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Somatilaka BN, Madana L, Sadek A, Chen Z, Chandrasekaran S, McKay RM, Le LQ. STING activation reprograms the microenvironment to sensitize NF1-related malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors for immunotherapy. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e176748. [PMID: 38502231 PMCID: PMC11093615 DOI: 10.1172/jci176748] [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: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is caused by mutations in the NF1 gene that encodes neurofibromin, a RAS GTPase-activating protein. Inactivating NF1 mutations cause hyperactivation of RAS-mediated signaling, resulting in the development of multiple neoplasms, including malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs). MPNSTs are an aggressive tumor and the main cause of mortality in patients with NF1. MPNSTs are difficult to resect and refractory to chemo- and radiotherapy, and no molecular therapies currently exist. Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is an approach to treat inoperable, undruggable cancers like MPNST, but successful outcomes require an immune cell-rich tumor microenvironment. While MPNSTs are noninflamed "cold" tumors, here, we converted MPNSTs into T cell-inflamed "hot" tumors by activating stimulator of IFN genes (STING) signaling. Mouse genetic and human xenograft MPNST models treated with a STING agonist plus ICB exhibited growth delay via increased apoptotic cell death. This strategy offers a potential treatment regimen for MPNSTs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Sanjay Chandrasekaran
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology
| | | | - Lu Q. Le
- Department of Dermatology
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center
- University of Texas Southwestern Comprehensive Neurofibromatosis Clinic
- Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, and
- O’Donnell Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
- Department of Dermatology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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Stergiopoulos GM, Iankov I, Galanis E. Personalizing Oncolytic Immunovirotherapy Approaches. Mol Diagn Ther 2024; 28:153-168. [PMID: 38150172 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-023-00689-4] [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] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Development of successful cancer therapeutics requires exploration of the differences in genetics, metabolism, and interactions with the immune system among malignant and normal cells. The clinical observation of spontaneous tumor regression following natural infection with microorganism has created the premise of their use as cancer therapeutics. Oncolytic viruses (OVs) originate from viruses with attenuated virulence in humans, well-characterized vaccine strains of known human pathogens, or engineered replication-deficient viral vectors. Their selectivity is based on receptor expression level and post entry restriction factors that favor replication in the tumor, while keeping the normal cells unharmed. Clinical trials have demonstrated a wide range of patient responses to virotherapy, with subgroups of patients significantly benefiting from OV administration. Tumor-specific gene signatures, including antiviral interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) expression profile, have demonstrated a strong correlation with tumor permissiveness to infection. Furthermore, the combination of OVs with immunotherapeutics, including anticancer vaccines and immune checkpoint inhibitors [ICIs, such as anti-PD-1/PD-L1 or anti-CTLA-4 and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T or CAR-NK cells], could synergistically improve the therapeutic outcome. Creating response prediction algorithms represents an important step for the transition to individualized immunovirotherapy approaches in the clinic. Integrative predictors could include tumor mutational burden (TMB), inflammatory gene signature, phenotype of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, tumor microenvironment (TME), and immune checkpoint receptor expression on both immune and target cells. Additionally, the gut microbiota has recently been recognized as a systemic immunomodulatory factor and could further be used in the optimization of individualized immunovirotherapy algorithms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ianko Iankov
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
| | - Evanthia Galanis
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
- Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
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Hedberg J, Studebaker A, Smith L, Chen CY, Westfall JJ, Cam M, Gross A, Hernandez-Aguirre I, Martin A, Kim D, Dhital R, Kim Y, Roberts RD, Cripe TP, Mardis ER, Cassady KA, Leonard J, Miller KE. Oncolytic virus-driven immune remodeling revealed in mouse medulloblastomas at single cell resolution. Mol Ther Oncolytics 2023; 30:39-55. [PMID: 37583388 PMCID: PMC10424001 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2023.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Oncolytic viruses, modified for tumor-restricted infection, are a promising cancer immunotherapeutic, yet much remains to be understood about factors driving their activity and outcome in the tumor microenvironment. Here, we report that oncolytic herpes simplex virus C134, previously found to exert T cell-dependent efficacy in mouse models of glioblastoma, exerts T cell-independent efficacy in mouse models of medulloblastoma, indicating this oncolytic virus uses different mechanisms in different tumors. We investigated C134's behavior in mouse medulloblastomas, using single cell RNA sequencing to map C134-induced gene expression changes across cell types, timepoints, and medulloblastoma subgroup models at whole-transcriptome resolution. Our work details substantial oncolytic virus-induced transcriptional remodeling of medulloblastoma-infiltrating immune cells, 10 subpopulations of monocytes and macrophages collectively demonstrating M1-like responses to C134, and suggests C134 be investigated as a potential new therapy for medulloblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Hedberg
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
- The Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Adam Studebaker
- The Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Luke Smith
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Chun-Yu Chen
- The Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Jesse J. Westfall
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Maren Cam
- The Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Amy Gross
- The Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Ilse Hernandez-Aguirre
- The Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Alexia Martin
- The Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Doyeon Kim
- The Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Ravi Dhital
- The Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Yeaseul Kim
- The Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Ryan D. Roberts
- The Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology/BMT, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Timothy P. Cripe
- The Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology/BMT, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Elaine R. Mardis
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Kevin A. Cassady
- The Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Jeffrey Leonard
- The Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Katherine E. Miller
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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