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Ferrari V, Lo Cascio A, Melacarne A, Tanasković N, Mozzarelli AM, Tiraboschi L, Lizier M, Salvi M, Braga D, Algieri F, Penna G, Rescigno M. Sensitizing cancer cells to immune checkpoint inhibitors by microbiota-mediated upregulation of HLA class I. Cancer Cell 2023; 41:1717-1730.e4. [PMID: 37738976 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Recent data have shown that gut microbiota has a major impact on the clinical response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in the context of solid tumors. ICI-based therapy acts by unlocking cognate cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) effector responses, and increased sensitivity to ICIs is due to an enhancement of patients' tumor antigen (TA)-specific CTL responses. Cancer clearance by TA-specific CTL requires expression of relevant TAs on cancer cells' HLA class I molecules, and reduced HLA class I expression is a common mechanism used by cancer cells to evade the immune system. Here, we show that metabolites released by bacteria, in particular, phytosphingosine, can upregulate HLA class I expression on cancer cells, sensitizing them to TA-specific CTL lysis in vitro and in vivo, in combination with immunotherapy. This effect is mediated by postbiotic-induced upregulation of NLRC5 in response to upstream MYD88-NF-κB activation, thus significantly controlling tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Ferrari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonino Lo Cascio
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessia Melacarne
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Alessandro M Mozzarelli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy; IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Tiraboschi
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Lizier
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Salvi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy; IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Braga
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppe Penna
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy; Postbiotica S.r.l, Milan 20123, Italy
| | - Maria Rescigno
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy; IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy.
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Schäfer H, Subbarayan K, Massa C, Vaxevanis C, Mueller A, Seliger B. Correlation of the tumor escape phenotype with loss of PRELP expression in melanoma. J Transl Med 2023; 21:643. [PMID: 37730606 PMCID: PMC10512569 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04476-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite immunotherapies having revolutionized the treatment of advanced cutaneous melanoma, effective and durable responses were only reported in a few patients. A better understanding of the interaction of melanoma cells with the microenvironment, including extracellular matrix (ECM) components, might provide novel therapeutic options. Although the ECM has been linked to several hallmarks of cancer, little information is available regarding the expression and function of the ECM protein purine-arginine-rich and leucine-rich protein (PRELP) in cancer, including melanoma. METHODS The structural integrity, expression and function of PRELP, its correlation with the expression of immune modulatory molecules, immune cell infiltration and clinical parameters were determined using standard methods and/or bioinformatics. RESULTS Bioinformatics analysis revealed a heterogeneous, but statistically significant reduced PRELP expression in available datasets of skin cutaneous melanoma when compared to adjacent normal tissues, which was associated with reduced patients' survival, low expression levels of components of the MHC class I antigen processing machinery (APM) and interferon (IFN)-γ signal transduction pathway, but increased expression of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β isoform 1 (TFGB1) and TGF-β receptor 1 (TGFBR1). In addition, a high frequency of intra-tumoral T cells directly correlated with the expression of MHC class I and PRELP as well as the T cell attractant CCL5 in melanoma lesions. Marginal to low PRELP expression levels were found in the 47/49 human melanoma cell lines analysis. Transfection of PRELP into melanoma cell lines restored MHC class I surface expression due to transcriptional upregulation of major MHC class I APM and IFN-γ pathway components. In addition, PRELP overexpression is accompanied by high CCL5 secretion levels in cell supernatant, an impaired TGF-β signaling as well as a reduced cell proliferation, migration and invasion of melanoma cells. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that PRELP induces the expression of MHC class I and CCL5 in melanoma, which might be involved in an enhanced T cell recruitment and immunogenicity associated with an improved patients' outcome. Therefore, PRELP might serve as a marker for predicting disease progression and its recovery could revert the tumorigenic phenotype, which represents a novel therapeutic option for melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helene Schäfer
- Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06112, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Karthikeyan Subbarayan
- Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06112, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Chiara Massa
- Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06112, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Christoforos Vaxevanis
- Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06112, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Anja Mueller
- Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06112, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06112, Halle (Saale), Germany.
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Perlickstr. 1, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical School Brandenburg, Hochstr. 29, 14770, Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany.
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Bauer M, Vetter M, Stückrath K, Yohannes M, Desalegn Z, Yalew T, Bekuretsion Y, Kenea TW, Joffe M, van den Berg EJ, Nikulu JI, Bakarou K, Manraj SS, Ogunbiyi OJ, Ekanem IO, Igbinoba F, Diomande M, Adebamowo C, Dzamalala CP, Anele AA, Zietsman A, Galukande M, Foerster M, dos-Santos-Silva I, Liu B, Santos P, Jemal A, Abebe T, Wickenhauser C, Seliger B, McCormack V, Kantelhardt EJ. Regional Variation in the Tumor Microenvironment, Immune Escape and Prognostic Factors in Breast Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa. Cancer Immunol Res 2023; 11:720-731. [PMID: 37058582 PMCID: PMC10552870 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
The low overall survival rates of patients with breast cancer in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are driven by regionally differing tumor biology, advanced tumor stages at diagnosis, and limited access to therapy. However, it is not known whether regional differences in the composition of the tumor microenvironment (TME) exist and affect patients' prognosis. In this international, multicentre cohort study, 1,237 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded breast cancer samples, including samples of the "African Breast Cancer-Disparities in Outcomes (ABC-DO) Study," were analyzed. The immune cell phenotypes, their spatial distribution in the TME, and immune escape mechanisms of breast cancer samples from SSA and Germany (n = 117) were investigated using histomorphology, conventional and multiplex IHC, and RNA expression analysis. The data revealed no regional differences in the number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in the 1,237 SSA breast cancer samples, while the distribution of TILs in different breast cancer IHC subtypes showed regional diversity, particularly when compared with German samples. Higher TIL densities were associated with better survival in the SSA cohort (n = 400), but regional differences concerning the predictive value of TILs existed. High numbers of CD163+ macrophages and CD3+CD8+ T cells accompanied by reduced cytotoxicity, altered IL10 and IFNγ levels and downregulation of MHC class I components were predominantly detected in breast cancer samples from Western SSA. Features of nonimmunogenic breast cancer phenotypes were associated with reduced patient survival (n = 131). We therefore conclude that regional diversity in the distribution of breast cancer subtypes, TME composition, and immune escape mechanisms should be considered for therapy decisions in SSA and the design of personalized therapies. See related Spotlight by Bergin et al., p. 705.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Bauer
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital Halle, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Global Health Working Group, Institute of Medical Epidemiology, Biometrics and Informatics, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Martina Vetter
- Department of Gynecology, University Hospital Halle, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Kathrin Stückrath
- Department of Gynecology, University Hospital Halle, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Meron Yohannes
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Health sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Zelalem Desalegn
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Parasitology, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tewodros Yalew
- Department of Pathology, Tikur Anbessa Specialized University Hospital, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Yonas Bekuretsion
- Department of Pathology, Tikur Anbessa Specialized University Hospital, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tariku W. Kenea
- Department of Surgery, Aira General Hospital, Aira, Ethiopia
| | - Maureen Joffe
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research Division, Wits Health Consortium (PTY) Ltd, Johannesburg, South Africa and U Witwatersrand, Faculty of Health Sciences, Strengthening Oncology Services Research Unit
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Eunice J van den Berg
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Julien I. Nikulu
- Ligue congolaise contre le cancer, l’Unité Pilote du GFAOP, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Kamate Bakarou
- Service d’anatomie, Cytologie Pathologique au C.H.U. du point G BP:333, Bamako, Mali
| | - Shyam S. Manraj
- Central Health Laboratory, Victoria Hospital, Candos, Mauritius
| | - Olufemi J. Ogunbiyi
- Department of Pathology, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria
| | - Ima-Obong Ekanem
- Department of Pathology, Calabar Cancer Registry, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria
| | | | - Mohenou Diomande
- Service d’anatomie et cytologie pathologiques, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
| | - Clement Adebamowo
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, and the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
| | | | | | - Annelle Zietsman
- AB May Cancer Centre, Windhoek Central Hospital, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Moses Galukande
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Milena Foerster
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO), Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, Lyon, France
| | - Isabel dos-Santos-Silva
- Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)
| | - Biying Liu
- African Cancer Registry Network, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Pablo Santos
- Global Health Working Group, Institute of Medical Epidemiology, Biometrics and Informatics, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Ahmedin Jemal
- Surveillance and Health Equity Science, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Tamrat Abebe
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Health sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Claudia Wickenhauser
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital Halle, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Institute of Translational Immunology, Medical School ‘Theodor Fontane, Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Valerie McCormack
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO), Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, Lyon, France
| | - Eva J. Kantelhardt
- Global Health Working Group, Institute of Medical Epidemiology, Biometrics and Informatics, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Department of Gynecology, University Hospital Halle, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
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4
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Wang Y, Jasinski-Bergner S, Wickenhauser C, Seliger B. Cancer Immunology: Immune Escape of Tumors-Expression and Regulation of HLA Class I Molecules and Its Role in Immunotherapies. Adv Anat Pathol 2023; 30:148-159. [PMID: 36517481 DOI: 10.1097/pap.0000000000000389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The addition of "avoiding immune destruction" to the hallmarks of cancer demonstrated the importance of cancer immunology and in particular the role of immune surveillance and escape from malignancies. However, the underlying mechanisms contributing to immune impairment and immune responses are diverse. Loss or reduced expression of the HLA class I molecules are major characteristics of human cancers resulting in an impaired recognition of tumor cells by CD8 + cytotoxic T lymphocytes. This is of clinical relevance and associated with worse patients outcome and limited efficacy of T-cell-based immunotherapies. Here, we summarize the role of HLA class I antigens in cancers by focusing on the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for HLA class I defects, which are caused by either structural alterations or deregulation at the transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and posttranslational levels. In addition, the influence of HLA class I abnormalities to adaptive and acquired immunotherapy resistances will be described. The in-depth knowledge of the different strategies of malignancies leading to HLA class I defects can be applied to design more effective cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Simon Jasinski-Bergner
- Institute of Medical Immunology
- Institute for Translational Immunology, Medical School "Theodor Fontane", Brandenburg, Germany
| | - Claudia Wickenhauser
- Institute of Pathology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale)
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Institute of Medical Immunology
- Department of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Development & Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP) Design, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, GermanyLeipzig, Germany
- Institute for Translational Immunology, Medical School "Theodor Fontane", Brandenburg, Germany
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5
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Massa C, Wang Y, Marr N, Seliger B. Interferons and Resistance Mechanisms in Tumors and Pathogen-Driven Diseases—Focus on the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) Antigen Processing Pathway. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076736. [PMID: 37047709 PMCID: PMC10095295 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Interferons (IFNs), divided into type I, type II, and type III IFNs represent proteins that are secreted from cells in response to various stimuli and provide important information for understanding the evolution, structure, and function of the immune system, as well as the signaling pathways of other cytokines and their receptors. They exert comparable, but also distinct physiologic and pathophysiologic activities accompanied by pleiotropic effects, such as the modulation of host responses against bacterial and viral infections, tumor surveillance, innate and adaptive immune responses. IFNs were the first cytokines used for the treatment of tumor patients including hairy leukemia, renal cell carcinoma, and melanoma. However, tumor cells often develop a transient or permanent resistance to IFNs, which has been linked to the escape of tumor cells and unresponsiveness to immunotherapies. In addition, loss-of-function mutations in IFN signaling components have been associated with susceptibility to infectious diseases, such as COVID-19 and mycobacterial infections. In this review, we summarize general features of the three IFN families and their function, the expression and activity of the different IFN signal transduction pathways, and their role in tumor immune evasion and pathogen clearance, with links to alterations in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II antigen processing machinery (APM). In addition, we discuss insights regarding the clinical applications of IFNs alone or in combination with other therapeutic options including immunotherapies as well as strategies reversing the deficient IFN signaling. Therefore, this review provides an overview on the function and clinical relevance of the different IFN family members, with a specific focus on the MHC pathways in cancers and infections and their contribution to immune escape of tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Massa
- Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06112 Halle, Germany
- Institute for Translational Immunology, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Hochstr. 29, 14770 Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany
| | - Yuan Wang
- Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06112 Halle, Germany
| | - Nico Marr
- Institute for Translational Immunology, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Hochstr. 29, 14770 Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha P.O. Box 34110, Qatar
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06112 Halle, Germany
- Institute for Translational Immunology, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Hochstr. 29, 14770 Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Perlickstr. 1, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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6
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Selective multi-kinase inhibition sensitizes mesenchymal pancreatic cancer to immune checkpoint blockade by remodeling the tumor microenvironment. NATURE CANCER 2022; 3:318-336. [PMID: 35122074 PMCID: PMC7612546 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-021-00326-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
KRAS-mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is highly immunosuppressive and resistant to targeted and immunotherapies. Among the different PDAC subtypes, basal-like mesenchymal PDAC, which is driven by allelic imbalance, increased gene dosage and subsequent high expression levels of oncogenic KRAS, shows the most aggressive phenotype and strongest therapy resistance. In the present study, we performed a systematic high-throughput combination drug screen and identified a synergistic interaction between the MEK inhibitor trametinib and the multi-kinase inhibitor nintedanib, which targets KRAS-directed oncogenic signaling in mesenchymal PDAC. This combination treatment induces cell-cycle arrest and cell death, and initiates a context-dependent remodeling of the immunosuppressive cancer cell secretome. Using a combination of single-cell RNA-sequencing, CRISPR screens and immunophenotyping, we show that this combination therapy promotes intratumor infiltration of cytotoxic and effector T cells, which sensitizes mesenchymal PDAC to PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibition. Overall, our results open new avenues to target this aggressive and therapy-refractory mesenchymal PDAC subtype.
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7
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Correale P, Saladino RE, Giannarelli D, Giannicola R, Agostino R, Staropoli N, Strangio A, Del Giudice T, Nardone V, Altomonte M, Pastina P, Tini P, Falzea AC, Imbesi N, Arcati V, Romeo G, Caracciolo D, Luce A, Caraglia M, Giordano A, Pirtoli L, Necas A, Amler E, Barbieri V, Tassone P, Tagliaferri P. Distinctive germline expression of class I human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and DRB1 heterozygosis predict the outcome of patients with non-small cell lung cancer receiving PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 8:jitc-2020-000733. [PMID: 32554614 PMCID: PMC7304840 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-000733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nivolumab is a human monoclonal antibody against programmed cell death receptor-1 (PD-1) able to rescue quiescent tumor infiltrating cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) restoring their ability to kill target cells expressing specific tumor antigen-derived epitope peptides bound to homologue human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules. Nivolumab is currently an active but expensive therapeutic agent for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC), producing, in some cases, immune-related adverse events (irAEs). At the present, no reliable biomarkers have been validated to predict either treatment response or adverse events in treated patients. METHODS We performed a retrospective multi-institutional analysis including 119 patients with mNSCLC who received PD-1 blockade since November 2015 to investigate the predictive role of germinal class I HLA and DRB1 genotype. We investigated the correlation among patients' outcome and irAEs frequency with specific HLA A, B, C and DRB1 alleles by reverse sequence-specific oligonucleotide (SSO) DNA typing. RESULTS A poor outcome in patients negative for the expression of two most frequent HLA-A alleles was detected (HLA: HLA-A*01 and or A*02; progression-free survival (PFS): 7.5 (2.8 to 12.2) vs 15.9 (0 to 39.2) months, p=0.01). In particular, HLA-A*01-positive patients showed a prolonged PFS of 22.6 (10.2 to 35.0) and overall survival (OS) of 30.8 (7.7 to 53.9) months, respectively. We also reported that HLA-A and DRB1 locus heterozygosis (het) were correlated to a worse OS if we considered het in the locus A; in reverse, long survival was correlated to het in DRB1. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrate that class I and II HLA allele characterization to define tumor immunogenicity has relevant implications in predicting nivolumab efficacy in mNSCLC and provide the rationale for further prospective trials of cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierpaolo Correale
- Medical Oncology Unit, Grand Metropolitan Hospital "Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli", Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Rita Emilena Saladino
- Tissue Typing Unit, Grand Metropolitan Hospital "Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli", Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | | | - Rocco Giannicola
- Medical Oncology Unit, Grand Metropolitan Hospital "Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli", Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Rita Agostino
- Medical Oncology Unit, Grand Metropolitan Hospital "Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli", Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Staropoli
- Medical and Translational Oncology Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Alessandra Strangio
- Medical Oncology Unit, Grand Metropolitan Hospital "Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli", Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Teresa Del Giudice
- Medical and Translational Oncology Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Valerio Nardone
- Radiotherapy Unit, "Ospedale del Mare", ASL Napoli 1, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Altomonte
- Unit of Pharmacy, Grand Metropolitan Hospital "Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli", Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Pierpaolo Pastina
- Section of Radiation Oncology, Medical School, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Paolo Tini
- Section of Radiation Oncology, Medical School, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Antonia Consuelo Falzea
- Medical Oncology Unit, Grand Metropolitan Hospital "Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli", Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Natale Imbesi
- Tissue Typing Unit, Grand Metropolitan Hospital "Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli", Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Valentina Arcati
- Tissue Typing Unit, Grand Metropolitan Hospital "Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli", Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Giuseppa Romeo
- Tissue Typing Unit, Grand Metropolitan Hospital "Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli", Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Daniele Caracciolo
- Medical and Translational Oncology Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Amalia Luce
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Michele Caraglia
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy .,Biogem Scarl, Institute of Genetic Research, Laboratory of Precision and Molecular Oncology, Ariano Irpino, Avellino, Italy
| | - Antonio Giordano
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine and Center of Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Medical Biotechnology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Luigi Pirtoli
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine and Center of Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alois Necas
- Central European Institute of Technology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Evzen Amler
- Department of Biophysics, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vito Barbieri
- Medical and Translational Oncology Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Pierfrancesco Tassone
- Medical and Translational Oncology Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University, Catanzaro, Italy.,Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine and Center of Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Pierosandro Tagliaferri
- Medical and Translational Oncology Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University, Catanzaro, Italy
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8
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Algarra I, Garrido F, Garcia-Lora AM. MHC heterogeneity and response of metastases to immunotherapy. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2021; 40:501-517. [PMID: 33860434 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-021-09964-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, immunotherapy has proven to be an effective treatment against cancer. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes perform an important role in this anti-tumor immune response, recognizing cancer cells as foreign, through the presentation of tumor antigens by MHC class I molecules. However, tumors and metastases develop escape mechanisms for evading this immunosurveillance and may lose the expression of these polymorphic molecules to become invisible to cytotoxic T lymphocytes. In other situations, they may maintain MHC class I expression and promote immunosuppression of cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Therefore, the analysis of the expression of MHC class I molecules in tumors and metastases is important to elucidate these escape mechanisms. Moreover, it is necessary to determine the molecular mechanisms involved in these alterations to reverse them and recover the expression of MHC class I molecules on tumor cells. This review discusses the role and regulation of MHC class I expression in tumor progression. We focus on altered MHC class I phenotypes present in tumors and metastases, as well as the molecular mechanisms responsible for MHC-I alterations, emphasizing the mechanisms of recovery of the MHC class I molecules expression on cancer cells. The individualized study of the HLA class I phenotype of the tumor and the metastases of each patient will allow choosing the most appropriate immunotherapy treatment based on a personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Algarra
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Jaén, Jaén, Spain
| | - Federico Garrido
- Servicio de Análisis Clínicos e Inmunología, UGC Laboratorio Clínico, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Av. de las Fuerzas Armadas 2, 18014, Granada, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.Granada, Granada, Spain.,Departamento de Bioquímica, Biología Molecular e Inmunología III, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Angel M Garcia-Lora
- Servicio de Análisis Clínicos e Inmunología, UGC Laboratorio Clínico, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Av. de las Fuerzas Armadas 2, 18014, Granada, Spain. .,Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.Granada, Granada, Spain. .,Unidad de Biobanco, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain.
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9
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Investigating T Cell Immunity in Cancer: Achievements and Prospects. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22062907. [PMID: 33809369 PMCID: PMC7999898 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22062907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells play a key role in tumour surveillance, both identifying and eliminating transformed cells. However, as tumours become established they form their own suppressive microenvironments capable of shutting down T cell function, and allowing tumours to persist and grow. To further understand the tumour microenvironment, including the interplay between different immune cells and their role in anti-tumour immune responses, a number of studies from mouse models to clinical trials have been performed. In this review, we examine mechanisms utilized by tumour cells to reduce their visibility to CD8+ Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), as well as therapeutic strategies trialled to overcome these tumour-evasion mechanisms. Next, we summarize recent advances in approaches to enhance CAR T cell activity and persistence over the past 10 years, including bispecific CAR T cell design and early evidence of efficacy. Lastly, we examine mechanisms of T cell infiltration and tumour regression, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of different strategies to investigate T cell function in murine tumour models.
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10
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HLA class I loss in colorectal cancer: implications for immune escape and immunotherapy. Cell Mol Immunol 2021; 18:556-565. [PMID: 33473191 PMCID: PMC8027055 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-021-00634-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
T cell-mediated immune therapies have emerged as a promising treatment modality in different malignancies including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, only a fraction of patients currently respond to treatment. Understanding the lack of responses and finding biomarkers with predictive value is of great importance. There is evidence that CRC is a heterogeneous disease and several classification systems have been proposed that are based on genomic instability, immune cell infiltration, stromal content and molecular subtypes of gene expression. Human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA-I) plays a pivotal role in presenting processed antigens to T lymphocytes, including tumour antigens. These molecules are frequently lost in different types of cancers, including CRC, resulting in tumour immune escape from cytotoxic T lymphocytes during the natural history of cancer development. The aim of this review is to (i) summarize the prevalence and molecular mechanisms behind HLA-I loss in CRC, (ii) discuss HLA-I expression/loss in the context of the newly identified CRC molecular subtypes, (iii) analyze the HLA-I phenotypes of CRC metastases disseminated via blood or the lymphatic system, (iv) discuss strategies to recover/circumvent HLA-I expression/loss and finally (v) review the role of HLA class II (HLA-II) in CRC prognosis.
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11
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Shukla A, Cloutier M, Appiya Santharam M, Ramanathan S, Ilangumaran S. The MHC Class-I Transactivator NLRC5: Implications to Cancer Immunology and Potential Applications to Cancer Immunotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22041964. [PMID: 33671123 PMCID: PMC7922096 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune system constantly monitors the emergence of cancerous cells and eliminates them. CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), which kill tumor cells and provide antitumor immunity, select their targets by recognizing tumor antigenic peptides presented by MHC class-I (MHC-I) molecules. Cancer cells circumvent immune surveillance using diverse strategies. A key mechanism of cancer immune evasion is downregulation of MHC-I and key proteins of the antigen processing and presentation machinery (APM). Even though impaired MHC-I expression in cancers is well-known, reversing the MHC-I defects remains the least advanced area of tumor immunology. The discoveries that NLRC5 is the key transcriptional activator of MHC-I and APM genes, and genetic lesions and epigenetic modifications of NLRC5 are the most common cause of MHC-I defects in cancers, have raised the hopes for restoring MHC-I expression. Here, we provide an overview of cancer immunity mediated by CD8+ T cells and the functions of NLRC5 in MHC-I antigen presentation pathways. We describe the impressive advances made in understanding the regulation of NLRC5 expression, the data supporting the antitumor functions of NLRC5 and a few reports that argue for a pro-tumorigenic role. Finally, we explore the possible avenues of exploiting NLRC5 for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akhil Shukla
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada; (A.S.); (M.C.); (M.A.S.); (S.R.)
| | - Maryse Cloutier
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada; (A.S.); (M.C.); (M.A.S.); (S.R.)
| | - Madanraj Appiya Santharam
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada; (A.S.); (M.C.); (M.A.S.); (S.R.)
| | - Sheela Ramanathan
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada; (A.S.); (M.C.); (M.A.S.); (S.R.)
- CRCHUS, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H5N4, Canada
| | - Subburaj Ilangumaran
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada; (A.S.); (M.C.); (M.A.S.); (S.R.)
- CRCHUS, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H5N4, Canada
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-819-346-1110 (ext. 14834)
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12
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Wickenhauser C, Bethmann D, Kappler M, Eckert AW, Steven A, Bukur J, Fox BA, Beer J, Seliger B. Tumor Microenvironment, HLA Class I and APM Expression in HPV-Negative Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13040620. [PMID: 33557271 PMCID: PMC7914856 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Oral squamous cell carcinoma has developed different strategies to escape from T-cell-mediated immune surveillance, which is mediated by changes in the composition of cellular and soluble components of the tumor microenvironment as well as an impaired expression of molecules of the antigen processing machinery leading to a downregulation of HLA class I surface antigens. In depth characterization of these escape mechanisms might help to develop strategies to overcome this tolerance. In this study, human papilloma virus negative oral squamous cell carcinoma lesions were analyzed regarding the protein expression of major components of the HLA class I antigen processing/presentation pathway in correlation to the intra-tumoral immune cell composition, IFN-γ signaling and clinical parameters, which was further confirmed by bioinformatics analyses of datasets obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas. This novel knowledge could be used for optimizing the design of immunotherapeutic approaches of this disease. Abstract Progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has been associated with an escape of tumor cells from the host immune surveillance due to an increased knowledge of its underlying molecular mechanisms and its modulation by the tumor microenvironment and immune cell repertoire. In this study, the expression of HLA class I (HLA-I) antigens and of components of the antigen processing machinery (APM) was analyzed in 160 pathologically classified human papilloma virus (HPV)-negative OSCC lesions and correlated to the intra-tumoral immune cell response, IFN-γ signaling and to the patient’s outcome. A heterogeneous but predominantly lower constitutive protein expression of HLA-I APM components was found in OSCC sections when compared to non-neoplastic cells. Tumoral HLA-I APM component expression was further categorized into the three major phenotypes HLA-Ihigh/APMhigh, HLA-Ilow/APMlow and HLA-Idiscordant high/low/APMhigh. In the HLA-Ihigh/APMhigh group, the highest frequency of intra-tumoral CD8+ T cells and lowest number of CD8+ T cells close to FoxP3+ cells were found. Patients within this group presented the most unfavorable survival, which was significantly evident in stage T2 tumors. Despite a correlation with the number of intra-tumoral CD8+ T cells, tumoral JAK1 expression as a surrogate marker for IFN-γ signaling was not associated with HLA-I/APM expression. Thus, the presented findings strongly indicate the presence of additional factors involved in the immunomodulatory process of HPV-negative OSCC with a possible tumor-burden-dependent complex network of immune escape mechanisms beyond HLA-I/APM components and T cell infiltration in this tumor entity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Wickenhauser
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Halle (Saale), 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany; (C.W.); (D.B.); (J.B.)
| | - Daniel Bethmann
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Halle (Saale), 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany; (C.W.); (D.B.); (J.B.)
| | - Matthias Kappler
- Department of Oral, Maxillofacial and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Halle (Saale), 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany; (M.K.); or (A.W.E.)
| | - Alexander Walter Eckert
- Department of Oral, Maxillofacial and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Halle (Saale), 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany; (M.K.); or (A.W.E.)
- Department of Oral, Maxillofacial and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Private Medical University of South Nuremberg, 90471 Nuremberg, Germany
| | - André Steven
- Institute of Medical Immunology, University Hospital Halle (Saale), 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany; (A.S.); (J.B.)
| | - Jürgen Bukur
- Institute of Medical Immunology, University Hospital Halle (Saale), 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany; (A.S.); (J.B.)
| | - Bernard Aloysius Fox
- Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Portland, OR 97213, USA;
| | - Jana Beer
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Halle (Saale), 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany; (C.W.); (D.B.); (J.B.)
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Institute of Medical Immunology, University Hospital Halle (Saale), 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany; (A.S.); (J.B.)
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-(0)-345-557-4054; Fax: +49-(0)-345-557-4055
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13
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Immune Therapy Resistance and Immune Escape of Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13030551. [PMID: 33535559 PMCID: PMC7867077 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13030551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The genetic adaptability of malignant cells and their consequent heterogeneity even within the same patient poses a great obstacle to cancer patient treatment. This review summarizes the data obtained in the last decade on different preclinical mice models as well as on various immunotherapeutic clinical trials in distinct solid and hematopoietic cancers on how the immune system can be implemented in tumor therapy. Moreover, the different intrinsic and extrinsic escape strategies utilized by the tumor to avoid elimination by the immune system are recapitulated together with the different approaches proposed to overcome them in order to succeed and/or to enhance therapy efficacy. Abstract Immune therapy approaches such as checkpoint inhibitors or adoptive cell therapy represent promising therapeutic options for cancer patients, but their efficacy is still limited, since patients frequently develop innate or acquired resistances to these therapies. Thus, one major goal is to increase the efficiency of immunotherapies by overcoming tumor-induced immune suppression, which then allows for immune-mediated tumor clearance. Innate resistance to immunotherapies could be caused by a low immunogenicity of the tumor itself as well as an immune suppressive microenvironment composed of cellular, physical, or soluble factors leading to escape from immune surveillance and disease progression. So far, a number of strategies causing resistance to immunotherapy have been described in various clinical trials, which broadly overlap with the immunoediting processes of cancers. This review summarizes the novel insights in the development of resistances to immune therapy as well as different approaches that could be employed to overcome them.
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14
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Such L, Zhao F, Liu D, Thier B, Le-Trilling VTK, Sucker A, Coch C, Pieper N, Howe S, Bhat H, Kalkavan H, Ritter C, Brinkhaus R, Ugurel S, Köster J, Seifert U, Dittmer U, Schuler M, Lang KS, Kufer TA, Hartmann G, Becker JC, Horn S, Ferrone S, Liu D, Van Allen EM, Schadendorf D, Griewank K, Trilling M, Paschen A. Targeting the innate immunoreceptor RIG-I overcomes melanoma-intrinsic resistance to T cell immunotherapy. J Clin Invest 2020; 130:4266-4281. [PMID: 32427578 PMCID: PMC7410049 DOI: 10.1172/jci131572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding tumor resistance to T cell immunotherapies is critical to improve patient outcomes. Our study revealed a role for transcriptional suppression of the tumor-intrinsic HLA class I (HLA-I) antigen processing and presentation machinery (APM) in therapy resistance. Low HLA-I APM mRNA levels in melanoma metastases before immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) correlated with nonresponsiveness to therapy and poor clinical outcome. Patient-derived melanoma cells with silenced HLA-I APM escaped recognition by autologous CD8+ T cells. However, targeted activation of the innate immunoreceptor RIG-I initiated de novo HLA-I APM transcription, thereby overcoming T cell resistance. Antigen presentation was restored in interferon-sensitive (IFN-sensitive) but also immunoedited IFN-resistant melanoma models through RIG-I-dependent stimulation of an IFN-independent salvage pathway involving IRF1 and IRF3. Likewise, enhanced HLA-I APM expression was detected in RIG-Ihi (DDX58hi) melanoma biopsies, correlating with improved patient survival. Induction of HLA-I APM by RIG-I synergized with antibodies blocking PD-1 and TIGIT inhibitory checkpoints in boosting the antitumor T cell activity of ICB nonresponders. Overall, the herein-identified IFN-independent effect of RIG-I on tumor antigen presentation and T cell recognition proposes innate immunoreceptor targeting as a strategy to overcome intrinsic T cell resistance of IFN-sensitive and IFN-resistant melanomas and improve clinical outcomes in immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Such
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Fang Zhao
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Derek Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Beatrice Thier
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Antje Sucker
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Christoph Coch
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Natalia Pieper
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Howe
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Halime Kalkavan
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
- Institute of Immunology, and
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- Department of Immunology, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Cathrin Ritter
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
- Department of Translational Skin Cancer Research, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Robin Brinkhaus
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Selma Ugurel
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Johannes Köster
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Ulrike Seifert
- Friedrich Loeffler Institute for Medical Microbiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Ulf Dittmer
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Martin Schuler
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Thomas A. Kufer
- Institute of Nutritional Medicine, Department of Immunology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Gunther Hartmann
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jürgen C. Becker
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
- Department of Translational Skin Cancer Research, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Susanne Horn
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eliezer M. Van Allen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Dirk Schadendorf
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
- West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Klaus Griewank
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Mirko Trilling
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Annette Paschen
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
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15
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Barnowski C, Ciupka G, Tao R, Jin L, Busch DH, Tao S, Drexler I. Efficient Induction of Cytotoxic T Cells by Viral Vector Vaccination Requires STING-Dependent DC Functions. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1458. [PMID: 32765505 PMCID: PMC7381110 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) is an attenuated strain of vaccinia virus and currently under investigation as a promising vaccine vector against infectious diseases and cancer. MVA acquired mutations in host range and immunomodulatory genes, rendering the virus deficient for replication in most mammalian cells. MVA has a high safety profile and induces robust immune responses. However, the role of innate immune triggers for the induction of cytotoxic T cell responses after vaccination is incompletely understood. Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is an adaptor protein which integrates signaling downstream of several DNA sensors and therefore mediates the induction of type I interferons and other cytokines or chemokines in response to various dsDNA viruses. Since the type I interferon response was entirely STING-dependent during MVA infection, we studied the effect of STING on primary and secondary cytotoxic T cell responses and memory T cell formation after MVA vaccination in STING KO mice. Moreover, we analyzed the impact of STING on the maturation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) and their functionality as antigen presenting cells for cytotoxic T cells during MVA infection in vitro. Our results show that STING has an impact on the antigen processing and presentation capacity of conventionel DCs and played a crucial role for DC maturation and type I interferon production. Importantly, STING was required for the induction of efficient cytotoxic T cell responses in vivo, since we observed significantly decreased short-lived effector and effector memory T cell responses after priming in STING KO mice. These findings indicate that STING probably integrates innate immune signaling downstream of different DNA sensors in DCs and shapes the cytotoxic T cell response via the DC maturation phenotype which strongly depends on type I interferons in this infection model. Understanding the detailed functions of innate immune triggers during MVA infection will contribute to the optimized design of MVA-based vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia Barnowski
- Institute for Virology, Düsseldorf University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Gregor Ciupka
- Institute for Virology, Düsseldorf University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ronny Tao
- Institute for Virology, Düsseldorf University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Lei Jin
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Dirk H Busch
- Institute of Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sha Tao
- Institute for Virology, Düsseldorf University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ingo Drexler
- Institute for Virology, Düsseldorf University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
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16
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Wickström SL, Lövgren T, Volkmar M, Reinhold B, Duke-Cohan JS, Hartmann L, Rebmann J, Mueller A, Melief J, Maas R, Ligtenberg M, Hansson J, Offringa R, Seliger B, Poschke I, Reinherz EL, Kiessling R. Cancer Neoepitopes for Immunotherapy: Discordance Between Tumor-Infiltrating T Cell Reactivity and Tumor MHC Peptidome Display. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2766. [PMID: 31921104 PMCID: PMC6918724 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) are considered enriched for T cells recognizing shared tumor antigens or mutation-derived neoepitopes. We performed exome sequencing and HLA-A*02:01 epitope prediction from tumor cell lines from two HLA-A2-positive melanoma patients whose TIL displayed strong tumor reactivity. The potential neoepitopes were screened for recognition using autologous TIL by immunological assays and presentation on tumor major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules by Poisson detection mass spectrometry (MS). TIL from the patients recognized 5/181 and 3/49 of the predicted neoepitopes, respectively. MS screening detected 3/181 neoepitopes on tumor MHC-I from the first patient but only one was also among those recognized by TIL. Consequently, TIL enriched for neoepitope specificity failed to recognize tumor cells, despite being activated by peptides. For the second patient, only after IFN-γ treatment of the tumor cells was one of 49 predicted neoepitopes detected by MS, and this coincided with recognition by TIL sorted for the same specificity. Importantly, specific T cells could be expanded from patient and donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) for all neoepitopes recognized by TIL and/or detected on tumor MHC-I. In summary, stimulating the appropriate inflammatory environment within tumors may promote neoepitope MHC presentation while expanding T cells in blood may circumvent lack of specific TIL. The discordance in detection between physical and functional methods revealed here can be rationalized and used to improve neoantigen-targeted T cell immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stina L Wickström
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tanja Lövgren
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Michael Volkmar
- Division of Molecular Oncology of Gastrointestinal Tumors, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bruce Reinhold
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jonathan S Duke-Cohan
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Laura Hartmann
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Janina Rebmann
- Division of Molecular Oncology of Gastrointestinal Tumors, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anja Mueller
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Jeroen Melief
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Roeltje Maas
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maarten Ligtenberg
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johan Hansson
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rienk Offringa
- Division of Molecular Oncology of Gastrointestinal Tumors, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Isabel Poschke
- Division of Molecular Oncology of Gastrointestinal Tumors, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,DKTK Immune Monitoring Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ellis L Reinherz
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Rolf Kiessling
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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17
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Paganelli A, Garbarino F, Toto P, Martino GD, D’Urbano M, Auriemma M, Giovanni PD, Panarese F, Staniscia T, Amerio P, Paganelli R. Serological landscape of cytokines in cutaneous melanoma. Cancer Biomark 2019; 26:333-342. [DOI: 10.3233/cbm-190370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Paganelli
- Department of Dermatology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- Department of Dermatology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Federico Garbarino
- Department of Dermatology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- Department of Dermatology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Paola Toto
- Private practice, Chieti, Italy
- Department of Dermatology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Di Martino
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, Section of Hygiene, University “G. d’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Marika D’Urbano
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Matteo Auriemma
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, Section of Dermatology, University “G. d’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Pamela Di Giovanni
- Department of Pharmacy, University “G. d’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Panarese
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, Section of Dermatology, University “G. d’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Tommaso Staniscia
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, Section of Hygiene, University “G. d’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Paolo Amerio
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, Section of Dermatology, University “G. d’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Roberto Paganelli
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
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18
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Bai X, Fisher DE, Flaherty KT. Cell-state dynamics and therapeutic resistance in melanoma from the perspective of MITF and IFNγ pathways. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2019; 16:549-562. [PMID: 30967646 PMCID: PMC7185899 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-019-0204-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Targeted therapy and immunotherapy have greatly improved the prognosis of patients with metastatic melanoma, but resistance to these therapeutic modalities limits the percentage of patients with long-lasting responses. Accumulating evidence indicates that a persisting subpopulation of melanoma cells contributes to resistance to targeted therapy or immunotherapy, even in patients who initially have a therapeutic response; however, the root mechanism of resistance remains elusive. To address this problem, we propose a new model, in which dynamic fluctuations of protein expression at the single-cell level and longitudinal reshaping of the cellular state at the cell-population level explain the whole process of therapeutic resistance development. Conceptually, we focused on two different pivotal signalling pathways (mediated by microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and IFNγ) to construct the evolving trajectories of melanoma and described each of the cell states. Accordingly, the development of therapeutic resistance could be divided into three main phases: early survival of cell populations, reversal of senescence, and the establishment of new homeostatic states and development of irreversible resistance. On the basis of existing data, we propose future directions in both translational research and the design of therapeutic strategies that incorporate this emerging understanding of resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Bai
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education, Beijing), Department of Renal Cancer and Melanoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - David E Fisher
- Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Keith T Flaherty
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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19
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Friedrich M, Jasinski-Bergner S, Lazaridou MF, Subbarayan K, Massa C, Tretbar S, Mueller A, Handke D, Biehl K, Bukur J, Donia M, Mandelboim O, Seliger B. Tumor-induced escape mechanisms and their association with resistance to checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2019; 68:1689-1700. [PMID: 31375885 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-019-02373-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapy aims to activate the immune system to fight cancer in a very specific and targeted manner. Despite the success of different immunotherapeutic strategies, in particular antibodies directed against checkpoints as well as adoptive T-cell therapy, the response of patients is limited in different types of cancers. This attributes to escape of the tumor from immune surveillance and development of acquired resistances during therapy. In this review, the different evasion and resistance mechanisms that limit the efficacy of immunotherapies targeting tumor-associated antigens presented by major histocompatibility complex molecules on the surface of the malignant cells are summarized. Overcoming these escape mechanisms is a great challenge, but might lead to a better clinical outcome of patients and is therefore currently a major focus of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Friedrich
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Straße 2, 06110, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Simon Jasinski-Bergner
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Straße 2, 06110, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Maria-Filothei Lazaridou
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Straße 2, 06110, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Karthikeyan Subbarayan
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Straße 2, 06110, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Chiara Massa
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Straße 2, 06110, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Sandy Tretbar
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Straße 2, 06110, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Anja Mueller
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Straße 2, 06110, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Diana Handke
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Straße 2, 06110, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Katharina Biehl
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Straße 2, 06110, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jürgen Bukur
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Straße 2, 06110, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Marco Donia
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Ofer Mandelboim
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Straße 2, 06110, Halle (Saale), Germany.
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20
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Horn S, Leonardelli S, Sucker A, Schadendorf D, Griewank KG, Paschen A. Tumor CDKN2A-Associated JAK2 Loss and Susceptibility to Immunotherapy Resistance. J Natl Cancer Inst 2019; 110:677-681. [PMID: 29917141 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djx271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Poor clinical responses to checkpoint blockade with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 antibodies in melanoma have recently been associated with acquired IFNγ resistance that protects tumor cells from the antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic cytokine activity. IFNγ-resistant melanoma cells very often lack functional expression of the IFNγ signaling pathway gene JAK2 due to gene deletions or inactivating gene mutations. Analyzing melanoma cell lines (n = 46, applying next-generation targeted sequencing and single nucleotide polymorphism arrays) as well as available genomic data sets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) tumor tissue samples (cutaneous melanoma n = 367, lung squamous cell carcinoma n = 501, bladder urothelial carcinoma n = 408, breast invasive carcinoma n = 768, colorectal adenocarcinoma n = 257), we demonstrate that the frequent chromosomal losses of the tumor suppressor CDKN2A in melanoma and other tumor entities enhance the susceptibility to IFNγ resistance by concomitant deletion of the JAK2 gene (odds ratio = 223.17, 95% confidence interval = 66.91 to 1487.38, two-sided P = 7.6×10-46). Tumors with JAK2 mutations or homozygous JAK2 deletions demonstrate allelic losses covering both CDKN2A and JAK2. This suggests that patients with tumor chromosomal CDKN2A losses are susceptible to developing immunotherapy resistance and should be screened for JAK2 deficiency prior to and under immune checkpoint blocking therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Horn
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, and German Cancer Consortium partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Essen, Germany (DKTK)
| | - Sonia Leonardelli
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, and German Cancer Consortium partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Essen, Germany (DKTK)
| | - Antje Sucker
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, and German Cancer Consortium partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Essen, Germany (DKTK)
| | - Dirk Schadendorf
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, and German Cancer Consortium partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Essen, Germany (DKTK)
| | - Klaus G Griewank
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, and German Cancer Consortium partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Essen, Germany (DKTK)
| | - Annette Paschen
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, and German Cancer Consortium partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Essen, Germany (DKTK)
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21
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Saleiro D, Platanias LC. Interferon signaling in cancer. Non-canonical pathways and control of intracellular immune checkpoints. Semin Immunol 2019; 43:101299. [PMID: 31771762 PMCID: PMC8177745 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2019.101299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The interferons (IFNs) are cytokines with important antineoplastic and immune modulatory effects. These cytokines have been conserved through evolution as important elements of the immune surveillance against cancer. Despite this, defining their precise and specific roles in the generation of antitumor responses remains challenging. Emerging evidence suggests the existence of previously unknown roles for IFNs in the control of the immune response against cancer that may redefine our understanding on how these cytokines function. Beyond the engagement of classical JAK-STAT signaling pathways that promote transcription and expression of gene products, the IFNs engage multiple other signaling cascades to generate products that mediate biological responses and outcomes. There is recent emerging evidence indicating that IFNs control the expression of both traditional immune checkpoints like the PD-L1/PD1 axis, but also less well understood "intracellular" immune checkpoints whose targeting may define new approaches for the treatment of malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Saleiro
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center and Division of Hematology-Oncology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 East Superior Ave., Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Leonidas C Platanias
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center and Division of Hematology-Oncology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 East Superior Ave., Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Medicine, Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 820 S. Damen Ave., Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
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22
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Wang L, Yang X, Li D, Liang Z, Chen Y, Ma G, Wang Y, Li Y, Liang Y, Niu H. The elevated glutaminolysis of bladder cancer and T cells in a simulated tumor microenvironment contributes to the up-regulation of PD-L1 expression by interferon-γ. Onco Targets Ther 2018; 11:7229-7243. [PMID: 30425515 PMCID: PMC6203092 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s180505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Metabolic reprogramming occurs in the tumor microenvironment and influences the survival and function of tumor and immune cells. Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) produced by T cells up-regulates PD-L1 expression in tumors. However, reports regarding the relationship between nutrient metabolism and the up-regulation of PD-L1 expression are lacking. Materials and methods In this paper, we analyzed the metabolic changes in T cells and bladder cancer cells in a simulated tumor microenvironment to provide evidence regarding their relevance to PD-L1 up-regulation. Results The glutaminolysis was increased in both activated T cells and glucose-deprived T cells. IFN-γ production by T cells was decreased in a glucose-free medium and severely decreased when cells were simultaneously deprived of glutamine. Furthermore, the glutaminolysis of the bladder cancer cells under glucose deprivation exhibited a compensatory elevation. The glucose concentration of T cells co-cultured with bladder cancer cells was decreased and T cell proliferation was reduced, but IFN-γ production and glutaminolysis were increased. However, in bladder cancer cells, the elevation in glutaminolysis under co-culture conditions did not compensate for glucose deprivation because the glucose concentration in the culture medium did not significantly differ between the cultures with and without T cells. Our data also show that inhibiting glutamine metabolism in bladder cancer cells could reduce the elevation in PD-L1 expression induced by IFN-γ. Conclusion In a simulated tumor microenvironment, elevated glutaminolysis may play an essential role in IFN-γ production by T cells, ultimately improving the high PD-L1 expression, and also directly contributing to producing more PD-L1 in bladder cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping Wang
- Key Laboratory, Department of Urology and Andrology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China,
| | - Xuecheng Yang
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China, ;
| | - Dan Li
- Key Laboratory, Department of Urology and Andrology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China,
| | - Zhijuan Liang
- Key Laboratory, Department of Urology and Andrology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China,
| | - Yuanbin Chen
- Key Laboratory, Department of Urology and Andrology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China,
| | - Guofeng Ma
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China, ;
| | - Yonghua Wang
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China, ;
| | - Yongxin Li
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China
| | - Ye Liang
- Key Laboratory, Department of Urology and Andrology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China,
| | - Haitao Niu
- Key Laboratory, Department of Urology and Andrology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China, .,Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China, ;
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23
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Komov L, Kadosh DM, Barnea E, Milner E, Hendler A, Admon A. Cell Surface MHC Class I Expression Is Limited by the Availability of Peptide-Receptive "Empty" Molecules Rather than by the Supply of Peptide Ligands. Proteomics 2018; 18:e1700248. [PMID: 29707912 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201700248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Revised: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
While antigen processing and presentation (APP) by the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules have been extensively studied, a question arises as to whether the level of MHC-I expression is limited by the supply of peptide-receptive (empty) MHC molecules, or by the availability of peptide ligands for loading. To this end, the effect of interferons (IFNs) on the MHC peptidomes of human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) were evaluated. Although all four HLA allotypes of the MCF-7 cells (HLA-A*02:01, B*18, B*44, and C*5) present peptides of similar lengths and C-termini, which should be processed similarly by the proteasome and by the APP chaperones, the IFNs induced differential modulation of the HLA-A, B, and C peptidomes. In addition, overexpression of recombinant soluble HLA-A*02:01, introduced to compete with the identical endogenous membrane-bound HLA-A*02:01 for peptides of the MCF-7 cells, did not alter the expression level or the presented peptidome of the membrane-bound HLA-A*02:01. Taken together, these results indicate that a surplus supply of peptides is available inside the ER for loading onto the MHC-I peptide-receptive molecules, and that cell surface MHC-I expression is likely limited by the availability of empty MHC molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liran Komov
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Dganit Melamed Kadosh
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Eilon Barnea
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Elena Milner
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Ayellet Hendler
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Arie Admon
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
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24
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Steven A, Seliger B. The Role of Immune Escape and Immune Cell Infiltration in Breast Cancer. Breast Care (Basel) 2018; 13:16-21. [PMID: 29950962 DOI: 10.1159/000486585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
While detailed analysis of aberrant cancer cell signaling pathways and changes in cancer cell DNA has dominated the field of breast cancer biology for years, there now exists increasing evidence that the tumor microenvironment (TME) including tumor-infiltrating immune cells support the growth and development of breast cancer and further facilitate invasion and metastasis formation as well as sensitivity to drug therapy. Furthermore, breast cancer cells have developed different strategies to escape surveillance from the adaptive and innate immune system. These include loss of expression of immunostimulatory molecules, gain of expression of immunoinhibitory molecules such as PD-L1 and HLA-G, and altered expression of components involved in apoptosis. Furthermore, the composition of the TME plays a key role in breast cancer development and treatment response. In this review we will focus on i) the different immune evasion mechanisms used by breast cancer cells, ii) the role of immune cell infiltration in this disease, and (iii) implication for breast cancer-based immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Steven
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
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25
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Mimura K, Teh JL, Okayama H, Shiraishi K, Kua LF, Koh V, Smoot DT, Ashktorab H, Oike T, Suzuki Y, Fazreen Z, Asuncion BR, Shabbir A, Yong WP, So J, Soong R, Kono K. PD-L1 expression is mainly regulated by interferon gamma associated with JAK-STAT pathway in gastric cancer. Cancer Sci 2017; 109:43-53. [PMID: 29034543 PMCID: PMC5765310 DOI: 10.1111/cas.13424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 221] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Revised: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite multidisciplinary treatment for patients with advanced gastric cancer, their prognosis remains poor. Therefore, the development of novel therapeutic strategies is urgently needed, and immunotherapy utilizing anti‐programmed death 1/‐programmed death ligand‐1 mAb is an attractive approach. However, as there is limited information on how programmed death ligand‐1 is upregulated on tumor cells within the tumor microenvironment, we examined the mechanism of programmed death ligand‐1 regulation with a particular focus on interferon gamma in an in vitro setting and in clinical samples. Our in vitro findings showed that interferon gamma upregulated programmed death ligand‐1 expression on solid tumor cells through the JAK‐signal transducer and activator of transcription pathway, and impaired the cytotoxicity of tumor antigen‐specific CTL against tumor cells. Following treatment of cells with anti‐programmed death ligand‐1 mAb after interferon gamma‐pre‐treatment, the reduced anti‐tumor CTL activity by interferon gamma reached a higher level than the non‐treatment control targets. In contrast, programmed death ligand‐1 expression on tumor cells also significantly correlated with epithelial‐mesenchymal transition phenotype in a panel of solid tumor cells. In clinical gastric cancer samples, tumor membrane programmed death ligand‐1 expression significantly positively correlated with the presence of CD8‐positive T cells in the stroma and interferon gamma expression in the tumor. The results suggest that gastric cancer patients with high CD8‐positive T‐cell infiltration may be more responsive to anti‐programmed death 1/‐programmed death ligand‐1 mAb therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kousaku Mimura
- Department of Gastrointestinal Tract Surgery, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan.,Department of Advanced Cancer Immunotherapy, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan.,Department of Progressive DOHaD Research, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Jun Liang Teh
- Department of Surgery, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hirokazu Okayama
- Department of Gastrointestinal Tract Surgery, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Kensuke Shiraishi
- First Department of Surgery, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Ley-Fang Kua
- National University Cancer Institute Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Vivien Koh
- National University Cancer Institute Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Duane T Smoot
- Department of Internal Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Hassan Ashktorab
- Department of Medicine and Cancer Center, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Takahiro Oike
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Suzuki
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Zul Fazreen
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Asim Shabbir
- National University Cancer Institute Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wei-Peng Yong
- National University Cancer Institute Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jimmy So
- National University Cancer Institute Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Richie Soong
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Pathology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Koji Kono
- Department of Gastrointestinal Tract Surgery, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
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26
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Seliger B. Immune modulatory microRNAs as a novel mechanism to revert immune escape of tumors. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2017; 36:49-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2017.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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27
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Donia M, Harbst K, van Buuren M, Kvistborg P, Lindberg MF, Andersen R, Idorn M, Munir Ahmad S, Ellebæk E, Mueller A, Fagone P, Nicoletti F, Libra M, Lauss M, Hadrup SR, Schmidt H, Andersen MH, Thor Straten P, Nilsson JA, Schumacher TN, Seliger B, Jönsson G, Svane IM. Acquired Immune Resistance Follows Complete Tumor Regression without Loss of Target Antigens or IFNγ Signaling. Cancer Res 2017; 77:4562-4566. [PMID: 28655789 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-16-3172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Revised: 04/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy can result in durable tumor regressions in some patients. However, patients who initially respond often experience tumor progression. Here, we report mechanistic evidence of tumoral immune escape in an exemplary clinical case: a patient with metastatic melanoma who developed disease recurrence following an initial, unequivocal radiologic complete regression after T-cell-based immunotherapy. Functional cytotoxic T-cell responses, including responses to one mutant neoantigen, were amplified effectively with therapy and generated durable immunologic memory. However, these immune responses, including apparently effective surveillance of the tumor mutanome, did not prevent recurrence. Alterations of the MHC class I antigen-processing and presentation machinery (APM) in resistant cancer cells, but not antigen loss or impaired IFNγ signaling, led to impaired recognition by tumor-specific CD8+ T cells. Our results suggest that future immunotherapy combinations should take into account targeting cancer cells with intact and impaired MHC class I-related APM. Loss of target antigens or impaired IFNγ signaling does not appear to be mandatory for tumor relapse after a complete radiologic regression. Personalized studies to uncover mechanisms leading to disease recurrence within each individual patient are warranted. Cancer Res; 77(17); 4562-6. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Donia
- Department of Hematology, Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark. .,Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Katja Harbst
- Division of Oncology and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Sweden
| | - Marit van Buuren
- Division of Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Pia Kvistborg
- Division of Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Rikke Andersen
- Department of Hematology, Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark.,Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Manja Idorn
- Department of Hematology, Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Shamaila Munir Ahmad
- Department of Hematology, Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Eva Ellebæk
- Department of Hematology, Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark.,Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Anja Mueller
- Institute for Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
| | - Paolo Fagone
- Department of Bio-medical Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | | | - Massimo Libra
- Department of Bio-medical Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Martin Lauss
- Division of Oncology and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Sweden
| | - Sine Reker Hadrup
- Department of Hematology, Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Henrik Schmidt
- Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mads Hald Andersen
- Department of Hematology, Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Per Thor Straten
- Department of Hematology, Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Jonas A Nilsson
- Division of Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ton N Schumacher
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Institute for Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
| | - Göran Jönsson
- Division of Oncology and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Sweden
| | - Inge Marie Svane
- Department of Hematology, Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark. .,Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
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28
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A novel combination strategy for effectively targeting cancer stem‐like cells. Immunol Cell Biol 2017; 95:573-574. [DOI: 10.1038/icb.2017.39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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29
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Sucker A, Zhao F, Pieper N, Heeke C, Maltaner R, Stadtler N, Real B, Bielefeld N, Howe S, Weide B, Gutzmer R, Utikal J, Loquai C, Gogas H, Klein-Hitpass L, Zeschnigk M, Westendorf AM, Trilling M, Horn S, Schilling B, Schadendorf D, Griewank KG, Paschen A. Acquired IFNγ resistance impairs anti-tumor immunity and gives rise to T-cell-resistant melanoma lesions. Nat Commun 2017; 8:15440. [PMID: 28561041 PMCID: PMC5460020 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Melanoma treatment has been revolutionized by antibody-based immunotherapies. IFNγ secretion by CD8+ T cells is critical for therapy efficacy having anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects on tumour cells. Our study demonstrates a genetic evolution of IFNγ resistance in different melanoma patient models. Chromosomal alterations and subsequent inactivating mutations in genes of the IFNγ signalling cascade, most often JAK1 or JAK2, protect melanoma cells from anti-tumour IFNγ activity. JAK1/2 mutants further evolve into T-cell-resistant HLA class I-negative lesions with genes involved in antigen presentation silenced and no longer inducible by IFNγ. Allelic JAK1/2 losses predisposing to IFNγ resistance development are frequent in melanoma. Subclones harbouring inactivating mutations emerge under various immunotherapies but are also detectable in pre-treatment biopsies. Our data demonstrate that JAK1/2 deficiency protects melanoma from anti-tumour IFNγ activity and results in T-cell-resistant HLA class I-negative lesions. Screening for mechanisms of IFNγ resistance should be considered in therapeutic decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antje Sucker
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Fang Zhao
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Natalia Pieper
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Christina Heeke
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Raffaela Maltaner
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Nadine Stadtler
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Birgit Real
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Nicola Bielefeld
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Howe
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Weide
- Division of Dermatooncology, Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ralf Gutzmer
- Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Skin Cancer Center Hannover, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Jochen Utikal
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Skin Cancer Unit, Heidelberg and University Medical Center Mannheim, Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Carmen Loquai
- Skin Cancer Center, Department of Dermatology, University of Mainz Medical Center, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Helen Gogas
- First Department of Medicine,National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Ludger Klein-Hitpass
- Institute of Cell Biology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Michael Zeschnigk
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, West German Cancer Center and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Astrid M Westendorf
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Mirko Trilling
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Susanne Horn
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Bastian Schilling
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, 45122 Essen, Germany.,Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Dirk Schadendorf
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Klaus G Griewank
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, 45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Annette Paschen
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, 45122 Essen, Germany
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30
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Seliger B, Kloor M, Ferrone S. HLA class II antigen-processing pathway in tumors: Molecular defects and clinical relevance. Oncoimmunology 2017; 6:e1171447. [PMID: 28344859 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2016.1171447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Revised: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II antigen-processing machinery (APM) presents to cognate CD4+ T-cells antigenic peptides mainly generated from exogeneous proteins in the endocytic compartment. These CD4+ T cells exert helper function, but may also act as effector cells, thereby recognizing HLA class II antigen-expressing tumor cells. Thus, HLA class II antigen expression by tumor cells influences the tumor antigen (TA)-specific immune responses and, depending on the cancer type, the clinical course of the disease. Many types of human cancers express HLA class II antigens, although with marked differences in their frequency. Some types of cancer lack HLA class II antigen expression, which could be due to structural defects or deregulation affecting different components of the complex HLA class II APM and/or from lack of cytokine(s) in the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we have summarized the information about HLA class II antigen distribution in normal tissues, the structural organization of the HLA class II APM, their expression and regulation in malignant cells, the defects, which have been identified in malignant cells, and their functional and clinical relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Seliger
- Martin Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Medical Immunology , Halle, Germany
| | - Matthias Kloor
- Department of Applied Tumor Biology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Biology, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) , Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Departments of Surgery and Orthopedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School , Boston, MA, USA
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31
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Seliger B, Jasinski-Bergner S, Quandt D, Stoehr C, Bukur J, Wach S, Legal W, Taubert H, Wullich B, Hartmann A. HLA-E expression and its clinical relevance in human renal cell carcinoma. Oncotarget 2016; 7:67360-67372. [PMID: 27589686 PMCID: PMC5341881 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The non-classical human leukocyte antigen E (HLA-E) expression is frequently overexpressed in tumor diseases, transplants and virus-infected cells and represents an immunomodulatory molecule by binding to the receptors CD94/NKG2A, -B and -C on NK and T cells. Due to its immune suppressive features HLA-E expression might represent an important mechanism of tumors to escape immune surveillance.While an aberrant expression of the non-classical HLA-G antigen in human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has been demonstrated to be associated with a worse outcome of patients and reduced sensitivity to immune effector cell-mediated cytotoxicity, the expression and function of HLA-E has not yet been analyzed in this tumor entity.Higher levels of HLA-E transcripts were detected in all RCC cell lines and tumor lesions, which were tested in comparison to normal kidney epithelium. Immunohistochemical staining of a tissue microarray (TMA) using the HLA-E-specific monoclonal antibody TFL-033 recognizing the cytoplasmic HLA-E α-chain as monomer revealed a heterogeneous HLA-E expression in RCC lesions with the highest frequency in chromophobe RCC when compared to other RCC subtypes. HLA-E expression did not correlate with the frequency of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and FoxP3+ immune cell infiltrations, but showed an inverse correlation with infiltrating CD56+ cells. In contrast to HLA-G, HLA-E expression in RCCs was not statistically significant associated with a decreased disease specific survival. These data suggest that HLA-E overexpression frequently occurs in RCC and correlates with reduced immunogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Seliger
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin-Luther-University, Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
| | | | - Dagmar Quandt
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin-Luther-University, Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
| | - Christine Stoehr
- Institute of Pathology, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Juergen Bukur
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin-Luther-University, Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
| | - Sven Wach
- Clinics for Urology, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Legal
- Clinics for Urology, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Helge Taubert
- Clinics for Urology, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Bernd Wullich
- Clinics for Urology, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Arndt Hartmann
- Institute of Pathology, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
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32
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Textor A, Schmidt K, Kloetzel PM, Weißbrich B, Perez C, Charo J, Anders K, Sidney J, Sette A, Schumacher TNM, Keller C, Busch DH, Seifert U, Blankenstein T. Preventing tumor escape by targeting a post-proteasomal trimming independent epitope. J Exp Med 2016; 213:2333-2348. [PMID: 27697836 PMCID: PMC5068242 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20160636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Blankenstein and colleagues describe a novel strategy to avoid tumor escape from adoptive T cell therapy. Adoptive T cell therapy (ATT) can achieve regression of large tumors in mice and humans; however, tumors frequently recur. High target peptide-major histocompatibility complex-I (pMHC) affinity and T cell receptor (TCR)-pMHC affinity are thought to be critical to preventing relapse. Here, we show that targeting two epitopes of the same antigen in the same cancer cells via monospecific T cells, which have similar pMHC and pMHC-TCR affinity, results in eradication of large, established tumors when targeting the apparently subdominant but not the dominant epitope. Only the escape but not the rejection epitope required postproteasomal trimming, which was regulated by IFN-γ, allowing IFN-γ–unresponsive cancer variants to evade. The data describe a novel immune escape mechanism and better define suitable target epitopes for ATT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Textor
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Karin Schmidt
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany.,Institute for Biochemistry, Charité, Campus Mitte, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter-M Kloetzel
- Institute for Biochemistry, Charité, Campus Mitte, 10117 Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Bianca Weißbrich
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Cynthia Perez
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jehad Charo
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kathleen Anders
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - John Sidney
- La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Alessandro Sette
- La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Ton N M Schumacher
- The Division of Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Christin Keller
- Institute for Biochemistry, Charité, Campus Mitte, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Dirk H Busch
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Ulrike Seifert
- Institute for Biochemistry, Charité, Campus Mitte, 10117 Berlin, Germany.,Institute for Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany.,Friedrich Loeffler Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Thomas Blankenstein
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany .,Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Immunology, Charité, Campus Buch, 13125 Berlin, Germany
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33
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Seliger B. Molecular mechanisms of HLA class I-mediated immune evasion of human tumors and their role in resistance to immunotherapies. HLA 2016; 88:213-220. [PMID: 27659281 DOI: 10.1111/tan.12898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Although the human immune system can recognize and eradicate tumor cells, tumors have also been shown to develop different strategies to escape immune surveillance, which has been described for the first time in different mouse models. The evasion of immune recognition was often associated with a poor prognosis and reduced survival of patients. During the last years the molecular mechanisms, which protect tumor cells from this immune attack, have been identified and appear to be more complex than initially expected. However, next to the composition of cellular, soluble and physical components of the tumor microenvironment, the tumor cells changes to limit immune responses. Of particular importance are classical and non-classical human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I antigens, which often showed a deregulated expression in cancers of distinct origin. Furthermore, HLA class I abnormalities were linked to defects in the interferon signaling, which have both been shown to be essential for mounting immune responses and are involved in resistances to T cell-based immunotherapies. Therefore this review summarizes the expression, regulation, function and clinical relevance of HLA class I antigens in association with the interferon signal transduction pathway and its role in adaptive resistances to immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Seliger
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.
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34
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Concha-Benavente F, Srivastava R, Ferrone S, Ferris RL. Immunological and clinical significance of HLA class I antigen processing machinery component defects in malignant cells. Oral Oncol 2016; 58:52-8. [PMID: 27264839 DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2016.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Experimental as well as clinical studies demonstrate that the immune system plays a major role in controlling generation and progression of tumors. The cancer immunoediting theory supports the notion that tumor cell immunogenicity is dynamically shaped by the immune system, as it eliminates immunogenic tumor cells in the early stage of the disease and then edits their antigenicity. The end result is the generation of a tumor cell population able to escape from immune recognition and elimination by tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. Two major mechanisms, which affect the target cells and the effector phase of the immune response, play a crucial role in the editing process. One is represented by the downregulation of tumor antigen (TA) processing and presentation because of abnormalities in the HLA class I antigen processing machinery (APM). The other one is represented by the anergy of effector immune infiltrates in the tumor microenvironment caused by aberrant inhibitory signals triggered by immune checkpoint receptor (ICR) ligands, such as programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1). In this review, we will focus on tumor immune escape mechanisms caused by defects in HLA class I APM component expression and/or function in different types of cancer, with emphasis on head and neck cancer (HNC). We will also discuss the immunological implications and clinical relevance of these HLA class I APM abnormalities. Finally, we will describe strategies to counteract defective TA presentation with the expectation that they will enhance tumor recognition and elimination by tumor infiltrating effector T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert L Ferris
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cancer Immunology Program, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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35
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Rodriguez GM, Bobbala D, Serrano D, Mayhue M, Champagne A, Saucier C, Steimle V, Kufer TA, Menendez A, Ramanathan S, Ilangumaran S. NLRC5 elicits antitumor immunity by enhancing processing and presentation of tumor antigens to CD8(+) T lymphocytes. Oncoimmunology 2016; 5:e1151593. [PMID: 27471621 PMCID: PMC4938303 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2016.1151593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Revised: 01/18/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancers can escape immunesurveillance by diminishing the expression of MHC class-I molecules (MHC-I) and components of the antigen-processing machinery (APM). Developing new approaches to reverse these defects could boost the efforts to restore antitumor immunity. Recent studies have shown that the expression of MHC-I and antigen-processing molecules is transcriptionally regulated by NOD-like receptor CARD domain containing 5 (NLRC5). To investigate whether NLRC5 could be used to improve tumor immunogenicity, we established stable lines of B16-F10 melanoma cells expressing NLRC5 (B16-5), the T cell co-stimulatory molecule CD80 (B16-CD80) or both (B16-5/80). Cells harboring NLRC5 constitutively expressed MHC-I and LMP2, LMP7 and TAP1 genes of the APM. The B16-5 cells efficiently presented the melanoma antigenic peptide gp10025–33 to Pmel-1 TCR transgenic CD8+ T cells and induced their proliferation. In the presence of CD80, B16-5 cells stimulated Pmel-1 cells even without the addition of gp100 peptide, indicating that NLRC5 facilitated the processing and presentation of endogenous tumor antigen. Upon subcutaneous implantation, B16-5 cells showed markedly reduced tumor growth in C57BL/6 hosts but not in immunodeficient hosts, indicating that the NLRC5-expressing tumor cells elicited antitumor immunity. Following intravenous injection, B16-5 and B16-5/80 cells formed fewer lung tumor foci compared to control cells. In mice depleted of CD8+ T cells, B16-5 cells formed large subcutaneous and lung tumors. Finally, immunization with irradiated B16-5 cells conferred protection against challenge by parental B16 cells. Collectively, our findings indicate that NLRC5 could be exploited to restore tumor immunogenicity and to stimulate protective antitumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Audrey Champagne
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke , Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Caroline Saucier
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; CRCHUS, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Viktor Steimle
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke , Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Thomas A Kufer
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Nutritional Medicine, University of Hohenheim , Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Alfredo Menendez
- CRCHUS, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada; Department of Microbiology and Infectious diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sheela Ramanathan
- Immunology division, Department of Pediatrics; CRCHUS, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Subburaj Ilangumaran
- Immunology division, Department of Pediatrics; CRCHUS, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
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36
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Bedognetti D, Hendrickx W, Ceccarelli M, Miller LD, Seliger B. Disentangling the relationship between tumor genetic programs and immune responsiveness. Curr Opin Immunol 2016; 39:150-8. [PMID: 26967649 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2016.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Revised: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 02/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Correlative studies in humans have demonstrated that an active immune microenvironment characterized by the presence of a T-helper 1 immune response typifies a tumor phenotype associated with better outcome and increased responsiveness to immune manipulation. This phenotype also signifies the counter activation of immune-regulatory mechanisms. Variables modulating the development of an effective anti-tumor immune response are increasingly scrutinized as potential therapeutic targets. Genetic alterations of cancer cells that functionally influence intratumoral immune response include mutational load, specific mutations of genes involved in oncogenic pathways and copy number aberrations involving chemokine and cytokine genes. Inhibiting oncogenic pathways that prevent the development of the immune-favorable cancer phenotype may complement modern immunotherapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Bedognetti
- Tumor Biology, Immunology and Therapy Section, Division of Translational Medicine, Research Branch, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Wouter Hendrickx
- Tumor Biology, Immunology and Therapy Section, Division of Translational Medicine, Research Branch, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Doha, Qatar
| | - Michele Ceccarelli
- Qatar Computing Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Lance D Miller
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
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37
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Rearden R, Sah A, Doff B, Kobayashi T, McKee SJ, Leggatt GR, Mattarollo SR. Control of B-cell lymphoma by therapeutic vaccination and acquisition of immune resistance is independent of direct tumour IFN-gamma signalling. Immunol Cell Biol 2016; 94:554-62. [PMID: 26786233 DOI: 10.1038/icb.2016.9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Revised: 01/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Immunomodulatory therapies can effectively control haematological malignancies by promoting antitumour immunity. Previously, we reported transient growth of poorly immunogenic murine non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphomas (B-NHL) by targeting natural killer T (NKT) cells with a therapeutic vaccine approach. Therapeutic efficacy was highly dependent on the ability of the vaccine to provoke rapid interferon-gamma (IFNγ) production from NKT and NK cells. By manipulating the capacity of either host or lymphoma cells to signal through the IFNγ receptor (IFNγR), we investigated whether the therapeutic effect conferred by vaccine-induced IFNγ is a result of immune cell activation, lymphoma IFNγ sensitivity or a combination of both. We demonstrated that antitumour immunity elicited by vaccination requires IFNγ signalling within host cells but not tumour cells. IFNγR-deficient mice failed to mount an effective antitumour immune response following vaccination despite elevated IFNγ levels. With successive exposure to vaccination, lymphomas acquired an increasingly therapy-resistant phenotype and displayed a reduction in major histocompatibility complex I and CD1d surface expression, which is independent of tumour intrinsic IFNγ signalling. Our results suggest that immunotherapy-induced IFNγ production mainly exerts its therapeutic effect via signalling through host cells, rather than directly to tumour cells in B-NHL. This signifies that intact IFNγ signalling within patients' immune compartment rather than tumour cell sensitivity to IFNγ is more critical for successful treatment. Finally, tumour IFNγ signalling alone does not drive acquired tumour resistance to vaccination, implying that additional immunoediting pathways are responsible for tumour immune escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory Rearden
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Amelia Sah
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Brianna Doff
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Takumi Kobayashi
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sara J McKee
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Graham R Leggatt
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Stephen R Mattarollo
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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38
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Ascierto PA, Atkins M, Bifulco C, Botti G, Cochran A, Davies M, Demaria S, Dummer R, Ferrone S, Formenti S, Gajewski TF, Garbe C, Khleif S, Kiessling R, Lo R, Lorigan P, Arthur GM, Masucci G, Melero I, Mihm M, Palmieri G, Parmiani G, Puzanov I, Romero P, Schilling B, Seliger B, Stroncek D, Taube J, Tomei S, Zarour HM, Testori A, Wang E, Galon J, Ciliberto G, Mozzillo N, Marincola FM, Thurin M. Future perspectives in melanoma research: meeting report from the "Melanoma Bridge": Napoli, December 3rd-6th 2014. J Transl Med 2015; 13:374. [PMID: 26619946 PMCID: PMC4665874 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-015-0736-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The fourth "Melanoma Bridge Meeting" took place in Naples, December 3-6th, 2014. The four topics discussed at this meeting were: Molecular and Immunological Advances, Combination Therapies, News in Immunotherapy, and Tumor Microenvironment and Biomarkers. Until recently systemic therapy for metastatic melanoma patients was ineffective, but recent advances in tumor biology and immunology have led to the development of new targeted and immunotherapeutic agents that prolong progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). New therapies, such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway inhibitors as well as other signaling pathway inhibitors, are being tested in patients with metastatic melanoma either as monotherapy or in combination, and all have yielded promising results. These include inhibitors of receptor tyrosine kinases (BRAF, MEK, and VEGFR), the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K) pathway [PI3K, AKT, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)], activators of apoptotic pathway, and the cell cycle inhibitors (CDK4/6). Various locoregional interventions including radiotherapy and surgery are still valid approaches in treatment of advanced melanoma that can be integrated with novel therapies. Intrinsic, adaptive and acquired resistance occur with targeted therapy such as BRAF inhibitors, where most responses are short-lived. Given that the reactivation of the MAPK pathway through several distinct mechanisms is responsible for the majority of acquired resistance, it is logical to combine BRAF inhibitors with inhibitors of targets downstream in the MAPK pathway. For example, combination of BRAF/MEK inhibitors (e.g., dabrafenib/trametinib) have been demonstrated to improve survival compared to monotherapy. Application of novel technologies such sequencing have proven useful as a tool for identification of MAPK pathway-alternative resistance mechanism and designing other combinatorial therapies such as those between BRAF and AKT inhibitors. Improved survival rates have also been observed with immune-targeted therapy for patients with metastatic melanoma. Immune-modulating antibodies came to the forefront with anti-CTLA-4, programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and PD-1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway blocking antibodies that result in durable responses in a subset of melanoma patients. Agents targeting other immune inhibitory (e.g., Tim-3) or immune stimulating (e.g., CD137) receptors and other approaches such as adoptive cell transfer demonstrate clinical benefit in patients with melanoma as well. These agents are being studied in combination with targeted therapies in attempt to produce longer-term responses than those more typically seen with targeted therapy. Other combinations with cytotoxic chemotherapy and inhibitors of angiogenesis are changing the evolving landscape of therapeutic options and are being evaluated to prevent or delay resistance and to further improve survival rates for this patient population. This meeting's specific focus was on advances in combination of targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Both combination targeted therapy approaches and different immunotherapies were discussed. Similarly to the previous meetings, the importance of biomarkers for clinical application as markers for diagnosis, prognosis and prediction of treatment response was an integral part of the meeting. The overall emphasis on biomarkers supports novel concepts toward integrating biomarkers into contemporary clinical management of patients with melanoma across the entire spectrum of disease stage. Translation of the knowledge gained from the biology of tumor microenvironment across different tumors represents a bridge to impact on prognosis and response to therapy in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo A Ascierto
- Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Fondazione "G. Pascale", Naples, Italy.
| | - Michael Atkins
- Georgetown-Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Carlo Bifulco
- Translational Molecular Pathology, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Center, Portland, OR, USA.
| | - Gerardo Botti
- Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Fondazione "G. Pascale", Naples, Italy.
| | - Alistair Cochran
- Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), John Wayne Cancer Institute, Santa Monica, CA, USA.
| | - Michael Davies
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Sandra Demaria
- Departments of Radiation Oncology and Pathology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Reinhard Dummer
- Skin Cancer Unit, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zürich, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Silvia Formenti
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Thomas F Gajewski
- Departments of Medicine and of Pathology, Immunology and Cancer Program, The University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Claus Garbe
- Department of Dermatology, Center for Dermato Oncology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Samir Khleif
- Georgia Regents University Cancer Center, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA, USA.
| | - Rolf Kiessling
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Roger Lo
- Departments of Medicine and Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine and Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Paul Lorigan
- University of Manchester/Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
| | - Grant Mc Arthur
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Giuseppe Masucci
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, The Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Ignacio Melero
- Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada, and Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain.
| | - Martin Mihm
- Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Giuseppe Palmieri
- Unit of Cancer Genetics, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council, Sassari, Italy.
| | - Giorgio Parmiani
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Unit of Bio-Immunotherapy of Solid Tumors, San Raffaele Institute, Milan, Italy.
| | - Igor Puzanov
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Pedro Romero
- Ludwig Cancer Research Center, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Bastian Schilling
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital, West German Cancer Center, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany. .,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen, Germany.
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.
| | - David Stroncek
- Cell Processing Section, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Janis Taube
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University SOM, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Sara Tomei
- Division of Translational Medicine, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Hassane M Zarour
- Departments of Medicine, Immunology and Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | | | - Ena Wang
- Division of Translational Medicine, Sidra Medical and Research Centre, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Jérôme Galon
- INSERM, UMRS1138, Laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France.
| | | | - Nicola Mozzillo
- Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Fondazione "G. Pascale", Naples, Italy.
| | | | - Magdalena Thurin
- Cancer Diagnosis Program, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Osborn JL, Greer SF. Metastatic melanoma cells evade immune detection by silencing STAT1. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:4343-61. [PMID: 25690042 PMCID: PMC4346960 DOI: 10.3390/ijms16024343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2014] [Accepted: 02/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional activation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I and II molecules by the cytokine, interferon γ (IFN-γ), is a key step in cell-mediated immunity against pathogens and tumors. Recent evidence suggests that suppression of MHC I and II expression on multiple tumor types plays important roles in tumor immunoevasion. One such tumor is malignant melanoma, a leading cause of skin cancer-related deaths. Despite growing awareness of MHC expression defects, the molecular mechanisms by which melanoma cells suppress MHC and escape from immune-mediated elimination remain unknown. Here, we analyze the dysregulation of the Janus kinase (JAK)/STAT pathway and its role in the suppression of MHC II in melanoma cell lines at the radial growth phase (RGP), the vertical growth phase (VGP) and the metastatic phase (MET). While RGP and VGP cells both express MHC II, MET cells lack not only MHC II, but also the critical transcription factors, interferon response factor (IRF) 1 and its upstream activator, signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1). Suppression of STAT1 in vitro was also observed in patient tumor samples, suggesting STAT1 silencing as a global mechanism of MHC II suppression and immunoevasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- JoDi Lynn Osborn
- Division of Cellular Biology and Immunology, Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.
| | - Susanna F Greer
- Division of Cellular Biology and Immunology, Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.
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Abstract
The concept of immunosurveillance of cancer has been widely accepted for many years, but only recently have the precise mechanisms of tumor-host immune interactions been revealed. Inflammatory and immune reactions play a role in melanomagenesis, and may contribute to the eradication of tumor as well as potentiating its growth and proliferation. Studies of the role of tumor-immune system interactions are providing insights into the pathogenesis and opportunities for highly effective therapeutic strategies. Some patients, even with advanced disease, are now cured with immunotherapy, and increasing numbers of such cures are likely in future.
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Ascierto PA, Grimaldi AM, Anderson AC, Bifulco C, Cochran A, Garbe C, Eggermont AM, Faries M, Ferrone S, Gershenwald JE, Gajewski TF, Halaban R, Hodi FS, Kefford R, Kirkwood JM, Larkin J, Leachman S, Maio M, Marais R, Masucci G, Melero I, Palmieri G, Puzanov I, Ribas A, Saenger Y, Schilling B, Seliger B, Stroncek D, Sullivan R, Testori A, Wang E, Ciliberto G, Mozzillo N, Marincola FM, Thurin M. Future perspectives in melanoma research: meeting report from the "Melanoma Bridge", Napoli, December 5th-8th 2013. J Transl Med 2014; 12:277. [PMID: 25348889 PMCID: PMC4232645 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-014-0277-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2014] [Accepted: 09/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The fourth "Melanoma Bridge Meeting" took place in Naples, December 5 to 8th, 2013. The four topics discussed at this meeting were: Diagnosis and New Procedures, Molecular Advances and Combination Therapies, News in Immunotherapy, and Tumor Microenvironment and Biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo A Ascierto
- />Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Fondazione “G. Pascale”, Napoli, Italy
| | | | | | - Carlo Bifulco
- />Translational Molecular Pathology, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Center, Portland, OR USA
| | - Alistair Cochran
- />Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), John Wayne Cancer Institute, Santa Monica, CA USA
| | - Claus Garbe
- />Center for Dermato Oncology, Department of Dermatology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Mark Faries
- />Donald L. Morton Melanoma Research Program, John Wayne Cancer Institute, Santa Monica, CA USA
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- />Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Jeffrey E Gershenwald
- />Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX USA
| | - Thomas F Gajewski
- />Departments of Medicine and of Pathology, Immunology and Cancer Program, The University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Ruth Halaban
- />Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
| | - F Stephen Hodi
- />Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA
| | - Richard Kefford
- />Westmead Institute for Cancer Research, Westmead Millennium Institute and Melanoma Institute Australia, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW Australia
| | - John M Kirkwood
- />Division of Hematology/Oncology, Departments of Medicine, Dermatology, and Translational Science, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Melanoma Program of the Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - James Larkin
- />Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Sancy Leachman
- />Department of Dermatology, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR USA
| | - Michele Maio
- />Medical Oncology and Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Siena, Istituto Toscano Tumori, Siena, Italy
| | - Richard Marais
- />Molecular Oncology Group, The Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4BX UK
| | - Giuseppe Masucci
- />Department of Oncology-Pathology, The Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ignacio Melero
- />Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Navarra Spain
| | - Giuseppe Palmieri
- />Unit of Cancer Genetics, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council, Sassari, Italy
| | - Igor Puzanov
- />Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
| | - Antoni Ribas
- />Tumor Immunology Program, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC), David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Yvonne Saenger
- />Division of Hematology and Oncology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Department of Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Bastian Schilling
- />Department of Dermatology, University Hospital, West German Cancer Center, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- />German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Barbara Seliger
- />Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Medical Immunology, Halle, Germany
| | - David Stroncek
- />Cell Processing Section, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, NIH, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Ryan Sullivan
- />Center for Melanoma, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | | | - Ena Wang
- />Division Chief of Translational Medicine, Sidra Medical and Research Centre, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Nicola Mozzillo
- />Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Fondazione “G. Pascale”, Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Magdalena Thurin
- />Cancer Diagnosis Program, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD USA
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42
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Mimura K, Kua LF, Shiraishi K, Kee Siang L, Shabbir A, Komachi M, Suzuki Y, Nakano T, Yong WP, So J, Kono K. Inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway can induce upregulation of human leukocyte antigen class I without PD-L1-upregulation in contrast to interferon-γ treatment. Cancer Sci 2014; 105:1236-44. [PMID: 25154680 PMCID: PMC4462358 DOI: 10.1111/cas.12503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2014] [Revised: 08/05/2014] [Accepted: 08/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, we reported that human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I expression is predominantly regulated by the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway as one of the oncogenic regulations of HLA class I expression. In the present study, we examined mechanisms of how HLA class I and PD-L1 are regulated by MAPK inhibitors and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). Furthermore, we evaluated the expression of major signal transduction molecules by Western blot and anti-tumor CTL activity by a cytotoxic assay when HLA class I and PD-L1 were modulated by MAPK inhibitors and/or IFN-γ. As a result, we confirmed, as a more general phenomenon, that the inhibition of MAPK could upregulate HLA class I expression in a panel of human solid tumors (n = 26). Of note, we showed that MAPK inhibitors act on the upregulation of HLA class I expression through a different pathway from IFN-γ; there was an additive effect in the upregulation of HLA class I when treated with the combination of MAPK inhibitors and IFN-γ, and there was no overlapping activation of JAK2/STAT1 and Erk1/2 molecules when treated with either IFN-γ or MAPK inhibitors. Furthermore, we showed that IFN-γ–treatment impaired the tumor-specific CTL activity due to the upregulation of PD-L1 in spite of the upregulation of HLA class I, while MAPK inhibitors can augment the tumor-specific CTL activity due to the upregulated HLA class I without PD-L1 alterations. In conclusion, in addition to the original anti-proliferative activity, MAPK inhibitors may work toward the enhancement of T-cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity through the upregulation of HLA class I without the upregulation of PD-L1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kousaku Mimura
- Department of Surgery, National University of Singapore, Singapore City, Singapore
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43
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Guo C, Manjili MH, Subjeck JR, Sarkar D, Fisher PB, Wang XY. Therapeutic cancer vaccines: past, present, and future. Adv Cancer Res 2014; 119:421-75. [PMID: 23870514 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-407190-2.00007-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 365] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Therapeutic vaccines represent a viable option for active immunotherapy of cancers that aim to treat late stage disease by using a patient's own immune system. The promising results from clinical trials recently led to the approval of the first therapeutic cancer vaccine by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This major breakthrough not only provides a new treatment modality for cancer management but also paves the way for rationally designing and optimizing future vaccines with improved anticancer efficacy. Numerous vaccine strategies are currently being evaluated both preclinically and clinically. This review discusses therapeutic cancer vaccines from diverse platforms or targets as well as the preclinical and clinical studies employing these therapeutic vaccines. We also consider tumor-induced immune suppression that hinders the potency of therapeutic vaccines, and potential strategies to counteract these mechanisms for generating more robust and durable antitumor immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunqing Guo
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia, USA
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44
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Seliger B. The link between MHC class I abnormalities of tumors, oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and transcription factors. J Immunotoxicol 2014; 11:308-10. [DOI: 10.3109/1547691x.2013.875084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
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45
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Leone P, Shin EC, Perosa F, Vacca A, Dammacco F, Racanelli V. MHC class I antigen processing and presenting machinery: organization, function, and defects in tumor cells. J Natl Cancer Inst 2013; 105:1172-87. [PMID: 23852952 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djt184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 369] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The surface presentation of peptides by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules is critical to all CD8(+) T-cell adaptive immune responses, including those against tumors. The generation of peptides and their loading on MHC class I molecules is a multistep process involving multiple molecular species that constitute the so-called antigen processing and presenting machinery (APM). The majority of class I peptides begin as proteasome degradation products of cytosolic proteins. Once transported into the endoplasmic reticulum by TAP (transporter associated with antigen processing), peptides are not bound randomly by class I molecules but are chosen by length and sequence, with peptidases editing the raw peptide pool. Aberrations in APM genes and proteins have frequently been observed in human tumors and found to correlate with relevant clinical variables, including tumor grade, tumor stage, disease recurrence, and survival. These findings support the idea that APM defects are immune escape mechanisms that disrupt the tumor cells' ability to be recognized and killed by tumor antigen-specific cytotoxic CD8(+) T cells. Detailed knowledge of APM is crucial for the optimization of T cell-based immunotherapy protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Leone
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Oncology, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy
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46
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Wulfänger J, Biehl K, Tetzner A, Wild P, Ikenberg K, Meyer S, Seliger B. Heterogeneous expression and functional relevance of the ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 in melanoma. Int J Cancer 2013; 133:2522-32. [PMID: 23686552 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.28278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2012] [Accepted: 05/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The expression of ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 1 (UCHL1) is deregulated in human cancer cells with tumor inhibiting or promoting functions. Due to less knowledge on the role of UCHL1 in melanoma progression, the expression pattern and function of UCHL1 as well as the deregulated signaling pathways were characterized. A large number of melanoma cell lines, tissue microarrays of melanoma lesions and control tissues were analyzed for UCHL1 expression using PCR, Western blot and/or immunohistochemistry. The analysis revealed that melanocyte cultures, 24 of 331 melanoma lesions, two of 18 short-term cultures and two of 19 melanoma cell lines tested, respectively, heterogeneously expressed UCHL1. The low frequency of UCHL1 expression in melanoma cells was due to gene silencing by promoter DNA hypermethylation. Using different transfection models an enzyme activity-dependent growth promoting function of UCHL1 via the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway was found in melanoma cells. Under oxygen stress a dose-dependent effect of UCHL1 was detected, which was mediated by a dynamic modification of the PI3K-Akt signaling. Thus, the aberrant UCHL1 expression in melanoma cells is linked to dynamic changes in growth properties and signal transduction cascades suggesting that UCHL1 provides a novel marker and/or therapeutic target at least for a subset of melanoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Wulfänger
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Medical Immunology, 06112, Halle (Saale), Germany
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47
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Fritzell S, Eberstål S, Sandén E, Visse E, Darabi A, Siesjö P. IFNγ in combination with IL-7 enhances immunotherapy in two rat glioma models. J Neuroimmunol 2013; 258:91-5. [PMID: 23528658 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2013.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2012] [Revised: 02/11/2013] [Accepted: 02/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Peripheral immunization, using a combination of interferon-gamma (IFNγ)- and interleukin-7 (IL-7)-producing tumor cells, eradicated 75% of pre-established intracerebral N32 rat glioma tumors, and prolonged survival in the more aggressive RG2 model. Rats immunized with IFNγ- and IL7-transduced N32 cells displayed increases in IFNγ plasma levels and proliferating circulating T cells when compared with rats immunized with N32-wild type cells. Following irradiation, the expression of MHC I and II was high on N32-IFNγ cells, but low on RG2-IFNγ cells. In conclusion, IFNγ and IL-7 immunizations prolong survival in two rat glioma models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Fritzell
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
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48
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Britzen-Laurent N, Lipnik K, Ocker M, Naschberger E, Schellerer VS, Croner RS, Vieth M, Waldner M, Steinberg P, Hohenadl C, Stürzl M. GBP-1 acts as a tumor suppressor in colorectal cancer cells. Carcinogenesis 2012; 34:153-62. [PMID: 23042300 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgs310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The human guanylate-binding protein 1 (GBP-1) is among the proteins the most highly induced by interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in every cell type investigated as yet. In vivo, GBP-1 expression is associated with the presence of inflammation and has been observed in autoimmune diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and cancer. In colorectal carcinoma (CRC), the expression of GBP-1 in the desmoplastic stroma has been previously reported to correlate with the presence of an IFN-γ-dominated T helper type 1 (Th1) micromilieu and with an increased cancer-related 5-year survival. In the present study, the analysis of GBP-1 expression in a series of 185 CRCs by immunohistochemistry confirmed that GBP-1 is expressed in stroma cells of CRCs and revealed a significantly less frequent expression in tumor cells, which was contradictory with the broad inducibility of GBP-1. Furthermore, three of six CRC cell lines treated with IFN-γ were unable to express GBP-1 indicating that colorectal tumor cells tend to downregulate GBP-1. On the contrary, non-transformed colon epithelial cells strongly expressed GBP-1 in vitro in presence of IFN-γ and in vivo in inflammatory bowel diseases. Reconstitution of GBP-1 expression in a negative CRC cell line inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Using RNA interference, we showed that GBP-1 mediates the antitumorigenic effects of IFN-γ in CRC cells. In addition, GBP-1 was able to inhibit tumor growth in vivo. Altogether, these results suggested that GBP-1 acts directly as a tumor suppressor in CRC and the loss of GBP-1 expression might indicate tumor evasion from the IFN-γ-dominated Th1 immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Britzen-Laurent
- Division of Molecular and Experimental Surgery, Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schwabachanlage 10, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
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49
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Tudor CS, Dawson CW, Eckhardt J, Niedobitek G, Büttner AC, Seliger B, Hartmann A, Buettner M. c-Myc and EBV-LMP1: two opposing regulators of the HLA class I antigen presentation machinery in epithelial cells. Br J Cancer 2012; 106:1980-8. [PMID: 22588558 PMCID: PMC3388564 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2012.197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) up-regulates the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I antigen presentation machinery (APM). This appears counterintuitive with immune evasion in EBV-associated tumours like nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods: Latent membrane protein 1-transfected epithelial cell lines were used as a model system to study the impact of LMP1 and c-Myc on HLA class I components. The expression of components of the HLA class I APM, c-Myc and Ki-67 was analysed in LMP1+ and LMP1− NPC by immunohistochemistry. Results: In epithelial cells, LMP1 up-regulated HLA class I APM. This effect could be counteracted by c-Myc, which itself was up-regulated by LMP1 apparently through IL6 induction and Jak3/STAT3 activation. Studies of NPC biopsies revealed down-regulation of HLA class I APM expression. No difference was observed between LMP1+ and LMP1− NPC. However, expression of Ki-67 and c-Myc were up-regulated in LMP1+ tumours. Conclusion: These findings raise the possibility that c-Myc activation in NPC might antagonise the effect of LMP1 on HLA class I expression thus contributing to immune escape of tumour cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- C S Tudor
- Institute of Pathology, Department of Nephropathology, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.
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Bukur J, Jasinski S, Seliger B. The role of classical and non-classical HLA class I antigens in human tumors. Semin Cancer Biol 2012; 22:350-8. [PMID: 22465194 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2012.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2012] [Accepted: 03/15/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In human tumors alterations in the surface expression and/or function of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens are frequently found and equip neoplastic cells with mechanisms to escape immune control. The aberrant expression of HLA class I molecules can be caused by structural alterations or dysregulations of genes encoding the classical HLA class I antigens and/or components of the HLA class I antigen processing machinery (APM). The dysregulation of APM components could occur at the epigenetic, transcriptional or post-transcriptional level. In some malignancies these abnormalities are significantly associated with a higher tumor staging, grading, disease progression and a reduced survival of patients as well as a failure to CD8(+) T cell-based immunotherapies. In addition to HLA class I abnormalities, expression of the non-classical HLA-G antigen is often induced in tumors, which could be mediated by various microenvironmental factors. Interestingly, soluble HLA-G serum and plasma levels have been useful markers for the prediction of some malignancies. The biological consequence of HLA-G expression or sHLA-G is an escape from T and NK cell-mediated recognition. Thus, alterations of non-classical and classical HLA class I antigens and components of the antigen processing pathway provide tumor cells with different mechanisms to inactivate immune responses resulting in tumor growth and evasion from host immune surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juergen Bukur
- Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Medical Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
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