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Hao Q, Long Y, Yang Y, Deng Y, Ding Z, Yang L, Shu Y, Xu H. Development and Clinical Applications of Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines with Individualized and Shared Neoantigens. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:717. [PMID: 39066355 PMCID: PMC11281709 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12070717] [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: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Neoantigens, presented as peptides on the surfaces of cancer cells, have recently been proposed as optimal targets for immunotherapy in clinical practice. The promising outcomes of neoantigen-based cancer vaccines have inspired enthusiasm for their broader clinical applications. However, the individualized tumor-specific antigens (TSA) entail considerable costs and time due to the variable immunogenicity and response rates of these neoantigens-based vaccines, influenced by factors such as neoantigen response, vaccine types, and combination therapy. Given the crucial role of neoantigen efficacy, a number of bioinformatics algorithms and pipelines have been developed to improve the accuracy rate of prediction through considering a series of factors involving in HLA-peptide-TCR complex formation, including peptide presentation, HLA-peptide affinity, and TCR recognition. On the other hand, shared neoantigens, originating from driver mutations at hot mutation spots (e.g., KRASG12D), offer a promising and ideal target for the development of therapeutic cancer vaccines. A series of clinical practices have established the efficacy of these vaccines in patients with distinct HLA haplotypes. Moreover, increasing evidence demonstrated that a combination of tumor associated antigens (TAAs) and neoantigens can also improve the prognosis, thus expand the repertoire of shared neoantigens for cancer vaccines. In this review, we provide an overview of the complex process involved in identifying personalized neoantigens, their clinical applications, advances in vaccine technology, and explore the therapeutic potential of shared neoantigen strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Department of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; (Q.H.); (Y.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.D.); (Z.D.); (L.Y.)
| | - Yuhang Long
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Department of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; (Q.H.); (Y.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.D.); (Z.D.); (L.Y.)
| | - Yi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Department of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; (Q.H.); (Y.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.D.); (Z.D.); (L.Y.)
| | - Yiqi Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Department of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; (Q.H.); (Y.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.D.); (Z.D.); (L.Y.)
- Colorectal Cancer Center, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zhenyu Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Department of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; (Q.H.); (Y.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.D.); (Z.D.); (L.Y.)
| | - Li Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Department of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; (Q.H.); (Y.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.D.); (Z.D.); (L.Y.)
| | - Yang Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Department of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; (Q.H.); (Y.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.D.); (Z.D.); (L.Y.)
- Gastric Cancer Center, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Institute of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Heng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Department of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; (Q.H.); (Y.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.D.); (Z.D.); (L.Y.)
- Institute of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Research Center of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
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Kumari K, Singh A, Chaudhary A, Singh RK, Shanker A, Kumar V, Haque R. Neoantigen Identification and Dendritic Cell-Based Vaccines for Lung Cancer Immunotherapy. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:498. [PMID: 38793749 PMCID: PMC11125796 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12050498] [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: 03/31/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapies can treat many cancers, including difficult-to-treat cases such as lung cancer. Due to its tolerability, long-lasting therapeutic responses, and efficacy in a wide spectrum of patients, immunotherapy can also help to treat lung cancer, which has few treatment choices. Tumor-specific antigens (TSAs) for cancer vaccinations and T-cell therapies are difficult to discover. Neoantigens (NeoAgs) from genetic mutations, irregular RNA splicing, protein changes, or viral genetic sequences in tumor cells provide a solution. NeoAgs, unlike TSAs, are non-self and can cause an immunological response. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatics can swiftly detect and forecast tumor-specific NeoAgs. Highly immunogenic NeoAgs provide personalized or generalized cancer immunotherapies. Dendritic cells (DCs), which originate and regulate T-cell responses, are widely studied potential immunotherapeutic therapies for lung cancer and other cancers. DC vaccines are stable, reliable, and safe in clinical trials. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the current status, limitations, and prospective clinical applications of DC vaccines, as well as the identification and selection of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II genes for NeoAgs. Our goal is to explain DC biology and activate DC manipulation to help researchers create extremely potent cancer vaccines for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Komal Kumari
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya 824236, Bihar, India; (K.K.); (A.C.)
| | - Amarnath Singh
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
| | - Archana Chaudhary
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya 824236, Bihar, India; (K.K.); (A.C.)
| | - Rakesh Kumar Singh
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India;
| | - Asheesh Shanker
- Department of Bioinformatics, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya 824236, Bihar, India
| | - Vinay Kumar
- Heart and Vascular Institute, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033, USA;
| | - Rizwanul Haque
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya 824236, Bihar, India; (K.K.); (A.C.)
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3
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Sotirov S, Dimitrov I. Tumor-Derived Antigenic Peptides as Potential Cancer Vaccines. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4934. [PMID: 38732150 PMCID: PMC11084719 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094934] [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: 02/11/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Peptide antigens derived from tumors have been observed to elicit protective immune responses, categorized as either tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) or tumor-specific antigens (TSAs). Subunit cancer vaccines incorporating these antigens have shown promise in inducing protective immune responses, leading to cancer prevention or eradication. Over recent years, peptide-based cancer vaccines have gained popularity as a treatment modality and are often combined with other forms of cancer therapy. Several clinical trials have explored the safety and efficacy of peptide-based cancer vaccines, with promising outcomes. Advancements in techniques such as whole-exome sequencing, next-generation sequencing, and in silico methods have facilitated the identification of antigens, making it increasingly feasible. Furthermore, the development of novel delivery methods and a deeper understanding of tumor immune evasion mechanisms have heightened the interest in these vaccines among researchers. This article provides an overview of novel insights regarding advancements in the field of peptide-based vaccines as a promising therapeutic avenue for cancer treatment. It summarizes existing computational methods for tumor neoantigen prediction, ongoing clinical trials involving peptide-based cancer vaccines, and recent studies on human vaccination experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ivan Dimitrov
- Drug Design and Bioinformatics Lab, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, 2, Dunav Str., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria;
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Bautista E, Jung YH, Jaramillo M, Ganesh H, Varma A, Savsani K, Dakshanamurthy S. AutoPepVax, a Novel Machine-Learning-Based Program for Vaccine Design: Application to a Pan-Cancer Vaccine Targeting EGFR Missense Mutations. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:419. [PMID: 38675381 PMCID: PMC11053815 DOI: 10.3390/ph17040419] [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: 03/03/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The current epitope selection methods for peptide vaccines often rely on epitope binding affinity predictions, prompting the need for the development of more sophisticated in silico methods to determine immunologically relevant epitopes. Here, we developed AutoPepVax to expedite and improve the in silico epitope selection for peptide vaccine design. AutoPepVax is a novel program that automatically identifies non-toxic and non-allergenic epitopes capable of inducing tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes by considering various epitope characteristics. AutoPepVax employs random forest classification and linear regression machine-learning-based models, which are trained with datasets derived from tumor samples. AutoPepVax, along with documentation on how to run the program, is freely available on GitHub. We used AutoPepVax to design a pan-cancer peptide vaccine targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) missense mutations commonly found in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRAD), glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). These mutations have been previously targeted in clinical trials for EGFR-specific peptide vaccines in GBM and LUAD, and they show promise but lack demonstrated clinical efficacy. Using AutoPepVax, our analysis of 96 EGFR mutations identified 368 potential MHC-I-restricted epitope-HLA pairs from 49,113 candidates and 430 potential MHC-II-restricted pairs from 168,669 candidates. Notably, 19 mutations presented viable epitopes for MHC I and II restrictions. To evaluate the potential impact of a pan-cancer vaccine composed of these epitopes, we used our program, PCOptim, to curate a minimal list of epitopes with optimal population coverage. The world population coverage of our list ranged from 81.8% to 98.5% for MHC Class II and Class I epitopes, respectively. From our list of epitopes, we constructed 3D epitope-MHC models for six MHC-I-restricted and four MHC-II-restricted epitopes, demonstrating their epitope binding potential and interaction with T-cell receptors. AutoPepVax's comprehensive approach to in silico epitope selection addresses vaccine safety, efficacy, and broad applicability. Future studies aim to validate the AutoPepVax-designed vaccines with murine tumor models that harbor the studied mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Bautista
- Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | | | | | - Harrish Ganesh
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 22043, USA
| | - Aryaan Varma
- The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Kush Savsani
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 22043, USA
| | - Sivanesan Dakshanamurthy
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA
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5
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Katsikis PD, Ishii KJ, Schliehe C. Challenges in developing personalized neoantigen cancer vaccines. Nat Rev Immunol 2024; 24:213-227. [PMID: 37783860 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-023-00937-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
The recent success of cancer immunotherapies has highlighted the benefit of harnessing the immune system for cancer treatment. Vaccines have a long history of promoting immunity to pathogens and, consequently, vaccines targeting cancer neoantigens have been championed as a tool to direct and amplify immune responses against tumours while sparing healthy tissue. In recent years, extensive preclinical research and more than one hundred clinical trials have tested different strategies of neoantigen discovery and vaccine formulations. However, despite the enthusiasm for neoantigen vaccines, proof of unequivocal efficacy has remained beyond reach for the majority of clinical trials. In this Review, we focus on the key obstacles pertaining to vaccine design and tumour environment that remain to be overcome in order to unleash the true potential of neoantigen vaccines in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D Katsikis
- Department of Immunology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
| | - Ken J Ishii
- Division of Vaccine Science, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo (IMSUT), Tokyo, Japan
- International Vaccine Design Center (vDesC), The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo (IMSUT), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Christopher Schliehe
- Department of Immunology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
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Srivastava PK. Cancer neoepitopes viewed through negative selection and peripheral tolerance: a new path to cancer vaccines. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e176740. [PMID: 38426497 PMCID: PMC10904052 DOI: 10.1172/jci176740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
A proportion of somatic mutations in tumors create neoepitopes that can prime T cell responses that target the MHC I-neoepitope complexes on tumor cells, mediating tumor control or rejection. Despite the compelling centrality of neoepitopes to cancer immunity, we know remarkably little about what constitutes a neoepitope that can mediate tumor control in vivo and what distinguishes such a neoepitope from the vast majority of similar candidate neoepitopes that are inefficacious in vivo. Studies in mice as well as clinical trials have begun to reveal the unexpected paradoxes in this area. Because cancer neoepitopes straddle that ambiguous ground between self and non-self, some rules that are fundamental to immunology of frankly non-self antigens, such as viral or model antigens, do not appear to apply to neoepitopes. Because neoepitopes are so similar to self-epitopes, with only small changes that render them non-self, immune response to them is regulated at least partially the way immune response to self is regulated. Therefore, neoepitopes are viewed and understood here through the clarifying lens of negative thymic selection. Here, the emergent questions in the biology and clinical applications of neoepitopes are discussed critically and a mechanistic and testable framework that explains the complexity and translational potential of these wonderful antigens is proposed.
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Dimou A. Time to Think about HLA-Based Diagnostics in Lung Cancer? Clin Cancer Res 2023; 29:4706-4708. [PMID: 37756560 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-2152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
HLA evolutionary divergence reflects the ability to recognize diverse neoantigens as non-self, and as a biomarker is conceptually distinct from programmed cell death ligand 1 expression and tumor mutation burden. HLA-based assays to predict benefit from immunotherapy in lung cancer require prospective validation. See related article by Jiang et al., p. 4830.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasios Dimou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
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8
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Su S, Chen F, Xu M, Liu B, Wang L. Recent advances in neoantigen vaccines for treating non-small cell lung cancer. Thorac Cancer 2023; 14:3361-3368. [PMID: 37905603 PMCID: PMC10693939 DOI: 10.1111/1759-7714.15126] [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: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The breakthrough of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade therapy has changed the clinical treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the past few years. The success of PD-1 blockade therapy has been attributed to high tumor mutation burden and high immunogenicity of lung cancer cells. To further improve the efficacy of NSCLC immunotherapy and overcome the resistance of lung cancer cells to immune checkpoint blockade, new approaches that enhance the active immune response, such as neoantigen vaccines and cellular-based therapies, are urgently required. Neoantigens are considered ideal targets for cancer immunotherapy because of their high immunogenicity and specificity. In this mini review, we first discuss the current advances in neoantigen vaccines for treating cancers and then review the results of preclinical studies and early-phase human clinical trials of neoantigen-based therapies for NSCLC. Finally, we focus on the identification of neoantigens in patients with NSCLC and review the candidate mutations reported by recent studies and our investigations. The review concludes that, in addition to immune checkpoint blockade, approaches targeting neoantigens are promising for improving the efficacy of NSCLC immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Su
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University and Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Fungjun Chen
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University and Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Mingyuan Xu
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University and Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Baorui Liu
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University and Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Lifeng Wang
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University and Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
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9
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Blaquier JB, Ortiz-Cuaran S, Ricciuti B, Mezquita L, Cardona AF, Recondo G. Tackling Osimertinib Resistance in EGFR-Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2023; 29:3579-3591. [PMID: 37093192 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-1912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
The current landscape of targeted therapies directed against oncogenic driver alterations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is expanding. Patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC can derive significant benefit from EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy, including the third-generation EGFR TKI osimertinib. However, invariably, all patients will experience disease progression with this therapy mainly due to the adaptation of cancer cells through primary or secondary molecular mechanisms of resistance. The comprehension and access to tissue and cell-free DNA next-generation sequencing have fueled the development of innovative therapeutic strategies to prevent and overcome resistance to osimertinib in the clinical setting. Herein, we review the biological and clinical implications of molecular mechanisms of osimertinib resistance and the ongoing development of therapeutic strategies to overcome or prevent resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Bautista Blaquier
- Thoracic Oncology Unit, Medical Oncology, Center for Medical Education and Clinical Research (CEMIC), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sandra Ortiz-Cuaran
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Centre de recherche en cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Biagio Ricciuti
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Laura Mezquita
- Laboratory of Translational Genomics and Targeted Therapies in Solid Tumors, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrés Felipe Cardona
- Foundation for Clinical and Applied Cancer Research-FICMAC, Bogotá, Colombia
- Molecular Oncology and Biology Systems Research Group (Fox-G), Universidad el Bosque, Bogotá, Colombia
- Direction of Research and Education, Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo Cancer Treatment and Research Cancer-CTIC, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Gonzalo Recondo
- Thoracic Oncology Unit, Medical Oncology, Center for Medical Education and Clinical Research (CEMIC), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Medical Oncology Department, Bradford Hill Clinical Research Center, Santiago, Chile
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Li F, Wu H, Du X, Sun Y, Rausseo BN, Talukder A, Katailiha A, Elzohary L, Wang Y, Wang Z, Lizée G. Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Targeted Neoantigen Peptide Vaccination for the Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Glioblastoma. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1460. [PMID: 37766136 PMCID: PMC10534925 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11091460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays crucial roles in several important biological functions such as embryogenesis, epithelial tissue development, and cellular regeneration. However, in multiple solid tumor types overexpression and/or activating mutations of the EGFR gene frequently occur, thus hijacking the EGFR signaling pathway to promote tumorigenesis. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors in particular often contain prevalent and shared EGFR mutations that provide an ideal source for public neoantigens (NeoAg). Studies in both humans and animal models have confirmed the immunogenicity of some of these NeoAg peptides, suggesting that they may constitute viable targets for cancer immunotherapies. Peptide vaccines targeting mutated EGFR have been tested in multiple clinical trials, demonstrating an excellent safety profile and encouraging clinical efficacy. For example, the CDX-110 (rindopepimut) NeoAg peptide vaccine derived from the EGFRvIII deletion mutant in combination with temozolomide and radiotherapy has shown efficacy in treating EGFRvIII-harboring glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients undergone surgery in multiple Phase I and II clinical trials. Furthermore, pilot clinical trials that have administered personalized NeoAg peptides for treating advanced-stage NSCLC patients have shown this approach to be a feasible and safe method to increase antitumor immune responses. Amongst the vaccine peptides administered, EGFR mutation-targeting NeoAgs induced the strongest T cell-mediated immune responses in patients and were also associated with objective clinical responses, implying a promising future for NeoAg peptide vaccines for treating NSCLC patients with selected EGFR mutations. The efficacy of NeoAg-targeting peptide vaccines may be further improved by combining with other modalities such as tyrosine kinase or immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy, which are currently being tested in animal models and clinical trials. Herein, we review the most current basic and clinical research progress on EGFR-targeted peptide vaccination for the treatment of NSCLC and other solid tumor types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenge Li
- Core Laboratory, Tianjin Beichen Hospital, Tianjin 300400, China
- Department of Oncology, Tianjin Beichen Hospital, Tianjin 300400, China
| | - Huancheng Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Beichen Hospital, Tianjin 300400, China
| | - Xueming Du
- Department of Oncology, Tianjin Beichen Hospital, Tianjin 300400, China
| | - Yimo Sun
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Barbara Nassif Rausseo
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Amjad Talukder
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Arjun Katailiha
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Lama Elzohary
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Yupeng Wang
- Department of Oncology, Tianjin Beichen Hospital, Tianjin 300400, China
| | - Zhiyu Wang
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, China
| | - Gregory Lizée
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
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11
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Iizuka A, Akiyama Y, Sakura N, Kanematsu A, Kikuchi Y, Nagashima T, Urakami K, Shimoda Y, Ohshima K, Shiomi A, Ohde Y, Terashima M, Uesaka K, Mukaigawa T, Hirashima Y, Yoshikawa S, Katagiri H, Sugino T, Takahashi M, Kenmotsu H, Yamaguchi K. Generation of novel complete HLA class I monoallelic cell lines used in an MHC stabilization assay for neoantigen evaluation. Oncol Lett 2023; 26:324. [PMID: 37415627 PMCID: PMC10320429 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2023.13910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunogenic neoantigens derived from somatic mutations in cancer have been identified through clinical studies with the cloning of tumor-infiltrating T cells, and cancer driver gene mutation-derived epitopes have been reported; however, these are rare. At present, the validation of epitopes predicted in silico is difficult as human T-cell clonal diversity cannot be reproduced in vitro or in experimental animal models. To confirm the epitope peptides presented by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules predicted in silico, biochemical methods such as major histocompatibility complex (MHC) stabilization assays and mass spectrometry-mediated identification have been developed based on HLA-A*02:01 monoallelic T2 cells and HLA-C*01:02 monoallelic LCL721.221 cells. Therefore, in the present study, to prevent confusion due to peptide cross-presentation among HLA molecules, HLA class I monoallelic B-cell clones were generated from the TISI cell line by knocking out HLA-ABC and TAP2, and knocking in HLA alleles. To explore cancer driver mutations as potential targets for immunotherapy, exome sequencing data from 5,143 patients with cancer enrolled in a comprehensive genome analysis project at the Shizuoka Cancer Center were used to identify somatic amino acid substituted mutations and the 50 most frequent mutations in five genes, TP53, EGFR, PIK3CA, KRAS and BRAF, were identified. Using NetMHC4.1, the present study predicted whether epitopes derived from these mutations are presented on major HLA-ABC alleles in Japanese individuals and synthesized 138 peptides for MHC stabilization assays. The authors also attempted to examine the candidate epitopes at physiological temperatures by using antibody clone G46-2.6, which can detect HLA-ABC, independent of β2-microglobulin association. In the assays, although the peptide-induced HLA expression levels were associated with the predicted affinities, the respective HLA alleles exhibited varying degrees of responsiveness, and unexpectedly, p53-mutant epitopes with predicted weak affinities exhibited strong responses. These results suggested that MHC stabilization assays using completely monoallelic HLA-expressing B-cell lines are useful for evaluating the presentation of neoantigen epitopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Iizuka
- Immunotherapy Division, Shizuoka Cancer Center Research Institute, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
| | - Yasuto Akiyama
- Immunotherapy Division, Shizuoka Cancer Center Research Institute, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
| | - Naoki Sakura
- Medical Genetics Division, Shizuoka Cancer Center Research Institute, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
| | - Akari Kanematsu
- Immunotherapy Division, Shizuoka Cancer Center Research Institute, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
| | - Yasufumi Kikuchi
- Immunotherapy Division, Shizuoka Cancer Center Research Institute, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
| | - Takeshi Nagashima
- Cancer Diagnostics Research Division, Shizuoka Cancer Center Research Institute, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
- SRL, Inc., Tokyo 163-0409, Japan
| | - Kenichi Urakami
- Cancer Diagnostics Research Division, Shizuoka Cancer Center Research Institute, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
| | - Yuji Shimoda
- Cancer Diagnostics Research Division, Shizuoka Cancer Center Research Institute, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
| | - Keiichi Ohshima
- Medical Genetics Division, Shizuoka Cancer Center Research Institute, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
| | - Akio Shiomi
- Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
| | - Yasuhisa Ohde
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
| | - Masanori Terashima
- Division of Gastric Surgery, Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
| | - Katsuhiko Uesaka
- Division of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
| | - Takashi Mukaigawa
- Division of Head and Neck Surgery, Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Hirashima
- Division of Gynecology, Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
| | - Shusuke Yoshikawa
- Division of Dermatology, Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
| | - Hirohisa Katagiri
- Division of Orthopedic Oncology, Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
| | - Takashi Sugino
- Division of Pathology, Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Takahashi
- Division of Orthopedic Oncology, Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
| | - Hirotsugu Kenmotsu
- Division of Thoracic Oncology, Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
| | - Ken Yamaguchi
- Office of The President, Shizuoka Cancer Center, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
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12
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Amaya-Ramirez D, Martinez-Enriquez LC, Parra-López C. Usefulness of Docking and Molecular Dynamics in Selecting Tumor Neoantigens to Design Personalized Cancer Vaccines: A Proof of Concept. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1174. [PMID: 37514989 PMCID: PMC10386133 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11071174] [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: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Personalized cancer vaccines based on neoantigens are a new and promising treatment for cancer; however, there are still multiple unresolved challenges to using this type of immunotherapy. Among these, the effective identification of immunogenic neoantigens stands out, since the in silico tools used generate a significant portion of false positives. Inclusion of molecular simulation techniques can refine the results these tools produce. In this work, we explored docking and molecular dynamics to study the association between the stability of peptide-HLA complexes and their immunogenicity, using as a proof of concept two HLA-A2-restricted neoantigens that were already evaluated in vitro. The results obtained were in accordance with the in vitro immunogenicity, since the immunogenic neoantigen ASTN1 remained bound at both ends to the HLA-A2 molecule. Additionally, molecular dynamic simulation suggests that position 1 of the peptide has a more relevant role in stabilizing the N-terminus than previously proposed. Likewise, the mutations may have a "delocalized" effect on the peptide-HLA interaction, which means that the mutated amino acid influences the intensity of the interactions of distant amino acids of the peptide with the HLA. These findings allow us to propose the inclusion of molecular simulation techniques to improve the identification of neoantigens for cancer vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Camila Martinez-Enriquez
- Grupo de Inmunología y Medicina Traslacional, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá 111321, Colombia
| | - Carlos Parra-López
- Grupo de Inmunología y Medicina Traslacional, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá 111321, Colombia
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13
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Gouttefangeas C, Klein R, Maia A. The good and the bad of T cell cross-reactivity: challenges and opportunities for novel therapeutics in autoimmunity and cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1212546. [PMID: 37409132 PMCID: PMC10319254 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1212546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
T cells are main actors of the immune system with an essential role in protection against pathogens and cancer. The molecular key event involved in this absolutely central task is the interaction of membrane-bound specific T cell receptors with peptide-MHC complexes which initiates T cell priming, activation and recall, and thus controls a range of downstream functions. While textbooks teach us that the repertoire of mature T cells is highly diverse, it is clear that this diversity cannot possibly cover all potential foreign peptides that might be encountered during life. TCR cross-reactivity, i.e. the ability of a single TCR to recognise different peptides, offers the best solution to this biological challenge. Reports have shown that indeed, TCR cross-reactivity is surprisingly high. Hence, the T cell dilemma is the following: be as specific as possible to target foreign danger and spare self, while being able to react to a large spectrum of body-threatening situations. This has major consequences for both autoimmune diseases and cancer, and significant implications for the development of T cell-based therapies. In this review, we will present essential experimental evidence of T cell cross-reactivity, implications for two opposite immune conditions, i.e. autoimmunity vs cancer, and how this can be differently exploited for immunotherapy approaches. Finally, we will discuss the tools available for predicting cross-reactivity and how improvements in this field might boost translational approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Gouttefangeas
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
- 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
| | - Reinhild Klein
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ana Maia
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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14
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Lybaert L, Thielemans K, Feldman SA, van der Burg SH, Bogaert C, Ott PA. Neoantigen-directed therapeutics in the clinic: where are we? Trends Cancer 2023; 9:503-519. [PMID: 37055237 PMCID: PMC10414146 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2023.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
In the past decade, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy have brought immunotherapy to the forefront of cancer treatment; however, only subsets of patients benefit from current approaches. Neoantigen-driven therapeutics specifically redirect the immune system of the patient to enable or reinduce its ability to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. The tumor specificity of this strategy spares healthy and normal cells from being attacked. Consistent with this concept, initial clinical trials have demonstrated the feasibility, safety, and immunogenicity of neoantigen-directed personalized vaccines. We review neoantigen-driven therapy strategies as well as their promise and clinical successes to date.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Steven A Feldman
- Center for Cancer Cell Therapy, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sjoerd H van der Burg
- Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Patrick A Ott
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
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15
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Fritah H, Graciotti M, Lai-Lai Chiang C, Huguenin- Bergenat AL, Petremand R, Ahmed R, Guillaume P, Schmidt J, Stevenson BJ, Gfeller D, Harari A, Kandalaft LE. Cancer vaccines based on whole-tumor lysate or neoepitopes with validated HLA binding outperform those with predicted HLA-binding affinity. iScience 2023; 26:106288. [PMID: 36950115 PMCID: PMC10025090 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106288] [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: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Antigen selection and prioritization represent crucial determinants of vaccines' efficacy. Here, we compare two personalized dendritic cell-based vaccination strategies using whole-tumor lysate or neoantigens. Data in mouse and in cancer patients demonstrate that peptide vaccines using neoantigens predicted on the sole basis of in silico peptide-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) binding affinity underperform relative to whole-tumor-lysate vaccines. In contrast, effective in vitro peptide-MHC binding affinity and peptide immunogenicity significantly improve the prioritization of tumor-rejecting neoepitopes and result in more efficacious vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hajer Fritah
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, and Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, 1011, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michele Graciotti
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, and Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, 1011, Switzerland
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cheryl Lai-Lai Chiang
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, and Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, 1011, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anne-Laure Huguenin- Bergenat
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, and Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, 1011, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rémy Petremand
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, and Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, 1011, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ritaparna Ahmed
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, and Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, 1011, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Guillaume
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, and Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, 1011, Switzerland
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Julien Schmidt
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, and Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, 1011, Switzerland
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Brian J. Stevenson
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, and Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, 1011, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - David Gfeller
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, and Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, 1011, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Harari
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, and Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, 1011, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Corresponding author
| | - Lana E. Kandalaft
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, and Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, 1011, Switzerland
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Corresponding author
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16
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Tuli HS, Garg VK, Choudhary R, Iqubal A, Sak K, Saini AK, Saini RV, Vashishth K, Dhama K, Mohapatra RK, Gupta DS, Kaur G. Immunotherapeutics in lung cancers: from mechanistic insight to clinical implications and synergistic perspectives. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:2685-2700. [PMID: 36534236 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-08180-9] [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: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lung cancer is one of the highly lethal forms of cancer whose incidence has worldwide rapidly increased over the past few decades. About 80-85% of all lung cancer cases constitute non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma as the main subtypes. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have led to significant advances in the treatment of a variety of solid tumors, significantly improving cancer patient survival rates. METHODS AND RESULTS The cytotoxic drugs in combination with anti-PD-(L)1 antibodies is a new method that aims to reduce the activation of immunosuppressive and cancer cell prosurvival responses while also improving direct cancer cell death. The most commonly utilized immune checkpoint inhibitors for patients with non-small cell lung cancer are monoclonal antibodies (Atezolizumab, Cemiplimab, Ipilimumab, Pembrolizumab etc.) against PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4. Among them, Atezolizumab (TECENTRIQ) and Cemiplimab (Libtayo) are engineered monoclonal anti programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibodies that inhibit binding of PD-L1 to PD-1 and B7.1. As a result, T-cell proliferation and cytokine synthesis are inhibited leading to restoring the immune homeostasis to fight cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS In this review article, the path leading to the introduction of immunotherapeutic options in lung cancer treatment is described, with analyzing the benefits and shortages of the current immunotherapeutic drugs. In addition, possibilities to co-administer immunotherapeutic agents with standard cancer treatment modalities are also considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hardeep Singh Tuli
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Engineering College, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to Be University), Mullana- Ambala, Haryana, 133 207, India.
| | - Vivek K Garg
- Department of Medical Lab Technology, University Institute of Applied Health Sciences, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali, Punjab, 140413, India
| | - Renuka Choudhary
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Engineering College, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to Be University), Mullana- Ambala, Haryana, 133 207, India
| | - Ashif Iqubal
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Formerly, Faculty of Pharmacy), Jamia Hamdard (Deemed to Be University), Delhi, India
| | | | - Adesh K Saini
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Engineering College, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to Be University), Mullana- Ambala, Haryana, 133 207, India
| | - Reena V Saini
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Engineering College, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to Be University), Mullana- Ambala, Haryana, 133 207, India
| | - Kanupriya Vashishth
- Advance Cardiac Centre Department of Cardiology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, 160012, India
| | - Kuldeep Dhama
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, 243122, India
| | - Ranjan K Mohapatra
- Department of Chemistry, Government College of Engineering, Keonjhar, Odisha, 758002, India
| | - Dhruv Sanjay Gupta
- Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy and Technology Management, SVKM's NMIMS, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 40056, India
| | - Ginpreet Kaur
- Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy and Technology Management, SVKM's NMIMS, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 40056, India
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17
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Shi W, Chen S, Chi F, Qiu Q, Zhong Y, Bian X, Zhang H, Xi J, Qian H. Advances in Tumor Antigen‐Based Anticancer Immunotherapy: Recent Progress, Prevailing Challenges, and Future Perspective. ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/adtp.202200239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Shi
- Center of Drug Discovery State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines China Pharmaceutical University 24 Tongjiaxiang Nanjing 210009 P. R. China
| | - Shuang Chen
- Center of Drug Discovery State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines China Pharmaceutical University 24 Tongjiaxiang Nanjing 210009 P. R. China
| | - Fanglian Chi
- Center of Drug Discovery State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines China Pharmaceutical University 24 Tongjiaxiang Nanjing 210009 P. R. China
| | - Qianqian Qiu
- Center of Drug Discovery State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines China Pharmaceutical University 24 Tongjiaxiang Nanjing 210009 P. R. China
| | - Yue Zhong
- Center of Drug Discovery State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines China Pharmaceutical University 24 Tongjiaxiang Nanjing 210009 P. R. China
| | - Xiaojian Bian
- Center of Drug Discovery State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines China Pharmaceutical University 24 Tongjiaxiang Nanjing 210009 P. R. China
| | - Hao Zhang
- School of Science China Pharmaceutical University 24 Tongjiaxiang Nanjing 210009 P. R. China
| | - Junting Xi
- School of Science China Pharmaceutical University 24 Tongjiaxiang Nanjing 210009 P. R. China
| | - Hai Qian
- Center of Drug Discovery State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines China Pharmaceutical University 24 Tongjiaxiang Nanjing 210009 P. R. China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Disease China Pharmaceutical University 24 Tongjiaxiang Nanjing 210009 P. R. China
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18
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Shah S, Al-Omari A, Cook KW, Paston SJ, Durrant LG, Brentville VA. What do cancer-specific T cells 'see'? DISCOVERY IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 2:kyac011. [PMID: 38567060 PMCID: PMC10917189 DOI: 10.1093/discim/kyac011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Complex cellular interactions between the immune system and cancer can impact tumour development, growth, and progression. T cells play a key role in these interactions; however, the challenge for T cells is to recognize tumour antigens whilst minimizing cross-reactivity with antigens associated with healthy tissue. Some tumour cells, including those associated with viral infections, have clear, tumour-specific antigens that can be targeted by T cells. A high mutational burden can lead to increased numbers of mutational neoantigens that allow very specific immune responses to be generated but also allow escape variants to develop. Other cancer indications and those with low mutational burden are less easily distinguished from normal tissue. Recent studies have suggested that cancer-associated alterations in tumour cell biology including changes in post-translational modification (PTM) patterns may also lead to novel antigens that can be directly recognized by T cells. The PTM-derived antigens provide tumour-specific T-cell responses that both escape central tolerance and avoid the necessity for individualized therapies. PTM-specific CD4 T-cell responses have shown tumour therapy in murine models and highlight the importance of CD4 T cells as well as CD8 T cells in reversing the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment. Understanding which cancer-specific antigens can be recognized by T cells and the way that immune tolerance and the tumour microenvironment shape immune responses to cancer is vital for the future development of cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabaria Shah
- Scancell Limited, University of Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | - Abdullah Al-Omari
- Scancell Limited, University of Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | - Katherine W Cook
- Scancell Limited, University of Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | - Samantha J Paston
- Scancell Limited, University of Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | - Lindy G Durrant
- Scancell Limited, University of Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, University Park, Nottingham, UK
- Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | - Victoria A Brentville
- Scancell Limited, University of Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, University Park, Nottingham, UK
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19
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Shi C, Wang Y, Xue J, Zhou X. Immunotherapy for EGFR-mutant advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: Current status, possible mechanisms and application prospects. Front Immunol 2022; 13:940288. [PMID: 35935943 PMCID: PMC9353115 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.940288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are effective against advanced and even perioperative non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and result in durable clinical benefit, regardless of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression status in cancer. Existing clinical evidence shows that the effect of immunotherapy in patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC after the development of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance is not satisfactory. However, compared with monotherapy, ICIs combined with chemotherapy can improve the efficacy. Encouragingly, compared with that of patients with sensitive mutations, the progression-free survival of patients with rare mutations who were treated with ICIs was increased. Adequately maximizing the efficacy of ICIs in EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients is worth exploring. In this review, we described preclinical and clinical studies of ICIs or combined therapy for EGFR-mutant NSCLC. We further focused on EGFR mutations and the cancer immune response, with particular attention given to the role of EGFR activation in the cancer-immunity cycle. The mechanisms for the natural resistance to ICIs were explored to identify corresponding countermeasures that made more EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients benefit from ICIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyan Shi
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- The Department of Oncology, Jiujiang No.1 People’s Hospital, Jiujiang, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jianxin Xue
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Laboratory of Clinical Cell Therapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaojuan Zhou
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaojuan Zhou,
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20
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Lv D, Khawar MB, Liang Z, Gao Y, Sun H. Neoantigens and NK Cells: “Trick or Treat” the Cancers? Front Immunol 2022; 13:931862. [PMID: 35874694 PMCID: PMC9302773 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.931862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has become an important treatment strategy for cancer patients nowadays. Targeting cancer neoantigens presented by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, which emerge as a result of non-synonymous somatic mutations with high immunogenicity, is one of the most promising cancer immunotherapy strategies. Currently, several therapeutic options based on the personalized or shared neoantigens have been developed, including neoantigen vaccine and adoptive T-cell therapy, both of which are now being tested in clinical trials for various malignancies. The goal of this review is to outline the use of neoantigens as cancer therapy targets, with an emphasis on neoantigen identification, clinical usage of personalized neoantigen-based cancer therapy agents, and the development of off-the-shelf products based on shared neoantigens. In addition, we introduce and discuss the potential impact of the neoantigen–MHC complex on natural killer (NK) cell antitumor function, which could be a novel way to boost immune response-induced cytotoxicity against malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Lv
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- School of Life Sciences, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental & Translational Non-Coding RNA Research Yangzhou, Yangzhou, China
| | - Muhammad Babar Khawar
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental & Translational Non-Coding RNA Research Yangzhou, Yangzhou, China
- Applied Molecular Biology and Biomedicine Lab, Department of Zoology, University of Narowal, Narowal, Pakistan
| | - Zhengyan Liang
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental & Translational Non-Coding RNA Research Yangzhou, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yu Gao
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental & Translational Non-Coding RNA Research Yangzhou, Yangzhou, China
| | - Haibo Sun
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental & Translational Non-Coding RNA Research Yangzhou, Yangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Haibo Sun,
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21
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Robles-Oteiza C, Wu CJ. Editorial overview: Vaccines: Reinvigorating therapeutic cancer vaccines. Curr Opin Immunol 2022; 76:102176. [PMID: 35429774 PMCID: PMC9612210 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2022.102176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Lessons learned from the rapid deployment of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic are reinvigorating the cancer vaccine field. Using delivery platforms including mRNA and synthetic long peptides, recent clinical trials have demonstrated that cancer vaccines are safe, feasible, and can be associated with the generation of antigen-specific memory T cells and, in some cases, durable clinical responses. Despite these advances, fundamental questions remain regarding the optimal delivery platforms and antigen targets to use in cancer vaccines. Ongoing and future studies that harness advances in the identification of novel sources of antigens, the prediction of immunogenic antigens, and the use of single-cell technologies to profile antigen-specific T cells will hopefully reveal correlates with clinical outcomes and provide a mechanistic basis for future progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Robles-Oteiza
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Catherine J Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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22
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Mussafi O, Mei J, Mao W, Wan Y. Immune checkpoint inhibitors for PD-1/PD-L1 axis in combination with other immunotherapies and targeted therapies for non-small cell lung cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:948405. [PMID: 36059606 PMCID: PMC9430651 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.948405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been widely acknowledged that the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) is an effective therapeutic treatment in many late-stage cancers. However, not all patients could benefit from ICI therapy. Several biomarkers, such as high expression of PD-L1, high mutational burden, and higher number of tumor infiltration lymphocytes have shown to predict clinical benefit from immune checkpoint therapies. One approach using ICI in combination with other immunotherapies and targeted therapies is now being investigated to enhance the efficacy of ICI alone. In this review, we summarized the use of other promising immunotherapies and targeted therapies in combination with ICI in treatment of lung cancers. The results from multiple animals and clinical trials were reviewed. We also briefly discussed the possible outlooks for future treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofek Mussafi
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Wuxi People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
- The Pq Laboratory of BiomeDx/Rx, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY, United States
| | - Jie Mei
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Wuxi People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Wenjun Mao
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Wuxi People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
- *Correspondence: Yuan Wan, ; Wenjun Mao,
| | - Yuan Wan
- The Pq Laboratory of BiomeDx/Rx, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Yuan Wan, ; Wenjun Mao,
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Sun Y, Li F, Sonnemann H, Jackson KR, Talukder AH, Katailiha AS, Lizee G. Evolution of CD8 + T Cell Receptor (TCR) Engineered Therapies for the Treatment of Cancer. Cells 2021; 10:cells10092379. [PMID: 34572028 PMCID: PMC8469972 DOI: 10.3390/cells10092379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Engineered T cell receptor T (TCR-T) cell therapy has facilitated the generation of increasingly reliable tumor antigen-specific adaptable cellular products for the treatment of human cancer. TCR-T cell therapies were initially focused on targeting shared tumor-associated peptide targets, including melanoma differentiation and cancer-testis antigens. With recent technological developments, it has become feasible to target neoantigens derived from tumor somatic mutations, which represents a highly personalized therapy, since most neoantigens are patient-specific and are rarely shared between patients. TCR-T therapies have been tested for clinical efficacy in treating solid tumors in many preclinical studies and clinical trials all over the world. However, the efficacy of TCR-T therapy for the treatment of solid tumors has been limited by a number of factors, including low TCR avidity, off-target toxicities, and target antigen loss leading to tumor escape. In this review, we discuss the process of deriving tumor antigen-specific TCRs, including the identification of appropriate tumor antigen targets, expansion of antigen-specific T cells, and TCR cloning and validation, including techniques and tools for TCR-T cell vector construction and expression. We highlight the achievements of recent clinical trials of engineered TCR-T cell therapies and discuss the current challenges and potential solutions for improving their safety and efficacy, insights that may help guide future TCR-T studies in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimo Sun
- Department of Melanoma, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Y.S.); (F.L.); (H.S.); (K.R.J.); (A.H.T.); (A.S.K.)
| | - Fenge Li
- Department of Melanoma, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Y.S.); (F.L.); (H.S.); (K.R.J.); (A.H.T.); (A.S.K.)
| | - Heather Sonnemann
- Department of Melanoma, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Y.S.); (F.L.); (H.S.); (K.R.J.); (A.H.T.); (A.S.K.)
| | - Kyle R. Jackson
- Department of Melanoma, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Y.S.); (F.L.); (H.S.); (K.R.J.); (A.H.T.); (A.S.K.)
| | - Amjad H. Talukder
- Department of Melanoma, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Y.S.); (F.L.); (H.S.); (K.R.J.); (A.H.T.); (A.S.K.)
| | - Arjun S. Katailiha
- Department of Melanoma, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Y.S.); (F.L.); (H.S.); (K.R.J.); (A.H.T.); (A.S.K.)
| | - Gregory Lizee
- Department of Melanoma, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Y.S.); (F.L.); (H.S.); (K.R.J.); (A.H.T.); (A.S.K.)
- Department of Immunology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Correspondence:
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