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Cameron CM, Raghu V, Richardson B, Zagore LL, Tamilselvan B, Golden J, Cartwright M, Schoen RE, Finn OJ, Benos PV, Cameron MJ. Pre-vaccination transcriptomic profiles of immune responders to the MUC1 peptide vaccine for colon cancer prevention. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.05.09.24305336. [PMID: 38766010 PMCID: PMC11100921 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.09.24305336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Self-antigens abnormally expressed on tumors, such as MUC1, have been targeted by therapeutic cancer vaccines. We recently assessed in two clinical trials in a preventative setting whether immunity induced with a MUC1 peptide vaccine could reduce high colon cancer risk in individuals with a history of premalignant colon adenomas. In both trials, there were immune responders and non-responders to the vaccine. Here we used PBMC pre-vaccination and 2 weeks after the first vaccine of responders and non-responders selected from both trials to identify early biomarkers of immune response involved in long-term memory generation and prevention of adenoma recurrence. We performed flow cytometry, phosflow, and differential gene expression analyses on PBMCs collected from MUC1 vaccine responders and non-responders pre-vaccination and two weeks after the first of three vaccine doses. MUC1 vaccine responders had higher frequencies of CD4 cells pre-vaccination, increased expression of CD40L on CD8 and CD4 T-cells, and a greater increase in ICOS expression on CD8 T-cells. Differential gene expression analysis revealed that iCOSL, PI3K AKT MTOR, and B-cell signaling pathways are activated early in response to the MUC1 vaccine. We identified six specific transcripts involved in elevated antigen presentation, B-cell activation, and NF-kB1 activation that were directly linked to finding antibody response at week 12. Finally, a model using these transcripts was able to predict non-responders with accuracy. These findings suggest that individuals who can be predicted to respond to the MUC1 vaccine, and potentially other vaccines, have greater readiness in all immune compartments to present and respond to antigens. Predictive biomarkers of MUC1 vaccine response may lead to more effective vaccines tailored to individuals with high risk for cancer but with varying immune fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl M Cameron
- Department of Nutrition, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| | - Vineet Raghu
- Department of Computer Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA
| | - Brian Richardson
- Department of Nutrition, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| | - Leah L Zagore
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| | | | - Jackelyn Golden
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| | - Michael Cartwright
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| | - Robert E Schoen
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Olivera J Finn
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Panayiotis V Benos
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Mark J Cameron
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
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2
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Emilius L, Bremm F, Binder AK, Schaft N, Dörrie J. Tumor Antigens beyond the Human Exome. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4673. [PMID: 38731892 PMCID: PMC11083240 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094673] [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: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
With the advent of immunotherapeutics, a new era in the combat against cancer has begun. Particularly promising are neo-epitope-targeted therapies as the expression of neo-antigens is tumor-specific. In turn, this allows the selective targeting and killing of cancer cells whilst healthy cells remain largely unaffected. So far, many advances have been made in the development of treatment options which are tailored to the individual neo-epitope repertoire. The next big step is the achievement of efficacious "off-the-shelf" immunotherapies. For this, shared neo-epitopes propose an optimal target. Given the tremendous potential, a thorough understanding of the underlying mechanisms which lead to the formation of neo-antigens is of fundamental importance. Here, we review the various processes which result in the formation of neo-epitopes. Broadly, the origin of neo-epitopes can be categorized into three groups: canonical, noncanonical, and viral neo-epitopes. For the canonical neo-antigens that arise in direct consequence of somatic mutations, we summarize past and recent findings. Beyond that, our main focus is put on the discussion of noncanonical and viral neo-epitopes as we believe that targeting those provides an encouraging perspective to shape the future of cancer immunotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisabeth Emilius
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (L.E.); (F.B.); (A.K.B.); (J.D.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Franziska Bremm
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (L.E.); (F.B.); (A.K.B.); (J.D.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Amanda Katharina Binder
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (L.E.); (F.B.); (A.K.B.); (J.D.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Niels Schaft
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (L.E.); (F.B.); (A.K.B.); (J.D.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jan Dörrie
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (L.E.); (F.B.); (A.K.B.); (J.D.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
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3
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Li C, Clauson R, Bugada LF, Ke F, He B, Yu Z, Chen H, Jacobovitz B, Hu H, Chuikov P, Hill BD, Rizvi SM, Song Y, Sun K, Axenov P, Huynh D, Wang X, Garmire L, Lei YL, Grigorova I, Wen F, Cascalho M, Gao W, Sun D. Antigen-Clustered Nanovaccine Achieves Long-Term Tumor Remission by Promoting B/CD 4 T Cell Crosstalk. ACS NANO 2024; 18:9584-9604. [PMID: 38513119 PMCID: PMC11130742 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c13038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Current cancer vaccines using T cell epitopes activate antitumor T cell immunity through dendritic cell/macrophage-mediated antigen presentation, but they lack the ability to promote B/CD4 T cell crosstalk, limiting their anticancer efficacy. We developed antigen-clustered nanovaccine (ACNVax) to achieve long-term tumor remission by promoting B/CD4 T cell crosstalk. The topographic features of ACNVax were achieved using an iron nanoparticle core attached with an optimal number of gold nanoparticles, where the clusters of HER2 B/CD4 T cell epitopes were conjugated on the gold surface with an optimal intercluster distance of 5-10 nm. ACNVax effectively trafficked to lymph nodes and cross-linked with BCR, which are essential for stimulating B cell antigen presentation-mediated B/CD4 T cell crosstalk in vitro and in vivo. ACNVax, combined with anti-PD-1, achieved long-term tumor remission (>200 days) with 80% complete response in mice with HER2+ breast cancer. ACNVax not only remodeled the tumor immune microenvironment but also induced a long-term immune memory, as evidenced by complete rejection of tumor rechallenge and a high level of antigen-specific memory B, CD4, and CD8 cells in mice (>200 days). This study provides a cancer vaccine design strategy, using B/CD4 T cell epitopes in an antigen clustered topography, to achieve long-term durable anticancer efficacy through promoting B/CD4 T cell crosstalk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengyi Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Ryan Clauson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Luke F Bugada
- Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Fang Ke
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Bing He
- Department of Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Zhixin Yu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Hongwei Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Binyamin Jacobovitz
- Microscopy Core, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Hongxiang Hu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Polina Chuikov
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Brett Dallas Hill
- Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Syed M Rizvi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Yudong Song
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Kai Sun
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Pasieka Axenov
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Daniel Huynh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Xinyi Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Lana Garmire
- Department of Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Yu Leo Lei
- Departments of Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Biology, and Translational Molecular Pathology, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, United States
| | - Irina Grigorova
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Fei Wen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Marilia Cascalho
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Wei Gao
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Duxin Sun
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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4
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Manoutcharian K, Gevorkian G. Are we getting closer to a successful neoantigen cancer vaccine? Mol Aspects Med 2024; 96:101254. [PMID: 38354548 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2024.101254] [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: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Although significant advances in immunotherapy have revolutionized the treatment of many cancer types over the past decade, the field of vaccine therapy, an important component of cancer immunotherapy, despite decades-long intense efforts, is still transmitting signals of promises and awaiting strong data on efficacy to proceed with regulatory approval. The field of cancer vaccines faces standard challenges, such as tumor-induced immunosuppression, immune response in inhibitory tumor microenvironment (TME), intratumor heterogeneity (ITH), permanently evolving cancer mutational landscape leading to neoantigens, and less known obstacles: neoantigen gain/loss upon immunotherapy, the timing and speed of appearance of neoantigens and responding T cell clonotypes and possible involvement of immune interference/heterologous immunity, in the complex interplay between evolving tumor epitopes and the immune system. In this review, we discuss some key issues related to challenges hampering the development of cancer vaccines, along with the current approaches focusing on neoantigens. We summarize currently well-known ideas/rationales, thus revealing the need for alternative vaccine approaches. Such a discussion should stimulate vaccine researchers to apply out-of-box, unconventional thinking in search of new avenues to deal with critical, often yet unaddressed challenges on the road to a new generation of therapeutics and vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Manoutcharian
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomedicas, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), CDMX, Apartado Postal 70228, Cuidad Universitaria, Mexico DF, CP, 04510, Mexico.
| | - Goar Gevorkian
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomedicas, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), CDMX, Apartado Postal 70228, Cuidad Universitaria, Mexico DF, CP, 04510, Mexico.
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5
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Tian J, Ma J. The Value of Microbes in Cancer Neoantigen Immunotherapy. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2138. [PMID: 37631352 PMCID: PMC10459105 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15082138] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor neoantigens are widely used in cancer immunotherapy, and a growing body of research suggests that microbes play an important role in these neoantigen-based immunotherapeutic processes. The human body and its surrounding environment are filled with a large number of microbes that are in long-term interaction with the organism. The microbiota can modulate our immune system, help activate neoantigen-reactive T cells, and play a great role in the process of targeting tumor neoantigens for therapy. Recent studies have revealed the interconnection between microbes and neoantigens, which can cross-react with each other through molecular mimicry, providing theoretical guidance for more relevant studies. The current applications of microbes in immunotherapy against tumor neoantigens are mainly focused on cancer vaccine development and immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors. This article summarizes the related fields and suggests the importance of microbes in immunotherapy against neoantigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junrui Tian
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China;
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Hunan Key Laboratory of Nonresolving Inflammation and Cancer, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Jian Ma
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China;
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Hunan Key Laboratory of Nonresolving Inflammation and Cancer, Changsha 410078, China
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6
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Wang QT, Liu YX, Wang J, Wang H. Advances in Cancer Nanovaccines: Harnessing Nanotechnology for Broadening Cancer Immune Response. ChemMedChem 2023; 18:e202200673. [PMID: 37088719 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202200673] [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: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Many advances have been made recently in the field of cancer immunotherapy, particularly with the development of treatments such as immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive cellular immunotherapy. The efficacy of immunotherapy is limited, however, owing to high levels of tumor heterogeneity and the immunosuppressive environments of advanced malignant tumors. Therefore, therapeutic anticancer vaccines have gradually become powerful tools for inducing valid antitumor immune responses and regulating the immune microenvironment. Tumor vaccines loaded in nanocarriers have become an indispensable delivery platform for tumor treatment because of their enhanced stability, targeting capability, and high level of safety. Through a unique design, cancer nanovaccines activate innate immunity and tumor-specific immunity simultaneously. For example, the design of cancer vaccines can incorporate strategies such as enhancing the stability and targeting of tumor antigens, combining effective adjuvants, cytokines, and immune microenvironment regulators, and promoting the maturation and cross-presentation of antigen-presenting cells (APCs). In this review, we discuss the design and preparation of nanovaccines for remodeling tumor antigen immunogenicity and regulating the immunosuppressive microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian-Ting Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST), Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Yi-Xuan Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST), Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Jie Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST), Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Hao Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST), Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
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7
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Kacen A, Javitt A, Kramer MP, Morgenstern D, Tsaban T, Shmueli MD, Teo GC, da Veiga Leprevost F, Barnea E, Yu F, Admon A, Eisenbach L, Samuels Y, Schueler-Furman O, Levin Y, Nesvizhskii AI, Merbl Y. Post-translational modifications reshape the antigenic landscape of the MHC I immunopeptidome in tumors. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:239-251. [PMID: 36203013 PMCID: PMC11197725 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01464-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Post-translational modification (PTM) of antigens provides an additional source of specificities targeted by immune responses to tumors or pathogens, but identifying antigen PTMs and assessing their role in shaping the immunopeptidome is challenging. Here we describe the Protein Modification Integrated Search Engine (PROMISE), an antigen discovery pipeline that enables the analysis of 29 different PTM combinations from multiple clinical cohorts and cell lines. We expanded the antigen landscape, uncovering human leukocyte antigen class I binding motifs defined by specific PTMs with haplotype-specific binding preferences and revealing disease-specific modified targets, including thousands of new cancer-specific antigens that can be shared between patients and across cancer types. Furthermore, we uncovered a subset of modified peptides that are specific to cancer tissue and driven by post-translational changes that occurred in the tumor proteome. Our findings highlight principles of PTM-driven antigenicity, which may have broad implications for T cell-mediated therapies in cancer and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assaf Kacen
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Aaron Javitt
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Matthias P Kramer
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - David Morgenstern
- De Botton Institute for Protein Profiling, Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tomer Tsaban
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Merav D Shmueli
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Guo Ci Teo
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Eilon Barnea
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Fengchao Yu
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Arie Admon
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Lea Eisenbach
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yardena Samuels
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ora Schueler-Furman
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yishai Levin
- De Botton Institute for Protein Profiling, Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Alexey I Nesvizhskii
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yifat Merbl
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
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8
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Capturing the diversity of protein modifications on presented tumor antigens. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:195-196. [PMID: 36217032 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01465-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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9
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Recent Advances in Cancer Vaccines: Challenges, Achievements, and Futuristic Prospects. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10122011. [PMID: 36560420 PMCID: PMC9788126 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10122011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a chronic disease, and it can be lethal due to limited therapeutic options. The conventional treatment options for cancer have numerous challenges, such as a low blood circulation time as well as poor solubility of anticancer drugs. Therapeutic cancer vaccines emerged to try to improve anticancer drugs' efficiency and to deliver them to the target site. Cancer vaccines are considered a viable therapeutic technique for most solid tumors. Vaccines boost antitumor immunity by delivering tumor antigens, nucleic acids, entire cells, and peptides. Cancer vaccines are designed to induce long-term antitumor memory, causing tumor regression, eradicate minimal residual illness, and prevent non-specific or unpleasant effects. These vaccines can assist in the elimination of cancer cells from various organs or organ systems in the body, with minimal risk of tumor recurrence or metastasis. Vaccines and antigens for anticancer therapy are discussed in this review, including current vaccine adjuvants and mechanisms of action for various types of vaccines, such as DNA- or mRNA-based cancer vaccines. Potential applications of these vaccines focusing on their clinical use for better therapeutic efficacy are also discussed along with the latest research available in this field.
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10
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Minegishi Y, Kiyotani K, Nemoto K, Inoue Y, Haga Y, Fujii R, Saichi N, Nagayama S, Ueda K. Differential ion mobility mass spectrometry in immunopeptidomics identifies neoantigens carrying colorectal cancer driver mutations. Commun Biol 2022; 5:831. [PMID: 35982173 PMCID: PMC9388627 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03807-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the properties of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) peptides (immunopeptides) is essential for precision cancer medicine, while the direct identification of immunopeptides from small biopsies of clinical tissues by mass spectrometry (MS) is still confronted with technical challenges. Here, to overcome these hindrances, high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) is introduced to conduct differential ion mobility (DIM)-MS by seamless gas-phase fractionation optimal for scarce samples. By established DIM-MS for immunopeptidomics analysis, on average, 42.9 mg of normal and tumor colorectal tissues from identical patients (n = 17) were analyzed, and on average 4921 immunopeptides were identified. Among these 44,815 unique immunopeptides, two neoantigens, KRAS-G12V and CPPED1-R228Q, were identified. These neoantigens were confirmed by synthetic peptides through targeted MS in parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) mode. Comparison of the tissue-based personal immunopeptidome revealed tumor-specific processing of immunopeptides. Since the direct identification of neoantigens from tumor tissues suggested that more potential neoantigens have yet to be identified, we screened cell lines with known oncogenic KRAS mutations and identified 2 more neoantigens that carry KRAS-G12V. These results indicated that the established FAIMS-assisted DIM-MS is effective in the identification of immunopeptides and potential recurrent neoantigens directly from scarce samples such as clinical tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuriko Minegishi
- Cancer Proteomics Group, Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuma Kiyotani
- Project for Immunogenomics, Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kensaku Nemoto
- Project for Immunogenomics, Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Yoshimi Haga
- Cancer Proteomics Group, Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Risa Fujii
- Cancer Proteomics Group, Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naomi Saichi
- Cancer Proteomics Group, Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Nagayama
- Development of Gastroenterological Surgery, Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koji Ueda
- Cancer Proteomics Group, Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan.
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11
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Odales J, Servín-Blanco R, Martínez-Cortés F, Guzman Valle J, Domínguez-Romero AN, Gevorkian G, Manoutcharian K. Antitumor efficacy of MUC1-derived variable epitope library treatments in a mouse model of breast cancer. Vaccine 2022; 40:4796-4805. [PMID: 35788294 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.06.062] [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: 09/19/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The identification of novel targets for cancer immunotherapy and the development of new vaccine immunogens are subjects of permanent interest. MUC1 is an overexpressed antigen found in most tumors, and its overexpression correlates with poor prognosis. Many attempts to direct the immune response against MUC1 in tumor cells have failed, including several clinical trials. We have previously developed an innovative Variable Epitope Library (VEL) vaccine platform that carries massively substituted mutant variants of defined epitopes or epitope regions as an alternative to using wild-type peptide sequences-based immunogens. Here, two murine MUC1-derived epitopes equivalent to the previously tested in cancer immunotherapy human MUC1 regions were used to generate VELs. We observed that vaccination with the 23L VEL immunogens, encompassing the entire signal peptide region of MUC1, reduces the tumor area compared to the wild-type sequence treatment. Contrastingly, vaccination with the MUC1 signal peptide-derived predicted CD8++ T cell epitope-based VEL, 9MUC1spL, showed similar tumor area reduction as the wild-type treatment; however, a decrease in lung metastasis after 9MUC1spL treatment was observed. In addition, vaccination induced a large pool of CD8+ T cells which recognized most variant epitopes from 9MUC1spL. Also, we generated MUC1 variable number tandem repeat (VNTR)-based VELs that reduced the metastatic burden when dendritic cells and M13 recombinant bacteriophages were used as vaccine carriers. Collectively, our data demonstrate the immunogenic and antitumor properties of MUC1 signal peptide- and VNTR-derived VEL immunogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josué Odales
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF 04510, MÉXICO
| | - Rodolfo Servín-Blanco
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF 04510, MÉXICO
| | - Fernando Martínez-Cortés
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF 04510, MÉXICO
| | - Jesus Guzman Valle
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF 04510, MÉXICO
| | - Allan Noé Domínguez-Romero
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF 04510, MÉXICO
| | - Goar Gevorkian
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF 04510, MÉXICO
| | - Karen Manoutcharian
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF 04510, MÉXICO.
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12
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HLA-DR Presentation of the Tumor Antigen MSLN Associates with Clinical Outcome of Ovarian Cancer Patients. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14092260. [PMID: 35565389 PMCID: PMC9101593 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The immunopeptidome represents the entirety of peptides that are presented on the surface of cells on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules and are recognized by the T-cell receptors of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. Malignant cells present tumor-associated antigens essential for tumor immune surveillance, which can be targeted by T-cell-based immunotherapy approaches. For ovarian carcinomas, various tumor-associated antigens, such as Mucin-16 and Mesothelin, have been described. The aim of our study is to analyze immunopeptidome-defined tumor antigen presentation in ovarian carcinoma patients in relation to clinical characteristics and disease outcomes to define potential biomarkers. Our work demonstrates the central role of HLA-DR-restricted peptide presentation of the tumor antigen Mesothelin and of CD4+ T-cell responses for tumor immune surveillance, and underlines Mesothelin as a prime target antigen for novel immunotherapeutic approaches for ovarian carcinoma patients. Abstract T-cell recognition of HLA-presented antigens is central for the immunological surveillance of malignant disease and key for the development of novel T-cell-based immunotherapy approaches. In recent years, large-scale immunopeptidome studies identified naturally presented tumor-associated antigens for several malignancies. Regarding ovarian carcinoma (OvCa), Mucin-16 (MUC16) and Mesothelin (MSLN) were recently described as the top HLA class I- and HLA class II-presented tumor antigens, respectively. Here, we investigate the role and impact of immunopeptidome-presented tumor antigens on the clinical outcomes of 39 OvCa patients with a follow-up time of up to 50 months after surgery. Patients with a HLA-restricted presentation of high numbers of different MSLN-derived peptides on their tumors exhibited significantly prolonged progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS), whereas the presentation of MUC16-derived HLA class I-restricted peptides had no impact. Furthermore, a high HLA-DRB gene expression was associated with increased PFS and OS. In line, in silico prediction revealed that MSLN-derived HLA class II-presented peptides are predominantly presented on HLA-DR allotypes. In conclusion, the correlation of MSLN tumor antigen presentation and HLA-DRB gene expression with prolonged survival indicates a central role of CD4+ T-cell responses for tumor immune surveillance in OvCa, and highlights the importance of immunopeptidome-guided tumor antigen discovery.
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13
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Dao T, Mun SS, Molvi Z, Korontsvit T, Klatt MG, Khan AG, Nyakatura EK, Pohl MA, White TE, Balderes PJ, Lorenz IC, O'Reilly RJ, Scheinberg DA. A TCR mimic monoclonal antibody reactive with the "public" phospho-neoantigen pIRS2/HLA-A*02:01 complex. JCI Insight 2022; 7:151624. [PMID: 35260532 PMCID: PMC8983142 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.151624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphopeptides derived from dysregulated protein phosphorylation in cancer cells can be processed and presented by MHC class I and class II molecules and, therefore, represent an untapped class of tumor-specific antigens that could be used as widely expressed “public” cancer neoantigens (NeoAgs). We generated a TCR mimic (TCRm) mAb, 6B1, specific for a phosphopeptide derived from insulin receptor substrate 2 (pIRS2) presented by HLA-A*02:01. The pIRS2 epitope’s presentation by HLA-A*02:01 was confirmed by mass spectrometry. The TCRm 6B1 specifically bound to pIRS2/HLA-A2 complex on tumor cell lines that expressed pIRS2 in the context of HLA-A*02:01. Bispecific mAbs engaging CD3 of T cells were able to kill tumor cell lines in a pIRS2- and HLA-A*02:01–restricted manner. Structure modeling shows a prerequisite for an arginine or lysine at the first position to bind mAb. Therefore, 6B1 could recognize phosphopeptides derived from various phosphorylated proteins with similar amino acid compositions. This raised the possibility that a TCRm specific for the pIRS2/HLA-A2 complex could target a range of phosphopeptides presented by HLA-A*02:01 in various tumor cells. This is the first TCRm mAb to our knowledge targeting a phosphopeptide/MHC class I complex; the potential of this class of agents for clinical applications warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Dao
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, New York, USA
| | - Sung Soo Mun
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, New York, USA
| | - Zaki Molvi
- Immunology Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Tatyana Korontsvit
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, New York, USA
| | - Martin G Klatt
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, New York, USA
| | - Abdul G Khan
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Mary Ann Pohl
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Thomas E White
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Paul J Balderes
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ivo C Lorenz
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Richard J O'Reilly
- Immunology Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.,Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - David A Scheinberg
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, New York, USA.,Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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14
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Li D, Lin S, Hong J, Ho M. Immunotherapy for hepatobiliary cancers: Emerging targets and translational advances. Adv Cancer Res 2022; 156:415-449. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2022.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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15
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In Silico Model Estimates the Clinical Trial Outcome of Cancer Vaccines. Cells 2021; 10:cells10113048. [PMID: 34831269 PMCID: PMC8616443 DOI: 10.3390/cells10113048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Over 30 years after the first cancer vaccine clinical trial (CT), scientists still search the missing link between immunogenicity and clinical responses. A predictor able to estimate the outcome of cancer vaccine CTs would greatly benefit vaccine development. Published results of 94 CTs with 64 therapeutic vaccines were collected. We found that preselection of CT subjects based on a single matching HLA allele does not increase immune response rates (IRR) compared with non-preselected CTs (median 60% vs. 57%, p = 0.4490). A representative in silico model population (MP) comprising HLA-genotyped subjects was used to retrospectively calculate in silico IRRs of CTs based on the percentage of MP-subjects having epitope(s) predicted to bind ≥ 1–4 autologous HLA allele(s). We found that in vitro measured IRRs correlated with the frequency of predicted multiple autologous allele-binding epitopes (AUC 0.63–0.79). Subgroup analysis of multi-antigen targeting vaccine CTs revealed correlation between clinical response rates (CRRs) and predicted multi-epitope IRRs when HLA threshold was ≥ 3 (r = 0.7463, p = 0.0004) but not for single HLA allele-binding epitopes (r = 0.2865, p = 0.2491). Our results suggest that CRR depends on the induction of broad T-cell responses and both IRR and CRR can be predicted when epitopes binding to multiple autologous HLAs are considered.
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16
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Liu Z, Liu X, Liang J, Liu Y, Hou X, Zhang M, Li Y, Jiang X. Immunotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current Status and Future Prospects. Front Immunol 2021; 12:765101. [PMID: 34675942 PMCID: PMC8524467 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.765101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent primary liver cancer with poor prognosis. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiofrequency ablation are three conventional therapeutic options that will help only a limited percentage of HCC patients. Cancer immunotherapy has achieved dramatic advances in recent years and provides new opportunities to treat HCC. However, HCC has various etiologies and can evade the immune system through multiple mechanisms. With the rapid development of genetic engineering and synthetic biology, a variety of novel immunotherapies have been employed to treat advanced HCC, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cell therapy, engineered cytokines, and therapeutic cancer vaccines. In this review, we summarize the current landscape and research progress of different immunotherapy strategies in the treatment of HCC. The challenges and opportunities of this research field are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoyan Liu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xuan Liu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pediatrics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiaxin Liang
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yixin Liu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaorui Hou
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Meichuan Zhang
- R&D Department, Caleb BioMedical Technology Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yongyin Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaotao Jiang
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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17
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Nelde A, Maringer Y, Bilich T, Salih HR, Roerden M, Heitmann JS, Marcu A, Bauer J, Neidert MC, Denzlinger C, Illerhaus G, Aulitzky WE, Rammensee HG, Walz JS. Immunopeptidomics-Guided Warehouse Design for Peptide-Based Immunotherapy in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Front Immunol 2021; 12:705974. [PMID: 34305947 PMCID: PMC8297687 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.705974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Antigen-specific immunotherapies, in particular peptide vaccines, depend on the recognition of naturally presented antigens derived from mutated and unmutated gene products on human leukocyte antigens, and represent a promising low-side-effect concept for cancer treatment. So far, the broad application of peptide vaccines in cancer patients is hampered by challenges of time- and cost-intensive personalized vaccine design, and the lack of neoepitopes from tumor-specific mutations, especially in low-mutational burden malignancies. In this study, we developed an immunopeptidome-guided workflow for the design of tumor-associated off-the-shelf peptide warehouses for broadly applicable personalized therapeutics. Comparative mass spectrometry-based immunopeptidome analyses of primary chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) samples, as representative example of low-mutational burden tumor entities, and a dataset of benign tissue samples enabled the identification of high-frequent non-mutated CLL-associated antigens. These antigens were further shown to be recognized by pre-existing and de novo induced T cells in CLL patients and healthy volunteers, and were evaluated as pre-manufactured warehouse for the construction of personalized multi-peptide vaccines in a first clinical trial for CLL (NCT04688385). This workflow for the design of peptide warehouses is easily transferable to other tumor entities and can provide the foundation for the development of broad personalized T cell-based immunotherapy approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Nelde
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Yacine Maringer
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tatjana Bilich
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Helmut R Salih
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Malte Roerden
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Hematology, Oncology, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jonas S Heitmann
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ana Marcu
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jens Bauer
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marian C Neidert
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | | | - Gerald Illerhaus
- Clinic for Hematology and Oncology, Klinikum Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Walter Erich Aulitzky
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine, Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Hans-Georg Rammensee
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Juliane S Walz
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and Robert Bosch Center for Tumor Diseases (RBCT), Stuttgart, Germany
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18
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Dao T, Klatt MG, Korontsvit T, Mun SS, Guzman S, Mattar M, Zivanovic O, Kyi CK, Socci ND, O'Cearbhaill RE, Scheinberg DA. Impact of tumor heterogeneity and microenvironment in identifying neoantigens in a patient with ovarian cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2021; 70:1189-1202. [PMID: 33123756 PMCID: PMC8053669 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-020-02764-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Identification of neoepitopes as tumor-specific targets remains challenging, especially for cancers with low mutational burden, such as ovarian cancer. To identify mutated human leukocyte antigen (HLA) ligands as potential targets for immunotherapy in ovarian cancer, we combined mass spectrometry analysis of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I peptidomes of ovarian cancer cells with parallel sequencing of whole exome and RNA in a patient with high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Four of six predicted mutated epitopes capable of binding to HLA-A*02:01 induced peptide-specific T cell responses in blood from healthy donors. In contrast, all six peptides failed to induce autologous peptide-specific response by T cells in peripheral blood or tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes from ascites of the patient. Surprisingly, T cell responses against a low-affinity p53-mutant Y220C epitope were consistently detected in the patient with either unprimed or in vitro peptide-stimulated T cells even though the patient's primary tumor did not bear this mutation. Our results demonstrated that tumor heterogeneity and distinct immune microenvironments within a patient should be taken into consideration for identification of immunogenic neoantigens. T cell responses to a driver gene-derived p53 Y220C mutation in ovarian cancer warrant further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Dao
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, SKI, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Martin G Klatt
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, SKI, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tatyana Korontsvit
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, SKI, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sung Soo Mun
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, SKI, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sean Guzman
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, SKI, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marissa Mattar
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, SKI, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Oliver Zivanovic
- Gynecology Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chrisann K Kyi
- Gynecological Medical Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicholas D Socci
- Bioinformatics Core, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Roisin E O'Cearbhaill
- Gynecological Medical Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
- National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
| | - David A Scheinberg
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, SKI, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Gynecological Medical Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
- Experimental Therapeutics Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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19
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Neoantigen Cancer Vaccines: Real Opportunity or Another Illusion? Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) 2021; 69:12. [PMID: 33909124 PMCID: PMC8080209 DOI: 10.1007/s00005-021-00615-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In this communication, we will analyze some important factors and immunological phenomena related to neoantigen cancer vaccines, with particular emphasis on recently published Phase I clinical trials. Several obstacles and issues are addressed that challenge the current paradigm and inquire if neoantigens, which are essentially single-use vaccine candidates, are legitimate targets to induce protective immune responses with regard to the evolving mutational landscape. We also share insights into the striking similarities between cancer and antigenically variable pathogens and suggest that any successful vaccine against either should demonstrate a similar property: efficient induction of a diverse pool of immune cells equipped to prevent immune escape. Hence, to confront antigenic variability directly, we have employed our innovative vaccine concept, Variable Epitope Libraries, composed of large combinatorial libraries of heavily mutated epitopes, as a "universal" vaccine platform. Collectively, we offer critical analyses on key issues, which ultimately reflect on the prospective clinical relevance of personalized neoantigen vaccines which is still undefined.
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20
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Roerden M, Märklin M, Salih HR, Bethge WA, Klein R, Rammensee HG, Nelde A, Walz JS. Expression levels of HLA-DR in acute myeloid leukemia: implications for antigenicity and clinical outcome. Leuk Lymphoma 2021; 62:1907-1919. [PMID: 33648413 DOI: 10.1080/10428194.2021.1885659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Low human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR expression might compromise CD4+ T-cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity. Its immunological and clinical significance however remain undefined in non-promyelocytic acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Taking advantage of mass spectrometry-based immunopeptidome analysis of primary AML samples (n = 31), we studied the implications of low HLA-DR expression for antigen presentation and analyzed its association with disease characteristics and survival within a cohort of 399 AML patients. Remarkably, overall HLA-DR/DQ immunopeptidome diversity was preserved in AML with low HLA-DR expression (HLA-DRlow AML) and was associated with a shift in HLA-DR/DQ allotype abundances (HLA-DQ to HLA-DR/DQ ligand ratio 0.36 vs 0.19 in HLA-DRlow and HLA-DRhigh patients, respectively). Consistent with unimpaired antigenicity, survival was similar in HLA-DRlow and HLA-DRhigh patients. Demonstrating for the first time that overall HLA-DR/DQ antigen presentation is preserved in HLA-DRlow AML, our findings provide a rationale for the non-inferior outcome observed in HLA-DRlow AML patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malte Roerden
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Institute for Cell Biology, Department of Immunology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Melanie Märklin
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Helmut R Salih
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang A Bethge
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Reinhild Klein
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hans-Georg Rammensee
- Institute for Cell Biology, Department of Immunology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), DKFZ partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Annika Nelde
- Institute for Cell Biology, Department of Immunology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Juliane S Walz
- Institute for Cell Biology, Department of Immunology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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21
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Nelde A, Rammensee HG, Walz JS. The Peptide Vaccine of the Future. Mol Cell Proteomics 2021; 20:100022. [PMID: 33583769 PMCID: PMC7950068 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.r120.002309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The approach of peptide-based anticancer vaccination has proven the ability to induce cancer-specific immune responses in multiple studies for various cancer entities. However, clinical responses remain so far limited to single patients and broad clinical applicability was not achieved. Therefore, further efforts are required to improve peptide vaccination in order to integrate this low-side-effect therapy into the clinical routine of cancer therapy. To design clinically effective peptide vaccines in the future, different issues have to be addressed and optimized comprising antigen target selection as well as choice of optimal adjuvants and vaccination schedules. Furthermore, the combination of peptide-based vaccines with other immuno- and molecular targeted therapies as well as the development of predictive biomarkers could further improve efficacy. In this review, current approaches in the development of peptide-based vaccines and critical implications for optimal vaccine design are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Nelde
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hans-Georg Rammensee
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Juliane S Walz
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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22
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Lu L, Jiang J, Zhan M, Zhang H, Wang QT, Sun SN, Guo XK, Yin H, Wei Y, Li SY, Liu JO, Li Y, He YW. Targeting Tumor-Associated Antigens in Hepatocellular Carcinoma for Immunotherapy: Past Pitfalls and Future Strategies. Hepatology 2021; 73:821-832. [PMID: 32767586 DOI: 10.1002/hep.31502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ligong Lu
- Zhuhai Interventional Medical CenterZhuhai Precision Medical CenterZhuhai People's HospitalZhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan UniversityZhuhaiGuangdong ProvinceP.R. China
| | - Jun Jiang
- Tricision Biotherapeutic Inc. Jinwan DistrictZhuhaiChina
| | - Meixiao Zhan
- Zhuhai Interventional Medical CenterZhuhai Precision Medical CenterZhuhai People's HospitalZhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan UniversityZhuhaiGuangdong ProvinceP.R. China
| | - Hui Zhang
- First Affiliated HospitalChina Medical UniversityShenyangChina
| | - Qian-Ting Wang
- Tricision Biotherapeutic Inc. Jinwan DistrictZhuhaiChina
| | - Sheng-Nan Sun
- Tricision Biotherapeutic Inc. Jinwan DistrictZhuhaiChina
| | - Xiao-Kai Guo
- Tricision Biotherapeutic Inc. Jinwan DistrictZhuhaiChina
| | - Hua Yin
- Zhuhai Interventional Medical CenterZhuhai Precision Medical CenterZhuhai People's HospitalZhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan UniversityZhuhaiGuangdong ProvinceP.R. China
| | - Yadong Wei
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular SciencesJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMD
| | - Shi-You Li
- Tricision Biotherapeutic Inc. Jinwan DistrictZhuhaiChina
| | - Jun O Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular SciencesJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMD
| | - Yong Li
- Zhuhai Interventional Medical CenterZhuhai Precision Medical CenterZhuhai People's HospitalZhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan UniversityZhuhaiGuangdong ProvinceP.R. China
| | - You-Wen He
- Department of ImmunologyDuke University Medical University Medical CenterDurhamNC
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23
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Lu L, Jiang J, Zhan M, Zhang H, Wang QT, Sun SN, Guo XK, Yin H, Wei Y, Liu JO, Li SY, Li Y, He YW. Targeting Neoantigens in Hepatocellular Carcinoma for Immunotherapy: A Futile Strategy? Hepatology 2021; 73:414-421. [PMID: 32299136 DOI: 10.1002/hep.31279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ligong Lu
- Zhuhai Interventional Medical Center, Zhuhai Precision Medical Center, Zhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University, Zhuhai, P.R. China
| | - Jun Jiang
- Tricision Biotherapeutic Inc., Zhuhai, P.R. China
| | - Meixiao Zhan
- Zhuhai Interventional Medical Center, Zhuhai Precision Medical Center, Zhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University, Zhuhai, P.R. China
| | - Hui Zhang
- First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China
| | | | | | - Xiao-Kai Guo
- Tricision Biotherapeutic Inc., Zhuhai, P.R. China
| | - Hua Yin
- Zhuhai Interventional Medical Center, Zhuhai Precision Medical Center, Zhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University, Zhuhai, P.R. China
| | - Yadong Wei
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Jun O Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Shi-You Li
- Tricision Biotherapeutic Inc., Zhuhai, P.R. China
| | - Yong Li
- Zhuhai Interventional Medical Center, Zhuhai Precision Medical Center, Zhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University, Zhuhai, P.R. China
| | - You-Wen He
- Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical University Medical Center, Durham, NC
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24
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Kaumaya PTP. B-cell epitope peptide cancer vaccines: a new paradigm for combination immunotherapies with novel checkpoint peptide vaccine. Future Oncol 2020; 16:1767-1791. [PMID: 32564612 PMCID: PMC7426751 DOI: 10.2217/fon-2020-0224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In light of the numerous US FDA-approved humanized monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for cancer immunotherapy, it is surprising that the advancement of B-cell epitope vaccines designed to elicit a natural humoral polyclonal antibody response has not gained traction in the immune-oncology landscape. Passive immunotherapy with humanized mAbs (Trastuzumab [Herceptin®]; Pertuzumab [Perjeta®]) has provided clinical benefit to breast cancer patients, albeit with significant shortcomings including toxicity problems and resistance, high costs, sophisticated therapeutic regimen and long half-life. The role of B-cell humoral immunity in cancer is under appreciated and underdeveloped. We have advanced the idea of active immunotherapy with chimeric B-cell epitope peptides incorporating a 'promiscuous' T-cell epitope that elicits a polyclonal antibody response, which provides safe, cost-effective therapeutic advantage over mAbs. We have created a portfolio of validated B-cell peptide epitopes against multiple receptor tyrosine kinases (HER-1, HER-3, IGF-1R and VEGF). We have successfully translated two HER-2 combination B-cell peptide vaccines in Phase I and II clinical trials. We have recently developed an effective novel PD-1 vaccine. In this article, I will review our approaches and strategies that focus on B-cell epitope cancer vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pravin TP Kaumaya
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, College of Medicine, Wexner Medical Center, The James Cancer Hospital & Solove Research Institute, The Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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25
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Towards new horizons: characterization, classification and implications of the tumour antigenic repertoire. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2020; 17:595-610. [PMID: 32572208 PMCID: PMC7306938 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-020-0387-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Immune-checkpoint inhibition provides an unmatched level of durable clinical efficacy in various malignancies. Such therapies promote the activation of antigen-specific T cells, although the precise targets of these T cells remain unknown. Exploiting these targets holds great potential to amplify responses to treatment, such as by combining immune-checkpoint inhibition with therapeutic vaccination or other antigen-directed treatments. In this scenario, the pivotal hurdle remains the definition of valid HLA-restricted tumour antigens, which requires several levels of evidence before targets can be established with sufficient confidence. Suitable antigens might include tumour-specific antigens with alternative or wild-type sequences, tumour-associated antigens and cryptic antigens that exceed exome boundaries. Comprehensive antigen classification is required to enable future clinical development and the definition of innovative treatment strategies. Furthermore, clinical development remains challenging with regard to drug manufacturing and regulation, as well as treatment feasibility. Despite these challenges, treatments based on diligently curated antigens combined with a suitable therapeutic platform have the potential to enable optimal antitumour efficacy in patients, either as monotherapies or in combination with other established immunotherapies. In this Review, we summarize the current state-of-the-art approaches for the identification of candidate tumour antigens and provide a structured terminology based on their underlying characteristics. Immune-checkpoint inhibition has transformed the treatment of patients with advanced-stage cancers. Nonetheless, the specific antigens targeted by T cells that are activated or reactivated by these agents remain largely unknown. In this Review, the authors describe the characterization and classification of tumour antigens including descriptions of the most appropriate detection methods, and discuss potential regulatory issues regarding the use of tumour antigen-based therapeutics. Immune-checkpoint inhibition has profoundly changed the paradigm for the care of several malignancies. Although these therapies activate antigen-specific T cells, the precise mechanisms of action and their specific targets remain largely unknown. Anticancer immunotherapies encompass two fundamentally different therapeutic principles based on knowledge of their therapeutic targets, that either have been characterized (antigen-aware) or have remained elusive (antigen-unaware). HLA-presented tumour antigens of potential therapeutic relevance can comprise alternative or wild-type amino acid sequences and can be subdivided into different categories based on their mechanisms of formation. The available methods for the detection of HLA-presented antigens come with intrinsic challenges and limitations and, therefore, warrant multiple lines of evidence of robust tumour specificity before being considered for clinical use. Knowledge obtained using various antigen-detection strategies can be combined with different therapeutic platforms to create individualized therapies that hold great promise, including when combined with already established immunotherapies. Tailoring immunotherapies while taking into account the substantial heterogeneity of malignancies as well as that of HLA loci not only requires innovative science, but also demands innovative approaches to trial design and drug regulation.
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26
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Murata K, Nakatsugawa M, Rahman MA, Nguyen LT, Millar DG, Mulder DT, Sugata K, Saijo H, Matsunaga Y, Kagoya Y, Guo T, Anczurowski M, Wang CH, Burt BD, Ly D, Saso K, Easson A, Goldstein DP, Reedijk M, Ghazarian D, Pugh TJ, Butler MO, Mak TW, Ohashi PS, Hirano N. Landscape mapping of shared antigenic epitopes and their cognate TCRs of tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes in melanoma. eLife 2020; 9:53244. [PMID: 32314731 PMCID: PMC7234812 DOI: 10.7554/elife.53244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
HLA-restricted T cell responses can induce antitumor effects in cancer patients. Previous human T cell research has largely focused on the few HLA alleles prevalent in a subset of ethnic groups. Here, using a panel of newly developed peptide-exchangeable peptide/HLA multimers and artificial antigen-presenting cells for 25 different class I alleles and greater than 800 peptides, we systematically and comprehensively mapped shared antigenic epitopes recognized by tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes (TILs) from eight melanoma patients for all their class I alleles. We were able to determine the specificity, on average, of 12.2% of the TILs recognizing a mean of 3.1 shared antigen-derived epitopes across HLA-A, B, and C. Furthermore, we isolated a number of cognate T cell receptor genes with tumor reactivity. Our novel strategy allows for a more complete examination of the immune response and development of novel cancer immunotherapy not limited by HLA allele prevalence or tumor mutation burden. The immune system is the body’s way of defending itself, offering protection against diseases such as cancer. But to remove the cancer cells, the immune system must be able to identify them as different from the rest of the body. All cells break down proteins into shorter fragments, known as peptides, that are displayed on the cell surface by a protein called human leukocyte antigen, HLA for short. Cancer cells display distinctive peptides on their surface as they generate different proteins to those of healthy cells. Immune cells called T cells use these abnormal peptides to identify the cancer so that it can be destroyed. Sometimes T cells can lack the right equipment to detect abnormal peptides, allowing cancer cells to hide from the immune system. However, T cells can be trained through a treatment called immunotherapy, which provides T cells with new tools so that they can spot the peptides displayed by HLA on the previously ‘hidden’ cancer cells. There are many different forms of HLA, each of which can display different peptides. Current research in immunotherapy commonly targets only a subset of HLA forms, and not all cancer patients have these types. This means that immunotherapy research is only likely to be of most benefit to a limited number of patients. Immunotherapy could be made effective for more people if new cancer peptides that are displayed by the other ‘under-represented’ forms of HLA were identified. Murata, Nakatsugawa et al. have now used T cells that were taken from tumors in eight patients with melanoma, which is a type of skin cancer. A library of fluorescent HLA-peptides was generated – using a new, simplified methodology – with 25 forms of HLA that displayed over 800 peptides. T cells were then mixed with the library to identify which HLA-peptides they can target. As a result, Murata, Nakatsugawa et al. found the cancer targets of around 12% of the tumor-infiltrating T cells tested, including those from under-represented forms of HLA. Consequently, these findings could be used to develop new immunotherapies that can treat more patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Murata
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Munehide Nakatsugawa
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Muhammed A Rahman
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Linh T Nguyen
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Douglas G Millar
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - David T Mulder
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.,Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Kenji Sugata
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Hiroshi Saijo
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Yukiko Matsunaga
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Yuki Kagoya
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Tingxi Guo
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Mark Anczurowski
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Chung-Hsi Wang
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Brian D Burt
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Dalam Ly
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Kayoko Saso
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Alexandra Easson
- Department of Surgical Oncology, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - David P Goldstein
- Department of Surgical Oncology, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Michael Reedijk
- Department of Surgical Oncology, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Danny Ghazarian
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Trevor J Pugh
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Canada
| | - Marcus O Butler
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Tak W Mak
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Pamela S Ohashi
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Naoto Hirano
- Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.,Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Canada
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27
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Accolla RS, Buonaguro L, Melief C, Rammensee HG, Bassani-Sternberg M. Editorial: Novel Strategies for Anti-Tumor Vaccines. Front Immunol 2020; 10:3117. [PMID: 32010150 PMCID: PMC6979277 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.03117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto S Accolla
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Luigi Buonaguro
- Cancer Immunoregulation Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS, "Fond G. Pascale", Naples, Italy
| | - Cornelis Melief
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,ISA Pharmaceuticals, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Hans-George Rammensee
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michal Bassani-Sternberg
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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28
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Therapeutic Cancer Vaccination with Ex Vivo RNA-Transfected Dendritic Cells-An Update. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:pharmaceutics12020092. [PMID: 31979205 PMCID: PMC7076681 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12020092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last two decades, dendritic cell (DC) vaccination has been studied extensively as active immunotherapy in cancer treatment and has been proven safe in all clinical trials both with respect to short and long-term side effects. For antigen-loading of dendritic cells (DCs) one method is to introduce mRNA coding for the desired antigens. To target the whole antigenic repertoire of a tumor, even the total tumor mRNA of a macrodissected biopsy sample can be used. To date, reports have been published on a total of 781 patients suffering from different tumor entities and HIV-infection, who have been treated with DCs loaded with mRNA. The majority of those were melanoma patients, followed by HIV-infected patients, but leukemias, brain tumors, prostate cancer, renal cell carcinomas, pancreatic cancers and several others have also been treated. Next to antigen-loading, mRNA-electroporation allows a purposeful manipulation of the DCs’ phenotype and function to enhance their immunogenicity. In this review, we intend to give a comprehensive summary of what has been published regarding clinical testing of ex vivo generated mRNA-transfected DCs, with respect to safety and risk/benefit evaluations, choice of tumor antigens and RNA-source, and the design of better DCs for vaccination by transfection of mRNA-encoded functional proteins.
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29
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Roerden M, Nelde A, Walz JS. Neoantigens in Hematological Malignancies-Ultimate Targets for Immunotherapy? Front Immunol 2019; 10:3004. [PMID: 31921218 PMCID: PMC6934135 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.03004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neoantigens derive from non-synonymous somatic mutations in malignant cells. Recognition of neoantigens presented via human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules on the tumor cell surface by T cells holds promise to enable highly specific and effective anti-cancer immune responses and thus neoantigens provide an exceptionally attractive target for immunotherapy. While genome sequencing approaches already enable the reliable identification of somatic mutations in tumor samples, the identification of mutation-derived, naturally HLA-presented neoepitopes as targets for immunotherapy remains challenging, particularly in low mutational burden cancer entities, including hematological malignancies. Several approaches have been utilized to identify neoepitopes from primary tumor samples. Besides whole genome sequencing with subsequent in silico prediction of potential mutation-derived HLA ligands, mass spectrometry (MS) allows for the only unbiased identification of naturally presented mutation-derived HLA ligands. The feasibility of characterizing and targeting these novel antigens has recently been demonstrated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Several immunogenic, HLA-presented peptides derived from mutated Nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1) were identified, allowing for the generation of T-cell receptor-transduced NPM1mut-specific T cells with anti-leukemic activity in a xenograft mouse model. Neoantigen-specific T-cell responses have also been identified for peptides derived from mutated isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDHmut), and specific T-cell responses could be induced by IDHmut peptide vaccination. In this review, we give a comprehensive overview on known neoantigens in hematological malignancies, present possible prediction and discovery tools and discuss their role as targets for immunotherapy approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malte Roerden
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Annika Nelde
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Juliane S. Walz
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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31
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Bauer J, Nelde A, Bilich T, Walz JS. Antigen Targets for the Development of Immunotherapies in Leukemia. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20061397. [PMID: 30897713 PMCID: PMC6471800 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20061397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapeutic approaches, including allogeneic stem cell transplantation and donor lymphocyte infusion, have significantly improved the prognosis of leukemia patients. Further efforts are now focusing on the development of immunotherapies that are able to target leukemic cells more specifically, comprising monoclonal antibodies, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, and dendritic cell- or peptide-based vaccination strategies. One main prerequisite for such antigen-specific approaches is the selection of suitable target structures on leukemic cells. In general, the targets for anti-cancer immunotherapies can be divided into two groups: (1) T-cell epitopes relying on the presentation of peptides via human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules and (2) surface structures, which are HLA-independently expressed on cancer cells. This review discusses the most promising tumor antigens as well as the underlying discovery and selection strategies for the development of anti-leukemia immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Bauer
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
- Institute for Cell Biology, Department of Immunology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Annika Nelde
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
- Institute for Cell Biology, Department of Immunology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Tatjana Bilich
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
- Institute for Cell Biology, Department of Immunology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Juliane S Walz
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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32
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The HLA ligandome landscape of chronic myeloid leukemia delineates novel T-cell epitopes for immunotherapy. Blood 2019; 133:550-565. [DOI: 10.1182/blood-2018-07-866830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 12/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Antileukemia immunity plays an important role in disease control and maintenance of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-free remission in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Thus, antigen-specific immunotherapy holds promise for strengthening immune control in CML but requires the identification of CML-associated targets. In this study, we used a mass spectrometry–based approach to identify naturally presented HLA class I– and class II–restricted peptides in primary CML samples. Comparative HLA ligandome profiling using a comprehensive dataset of different hematological benign specimens and samples from CML patients in deep molecular remission delineated a panel of novel frequently presented CML-exclusive peptides. These nonmutated target antigens are of particular relevance because our extensive data-mining approach suggests the absence of naturally presented BCR-ABL– and ABL-BCR–derived HLA-restricted peptides and the lack of frequent tumor-exclusive presentation of known cancer/testis and leukemia-associated antigens. Functional characterization revealed spontaneous T-cell responses against the newly identified CML-associated peptides in CML patient samples and their ability to induce multifunctional and cytotoxic antigen-specific T cells de novo in samples from healthy volunteers and CML patients. Thus, these antigens are prime candidates for T-cell–based immunotherapeutic approaches that may prolong TKI-free survival and even mediate cure of CML patients.
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33
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Depil S, Bonaventura P, Alcazer V, Tonon L. Nouvelles approches vaccinales en cancérologie. Bull Cancer 2019; 105 Suppl 1:S113-S120. [PMID: 30595192 DOI: 10.1016/s0007-4551(18)30396-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
THE NEW VACCINE APPROACHES IN ONCOLOGY The concept of cancer vaccine relies on the induction of an adaptive immune response against antigens presented by tumor cells, in order to allow a long-term control of the tumor. First generations of cancer vaccines have been associated with relatively disappointing clinical results. The therapeutic breakthrough provided by the immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting PD-1/PD-L1, and the demonstration of the key role played by mutation-associated neoantigens in anti-tumor T cell response, have led to a renaissance of cancer vaccination. This next generation of cancer vaccines is thus based on the use of mutated neoantigens specific to each tumor (personalized approach). Preclinical results have shown that these neoantigens are able to induce potent antitumor immune responses, explained by the absence of thymic selection against the reactive T cells. Several clinical trials are ongoing, with promising preliminary results. Nevertheless, the demonstration of an anti-tumor effect remains to be done in the clinic. The optimization of neoantigen selection process is still a major challenge. Finally, cancer vaccines may either reinforce the activity of anti-PD-1/PD-L1, by increasing the number of effector T cells in the tumor, or induce an adaptive T cell response in non-T cell infiltrated "cold tumors". Vaccination may also have a strong interest in an adjuvant setting to allow a long-term control of the residual disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Depil
- Centre Léon-Bérard, 28, Prom. Léa-et-Napoléon-Bullukian, 69008 Lyon, France; Université Claude-Bernard-Lyon-1, 43, boulevard du 11-Novembre-1918, 69100 Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Paola Bonaventura
- Centre Léon-Bérard, 28, Prom. Léa-et-Napoléon-Bullukian, 69008 Lyon, France
| | - Vincent Alcazer
- Centre Léon-Bérard, 28, Prom. Léa-et-Napoléon-Bullukian, 69008 Lyon, France
| | - Laurie Tonon
- Fondation Synergie-Lyon-Cancer, 28, rue Laennec, 69008 Lyon, France
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Gouttefangeas C, Rammensee HG. Personalized cancer vaccines: adjuvants are important, too. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2018; 67:1911-1918. [PMID: 29644387 PMCID: PMC11028305 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-018-2158-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Therapeutic cancer vaccines have shown limited clinical efficacy so far. Nevertheless, in the meantime, our understanding of immune cell function and the interactions of immune cells with growing tumors has advanced considerably. We are now in a position to invest this knowledge into the design of more powerful vaccines and therapy combinations aimed at increasing immunogenicity and decreasing tumor-induced immunosuppression. This review focuses essentially on peptide-based human vaccines. We will discuss two aspects that are critical for increasing their intrinsic immunogenicity: the selection of the antigen(s) to be targeted, and the as yet unmet need for strong adjuvants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Gouttefangeas
- Department of Immunology, Interfaculty Institute for Cell Biology, Eberhard Karls University and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Partner Site Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 15, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Hans-Georg Rammensee
- Department of Immunology, Interfaculty Institute for Cell Biology, Eberhard Karls University and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Partner Site Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 15, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
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RNA editing derived epitopes function as cancer antigens to elicit immune responses. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3919. [PMID: 30254248 PMCID: PMC6156571 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06405-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In addition to genomic mutations, RNA editing is another major mechanism creating sequence variations in proteins by introducing nucleotide changes in mRNA sequences. Deregulated RNA editing contributes to different types of human diseases, including cancers. Here we report that peptides generated as a consequence of RNA editing are indeed naturally presented by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules. We provide evidence that effector CD8+ T cells specific for edited peptides derived from cyclin I are present in human tumours and attack tumour cells that are presenting these epitopes. We show that subpopulations of cancer patients have increased peptide levels and that levels of edited RNA correlate with peptide copy numbers. These findings demonstrate that RNA editing extends the classes of HLA presented self-antigens and that these antigens can be recognised by the immune system. RNA editing is a biological process that creates sequence variation. Here the authors show that peptides generated as a consequence of RNA editing are naturally presented by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and serve as antigens to elicit anti-tumour immune responses.
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The perfect personalized cancer therapy: cancer vaccines against neoantigens. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2018; 37:86. [PMID: 29678194 PMCID: PMC5910567 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-018-0751-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In the advent of Immune Checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and of CAR-T adoptive T-cells, the new frontier in Oncology is Cancer Immunotherapy because of its ability to provide long term clinical benefit in metastatic disease in several solid and liquid tumor types. It is now clear that ICI acts by unmasking preexisting immune responses as well as by inducing de novo responses against tumor neoantigens. Thanks to theprogress made in genomics technologies and the evolution of bioinformatics, neoantigens represent ideal targets, due to their specific expression in cancer tissue and the potential lack of side effects. In this review, we discuss the promise of preclinical and clinical results with mutation-derived neoantigen cancer vaccines (NCVs) along with the current limitations from bioinformatics prediction to manufacturing an effective new therapeutic approach.
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