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Suzuki S, Tsuzuki T, Saito M, Ishii T, Takahara T, Satou A, Inukai D, Yamanaka S, Yoshikawa K, Ueda R, Ogawa T. Regulatory T-cells activated in metastatic draining lymph nodes possibly suppress cancer immunity in cancer tissues of head and neck squamous cell cancer. Pathol Int 2024. [PMID: 38712798 DOI: 10.1111/pin.13430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an important role in creating an immunosuppressive microenvironment in cancer tissues. However, the mechanisms by which Tregs are activated and suppress cancer immunity remain unclear. To elucidate these mechanisms, we performed a T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire analysis of Tregs and conventional T cells in peripheral blood, draining lymph nodes (DLNs), and cancer tissues of patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC). We found that the TCR repertoire was skewed in cancer tissue and metastatic DLNs (M-DLNs) compared with non-metastatic DLNs, and TCR repertoire similarities in Tregs and CD8+ T cells between M-DLNs and cancer tissue were high compared with those at other sites. These results suggest that Tregs and CD8+ T cells are activated in M-DLNs and cancer tissues by cancer antigens, such as neoantigens, and shared antigens and Tregs suppress CD8+ T cell function in a cancer antigen-specific manner in M-DLNs and cancer tissue. Moreover, M-DLNs might be a source of Tregs and CD8+ T cells recruited into the cancer tissue. Therefore, targeting Tregs in M-DLNs in an antigen-specific manner is expected to be a novel immunotherapeutic strategy for HNSCCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susumu Suzuki
- Research Creation Support Center, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Japan
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Toyonori Tsuzuki
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Aichi Medical University Hospital, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Masato Saito
- Translational Research Unit, R&D Division, Kyowa Kirin, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Taishi Takahara
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Aichi Medical University Hospital, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Akira Satou
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Aichi Medical University Hospital, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Daisuke Inukai
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Shunpei Yamanaka
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Yoshikawa
- Research Creation Support Center, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Ryuzo Ueda
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute, Japan
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Ogawa
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute, Japan
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2
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Splendiani E, Besharat ZM, Covre A, Maio M, Di Giacomo AM, Ferretti E. Immunotherapy in melanoma: Can we predict response to treatment with circulating biomarkers? Pharmacol Ther 2024; 256:108613. [PMID: 38367867 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2024.108613] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer, representing approximately 4% of all cutaneous neoplasms and accounting for up to 80% of deaths. Advanced stages of melanoma involve metastatic processes and are associated with high mortality and morbidity, mainly due to the rapid dissemination and heterogeneous responses to current therapies, including immunotherapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are currently used in the treatment of metastatic melanoma (MM) and despite being linked to an increase in patient survival, a high percentage of them still do not benefit from it. Accordingly, the number of therapeutic regimens for MM patients using ICIs either alone or in combination with other therapies has increased, together with the need for reliable biomarkers that can both predict and monitor response to ICIs. In this context, circulating biomarkers, such as DNA, RNA, proteins, and cells, have emerged due to their ability to reflect disease status. Moreover, blood tests are minimally invasive and provide an attractive option to detect biomarkers, avoiding stressful medical procedures. This systematic review aims to evaluate the possibility of a non-invasive biomarker signature that can guide therapeutic decisions. The studies reported here offer valuable insight into how circulating biomarkers can have a role in personalized treatments for melanoma patients receiving ICIs therapy, emphasizing the need for rigorous clinical trials to confirm findings and establish standardized procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Splendiani
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Alessia Covre
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Medical Oncology and Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy; Medical Oncology, Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Michele Maio
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Medical Oncology and Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy; Medical Oncology, Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Di Giacomo
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Medical Oncology and Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy; Medical Oncology, Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
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Zuleger CL, Schwartz RW, Ong IM, Newton MA, Vail DM, Albertini MR. Development of a next-generation sequencing protocol for the canine T cell receptor beta chain repertoire. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2024; 268:110702. [PMID: 38183837 PMCID: PMC10872364 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2023.110702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
Profiling the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire using next-generation sequencing has become common in both human and translational research. Companion dogs with spontaneous tumors, including canine melanoma, share several features, e.g., natural occurrence, shared environmental exposures, natural outbred population, and immunocompetence. T cells play an important role in the adaptive immune system by recognizing specific antigens via a surface TCR. As such, understanding the canine T cell response to vaccines, cancer, immunotherapies, and infectious diseases is critically important for both dog and human health. Off-the-shelf commercial reagents, kits and services are readily available for human, non-human primate, and mouse in this context. However, these resources are limited for the canine. In this study, we present a cost-effective protocol for analysis of canine TCR beta chain genes. Workflow can be accomplished in 1-2 days starting with total RNA and resulting in libraries ready for sequencing on Illumina platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy L Zuleger
- Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Rene Welch Schwartz
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Irene M Ong
- Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Michael A Newton
- Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - David M Vail
- Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Department of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Mark R Albertini
- Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; The Medical Service, William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, United States.
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Gridelli C, Peters S, Mok T, Garassino M, Paz-Ares L, Attili I, de Marinis F. Face to face among different chemo-immunotherapy combinations in the first line treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: Results of an international expert panel meeting by the italian association of thoracic oncology (AIOT). Lung Cancer 2024; 187:107441. [PMID: 38141488 DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2023.107441] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The combination of platinum-based chemotherapy with immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is a standard of care option in the front-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Positive efficacy and safety results have been demonstrated with different chemo-ICI combinations in the corresponding clinical trials, however no randomized prospective comparison is available and there is no evidence on how to choose among the available regimens. METHODS A virtual International Expert Panel took place in July 2023 to review data on chemo-ICI regimens available in the first-line setting in patients with NSCLC, and reach common considerations both in clinical practice and in research setting. RESULTS Overall, all panelists agreed that safety of the chemo-immunotherapy combination regimens is supported by reviewed data, showing no additional toxicity concerns over those of the individual components of each regimen and highlighting differences in toxicity profile based on ICI component (single anti-PD-1 versus double anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4). Among disease characteristics, PD-L1 value (<1%) but not histology was considered a potential selection factor in favor of the combination with dual ICI. With regards to clinical features, the panelists agreed that chemotherapy, whichever the ICI combination regimen, remains the backbone to counteract disease-related symptoms included those conditioning worse performance status. The panelists defined high, medium, and low priorities in clinical research. High priority was attributed to prospectively evaluating the impact of the addition of anti-CTLA-4 on brain metastasis, biomarker subgroups, and the optimal duration and schedule of combination regimens. CONCLUSIONS Based on the available evidence, the panelists reached common considerations on strengths and differences between chemotherapy plus single agent ICI and chemotherapy plus double agent ICIs in patients with advanced NSCLC. In the absence of direct comparison, different toxicity profile and subgroup analysis by PD-L1 are considered as the main potential features to select among the two regimens, however to be confirmed by recommended prospective randomized clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesare Gridelli
- Division of Medical Oncology, "S.G. Moscati" Hospital, Avellino, Italy.
| | - Solange Peters
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tony Mok
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, State Key Laboratory in Oncology in South China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Marina Garassino
- Knapp Center for Biomedical Discovery, University of Chicago Medicine & Biological Sciences, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Luis Paz-Ares
- Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, H12O-CNIO Lung Cancer Clinical Research Unit, Universidad Complutense & CiberOnc, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ilaria Attili
- Division of Thoracic Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Filippo de Marinis
- Division of Thoracic Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
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Abed A, Beasley AB, Reid AL, Law N, Calapre L, Millward M, Lo J, Gray ES. Circulating pre-treatment T-cell receptor repertoire as a predictive biomarker in advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with pembrolizumab alone or in combination with chemotherapy. ESMO Open 2023; 8:102066. [PMID: 37995426 PMCID: PMC10774950 DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2023.102066] [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: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The circulating T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire is a dynamic representation of overall immune responses in an individual. MATERIALS AND METHODS We prospectively collected baseline blood from patients treated with first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy. TCR repertoire metrics were correlated with clinical benefit rate (CBR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and immune-related adverse events (irAEs). We built a logistic regression classifier by fitting all four TCR-β repertoire metrics to the immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) CBR data. In the subsequent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of the resulting logistic regression model probabilities, the best cut-off value was selected to maximise sensitivity to predict CBR to ICI. RESULTS We observed an association between reduced number of unique clones and CBR among patients treated with pembrolizumab monotherapy (cohort 1) [risk ratio = 2.86, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-8.73, P = 0.039]. For patients treated with pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy (cohort 2), increased number of unique clones [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.96, 95% CI 1.28-6.88, P = 0.012] and Shannon diversity (HR = 2.73, 95% CI 1.08-6.87, P = 0.033), and reduced evenness (HR = 0.43, 95% CI 0.21-0.90, P = 0.025) and convergence (HR = 0.41, 95% CI 0.19-0.90, P = 0.027) were associated with improved PFS, while only an increased number of unique clones (HR = 4.62, 95% CI 1.52-14.02, P = 0.007) were associated with improved OS. Logistic regression models combining the TCR repertoire metrics improved the prediction of CBR (cohorts 1 and 2) and were strongly associated with PFS (cohort 1, HR = 0.38, 95% CI 0.19-0.78, P = 0.009) and OS (cohort 2, HR = 0.20, 95% CI 0.05-0.76, P < 0.0001). Reduced TCR conversion was associated with increased frequency of irAEs needing systemic steroid treatment. CONCLUSION Combined pre-treatment circulating TCR metrics might serve as a predictive biomarker for clinical outcomes among patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer treated with pembrolizumab alone or in combination with chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Abed
- Centre for Precision Health, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup; School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup; School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Crawley.
| | - A B Beasley
- Centre for Precision Health, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup; School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup
| | - A L Reid
- Centre for Precision Health, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup; School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup
| | - N Law
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands
| | - L Calapre
- Centre for Precision Health, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup; School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup
| | - M Millward
- School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Crawley
| | - J Lo
- School of Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia
| | - E S Gray
- Centre for Precision Health, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup; School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup.
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Saad M, Castellano E, Tarhini AA. Clinical updates in neoadjuvant immunotherapy for melanoma before surgery. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2023:1-17. [PMID: 37578289 DOI: 10.1080/1744666x.2023.2248392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Locoregionally advanced melanoma represents a large group of high-risk melanoma patients at presentation and poses major challenges in relation to management and the risks of relapse and death. AREAS COVERED Melanoma systemic therapy has undergone substantial advancements with the advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors and molecularly targeted therapies, which have been translated to the neoadjuvant setting for the management of locoregionally advanced disease. Notably, PD1 blockade as monotherapy, in combination with CTLA4 blockade or LAG3 inhibition, has demonstrated significant progress in reducing the risk of relapse and mortality, attributed to high pathologic response rates. Likewise, BRAF-MEK inhibition for BRAF mutant melanoma has yielded comparable outcomes, albeit with lower response durability than immunotherapy. Localized intralesional therapies such as Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) and Tavokinogene Telseplasmid (TAVO) electro-gene-transfer combined with anti-PD1 have demonstrated favorable pathologic responses and increased immune activation. Most importantly, the S1801 randomized trial has demonstrated for the first time the advantage of the neoadjuvant approach over standard surgery followed by adjuvant therapy. EXPERT OPINION Current evidence supports neoadjuvant therapy as a standard of care for locoregionally advanced melanoma. Ongoing research will define the optimal regimens and the biomarkers of therapeutic predictive and prognostic value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Saad
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Ahmad A Tarhini
- Departments of Cutaneous Oncology and Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute and University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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Neoadjuvant Therapy in Melanoma: Where Are We Now? Curr Oncol Rep 2023; 25:325-339. [PMID: 36781621 DOI: 10.1007/s11912-023-01369-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSEOF REVIEW This review summarizes the current state of neoadjuvant immunotherapy and targeted therapy for locoregionally advanced melanoma. RECENT FINDINGS Melanoma systemic therapy has witnessed major advances with the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors and molecularly targeted therapy that have been translated into the neoadjuvant setting in managing locoregionally advanced disease. PD1 blockade as monotherapy and combined with CTLA4 blockade or LAG3 inhibition has demonstrated major improvements in reducing the risk of relapse and death that were associated with high pathologic response rates. Similar results were reported with BRAF-MEK inhibition for BRAF mutant melanoma with high pathologic response rates that appear to be less durable compared to immunotherapy. More importantly, in a recent randomized trial, event-free survival was significantly improved with neoadjuvant pembrolizumab compared to standard surgery and adjuvant therapy. Neoadjuvant therapy has become the standard of care for locoregionally advanced melanoma. Ongoing studies will define the most optimal combination regimens.
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Tarhini AA, Eads JR, Moore KN, Tatard-Leitman V, Wright J, Forde PM, Ferris RL. Neoadjuvant immunotherapy of locoregionally advanced solid tumors. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2022-005036. [PMID: 35973745 PMCID: PMC9386211 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Definitive management of locoregionally advanced solid tumors presents a major challenge and often consists of a combination of surgical, radiotherapeutic and systemic therapy approaches. Upfront surgical treatment with or without adjuvant radiotherapy carries the risks of significant morbidities and potential complications that could be lasting. In addition, these patients continue to have a high risk of local or distant disease relapse despite the use of standard adjuvant therapy. Preoperative neoadjuvant systemic therapy has the potential to significantly improve clinical outcomes, particularly in this era of expanding immunotherapeutic agents that have transformed the care of patients with metastatic/unresectable malignancies. Tremendous progress has been made with neoadjuvant immunotherapy in the treatment of several locoregionally advanced resectable solid tumors leading to ongoing phase 3 trials and change in clinical practice. The promise of neoadjuvant immunotherapy has been supported by the high pathologic tumor response rates in early trials as well as the durability of these responses making cure a more achievable potential outcome compared with other forms of systemic therapy. Furthermore, neoadjuvant studies allow the assessment of radiologic and pathological responses and the access to biospecimens before and during systemic therapy. Pathological responses may guide future treatment decisions, and biospecimens allow the conduct of mechanistic and biomarker studies that may guide future drug development. On behalf of the National Cancer Institute Early Drug Development Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy Working Group, this article summarizes the current state of neoadjuvant immunotherapy of solid tumors focusing primarily on locoregionally advanced melanoma, gynecologic malignancies, gastrointestinal malignancies, non-small cell lung cancer and head and neck cancer including recent advances and our expert recommendations related to future neoadjuvant trial designs and associated clinical and translational research questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad A Tarhini
- Cutaneous Oncology and Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Jennifer R Eads
- Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kathleen N Moore
- Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Oklahoma Stephenson Cancer Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | | | - John Wright
- National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Patrick M Forde
- Oncology, Johns Hopkins University Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Robert L Ferris
- Otolaryngology and Immunology, University of Pittsburgh & UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Zhou Y, Shu Q, Fu Z, Wang C, Gu J, Li J, Chen Y, Xie M. A novel risk model based on cuproptosis-related lncRNAs predicted prognosis and indicated immune microenvironment landscape of patients with cutaneous melanoma. Front Genet 2022; 13:959456. [PMID: 35938036 PMCID: PMC9354044 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.959456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is an aggressive form of malignancy with poor prognostic value. Cuproptosis is a novel type of cell death regulatory mechanism in tumors. However, the role of cuproptosis-related long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in CM remains elusive. The cuproptosis-related lncRNAs were identified using the Pearson correlation algorithm. Through the univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, the prognosis of seven lncRNAs associated with cuproptosis was established and a new risk model was constructed. ESTIMATE, CIBERSORT, and single sample gene set enrichment analyses (ssGSEA) were applied to evaluate the immune microenvironment landscape. The Kaplan–Meier survival analysis revealed that the overall survival (OS) of CM patients in the high-risk group was remarkably lower than that of the low-risk group. The result of the validated cohort and the training cohort indicated that the risk model could produce an accurate prediction of the prognosis of CM. The nomogram result demonstrated that the risk score based on the seven prognostic cuproptosis-related lncRNAs was an independent prognostic indicator feature that distinguished it from other clinical features. The result of the immune microenvironment landscape indicated that the low-risk group showed better immunity than high-risk group. The immunophenoscore (IPS) and immune checkpoints results conveyed a better benefit potential for immunotherapy clinical application in the low-risk groups. The enrichment analysis and the gene set variation analysis (GSVA) were adopted to reveal the role of cuproptosis-related lncRNAs mediated by the immune-related signaling pathways in the development of CM. Altogether, the construction of the risk model based on cuproptosis-related lncRNAs can accurately predict the prognosis of CM and indicate the immune microenvironment of CM, providing a new perspective for the future clinical treatment of CM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhou
- Department of Pharmacy, First People’s Hospital of Linping District, Hangzhou, ZG, China
| | - Qi Shu
- The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zailin Fu
- Department of Pharmacy, First People’s Hospital of Linping District, Hangzhou, ZG, China
| | - Chen Wang
- The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianrong Gu
- Department of Pharmacy, First People’s Hospital of Linping District, Hangzhou, ZG, China
| | - Jianbo Li
- Department of Pharmacy, First People’s Hospital of Linping District, Hangzhou, ZG, China
| | - Yifang Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, First People’s Hospital of Linping District, Hangzhou, ZG, China
- *Correspondence: Yifang Chen, ; Minghua Xie,
| | - Minghua Xie
- Department of Pharmacy, First People’s Hospital of Linping District, Hangzhou, ZG, China
- *Correspondence: Yifang Chen, ; Minghua Xie,
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10
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Tissue-resident memory and circulating T cells are early responders to pre-surgical cancer immunotherapy. Cell 2022; 185:2918-2935.e29. [PMID: 35803260 PMCID: PMC9508682 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockade has shown promising clinical activity. Here, we characterized early kinetics in tumor-infiltrating and circulating immune cells in oral cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-1/CTLA-4 in a clinical trial (NCT02919683). Tumor-infiltrating CD8 T cells that clonally expanded during immunotherapy expressed elevated tissue-resident memory and cytotoxicity programs, which were already active prior to therapy, supporting the capacity for rapid response. Systematic target discovery revealed that treatment-expanded tumor T cell clones in responding patients recognized several self-antigens, including the cancer-specific antigen MAGEA1. Treatment also induced a systemic immune response characterized by expansion of activated T cells enriched for tumor-infiltrating T cell clonotypes, including both pre-existing and emergent clonotypes undetectable prior to therapy. The frequency of activated blood CD8 T cells, notably pre-treatment PD-1-positive KLRG1-negative T cells, was strongly associated with intra-tumoral pathological response. These results demonstrate how neoadjuvant checkpoint blockade induces local and systemic tumor immunity.
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11
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Aran A, Garrigós L, Curigliano G, Cortés J, Martí M. Evaluation of the TCR Repertoire as a Predictive and Prognostic Biomarker in Cancer: Diversity or Clonality? Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14071771. [PMID: 35406543 PMCID: PMC8996954 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14071771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The TCR is the T cell antigen receptor, and it is responsible of the T cell activation, through the HLA-antigen complex recognition. Studying the TCR repertoire in patients with cancer can help to better understand the anti-tumoural responses and it has been suggested to have predictive and or/prognostic values, both for the disease and in response to treatments. The aim of this review is to summarize TCR repertoire studies performed in patients with cancer found in the literature, thoroughly analyse the different factors that can be involved in shaping the TCR repertoire, and draw the current conclusions in this field, especially focusing on whether the TCR diversity—or its opposite, the clonality—can be used as predictors or prognostic biomarkers of the disease. Abstract T cells play a vital role in the anti-tumoural response, and the presence of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes has shown to be directly correlated with a good prognosis in several cancer types. Nevertheless, some patients presenting tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes do not have favourable outcomes. The TCR determines the specificities of T cells, so the analysis of the TCR repertoire has been recently considered to be a potential biomarker for patients’ progression and response to therapies with immune checkpoint inhibitors. The TCR repertoire is one of the multiple elements comprising the immune system and is conditioned by several factors, including tissue type, tumour mutational burden, and patients’ immunogenetics. Its study is crucial to understanding the anti-tumoural response, how to beneficially modulate the immune response with current or new treatments, and how to better predict the prognosis. Here, we present a critical review including essential studies on TCR repertoire conducted in patients with cancer with the aim to draw the current conclusions and try to elucidate whether it is better to encounter higher clonality with few TCRs at higher frequencies, or higher diversity with many different TCRs at lower frequencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Aran
- Immunology Unit, Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Institut de Biotecnologia I Biomedicina (IBB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain;
| | - Laia Garrigós
- International Breast Cancer Center (IBCC), 08017 Barcelona, Spain; (L.G.); (J.C.)
| | - Giuseppe Curigliano
- Division of Early Drug Development, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, 20141 Milano, Italy;
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milano, 20122 Milano, Italy
| | - Javier Cortés
- International Breast Cancer Center (IBCC), 08017 Barcelona, Spain; (L.G.); (J.C.)
- Medica Scientia Innovation Research (MedSIR), 08018 Barcelona, Spain
- Medica Scientia Innovation Research (MedSIR), Ridgewood, NJ 07450, USA
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mercè Martí
- Immunology Unit, Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Institut de Biotecnologia I Biomedicina (IBB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-935812409
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Wang W, Ye LF, Bao H, Hu MT, Han M, Tang HM, Ren C, Wu X, Shao Y, Wang FH, Zhou ZW, Li YH, Xu RH, Wang DS. Heterogeneity and evolution of tumour immune microenvironment in metastatic gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma. Gastric Cancer 2022; 25:1017-1030. [PMID: 35904677 PMCID: PMC9587966 DOI: 10.1007/s10120-022-01324-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tumour immune microenvironment heterogeneity is prevalent in numerous cancers and can negatively impact immunotherapy response. Immune heterogeneity and evolution in gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA) have not been studied in the past. METHODS Together with a multi-region sampling of normal, primary and metastatic tissues, we performed whole exome sequencing, TCR sequencing as well as immune cell infiltration estimation through deconvolution of gene expression signals. RESULTS We discovered high TCR repertoire and immune cell infiltration heterogeneity among metastatic sites, while they were homogeneous among primary and normal samples. Metastatic sites shared high levels of abundant TCR clonotypes with blood, indicating immune surveillance via blood. Metastatic sites also had low levels of tumour-eliminating immune cells and were undergoing heavy immunomodulation compared to normal and primary tumour tissues. There was co-evolution of neo-antigen and TCR repertoire, but only in patients with late diverging mutational evolution. Co-evolution of TCR repertoire and immune cell infiltration was seen in all except one patient. CONCLUSIONS Our findings revealed immune heterogeneity and co-evolution in GEA, which may inform immunotherapy decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China ,Department of Gastric Surgery, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China
| | - Liu-Fang Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China ,Research Unit of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China ,Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dong feng, East Road, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China
| | - Hua Bao
- Geneseeq Research Institute, Nanjing Geneseeq Technology Inc., Nanjing, Jiangsu China
| | - Ming-Tao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China ,Research Unit of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China ,Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dong feng, East Road, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China
| | - Ming Han
- Geneseeq Research Institute, Nanjing Geneseeq Technology Inc., Nanjing, Jiangsu China
| | - Hai-Meng Tang
- Geneseeq Research Institute, Nanjing Geneseeq Technology Inc., Nanjing, Jiangsu China
| | - Chao Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China ,Research Unit of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China ,Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dong feng, East Road, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China
| | - Xue Wu
- Geneseeq Research Institute, Nanjing Geneseeq Technology Inc., Nanjing, Jiangsu China
| | - Yang Shao
- Geneseeq Research Institute, Nanjing Geneseeq Technology Inc., Nanjing, Jiangsu China ,School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Feng-Hua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China ,Research Unit of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China ,Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dong feng, East Road, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Wei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China ,Department of Gastric Surgery, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yu-Hong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China ,Research Unit of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China ,Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dong feng, East Road, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China
| | - Rui-Hua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China ,Research Unit of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China ,Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dong feng, East Road, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China
| | - De-Shen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China ,Research Unit of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China ,Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dong feng, East Road, Guangzhou, 510060 People’s Republic of China
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13
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Molecular characterization of hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase mutant T cells in human blood: The concept of surrogate selection for immunologically relevant cells. MUTATION RESEARCH. REVIEWS IN MUTATION RESEARCH 2022; 789:108414. [PMID: 35690417 PMCID: PMC9188651 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrrev.2022.108414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Somatic cell gene mutations arise in vivo due to replication errors during DNA synthesis occurring spontaneously during normal DNA synthesis or as a result of replication on a DNA template damaged by endogenous or exogenous mutagens. In principle, changes in the frequencies of mutant cells in vivo in humans reflect changes in exposures to exogenous or endogenous DNA damaging insults, other factors being equal. It is becoming increasingly evident however, that somatic mutations in humans have a far greater range of interpretations. For example, mutations in lymphocytes provide invaluable probes for in vivo cellular and molecular processes, providing identification of clonal amplifications of these cells in autoimmune and infectious diseases, transplantation recipients, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), and cancer. The assay for mutations of the X-chromosomal hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) gene has gained popular acceptance for this purpose since viable mutant cells can be recovered for molecular and other analyses. Although the major application of the HPRT T cell assay remains human population monitoring, the enrichment of activated T cells in the mutant fraction in individuals with ongoing immunological processes has demonstrated the utility of surrogate selection, a method that uses somatic mutation as a surrogate marker for the in vivo T cell proliferation that underlies immunological processes to investigate clinical disorders with immunological features. Studies encompassing a wide range of clinical conditions are reviewed. Despite the historical importance of the HPRT mutation system in validating surrogate selection, there are now additional mutational and other methods for identifying immunologically active T cells. These methods are reviewed and provide insights for strategies to extend surrogate selection in future studies.
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14
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Liu H, Pan W, Tang C, Tang Y, Wu H, Yoshimura A, Deng Y, He N, Li S. The methods and advances of adaptive immune receptors repertoire sequencing. Theranostics 2021; 11:8945-8963. [PMID: 34522220 PMCID: PMC8419057 DOI: 10.7150/thno.61390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The adaptive immune response is a powerful tool, capable of recognizing, binding to, and neutralizing a vast number of internal and external threats via T or B lymphatic receptors with widespread sets of antigen specificities. The emergence of high-throughput sequencing technology and bioinformatics provides opportunities for research in the fields of life sciences and medicine. The analysis and annotation for immune repertoire data can reveal biologically meaningful information, including immune prediction, target antigens, and effective evaluation. Continuous improvements of the immunological repertoire sequencing methods and analysis tools will help to minimize the experimental and calculation errors and realize the immunological information to meet the clinical requirements. That said, the clinical application of adaptive immune repertoire sequencing requires appropriate experimental methods and standard analytical tools. At the population cell level, we can acquire the overview of cell groups, but the information about a single cell is not obtained accurately. The information that is ignored may be crucial for understanding the heterogeneity of each cell, gene expression and drug response. The combination of high-throughput sequencing and single-cell technology allows us to obtain single-cell information with low-cost and high-throughput. In this review, we summarized the current methods and progress in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmei Liu
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Biomedical Nanomaterials and Devices, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou 412007, China
| | - Wenjing Pan
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Biomedical Nanomaterials and Devices, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou 412007, China
| | - Congli Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Yujie Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Haijing Wu
- Department of Dermatology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hu-nan Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenomics, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Akihiko Yoshimura
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yan Deng
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Biomedical Nanomaterials and Devices, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou 412007, China
| | - Nongyue He
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Biomedical Nanomaterials and Devices, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou 412007, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Song Li
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Biomedical Nanomaterials and Devices, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou 412007, China
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15
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Inflammation and tumor progression: signaling pathways and targeted intervention. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:263. [PMID: 34248142 PMCID: PMC8273155 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00658-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 689] [Impact Index Per Article: 229.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer development and its response to therapy are regulated by inflammation, which either promotes or suppresses tumor progression, potentially displaying opposing effects on therapeutic outcomes. Chronic inflammation facilitates tumor progression and treatment resistance, whereas induction of acute inflammatory reactions often stimulates the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) and antigen presentation, leading to anti-tumor immune responses. In addition, multiple signaling pathways, such as nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB), Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK-STAT), toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways, cGAS/STING, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK); inflammatory factors, including cytokines (e.g., interleukin (IL), interferon (IFN), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α), chemokines (e.g., C-C motif chemokine ligands (CCLs) and C-X-C motif chemokine ligands (CXCLs)), growth factors (e.g., vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor (TGF)-β), and inflammasome; as well as inflammatory metabolites including prostaglandins, leukotrienes, thromboxane, and specialized proresolving mediators (SPM), have been identified as pivotal regulators of the initiation and resolution of inflammation. Nowadays, local irradiation, recombinant cytokines, neutralizing antibodies, small-molecule inhibitors, DC vaccines, oncolytic viruses, TLR agonists, and SPM have been developed to specifically modulate inflammation in cancer therapy, with some of these factors already undergoing clinical trials. Herein, we discuss the initiation and resolution of inflammation, the crosstalk between tumor development and inflammatory processes. We also highlight potential targets for harnessing inflammation in the treatment of cancer.
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16
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T-cell repertoire analysis and metrics of diversity and clonality. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 65:284-295. [PMID: 32889231 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2020.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The recent developments of high-throughput bulk and single-cell sequencing technologies accelerated the understanding of the complexity of immune repertoire dynamics combined to transcriptomics. Also, profiling of cellular repertoires in health or disease requires statistical metrics to capture clonal diversity characterized by clones frequency, repertoire richness and convergence. Here we present the common technologies of bulk and single-cell sequencing of T-cell receptors (TCRs), discuss current knowledge regarding computational tools clustering and predicting specificity of TCR repertoires based on shared structural motifs and review main indices for repertoire diversity and convergence analyses. These tools represent potential biomarkers to decipher the fitness of immune repertoires in diseased or treated patients but also the presages and promises of computational approaches to revolutionize personalized immunotherapy.
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17
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Abstract
Stimulator of interferon response cGAMP interactor 1 (STING1, best known as STING) is an endoplasmic reticulum-sessile protein that serves as a signaling hub, receiving input from several pattern recognition receptors, most of which sense ectopic DNA species in the cytosol. In particular, STING ensures the production of type I interferon (IFN) in response to invading DNA viruses, bacterial pathogens, as well as DNA leaking from mitochondria or the nucleus (e.g., in cells exposed to chemotherapy or radiotherapy). As a type I IFN is critical for the initiation of anticancer immune responses, the pharmaceutical industry has generated molecules that directly activate STING for use in oncological indications. Such STING agonists are being tested in clinical trials with the rationale of activating STING in tumor cells or tumor-infiltrating immune cells (including dendritic cells) to elicit immunostimulatory effects, alone or in combination with a range of established chemotherapeutic and immunotherapeutic regimens. In this Trial Watch, we discuss preclinical evidence and accumulating clinical experience shaping the design of Phase I and Phase II trials that evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of STING agonists in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Le Naour
- Equipe labellisée par la Ligue contre le cancer, Université de Paris, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France.,Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France.,Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France.,Université Paris Sud, Paris Saclay, Medicine Kremlin Bicêtre, France
| | - Laurence Zitvogel
- Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France.,Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre Le Cancer, INSERM, Villejuif, France.,Center of Clinical Investigations in Biotherapies of Cancer (CICBT) 1428, Villejuif, France
| | - Lorenzo Galluzzi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, USA.,Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, New York, USA.,Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, New York, USA.,Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Erika Vacchelli
- Equipe labellisée par la Ligue contre le cancer, Université de Paris, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France.,Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France.,Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France.,Université Paris Sud, Paris Saclay, Medicine Kremlin Bicêtre, France
| | - Guido Kroemer
- Equipe labellisée par la Ligue contre le cancer, Université de Paris, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France.,Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France.,Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France.,Université Paris Sud, Paris Saclay, Medicine Kremlin Bicêtre, France.,Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, AP-HP, Paris, France.,Suzhou Institute for Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Suzhou, China.,Karolinska Institute, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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18
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Ghasemi-Chaleshtari M, Kiaie SH, Irandoust M, Karami H, Nabi Afjadi M, Ghani S, Aghaei Vanda N, Ghaderi Sede MJ, Ahmadi A, Masjedi A, Hassannia H, Atyabi F, Hojjat-Farsangi M, Namdar A, Ghalamfarsa G, Jadidi-Niaragh F. Concomitant blockade of A2AR and CTLA-4 by siRNA-loaded polyethylene glycol-chitosan-alginate nanoparticles synergistically enhances antitumor T-cell responses. J Cell Physiol 2020; 235:10068-10080. [PMID: 32488862 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitory immune checkpoint (ICP) molecules are important immunosuppressive factors in a tumor microenvironment (TME). They can robustly suppress T-cell-mediated antitumor immune responses leading to cancer progression. Among the checkpoint molecules, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4) is one of the critical inhibitors of anticancer T-cell responses. Besides, the expression of adenosine receptor (A2AR) on tumor-infiltrating T cells potently reduces their function. We hypothesized that concomitant silencing of these molecules in T cells might lead to enhanced antitumor responses. To examine this assumption, we purified T cells from the tumor, spleen, and local lymph nodes of CT26 colon cancer-bearing mice and suppressed the expression of A2AR and CTLA-4 using the small interfering RNA (siRNA)-loaded polyethylene glycol-chitosan-alginate (PCA) nanoparticles. The appropriate physicochemical properties of the produced nanoparticles (NPs; size of 72 nm, polydispersive index [PDI] < 0.2, and zeta potential of 11 mV) resulted in their high efficiency in transfection and suppression of target gene expression. Following the silencing of checkpoint molecules, various T-cell functions, including proliferation, apoptosis, cytokine secretion, differentiation, and cytotoxicity were analyzed, ex vivo. The results showed that the generated nanoparticles had optimal physicochemical characteristics and significantly suppressed the expression of target molecules in T cells. Moreover, a concomitant blockade of A2AR and CTLA-4 in T cells could synergistically enhance antitumor responses through the downregulation of PKA, SHP2, and PP2Aα signaling pathways. Therefore, this combination therapy can be considered as a novel promising anticancer therapeutic strategy, which should be further investigated in subsequent studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitra Ghasemi-Chaleshtari
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Mazandaran, Iran
| | - Seyed Hossein Kiaie
- Nano Drug Delivery Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.,Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mahzad Irandoust
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Hadis Karami
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohsen Nabi Afjadi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Tarbiat Modares, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sepideh Ghani
- Student Research Committee, Department of Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nasimeh Aghaei Vanda
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Javad Ghaderi Sede
- Department of Nanotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Armin Ahmadi
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama
| | - Ali Masjedi
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Hadi Hassannia
- Immunogenetic Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Atyabi
- Nanotechnology Research Centre, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Afshin Namdar
- Department of Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute, The University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ghasem Ghalamfarsa
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
| | - Farhad Jadidi-Niaragh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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19
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Aversa I, Malanga D, Fiume G, Palmieri C. Molecular T-Cell Repertoire Analysis as Source of Prognostic and Predictive Biomarkers for Checkpoint Blockade Immunotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21072378. [PMID: 32235561 PMCID: PMC7177412 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21072378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The T cells are key players of the response to checkpoint blockade immunotherapy (CBI) and monitoring the strength and specificity of antitumor T-cell reactivity remains a crucial but elusive component of precision immunotherapy. The entire assembly of T-cell receptor (TCR) sequences accounts for antigen specificity and strength of the T-cell immune response. The TCR repertoire hence represents a “footprint” of the conditions faced by T cells that dynamically evolves according to the challenges that arise for the immune system, such as tumor neo-antigenic load. Hence, TCR repertoire analysis is becoming increasingly important to comprehensively understand the nature of a successful antitumor T-cell response, and to improve the success and safety of current CBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilenia Aversa
- Research Center of Biochemistry and Advanced Molecular Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University “Magna Græcia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy;
| | - Donatella Malanga
- Interdepartmental Center of Services (CIS), Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University “Magna Græcia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe Fiume
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University “Magna Græcia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy;
| | - Camillo Palmieri
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University “Magna Græcia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy;
- Correspondence:
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20
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Abstract
The remarkable success of cancer immunotherapies, especially the checkpoint blocking antibodies, in a subset of patients has reinvigorated the study of tumor-immune crosstalk and its role in heterogeneity of response. High-throughput sequencing and imaging technologies can help recapitulate various aspects of the tumor ecosystem. Computational approaches provide an arsenal of tools to efficiently analyze, quantify and integrate multiple parameters of tumor immunity mined from these diverse but complementary high-throughput datasets. This chapter describes numerous such computational approaches in tumor immunology that leverage high-throughput data from diverse sources (genomic, transcriptomics, epigenomics and digitized histopathology images) to systematically interrogate tumor immunity in context of its microenvironment, and to identify mechanisms that confer resistance or sensitivity to cancer therapies, in particular immunotherapy.
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