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Thapa B, Kato S, Nishizaki D, Miyashita H, Lee S, Nesline MK, Previs RA, Conroy JM, DePietro P, Pabla S, Kurzrock R. OX40/OX40 ligand and its role in precision immune oncology. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2024; 43:1001-1013. [PMID: 38526805 PMCID: PMC11300540 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-024-10184-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors have changed the treatment landscape for various malignancies; however, their benefit is limited to a subset of patients. The immune machinery includes both mediators of suppression/immune evasion, such as PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4, and LAG-3, all of which can be inhibited by specific antibodies, and immune-stimulatory molecules, such as T-cell co-stimulatory receptors that belong to the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF), including OX40 receptor (CD134; TNFRSF4), 4-1BB (CD137; TNFRSF9), and glucocorticoid-induced TNFR-related (GITR) protein (CD357; TNFRSF18). In particular, OX40 and its binding ligand OX40L (CD134L; TNFSF4; CD252) are critical for immunoregulation. When OX40 on activated T cells binds OX40L on antigen-presenting cells, T-cell activation and immune stimulation are initiated via enhanced T-cell survival, proliferation and cytotoxicity, memory T-cell formation, and abrogation of regulatory T cell (Treg) immunosuppressive functions. OX40 agonists are in clinical trials both as monotherapy and in combination with other immunotherapy agents, in particular specific checkpoint inhibitors, for cancer treatment. To date, however, only a minority of patients respond. Transcriptomic profiling reveals that OX40 and OX40L expression vary between and within tumor types, and that only ~ 17% of cancer patients have high OX40 and low OX40L, one of the expression patterns that might be theoretically amenable to OX40 agonist enhancement. Taken together, the data suggest that the OX40/OX40L machinery is a critical part of the immune stimulatory system and that understanding endogenous expression patterns of these molecules and co-existing checkpoints merits further investigation in the context of a precision immunotherapy strategy for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bicky Thapa
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
| | - Shumei Kato
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of California San Diego, Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Daisuke Nishizaki
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of California San Diego, Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Suzanna Lee
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of California San Diego, Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Razelle Kurzrock
- MCW Cancer Center and Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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Willoughby JE, Dou L, Bhattacharya S, Jackson H, Seestaller-Wehr L, Kilian D, Bover L, Voo KS, Cox KL, Murray T, John M, Shi H, Bojczuk P, Jing J, Niederer H, Shepherd AJ, Hook L, Hopley S, Inzhelevskaya T, Penfold CA, Mockridge CI, English V, Brett SJ, Srinivasan R, Hopson C, Smothers J, Hoos A, Paul E, Martin SL, Morley PJ, Yanamandra N, Cragg MS. Impact of isotype on the mechanism of action of agonist anti-OX40 antibodies in cancer: implications for therapeutic combinations. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008677. [PMID: 38964788 PMCID: PMC11227834 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008677] [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] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND OX40 has been widely studied as a target for immunotherapy with agonist antibodies taken forward into clinical trials for cancer where they are yet to show substantial efficacy. Here, we investigated potential mechanisms of action of anti-mouse (m) OX40 and anti-human (h) OX40 antibodies, including a clinically relevant monoclonal antibody (mAb) (GSK3174998) and evaluated how isotype can alter those mechanisms with the aim to develop improved antibodies for use in rational combination treatments for cancer. METHODS Anti-mOX40 and anti-hOX40 mAbs were evaluated in a number of in vivo models, including an OT-I adoptive transfer immunization model in hOX40 knock-in (KI) mice and syngeneic tumor models. The impact of FcγR engagement was evaluated in hOX40 KI mice deficient for Fc gamma receptors (FcγR). Additionally, combination studies using anti-mouse programmed cell death protein-1 (mPD-1) were assessed. In vitro experiments using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) examining possible anti-hOX40 mAb mechanisms of action were also performed. RESULTS Isotype variants of the clinically relevant mAb GSK3174998 showed immunomodulatory effects that differed in mechanism; mIgG1 mediated direct T-cell agonism while mIgG2a acted indirectly, likely through depletion of regulatory T cells (Tregs) via activating FcγRs. In both the OT-I and EG.7-OVA models, hIgG1 was the most effective human isotype, capable of acting both directly and through Treg depletion. The anti-hOX40 hIgG1 synergized with anti-mPD-1 to improve therapeutic outcomes in the EG.7-OVA model. Finally, in vitro assays with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMCs), anti-hOX40 hIgG1 also showed the potential for T-cell stimulation and Treg depletion. CONCLUSIONS These findings underline the importance of understanding the role of isotype in the mechanism of action of therapeutic mAbs. As an hIgG1, the anti-hOX40 mAb can elicit multiple mechanisms of action that could aid or hinder therapeutic outcomes, dependent on the microenvironment. This should be considered when designing potential combinatorial partners and their FcγR requirements to achieve maximal benefit and improvement of patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane E Willoughby
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Lang Dou
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | | | - Heather Jackson
- Immuno-Oncology and Combinations RU, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Laura Seestaller-Wehr
- Immuno-Oncology and Combinations RU, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - David Kilian
- Immuno-Oncology and Combinations RU, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Laura Bover
- Immunology Department/ Genomics Medicine Department, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Kui S Voo
- ORBIT, Institute of Applied Cancer Science, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Kerry L Cox
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Tom Murray
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Mel John
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Hong Shi
- Immuno-Oncology and Combinations RU, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Paul Bojczuk
- Immuno-Oncology and Combinations RU, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Junping Jing
- Immuno-Oncology and Combinations RU, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Heather Niederer
- Biopharm Discovery, GlaxoSmithKline Research & Development Limited, Stevenage, UK
| | - Andrew J Shepherd
- Protein, Cellular and Structural Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline Research & Development Limited, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, UK
| | - Laura Hook
- Biopharm Discovery, GlaxoSmithKline Research & Development Limited, Stevenage, UK
| | - Stephanie Hopley
- Biopharm Discovery, GlaxoSmithKline Research & Development Limited, Stevenage, UK
| | - Tatyana Inzhelevskaya
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Chris A Penfold
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - C Ian Mockridge
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Vikki English
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Sara J Brett
- Immuno-Oncology and Combinations RU, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Roopa Srinivasan
- Immuno-Oncology and Combinations RU, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Christopher Hopson
- Immuno-Oncology and Combinations RU, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - James Smothers
- Immuno-Oncology and Combinations RU, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Axel Hoos
- Immuno-Oncology and Combinations RU, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Elaine Paul
- Immuno-Oncology and Combinations RU, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
- GlaxoSmithKline, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Stephen L Martin
- Biopharm Discovery, GlaxoSmithKline Research & Development Limited, Stevenage, UK
| | - Peter J Morley
- Immunology Research Unit, GlaxoSmithKline Research & Development Limited, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, UK
| | - Niranjan Yanamandra
- Immuno-Oncology and Combinations RU, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mark S Cragg
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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Zhuang H, Tang C, Lin H, Zhang Z, Chen X, Wang W, Wang Q, Tan W, Yang L, Xie Z, Wang B, Chen B, Shang C, Chen Y. A novel risk score system based on immune subtypes for identifying optimal mRNA vaccination population in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2024:10.1007/s13402-024-00921-1. [PMID: 38315287 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-024-00921-1] [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] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Although mRNA vaccines have shown certain clinical benefits in multiple malignancies, their therapeutic efficacies against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains uncertain. This study focused on establishing a novel risk score system based on immune subtypes so as to identify optimal HCC mRNA vaccination population. METHODS GEPIA, cBioPortal and TIMER databases were utilized to identify candidate genes for mRNA vaccination in HCC. Subsequently, immune subtypes were constructed based on the candidate genes. According to the differential expressed genes among various immune subtypes, a risk score system was established using machine learning algorithm. Besides, multi-color immunofluorescence of tumor tissues from 72 HCC patients were applied to validate the feasibility and efficiency of the risk score system. RESULTS Twelve overexpressed and mutated genes associated with poor survival and APCs infiltration were identified as potential candidate targets for mRNA vaccination. Three immune subtypes (e.g. IS1, IS2 and IS3) with distinct clinicopathological and molecular profiles were constructed according to the 12 candidate genes. Based on the immune subtype, a risk score system was developed, and according to the risk score from low to high, HCC patients were classified into four subgroups on average (e.g. RS1, RS2, RS3 and RS4). RS4 mainly overlapped with IS3, RS1 with IS2, and RS2+RS3 with IS1. ROC analysis also suggested the significant capacity of the risk score to distinguish between the three immune subtypes. Higher risk score exhibited robustly predictive ability for worse survival, which was further independently proved by multi-color immunofluorescence of HCC samples. Notably, RS4 tumors exhibited an increased immunosuppressive phenotype, higher expression of the twelve potential candidate targets and increased genome altered fraction, and therefore might benefit more from vaccination. CONCLUSIONS This novel risk score system based on immune subtypes enabled the identification of RS4 tumor that, due to its highly immunosuppressive microenvironment, may benefit from HCC mRNA vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongkai Zhuang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Chenwei Tang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Han Lin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070, China
| | - Zedan Zhang
- Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, 100034, China
| | - Xinming Chen
- Shenshan Medical Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shanwei, 516400, China
| | - Wentao Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Qingbin Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Wenliang Tan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Lei Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Zhiqin Xie
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Bingkun Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Bo Chen
- Department of Breast Cancer, Cancer Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Changzhen Shang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Yajin Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
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Zhan J, Zhou L, Zhang H, Zhou J, He Y, Hu T, Le Y, Lin Y, Wang J, Yu H, Liu Y, Xiang X. A comprehensive analysis of the expression, immune infiltration, prognosis and partial experimental validation of CHST family genes in gastric cancer. Transl Oncol 2024; 40:101843. [PMID: 38101175 PMCID: PMC10727950 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2023.101843] [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: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that carbohydrate sulfotransferase family proteins (CHSTs) play a crucial role in the extracellular matrix structural constituent and cancer progression, however, the effect of CHSTs on gastric cancer is still superficial. To investigate these, our study seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of CHSTs' expression, immune infiltration, and prognostic implications in gastric cancer, utilizing data from the TCGA, GEO and GTEx databases. Furthermore, we conducted experimental validation to elucidate the role of CHST14 specifically in gastric cancer. Our findings suggest that most CHSTs were highly expressed in gastric cancer. Gene copy number variations further indicated prevalent CHSTs amplification in gastric cancer, pointing to its potential relevance in disease progression. Intriguingly, we noted strong positive correlations between most CHSTs and immune cell infiltration. Importantly, most members of CHSTs were related to OS and PFI with gastric cancer, with particular emphasis on CHST14 and CHST9. Multifactorial regression analysis indicates that CHST14 is an independent prognostic factor influencing the overall survival of gastric cancer patients. In further experimental validation, our results demonstrate elevated expression of CHST14 in gastric cancer, and knocking down CHST14 inhibits gastric cancer cell proliferation, invasion, migration and EMT. Additionally, CHST14 may exert its function through the regulation of the Wnt pathway. In summary, our study comprehensively analyzes the hitherto undescribed role of CHSTs in gastric cancer through the analysis of multi-omics data. Importantly, we identify CHST14 as a pivotal promoter in the malignant progression of gastric cancer, offering potential targets for gastric cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinbo Zhan
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Avenue, Nanchang, Jiangxi, PR China; Department of Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Individualized Cancer Therapy, 17 Yongwai Street, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, PR China
| | - Ling Zhou
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Avenue, Nanchang, Jiangxi, PR China; Department of Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Individualized Cancer Therapy, 17 Yongwai Street, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, PR China
| | - Hongjiao Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Avenue, Nanchang, Jiangxi, PR China; Department of Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Individualized Cancer Therapy, 17 Yongwai Street, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, PR China
| | - Juanjuan Zhou
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Avenue, Nanchang, Jiangxi, PR China; Department of Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Individualized Cancer Therapy, 17 Yongwai Street, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, PR China
| | - Yan He
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Avenue, Nanchang, Jiangxi, PR China; Department of Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Individualized Cancer Therapy, 17 Yongwai Street, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, PR China
| | - Tingting Hu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Avenue, Nanchang, Jiangxi, PR China; Department of Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Individualized Cancer Therapy, 17 Yongwai Street, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, PR China
| | - Yi Le
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Avenue, Nanchang, Jiangxi, PR China; Department of Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Individualized Cancer Therapy, 17 Yongwai Street, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, PR China
| | - Yun Lin
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Avenue, Nanchang, Jiangxi, PR China; Department of Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Individualized Cancer Therapy, 17 Yongwai Street, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, PR China
| | - Jingru Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Avenue, Nanchang, Jiangxi, PR China; Department of Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Individualized Cancer Therapy, 17 Yongwai Street, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, PR China
| | - Haiming Yu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Avenue, Nanchang, Jiangxi, PR China; Department of Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Individualized Cancer Therapy, 17 Yongwai Street, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, PR China
| | - Yawen Liu
- Department of Oncology, Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, 318 Bayi Road, Nanchang 330006, PR China.
| | - Xiaojun Xiang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Avenue, Nanchang, Jiangxi, PR China; Department of Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Individualized Cancer Therapy, 17 Yongwai Street, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, PR China.
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Sauerer T, Velázquez GF, Schmid C. Relapse of acute myeloid leukemia after allogeneic stem cell transplantation: immune escape mechanisms and current implications for therapy. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:180. [PMID: 37951964 PMCID: PMC10640763 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01889-6] [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: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease characterized by the expansion of immature myeloid cells in the bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) resulting in failure of normal hematopoiesis and life-threating cytopenia. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is an established therapy with curative potential. Nevertheless, post-transplant relapse is common and associated with poor prognosis, representing the major cause of death after allo-HCT. The occurrence of relapse after initially successful allo-HCT indicates that the donor immune system is first able to control the leukemia, which at a later stage develops evasion strategies to escape from immune surveillance. In this review we first provide a comprehensive overview of current knowledge regarding immune escape in AML after allo-HCT, including dysregulated HLA, alterations in immune checkpoints and changes leading to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In the second part, we draw the line from bench to bedside and elucidate to what extend immune escape mechanisms of relapsed AML are yet exploited in treatment strategies. Finally, we give an outlook how new emerging technologies could help to improve the therapy for these patients, and elucidate potential new treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatjana Sauerer
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Augsburg University Hospital and Medical Faculty, Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF) and Comprehensive Cancer Center Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Giuliano Filippini Velázquez
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Augsburg University Hospital and Medical Faculty, Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF) and Comprehensive Cancer Center Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Schmid
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Augsburg University Hospital and Medical Faculty, Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF) and Comprehensive Cancer Center Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany.
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Kugeratski FG, LeBleu VS, Dowlatshahi DP, Sugimoto H, Arian KA, Fan Y, Huang L, Wells D, Lilla S, Hodge K, Zanivan S, McAndrews KM, Kalluri R. Engineered immunomodulatory extracellular vesicles derived from epithelial cells acquire capacity for positive and negative T cell co-stimulation in cancer and autoimmunity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.02.565371. [PMID: 37961535 PMCID: PMC10635085 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.02.565371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are generated by all cells and systemic administration of allogenic EVs derived from epithelial and mesenchymal cells have been shown to be safe, despite carrying an array of functional molecules, including thousands of proteins. To address whether epithelial cells derived EVs can be modified to acquire the capacity to induce immune response, we engineered 293T EVs to harbor the immunomodulatory CD80, OX40L and PD-L1 molecules. We demonstrated abundant levels of these proteins on the engineered cells and EVs. Functionally, the engineered EVs efficiently elicit positive and negative co-stimulation in human and murine T cells. In the setting of cancer and auto-immune hepatitis, the engineered EVs modulate T cell functions and alter disease progression. Moreover, OX40L EVs provide additional benefit to anti-CTLA-4 treatment in melanoma-bearing mice. Our work provides evidence that epithelial cell derived EVs can be engineered to induce immune responses with translational potential to modulate T cell functions in distinct pathological settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda G. Kugeratski
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Valerie S. LeBleu
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Dara P. Dowlatshahi
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Hikaru Sugimoto
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Kent A. Arian
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Yibo Fan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Li Huang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Danielle Wells
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Sergio Lilla
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow, G61 1BD UK
| | - Kelly Hodge
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow, G61 1BD UK
| | - Sara Zanivan
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow, G61 1BD UK
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Kathleen M. McAndrews
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Raghu Kalluri
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Fromm G, de Silva S, Schreiber TH. Reconciling intrinsic properties of activating TNF receptors by native ligands versus synthetic agonists. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1236332. [PMID: 37795079 PMCID: PMC10546206 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1236332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The extracellular domain of tumor necrosis factor receptors (TNFR) generally require assembly into a homotrimeric quaternary structure as a prerequisite for initiation of signaling via the cytoplasmic domains. TNF receptor homotrimers are natively activated by similarly homo-trimerized TNF ligands, but can also be activated by synthetic agonists including engineered antibodies and Fc-ligand fusion proteins. A large body of literature from pre-clinical models supports the hypothesis that synthetic agonists targeting a diverse range of TNF receptors (including 4-1BB, CD40, OX40, GITR, DR5, TNFRSF25, HVEM, LTβR, CD27, and CD30) could amplify immune responses to provide clinical benefit in patients with infectious diseases or cancer. Unfortunately, however, the pre-clinical attributes of synthetic TNF receptor agonists have not translated well in human clinical studies, and have instead raised fundamental questions regarding the intrinsic biology of TNF receptors. Clinical observations of bell-shaped dose response curves have led some to hypothesize that TNF receptor overstimulation is possible and can lead to anergy and/or activation induced cell death of target cells. Safety issues including liver toxicity and cytokine release syndrome have also been observed in humans, raising questions as to whether those toxicities are driven by overstimulation of the targeted TNF receptor, a non-TNF receptor related attribute of the synthetic agonist, or both. Together, these clinical findings have limited the development of many TNF receptor agonists, and may have prevented generation of clinical data which reflects the full potential of TNF receptor agonism. A number of recent studies have provided structural insights into how different TNF receptor agonists bind and cluster TNF receptors, and these insights aid in deconvoluting the intrinsic biology of TNF receptors with the mechanistic underpinnings of synthetic TNF receptor agonist therapeutics.
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8
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Redmond WL. Challenges and opportunities in the development of combination immunotherapy with OX40 agonists. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2023; 23:901-912. [PMID: 37587644 PMCID: PMC10530613 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2023.2249396] [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: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Costimulatory members of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family, such as OX40 (CD134), provide essential survival and differentiation signals that enhance T cell function. Specifically, OX40 (CD134) agonists stimulate potent anti-tumor immunity in a variety of preclinical models but their therapeutic impact in patients with advanced malignancies has been limited thus far. AREAS COVERED In this review, we discuss the current state of combination immunotherapy with OX40 agonists including preclinical studies and recent clinical trials. We also discuss the strengths and limitations of these approaches and provide insight into alternatives that may help enhance the efficacy of combination OX40 agonist immunotherapy. EXPERT OPINION OX40 agonist immunotherapy has not yet demonstrated significant clinical activity as a monotherapy or in combination with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), likely due to several factors including the timing of administration, drug potency, and selection of agents for combination therapy clinical trials. We believe that careful consideration of the biological mechanisms regulating OX40 expression and function may help inform new approaches, particularly in combination with novel agents, capable of increasing the therapeutic efficacy of this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- William L Redmond
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, 4805 NE Glisan St., 2N35, Portland, OR, 97213
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9
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Han J, Dong L, Wu M, Ma F. Dynamic polarization of tumor-associated macrophages and their interaction with intratumoral T cells in an inflamed tumor microenvironment: from mechanistic insights to therapeutic opportunities. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1160340. [PMID: 37251409 PMCID: PMC10219223 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1160340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has brought a paradigm shift in the treatment of tumors in recent decades. However, a significant proportion of patients remain unresponsive, largely due to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play crucial roles in shaping the TME by exhibiting dual identities as both mediators and responders of inflammation. TAMs closely interact with intratumoral T cells, regulating their infiltration, activation, expansion, effector function, and exhaustion through multiple secretory and surface factors. Nevertheless, the heterogeneous and plastic nature of TAMs renders the targeting of any of these factors alone inadequate and poses significant challenges for mechanistic studies and clinical translation of corresponding therapies. In this review, we present a comprehensive summary of the mechanisms by which TAMs dynamically polarize to influence intratumoral T cells, with a focus on their interaction with other TME cells and metabolic competition. For each mechanism, we also discuss relevant therapeutic opportunities, including non-specific and targeted approaches in combination with checkpoint inhibitors and cellular therapies. Our ultimate goal is to develop macrophage-centered therapies that can fine-tune tumor inflammation and empower immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiashu Han
- 4+4 Medical Doctor Program, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Dongcheng, Beijing, China
| | - Luochu Dong
- 4+4 Medical Doctor Program, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Dongcheng, Beijing, China
| | - Mengwei Wu
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (CAMS), Beijing, China
| | - Fei Ma
- Center for National Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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10
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Oncolytic Newcastle disease virus expressing the co-stimulator OX40L as immunopotentiator for colorectal cancer therapy. Gene Ther 2023; 30:64-74. [PMID: 34602608 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-021-00256-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
NDV as an attractive candidate for oncolytic immunotherapy selectively lyses tumor cells but shows limited anti-tumor immunity. Immune co-stimulator OX40 ligand (OX40L) boosts anti-tumor immunity response by delivering a potent costimulatory signal to CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. To improve the anti-tumor immunity of NDV, the recombinant NDV expressing the murine OX40L (rNDV-mOX40L) was engineered. The viral growth kinetics was examined in CT26 cell lines. The ability of rNDV-mOX40L to express mOX40L was detected in the infected tumor cells and tumor tissues. The anti-tumor activity of rNDV-mOX40L was studied in the CT26 animal model. Tumor-specific CD4+, CD8+ and OX40+ T cells were examined by immunohistochemistry staining. The virus growth curve showed that the insertion of the mOX40L gene did not affect the growth kinetics of NDV. rNDV-mOX40L expresses mOX40L and effectively inhibits the growth of CT26 colorectal cancer in vivo. The tumor inhibition rate of the rNDV-mOX40L-treated group was increased by 15.8% compared to that of NDV-treated group in the CT26 model. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry staining of tumor tissues removed from the CT26 model revealed that intense infiltration of tumor-specific CD4+, CD8+ T cells, especially OX40+ T cells were found in the rNDV-mOX40L-treated group. FACS showed that rNDV-mOX40L significantly enhanced the number of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in spleen. Moreover, compared to the NDV-treated group, the level of mouse IFN-γ protein in the tumor site increased significantly in the rNDV-mOX40L-treated group. Taken together, rNDV-mOX40L exhibited superior anti-tumor immunity by stimulating tumor-specific T cells and may be a promising agent for cancer immunotherapy.
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11
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Müller D. Targeting Co-Stimulatory Receptors of the TNF Superfamily for Cancer Immunotherapy. BioDrugs 2023; 37:21-33. [PMID: 36571696 PMCID: PMC9836981 DOI: 10.1007/s40259-022-00573-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The clinical approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors is an important advancement in the field of cancer immunotherapy. However, the percentage of beneficiaries is still limited and it is becoming clear that combination therapies are required to further enhance the treatment efficacy. The potential of strategies targeting the immunoregulatory network by "hitting the gas pedal" as opposed to "blocking the brakes" is being recognized and intensively investigated. Hence, next to immune checkpoint inhibitors, agonists of co-stimulatory receptors of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily (TNF-SF) are emerging as promising options to expand the immunomodulatory toolbox. In this review the development of different categories of recombinant antibody and ligand-based agonists of 4-1BB, OX40, and GITR is summarized and discussed in the context of the challenges presented by the structural and mechanistical features of the TNFR-SF. An overview of current formats, trends, and clinical studies is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dafne Müller
- grid.5719.a0000 0004 1936 9713Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Stuttgart, Allmandring 31, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
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12
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Davis EJ, Martin-Liberal J, Kristeleit R, Cho DC, Blagden SP, Berthold D, Cardin DB, Vieito M, Miller RE, Hari Dass P, Orcurto A, Spencer K, Janik JE, Clark J, Condamine T, Pulini J, Chen X, Mehnert JM. First-in-human phase I/II, open-label study of the anti-OX40 agonist INCAGN01949 in patients with advanced solid tumors. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2021-004235. [PMID: 36316061 PMCID: PMC9628691 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-004235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND OX40 is a costimulatory receptor upregulated on antigen-activated T cells and constitutively expressed on regulatory T cells (Tregs). INCAGN01949, a fully human immunoglobulin G1κ anti-OX40 agonist monoclonal antibody, was designed to promote tumor-specific immunity by effector T-cell activation and Fcγ receptor-mediated Treg depletion. This first-in-human study was conducted to determine the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of INCAGN01949. METHODS Phase I/II, open-label, non-randomized, dose-escalation and dose-expansion study conducted in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors. Patients received INCAGN01949 monotherapy (7-1400 mg) in 14-day cycles while deriving benefit. Safety measures, clinical activity, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamic effects were assessed and summarized with descriptive statistics. RESULTS Eighty-seven patients were enrolled; most common tumor types were colorectal (17.2%), ovarian (8.0%), and non-small cell lung (6.9%) cancers. Patients received a median three (range 1-9) prior therapies, including immunotherapy in 24 patients (27.6%). Maximum tolerated dose was not reached; one patient (1.1%) receiving 350 mg dose reported dose-limiting toxicity of grade 3 colitis. Treatment-related adverse events were reported in 45 patients (51.7%), with fatigue (16 (18.4%)), rash (6 (6.9%)), and diarrhea (6 (6.9%)) being most frequent. One patient (1.1%) with metastatic gallbladder cancer achieved a partial response (duration of 6.3 months), and 23 patients (26.4%) achieved stable disease (lasting >6 months in one patient). OX40 receptor occupancy was maintained over 90% among all patients receiving doses of ≥200 mg, while no treatment-emergent antidrug antibodies were detected across all dose levels. Pharmacodynamic results demonstrated that treatment with INCAGN01949 did not enhance proliferation or activation of T cells in peripheral blood or reduce circulating Tregs, and analyses of tumor biopsies did not demonstrate any consistent increase in effector T-cell infiltration or function, or decrease in infiltrating Tregs. CONCLUSION No safety concerns were observed with INCAGN01949 monotherapy in patients with metastatic or advanced solid tumors. However, tumor responses and pharmacodynamic effects on T cells in peripheral blood and post-therapy tumor biopsies were limited. Studies evaluating INCAGN01949 in combination with other therapies are needed to further evaluate the potential of OX40 agonism as a therapeutic approach in patients with advanced solid tumors. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT02923349.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Daniel C Cho
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Dominik Berthold
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Dana B Cardin
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Maria Vieito
- Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Prashanth Hari Dass
- Early Phase Clinical Trials Unit, Churchill Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Angela Orcurto
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Jason Clark
- Incyte Corporation, Wilmington, Delaware, USA
| | | | | | - Xuejun Chen
- Incyte Corporation, Wilmington, Delaware, USA
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13
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Zhang Q, Rui W, Jiang Y, Yuan F, Chen Y, Guo X, Zhou Y, Wu Z, Wang C, Ding X. Tumor-infiltrating OX40 + lymphocytes is an independent positive prognostic factor for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Clin Transl Oncol 2022; 24:2029-2038. [PMID: 35731350 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-022-02864-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OX40 signaling pathway occupies a vital place in anti-tumor immunity; however, the role of tumor-infiltrating OX40+ lymphocytes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains to be identified. METHODS A total of 325 sequential PDAC patients who received curative tumor resection between January 2014 and December 2016 were enrolled. Tissues of these patients were immunohistochemically assessed for tumor infiltration of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (CTLs), and OX40+ lymphocytes. The frequency of OX40+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) was then analyzed to various clinicopathological features, densities of tumor infiltration of CD4+ T cells and CTLs, and survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves. The risk scores of associated markers were calculated by the Cox proportional-hazards model. RESULTS Our results showed that higher OX40+ lymphocytes infiltration was significantly correlated with superior median overall survival (OS) (25.8 vs 13.4 months, P < 0.001). Additionally, using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards analyses, this study revealed that together with tumor differentiation, tumor size, serum CA199 levels, serum CA125 levels, and the infiltration of intratumoral CD8+ T cells. The abundance of OX40+ lymphocytes within the tumor was continued to be an independent predictor for OS (P = 0.023, HR = 0.713, 95% CI: 0.532-0.954). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that intratumoral infiltration by a high number of OX40+ lymphocytes is a novel biomarker for favorable prognosis in resected PDAC patients, which implies that OX40-agonist-based immunotherapy might be a potential target in PDAC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiwei Zhang
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Weiwei Rui
- Department of Pathology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Yongsheng Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Fei Yuan
- Department of Pathology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Yong Chen
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Xiaoxia Guo
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Zhiyuan Wu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, China.
| | - Chaofu Wang
- Department of Pathology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, China.
| | - Xiaoyi Ding
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, China.
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14
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Cortellino S, Raveane A, Chiodoni C, Delfanti G, Pisati F, Spagnolo V, Visco E, Fragale G, Ferrante F, Magni S, Iannelli F, Zanardi F, Casorati G, Bertolini F, Dellabona P, Colombo MP, Tripodo C, Longo VD. Fasting renders immunotherapy effective against low-immunogenic breast cancer while reducing side effects. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111256. [PMID: 36001966 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy is improving the prognosis and survival of cancer patients, but despite encouraging outcomes in different cancers, the majority of tumors are resistant to it, and the immunotherapy combinations are often accompanied by severe side effects. Here, we show that a periodic fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) can act on the tumor microenvironment and increase the efficacy of immunotherapy (anti-PD-L1 and anti-OX40) against the poorly immunogenic triple-negative breast tumors (TNBCs) by expanding early exhausted effector T cells, switching the cancer metabolism from glycolytic to respiratory, and reducing collagen deposition. Furthermore, FMD reduces the occurrence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) by preventing the hyperactivation of the immune response. These results indicate that FMD cycles have the potential to enhance the efficacy of anti-cancer immune responses, expand the portion of tumors sensitive to immunotherapy, and reduce its side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alessandro Raveane
- Laboratory of Hematology-Oncology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan 20141, Italy
| | - Claudia Chiodoni
- Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Gloria Delfanti
- Experimental Immunology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Pisati
- IFOM, FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan 20139, Italy
| | | | - Euplio Visco
- IFOM, FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan 20139, Italy
| | | | | | - Serena Magni
- IFOM, FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan 20139, Italy
| | - Fabio Iannelli
- IFOM, FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan 20139, Italy
| | | | - Giulia Casorati
- Experimental Immunology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Bertolini
- Laboratory of Hematology-Oncology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan 20141, Italy; Onco-Tech Lab, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS and Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Dellabona
- Experimental Immunology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Mario P Colombo
- Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudio Tripodo
- IFOM, FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan 20139, Italy; University of Palermo School of Medicine, Palermo, Italy
| | - Valter D Longo
- IFOM, FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan 20139, Italy; Longevity Institute and Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
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15
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Duhen T, Gough MJ, Leidner RS, Stanton SE. Development and therapeutic manipulation of the head and neck cancer tumor environment to improve clinical outcomes. FRONTIERS IN ORAL HEALTH 2022; 3:902160. [PMID: 35937775 PMCID: PMC9354490 DOI: 10.3389/froh.2022.902160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The clinical response to cancer therapies involves the complex interplay between the systemic, tumoral, and stromal immune response as well as the direct impact of treatments on cancer cells. Each individual's immunological and cancer histories are different, and their carcinogen exposures may differ. This means that even though two patients with oral tumors may carry an identical mutation in TP53, they are likely to have different pre-existing immune responses to their tumors. These differences may arise due to their distinct accessory mutations, genetic backgrounds, and may relate to clinical factors including previous chemotherapy exposure and concurrent medical comorbidities. In isolation, their cancer cells may respond similarly to cancer therapy, but due to their baseline variability in pre-existing immune responses, patients can have different responses to identical therapies. In this review we discuss how the immune environment of tumors develops, the critical immune cell populations in advanced cancers, and how immune interventions can manipulate the immune environment of patients with pre-malignancies or advanced cancers to improve therapeutic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael J. Gough
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, United States
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16
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Gao Y, Zhao J, Huang Z, Zhao H, Guo Z, Ma S, Tang X, Song W, Chen X. In Situ Reprogramming of Tumors for Activating the OX40/OX40 Ligand Checkpoint Pathway and Boosting Antitumor Immunity. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2022. [PMID: 35653749 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c01637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OX40 (CD134, TNFRSF4) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily that can be activated by its cognate ligand OX40L (CD252, TNFSF4) and functions as a pair of T cell costimulatory molecules. The interaction between OX40 and OX40L (OX40/OX40L) plays a critical role in regulating antitumor immunity, including promoting effector T cells expansion and survival, blocking natural regulatory T cells (Treg) activity, and antagonizing inducible Treg generation. However, current OX40 agonists including anti-OX40 monoclonal antibodies (aOX40) have serious side effects after systemic administration, which limits their clinical success and application. Herein, we propose a strategy to reprogram tumor cells into OX40L-expressing "artificial" antigen-presenting cells (APCs) by OX40L plasmid-loaded nanoparticles for boosting antitumor immunity in situ. A novel gene transfection carrier was prepared by a modular hierarchical assembly method, which could efficiently transfect various tumor cells and express OX40L proteins on their surface. These surface-decorated OX40L proteins were proved to stimulate T cell proliferation in vitro while stimulating strong antitumor immune responses in vivo. Importantly, this in situ reprogramming strategy did not induce any toxicity as observed in aOX40 treatment, thus providing a novel method for immune checkpoint stimulator application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxi Gao
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.,Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Jiayu Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China.,University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Zichao Huang
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China.,University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Hanqin Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China.,University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Zhaopei Guo
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China.,Jilin Biomedical Polymers Engineering Laboratory, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Sheng Ma
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China.,Jilin Biomedical Polymers Engineering Laboratory, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Xing Tang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Wantong Song
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China.,Jilin Biomedical Polymers Engineering Laboratory, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Xuesi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China.,University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.,Jilin Biomedical Polymers Engineering Laboratory, Changchun 130022, China
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17
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Loick SM, Fröhlich A, Gabrielpillai J, Franzen A, Vogt TJ, Dietrich J, Wiek C, Scheckenbach K, Strieth S, Landsberg J, Dietrich D. DNA Methylation and mRNA Expression of OX40 (TNFRSF4) and GITR (TNFRSF18, AITR) in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Correlates With HPV Status, Mutational Load, an Interferon-γ Signature, Signatures of Immune Infiltrates, and Survival. J Immunother 2022; 45:194-206. [PMID: 34908008 DOI: 10.1097/cji.0000000000000407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily members 4 (TNFRSF4, OX40) and 18 (TNFRSF18, GITR, AITR) are under investigation as targets for immunotherapy of various cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Understanding the regulation of OX40 and GITR, particularly on an epigenetic level, might help to develop companion predictive biomarkers. We conducted broad correlation analyses of DNA methylation of 46 CpG sites within the GITR/OX40 gene locus in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and normal adjacent tissues provided by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network. We analyzed methylation levels with regard to transcriptional gene activity (mRNA expression), human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, differential methylation between tumors and normal adjacent tissues, signatures of immune cell infiltrates, an interferon-γ signature, mutational load, and overall survival. Moreover, we investigated methylation levels in HPV-positive and HPV-negative cell lines and in isolated monocytes, granulocytes, CD8+ and CD4+ T cells, and B cells from peripheral blood from healthy donors. Our results revealed a complex and sequence-contextual methylation pattern in accordance with features of epigenetic regulated genes. We detected significant methylation differences between normal adjacent and tumor tissues, between HPV-positive and HPV-negative tumors, between tumor and immune cells, and significant correlations between methylation and mRNA expression. We further found significant correlations of CpG methylation with overall survival, signatures of immune cell infiltrates, an interferon-γ signature, and mutational load. Our study provides a framework to prospectively test specific CpG sites as biomarkers, in particular in the context of immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia M Loick
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medical Center Bonn (UKB)
| | - Anne Fröhlich
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn
| | | | - Alina Franzen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medical Center Bonn (UKB)
| | - Timo J Vogt
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medical Center Bonn (UKB)
| | - Jörn Dietrich
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medical Center Bonn (UKB)
| | - Constanze Wiek
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Kathrin Scheckenbach
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Sebastian Strieth
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medical Center Bonn (UKB)
| | | | - Dimo Dietrich
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medical Center Bonn (UKB)
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18
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Yadav R, Redmond WL. Current Clinical Trial Landscape of OX40 Agonists. Curr Oncol Rep 2022; 24:951-960. [PMID: 35352295 DOI: 10.1007/s11912-022-01265-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Despite the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) immunotherapy, most cancer patients still develop progressive disease necessitating additional treatment options. One approach is ligation of the OX40 (CD134) costimulatory receptor which promotes T cell activation, effector function, and the generation of long-lived memory cells. RECENT FINDINGS Numerous preclinical studies have demonstrated that OX40 agonists alone or in combination with ICB (e.g., anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, and anti-CTLA-4) augment anti-tumor immunity. In this review, we discuss the impact of OX40 agonists on T cell function and the therapeutic potential of OX40 agonists alone or in conjunction with ICB for patients with advanced malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashi Yadav
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, 4805 NE Glisan St., 2N35, Portland, OR, 97213, USA
| | - William L Redmond
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, 4805 NE Glisan St., 2N35, Portland, OR, 97213, USA.
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19
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Immunologic Effects of Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy in Dogs with Spontaneous Tumors and the Impact of Intratumoral OX40/TLR Agonist Immunotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23020826. [PMID: 35055015 PMCID: PMC8775899 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is known to induce important immunologic changes within the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, little is known regarding the early immune responses within the TME in the first few weeks following SBRT. Therefore, we used the canine spontaneous tumor model to investigate TME responses to SBRT, and how local injection of immune modulatory antibodies to OX40 and TLR 3/9 agonists might modify those responses. Pet dogs with spontaneous cancers (melanoma, carcinoma, sarcoma, n = 6 per group) were randomized to treatment with either SBRT or SBRT combined with local immunotherapy. Serial tumor biopsies and serum samples were analyzed for immunologic responses. SBRT alone resulted at two weeks after treatment in increased tumor densities of CD3+ T cells, FoxP3+ Tregs, and CD204+ macrophages, and increased expression of genes associated with immunosuppression. The addition of OX40/TLR3/9 immunotherapy to SBRT resulted in local depletion of Tregs and tumor macrophages and reduced Treg-associated gene expression (FoxP3), suppressed macrophage-associated gene expression (IL-8), and suppressed exhausted T cell-associated gene expression (CTLA4). Increased concentrations of IL-7, IL-15, and IL-18 were observed in serum of animals treated with SBRT and immunotherapy, compared to animals treated with SBRT. A paradoxical decrease in the density of effector CD3+ T cells was observed in tumor tissues that received combined SBRT and immunotherapy as compared to animals treated with SBRT only. In summary, these results obtained in a spontaneous large animal cancer model indicate that addition of OX40/TLR immunotherapy to SBRT modifies important immunological effects both locally and systemically.
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20
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Zhu C, Gu L, Yao M, Li J, Fang C. Prognostic Value of an Immune-Related Gene Signature in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 11:776979. [PMID: 34993138 PMCID: PMC8724436 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.776979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The prognosis and immunotherapy response rates are unfavorable in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The tumor microenvironment is associated with tumor prognosis and progression, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We obtained differentially expressed immune-related genes from OSCC mRNA data in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Overall survival-related risk signature was constructed by univariate Cox regression analysis and LASSO Cox regression analysis. The prognostic performance was validated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival curves in the TCGA and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. The risk score was confirmed to be an independent prognostic factor and a nomogram was built to quantify the risk of outcome for each patient. Furthermore, a negative correlation was observed between the risk score and the infiltration rate of immune cells, as well as the expression of immunostimulatory and immunosuppressive molecules. Functional enrichment analysis between different risk score subtypes detected multiple immune-related biological processes, metabolic pathways, and cancer-related pathways. Thus, the immune-related gene signature can predict overall survival and contribute to the personalized management of OSCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Zhu
- Department of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Liqun Gu
- Department of Pediatric Stomatology, Xiangya Stomatological Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Mianfeng Yao
- Department of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jiang Li
- Department of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Changyun Fang
- Department of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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21
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Proskurina AS, Ruzanova VS, Ritter GS, Efremov YR, Mustafin ZS, Lashin SA, Burakova EA, Fokina AA, Zatsepin TS, Stetsenko DA, Leplina OY, Ostanin AA, Chernykh ER, Bogachev SS. Antitumor efficacy of multi-target <i>in situ</i> vaccinations with CpG oligodeoxynucleotides, anti-OX40, anti-PD1 antibodies, and aptamers. J Biomed Res 2022; 37:194-212. [PMID: 37161885 DOI: 10.7555/jbr.36.20220052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
To overcome immune tolerance to cancer, the immune system needs to be exposed to a multi-target action intervention. Here, we investigated the activating effect of CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs), mesyl phosphoramidate CpG ODNs, anti-OX40 antibodies, and OX40 RNA aptamers on major populations of immunocompetent cells ex vivo. Comparative analysis of the antitumor effects of in situ vaccination with CpG ODNs and anti-OX40 antibodies, as well as several other combinations, such as mesyl phosphoramidate CpG ODNs and OX40 RNA aptamers, was conducted. Antibodies against programmed death 1 (PD1) checkpoint inhibitors or their corresponding PD1 DNA aptamers were also added to vaccination regimens for analytical purposes. Four scenarios were considered: a weakly immunogenic Krebs-2 carcinoma grafted in CBA mice; a moderately immunogenic Lewis carcinoma grafted in C57Black/6 mice; and an immunogenic A20 B cell lymphoma or an Ehrlich carcinoma grafted in BALB/c mice. Adding anti-PD1 antibodies (CpG+αOX40+αPD1) to in situ vaccinations boosts the antitumor effect. When to be used instead of antibodies, aptamers also possess antitumor activity, although this effect was less pronounced. The strongest effect across all the tumors was observed in highly immunogenic A20 B cell lymphoma and Ehrlich carcinoma.
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22
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Watanabe T. Approaches of the Innate Immune System to Ameliorate Adaptive Immunotherapy for B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in Their Microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 14:cancers14010141. [PMID: 35008305 PMCID: PMC8750340 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14010141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A dominant paradigm being developed in immunotherapy for hematologic malignancies is of adaptive immunotherapy that involves chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells and bispecific T-cell engagers. CAR T-cell therapy has yielded results that surpass those of the existing salvage immunochemotherapy for patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) after first-line immunochemotherapy, while offering a therapeutic option for patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). However, the role of the innate immune system has been shown to prolong CAR T-cell persistence. Cluster of differentiation (CD) 47-blocking antibodies, which are a promising therapeutic armamentarium for DLBCL, are novel innate immune checkpoint inhibitors that allow macrophages to phagocytose tumor cells. Intratumoral Toll-like receptor 9 agonist CpG oligodeoxynucleotide plays a pivotal role in FL, and vaccination may be required in MCL. Additionally, local stimulator of interferon gene agonists, which induce a systemic anti-lymphoma CD8+ T-cell response, and the costimulatory molecule 4-1BB/CD137 or OX40/CD134 agonistic antibodies represent attractive agents for dendritic cell activations, which subsequently, facilitates initiation of productive T-cell priming and NK cells. This review describes the exploitation of approaches that trigger innate immune activation for adaptive immune cells to operate maximally in the tumor microenvironment of these lymphomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Watanabe
- Department of Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-174, Edobashi, Tsu City 514-8507, Japan
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23
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Liu L, Cai L, Du X, Zhao J, Zhao Y, Zou C, Yu S, Zhang C, Ye P, Su X, Yan X, Li W. Anti-tumour effect of in situ vaccines combined with VEGFR inhibitors in the treatment of metastatic cervical cancer. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 101:108302. [PMID: 34717193 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.108302] [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: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common malignant tumor in the world, for advanced cervical cancer, more than 30% of patients continue to have tumor and relapse or metastasis after the traditional treatment (concurrent chemoradiotherapy), and the response rate of immune checkpoint inhibitor (PD-1) is less 15%, so additional approaches are required. In situ vaccine is a very promising immunotherapy strategy. In the preclinical study, the combination of CPG and anti-Ox40 antibody can completely resolve injection site tumours and distant tumours and leads to the recovery of most mice with lymphoma. However, our early exploration process found that the effect of CpG + OX40 in the treatment of advanced cervical cancer is not ideal. Hence, we explored the anti-tumor effect of CpG + OX40 combined with anti-angiogenic therapy for the first time. The results showed that the combination significantly inhibited the proliferation of primary and secondary tumor volume and prolonged the survival time of mice, compared with the control group, CD3+, CD4 + and CD8 + T cells in the combined group showed an increasing trend. In addition, in terms of metabolism, the anti-vascular effect of anlotinib can significantly reduce the blood supply and metabolic level of tumor, the expression of Ki67 and CD31 in the control group was significantly higher than that in each administration group. In conclusion, our preclinical research results showed that the combination of in situ vaccine and anti-angiogenic therapy has a good anti-tumor effect, and may potentially offer an effective treatment option for patients with advanced cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixiao Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Luya Cai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Xuedan Du
- Department of Chemoradiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Jinduo Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Ye Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Chengyang Zou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Shanshan Yu
- Department of Chemoradiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Chunhong Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Piaopiao Ye
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Xiaoping Su
- School of Basic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, PR China; Department of Gastroenterology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, PR China.
| | - Xiaojian Yan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China; Center for Uterine Cancer Diagnosis & Therapy Research of Zhejiang Province, Women's Hospital and Institute of Translation Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, PR China.
| | - Wenfeng Li
- Department of Chemoradiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China.
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Zhang S, Zhan L, Li X, Yang Z, Luo Y, Zhao H. Preclinical and clinical progress for HDAC as a putative target for epigenetic remodeling and functionality of immune cells. Int J Biol Sci 2021; 17:3381-3400. [PMID: 34512154 PMCID: PMC8416716 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.62001] [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: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic changes are difficult to reverse; thus, epigenetic aberrations, including changes in DNA methylation, histone modifications, and noncoding RNAs, with potential reversibility, have attracted attention as pharmaceutical targets. The current paradigm is that histone deacetylases (HDACs) regulate gene expression via deacetylation of histone and nonhistone proteins or by forming corepressor complexes with transcription factors. The emergence of epigenetic tools related to HDACs can be used as diagnostic and therapeutic markers. HDAC inhibitors that block specific or a series of HDACs have proven to be a powerful therapeutic treatment for immune-related diseases. Here, we summarize the various roles of HDACs and HDAC inhibitors in the development and function of innate and adaptive immune cells and their implications for various diseases and therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijia Zhang
- Institute of Cerebrovascular Disease Research, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Lingjun Zhan
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xue Li
- Institute of Cerebrovascular Disease Research, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenhong Yang
- Institute of Cerebrovascular Disease Research, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yumin Luo
- Institute of Cerebrovascular Disease Research, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Geriatric Medical Research Center and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Beijing, China.,Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Haiping Zhao
- Institute of Cerebrovascular Disease Research, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Geriatric Medical Research Center and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Beijing, China
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25
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Song Q, Zhang G, Wang B, Cao G, Li D, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Geng J, Li H, Li Y. Reinforcing the Combinational Immuno-Oncotherapy of Switching "Cold" Tumor to "Hot" by Responsive Penetrating Nanogels. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:36824-36838. [PMID: 34314148 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c08201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Although immuno-oncotherapy in clinic has gained great success, the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) existing in the "cold" tumor with insufficient and exhausted lymphocytes may result in a lower-than-expected therapeutic efficiency. Therefore, a properly designed synergistic strategy that can effectively turn the "cold" tumor to "hot" should be considered to improve the therapeutic effects of immuno-oncotherapy. Herein, TME-responsive penetrating nanogels (NGs) were developed, which can improve the delivery and penetration of the co-loaded resiquimod (R848) and green tea catechin (EGCG) in tumors by a nano-sized controlled releasing system of the soluble cyclodextrin-drug inclusion complex. Consequently, the NGs effectively promoted the maturation of dendritic cells, stimulated the cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), and decreased the PD-L1 expression in tumors. The combination of NGs with the OX40 agonist (αOX40) further synergistically enhanced the activation and infiltration of CTLs into the deep tumor and inhibited the suppression effects from the regulatory T cells (Tregs). As a result, an increased ratio of active CTLs to Tregs in tumors (20.66-fold) was achieved with a 91.56% tumor suppression effect, indicating a successful switch of "cold" tumors to "hot" for an immunologically beneficial TME with significantly improved anti-tumor immune therapeutics. This strategy could be tailored to other immuno-oncotherapeutic approaches to solve the urgent efficiency concerns of the checkpoint-based treatment in clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingle Song
- Laboratory of Immunology and Nanomedicine, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Guofang Zhang
- Laboratory of Immunology and Nanomedicine, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Laboratory of Immunology and Nanomedicine, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Guoli Cao
- Laboratory of Immunology and Nanomedicine, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Dongjie Li
- Laboratory of Immunology and Nanomedicine, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050016, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Laboratory of Immunology and Nanomedicine, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yuqian Zhang
- Laboratory of Immunology and Nanomedicine, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jin Geng
- Center for Polymers in Medicine, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Hongchang Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yang Li
- Laboratory of Immunology and Nanomedicine, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
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26
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Budczies J, Kirchner M, Kluck K, Kazdal D, Glade J, Allgäuer M, Kriegsmann M, Heußel CP, Herth FJ, Winter H, Meister M, Muley T, Goldmann T, Fröhling S, Wermke M, Waller CF, Tufman A, Reck M, Peters S, Schirmacher P, Thomas M, Christopoulos P, Stenzinger A. Deciphering the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in ALK- and EGFR-positive lung adenocarcinoma. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2021; 71:251-265. [PMID: 34125345 PMCID: PMC8783861 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-021-02981-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Introduction The advent of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has led to significantly improved disease outcome in lung adenocarcinoma (ADC), but response of ALK/EGFR-positive tumors to immune therapy is limited. The underlying immune biology is incompletely understood. Methods We performed comparative mRNA expression profiling of 31 ALK-positive, 40 EGFR-positive and 43 ALK/EGFR-negative lung ADC focused on immune gene expression. The presence and levels of tumor infiltration lymphocytes (TILs) as well as fourteen specific immune cell populations were estimated from the gene expression profiles. Results While total TILs were not lower in ALK-positive and EGFR-positive tumors compared to ALK/EGFR-negative tumors, specific immunosuppressive characteristics were detected in both subgroups: In ALK-positive tumors, regulatory T cells were significantly higher compared to EGFR-positive (fold change: FC = 1.9, p = 0.0013) and ALK/EGFR-negative tumors (FC = 2.1, p = 0.00047). In EGFR-positive tumors, cytotoxic cells were significantly lower compared to ALK-positive (FC = − 1.7, p = 0.016) and to ALK/EGFR-negative tumors (FC = − 2.1, p = 2.0E-05). A total number of 289 genes, 40 part of cytokine–cytokine receptor signaling, were differentially expressed between the three subgroups. Among the latter, five genes were differently expressed in both ALK-positive and EGFR-positive tumors, while twelve genes showed differential expression solely in ALK-positive tumors and eleven genes solely in EGFR-positive tumors. Conclusion Targeted gene expression profiling is a promising tool to read out tumor microenvironment characteristics from routine diagnostic lung cancer biopsies. Significant immune reactivity including specific immunosuppressive characteristics in ALK- and EGFR-positive lung ADC, but not a total absence of immune infiltration supports further clinical evaluation of immune-modulators as partners of ICB in such tumors. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00262-021-02981-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Budczies
- Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 224, Heidelberg, Germany. .,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany. .,Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC-H), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Martina Kirchner
- Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 224, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Klaus Kluck
- Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 224, Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Daniel Kazdal
- Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 224, Heidelberg, Germany.,Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC-H), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julia Glade
- Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 224, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Allgäuer
- Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 224, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mark Kriegsmann
- Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 224, Heidelberg, Germany.,Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC-H), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claus-Peter Heußel
- Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC-H), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology With Nuclear Medicine, Thoraxklinik at Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Felix J Herth
- Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC-H), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Pneumology, Thoraxklinik at Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hauke Winter
- Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC-H), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Thoracic Surgery, Thoraxklinik at Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Meister
- Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC-H), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.,Translational Research Unit, Thoraxklinik at Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Muley
- Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC-H), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.,Translational Research Unit, Thoraxklinik at Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Torsten Goldmann
- Pathology of the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Campus Lübeck and the Research Center Borstel, Borstel, Germany.,Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of German Center of Lung Research (DZL), Giessen, Germany
| | - Stefan Fröhling
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Translational Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin Wermke
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Dresden University Hospital, Dresden, Germany
| | - Cornelius F Waller
- Department of Haematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Centre Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Amanda Tufman
- Division of Respiratory Medicine and Thoracic Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine V and Thoracic Oncology Centre Munich, Comprehensive Pneumology Center, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Martin Reck
- Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of German Center of Lung Research (DZL), Giessen, Germany.,Department of Thoracic Oncology, Lung Clinic Grosshansdorf, Grosshansdorf, Germany
| | - Solange Peters
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne University, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Peter Schirmacher
- Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 224, Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Thomas
- Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC-H), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Thoracic Oncology, Thoraxklinik At Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Petros Christopoulos
- Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC-H), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Thoracic Oncology, Thoraxklinik At Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Albrecht Stenzinger
- Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 224, Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC-H), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany
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Hyperthermia by near infrared radiation induced immune cells activation and infiltration in breast tumor. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10278. [PMID: 33986437 PMCID: PMC8119485 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89740-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer that causes death in women. Conventional therapies, including surgery and chemotherapy, have different therapeutic effects and are commonly associated with risks and side effects. Near infrared radiation is a technique with few side effects that is used for local hyperthermia, typically as an adjuvant to other cancer therapies. The understanding of the use of near NIR as a monotherapy, and its effects on the immune cells activation and infiltration, are limited. In this study, we investigate the effects of HT treatment using NIR on tumor regression and on the immune cells and molecules in breast tumors. Results from this study demonstrated that local HT by NIR at 43 °C reduced tumor progression and significantly increased the median survival of tumor-bearing mice. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed a significant reduction in cells proliferation in treated tumor, which was accompanied by an abundance of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70). Increased numbers of activated dendritic cells were observed in the draining lymph nodes of the mice, along with infiltration of T cells, NK cells and B cells into the tumor. In contrast, tumor-infiltrated regulatory T cells were largely diminished from the tumor. In addition, higher IFN-γ and IL-2 secretion was observed in tumor of treated mice. Overall, results from this present study extends the understanding of using local HT by NIR to stimulate a favourable immune response against breast cancer.
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28
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Blair TC, Alice AF, Zebertavage L, Crittenden MR, Gough MJ. The Dynamic Entropy of Tumor Immune Infiltrates: The Impact of Recirculation, Antigen-Specific Interactions, and Retention on T Cells in Tumors. Front Oncol 2021; 11:653625. [PMID: 33968757 PMCID: PMC8101411 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.653625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of tumor infiltration using conventional methods reveals a snapshot view of lymphocyte interactions with the tumor environment. However, lymphocytes have the unique capacity for continued recirculation, exploring varied tissues for the presence of cognate antigens according to inflammatory triggers and chemokine gradients. We discuss the role of the inflammatory and cellular makeup of the tumor environment, as well as antigen expressed by cancer cells or cross-presented by stromal antigen presenting cells, on recirculation kinetics of T cells. We aim to discuss how current cancer therapies may manipulate lymphocyte recirculation versus retention to impact lymphocyte exclusion in the tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany C Blair
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU), Portland, OR, United States.,Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Alejandro F Alice
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Lauren Zebertavage
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU), Portland, OR, United States.,Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Marka R Crittenden
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States.,The Oregon Clinic, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Michael J Gough
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States
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Sturgill ER, Rolig AS, Linch SN, Mick C, Kasiewicz MJ, Sun Z, Traber PG, Shlevin H, Redmond WL. Galectin-3 inhibition with belapectin combined with anti-OX40 therapy reprograms the tumor microenvironment to favor anti-tumor immunity. Oncoimmunology 2021; 10:1892265. [PMID: 33717655 PMCID: PMC7927986 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2021.1892265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Treatment with an agonist anti-OX40 antibody (aOX40) boosts anti-tumor immunity by providing costimulation and driving effector T cell responses. However, tumor-induced immune suppression contributes significantly to poor response rates to aOX40 therapy, thus combining aOX40 with other agents that relieve tumor-mediated immune suppression may significantly improve outcomes. Once such target is galectin-3 (Gal-3), which drives tumor-induced immunosuppression by increasing macrophage infiltration and M2 polarization, restricting TCR signaling, and inducing T cell apoptosis. A wide-variety of tumors also upregulate Gal-3, which is associated with poor prognosis. Tumor-bearing (MCA-205 sarcoma, 4T1 mammary carcinoma, TRAMP-C1 prostate adenocarcinoma) mice were treated with a Gal-3 inhibitor (belapectin; GR-MD-02), aOX40, or combination therapy and the extent of tumor growth was determined. The phenotype and function of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes was determined by flow cytometry, multiplex cytokine assay, and multiplex immunohistochemistry. Gal-3 inhibition synergized with aOX40 to promote tumor regression and increase survival. Specifically, aOX40/belapectin therapy significantly improved survival of tumor-bearing mice through a CD8+ T cell-dependent mechanism. Combination aOX40/belapectin therapy enhanced CD8+ T cell density within the tumor and reduced the frequency and proliferation of regulatory Foxp3+CD4+ T cells. Further, aOX40/belapectin therapy significantly reduced monocytic MDSC (M-MDSCs) and MHC-IIhi macrophage populations, both of which displayed reduced arginase 1 and increased iNOS. Combination aOX40/belapectin therapy alleviated M-MDSC-specific functional suppression compared to M-MDSCs isolated from untreated tumors. Our data suggests that Gal-3 inhibition plus aOX40 therapy reduces M-MDSC-meditated immune suppression thereby increasing CD8+ T cell recruitment leading to increased tumor regression and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R Sturgill
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Annah S Rolig
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Stefanie N Linch
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Courtney Mick
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Melissa J Kasiewicz
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Zhaoyu Sun
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Peter G Traber
- University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - William L Redmond
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, USA
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Neoadjuvant anti-OX40 (MEDI6469) therapy in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma activates and expands antigen-specific tumor-infiltrating T cells. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1047. [PMID: 33594075 PMCID: PMC7886909 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21383-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the success of checkpoint blockade in some cancer patients, there is an unmet need to improve outcomes. Targeting alternative pathways, such as costimulatory molecules (e.g. OX40, GITR, and 4-1BB), can enhance T cell immunity in tumor-bearing hosts. Here we describe the results from a phase Ib clinical trial (NCT02274155) in which 17 patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) received a murine anti-human OX40 agonist antibody (MEDI6469) prior to definitive surgical resection. The primary endpoint was to determine safety and feasibility of the anti-OX40 neoadjuvant treatment. The secondary objective was to assess the effect of anti-OX40 on lymphocyte subsets in the tumor and blood. Neoadjuvant anti-OX40 was well tolerated and did not delay surgery, thus meeting the primary endpoint. Peripheral blood phenotyping data show increases in CD4+ and CD8+ T cell proliferation two weeks after anti-OX40 administration. Comparison of tumor biopsies before and after treatment reveals an increase of activated, conventional CD4+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in most patients and higher clonality by TCRβ sequencing. Analyses of CD8+ TIL show increases in tumor-antigen reactive, proliferating CD103+ CD39+ cells in 25% of patients with evaluable tumor tissue (N = 4/16), all of whom remain disease-free. These data provide evidence that anti-OX40 prior to surgery is safe and can increase activation and proliferation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in blood and tumor. Our work suggests that increases in the tumor-reactive CD103+ CD39+ CD8+ TIL could serve as a potential biomarker of anti-OX40 clinical activity. Different neoadjuvant therapies have been proposed to improve immunotherapy for cancer treatment. Here, the authors perform a phase Ib clinical trial where an agonist OX40 antibody provided prior to surgery is well tolerated and increases proliferation and activation of tumor antigen-specific T cells in head and neck cancer patients.
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Sani AI, Zil-e-Rubab, Usman S, Ahmed SZ, Hosein M. Role of OX40 and its ligand as costimulatory modulators in cancer immunotherapy. AIMS MOLECULAR SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3934/molsci.2021012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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32
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Wang Y, Ding Y, Deng Y, Zheng Y, Wang S. Role of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the promotion and immunotherapy of colitis-associated cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2020; 8:jitc-2020-000609. [PMID: 33051339 PMCID: PMC7555106 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-000609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Colitis-associated cancer (CAC) is a specific type of colorectal cancer that develops from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous population of immature myeloid cells that are essential for the pathological processes of inflammation and cancer. Accumulating evidence indicates that MDSCs play different but vital roles during IBD and CAC development and impede CAC immunotherapy. New insights into the regulatory network of MDSCs in the CAC pathogenesis are opening new avenues for developing strategies to enhance the effectiveness of CAC treatment. In this review, we explore the role of MDSCs in chronic inflammation, dysplasia and CAC and summarize the potential CAC therapeutic strategies based on MDSC blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yungang Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Yancheng, Nanjing University Medical School, Yancheng, China
| | - Yanxia Ding
- Department of Dermatology, The First People's Hospital of Yancheng, Nanjing University Medical School, Yancheng, China
| | - Yijun Deng
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Yancheng, Nanjing University Medical School, Yancheng, China
| | - Yu Zheng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Yancheng, Nanjing University Medical School, Yancheng, China
| | - Shengjun Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated People's Hospital, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
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Glisson BS, Leidner RS, Ferris RL, Powderly J, Rizvi NA, Keam B, Schneider R, Goel S, Ohr JP, Burton J, Zheng Y, Eck S, Gribbin M, Streicher K, Townsley DM, Patel SP. Safety and Clinical Activity of MEDI0562, a Humanized OX40 Agonist Monoclonal Antibody, in Adult Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors. Clin Cancer Res 2020; 26:5358-5367. [PMID: 32816951 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-19-3070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Immune checkpoint blockade has demonstrated clinical benefits across multiple solid tumor types; however, resistance and relapse often occur. New immunomodulatory targets, which are highly expressed in activated immune cells, are needed. MEDI0562, an agonistic humanized mAb, specifically binds to the costimulatory molecule OX40. This first-in-human study evaluated MEDI0562 in adults with advanced solid tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this phase I, multicenter, open-label, single-arm, dose-escalation (3+3 design) study, patients received 0.03, 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0, or 10 mg/kg MEDI0562 through intravenous infusion every 2 weeks, until confirmed disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary objective evaluated safety and tolerability. Secondary endpoints included antitumor activity, pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity, and pharmacodynamics. RESULTS In total, 55 patients received ≥1 dose of MEDI0562 and were included in the analysis. The most common tumor type was squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (47%). Median duration of treatment was 10 weeks (range, 2-48 weeks). Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 67% of patients, most commonly fatigue (31%) and infusion-related reactions (14%). Grade 3 TRAEs occurred in 14% of patients with no apparent dose relationship; no TRAEs resulted in death. Two patients had immune-related partial responses per protocol and 44% had stable disease. MEDI0562 induced increased Ki67+ CD4+ and CD8+ memory T-cell proliferation in the periphery and decreased intratumoral OX40+ FOXP3+ cells. CONCLUSIONS MEDI0562 was safely administered at doses up to 10 mg/kg in heavily pretreated patients. On-target pharmacodynamic effects were suggested in this setting. Further evaluation with immune checkpoint inhibitors is ongoing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bonnie S Glisson
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
| | - Rom S Leidner
- EACRI - Providence Cancer Center, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | | | - John Powderly
- Carolina BioOncology Institute, Huntersville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Naiyer A Rizvi
- Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Bhumsuk Keam
- Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Reva Schneider
- Mary Crowley Cancer Research - Medical City Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Sanjay Goel
- Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - James P Ohr
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | | | - Steven Eck
- AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
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Janssen E, Subtil B, de la Jara Ortiz F, Verheul HMW, Tauriello DVF. Combinatorial Immunotherapies for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12071875. [PMID: 32664619 PMCID: PMC7408881 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12071875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequent and deadly forms of cancer. About half of patients are affected by metastasis, with the cancer spreading to e.g., liver, lungs or the peritoneum. The majority of these patients cannot be cured despite steady advances in treatment options. Immunotherapies are currently not widely applicable for this disease, yet show potential in preclinical models and clinical translation. The tumour microenvironment (TME) has emerged as a key factor in CRC metastasis, including by means of immune evasion-forming a major barrier to effective immuno-oncology. Several approaches are in development that aim to overcome the immunosuppressive environment and boost anti-tumour immunity. Among them are vaccination strategies, cellular transplantation therapies, and targeted treatments. Given the complexity of the system, we argue for rational design of combinatorial therapies and consider the implications of precision medicine in this context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eline Janssen
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (E.J.); (B.S.); (F.d.l.J.O.)
| | - Beatriz Subtil
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (E.J.); (B.S.); (F.d.l.J.O.)
| | - Fàtima de la Jara Ortiz
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (E.J.); (B.S.); (F.d.l.J.O.)
| | - Henk M. W. Verheul
- Department of Medical Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HBNijmegen, The Netherlands;
| | - Daniele V. F. Tauriello
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (E.J.); (B.S.); (F.d.l.J.O.)
- Correspondence:
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Poropatich K, Dominguez D, Chan WC, Andrade J, Zha Y, Wray B, Miska J, Qin L, Cole L, Coates S, Patel U, Samant S, Zhang B. OX40+ plasmacytoid dendritic cells in the tumor microenvironment promote antitumor immunity. J Clin Invest 2020; 130:3528-3542. [PMID: 32182225 PMCID: PMC7324178 DOI: 10.1172/jci131992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs), the major producers of type I interferon, are principally recognized as key mediators of antiviral immunity. However, their role in tumor immunity is less clear. Depending on the context, pDCs can promote or suppress antitumor immune responses. In this study, we identified a naturally occurring pDC subset expressing high levels of OX40 (OX40+ pDC) enriched in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. OX40+ pDCs were distinguished by a distinct immunostimulatory phenotype, cytolytic function, and ability to synergize with conventional DCs (cDCs) in generating potent tumor antigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses. Transcriptomically, we found that they selectively utilized EIF2 signaling and oxidative phosphorylation pathways. Moreover, depletion of pDCs in the murine OX40+ pDC-rich tumor model accelerated tumor growth. Collectively, we present evidence of a pDC subset in the TME that favors antitumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Poropatich
- Department of Pathology
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, and
| | - Donye Dominguez
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | | | - Yuanyuan Zha
- Human Immunologic Monitoring Facility, Office of Shared Research Facilities, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Brian Wray
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
| | - Jason Miska
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Lei Qin
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Lisa Cole
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Sydney Coates
- Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Urjeet Patel
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, and
- Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Sandeep Samant
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, and
- Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Bin Zhang
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, and
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Gu S, Zi J, Han Q, Song C, Ge Z. Elevated TNFRSF4 gene expression is a predictor of poor prognosis in non-M3 acute myeloid leukemia. Cancer Cell Int 2020; 20:146. [PMID: 32390761 PMCID: PMC7197135 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-020-01213-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background We used bioinformatic tools to dichotomize 157 non-M3 AML patients from the TCGA dataset based on the presence or absence of TP53 mutations, and screened out a key gene related to TP53 mutation for future analysis. Methods DEGs were analyzed by R package “DESeq2” and then run GSEA, GO enrichment, KEGG pathway and PPI network. Hub genes were selected out according to MCC. Log-rank (Mantel–Cox) test was used for survival analysis. Mann–Whitney U’s nonparametric t test and Fisher’s exact test was used for continuous and categorical variables respectively. p value< 0.05 was considered to be statistical significance. Results TNFRSF4 was final screened out as a key gene. Besides TP53 mutation (p = 0.0118), high TNFRSF4 was also associated with FLT3 mutation (p = 0.0102) and NPM1 mutation (p = 0.0024). Elevated TNFRSF4 was significantly related with intermediate (p = 0.0004) and poor (p = 0.0011) risk stratification as well as relapse statute (p = 0.0099). Patients with elevated TNFRSF4 expression had significantly shorter overall survival (median survival: 2.35 months vs. 21 months, p < 0.0001). Based on our clinical center data, TNFRSF4 expression was significantly higher in non-M3 AML patients than HDs (p = 0.0377) and MDS patients (EB-1, 2; p = 0.0017). Conclusions Elevated TNFRSF4 expression was associated with TP53, FLT3 and NPM1 mutation as well as poor clinical outcome. TNFRSF4 expression was significantly higher in non-M3 AML patients than HDs and MDS (EB-1, 2) patients. TNFRSF4 is need for future functional and mechanistic studies to investigate the role in non-M3 AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Gu
- 1Department of Hematology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Institute of Hematology Southeast University, No. 87, Dingjiaqiao, Gulou District, Nanjing, 210009 Jiangsu China
| | - Jie Zi
- 1Department of Hematology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Institute of Hematology Southeast University, No. 87, Dingjiaqiao, Gulou District, Nanjing, 210009 Jiangsu China
| | - Qi Han
- 1Department of Hematology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Institute of Hematology Southeast University, No. 87, Dingjiaqiao, Gulou District, Nanjing, 210009 Jiangsu China
| | - Chunhua Song
- 2Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania State University Medical College, Hershey, PA17033 USA
| | - Zheng Ge
- 1Department of Hematology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Institute of Hematology Southeast University, No. 87, Dingjiaqiao, Gulou District, Nanjing, 210009 Jiangsu China
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Ohmura H, Yamaguchi K, Hanamura F, Ito M, Makiyama A, Uchino K, Shimokawa H, Tamura S, Esaki T, Mitsugi K, Shibata Y, Oda H, Tsuchihashi K, Ariyama H, Kusaba H, Oda Y, Akashi K, Baba E. OX40 and LAG3 are associated with better prognosis in advanced gastric cancer patients treated with anti-programmed death-1 antibody. Br J Cancer 2020; 122:1507-1517. [PMID: 32203221 PMCID: PMC7217874 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-020-0810-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody, nivolumab, has shown efficacy for advanced gastric cancer (AGC). However, the specific immune cell subsets predominantly activated during the period of anti-PD-1 therapy for AGC have not been clarified. Methods Peripheral blood of 30 AGC patients treated with nivolumab was prospectively obtained before the initial and second administrations and at the time of progressive disease (PD). The proportions of immune cell subsets and the serum concentrations of cytokines were systematically analysed by flow cytometry. Associations of subsets and serum cytokines with therapeutic effects were evaluated. Results After the initial administration, significant increases in activated central/effector memory, activated effector T cells, and activated T-helper 1 subsets were observed. At the time of PD, activated regulatory T cells, LAG3-positive CD4+/CD8+ T cells, and TIM3-positive CD4+/CD8+ T cells increased significantly. Significant positive correlations were shown between progression-free survival and proportions of LAG3-positive CD4+/CD8+ T cells and of OX40-positive CD4+/CD8+ T cells (log-rank p = 0.0008, 0.0003, 0.0035 and 0.0040). Conclusions Nivolumab therapy enhances activation of central/effector memory and effector subsets of CD4+/CD8+ T cells. The expression levels of LAG-3 and OX40 on T cells correlated with the efficacy of nivolumab therapy and could be reasonable biomarkers for anti-PD-1 therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirofumi Ohmura
- Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kyoko Yamaguchi
- Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Fumiyasu Hanamura
- Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Mamoru Ito
- Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Akitaka Makiyama
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Japan Community Healthcare Organization Kyushu Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Keita Uchino
- Department of Clinical Oncology, NTT Medical Center Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hozumi Shimokawa
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Shingo Tamura
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Taito Esaki
- Department of Gastrointestinal and Medical Oncology, National Kyushu Cancer Center, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kenji Mitsugi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hamanomachi Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Shibata
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fukuoka Wajiro Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hisanobu Oda
- Department of Medical Oncology, Saiseikai Fukuoka General Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kenji Tsuchihashi
- Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ariyama
- Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Kusaba
- Department of Medicine and Comprehensive Biosystemic Science Faculty, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yoshinao Oda
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Koichi Akashi
- Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Eishi Baba
- Department of Oncology and Social Medicine, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan.
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Quintella CM, Quintella HM, Rohweder M, Quintella GM. Advances in patent applications related to cancer vaccine using CpG-ODN and OX40 association. Expert Opin Ther Pat 2020; 30:287-301. [PMID: 32008403 DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2020.1724960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: This review aims to assess the available technologies, advances, and trends from technological readiness level 4 to level 8 for cancer immunologic therapeutics using the association of OX40 and CPG-ODN, usually known as cancer vaccine.Areas covered: Patent documents and clinic studies referring to the use of CpG-ODN and of OX40 association for cancer therapeutics. Patent data were obtained within the worldwide basis of the European Patent Office (EPO). The 138 patents of 36 patent families found were analyzed focusing on word distribution of technology developers and potential markets, legal status, annual evolution of first priority, technological domains, applicants and co-applicants and detailed analysis of each technology. Two clinical studies are in progress.Expert opinion: Traditional methods in post cancer diagnosis are being replaced by immunological association therapies. It is expected that the development of cancer vaccines will expand the scope of cancer-specific immunotherapy, especially if associated with alternative systems for expression and delivery with future potential. It is expected that genetic and controlled and/or specific nano delivery are improved. Furthermore, these new developments will likely address the problem of long-term treatments, reducing cancer mortality and reducing patient numbers worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina M Quintella
- Chemistry Institute, Federal University of Bahia, Campus Universitário de Ondina, Salvador, BA, Brasil.,Medicine School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
| | - Heitor M Quintella
- PROFNIT - Postgraduate Program on Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer for Innovation, Federal University of Bahia, Campus Universitário de Ondina, Salvador, BA, Brasil
| | - Mayla Rohweder
- Chemistry Institute, Federal University of Bahia, Campus Universitário de Ondina, Salvador, BA, Brasil.,Medicine School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.,CEPARH - Research and Assistance Center on Human Reproduction, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Guilherme M Quintella
- Chemistry Institute, Federal University of Bahia, Campus Universitário de Ondina, Salvador, BA, Brasil.,Medicine School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.,Quintellar Legal Consulting Company, Salvador, BA, Brazil
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39
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High OX-40 expression in the tumor immune infiltrate is a favorable prognostic factor of overall survival in non-small cell lung cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2019; 7:351. [PMID: 31843013 PMCID: PMC6915970 DOI: 10.1186/s40425-019-0827-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction OX-40 co-stimulatory signaling plays a role in mounting anti-tumor immune responses and clinical trials targeting this pathway are ongoing. However, the association of with OX-40 protein expression with clinical outcomes and pathological features in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are largely unknown. Methods Surgically-resected stage I-III NSCLC specimens (N = 100) were stained by immunohistochemistry (IHC) for the following immune markers: OX-40, PD-L1, PD-1, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD45RO, CD57, CD68, FOXP3, granzyme B, and ICOS. Immune-related markers mRNA expression were also assessed. We evaluated the association of OX-40 levels with major clinicopathologic variables, including molecular driver mutations. Results OX-40 IHC expression was observed in all tested tumors, predominantly localized in the membrane of the tumor immune infiltrate, and was not associated with a specific clinicopathologic or molecular subtype. High OX-40 expression levels measured by IHC median score were associated with better overall survival (OS) (p = 0.002), independent of CD3/CD8, PD-L1, and ICOS expression. High OX-40 IHC score was associated with increased expression of immune-related genes such as CD3, IFN-gamma, ICOS, CD8, CXCL9, CXCL10, CCL5, granzyme K. Conclusions High OX-40 IHC expression in the tumor immune infiltrate is associated with favorable prognosis and increased levels of immune-related genes including IFN-gamma in patients with surgically resected stage I-III NSCLC. Its prognostic utility is independent of PD-L1 and other common markers of immune activation. High OX-40 expression potentially identifies a unique subgroup of NSCLC that may benefit from co-stimulation with OX-40 agonist antibodies and potentially enhance the efficacy of existing immune checkpoint therapies.
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40
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Sagiv-Barfi I, Czerwinski DK, Levy S, Alam IS, Mayer AT, Gambhir SS, Levy R. Eradication of spontaneous malignancy by local immunotherapy. Sci Transl Med 2019; 10:10/426/eaan4488. [PMID: 29386357 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aan4488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 253] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
It has recently become apparent that the immune system can cure cancer. In some of these strategies, the antigen targets are preidentified and therapies are custom-made against these targets. In others, antibodies are used to remove the brakes of the immune system, allowing preexisting T cells to attack cancer cells. We have used another noncustomized approach called in situ vaccination. Immunoenhancing agents are injected locally into one site of tumor, thereby triggering a T cell immune response locally that then attacks cancer throughout the body. We have used a screening strategy in which the same syngeneic tumor is implanted at two separate sites in the body. One tumor is then injected with the test agents, and the resulting immune response is detected by the regression of the distant, untreated tumor. Using this assay, the combination of unmethylated CG-enriched oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG)-a Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) ligand-and anti-OX40 antibody provided the most impressive results. TLRs are components of the innate immune system that recognize molecular patterns on pathogens. Low doses of CpG injected into a tumor induce the expression of OX40 on CD4+ T cells in the microenvironment in mouse or human tumors. An agonistic anti-OX40 antibody can then trigger a T cell immune response, which is specific to the antigens of the injected tumor. Remarkably, this combination of a TLR ligand and an anti-OX40 antibody can cure multiple types of cancer and prevent spontaneous genetically driven cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Idit Sagiv-Barfi
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Debra K Czerwinski
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Shoshana Levy
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Israt S Alam
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Aaron T Mayer
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sanjiv S Gambhir
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ronald Levy
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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41
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Deng J, Zhao S, Zhang X, Jia K, Wang H, Zhou C, He Y. OX40 (CD134) and OX40 ligand, important immune checkpoints in cancer. Onco Targets Ther 2019; 12:7347-7353. [PMID: 31564917 PMCID: PMC6735535 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s214211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has shown promising results in cancer treatment. Research shows that most patients might be resistant to these therapies. So, new immune therapies are needed. OX40 (CD134) and OX40 ligand (OX40L), costimulatory molecules, express on different types of immune cells. The interaction between OX40 and OX40L (OX40/OX40L) induces the expansion and proliferation of T cells and decreases the immunosuppression of regulatory T (Treg) cells to enhance the immune response to the specific antigen. For the important role OX40 takes in the process of immunity, many clinical trials are focusing on OX40 to find out whether it may have active effects in clinical cancer treatment. The results of clinical trials are still not enough. So, we reviewed the OX40 and its ligand (OX40L) function in cancer, clinical trials with OX40/OX40L and the correlation between OX40/OX40L and other immune checkpoints to add more ideas to tumor feasible treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Deng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China.,Medical School, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
| | - Sha Zhao
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China.,Medical School, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoshen Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China.,Medical School, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
| | - Keyi Jia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China.,Medical School, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China.,Medical School, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
| | - Caicun Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Yayi He
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China
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42
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Polesso F, Sarker M, Weinberg AD, Murray SE, Moran AE. OX40 Agonist Tumor Immunotherapy Does Not Impact Regulatory T Cell Suppressive Function. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2019; 203:2011-2019. [PMID: 31434709 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1900696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
OX40 is a costimulatory molecule from the TNFR family. In mice, it is expressed on Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) constitutively and on conventional CD4 (Tconv) and CD8 T cells after Ag encounter. OX40 agonists are in clinical development to enhance antitumor immune responses, and one proposed mechanism of action is loss of Treg suppressive function. Studies have postulated that agonist OX40 therapy can impair Treg suppressive function. Using tools developed since the initial studies were published, we evaluated a direct effect of OX40 agonism on Treg function. We conclude that OX40 agonist Abs do not intrinsically impair Treg function but rather enhance Tconv cell IL-2 production, increasing Treg and Tconv cell proliferation. OX40-stimulated Tregs retain suppressive function, but also gain IFN-γ, TNF-α, and granzyme B expression. These data help resolve mechanistic questions regarding OX40 agonist immunotherapy and thus are relevant to developing combination therapies that target distinct T cell functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Polesso
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239
| | - Minhaz Sarker
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239
| | - Andrew D Weinberg
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR 97213; and
| | - Susan E Murray
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239.,Biology Department, University of Portland, Portland, OR 97203
| | - Amy E Moran
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239;
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43
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Peng W, Williams LJ, Xu C, Melendez B, McKenzie JA, Chen Y, Jackson HL, Voo KS, Mbofung RM, Leahey SE, Wang J, Lizee G, Tawbi HA, Davies MA, Hoos A, Smothers J, Srinivasan R, Paul EM, Yanamandra N, Hwu P. Anti-OX40 Antibody Directly Enhances The Function of Tumor-Reactive CD8 + T Cells and Synergizes with PI3Kβ Inhibition in PTEN Loss Melanoma. Clin Cancer Res 2019; 25:6406-6416. [PMID: 31371342 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-19-1259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OX40 agonist-based combinations are emerging as a novel avenue to improve the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy. To better guide its clinical development, we characterized the role of the OX40 pathway in tumor-reactive immune cells. We also evaluated combining OX40 agonists with targeted therapy to combat resistance to cancer immunotherapy.Experimental Design: We utilized patient-derived tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and multiple preclinical models to determine the direct effect of anti-OX40 agonistic antibodies on tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells. We also evaluated the antitumor activity of an anti-OX40 antibody plus PI3Kβ inhibition in a transgenic murine melanoma model (Braf mutant, PTEN null), which spontaneously develops immunotherapy-resistant melanomas. RESULTS We observed elevated expression of OX40 in tumor-reactive CD8+ TILs upon encountering tumors; activation of OX40 signaling enhanced their cytotoxic function. OX40 agonist antibody improved the antitumor activity of CD8+ T cells and the generation of tumor-specific T-cell memory in vivo. Furthermore, combining anti-OX40 with GSK2636771, a PI3Kβ-selective inhibitor, delayed tumor growth and extended the survival of mice with PTEN-null melanomas. This combination treatment did not increase the number of TILs, but it instead significantly enhanced proliferation of CD8+ TILs and elevated the serum levels of CCL4, CXCL10, and IFNγ, which are mainly produced by memory and/or effector T cells. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight a critical role of OX40 activation in potentiating the effector function of tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells and suggest further evaluation of OX40 agonist-based combinations in patients with immune-resistant tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyi Peng
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
| | - Leila J Williams
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Chunyu Xu
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Brenda Melendez
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jodi A McKenzie
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Yuan Chen
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Heather L Jackson
- Oncology R&D, Immuno-Oncology and Combinations RU, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania
| | - Kui S Voo
- Department of Oncology Research for Biologics and Immunotherapy Translation Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Rina M Mbofung
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Sara Elizabeth Leahey
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Gregory Lizee
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Hussein A Tawbi
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Michael A Davies
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Axel Hoos
- Oncology R&D, Immuno-Oncology and Combinations RU, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania
| | - James Smothers
- Oncology R&D, Immuno-Oncology and Combinations RU, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania
| | - Roopa Srinivasan
- Oncology R&D, Immuno-Oncology and Combinations RU, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania
| | - Elaine M Paul
- Oncology R&D, Immuno-Oncology and Combinations RU, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania
| | - Niranjan Yanamandra
- Oncology R&D, Immuno-Oncology and Combinations RU, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania.
| | - Patrick Hwu
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
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44
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Resiquimod-Mediated Activation of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Is Amplified in Multiple Sclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20112811. [PMID: 31181776 PMCID: PMC6600519 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20112811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. The cause of multiple sclerosis is unknown but there are several evidences that associate the genetic basis of the disease with environmental causes. An important association between viral infection and development of MS is clearly demonstrated. Viruses have a strong impact on innate immune cells. In particular, myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), are able to respond to viruses and to activate the adaptive immune response. Methods: In this study we mimic viral infection using synthetic single-strand RNA, Resiquimod, and we compared the response of both DC subsets derived from healthy donors and MS patients by characterizing the expression of costimulatory molecules on the DC surface. Results: We found that pDCs from MS patients express higher levels of OX40-L, HLA-DR, and CD86 than healthy donors. Moreover, we found that blood cells from MS patients and healthy donors upon Resiquimod-stimulation are enriched in a subpopulation of pDCs, characterized by a high amount of costimulatory molecules. Conclusion: Overall, these results indicate that activation of pDCs is enhanced in MS, likely due to a latent viral infection, and that costimulatory molecules expressed on pDCs could mediate a protective response against the viral trigger of autoimmunity.
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45
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Expression of costimulatory and inhibitory receptors in FoxP3 + regulatory T cells within the tumor microenvironment: Implications for combination immunotherapy approaches. Adv Cancer Res 2019; 144:193-261. [PMID: 31349899 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2019.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The unprecedented success of immune checkpoint inhibitors has given rise to a rapidly growing number of immuno-oncology agents undergoing preclinical and clinical development and an exponential increase in possible combinations. Defining a clear rationale for combinations by identifying synergies between immunomodulatory pathways has therefore become a high priority. Immunosuppressive regulatory T cells (Tregs) within the tumor microenvironment (TME) represent a major roadblock to endogenous and therapeutic tumor immunity. However, Tregs are also essential for the maintenance of immunological self-tolerance, and share many molecular pathways with conventional T cells including cytotoxic T cells, the primary mediators of tumor immunity. Hence the inability to specifically target and neutralize Tregs within the TME of cancer patients without globally compromising self-tolerance poses a significant challenge. Here we review recent advances in the characterization of tumor-infiltrating Tregs with a focus on costimulatory and inhibitory receptors. We discuss receptor expression patterns, their functional role in Treg biology and mechanistic insights gained from targeting these receptors in preclinical models to evaluate their potential as clinical targets. We further outline a framework of parameters that could be used to refine the assessment of Tregs in cancer patients and increase their value as predictive biomarkers. Finally, we propose modalities to integrate our increasing knowledge on Treg phenotype and function for the rational design of checkpoint inhibitor-based combination therapies. Such combinations have great potential for synergy, as they could concomitantly enhance cytotoxic T cells and inhibit Tregs within the TME, thereby increasing the efficacy of current cancer immunotherapies.
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46
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Teige I, Mårtensson L, Frendéus BL. Targeting the Antibody Checkpoints to Enhance Cancer Immunotherapy-Focus on FcγRIIB. Front Immunol 2019; 10:481. [PMID: 30930905 PMCID: PMC6423481 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy with therapeutic antibodies has increased survival for patients with hematologic and solid cancers. Still, a significant fraction of patients fails to respond to therapy or acquire resistance. Understanding and overcoming mechanisms of resistance to antibody drugs, and in particular those common to antibody drugs as a class, is therefore highly warranted and holds promise to improve response rates, duration of response and potentially overall survival. Activating and inhibitory Fc gamma receptors (FcγR) are known to coordinately regulate therapeutic activity of tumor direct-targeting antibodies. Similar, but also divergent, roles for FcγRs in controlling efficacy of immune modulatory antibodies e.g., checkpoint inhibitors have been indicated from mouse studies, and were recently implicated in contributing to efficacy in the human clinical setting. Here we discuss evidence and mechanisms by which Fc gamma receptors–the “antibody checkpoints”–regulate antibody-induced antitumor immunity. We further discuss how targeted blockade of the sole known inhibitory antibody checkpoint FcγRIIB may help overcome resistance and boost activity of clinically validated and emerging antibodies in cancer immunotherapy.
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47
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Edwards J, Tasker A, Pires da Silva I, Quek C, Batten M, Ferguson A, Allen R, Allanson B, Saw RPM, Thompson JF, Menzies AM, Palendira U, Wilmott JS, Long GV, Scolyer RA. Prevalence and Cellular Distribution of Novel Immune Checkpoint Targets Across Longitudinal Specimens in Treatment-naïve Melanoma Patients: Implications for Clinical Trials. Clin Cancer Res 2019; 25:3247-3258. [PMID: 30777877 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-18-4011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Immunotherapies targeting costimulating and coinhibitory checkpoint receptors beyond PD-1 and CTLA-4 have entered clinical trials. Little is known about the relative abundance, coexpression, and immune cells enriched for each specific drug target, limiting understanding of the biological basis of potential treatment outcomes and development of predictive biomarkers for personalized immunotherapy. We sought to assess the abundance of checkpoint receptors during melanoma disease progression and identify immune cells enriched for them.Experimental Design: Multiplex immunofluorescence staining for immune checkpoint receptors (ICOS, GITR, OX40, PD-1, TIM-3, VISTA) was performed on 96 melanoma biopsies from 41 treatment-naïve patients, including patient-matched primary tumors, nodal metastases, and distant metastases. Mass cytometry was conducted on tumor dissociates from 18 treatment-naïve melanoma metastases to explore immune subsets enriched for checkpoint receptors. RESULTS A small subset of tumor-infiltrating leukocytes expressed checkpoint receptors at any stage of melanoma disease. GITR and OX40 were the least abundant checkpoint receptors, with <1% of intratumoral T cells expressing either marker. ICOS, PD-1, TIM-3, and VISTA were most abundant, with TIM-3 and VISTA mostly expressed on non-T cells, and TIM-3 enriched on dendritic cells. Tumor-resident T cells (CD69+/CD103+/CD8+) were enriched for TIGIT (>70%) and other coinhibitory but not costimulatory receptors. The proportion of GITR+ T cells decreased from primary melanoma (>5%) to lymph node (<1%, P = 0.04) and distant metastases (<1%, P = 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of immune checkpoint receptor expression in any cancer and provides important data for rational selection of targets for trials and predictive biomarker development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarem Edwards
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Annie Tasker
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Inês Pires da Silva
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Camelia Quek
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Marcel Batten
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Angela Ferguson
- Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ruth Allen
- Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Benjamin Allanson
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Robyn P M Saw
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Mater Hospital, North Sydney, Australia
| | - John F Thompson
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Mater Hospital, North Sydney, Australia
| | - Alexander M Menzies
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Mater Hospital, North Sydney, Australia.,Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales Australia
| | - Umaimainthan Palendira
- Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - James S Wilmott
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Georgina V Long
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Mater Hospital, North Sydney, Australia.,Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales Australia
| | - Richard A Scolyer
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. .,Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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48
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Immune checkpoint blockade and its combination therapy with small-molecule inhibitors for cancer treatment. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2018; 1871:199-224. [PMID: 30605718 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2018] [Revised: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Initially understood for its physiological maintenance of self-tolerance, the immune checkpoint molecule has recently been recognized as a promising anti-cancer target. There has been considerable interest in the biology and the action mechanism of the immune checkpoint therapy, and their incorporation with other therapeutic regimens. Recently the small-molecule inhibitor (SMI) has been identified as an attractive combination partner for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and is becoming a novel direction for the field of combination drug design. In this review, we provide a systematic discussion of the biology and function of major immune checkpoint molecules, and their interactions with corresponding targeting agents. With both preclinical studies and clinical trials, we especially highlight the ICI + SMI combination, with its recent advances as well as its application challenges.
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49
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Williams P, Basu S, Garcia-Manero G, Hourigan CS, Oetjen KA, Cortes JE, Ravandi F, Jabbour EJ, Al-Hamal Z, Konopleva M, Ning J, Xiao L, Hidalgo Lopez J, Kornblau SM, Andreeff M, Flores W, Bueso-Ramos C, Blando J, Galera P, Calvo KR, Al-Atrash G, Allison JP, Kantarjian HM, Sharma P, Daver NG. The distribution of T-cell subsets and the expression of immune checkpoint receptors and ligands in patients with newly diagnosed and relapsed acute myeloid leukemia. Cancer 2018; 125:1470-1481. [PMID: 30500073 PMCID: PMC6467779 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.31896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Background Phenotypic characterization of immune cells in the bone marrow (BM) of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is lacking. Methods T‐cell infiltration was quantified on BM biopsies from 13 patients with AML, and flow cytometry was performed on BM aspirates (BMAs) from 107 patients with AML who received treatment at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The authors evaluated the expression of inhibitory receptors (programmed cell death protein 1 [PD1], cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte antigen 4 [CTLA4], lymphocyte‐activation gene 3 [LAG3], T‐cell immunoglobulin and mucin‐domain containing‐3 [TIM3]) and stimulatory receptors (glucocorticoid‐induced tumor necrosis factor receptor‐related protein [GITR], OX40, 41BB [a type 2 transmembrane glycoprotein receptor], inducible T‐cell costimulatory [ICOS]) on T‐cell subsets and the expression of their ligands (41BBL, B7‐1, B7‐2, ICOSL, PD‐L1, PD‐L2, and OX40L) on AML blasts. Expression of these markers was correlated with patient age, karyotype, baseline next‐generation sequencing for 28 myeloid‐associated genes (including P53), and DNA methylation proteins (DNA methyltransferase 3α, isocitrate dehydrogenase 1[IDH1], IDH2, Tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 [TET2], and Fms‐related tyrosine kinase 3 [FLT3]). Results On histochemistry evaluation, the T‐cell population in BM appeared to be preserved in patients who had AML compared with healthy donors. The proportion of T‐regulatory cells (Tregs) in BMAs was higher in patients with AML than in healthy donors. PD1‐positive/OX40‐positive T cells were more frequent in AML BMAs, and a higher frequency of PD1‐positive/cluster of differentiation 8 (CD8)‐positive T cells coexpressed TIM3 or LAG3. PD1‐positive/CD8‐positive T cells were more frequent in BMAs from patients who had multiply relapsed AML than in BMAs from those who had first relapsed or newly diagnosed AML. Blasts in BMAs from patients who had TP53‐mutated AML were more frequently positive for PD‐L1. Conclusions The preserved T‐cell population, the increased frequency of regulatory T cells, and the expression of targetable immune receptors in AML BMAs suggest a role for T‐cell–harnessing therapies in AML. T‐cell subsets are preserved in the bone marrow of patients with acute myeloid leukemia. The expression of targetable immune checkpoints by T cells suggests that therapies harnessing T cells may benefit these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Williams
- Department of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Sreyashi Basu
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | | | - Christopher S Hourigan
- Laboratory of Myeloid Malignancies, Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Karolyn A Oetjen
- Laboratory of Myeloid Malignancies, Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jorge E Cortes
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Farhad Ravandi
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Elias J Jabbour
- Department of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Zainab Al-Hamal
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Marina Konopleva
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jing Ning
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Lianchun Xiao
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Juliana Hidalgo Lopez
- Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Steve M Kornblau
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Michael Andreeff
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Wilmer Flores
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Carlos Bueso-Ramos
- Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jorge Blando
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Pallavi Galera
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Katherine R Calvo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Gheath Al-Atrash
- Department of Stem Cell Transplant and Cell Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - James P Allison
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Hagop M Kantarjian
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Padmanee Sharma
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Naval G Daver
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
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Yang B, Liu T, Qu Y, Liu H, Zheng SG, Cheng B, Sun J. Progresses and Perspectives of Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 Antibody Therapy in Head and Neck Cancers. Front Oncol 2018; 8:563. [PMID: 30547012 PMCID: PMC6279860 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2018.00563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck cancer is the 6th most common malignancy worldwide and urgently requires novel therapy methods to change the situation of low 5-years survival rate and poor prognosis. Targeted therapy provides more precision, higher efficiency while lower adverse effects than traditional treatments like surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Blockade of PD-1 pathway with antibodies against PD-1 or PD-L1 is such a typical targeted therapy which reconstitutes anti-tumor activity of T cell in treatments of cancers, especially those highly expressing PD-L1, including head and neck cancers. There are many clinical trials all over the world and FDA has approved anti-PD-1/PD-L1 drugs for head and neck cancers. However, with the time going, the dark side of this therapy has emerged, including some serious side effects and drug resistance. Novel materials like nanoparticles and combination therapy have been developed to improve the efficacy. At the same time, standards for evaluation of activity and safety are to be established for this new therapy. Here we provide a systematic review with comprehensive depth on the application of anti-PD1/PD-L1 antibodies in head and neck cancer treatment: mechanism, drugs, clinical studies, influencing factors, adverse effects and managements, and the potential future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Yang
- Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tingjun Liu
- Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yang Qu
- Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hangbo Liu
- Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Song Guo Zheng
- Division of Rheumatology, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Bin Cheng
- Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianbo Sun
- Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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