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Verhaegen Y, Liu L, Nguyen TT, Loy TV, Schols D, Voet ARD, Dehaen W, De Jonghe S. Identification of novel human CC chemokine receptor 8 (CCR8) antagonists via the synthesis of naphthalene amide and sulfonamide isosteres. Bioorg Chem 2024; 145:107181. [PMID: 38354503 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107181] [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: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
The human CC chemokine receptor 8 (CCR8) has been extensively pursued as target for the treatment of various inflammatory disorders. More recently, the importance of CCR8 in the tumor microenvironment has been demonstrated, spurring the interest in CCR8 antagonism as therapeutic strategy in immuno-oncology. On a previously described naphthalene sulfonamide with CCR8 antagonistic properties, the concept of isosterism was applied, leading to the discovery of novel CCR8 antagonists with IC50 values in the nM range in both the CCL1 competition binding and CCR8 calcium mobilization assay. The excellent CCR8 antagonistic activity of the most potent congeners was rationalized by homology molecular modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yenthel Verhaegen
- KU Leuven, Department of Chemistry, Sustainable Chemistry for Metals and Molecules, Celestijnenlaan 200F, box 2404, Leuven 3001 Belgium
| | - Libao Liu
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Herestraat 49, box 1043, Leuven 3000 Belgium
| | - Tien T Nguyen
- KU Leuven, Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, Molecular and Structural Biology, Celestijnenlaan 200G, box 2403 Leuven 3001 Belgium
| | - Tom Van Loy
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Herestraat 49, box 1043, Leuven 3000 Belgium
| | - Dominique Schols
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Herestraat 49, box 1043, Leuven 3000 Belgium
| | - Arnout R D Voet
- KU Leuven, Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, Molecular and Structural Biology, Celestijnenlaan 200G, box 2403 Leuven 3001 Belgium
| | - Wim Dehaen
- KU Leuven, Department of Chemistry, Sustainable Chemistry for Metals and Molecules, Celestijnenlaan 200F, box 2404, Leuven 3001 Belgium
| | - Steven De Jonghe
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Herestraat 49, box 1043, Leuven 3000 Belgium.
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Liu J, Zhang B, Zhang G, Shang D. Reprogramming of regulatory T cells in inflammatory tumor microenvironment: can it become immunotherapy turning point? Front Immunol 2024; 15:1345838. [PMID: 38449875 PMCID: PMC10915070 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1345838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Overcoming the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and identifying widely used immunosuppressants with minimal side effects are two major challenges currently hampering cancer immunotherapy. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are present in almost all cancer tissues and play an important role in preserving autoimmune tolerance and tissue homeostasis. The tumor inflammatory microenvironment causes the reprogramming of Tregs, resulting in the conversion of Tregs to immunosuppressive phenotypes. This process ultimately facilitates tumor immune escape or tumor progression. However, current systemic Treg depletion therapies may lead to severe autoimmune toxicity. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the mechanism of Treg reprogramming and develop immunotherapies that selectively target Tregs within tumors. This article provides a comprehensive review of the potential mechanisms involved in Treg cell reprogramming and explores the application of Treg cell immunotherapy. The interference with reprogramming pathways has shown promise in reducing the number of tumor-associated Tregs or impairing their function during immunotherapy, thereby improving anti-tumor immune responses. Furthermore, a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that drive Treg cell reprogramming could reveal new molecular targets for future treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinming Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Clinical Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Biao Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Clinical Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Guolin Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Dong Shang
- Department of General Surgery, Clinical Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
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Biological characterization of ligands targeting the human CC chemokine receptor 8 (CCR8) reveals the biased signaling properties of small molecule agonists. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 188:114565. [PMID: 33872569 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The human CC chemokine receptor 8 (CCR8) is a promising drug target for cancer immunotherapy and autoimmune disease. Besides human and viral chemokines, previous studies revealed diverse classes of CCR8-targeting small molecules. We characterized a selection of these CCR8 ligands (hCCL1, vCCL1, ZK756326, AZ6; CCR8 agonists and a naphthalene-sulfonamide-based CCR8 antagonist), in in vitro cell-based assays (hCCL1AF647 binding, calcium mobilization, cellular impedance, cell migration, β-arrestin 1/2 recruitment), and used pharmacological tools to determine G protein-dependent and -independent signaling pathways elicited by these ligands. Our data reveal differences in CCR8-mediated signaling induced by chemokines versus small molecules, which was most pronounced in cell migration studies. Human CCL1 most efficiently induced cell migration whereby Gβγ signaling was indispensable. In contrast, Gβγ signaling did not contribute to cell migration induced by other CCR8 ligands (vCCL1, ZK756326, AZ6). Although all tested CCR8 agonists were full agonists for calcium mobilization, a significant contribution for Gβγ signaling herein was only apparent for human and viral CCL1. Despite both Gαi- and Gαq-signaling regulate intracellular Ca2+-release, cellular impedance experiments showed that CCR8 agonists predominantly induce Gαi-dependent signaling. Finally, small molecule agonists displayed higher efficacy in β-arrestin 1 recruitment, which occurred independently of Gαi signaling. Also in this latter assay, only hCCL1-induced activity was dependent on Gβγ-signaling. Our study provides insight into CCR8 signaling and function and demonstrates differential CCR8 activation by different classes of ligands. This reflects the ability of CCR8 small molecules to evoke different subsets of the receptor's signaling repertoire, which categorizes them as biased agonists.
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Recruitment and Expansion of Tregs Cells in the Tumor Environment-How to Target Them? Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13081850. [PMID: 33924428 PMCID: PMC8069615 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13081850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The immune response against cancer is generated by effector T cells, among them cytotoxic CD8+ T cells that destroy cancer cells and helper CD4+ T cells that mediate and support the immune response. This antitumor function of T cells is tightly regulated by a particular subset of CD4+ T cells, named regulatory T cells (Tregs), through different mechanisms. Even if the complete inhibition of Tregs would be extremely harmful due to their tolerogenic role in impeding autoimmune diseases in the periphery, the targeted blockade of their accumulation at tumor sites or their targeted depletion represent a major therapeutic challenge. This review focuses on the mechanisms favoring Treg recruitment, expansion and stabilization in the tumor microenvironment and the therapeutic strategies developed to block these mechanisms. Abstract Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are present in a large majority of solid tumors and are mainly associated with a poor prognosis, as their major function is to inhibit the antitumor immune response contributing to immunosuppression. In this review, we will investigate the mechanisms involved in the recruitment, amplification and stability of Tregs in the tumor microenvironment (TME). We will also review the strategies currently developed to inhibit Tregs’ deleterious impact in the TME by either inhibiting their recruitment, blocking their expansion, favoring their plastic transformation into other CD4+ T-cell subsets, blocking their suppressive function or depleting them specifically in the TME to avoid severe deleterious effects associated with Treg neutralization/depletion in the periphery and normal tissues.
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Blanco-Pérez F, Kato Y, Gonzalez-Menendez I, Laiño J, Ohbayashi M, Burggraf M, Krause M, Kirberg J, Iwakura Y, Martella M, Quintanilla-Martinez L, Shibata N, Vieths S, Scheurer S, Toda M. CCR8 leads to eosinophil migration and regulates neutrophil migration in murine allergic enteritis. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9608. [PMID: 31270368 PMCID: PMC6610106 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45653-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Allergic enteritis (AE) is a gastrointestinal form of food allergy. This study aimed to elucidate cellular and molecular mechanisms of AE using a murine model. To induce AE, BALB/c wild type (WT) mice received intraperitoneal sensitization with ovalbumin (an egg white allergen) plus ALUM and feeding an egg white (EW) diet. Microarray analysis showed enhanced gene expression of CC chemokine receptor (CCR) 8 and its ligand, chemokine CC motif ligand (CCL) 1 in the inflamed jejunum. Histological and FACS analysis showed that CCR8 knock out (KO) mice exhibited slightly less inflammatory features, reduced eosinophil accumulation but accelerated neutrophil accumulation in the jejunums, when compared to WT mice. The concentrations of an eosinophil chemoattractant CCL11 (eotaxin-1), but not of IL-5, were reduced in intestinal homogenates of CCR8KO mice, suggesting an indirect involvement of CCR8 in eosinophil accumulation in AE sites by inducing CCL11 expression. The potential of CCR8 antagonists to treat allergic asthma has been discussed. However, our results suggest that CCR8 blockade may promote neutrophil accumulation in the inflamed intestinal tissues, and not be a suitable therapeutic target for AE, despite the potential to reduce eosinophil accumulation. This study advances our knowledge to establish effective anti-inflammatory strategies in AE treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Blanco-Pérez
- Vice President Research Group "Molecular Allergology", Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Yoichiro Kato
- Department of Pathology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Irene Gonzalez-Menendez
- Institute of Pathology and Neuropathology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen and Comprehensive Cancer Center, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jonathan Laiño
- Vice President Research Group "Molecular Allergology", Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Masaharu Ohbayashi
- Department of Nursing, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Toyohashi SOZO University, Toyohashi, Japan
| | - Manja Burggraf
- Junior Research Group 1 Experimental Allergy Models", Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Maren Krause
- Vice President Research Group "Molecular Allergology", Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Jörg Kirberg
- Division of Immunology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Yoichiro Iwakura
- Center for Animal Disease Models, Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences (RIBS), Tokyo University of Science (TUS), Chiba, Japan
| | - Manuela Martella
- Institute of Pathology and Neuropathology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen and Comprehensive Cancer Center, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Leticia Quintanilla-Martinez
- Institute of Pathology and Neuropathology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen and Comprehensive Cancer Center, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Noriyuki Shibata
- Department of Pathology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Stefan Vieths
- Vice President Research Group "Molecular Allergology", Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Stephan Scheurer
- Vice President Research Group "Molecular Allergology", Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Masako Toda
- Vice President Research Group "Molecular Allergology", Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany. .,Junior Research Group 1 Experimental Allergy Models", Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany. .,Laboratory of Food and Biomolecular Science, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
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Dahlmann F, Sewald K. Use of nonhuman primates in obstructive lung disease research - is it required? Primate Biol 2017; 4:131-142. [PMID: 32110701 PMCID: PMC7041527 DOI: 10.5194/pb-4-131-2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In times of increasing costs for health insurances, obstructive lung
diseases are a burden for both the patients and the economy. Pulmonary symptoms
of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are similar;
nevertheless, the diseases differ in pathophysiology and therapeutic
approaches. Novel therapeutics are continuously developed, and nonhuman
primates (NHPs) provide valuable models for investigating novel biologicals
regarding efficacy and safety. This review discusses the role of nonhuman primate models for drug
development in asthma and COPD and investigates whether alternative methods
are able to prevent animal experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Dahlmann
- German Primate Center GmbH, Infection Pathology Unit, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.,Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Preclinical Pharmacology and Immunology, Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease Hannover (BREATH), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Nikolai-Fuchs-Straße 1, 30625 Hanover, Germany
| | - Katherina Sewald
- Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Preclinical Pharmacology and Immunology, Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease Hannover (BREATH), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Nikolai-Fuchs-Straße 1, 30625 Hanover, Germany
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Nambiar J, Clarke AW, Shim D, Mabon D, Tian C, Windloch K, Buhmann C, Corazon B, Lindgren M, Pollard M, Domagala T, Poulton L, Doyle AG. Potent neutralizing anti-CD1d antibody reduces lung cytokine release in primate asthma model. MAbs 2016; 7:638-50. [PMID: 25751125 PMCID: PMC4623119 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2015.1016693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
CD1d is a receptor on antigen-presenting cells involved in triggering cell populations, particularly natural killer T (NKT) cells, to release high levels of cytokines. NKT cells are implicated in asthma pathology and blockade of the CD1d/NKT cell pathway may have therapeutic potential. We developed a potent anti-human CD1d antibody (NIB.2) that possesses high affinity for human and cynomolgus macaque CD1d (KD ∼100 pM) and strong neutralizing activity in human primary cell-based assays (IC50 typically <100 pM). By epitope mapping experiments, we showed that NIB.2 binds to CD1d in close proximity to the interface of CD1d and the Type 1 NKT cell receptor β-chain. Together with data showing that NIB.2 inhibited stimulation via CD1d loaded with different glycolipids, this supports a mechanism whereby NIB.2 inhibits NKT cell activation by inhibiting Type 1 NKT cell receptor β-chain interactions with CD1d, independent of the lipid antigen in the CD1d antigen-binding cleft. The strong in vitro potency of NIB.2 was reflected in vivo in an Ascaris suum cynomolgus macaque asthma model. Compared with vehicle control, NIB.2 treatment significantly reduced bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) levels of Ascaris-induced cytokines IL-5, IL-8 and IL-1 receptor antagonist, and significantly reduced baseline levels of GM-CSF, IL-6, IL-15, IL-12/23p40, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, and VEGF. At a cellular population level NIB.2 also reduced numbers of BAL lymphocytes and macrophages, and blood eosinophils and basophils. We demonstrate that anti-CD1d antibody blockade of the CD1d/NKT pathway modulates inflammatory parameters in vivo in a primate inflammation model, with therapeutic potential for diseases where the local cytokine milieu is critical.
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Key Words
- AHR, airway hyper-reactivity; APC, antigen-presenting cell; AUC, area under the curve; BAL, broncho-alveolar lavage; BSA, bovine serum albumin; CHO, Chinese hamster ovary; ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; G-CSF, granulocyte colony stimulating fac
- CD1d, NKT cell, antibody, asthma, cytokine
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Nambiar
- a Teva Pharmaceuticals Australia Pty. Ltd. ; North Ryde , NSW Australia
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Chemokine receptor CCR8 is required for lipopolysaccharide-triggered cytokine production in mouse peritoneal macrophages. PLoS One 2014; 9:e94445. [PMID: 24714157 PMCID: PMC3979852 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2013] [Accepted: 03/16/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 8 (CCR8), the chemokine receptor for chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 1 (CCL1), is expressed in T-helper type-2 lymphocytes and peritoneal macrophages (PMφ) and is involved in various pathological conditions, including peritoneal adhesions. However, the role of CCR8 in inflammatory responses is not fully elucidated. To investigate the function of CCR8 in macrophages, we compared cytokine secretion from mouse PMφ or bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMφ) stimulated with various Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands in CCR8 deficient (CCR8-/-) and wild-type (WT) mice. We found that CCR8-/- PMφ demonstrated attenuated secretion of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10 when stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In particular, LPS-induced IL-10 production absolutely required CCR8. CCR8-dependent cytokine secretion was characteristic of PMφ but not BMMφ. To further investigate this result, we selected the small molecule compound R243 from a library of compounds with CCR8-antagonistic effects on CCL1-induced Ca2+ flux and CCL1-driven PMφ aggregation. Similar to CCR8-/- PMφ, R243 attenuated secretion of TNF-α, IL-6, and most strikingly IL-10 from WT PMφ, but not BMMφ. CCR8-/- PMφ and R243-treated WT PMφ both showed suppressed c-jun N-terminal kinase activity and nuclear factor-κB signaling after LPS treatment when compared with WT PMφ. A c-Jun signaling pathway inhibitor also produced an inhibitory effect on LPS-induced cytokine secretion that was similar to that of CCR8 deficiency or R243 treatment. As seen in CCR8-/- mice, administration of R243 attenuated peritoneal adhesions in vivo. R243 also prevented hapten-induced colitis. These results are indicative of cross talk between signaling pathways downstream of CCR8 and TLR-4 that induces cytokine production by PMφ. Through use of CCR8-/- mice and the new CCR8 inhibitor, R243, we identified a novel macrophage innate immune response pathway that involves a chemokine receptor.
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Cullinan P, Lloyd CM. Year in review 2013: basic science and epidemiology. Thorax 2014; 69:505-7. [PMID: 24682518 DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2014-205423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Cullinan
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, London, UK
| | - Clare M Lloyd
- Leukocyte Biology, NHLI, Imperial College, London, UK
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