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Wu K, Zhang G, Shen C, Zhu L, Yu C, Sartorius K, Ding W, Jiang Y, Lu Y. Role of T cells in liver metastasis. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:341. [PMID: 38755133 PMCID: PMC11099083 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06726-2] [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: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
The liver is a major metastatic site (organ) for gastrointestinal cancers (such as colorectal, gastric, and pancreatic cancers) as well as non-gastrointestinal cancers (such as lung, breast, and melanoma cancers). Due to the innate anatomical position of the liver, the apoptosis of T cells in the liver, the unique metabolic regulation of hepatocytes and other potential mechanisms, the liver tends to form an immunosuppressive microenvironment and subsequently form a pre-metastatic niche (PMN), which can promote metastasis and colonization by various tumor cells(TCs). As a result, the critical role of immunoresponse in liver based metastasis has become increasingly appreciated. T cells, a centrally important member of adaptive immune response, play a significant role in liver based metastases and clarifying the different roles of the various T cells subsets is important to guide future clinical treatment. In this review, we first introduce the predisposing factors and related mechanisms of liver metastasis (LM) before introducing the PMN and its transition to LM. Finally, we detail the role of different subsets of T cells in LM and advances in the management of LM in order to identify potential therapeutic targets for patients with LM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kejia Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
| | - Guozhu Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
| | - Changbing Shen
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Taizhou Second People's Hospital Affiliated with Yangzhou University, Taizhou, China
| | - Li Zhu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
| | - Chongyuan Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
| | - Kurt Sartorius
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Molecular Sciences, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Africa Hepatopancreatobiliary Cancer Consortium, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Wei Ding
- Department of General Surgery, Wujin Hospital Affiliated with Jiangsu University, Changzhou, China.
- Department of General Surgery, The Wujin Clinical College of Xuzhou Medical University, Changzhou, China.
- Changzhou Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, China.
| | - Yong Jiang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China.
| | - Yunjie Lu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
- Africa Hepatopancreatobiliary Cancer Consortium, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
- Department of General Surgery, Wujin Hospital Affiliated with Jiangsu University, Changzhou, China.
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Babes L, Shim R, Kubes P. Imaging α-GalCer-activated iNKT cells in a hepatic metastatic environment. Cancer Immunol Res 2021; 10:12-25. [PMID: 34785505 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-21-0445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer patients frequently develop liver metastases after, and perhaps as a consequence of, lifesaving surgical resection of the primary tumor. This creates a potential opportunity for prophylactic metastatic treatment with novel immunostimulatory molecules. Here, we used state-of-the-art intravital imaging of an experimental liver metastasis model to visualize the early behavior and function of invariant (i)NKT cells stimulated with α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer). Intravenous α-GalCer prior to tumor cell seeding in the liver significantly inhibited tumor growth. However, some seeding tumor cells survived. A multiple dosing regimen reduced tumor burden and prolonged the life of mice, whereas tumors returned within 5 days after a single dose of α-GalCer. With multiple doses of α-GalCer, iNKT cells increased in number and granularity (as did NK cells). As a result, the total number of contacts and time in contact with tumors increased substantially. In the absence of iNKT cells, the beneficial effect of α-GalCer was lost. Robust cytokine production dissipated over time. Repeated therapy, even after cytokine dissipation, led to reduced tumor burden and prolonged survival. Serial transplantation of tumors exposed to α-GalCer-activated iNKT cells did not induce greater resistance, suggesting no obvious epigenetic or genetic immunoediting in tumors exposed to activated iNKT cells. Very few tumor cells expressed CD1d in this model, and as such, adding monomers of CD1d-α-GalCer further reduced tumor growth. The data suggest early and repeated stimulation of iNKT cells with α-GalCer could have direct therapeutic benefit for colorectal cancer patients that develop metastatic liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liane Babes
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute and Department of Oncology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Raymond Shim
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Paul Kubes
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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