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Liu X, Jin W, Bao D, He T, Wang W, Li Z, Yang X, Tong Y, Shu M, Wang Y, Yuan J, Yang Y. DIPAN: Detecting personalized intronic polyadenylation derived neoantigens from RNA sequencing data. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:2057-2066. [PMID: 38783901 PMCID: PMC11112131 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Intronic polyadenylation (IPA) refers to a particular type of alternative polyadenylation where a gene makes use of a polyadenylation site located within its introns. Aberrant IPA events have been observed in various types of cancer. IPA can produce noncoding transcripts or truncated protein-coding transcripts with altered coding sequences in the resulting protein product. Therefore, IPA events hold the potential to act as a reservoir of tumor neoantigens. Here, we developed a computational method termed DIPAN, which incorporates IPA detection, protein fragmentation, and MHC binding prediction to predict IPA-derived neoantigens. Utilizing RNA-seq from breast cancer cell lines and ovarian cancer clinical samples, we demonstrated the significant contribution of IPA events to the neoantigen repertoire. Through mass spectrometry immunopeptidome analysis, we further illustrated the processing and presentation of IPA-derived neoantigens on the surface of cancer cells. While most IPA-derived neoantigens are sample-specific, shared neoantigens were identified in both cancer cell lines and clinical samples. Furthermore, we demonstrated an association between IPA-derived neoantigen burden and overall survival in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochuan Liu
- The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Tianjin Geriatrics Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wen Jin
- The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Tianjin Geriatrics Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Dengyi Bao
- The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Tianjin Geriatrics Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Tongxin He
- The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Tianjin Geriatrics Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenhui Wang
- The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Tianjin Geriatrics Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zekun Li
- The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Tianjin Geriatrics Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Yang
- The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Tianjin Geriatrics Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yang Tong
- The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Tianjin Geriatrics Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Meng Shu
- The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Tianjin Geriatrics Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuting Wang
- The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Tianjin Geriatrics Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jiapei Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Yang Yang
- The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Tianjin Geriatrics Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
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Sun Y, Xiong B, Shuai X, Li J, Wang C, Guo J, Cheng Z, Liu S. Downregulation of HNRNPA1 induced neoantigen generation via regulating alternative splicing. Mol Med 2024; 30:85. [PMID: 38867190 PMCID: PMC11167825 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-024-00849-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunotherapies effectively treat human malignancies, but the low response and resistance are major obstacles. Neoantigen is an emerging target for tumor immunotherapy that can enhance anti-tumor immunity and improve immunotherapy. Aberrant alternative splicing is an important source of neoantigens. HNRNPA1, an RNA splicing factor, was found to be upregulated in the majority of tumors and play an important role in the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment. METHODS Whole transcriptome sequencing was performed on shHNRNPA1 SKOV3 cells and transcriptomic data of shHNRNPA1 HepG2, MCF-7M, K562, and B-LL cells were downloaded from the GEO database. Enrichment analysis was performed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the activation of anti-tumor immunity induced by HNRNPA1 knockdown. mRNA alternative splicing was analyzed and neoantigens were predicted by JCAST v.0.3.5 and Immune epitope database. The immunogenicity of candidate neoantigens was calculated by Class I pMHC Immunogenicity and validated by the IFN-γ ELISpot assay. The effect of shHNRNPA1 on tumor growth and immune cells in vivo was evaluated by xenograft model combined with immunohistochemistry. RESULTS HNRNPA1 was upregulated in a majority of malignancies and correlated with immunosuppressive status of the tumor immune microenvironment. Downregulation of HNRNPA1 could induce the activation of immune-related pathways and biological processes. Disruption of HNRNPA1 resulted in aberrant alternative splicing events and generation of immunogenic neoantigens. Downregulation of HNRNPA1 inhibited tumor growth and increased CD8+ T cell infiltration in vivo. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrated that targeting HNRNPA1 could produce immunogenic neoantigens that elicit anti-tumor immunity by inducing abnormal mRNA splicing. It suggests that HNRNPA1 may be a potential target for immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaoqi Sun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Bing Xiong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Xueqian Shuai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Jiale Li
- Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, 232001, China
| | - Chunyan Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Jing Guo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Zhongping Cheng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China.
| | - Shupeng Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China.
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3
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Han N, Liu Z. Targeting alternative splicing in cancer immunotherapy. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1232146. [PMID: 37635865 PMCID: PMC10450511 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1232146] [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: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor immunotherapy has made great progress in cancer treatment but still faces several challenges, such as a limited number of targetable antigens and varying responses among patients. Alternative splicing (AS) is an essential process for the maturation of nearly all mammalian mRNAs. Recent studies show that AS contributes to expanding cancer-specific antigens and modulating immunogenicity, making it a promising solution to the above challenges. The organoid technology preserves the individual immune microenvironment and reduces the time/economic costs of the experiment model, facilitating the development of splicing-based immunotherapy. Here, we summarize three critical roles of AS in immunotherapy: resources for generating neoantigens, targets for immune-therapeutic modulation, and biomarkers to guide immunotherapy options. Subsequently, we highlight the benefits of adopting organoids to develop AS-based immunotherapies. Finally, we discuss the current challenges in studying AS-based immunotherapy in terms of existing bioinformatics algorithms and biological technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Han
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaoqi Liu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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4
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Tretter C, de Andrade Krätzig N, Pecoraro M, Lange S, Seifert P, von Frankenberg C, Untch J, Zuleger G, Wilhelm M, Zolg DP, Dreyer FS, Bräunlein E, Engleitner T, Uhrig S, Boxberg M, Steiger K, Slotta-Huspenina J, Ochsenreither S, von Bubnoff N, Bauer S, Boerries M, Jost PJ, Schenck K, Dresing I, Bassermann F, Friess H, Reim D, Grützmann K, Pfütze K, Klink B, Schröck E, Haller B, Kuster B, Mann M, Weichert W, Fröhling S, Rad R, Hiltensperger M, Krackhardt AM. Proteogenomic analysis reveals RNA as a source for tumor-agnostic neoantigen identification. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4632. [PMID: 37532709 PMCID: PMC10397250 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39570-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Systemic pan-tumor analyses may reveal the significance of common features implicated in cancer immunogenicity and patient survival. Here, we provide a comprehensive multi-omics data set for 32 patients across 25 tumor types for proteogenomic-based discovery of neoantigens. By using an optimized computational approach, we discover a large number of tumor-specific and tumor-associated antigens. To create a pipeline for the identification of neoantigens in our cohort, we combine DNA and RNA sequencing with MS-based immunopeptidomics of tumor specimens, followed by the assessment of their immunogenicity and an in-depth validation process. We detect a broad variety of non-canonical HLA-binding peptides in the majority of patients demonstrating partially immunogenicity. Our validation process allows for the selection of 32 potential neoantigen candidates. The majority of neoantigen candidates originates from variants identified in the RNA data set, illustrating the relevance of RNA as a still understudied source of cancer antigens. This study underlines the importance of RNA-centered variant detection for the identification of shared biomarkers and potentially relevant neoantigen candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celina Tretter
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, IIIrd Medical Department, Munich, Germany
| | - Niklas de Andrade Krätzig
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, IInd Medical Department, Munich, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), Munich, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, Munich, Germany
| | - Matteo Pecoraro
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Plank Institute of Biochemistry, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Lange
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, IInd Medical Department, Munich, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), Munich, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, Munich, Germany
| | - Philipp Seifert
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, IIIrd Medical Department, Munich, Germany
| | - Clara von Frankenberg
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, IIIrd Medical Department, Munich, Germany
| | - Johannes Untch
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, IIIrd Medical Department, Munich, Germany
| | - Gabriela Zuleger
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, IIIrd Medical Department, Munich, Germany
| | - Mathias Wilhelm
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Life Sciences, Chair of Proteomics and Bioanalytics, Freising, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Life Sciences, Computational Mass Spectrometry, Freising, Germany
| | - Daniel P Zolg
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Life Sciences, Chair of Proteomics and Bioanalytics, Freising, Germany
| | - Florian S Dreyer
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, IIIrd Medical Department, Munich, Germany
| | - Eva Bräunlein
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, IIIrd Medical Department, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Engleitner
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), Munich, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Uhrig
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Heidelberg and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Molecular Precision Oncology Program, NCT Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Melanie Boxberg
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Institute of Pathology, Munich, Germany
| | - Katja Steiger
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Institute of Pathology, Munich, Germany
| | - Julia Slotta-Huspenina
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Institute of Pathology, Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ochsenreither
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Berlin and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Tumor Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nikolas von Bubnoff
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Freiburg and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine (IBSM), Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Center, University of Schleswig Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Sebastian Bauer
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Medical Oncology and Sarcoma Center, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Melanie Boerries
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Freiburg and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine (IBSM), Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Philipp J Jost
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, IIIrd Medical Department, Munich, Germany
- Clinical Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- University Comprehensive Cancer Center Graz, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Kristina Schenck
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, IIIrd Medical Department, Munich, Germany
| | - Iska Dresing
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, IIIrd Medical Department, Munich, Germany
| | - Florian Bassermann
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, IIIrd Medical Department, Munich, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Helmut Friess
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Department of Surgery, Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Reim
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Department of Surgery, Munich, Germany
| | - Konrad Grützmann
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Dresden and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Core Unit Molecular Tumor Diagnostics (CMTD), NCT Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Institute for Medical Informatics and Biometry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Katrin Pfütze
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Heidelberg and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Barbara Klink
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Dresden and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute for Clinical Genetics, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Evelin Schröck
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Dresden and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute for Clinical Genetics, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- ERN GENTURIS, Hereditary Cancer Syndrome Center Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases Dresden (NCT/UCC), Dresden, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Bernhard Haller
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Institute of AI and Informatics in Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Bernhard Kuster
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Life Sciences, Chair of Proteomics and Bioanalytics, Freising, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Life Sciences, Bavarian Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry Center (BayBioMS), Freising, Germany
| | - Matthias Mann
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Plank Institute of Biochemistry, Munich, Germany
| | - Wilko Weichert
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Institute of Pathology, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Fröhling
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Heidelberg and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Translational Medical Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Roland Rad
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, IInd Medical Department, Munich, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), Munich, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Hiltensperger
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, IIIrd Medical Department, Munich, Germany
| | - Angela M Krackhardt
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, IIIrd Medical Department, Munich, Germany.
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), Munich, Germany.
- Malteser Krankenhaus St. Franziskus-Hospital, Flensburg, Germany.
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5
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Oreper D, Klaeger S, Jhunjhunwala S, Delamarre L. The peptide woods are lovely, dark and deep: Hunting for novel cancer antigens. Semin Immunol 2023; 67:101758. [PMID: 37027981 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2023.101758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Harnessing the patient's immune system to control a tumor is a proven avenue for cancer therapy. T cell therapies as well as therapeutic vaccines, which target specific antigens of interest, are being explored as treatments in conjunction with immune checkpoint blockade. For these therapies, selecting the best suited antigens is crucial. Most of the focus has thus far been on neoantigens that arise from tumor-specific somatic mutations. Although there is clear evidence that T-cell responses against mutated neoantigens are protective, the large majority of these mutations are not immunogenic. In addition, most somatic mutations are unique to each individual patient and their targeting requires the development of individualized approaches. Therefore, novel antigen types are needed to broaden the scope of such treatments. We review high throughput approaches for discovering novel tumor antigens and some of the key challenges associated with their detection, and discuss considerations when selecting tumor antigens to target in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Oreper
- Genentech, 1 DNA way, South San Francisco, 94080 CA, USA.
| | - Susan Klaeger
- Genentech, 1 DNA way, South San Francisco, 94080 CA, USA.
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6
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Park J, Park J, Chung YJ. Alternative splicing: a new breakthrough for understanding tumorigenesis and potential clinical applications. Genes Genomics 2023; 45:393-400. [PMID: 36656436 DOI: 10.1007/s13258-023-01365-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alternative splicing (AS) is a post-transcriptional process that produces transcript variants, thus leading to transcriptome complexity. Recently, the scope of AS studies has been greatly expanded toward clinical applications owing to the abundance of RNA sequencing data. OBJECTIVE This review consists of two parts. We first summarize bioinformatic resources that are useful for large-scale cancer-related AS studies. We then highlight the research efforts to utilize AS events for predicting clinical outcomes and planning therapeutic strategies. RESULTS Computational approaches to interrogate AS events have been reviewed under three categories: (1) databases to provide functional and clinical annotation of AS events, (2) analytical tools to identify cancer-associated AS event, and (3) methods to identify splicing-related DNA variants and splicing-derived neoantigens. We also present the recent progress in exploring the clinical utility of AS under four categories: (1) identification of AS events for cancer prognosis, (2) utilization of AS events in molecular classification of various cancers, (3) regulatory mechanisms of AS underlying drug resistance, and (4) potential use of AS in cancer therapy. CONCLUSION This review will be helpful for understanding the biological implications of AS in cancer and facilitate the development of AS markers for cancer prognosis and treatment. We anticipate that future studies will lead to the application of genome-wide AS profiles in cancer precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyeon Park
- Precision Medicine Research Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Integrated Research Center for Genome Polymorphism,, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, Graduate School, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Joonhyuck Park
- Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, Graduate School, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- 4Department of Medical Life science, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Medical Life science, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, 06591, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yeun-Jun Chung
- Precision Medicine Research Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Integrated Research Center for Genome Polymorphism,, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, Graduate School, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Precision Medicine Research Center, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, 06591, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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7
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Zhang Y, Lu L, Song F, Zou X, Liu Y, Zheng X, Qian J, Gu C, Huang P, Yang Y. Research progress on non-protein-targeted drugs for cancer therapy. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2023; 42:62. [PMID: 36918935 PMCID: PMC10011800 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02635-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-protein target drugs, especially RNA-based gene therapies for treating hereditary diseases, have been recognized worldwide. As cancer is an insurmountable challenge, no miracle drug is currently available. With the advancements in the field of biopharmaceuticals, research on cancer therapy has gradually focused on non-protein target-targeted drugs, especially RNA therapeutics, including oligonucleotide drugs and mRNA vaccines. This review mainly summarizes the clinical research progress in RNA therapeutics and highlights that appropriate target selection and optimized delivery vehicles are key factors in increasing the effectiveness of cancer treatment in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Zhang
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, 158 Shangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Endocrine Gland Diseases of Zhejiang Province, 158 Shangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Lu Lu
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, 158 Shangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Endocrine Gland Diseases of Zhejiang Province, 158 Shangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Feifeng Song
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, 158 Shangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaozhou Zou
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, 158 Shangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Endocrine Gland Diseases of Zhejiang Province, 158 Shangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Yujia Liu
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, 158 Shangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaowei Zheng
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, 158 Shangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jinjun Qian
- School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Chunyan Gu
- School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Ping Huang
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, 158 Shangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, China. .,Key Laboratory of Endocrine Gland Diseases of Zhejiang Province, 158 Shangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, China.
| | - Ye Yang
- School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, 210023, China.
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8
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Neoantigens: promising targets for cancer therapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:9. [PMID: 36604431 PMCID: PMC9816309 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01270-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 173.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in neoantigen research have accelerated the development and regulatory approval of tumor immunotherapies, including cancer vaccines, adoptive cell therapy and antibody-based therapies, especially for solid tumors. Neoantigens are newly formed antigens generated by tumor cells as a result of various tumor-specific alterations, such as genomic mutation, dysregulated RNA splicing, disordered post-translational modification, and integrated viral open reading frames. Neoantigens are recognized as non-self and trigger an immune response that is not subject to central and peripheral tolerance. The quick identification and prediction of tumor-specific neoantigens have been made possible by the advanced development of next-generation sequencing and bioinformatic technologies. Compared to tumor-associated antigens, the highly immunogenic and tumor-specific neoantigens provide emerging targets for personalized cancer immunotherapies, and serve as prospective predictors for tumor survival prognosis and immune checkpoint blockade responses. The development of cancer therapies will be aided by understanding the mechanism underlying neoantigen-induced anti-tumor immune response and by streamlining the process of neoantigen-based immunotherapies. This review provides an overview on the identification and characterization of neoantigens and outlines the clinical applications of prospective immunotherapeutic strategies based on neoantigens. We also explore their current status, inherent challenges, and clinical translation potential.
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9
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AS-CMC: a pan-cancer database of alternative splicing for molecular classification of cancer. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21074. [PMID: 36473963 PMCID: PMC9726986 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25584-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) is a post-transcriptional regulation that leads to the complexity of the transcriptome. Despite the growing importance of AS in cancer research, the role of AS has not been systematically studied, especially in understanding cancer molecular classification. Herein, we analyzed the molecular subtype-specific regulation of AS using The Cancer Genome Atlas data and constructed a web-based database, named Alternative Splicing for Cancer Molecular Classification (AS-CMC). Our system harbors three analysis modules for exploring subtype-specific AS events, evaluating their phenotype association, and performing pan-cancer comparison. The number of subtype-specific AS events was found to be diverse across cancer types, and some differentially regulated AS events were recurrently found in multiple cancer types. We analyzed a subtype-specific AS in exon 11 of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7 (MAP3K7) as an example of a pan-cancer AS biomarker. This AS marker showed significant association with the survival of patients with stomach adenocarcinoma. Our analysis revealed AS as an important determinant for cancer molecular classification. AS-CMC is the first web-based resource that provides a comprehensive tool to explore the biological implications of AS events, facilitating the discovery of novel AS biomarkers.
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10
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Liu M, Guo J, Jia R. Emerging roles of alternative RNA splicing in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1019750. [PMID: 36505770 PMCID: PMC9732560 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1019750] [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: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative RNA splicing (ARS) is an essential and tightly regulated cellular process of post-transcriptional regulation of pre-mRNA. It produces multiple isoforms and may encode proteins with different or even opposite functions. The dysregulated ARS of pre-mRNA contributes to the development of many cancer types, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), and may serve as a biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of OSCC and an attractive therapeutic target. ARS is mainly regulated by splicing factors, whose expression is also often dysregulated in OSCC and involved in tumorigenesis. This review focuses on the expression and roles of splicing factors in OSCC, the alternative RNA splicing events associated with OSCC, and recent advances in therapeutic approaches that target ARS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaomiao Liu
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jihua Guo
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,Department of Endodontics, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,*Correspondence: Jihua Guo, ; Rong Jia,
| | - Rong Jia
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,RNA Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,*Correspondence: Jihua Guo, ; Rong Jia,
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11
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Gu Y, Duan J, Yang N, Yang Y, Zhao X. mRNA vaccines in the prevention and treatment of diseases. MedComm (Beijing) 2022; 3:e167. [PMID: 36033422 PMCID: PMC9409637 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines made their successful public debut in the effort against the COVID-19 outbreak starting in late 2019, although the history of mRNA vaccines can be traced back decades. This review provides an overview to discuss the historical course and present situation of mRNA vaccine development in addition to some basic concepts that underly mRNA vaccines. We discuss the general preparation and manufacturing of mRNA vaccines and also discuss the scientific advances in the in vivo delivery system and evaluate popular approaches (i.e., lipid nanoparticle and protamine) in detail. Next, we highlight the clinical value of mRNA vaccines as potent candidates for therapeutic treatment and discuss clinical progress in the treatment of cancer and coronavirus disease 2019. Data suggest that mRNA vaccines, with several prominent advantages, have achieved encouraging results and increasing attention due to tremendous potential in disease management. Finally, we suggest some potential directions worthy of further investigation and optimization. In addition to basic research, studies that help to facilitate storage and transportation will be indispensable for practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangzhuo Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan University; Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyChengduChina
| | - Jiangyao Duan
- Department of Life SciencesImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Na Yang
- Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Research Center/School of Basic Medical SciencesGuizhou Medical UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Yuxin Yang
- Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Research Center/School of Basic Medical SciencesGuizhou Medical UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Xing Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan University; Collaborative Innovation Center for BiotherapyChengduChina
- Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Research Center/School of Basic Medical SciencesGuizhou Medical UniversityGuiyangChina
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