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Whiteside SK, Grant FM, Alvisi G, Clarke J, Tang L, Imianowski CJ, Zhang B, Evans AC, Wesolowski AJ, Conti AG, Yang J, Lauder SN, Clement M, Humphreys IR, Dooley J, Burton O, Liston A, Alloisio M, Voulaz E, Langhorne J, Okkenhaug K, Lugli E, Roychoudhuri R. Acquisition of suppressive function by conventional T cells limits antitumor immunity upon T reg depletion. Sci Immunol 2023; 8:eabo5558. [PMID: 38100544 PMCID: PMC7615475 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abo5558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Regulatory T (Treg) cells contribute to immune homeostasis but suppress immune responses to cancer. Strategies to disrupt Treg cell-mediated cancer immunosuppression have been met with limited clinical success, but the underlying mechanisms for treatment failure are poorly understood. By modeling Treg cell-targeted immunotherapy in mice, we find that CD4+ Foxp3- conventional T (Tconv) cells acquire suppressive function upon depletion of Foxp3+ Treg cells, limiting therapeutic efficacy. Foxp3- Tconv cells within tumors adopt a Treg cell-like transcriptional profile upon ablation of Treg cells and acquire the ability to suppress T cell activation and proliferation ex vivo. Suppressive activity is enriched among CD4+ Tconv cells marked by expression of C-C motif receptor 8 (CCR8), which are found in mouse and human tumors. Upon Treg cell depletion, CCR8+ Tconv cells undergo systemic and intratumoral activation and expansion, and mediate IL-10-dependent suppression of antitumor immunity. Consequently, conditional deletion of Il10 within T cells augments antitumor immunity upon Treg cell depletion in mice, and antibody blockade of IL-10 signaling synergizes with Treg cell depletion to overcome treatment resistance. These findings reveal a secondary layer of immunosuppression by Tconv cells released upon therapeutic Treg cell depletion and suggest that broader consideration of suppressive function within the T cell lineage is required for development of effective Treg cell-targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Whiteside
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Francis M Grant
- Immunology Programme, Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Giorgia Alvisi
- Laboratory of Translational Immunology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - James Clarke
- La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Leqi Tang
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Charlotte J Imianowski
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Baojie Zhang
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Alexander C Evans
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Alexander J Wesolowski
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Alberto G Conti
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Jie Yang
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Sarah N Lauder
- Division of Infection and Immunity/System Immunity University Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Mathew Clement
- Division of Infection and Immunity/System Immunity University Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Ian R Humphreys
- Division of Infection and Immunity/System Immunity University Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - James Dooley
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Oliver Burton
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Adrian Liston
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Marco Alloisio
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuele Voulaz
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Jean Langhorne
- Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Klaus Okkenhaug
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Enrico Lugli
- Laboratory of Translational Immunology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Rahul Roychoudhuri
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
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Zhu Y, Chang S, Liu J, Wang B. Identification of a novel cuproptosis-related gene signature for multiple myeloma diagnosis. Immun Inflamm Dis 2023; 11:e1058. [PMID: 38018590 PMCID: PMC10629272 DOI: 10.1002/iid3.1058] [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: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple myeloma (MM) ranks second among the most prevalent hematological malignancies. Recent studies have unearthed the promise of cuproptosis as a novel therapeutic intervention for cancer. However, no research has unveiled the particular roles of cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) in the prediction of MM diagnosis. METHODS Microarray data and clinical characteristics of MM patients were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed gene analysis, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and support vector machine-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) algorithms were applied to identify potential signature genes for MM diagnosis. Predictive performance was further assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, nomogram analysis, and external data sets. Functional enrichment analysis was performed to elucidate the involved mechanisms. Finally, the expression of the identified genes was validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in MM cell samples. RESULTS The optimal gene signature was identified using LASSO and SVM-RFE algorithms based on the differentially expressed CRGs: ATP7A, FDX1, PDHA1, PDHB, MTF1, CDKN2A, and DLST. Our gene signature-based nomogram revealed a high degree of accuracy in predicting MM diagnosis. ROC curves showed the signature had dependable predictive ability across all data sets, with area under the curve values exceeding 0.80. Additionally, functional enrichment analysis suggested significant associations between the signature genes and immune-related pathways. The expression of the genes was validated in MM cells, indicating the robustness of these findings. CONCLUSION We discovered and validated a novel CRG signature with strong predictive capability for diagnosing MM, potentially implicated in MM pathogenesis and progression through immune-related pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yidong Zhu
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's HospitalTongji University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Shuaikang Chang
- Department of Hematology, Shanghai East HospitalTongji University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's HospitalTongji University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Endocrinology, Yangpu HospitalTongji University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
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3
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Yang D, Liu J, Liu N, Yin C, Zhang H, Xu J. The prognostic value of tumor mutational burden related 6-gene-based Risk Score in laryngeal cancer patients. BMC Oral Health 2022; 22:510. [DOI: 10.1186/s12903-022-02534-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Laryngeal cancer (LC) is the second frequent malignant head and neck cancer around world, while LC patients’ prognosis is unsatisfactory. This study aims to investigate the prognostic value of tumor mutation burden (TMB)-related genes in LC.
Methods
LC data was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases. TMB values of all samples were calculated basing on mutation data. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between LC samples with distinct TMB were subjected to univariate and LASSO Cox regression analysis to build Risk Score. Immune cell infiltration analysis was conducted in CIBERSORT.
Results
Between high and low TMB LC samples, we identified 210 DEGs. Of which, six optimal genes were included to construct Risk Score, comprising FOXJ1, EPO, FGF5, SPOCK1, KCNF1 and PSG5. High risk LC patients had significantly poorer overall survival than low risk patients. The nomogram model constructed basing on Risk Score and gender showed good performance in predicting LC patients’ survival probability.
Conclusions
The prognostic Risk Score model, basing on six TMB-related genes (FOXJ1, EPO, FGF5, SPOCK1, KCNF1 and PSG5), was a reliable prognostic model to separate LC patients with different prognoses.
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Madeddu C, Donisi C, Liscia N, Lai E, Scartozzi M, Macciò A. EGFR-Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Resistance to Immunotherapy: Role of the Tumor Microenvironment. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:6489. [PMID: 35742933 PMCID: PMC9224267 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. About 10-30% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harbor mutations of the EGFR gene. The Tumor Microenvironment (TME) of patients with NSCLC harboring EGFR mutations displays peculiar characteristics and may modulate the antitumor immune response. EGFR activation increases PD-L1 expression in tumor cells, inducing T cell apoptosis and immune escape. EGFR-Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) strengthen MHC class I and II antigen presentation in response to IFN-γ, boost CD8+ T-cells levels and DCs, eliminate FOXP3+ Tregs, inhibit macrophage polarization into the M2 phenotype, and decrease PD-L1 expression in cancer cells. Thus, targeted therapy blocks specific signaling pathways, whereas immunotherapy stimulates the immune system to attack tumor cells evading immune surveillance. A combination of TKIs and immunotherapy may have suboptimal synergistic effects. However, data are controversial because activated EGFR signaling allows NSCLC cells to use multiple strategies to create an immunosuppressive TME, including recruitment of Tumor-Associated Macrophages and Tregs and the production of inhibitory cytokines and metabolites. Therefore, these mechanisms should be characterized and targeted by a combined pharmacological approach that also concerns disease stage, cancer-related inflammation with related systemic symptoms, and the general status of the patients to overcome the single-drug resistance development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clelia Madeddu
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, Medical Oncology Unit, “Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria” of Cagliari, University of Cagliari, 09100 Cagliari, Italy; (C.M.); (N.L.); (E.L.); (M.S.)
| | - Clelia Donisi
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, Medical Oncology Unit, “Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria” of Cagliari, University of Cagliari, 09100 Cagliari, Italy; (C.M.); (N.L.); (E.L.); (M.S.)
| | - Nicole Liscia
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, Medical Oncology Unit, “Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria” of Cagliari, University of Cagliari, 09100 Cagliari, Italy; (C.M.); (N.L.); (E.L.); (M.S.)
| | - Eleonora Lai
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, Medical Oncology Unit, “Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria” of Cagliari, University of Cagliari, 09100 Cagliari, Italy; (C.M.); (N.L.); (E.L.); (M.S.)
| | - Mario Scartozzi
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, Medical Oncology Unit, “Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria” of Cagliari, University of Cagliari, 09100 Cagliari, Italy; (C.M.); (N.L.); (E.L.); (M.S.)
| | - Antonio Macciò
- Gynecologic Oncology Unit, ARNAS G. Brotzu, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09100 Cagliari, Italy;
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Tian Z, Meng L, Wang X, Diao T, Hu M, Wang M, Zhang Y, Liu M, Wang J. CGN Correlates With the Prognosis and Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:758974. [PMID: 35223987 PMCID: PMC8865610 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.758974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to screen and verify the important prognostic genes related to clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and further analyze their relationship with the immune microenvironment. Gene expression profiles from the TCGA-KIRC, GSE46699, GSE36895, and GSE16449 datasets were utilized to explore differentially co-expressed genes in ccRCC. We screened 124 differentially co-expressed genes using a weighted gene co-expression network and differential gene expression analyses. Univariate and multivariate Cox survival analyses revealed that the expressions of genes CGN, FECH, UCHL1, and WT1 were independently related to the overall survival of ccRCC patients. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was performed, and CGN was found to have the strongest correlation with the prognosis of ccRCC patients and was consequently selected for further analyses and experimental verification. The results showed that NK cell activation, resting dendritic cells, resting monocytes, and resting mast cells were positively correlated with CGN expression; CD4+ memory activated T cells, regulatory T cells, and M0 macrophages were negatively correlated with CGN expression. Finally, using western blotting and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, we verified that the CGN protein level was down-regulated in ccRCC samples, which was consistent with the mRNA levels. CGN was thus identified as diagnosis and prognosis biomarker for ccRCC and is related to the immune microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zijian Tian
- Department of Urology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lingfeng Meng
- Department of Urology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Urology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tongxiang Diao
- Department of Urology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Maolin Hu
- Department of Urology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Miao Wang
- Department of Urology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yaqun Zhang
- Department of Urology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Jianye Wang, ; Ming Liu, ; Yaqun Zhang,
| | - Ming Liu
- Department of Urology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Jianye Wang, ; Ming Liu, ; Yaqun Zhang,
| | - Jianye Wang
- Department of Urology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Jianye Wang, ; Ming Liu, ; Yaqun Zhang,
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Puleo J, Polyak K. A Darwinian perspective on tumor immune evasion. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2022; 1877:188671. [PMID: 34933050 PMCID: PMC8818030 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188671] [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: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Evading immune-mediated destruction is a critical step of tumor evolution and the immune system is one of the strongest selective pressures during tumorigenesis. Analyzing tumor immune evasion from a Darwinian perspective may provide critical insight into the mechanisms of primary immune escape and acquired resistance to immunotherapy. Here, we review the steps required to mount an anti-tumor immune response, describe how each of these steps is disrupted during tumorigenesis, list therapeutic strategies to restore anti-tumor immunity, and discuss each mechanism of immune and therapeutic evasion from a Darwinian perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julieann Puleo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kornelia Polyak
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Vick SC, Kolupaev OV, Perou CM, Serody JS. Anti-PD-1 Checkpoint Therapy Can Promote the Function and Survival of Regulatory T Cells. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2021; 207:2598-2607. [PMID: 34607937 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2001334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
We have previously shown in a model of claudin-low breast cancer that regulatory T cells (Tregs) are increased in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and express high levels of PD-1. In mouse models and patients with triple-negative breast cancer, it is postulated that one cause for the lack of activity of anti-PD-1 therapy is the activation of PD-1-expressing Tregs in the TME. We hypothesized that the expression of PD-1 on Tregs would lead to enhanced suppressive function of Tregs and worsen antitumor immunity during PD-1 blockade. To evaluate this, we isolated Tregs from claudin-low tumors and functionally evaluated them ex vivo. We compared transcriptional profiles of Tregs isolated from tumor-bearing mice with or without anti-PD-1 therapy using RNA sequencing. We found several genes associated with survival and proliferation pathways; for example, Jun, Fos, and Bcl2 were significantly upregulated in Tregs exposed to anti-PD-1 treatment. Based on these data, we hypothesized that anti-PD-1 treatment on Tregs results in a prosurvival phenotype. Indeed, Tregs exposed to PD-1 blockade had significantly higher levels of Bcl-2 expression, and this led to increased protection from glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis. In addition, we found in vitro and in vivo that Tregs in the presence of anti-PD-1 proliferated more than control Tregs PD-1 blockade significantly increased the suppressive activity of Tregs at biologically relevant Treg/Tnaive cell ratios. Altogether, we show that this immunotherapy blockade increases proliferation, protection from apoptosis, and suppressive capabilities of Tregs, thus leading to enhanced immunosuppression in the TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Vick
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Oleg V Kolupaev
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; and
| | - Charles M Perou
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; and.,Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Jonathan S Serody
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; .,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; and
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8
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Lauder SN, Vanhaesebroeck B, Gallimore A. Sequential targeting of PI3Kδ and LAG3 as an effective anti-cancer approach. Br J Cancer 2021; 125:467-469. [PMID: 33824480 PMCID: PMC8368216 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-021-01285-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging studies have demonstrated the potential of PI3Kδ blockade as an immunotherapy for solid tumours. In pre-clinical models, we recently demonstrated that anti-LAG3 immune checkpoint blockade vastly potentiated PI3Kδ-based immunotherapy, enabling successful tumour control in all treated mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah N Lauder
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, SIURI, Cardiff, UK.
| | - Bart Vanhaesebroeck
- UCL Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, University College London, London, UK
| | - Awen Gallimore
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, SIURI, Cardiff, UK
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9
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Zhang N, Liu Y, Yang H, Liang M, Wang X, Wang M, Kong J, Yuan X, Zhou F. Clinical Significance of Fusobacterium nucleatum Infection and Regulatory T Cell Enrichment in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Pathol Oncol Res 2021; 27:1609846. [PMID: 34305476 PMCID: PMC8300010 DOI: 10.3389/pore.2021.1609846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
A variety of pathogenic microorganisms promote tumor occurrence and development through long-term colonization in the body. Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) is abundant in precancerous esophageal lesions and is closely related to the malignant progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The invasion of exogenous microorganisms can reshape the immune microenvironment, make the immune system incapacitated, and assist tumor cells in immune escape. A variety of pathogenic microorganisms induce the recruitment of regulatory T cell (Tregs) to allow tumor cells to escape immune surveillance and provide favorable conditions for their own long-term colonization. Tregs are one of the major obstacles to tumor immunotherapy and have a significant positive correlation with the occurrence and development of many kinds of tumors. Because F. nucleatum can instantly enter cells and colonize for a long time, we speculated that F. nucleatum infection could facilitate the immune escape of tumor cells through enrichment of Tregs and promote the malignant progression of ESCC. In this study, we found a significant concordance between F. nucleatum infection and Tregs infiltration. Therefore, we propose the view that chronic infection of F. nucleatum may provide favorable conditions for long-term colonization of itself by recruiting Tregs and suppressing the immune response. At the same time, the massive enrichment of Treg may also weaken the immune response and assist in the long-term colonization of F. nucleatum. We analyzed the correlation between F. nucleatum infection with the clinicopathological characteristics and survival prognosis of the patients. F. nucleatum infection was found to be closely related to sex, smoking, drinking, degree of differentiation, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, and clinical stage. The degree of differentiation, depth of infiltration, lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, and F. nucleatum infection are independent risk factors affecting ESCC prognosis. Additionally, the survival rate and median survival time were significantly shortened in the F. nucleatum infection positive group. Therefore, we propose that long-term smoking and alcohol consumption cause poor oral and esophageal environments, thereby significantly increasing the risk of F. nucleatum infection. In turn, F. nucleatum infection and colonization may weaken the antitumor immune response through Treg enrichment and further assist in self-colonization, promoting the malignant progression of ESCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Zhang
- Anyang Tumor Hospital, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Anyang, China
| | - Yiwen Liu
- Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Hong Yang
- School of PE, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Mengxia Liang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Xiaopeng Wang
- Anyang Tumor Hospital, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Anyang, China
| | - Min Wang
- Anyang Tumor Hospital, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Anyang, China
| | - Jinyu Kong
- Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Xiang Yuan
- Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Fuyou Zhou
- Anyang Tumor Hospital, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Anyang, China
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10
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Hui Z, Zhang J, Zheng Y, Yang L, Yu W, An Y, Wei F, Ren X. Single-Cell Sequencing Reveals the Transcriptome and TCR Characteristics of pTregs and in vitro Expanded iTregs. Front Immunol 2021; 12:619932. [PMID: 33868236 PMCID: PMC8044526 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.619932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a critical role in the maintenance of immune tolerance and tumor evasion. However, the relative low proportion of these cells in peripheral blood and tissues has hindered many studies. We sought to establish a rapamycin-based in vitro Treg expansion procedure in patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer and perform single-cell sequencing to explore the characteristics of Treg cells. CD25+ cells enriched from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of colorectal tumor patients were cultured in X-VIVO15 medium, supplemented with 5% human AB serum, L-glutamine, rapamycin, interleukin-2 (IL-2), and Dynabeads human Treg expander for 21 days to expand Tregs. Treg cells with satisfactory phenotype and function were successfully expanded from CD4+CD25+ cells in patients with colorectal cancer. The median expansion fold was 75 (range, 20-105-fold), and >90.0% of the harvest cells were CD4+CD25+CD127dim/- cells. The ratio of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ cells exceeded 60%. Functional assays showed that iTregs significantly inhibited CD8+T cell proliferation in vitro. Single-cell sequencing showed that the transcriptome of pTreg (CD4+CD25+CD127dim/- cells isolated from PBMC of colorectal cancer patients) and iTreg (CD4+CD25+CD127dim/- cells expanded in vitro according to the above regimen) cells were interlaced. pTregs exhibited enhanced suppressive function, whereas iTregs exhibited increased proliferative capacity. TCR repertoire analysis indicated minimal overlap between pTregs and iTregs. Pseudo-time trajectory analysis of Tregs revealed that pTregs were a continuum composed of three main branches: activated/effector, resting and proliferative Tregs. In contrast, in vitro expanded iTregs were a mixture of proliferating and activated/effector cells. The expression of trafficking receptors was also different in pTregs and iTregs. Various chemokine receptors were upregulated in pTregs. Activated effector pTregs overexpressed the chemokine receptor CCR10, which was not expressed in iTregs. The chemokine CCL28 was overexpressed in colorectal cancer and associated with poor prognosis. CCR10 interacted with CCL28 to mediate the recruitment of Treg into tumors and accelerated tumor progression. Depletion of CCR10+Treg cells from tumor microenvironment (TME) could be used as an effective treatment strategy for colorectal cancer patients. Our data distinguished the transcriptomic characteristics of different subsets of Treg cells and revealed the context-dependent functions of different populations of Treg cells, which was crucial to the development of alternative therapeutic strategies for Treg cells in autoimmune disease and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhen Hui
- Department of Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Jiali Zhang
- Department of Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yu Zheng
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Lili Yang
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenwen Yu
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yang An
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Feng Wei
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiubao Ren
- Department of Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
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11
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Shen T, Liu JL, Wang CY, Rixiati Y, Li S, Cai LD, Zhao YY, Li JM. Targeting Erbin in B cells for therapy of lung metastasis of colorectal cancer. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:115. [PMID: 33707428 PMCID: PMC7952714 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00501-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms and key factors involved in tumor environments for lung metastasis of CRC are still unclear. Here, using clinical samples from lung metastases of CRC patients, we found that intestinal immune network for IgA production was significantly dysregulated in lung metastases of CRC. Single-cell RNA sequencing discovered a subtype of B cells positive for Erbin, one member of the leucine-rich repeat and PDZ domain (LAP) family, was involved in the lung metastases. Erbin deletion in B cells suppressed lung metastasis of CRC in vivo. And, deletion of Erbin in B cells enhanced the killing effects of CD8+ T cells on tumor cells. Mechanistically, Erbin knockout attenuated TGFβ-mediated suppression of migration of CXCR5+ IgA+ cells and STAT6-mediated PD1 expression. Our study uncovered a key role of Erbin in regulating PD1+ IgA+ B cells in lung metastasis of CRC. Targeting Erbin as well as combined use of neutralizing B cells and antibodies neutralizing PD1 suppresses lung metastasis of CRC in mice, suggesting the potential option for treatment of lung metastasis of CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Shen
- Department of Pathology, Soochow University Medical School, Suzhou, China
| | - Jing-Lin Liu
- Department of Pathology, Soochow University Medical School, Suzhou, China
| | - Chu-Yi Wang
- Department of Pathology, Soochow University Medical School, Suzhou, China
| | | | - Shi Li
- Department of Pathology, Soochow University Medical School, Suzhou, China.,Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ling-Dong Cai
- Department of Pathology, Soochow University Medical School, Suzhou, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Zhao
- Department of Pathology, Soochow University Medical School, Suzhou, China
| | - Jian-Ming Li
- Department of Pathology, Soochow University Medical School, Suzhou, China. .,Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
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12
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Lauder SN, Smart K, Kersemans V, Allen D, Scott J, Pires A, Milutinovic S, Somerville M, Smart S, Kinchesh P, Lopez-Guadamillas E, Hughes E, Jones E, Scurr M, Godkin A, Friedman LS, Vanhaesebroeck B, Gallimore A. Enhanced antitumor immunity through sequential targeting of PI3Kδ and LAG3. J Immunother Cancer 2020; 8:e000693. [PMID: 33093155 PMCID: PMC7583804 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-000693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite striking successes, immunotherapies aimed at increasing cancer-specific T cell responses are unsuccessful in most patients with cancer. Inactivating regulatory T cells (Treg) by inhibiting the PI3Kδ signaling enzyme has shown promise in preclinical models of tumor immunity and is currently being tested in early phase clinical trials in solid tumors. METHODS Mice bearing 4T1 mammary tumors were orally administered a PI3Kδ inhibitor (PI-3065) daily and tumor growth, survival and T cell infiltrate were analyzed in the tumor microenvironment. A second treatment schedule comprised PI3Kδ inhibitor with anti-LAG3 antibodies administered sequentially 10 days later. RESULTS As observed in human immunotherapy trials with other agents, immunomodulation by PI3Kδ-blockade led to 4T1 tumor regressor and non-regressor mice. Tumor infiltrating T cells in regressors were metabolically fitter than those in non-regressors, with significant enrichments of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells, T cell factor 1 (TCF1)+ T cells and CD69- T cells, compatible with induction of a sustained tumor-specific T cell response. Treg numbers were significantly reduced in both regressor and non-regressor tumors compared with untreated tumors. The remaining Treg in non-regressor tumors were however significantly enriched with cells expressing the coinhibitory receptor LAG3, compared with Treg in regressor and untreated tumors. This striking difference prompted us to sequentially block PI3Kδ and LAG3. This combination enabled successful therapy of all mice, demonstrating the functional importance of LAG3 in non-regression of tumors on PI3Kδ inhibition therapy. Follow-up studies, performed using additional cancer cell lines, namely MC38 and CT26, indicated that a partial initial response to PI3Kδ inhibition is an essential prerequisite to a sequential therapeutic benefit of anti-LAG3 antibodies. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that LAG3 is a key bottleneck to successful PI3Kδ-targeted immunotherapy and provide a rationale for combining PI3Kδ/LAG3 blockade in future clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Nicol Lauder
- Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University Department of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
| | - Kathryn Smart
- Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University Department of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
| | | | - Danny Allen
- CRUK/MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jake Scott
- Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University Department of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
| | - Ana Pires
- Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University Department of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
| | - Stefan Milutinovic
- Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University Department of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
| | - Michelle Somerville
- Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University Department of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
| | - Sean Smart
- CRUK/MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Paul Kinchesh
- CRUK/MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Ellyn Hughes
- Cancer Biomarker Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Emma Jones
- Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University Department of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
| | - Martin Scurr
- Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University Department of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
| | - Andrew Godkin
- Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University Department of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
| | | | - Bart Vanhaesebroeck
- UCL Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, University College London, London, UK
| | - Awen Gallimore
- Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University Department of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
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13
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Macciò A, Madeddu C. Blocking inflammation to improve immunotherapy of advanced cancer. Immunology 2019; 159:357-364. [PMID: 31821533 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to induce functional reprogramming of regulatory T (Treg) cells in the tumor microenvironment is an extremely important therapeutic opportunity. However, when discussing such an approach, the opposing effect that the activation of the Treg cell compartments may have in inducing the immune inflammatory response and its link with the efficacy of immunotherapy should be considered. In fact, Treg reprogramming has a dual effect: immediate, with mechanisms that activate immunosurveillance, and late, mediated by the macrophage activation that yields an inflammatory status that is deleterious for the antineoplastic efficiency of the immune system response. Persistence of the inflammatory response is associated with specific changes of oxidative and glycolytic metabolic pathways that interfere with conventional T-cell activation and function and may be one of the reasons for the failure of immunotherapy in advanced cancer patients. Therefore, in addition to modulating Treg cell action, the combined use of drugs able to block chronic inflammation mediated mainly by macrophages, to counteract the oxidative stress, and to positively regulate the metabolic derangements, could improve the effectiveness of modern immunotherapy. In conclusion, reprogramming of Treg cells may be an appropriate strategy for treating early stages of neoplastic diseases, whereas other immunosuppressive mechanisms should be the target of a combined immunotherapy approach in more advanced phases of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Macciò
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliera Brotzu, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Clelia Madeddu
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
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