and 59.5%, accordingly (P = 0.039). Conclusion The present study demonstrated that the H101-TACE is safe and efficient and can considerably enhance prognostic results for unresectable HCC compared to cTACE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Yao
- Department of Integrative Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Navy Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Simo Cheng
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Navy Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xiaofeng Zhai
- Department of Integrative Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Navy Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Hetong Zhao
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Navy Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jing Hong
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Navy Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xiaoyan Li
- Department of Integrative Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Navy Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yongbin Meng
- Department of Integrative Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Navy Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Navy Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
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Kuryk L, Rodella G, Staniszewska M, Pancer KW, Wieczorek M, Salmaso S, Caliceti P, Garofalo M. Novel Insights Into Mesothelioma Therapy: Emerging Avenues and Future Prospects. Front Oncol 2022; 12:916839. [PMID: 35785199 PMCID: PMC9247278 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.916839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Malignant mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer that develops in the thin layer surrounding the mesothelium and is mainly caused by asbestos exposure. Despite improvements in patient prognosis with conventional cancer treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, there are still no curative treatment modalities for advanced disease. In recent years, new therapeutic avenues have been explored. Improved understanding of the mechanisms underlying the dynamic tumor interaction with the immune system has led to the development of immunotherapeutic approaches. Numerous recent clinical trials have shown a desire to develop more effective treatments that can be used to fight against the disease. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, oncolytic adenoviruses, and their combination represent a promising strategy that can be used to synergistically overcome immunosuppression in the mesothelioma tumor microenvironment. This review provides a synthesized overview of the current state of knowledge on new therapeutic options for mesothelioma with a focus on the results of clinical trials conducted in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Kuryk
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Public Health National Institute of Hygiene (NIH)—National Institute of Research, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giulia Rodella
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Monika Staniszewska
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Wanda Pancer
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Public Health National Institute of Hygiene (NIH)—National Institute of Research, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Magdalena Wieczorek
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Public Health National Institute of Hygiene (NIH)—National Institute of Research, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Stefano Salmaso
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Paolo Caliceti
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Mariangela Garofalo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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He X, Zhou S, Quinn B, Jahagirdar D, Ortega J, Long MD, Abrams SI, Lovell JF. An In Vivo Screen to Identify Short Peptide Mimotopes with Enhanced Antitumor Immunogenicity. Cancer Immunol Res 2022; 10:314-326. [PMID: 34992135 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-21-0332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Tumor-associated self-antigens are potential cancer vaccine targets but suffer from limited immunogenicity. There are examples of mutated, short self-peptides inducing epitope-specific CD8⁺ T cells more efficiently than the wild-type epitope, but current approaches cannot yet reliably identify such epitopes, which are referred to as enhanced mimotopes ("e-mimotopes"). Here, we present a generalized strategy to develop e-mimotopes, using the tyrosinase-related protein 2 (Trp2) peptide Trp2180-188, which is a murine major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) epitope, as a test case. Using a vaccine adjuvant that induces peptide particle formation and strong cellular responses with nanogram antigen doses, a two-step method systematically identified e-mimotope candidates with murine immunization. First, position-scanning peptide micro libraries were generated in which each position of the wild-type epitope sequence was randomized. Randomization of only one specific residue of the Trp2 epitope increased antitumor immunogenicity. Second, all 20 amino acids were individually substituted and tested at that position, enabling the identification of two e-mimotopes with single amino-acid mutations. Despite similar MHC-I affinity compared to the wild-type epitope, e-mimotope immunization elicited improved Trp2-specific cytotoxic T-cell phenotypes and improved T-cell receptor affinity for both the e-mimotopes and the native epitope, resulting in better outcomes in multiple prophylactic and therapeutic tumor models. The screening method was also applied to other targets with other murine MHC-I restriction elements, including epitopes within glycoprotein 70 and Wilms' Tumor Gene 1, to identify additional e-mimotopes with enhanced potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuedan He
- Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo, State University of New York
| | - Shiqi Zhou
- Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo, State University of New York
| | - Breandan Quinn
- Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo, State University of New York
| | | | | | - Mark D Long
- Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
| | | | - Jonathan F Lovell
- Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo, State University of New York
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Garofalo M, Bellato F, Magliocca S, Malfanti A, Kuryk L, Rinner B, Negro S, Salmaso S, Caliceti P, Mastrotto F. Polymer Coated Oncolytic Adenovirus to Selectively Target Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13070949. [PMID: 34202714 PMCID: PMC8309094 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13070949] [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: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite significant advances in chemotherapy, the overall prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains extremely poor. HCC targeting strategies were combined with the tumor cell cytotoxicity of oncolytic viruses (OVs) to develop a more efficient and selective therapeutic system. OVs were coated with a polygalactosyl-b-agmatyl diblock copolymer (Gal32-b-Agm29), with high affinity for the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) expressed on the liver cell surface, exploiting the electrostatic interaction of the positively charged agmatine block with the negatively charged adenoviral capsid surface. The polymer coating altered the viral particle diameter (from 192 to 287 nm) and zeta-potential (from -24.7 to 23.3 mV) while hiding the peculiar icosahedral symmetrical OV structure, as observed by TEM. Coated OVs showed high potential therapeutic value on the human hepatoma cell line HepG2 (cytotoxicity of 72.4% ± 4.96), expressing a high level of ASGPRs, while a lower effect was attained with ASPGR-negative A549 cell line (cytotoxicity of 54.4% ± 1.59). Conversely, naked OVs showed very similar effects in both tested cell lines. Gal32-b-Agm29 OV coating enhanced the infectivity and immunogenic cell death program in HepG2 cells as compared to the naked OV. This strategy provides a rationale for future studies utilizing oncolytic viruses complexed with polymers toward effective treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariangela Garofalo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy; (F.B.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
- Correspondence: (M.G.); (F.M.); Tel.: +39-04-9827-5710 (M.G.); +39-04-9827-5708 (F.M.)
| | - Federica Bellato
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy; (F.B.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Salvatore Magliocca
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy; (F.B.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Alessio Malfanti
- Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Avenue Mounier, 73 bte B1 73.12, 1200 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Lukasz Kuryk
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Public Health—National Institute of Hygiene, Chocimska 24, 00-791 Warsaw, Poland;
- Clinical Science, Targovax Oy, Saukonpaadenranta 2, 00180 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Beate Rinner
- Division of Biomedical Research, Medical University of Graz, Roseggerweg 48, 8036 Graz, Austria;
| | - Samuele Negro
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy;
| | - Stefano Salmaso
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy; (F.B.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Paolo Caliceti
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy; (F.B.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Francesca Mastrotto
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy; (F.B.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
- Correspondence: (M.G.); (F.M.); Tel.: +39-04-9827-5710 (M.G.); +39-04-9827-5708 (F.M.)
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11
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Structures suggest an approach for converting weak self-peptide tumor antigens into superagonists for CD8 T cells in cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2100588118. [PMID: 34074778 PMCID: PMC8201969 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2100588118] [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] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor vaccines using modified self-antigens that structurally enhance T cell receptor–peptide–major histocompatibility complex interactions greatly improve a T cell protective response against the tumor’s unmodified self-antigen. X-ray crystal structures of these interactions explain how the native and modified peptides can interact with the same T cell receptor, but with different affinities and abilities to drive T cell proliferation and differentiation. Tumors frequently express unmutated self-tumor–associated antigens (self-TAAs). However, trial results using self-TAAs as vaccine targets against cancer are mixed, often attributed to deletion of T cells with high-affinity receptors (TCRs) for self-TAAs during T cell development. Mutating these weak self-TAAs to produce higher affinity, effective vaccines is challenging, since the mutations may not benefit all members of the broad self-TAA–specific T cell repertoire. We previously identified a common weak murine self-TAA that we converted to a highly effective antitumor vaccine by a single amino acid substitution. In this case the modified and natural self-TAAs still raised very similar sets of CD8 T cells. Our structural studies herein show that the modification of the self-TAA resulted in a subtle change in the major histocompatibility complex I–TAA structure. This amino acid substitution allowed a dramatic conformational change in the peptide during subsequent TCR engagement, creating a large increase in TCR affinity and accounting for the efficacy of the modified self-TAA as a vaccine. These results show that carefully selected, well-characterized modifications to a poorly immunogenic self-TAA can rescue the immune response of the large repertoire of weakly responding natural self-TAA–specific CD8 T cells, driving them to proliferate and differentiate into functional effectors. Subsequently, the unmodified self-TAA on the tumor cells, while unable to drive this response, is nevertheless a sufficient target for the CD8 cytotoxic effectors. Our results suggest a pathway for more efficiently identifying variants of common self-TAAs, which could be useful in vaccine development, complementing other current nonantigen-specific immunotherapies.
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Garofalo M, Villa A, Brunialti E, Crescenti D, Dell'Omo G, Kuryk L, Vingiani A, Mazzaferro V, Ciana P. Cancer-derived EVs show tropism for tissues at early stage of neoplastic transformation. Nanotheranostics 2021; 5:1-7. [PMID: 33391971 PMCID: PMC7738946 DOI: 10.7150/ntno.47226] [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: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
From the past decade, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have attracted considerable attention as tools for the selective delivery of anti-neoplastic drugs to cancer tissues. Compared to other nanoparticles, EVs display interesting unique features including immune compatibility, low toxicity and the ability to encapsulate a large variety of small- and macro-molecules. However, in virtually all studies, investigations on EVs have been focused on fully transformed cancers: the possibility to apply EV technology also to early-stage tumors has never been explored. Methods: Herein, we studied the ability of cancer-derived EVs to recognize and deliver their cargo also to incipient cancers. To this purpose, EV biodistribution was studied in MMTV-NeuT genetically modified mice during early mammary transformation, in fully developed breast tumors and in the normal gland of wild type syngeneic mice. EVs were loaded with indocyanine green (ICG), a near-infrared (NIR) dye together with oncolytic viruses and i.v. injected in mice. The nanoparticle biodistribution was assayed by in vivo and ex vivo optical imaging (detecting the ICG) and semiquantitative real-time PCR (measuring the adenoviral genome) in different tissues. Results: Our results demonstrate the ability of cancer-derived EVs to recognize early-stage neoplastic tissues opening the possibility to selectively deliver theranostics also for tumor prevention. Conclusions: Taken together our study demonstrates the ability of EVs to recognize and deliver diagnostic and therapeutic agents not only to fully transformed tissues but also to early stage tumors. These findings pave the way for the synthesis of “universal” EVs-based formulation for targeted cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariangela Garofalo
- Department of Health Sciences, Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Italy.,Current address: Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Villa
- Department of Health Sciences, Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Electra Brunialti
- Department of Health Sciences, Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Italy.,Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Crescenti
- Department of Health Sciences, Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Italy.,Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Dell'Omo
- Department of Health Sciences, Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Lukasz Kuryk
- Targovax Oy, Clinical Science, Helsinki, Finland.,National Institute of Public Health - National Institute of Hygiene, Department of Virology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Andrea Vingiani
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Mazzaferro
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Ciana
- Department of Health Sciences, Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Italy
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13
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Kuryk L, Bertinato L, Staniszewska M, Pancer K, Wieczorek M, Salmaso S, Caliceti P, Garofalo M. From Conventional Therapies to Immunotherapy: Melanoma Treatment in Review. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12103057. [PMID: 33092131 PMCID: PMC7589099 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12103057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Here, we review the current state of knowledge in the field of cancer immunotherapy, focusing on the scientific rationale for the use of oncolytic viruses, checkpoint inhibitors and their combination to combat melanomas. Attention is also given to the immunological aspects of cancer therapy and the shift from conventional therapy towards immunotherapy. This review brings together information on how immunotherapy can be applied to support other cancer therapies in order to maximize the efficacy of melanoma treatment and improve clinical outcomes. Abstract In this review, we discuss the use of oncolytic viruses and checkpoint inhibitors in cancer immunotherapy in melanoma, with a particular focus on combinatory therapies. Oncolytic viruses are promising and novel anti-cancer agents, currently under investigation in many clinical trials both as monotherapy and in combination with other therapeutics. They have shown the ability to exhibit synergistic anticancer activity with checkpoint inhibitors, chemotherapy, radiotherapy. A coupling between oncolytic viruses and checkpoint inhibitors is a well-accepted strategy for future cancer therapies. However, eradicating advanced cancers and tailoring the immune response for complete tumor clearance is an ongoing problem. Despite current advances in cancer research, monotherapy has shown limited efficacy against solid tumors. Therefore, current improvements in virus targeting, genetic modification, enhanced immunogenicity, improved oncolytic properties and combination strategies have a potential to widen the applications of immuno-oncology (IO) in cancer treatment. Here, we summarize the strategy of combinatory therapy with an oncolytic vector to combat melanoma and highlight the need to optimize current practices and improve clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Kuryk
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Public Health-National Institute of Hygiene, Chocimska 24, 00-791 Warsaw, Poland; (K.P.); (M.W.)
- Clinical Science, Targovax Oy, Saukonpaadenranta 2, 00180 Helsinki, Finland
- Correspondence: (L.K.); (M.G.)
| | - Laura Bertinato
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy; (L.B.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Monika Staniszewska
- Chair of Drug and Cosmetics Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, Noakowskiego 3, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland;
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies, Warsaw University of Technology, Poleczki 19, 02-822 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Pancer
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Public Health-National Institute of Hygiene, Chocimska 24, 00-791 Warsaw, Poland; (K.P.); (M.W.)
| | - Magdalena Wieczorek
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Public Health-National Institute of Hygiene, Chocimska 24, 00-791 Warsaw, Poland; (K.P.); (M.W.)
| | - Stefano Salmaso
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy; (L.B.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Paolo Caliceti
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy; (L.B.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Mariangela Garofalo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy; (L.B.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
- Correspondence: (L.K.); (M.G.)
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Buonaguro L, Tagliamonte M. Selecting Target Antigens for Cancer Vaccine Development. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8040615. [PMID: 33080888 PMCID: PMC7711972 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8040615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the principal goals of cancer immunotherapy is the development of efficient therapeutic cancer vaccines that are able to elicit an effector as well as memory T cell response specific to tumor antigens. In recent years, the attention has been focused on the personalization of cancer vaccines. However, the efficacy of therapeutic cancer vaccines is still disappointing despite the large number of vaccine strategies targeting different tumors that have been evaluated in recent years. While the preclinical data have frequently shown encouraging results, clinical trials have not provided satisfactory data to date. The main reason for such failures is the complexity of identifying specific target tumor antigens that should be unique or overexpressed only by the tumor cells compared to normal cells. Most of the tumor antigens included in cancer vaccines are non-mutated overexpressed self-antigens, eliciting mainly T cells with low-affinity T cell receptors (TCR) unable to mediate an effective anti-tumor response. In this review, the target tumor antigens employed in recent years in the development of therapeutic cancer vaccine strategies are described, along with potential new classes of tumor antigens such as the human endogenous retroviral elements (HERVs), unconventional antigens, and/or heteroclitic peptides.
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15
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Garofalo M, Staniszewska M, Salmaso S, Caliceti P, Pancer KW, Wieczorek M, Kuryk L. Prospects of Replication-Deficient Adenovirus Based Vaccine Development against SARS-CoV-2. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:E293. [PMID: 32531955 PMCID: PMC7349996 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8020293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The current appearance of the new SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and it quickly spreading across the world poses a global health emergency. The serious outbreak position is affecting people worldwide and requires rapid measures to be taken by healthcare systems and governments. Vaccinations represent the most effective strategy to prevent the epidemic of the virus and to further reduce morbidity and mortality with long-lasting effects. Nevertheless, currently there are no licensed vaccines for the novel coronaviruses. Researchers and clinicians from all over the world are advancing the development of a vaccine against novel human SARS-CoV-2 using various approaches. Herein, we aim to present and discuss the progress and prospects in the field of vaccine research towards SARS-CoV-2 using adenovirus (AdV) replication deficient-based strategies, with a comprehension that may support research and combat this recent world health emergency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariangela Garofalo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy; (S.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Monika Staniszewska
- Chair of Drug and Cosmetics Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, Noakowskiego 3, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Stefano Salmaso
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy; (S.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Paolo Caliceti
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy; (S.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Katarzyna Wanda Pancer
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Public Health—National Institute of Hygiene, Chocimska 24, 00-791 Warsaw, Poland; (K.W.P.); (M.W.)
| | - Magdalena Wieczorek
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Public Health—National Institute of Hygiene, Chocimska 24, 00-791 Warsaw, Poland; (K.W.P.); (M.W.)
| | - Lukasz Kuryk
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Public Health—National Institute of Hygiene, Chocimska 24, 00-791 Warsaw, Poland; (K.W.P.); (M.W.)
- Clinical Science, Targovax Oy, Saukonpaadenranta 2, 00180 Helsinki, Finland
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16
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Garofalo M, Grazioso G, Cavalli A, Sgrignani J. How Computational Chemistry and Drug Delivery Techniques Can Support the Development of New Anticancer Drugs. Molecules 2020; 25:E1756. [PMID: 32290224 PMCID: PMC7180704 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25071756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The early and late development of new anticancer drugs, small molecules or peptides can be slowed down by some issues such as poor selectivity for the target or poor ADME properties. Computer-aided drug design (CADD) and target drug delivery (TDD) techniques, although apparently far from each other, are two research fields that can give a significant contribution to overcome these problems. Their combination may provide mechanistic understanding resulting in a synergy that makes possible the rational design of novel anticancer based therapies. Herein, we aim to discuss selected applications, some also from our research experience, in the fields of anticancer small organic drugs and peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariangela Garofalo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giovanni Grazioso
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Cavalli
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Jacopo Sgrignani
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
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17
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Kuryk L, Møller ASW. Chimeric oncolytic Ad5/3 virus replicates and lyses ovarian cancer cells through desmoglein-2 cell entry receptor. J Med Virol 2020; 92:1309-1315. [PMID: 31944306 PMCID: PMC7496614 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.25677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Despite new therapies, the estimated 229 875 women living with ovarian cancer have a 5‐year survival rate of 47.6%. This cavity‐localized cancer lends itself to local administration of modalities, such as the oncolytic adenovirus (Ad) Ad5/3‐D24‐granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor virus (ONCOS‐102). Its repeated administration to a patient with chemotherapy‐refractory ovarian cancer induced CD8+ antitumor immune responses with the overall survival reaching 40 months. Here we probe the dominant receptor used by ONCOS‐102 in four established epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines. Ad3 can use the desmoglein‐2 (DSG2) and CD46 receptors on susceptible cells. DSG2 was nearly absent in A2780 cells but was expressed in more than 90% of OAW42, OVCAR3, and OV‐90 cells. After 96 hours, ONCOS‐102 treatment showed significant oncolytic activity (≧50%) in OAW42, OVCAR3, and OV‐90 cells, but minimal activity in A2780 cells, suggesting DSG2 as the dominant receptor for ONCOS‐102. Furthermore, retrospective analyses of phase I clinical trial of ONCOS‐102 treatment of 12 patients with varied tumors indicated a correlation between viral genomes in blood and DSG2 RNA expression. These data support the role of DSG2 expression on cancer cells in virus infectivity and the continued development of ONCOS‐102 for ovarian cancer treatment. These data support the role of DSG2 expression on cancer cells in virus infectivity and the continued development of ONCOS‐102 for ovarian cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Kuryk
- Clinical Science, Targovax Oy, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Virology, National Institute of Public Health - National Institute of Hygiene, Warsaw, Poland
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Garofalo M, Villa A, Crescenti D, Marzagalli M, Kuryk L, Limonta P, Mazzaferro V, Ciana P. Heterologous and cross-species tropism of cancer-derived extracellular vesicles. Theranostics 2019; 9:5681-5693. [PMID: 31534511 PMCID: PMC6735396 DOI: 10.7150/thno.34824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are naturally occurring cargo delivery vesicles that have recently received considerable attention for their roles in intercellular communication in many physiological and pathological processes, including tumourigenesis. EVs generated by different tissues demonstrated specific homing: in particular, cancer-derived EVs showed a selective tropism for the tumor tissue from which the vesicles originated. For this property, EVs have been proposed as drug delivery tools for anti-cancer therapies, although the limited knowledge about their in vivo tropism hinders their therapeutic applications. The current study aimed to characterize the targeting properties of cancer-derived EVs in vitro and their biodistribution in vivo, by using an imaging approach. Methods: EVs were generated from: i) murine lung (LL/2) and colon (MC-38) cancer lines, ii) human lung cancer cell line (A549) and iii) human liver biopsy samples from healthy individuals. EVs were loaded with fluorescent dyes alone or in combination with a biopharmaceutical agent, the oncolytic adenovirus (OV), characterized for charge and size and tested for their activity in cancer cell lines. Finally, optical imaging was extensively applied to study in vivo and ex vivo the biodistribution of EVs originated from different sources in different mouse models of cancer, including xenograft, syngeneic graft and the MMTV-NeuT genetically modified animal. Results: We initially demonstrated that even loading EVs even with a large biopharmaceutical oncolytic viruses (OVs) did not significantly change their charge and dimension properties, while increasing their anti-neoplastic activity compared to the virus or EVs alone. Interestingly, this activity was observed even if the EVs derived from lung cancer were applied to colon carcinoma cell lines and vice versa, suggesting that the EV uptake occurred in vitro without any specificity for the cancer cells from which the vesicles originated. When administered i.v (intravenously) to the mouse models of cancer, the tumour-derived EVs, but not the EVs derived from a healthy tissue, demonstrated a selective accumulation of the fluorescence at the tumour site 24 h after injection; adding OVs to the formulation did not change the tumour-specific tropism of the EVs also in vivo. Most interestingly, the in vivo experiments confirmed the in vitro observation of the generalized tropism of tumour-derived EVs for any neoplastic tissue, independent of the tumour type or even the species originating the vesicles. Conclusions: Taken together, our in vitro and in vivo data demonstrate for the first time a heterologous, cross-species tumour-tropism for cancer-derived EVs. This finding challenges our current view on the homing properties of EVs and opens new avenues for the selective delivery of diagnostic/therapeutic agents to solid tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariangela Garofalo
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Villa
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Crescenti
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Monica Marzagalli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Lukasz Kuryk
- Targovax Oy, Clinical Science, Helsinki, Finland
- National Institute of Public Health - National Institute of Hygiene, Department of Virology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Patrizia Limonta
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Mazzaferro
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Ciana
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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Abstract
It has been known for decades that the immune system can be spontaneously activated against melanoma. The presence of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in tumor deposits is a positive prognostic factor. Cancer vaccination includes approaches to generate, amplify, or skew antitumor immunity. To accomplish this goal, tested approaches involve administration of tumor antigens, antigen presenting cells or other immune modulators, or direct modulation of the tumor. Because the success of checkpoint blockade can depend in part on an existing antitumor response, cancer vaccination may play an important role in future combination therapies. In this review, we discuss a variety of melanoma vaccine approaches and methods to determine the biological impact of vaccination.
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Breaking tolerance with engineered class I antigen-presenting molecules. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:3136-3145. [PMID: 30728302 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1807465116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful efforts to activate T cells capable of recognizing weak cancer-associated self-antigens have employed altered peptide antigens to activate T cell responses capable of cross-reacting on native tumor-associated self. A limitation of this approach is the requirement for detailed knowledge about the altered self-peptide ligands used in these vaccines. In the current study we considered allorecognition as an approach for activating CTL capable of recognizing weak or self-antigens in the context of self-MHC. Nonself antigen-presenting molecules typically contain polymorphisms that influence interactions with the bound peptide and TCR interface. Recognition of these nonself structures results in peptide-dependent alloimmunity. Alloreactive T cells target their inducing alloantigens as well as third-party alloantigens but generally fail to target self-antigens. Certain residues located on the alpha-1/2 domains of class I antigen-presenting molecules primarily interface with TCR. These residues are more conserved within and across species than are residues that determine peptide antigen binding properties. Class I variants designed with amino acid substitutions at key positions within the conserved helical structures are shown to provide strong activating signals to alloreactive CD8 T cells while avoiding changes in naturally bound peptide ligands. Importantly, CTL activated in this manner can break self-tolerance by reacting to self-peptides presented by native MHC. The ability to activate self-tolerant T cells capable of cross-reacting on self-peptide-MHC in vivo represents an approach for inducing autoimmunity, with possible application in cancer vaccines.
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Optimization of Early Steps in Oncolytic Adenovirus ONCOS-401 Production in T-175 and HYPERFlasks. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20030621. [PMID: 30709038 PMCID: PMC6387112 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20030621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncolytic adenoviruses can trigger lysis of tumor cells, induce an antitumor immune response, bypass classical chemotherapeutic resistance strategies of tumors, and provide opportunities for combination strategies. A major challenge is the development of scalable production methods for viral seed stocks and sufficient quantities of clinical grade viruses. Because of promising clinical signals in a compassionate use program (Advanced Therapy Access Program) which supported further development, we chose the oncolytic adenovirus ONCOS-401 as a testbed for a new approach to scale up. We found that the best viral production conditions in both T-175 flasks and HYPERFlasks included A549 cells grown to 220,000 cells/cm² (80% confluency), with ONCOS-401 infection at 30 multiplicity of infection (MOI), and an incubation period of 66 h. The Lysis A harvesting method with benzonase provided the highest viral yield from both T-175 and HYPERFlasks (10,887 ± 100 and 14,559 ± 802 infectious viral particles/cell, respectively). T-175 flasks and HYPERFlasks produced up to 2.1 × 10⁸ ± 0.2 and 1.75 × 10⁸ ± 0.08 infectious particles of ONCOS-401 per cm² of surface area, respectively. Our findings suggest a suitable stepwise process that can be applied to optimizing the initial production of other oncolytic viruses.
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22
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Kuryk L, Møller ASW, Jaderberg M. Combination of immunogenic oncolytic adenovirus ONCOS-102 with anti-PD-1 pembrolizumab exhibits synergistic antitumor effect in humanized A2058 melanoma huNOG mouse model. Oncoimmunology 2018; 8:e1532763. [PMID: 30713786 PMCID: PMC6343802 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2018.1532763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Malignant melanoma is an aggressive type of skin cancer whose incidence is increasing globally. Although surgery is effective in early stage melanoma, patients with advanced melanoma only have a 20% 5-year survival rate. Hence, combinations of existing and new immunotherapy technologies and immunotherapeutic agents are being evaluated. ONCOS-102 is an oncolytic adenovirus armed with human GM-CSF and an Ad5/3 chimeric capsid. It has shown to be well tolerated in phase I study (NCT01598129) wherein it induced antitumor immunity, infiltration of CD8 + T cells to tumors, and up-regulation of PD-L1. We propose that ONCOS-102 could serve as an immunosensitizer in combination therapies with checkpoint inhibitors. In this preclinical study, we investigated the cytotoxicity of ONCOS-102 and pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, in four human melanoma cell lines, A375, A2058, SK-Mel-2 and SK-Mel-28. Humanized mice engrafted with A2058 melanoma cells showed significant tumor volume reduction after ONCOS-102 treatment. Combination of pembrolizumab with ONCOS-102 reduced tumor volume to an even greater extent, while pembrolizumab (200 µg, or 400 µg) did not show any therapeutic benefit by itself. Body weight loss, and metastasis were not significantly affected by any treatment. These data support the scientific rationale for the ongoing clinical study of combination therapy of ONCOS-102 and pembrolizumab for the treatment of melanoma (NCT03003676).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Kuryk
- Clinical Science, Targovax Oy, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Virology, National Institute of Public Health - National Institute of Hygiene, Warsaw, Poland
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23
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Cervera-Carrascon V, Siurala M, Santos JM, Havunen R, Tähtinen S, Karell P, Sorsa S, Kanerva A, Hemminki A. TNFa and IL-2 armed adenoviruses enable complete responses by anti-PD-1 checkpoint blockade. Oncoimmunology 2018; 7:e1412902. [PMID: 29721366 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2017.1412902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Releasing the patient's immune system against their own malignancy by the use of checkpoint inhibitors is delivering promising results. However, only a subset of patients currently benefit from them. One major limitation of these therapies relates to the inability of T cells to detect or penetrate into the tumor resulting in unresponsiveness to checkpoint inhibition. Virotherapy is an attractive tool for enabling checkpoint inhibitors as viruses are naturally recognized by innate defense elements which draws the attention of the immune system. Besides their intrinsic immune stimulating properties, the adenoviruses used here are armed to express tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa) and interleukin-2 (IL-2). These cytokines result in immunological danger signaling and multiple appealing T-cell effects, including trafficking, activation and propagation. When these viruses were injected into B16.OVA melanoma tumors in animals concomitantly receiving programmed cell-death protein 1 (PD-1) blocking antibodies both tumor growth control (p < 0.0001) and overall survival (p < 0.01) were improved. In this set-up, the addition of adoptive cell therapy with OT-I lymphocytes did not increase efficacy further. When virus injections were initiated before antibody treatment in a prime-boost approach, 100% of tumors regressed completely and all mice survived. Viral expression of IL2 and TNFa altered the cytokine balance in the tumor microenvironment towards Th1 and increased the intratumoral proportion of CD8+ and conventional CD4+ T cells. These preclinical studies provide the rationale and schedule for a clinical trial where oncolytic adenovirus coding for TNFa and IL-2 (TILT-123) is used in melanoma patients receiving an anti-PD-1 antibody.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Cervera-Carrascon
- TILT Biotherapeutics Ltd, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland.,Department of Oncology, Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland
| | - M Siurala
- TILT Biotherapeutics Ltd, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland.,Department of Oncology, Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland
| | - J M Santos
- TILT Biotherapeutics Ltd, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland.,Department of Oncology, Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland
| | - R Havunen
- TILT Biotherapeutics Ltd, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland.,Department of Oncology, Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland
| | - S Tähtinen
- Department of Oncology, Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland
| | - P Karell
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland
| | - S Sorsa
- TILT Biotherapeutics Ltd, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland.,Department of Oncology, Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland
| | - A Kanerva
- Department of Oncology, Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland
| | - A Hemminki
- TILT Biotherapeutics Ltd, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland.,Department of Oncology, Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland.,Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland
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