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He A, Li Q, Dang M, Lu W, Li X, Dai Z, Ding M, Zhang Y, Dong H, Teng Z, Mou Y. Extracellular Vesicle-Inspired Minimalist Flexible Nanocapsules Assembled with Whole Active Ingredients for Highly Efficient Enhancement of DC-Mediated Tumor Immunotherapy. Adv Healthc Mater 2024:e2401199. [PMID: 39054675 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202401199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Revised: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
The development of nanovaccines capable of eliciting tumor-specific immune responses holds significant promise for tumor immunotherapy. However, many nanovaccine designs rely heavily on incorporating multiple adjuvants and carriers, increasing the biological hazards associated with these additional components. Here, this work introduces novel flexible nanocapsules (OVAnano) designed to mimic extracellular vesicles, primarily using the ovalbumin antigen and minimal polyethylenimine adjuvant components. These results show that the biomimetic flexible structure of OVAnano facilitates enhanced antigen uptake by dendritic cells (DCs), leading to efficient antigen and adjuvant release into the cytosol via endosomal escape, and ultimately, successful antigen cross-presentation by DCs. Furthermore, OVAnano modulates the intracellular nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway, promoting DC maturation. The highly purified antigens in OVAnano demonstrate remarkable antigen-specific immunogenicity, triggering strong antitumor immune responses mediated by DCs. Therapeutic tumor vaccination studies have also shown that OVAnano administration effectively suppresses tumor growth in mice by inducing immune responses from CD8+ and CD4+ T cells targeting specific antigens, reducing immunosuppression by regulatory T cells, and boosting the populations of effector memory T cells. These findings underscore that the simple yet potent strategy of employing minimal flexible nanocapsules markedly enhances DC-mediated antitumor immunotherapy, offering promising avenues for future clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ao He
- Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing University, 30 Zhongyang Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210008, China
| | - Qiang Li
- Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing University, 30 Zhongyang Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210008, China
| | - Meng Dang
- Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Centre for Advanced Materials, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Wei Lu
- Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Centre for Advanced Materials, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Xiaoye Li
- Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing University, 30 Zhongyang Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210008, China
| | - Zhuo Dai
- Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing University, 30 Zhongyang Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210008, China
| | - Meng Ding
- Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing University, 30 Zhongyang Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210008, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing University, 30 Zhongyang Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210008, China
| | - Heng Dong
- Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing University, 30 Zhongyang Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210008, China
| | - Zhaogang Teng
- Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Centre for Advanced Materials, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Yongbin Mou
- Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing University, 30 Zhongyang Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210008, China
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2
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Deguchi Y, Kikutake C, Suyama M. Subtype-specific alternative splicing events in breast cancer identified by large-scale data analysis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14158. [PMID: 38898123 PMCID: PMC11187070 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65035-y] [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: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Genome analysis in cancer has focused mainly on elucidating the function and regulatory mechanisms of genes that exhibit differential expression or mutation in cancer samples compared to normal samples. Recently, transcriptome analysis revealed that abnormal splicing events in cancer samples could contribute to cancer pathogenesis. Moreover, splicing variants in cancer reportedly generate diverse cancer antigens. Although abnormal splicing events are expected to be potential targets in cancer immunotherapy, the exploration of such targets and their biological significance in cancer have not been fully understood. In this study, to explore subtype-specific alternative splicing events, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of splicing events for each breast cancer subtype using large-scale splicing data derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas and found subtype-specific alternative splicing patterns. Analyses indicated that genes that produce subtype-specific alternative splicing events are potential novel targets for immunotherapy against breast cancer. The subtype-specific alternative splicing events identified in this study, which were not identified by mutation or differential expression analysis, bring new significance to previously overlooked splicing events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yui Deguchi
- Division of Bioinformatics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Chie Kikutake
- Division of Bioinformatics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Mikita Suyama
- Division of Bioinformatics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan.
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3
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Cifric S, Turi M, Folino P, Clericuzio C, Barello F, Maciel T, Anderson KC, Gulla A. DAMPening Tumor Immune Escape: The Role of Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperones in Immunogenic Chemotherapy. Antioxid Redox Signal 2024. [PMID: 38366728 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2024.0558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Significance: Preclinical and clinical research in the past two decades has redefined the mechanism of action of some chemotherapeutics that are able to activate the immune system against cancer when cell death is perceived by the immune cells. This immunogenic cell death (ICD) activates antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and T cells to induce immune-mediated tumor clearance. One of the key requirements to achieve this effect is the externalization of the damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), molecules released or exposed by cancer cells during ICD that increase the visibility of the cancer cells by the immune system. Recent Advances: In this review, we focus on the role of calreticulin (CRT) and other endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperones, such as the heat-shock proteins (HSPs) and the protein disulfide isomerases (PDIs), as surface-exposed DAMPs. Once exposed on the cell membrane, these proteins shift their role from that of ER chaperone and regulator of Ca2+ and protein homeostasis to act as an immunogenic signal for APCs, driving dendritic cell (DC)-mediated phagocytosis and T-mediated antitumor response. Critical Issues: However, cancer cells exploit several mechanisms of resistance to immune attack, including subverting the exposure of ER chaperones on their surface to avoid immune recognition. Future Directions: Overcoming these mechanisms of resistance represents a potential therapeutic opportunity to improve cancer treatment effectiveness and patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selma Cifric
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Marcello Turi
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Italy
| | - Pietro Folino
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Cole Clericuzio
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Tallya Maciel
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kenneth C Anderson
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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4
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Gonzalez-Melero L, Santos-Vizcaino E, Varela-Calvino R, Gomez-Tourino I, Asumendi A, Boyano MD, Igartua M, Hernandez RM. PLGA-PEI nanoparticle covered with poly(I:C) for personalised cancer immunotherapy. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2024:10.1007/s13346-024-01557-2. [PMID: 38427275 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-024-01557-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Melanoma is the main cause of death among skin cancers and its incidence worldwide has been experiencing an appalling increase. However, traditional treatments lack effectiveness in advanced or metastatic patients. Immunotherapy, meanwhile, has been shown to be an effective treatment option, but the rate of cancers responding remains far from ideal. Here we have developed a personalized neoantigen peptide-based cancer vaccine by encapsulating patient derived melanoma neoantigens in polyethylenimine (PEI)-functionalised poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) and coating them with polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)). We found that PLGA NPs can be effectively modified to be coated with the immunoadjuvant poly(I:C), as well as to encapsulate neoantigens. In addition, we found that both dendritic cells (DCs) and lymphocytes were effectively stimulated. Moreover, the developed NP was found to have a better immune activation profile than NP without poly(I:C) or without antigen. Our results demonstrate that the developed vaccine has a high capacity to activate the immune system, efficiently maturing DCs to present the antigen of choice and promoting the activity of lymphocytes to exert their cytotoxic function. Therefore, the immune response generated is optimal and specific for the elimination of melanoma tumour cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Gonzalez-Melero
- NanoBioCel Research Group, Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
- Bioaraba, NanoBioCel Research Group, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Edorta Santos-Vizcaino
- NanoBioCel Research Group, Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
- Bioaraba, NanoBioCel Research Group, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Centre in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ruben Varela-Calvino
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago, Spain
| | - Iria Gomez-Tourino
- Centre for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago, Spain
- Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago, Spain
| | - Aintzane Asumendi
- Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, 48903, Barakaldo, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940, Leioa, Spain
| | - Maria Dolores Boyano
- Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, 48903, Barakaldo, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940, Leioa, Spain
| | - Manoli Igartua
- NanoBioCel Research Group, Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
- Bioaraba, NanoBioCel Research Group, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
- Biomedical Research Networking Centre in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Rosa Maria Hernandez
- NanoBioCel Research Group, Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
- Bioaraba, NanoBioCel Research Group, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
- Biomedical Research Networking Centre in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
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Kallionpää RA, Peltonen S, Le KM, Martikkala E, Jääskeläinen M, Fazeli E, Riihilä P, Haapaniemi P, Rokka A, Salmi M, Leivo I, Peltonen J. Characterization of Immune Cell Populations of Cutaneous Neurofibromas in Neurofibromatosis 1. J Transl Med 2024; 104:100285. [PMID: 37949359 DOI: 10.1016/j.labinv.2023.100285] [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: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous neurofibromas (cNFs) are characteristic of neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1), yet their immune microenvironment is incompletely known. A total of 61 cNFs from 10 patients with NF1 were immunolabeled for different types of T cells and macrophages, and the cell densities were correlated with clinical characteristics. Eight cNFs and their overlying skin were analyzed for T cell receptor CDR domain sequences, and mass spectrometry of 15 cNFs and the overlying skin was performed to study immune-related processes. Intratumoral T cells were detected in all cNFs. Tumors from individuals younger than the median age of the study participants (33 years), growing tumors, and tumors smaller than the data set median showed increased T cell density. Most samples displayed intratumoral or peritumoral aggregations of CD3-positive cells. T cell receptor sequencing demonstrated that the skin and cNFs host distinct T cell populations, whereas no dominant cNF-specific T cell clones were detected. Unique T cell clones were fewer in cNFs than in skin, and mass spectrometry suggested lower expression of proteins related to T cell-mediated immunity in cNFs than in skin. CD163-positive cells, suggestive of M2 macrophages, were abundant in cNFs. Human cNFs have substantial T cell and macrophage populations that may be tumor-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roope A Kallionpää
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; FICAN West Cancer Centre, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Sirkku Peltonen
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Dermatology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Skin and Allergy Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kim My Le
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Eija Martikkala
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | | | - Elnaz Fazeli
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Biomedicum Imaging Unit, Faculty of Medicine and HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pilvi Riihilä
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Dermatology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; FICAN West Cancer Research Laboratory, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Pekka Haapaniemi
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Anne Rokka
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Marko Salmi
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; MediCity Research Laboratory, and InFLAMES Research Flagship Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Ilmo Leivo
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Juha Peltonen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; FICAN West Cancer Centre, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
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6
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Carter JA, Matta B, Battaglia J, Somerville C, Harris BD, LaPan M, Atwal GS, Barnes BJ. Identification of pan-cancer/testis genes and validation of therapeutic targeting in triple-negative breast cancer: Lin28a-based and Siglece-based vaccination induces antitumor immunity and inhibits metastasis. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007935. [PMID: 38135347 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer-testis (CT) genes are targets for tumor antigen-specific immunotherapy given that their expression is normally restricted to the immune-privileged testis in healthy individuals with aberrant expression in tumor tissues. While they represent targetable germ tissue antigens and play important functional roles in tumorigenesis, there is currently no standardized approach for identifying clinically relevant CT genes. Optimized algorithms and validated methods for accurate prediction of reliable CT antigens (CTAs) with high immunogenicity are also lacking. METHODS Sequencing data from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) and The Genomic Data Commons (GDC) databases was used for the development of a bioinformatic pipeline to identify CT exclusive genes. A CT germness score was calculated based on the number of CT genes expressed within a tumor type and their degree of expression. The impact of tumor germness on clinical outcome was evaluated using healthy GTEx and GDC tumor samples. We then used a triple-negative breast cancer mouse model to develop and test an algorithm that predicts epitope immunogenicity based on the identification of germline sequences with strong major histocompatibility complex class I (MHCI) and MHCII binding affinities. Germline sequences for CT genes were synthesized as long synthetic peptide vaccines and tested in the 4T1 triple-negative model of invasive breast cancer with Poly(I:C) adjuvant. Vaccine immunogenicity was determined by flow cytometric analysis of in vitro and in vivo T-cell responses. Primary tumor growth and lung metastasis was evaluated by histopathology, flow cytometry and colony formation assay. RESULTS We developed a new bioinformatic pipeline to reliably identify CT exclusive genes as immunogenic targets for immunotherapy. We identified CT genes that are exclusively expressed within the testis, lack detectable thymic expression, and are significantly expressed in multiple tumor types. High tumor germness correlated with tumor progression but not with tumor mutation burden, supporting CTAs as appealing targets in low mutation burden tumors. Importantly, tumor germness also correlated with markers of antitumor immunity. Vaccination of 4T1 tumor-bearing mice with Siglece and Lin28a antigens resulted in increased T-cell antitumor immunity and reduced primary tumor growth and lung metastases. CONCLUSION Our results present a novel strategy for the identification of highly immunogenic CTAs for the development of targeted vaccines that induce antitumor immunity and inhibit metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason A Carter
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, USA
- Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Bharati Matta
- Northwell Health Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, USA
| | - Jenna Battaglia
- Northwell Health Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, USA
| | - Carter Somerville
- Northwell Health Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, USA
| | - Benjamin D Harris
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, USA
- Lyell Immunopharma, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Margaret LaPan
- Northwell Health Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, USA
| | - Gurinder S Atwal
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, USA
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Betsy J Barnes
- Northwell Health Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Medicine, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, New York, USA
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7
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Oyama R, Ishigame H, Tanaka H, Tateshita N, Itazawa M, Imai R, Nishiumi N, Kishikawa JI, Kato T, Anindita J, Nishikawa Y, Maeki M, Tokeshi M, Tange K, Nakai Y, Sakurai Y, Okada T, Akita H. An Ionizable Lipid Material with a Vitamin E Scaffold as an mRNA Vaccine Platform for Efficient Cytotoxic T Cell Responses. ACS NANO 2023; 17:18758-18774. [PMID: 37814788 PMCID: PMC10569098 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c02251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
RNA vaccines based on lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) with in vitro transcribed mRNA (IVT-mRNA) encapsulated are now a currently successful but still evolving modality of vaccines. One of the advantages of RNA vaccines is their ability to induce CD8+ T-cell-mediated cellular immunity that is indispensable for excluding pathogen-infected cells or cancer cells from the body. In this study, we report on the development of LNPs with an enhanced capability for inducing cellular immunity by using an ionizable lipid with a vitamin E scaffold. An RNA vaccine that contained this ionizable lipid and an IVT-mRNA encoding a model antigen ovalbumin (OVA) induced OVA-specific cytotoxic T cell responses and showed an antitumor effect against an E.G7-OVA tumor model. Vaccination with the LNPs conferred protection against lethal infection by Toxoplasma gondii using its antigen TgPF. The vitamin E scaffold-dependent type I interferon response was important for effector CD8+ T cell differentiation induced by the mRNA-LNPs. Our findings also revealed that conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) were essential for achieving CD8+ T cell responses induced by the mRNA-LNPs, while the XCR1-positive subset of cDCs, cDC1 specialized for antigen cross-presentation, was not required. Consistently, the mRNA-LNPs were found to selectively transfect another subset of cDCs, cDC2 that had migrated from the skin to lymph nodes, where they could make vaccine-antigen-dependent contacts with CD8+ T cells. The findings indicate that the activation of innate immune signaling by the adjuvant activity of the vitamin E scaffold and the expression of antigens in cDC2 are important for subsequent antigen presentation and the establishment of antigen-specific immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryotaro Oyama
- Laboratory
of DDS Design and Drug Disposition, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana,
Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, 260-0856, Japan
| | - Harumichi Ishigame
- Laboratory
for Tissue Dynamics, RIKEN Center for Integrative
Medical Sciences, 1-7-22
Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Hiroki Tanaka
- Laboratory
of DDS Design and Drug Disposition, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan
| | - Naho Tateshita
- Laboratory
of DDS Design and Drug Disposition, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana,
Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, 260-0856, Japan
| | - Moeko Itazawa
- Laboratory
for Tissue Dynamics, RIKEN Center for Integrative
Medical Sciences, 1-7-22
Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Imai
- Laboratory
for Tissue Dynamics, RIKEN Center for Integrative
Medical Sciences, 1-7-22
Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
- Division
of Physiological Chemistry and Metabolism, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Keio University, 1-5-30 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8512, Japan
| | - Naomasa Nishiumi
- Laboratory
of DDS Design and Drug Disposition, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan
| | - Jun-ichi Kishikawa
- Laboratory
for Cryo-EM Structural Biology, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takayuki Kato
- Laboratory
for Cryo-EM Structural Biology, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Jessica Anindita
- Laboratory
of DDS Design and Drug Disposition, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana,
Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, 260-0856, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Nishikawa
- National
Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Nishi 2-13, Inada-cho, Obihiro City, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Maeki
- Division
of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Kita 13 Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo City, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan
| | - Manabu Tokeshi
- Division
of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Kita 13 Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo City, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan
| | - Kota Tange
- DDS
Research Laboratory, NOF CORPORATION, 3-3 Chidori-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa 210-0865, Japan
| | - Yuta Nakai
- DDS
Research Laboratory, NOF CORPORATION, 3-3 Chidori-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa 210-0865, Japan
| | - Yu Sakurai
- Laboratory
of DDS Design and Drug Disposition, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan
| | - Takaharu Okada
- Laboratory
for Tissue Dynamics, RIKEN Center for Integrative
Medical Sciences, 1-7-22
Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
- Graduate
School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama
City University, 1-7-29
Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Hidetaka Akita
- Laboratory
of DDS Design and Drug Disposition, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan
- Center
for Advanced Modalities and DDS, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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8
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Mbatha LS, Akinyelu J, Maiyo F, Kudanga T. Future prospects in mRNA vaccine development. Biomed Mater 2023; 18:052006. [PMID: 37589309 DOI: 10.1088/1748-605x/aceceb] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
The recent advancements in messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine development have vastly enhanced their use as alternatives to conventional vaccines in the prevention of various infectious diseases and treatment of several types of cancers. This is mainly due to their remarkable ability to stimulate specific immune responses with minimal clinical side effects. This review gives a detailed overview of mRNA vaccines currently in use or at various stages of development, the recent advancements in mRNA vaccine development, and the challenges encountered in their development. Future perspectives on this technology are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Londiwe Simphiwe Mbatha
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Durban University of Technology, PO Box 1334, Durban 4000, South Africa
| | - Jude Akinyelu
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti state, Nigeria
| | - Fiona Maiyo
- Department of Medical Sciences, Kabarak University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Tukayi Kudanga
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Durban University of Technology, PO Box 1334, Durban 4000, South Africa
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9
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Najafi S, Mortezaee K. Advances in dendritic cell vaccination therapy of cancer. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 164:114954. [PMID: 37257227 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditionally, vaccines have helped eradication of several infectious diseases and also saved millions of lives in the human history. Those prophylactic vaccines have acted through inducing immune responses against a live attenuated, killed organism or antigenic subunits to protect the recipient against a real infection caused by the pathogenic microorganism. Nevertheless, development of anticancer vaccines as valuable targets in human health has faced challenges and requires further optimizations. Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen presenting cells (APCs) that play essential roles in tumor immunotherapies through induction of CD8+ T cell immunity. Accordingly, various strategies have been tested to employ DCs as therapeutic vaccines for exploiting their activity against tumor cells. Application of whole tumor cells or purified/recombinant antigen peptides are the most common approaches for pulsing DCs, which then are injected back into the patients. Although some hopeful results are reported for a number of DC vaccines tested in animal and clinical trials of cancer patients, such approaches are still inefficient and require optimization. Failure of DC vaccination is postulated due to immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), overexpression of checkpoint proteins, suboptimal avidity of tumor-associated antigen (TAA)-specific T lymphocytes, and lack of appropriate adjuvants. In this review, we have an overview of the current experiments and trials evaluated the anticancer efficacy of DC vaccination as well as focusing on strategies to improve their potential including combination therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajad Najafi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Keywan Mortezaee
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.
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10
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Zhu D, Yang J, Zhang M, Han Z, Shao M, Fan Q, Ma Y, Xie D, Xiao W. Identification of neoantigens and immunological subtypes in clear cell renal cell carcinoma for mRNA vaccine development and patient selection. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:204798. [PMID: 37315301 PMCID: PMC10292886 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a common urological malignancy with diverse histological types. This study aimed to detect neoantigens in ccRCC to develop mRNA vaccines and distinguish between ccRCC immunological subtypes for construction of an immune landscape to select patients suitable for vaccination. Using The Cancer Genome Atlas SpliceSeq database, The Cancer Genome Atlas, and the International Cancer Genome Consortium cohorts, we comprehensively analysed potential tumour antigens of ccRCC associated with aberrant alternative splicing, somatic mutation, nonsense-mediated mRNA decay factors, antigen-presenting cells, and overall survival. Immune subtypes (C1/C2) and nine immune gene modules of ccRCC were identified by consistency clustering and weighted correlation network analysis. The immune landscape as well as molecular and cellular characteristics of immunotypes were assessed. Rho-guanine nucleotide exchange factor 3 (ARHGEF3) was identified as a new ccRCC antigen for development of an mRNA vaccine. A higher tumour mutation burden, differential expression of immune checkpoints, and immunogenic cell death were observed in cases with the C2 immunotype. Cellular characteristics increased the complexity of the immune environment, and worse outcomes were observed in ccRCC cases with the C2 immunotype. We constructed the immune landscape for selecting patients with the C2 immunotype suitable for vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daoqi Zhu
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiabin Yang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China
| | - Minyi Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhongxiao Han
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China
| | - Meng Shao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Pharmaceutics, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China
| | - Qin Fan
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China
| | - Yun Ma
- Department of pharmacy, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China
| | - Dandan Xie
- The Affiliated TCM Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510130, Guangdong, China
| | - Wei Xiao
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China
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11
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Carter JA, Matta B, Battaglia J, Somerville C, Harris BD, LaPan M, Atwal GS, Barnes BJ. Identification of pan-cancer/testis genes and validation of therapeutic targeting in triple-negative breast cancer: Lin28a- and Siglece-based vaccination induces anti-tumor immunity and inhibits metastasis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.09.539617. [PMID: 37214884 PMCID: PMC10197572 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.09.539617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Background Cancer-testis (CT) genes are targets for tumor antigen-specific immunotherapy given that their expression is normally restricted to the immune-privileged testis in healthy individuals with aberrant expression in tumor tissues. While they represent targetable germ-tissue antigens and play important functional roles in tumorigenesis, there is currently no standardized approach for identifying clinically relevant CT genes. Optimized algorithms and validated methods for accurate prediction of reliable CT antigens with high immunogenicity are also lacking. Methods Sequencing data from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) and The Genomic Data Commons (GDC) databases was utilized for the development of a bioinformatic pipeline to identify CT exclusive genes. A CT germness score was calculated based on the number of CT genes expressed within a tumor type and their degree of expression. The impact of tumor germness with clinical outcome was evaluated using healthy GTEx and GDC tumor samples. We then used a triple-negative breast cancer mouse model to develop and test an algorithm that predicts epitope immunogenicity based on the identification of germline sequences with strong MHCI and MHCII binding affinities. Germline sequences for CT genes were synthesized as long synthetic peptide vaccines and tested in the 4T1 triple-negative model of invasive breast cancer with Poly(I:C) adjuvant. Vaccine immunogenicity was determined by flow cytometric analysis of in vitro and in vivo T cell responses. Primary tumor growth and lung metastasis was evaluated by histopathology, flow cytometry and colony formation assay. Results We developed a new bioinformatic pipeline to reliably identify CT exclusive genes as immunogenic targets for immunotherapy. We identified CT genes that are exclusively expressed within the testis, lack detectable thymic expression, and are significantly expressed in multiple tumor types. High tumor germness correlated with tumor progression but not with tumor mutation burden, supporting CT antigens as appealing targets in low mutation burden tumors. Importantly, tumor germness also correlated with markers of anti-tumor immunity. Vaccination of 4T1 tumor bearing mice with Siglece and Lin28a antigens resulted in increased T cell anti-tumor immunity and reduced primary tumor growth and lung metastases. Conclusion Our results present a novel strategy for the identification of highly immunogenic CT antigens for the development of targeted vaccines that induce anti-tumor immunity and inhibit metastasis.
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12
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Dillman RO, Nistor GI, Keirstead HS. Autologous dendritic cells loaded with antigens from self-renewing autologous tumor cells as patient-specific therapeutic cancer vaccines. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2023:2198467. [PMID: 37133853 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2023.2198467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A promising personal immunotherapy is autologous dendritic cells (DC) loaded ex vivo with autologous tumor antigens (ATA) derived from self-renewing autologous cancer cells. DC-ATA are suspended in granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor at the time of each subcutaneous injection. Previously, irradiated autologous tumor cell vaccines have produced encouraging results in 150 cancer patients, but the DC-ATA vaccine demonstrated superiority in single-arm and randomized trials in metastatic melanoma. DC-ATA have been injected into more than 200 patients with melanoma, glioblastoma, and ovarian, hepatocellular, and renal cell cancers. Key observations include: [1] greater than 95% success rates for tumor cell cultures and monocyte collection for dendritic cell production; [2] injections are well-tolerated; [3] the immune response is rapid and includes primarily TH1/TH17 cellular responses; [4] efficacy has been suggested by delayed but durable complete tumor regressions in patients with measurable disease, by progression-free survival in glioblastoma, and by overall survival in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gabriel I Nistor
- Research and Development, AIVITA Biomedical Inc, Irvine, CA, USA
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13
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Darr C, Hilser T, Kesch C, Isgandarov A, Reis H, Wahl M, Kasper-Virchow I, Hadaschik BA, Grünwald V. Immune-Checkpoint-Inhibitor Therapy-Principles and Relevance of Biomarkers for Pathologists and Oncologists. Adv Anat Pathol 2023; 30:160-166. [PMID: 36221221 DOI: 10.1097/pap.0000000000000373] [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: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Immune-checkpoint-inhibitor (ICI) therapy has been one of the major advances in the treatment of a variety of advanced or metastatic tumors in recent years. Therefore, ICI-therapy is already approved in first-line therapy for multiple tumors, either as monotherapy or as combination therapy. However, there are relevant differences in approval among different tumor entities, especially with respect to PD-L1 testing. Different response to ICI-therapy has been observed in the pivotal trials, so PD-L1 diagnostic testing is used for patient selection. In addition to PD-L1 testing of tumor tissue, liquid biopsy provides a noninvasive way to monitor disease in cancer patients and identify those who would benefit most from ICI-therapy. This overview focuses on the use of ICI-therapy and how it relates to common and potential future biomarkers for patient-directed treatment planning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas Hilser
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)
- Department of Medical Oncology, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen
| | - Claudia Kesch
- Department of Urology
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)
| | | | - Henning Reis
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Essen, Essen
- Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Milan Wahl
- Department of Urology
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)
| | - Isabel Kasper-Virchow
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)
- Department of Medical Oncology, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen
| | | | - Viktor Grünwald
- Department of Urology
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)
- Department of Medical Oncology, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen
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14
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Neth BJ, Webb MJ, Parney IF, Sener UT. The Current Status, Challenges, and Future Potential of Therapeutic Vaccination in Glioblastoma. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15041134. [PMID: 37111620 PMCID: PMC10141140 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15041134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant primary brain tumor and confers a dismal prognosis. With only two FDA-approved therapeutics showing modest survival gains since 2005, there is a great need for the development of other disease-targeted therapies. Due, in part, to the profound immunosuppressive microenvironment seen in GBMs, there has been a broad interest in immunotherapy. In both GBMs and other cancers, therapeutic vaccines have generally yielded limited efficacy, despite their theoretical basis. However, recent results from the DCVax-L trial provide some promise for vaccine therapy in GBMs. There is also the potential that future combination therapies with vaccines and adjuvant immunomodulating agents may greatly enhance antitumor immune responses. Clinicians must remain open to novel therapeutic strategies, such as vaccinations, and carefully await the results of ongoing and future trials. In this review of GBM management, the promise and challenges of immunotherapy with a focus on therapeutic vaccinations are discussed. Additionally, adjuvant therapies, logistical considerations, and future directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan J Neth
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Mason J Webb
- Department of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Ian F Parney
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Ugur T Sener
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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15
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Lybaert L, Lefever S, Fant B, Smits E, De Geest B, Breckpot K, Dirix L, Feldman SA, van Criekinge W, Thielemans K, van der Burg SH, Ott PA, Bogaert C. Challenges in neoantigen-directed therapeutics. Cancer Cell 2023; 41:15-40. [PMID: 36368320 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2022.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
A fundamental prerequisite for the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy is the presence of functional, antigen-specific T cells within the tumor. Neoantigen-directed therapy is a promising strategy that aims at targeting the host's immune response against tumor-specific antigens, thereby eradicating cancer cells. Initial forays have been made in clinical environments utilizing vaccines and adoptive cell therapy; however, many challenges lie ahead. We provide an in-depth overview of the current state of the field with an emphasis on in silico neoantigen discovery and the clinical aspects that need to be addressed to unlock the full potential of this therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Evelien Smits
- Center for Oncological Research, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Bruno De Geest
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Karine Breckpot
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Luc Dirix
- Translational Cancer Research Unit, Center for Oncological Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Steven A Feldman
- Center for Cancer Cell Therapy, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Wim van Criekinge
- Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kris Thielemans
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sjoerd H van der Burg
- Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Patrick A Ott
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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16
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Precision Medicine and Novel Therapeutic Strategies in Detection and Treatment of Cancer: Highlights from the 58th IACR Annual Conference. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14246213. [PMID: 36551698 PMCID: PMC9777219 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14246213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Innovation in both detection and treatment of cancer is necessary for the constant improvement in therapeutic strategies, especially in patients with novel or resistant variants of cancer. Cancer mortality rates have declined by almost 30% since 1991, however, depending on the cancer type, acquired resistance can occur to varying degrees. To combat this, researchers are looking towards advancing our understanding of cancer biology, in order to inform early detection, and guide novel therapeutic approaches. Through combination of these approaches, it is believed that a more complete and thorough intervention on cancer can be achieved. Here, we will discuss the advances and approaches in both detection and treatment of cancer, presented at the 58th Irish Association for Cancer Research (IACR) annual conference.
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17
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Johnstone M, Vinaixa D, Turi M, Morelli E, Anderson KC, Gulla A. Promises and Challenges of Immunogenic Chemotherapy in Multiple Myeloma. Cells 2022; 11:cells11162519. [PMID: 36010596 PMCID: PMC9406519 DOI: 10.3390/cells11162519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunological tolerance of myeloma cells represents a critical obstacle in achieving long-term disease-free survival for multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Over the past two decades, remarkable preclinical efforts to understand MM biology have led to the clinical approval of several targeted and immunotherapeutic agents. Among them, it is now clear that chemotherapy can also make cancer cells “visible” to the immune system and thus reactivate anti-tumor immunity. This knowledge represents an important resource in the treatment paradigm of MM, whereas immune dysfunction constitutes a clear obstacle to the cure of the disease. In this review, we highlight the importance of defining the immunological effects of chemotherapy in MM with the goal of enhancing the clinical management of patients. This area of investigation will open new avenues of research to identify novel immunogenic anti-MM agents and inform the optimal integration of chemotherapy with immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Johnstone
- Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Delaney Vinaixa
- Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Marcello Turi
- Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 70100 Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, 70300 Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Department of Hematooncology, University Hospital Ostrava, 70800 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Eugenio Morelli
- Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kenneth Carl Anderson
- Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Correspondence: (K.C.A.); (A.G.); Tel.: +1-617-632-2144 (K.C.A.); +1-617-632-6638 (A.G.); Fax: +1-617-632-2140 (K.C.A. & A.G.)
| | - Annamaria Gulla
- Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Correspondence: (K.C.A.); (A.G.); Tel.: +1-617-632-2144 (K.C.A.); +1-617-632-6638 (A.G.); Fax: +1-617-632-2140 (K.C.A. & A.G.)
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18
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Deng Z, Tian Y, Song J, An G, Yang P. mRNA Vaccines: The Dawn of a New Era of Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:887125. [PMID: 35720301 PMCID: PMC9201022 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.887125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
mRNA therapy is a novel anticancer strategy based on in vitro transcription (IVT), which has potential for the treatment of malignant tumors. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the early 21st century has promoted the application of mRNA technologies in SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, and there has been a great deal of interest in the research and development of mRNA cancer vaccines. There has been progress in a number of key technologies, including mRNA production strategies, delivery systems, antitumor immune strategies, etc. These technologies have accelerated the progress and clinical applications of mRNA therapy, overcoming problems encountered in the past, such as instability, inefficient delivery, and weak immunogenicity of mRNA vaccines. This review provides a detailed overview of the production, delivery systems, immunological mechanisms, and antitumor immune response strategies for mRNA cancer vaccines. We list some mRNA cancer vaccines that are candidates for cancer treatment and discuss clinical trials in the field of tumor immunotherapy. In addition, we discuss the immunological mechanism of action by which mRNA vaccines destroy tumors as well as challenges and prospects for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoya Deng
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yuying Tian
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jianxun Song
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX, United States
| | - Guangwen An
- Department of Pharmacy, No. 984 Hospital of the PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Penghui Yang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
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19
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Becker JP, Riemer AB. The Importance of Being Presented: Target Validation by Immunopeptidomics for Epitope-Specific Immunotherapies. Front Immunol 2022; 13:883989. [PMID: 35464395 PMCID: PMC9018990 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.883989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Presentation of tumor-specific or tumor-associated peptides by HLA class I molecules to CD8+ T cells is the foundation of epitope-centric cancer immunotherapies. While often in silico HLA binding predictions or in vitro immunogenicity assays are utilized to select candidates, mass spectrometry-based immunopeptidomics is currently the only method providing a direct proof of actual cell surface presentation. Despite much progress in the last decade, identification of such HLA-presented peptides remains challenging. Here we review typical workflows and current developments in the field of immunopeptidomics, highlight the challenges which remain to be solved and emphasize the importance of direct target validation for clinical immunotherapy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas P Becker
- Immunotherapy and Immunoprevention, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Angelika B Riemer
- Immunotherapy and Immunoprevention, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Molecular Vaccine Design, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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20
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Therapeutic Vaccines Targeting Neoantigens to Induce T-Cell Immunity against Cancers. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14040867. [PMID: 35456701 PMCID: PMC9029780 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14040867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has achieved multiple clinical benefits and has become an indispensable component of cancer treatment. Targeting tumor-specific antigens, also known as neoantigens, plays a crucial role in cancer immunotherapy. T cells of adaptive immunity that recognize neoantigens, but do not induce unwanted off-target effects, have demonstrated high efficacy and low side effects in cancer immunotherapy. Tumor neoantigens derived from accumulated genetic instability can be characterized using emerging technologies, such as high-throughput sequencing, bioinformatics, predictive algorithms, mass-spectrometry analyses, and immunogenicity validation. Neoepitopes with a higher affinity for major histocompatibility complexes can be identified and further applied to the field of cancer vaccines. Therapeutic vaccines composed of tumor lysates or cells and DNA, mRNA, or peptides of neoantigens have revoked adaptive immunity to kill cancer cells in clinical trials. Broad clinical applicability of these therapeutic cancer vaccines has emerged. In this review, we discuss recent progress in neoantigen identification and applications for cancer vaccines and the results of ongoing trials.
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21
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Lang F, Schrörs B, Löwer M, Türeci Ö, Sahin U. Identification of neoantigens for individualized therapeutic cancer vaccines. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2022; 21:261-282. [PMID: 35105974 PMCID: PMC7612664 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-021-00387-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 83.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Somatic mutations in cancer cells can generate tumour-specific neoepitopes, which are recognized by autologous T cells in the host. As neoepitopes are not subject to central immune tolerance and are not expressed in healthy tissues, they are attractive targets for therapeutic cancer vaccines. Because the vast majority of cancer mutations are unique to the individual patient, harnessing the full potential of this rich source of targets requires individualized treatment approaches. Many computational algorithms and machine-learning tools have been developed to identify mutations in sequence data, to prioritize those that are more likely to be recognized by T cells and to design tailored vaccines for every patient. In this Review, we fill the gaps between the understanding of basic mechanisms of T cell recognition of neoantigens and the computational approaches for discovery of somatic mutations and neoantigen prediction for cancer immunotherapy. We present a new classification of neoantigens, distinguishing between guarding, restrained and ignored neoantigens, based on how they confer proficient antitumour immunity in a given clinical context. Such context-based differentiation will contribute to a framework that connects neoantigen biology to the clinical setting and medical peculiarities of cancer, and will enable future neoantigen-based therapies to provide greater clinical benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Lang
- TRON Translational Oncology, Mainz, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Ugur Sahin
- BioNTech, Mainz, Germany.
- University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
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22
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Elsayed I, Elsayed N, Feng Q, Sheahan K, Moran B, Wang X. Multi-OMICs data analysis identifies molecular features correlating with tumor immunity in colon cancer. Cancer Biomark 2022; 33:261-271. [PMID: 35213358 DOI: 10.3233/cbm-210222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a current need for new markers with higher sensitivity and specificity to predict immune status and optimize immunotherapy use in colon cancer. OBJECTIVE We aimed to investigate the multi-OMICs features associated with colon cancer immunity and response to immunotherapy. METHODS We evaluated the association of multi-OMICs data from three colon cancer datasets (TCGA, CPTAC2, and Samstein) with antitumor immune signatures (CD8+ T cell infiltration, immune cytolytic activity, and PD-L1 expression). Using the log-rank test and hierarchical clustering, we explored the association of various OMICs features with survival and immune status in colon cancer. RESULTS Two gene mutations (TERT and ERBB4) correlated with antitumor cytolytic activity found also correlated with improved survival in immunotherapy-treated colon cancers. Moreover, the expression of numerous genes was associated with antitumor immunity, including GBP1, GBP4, GBP5, NKG7, APOL3, IDO1, CCL5, and CXCL9. We clustered colon cancer samples into four immuno-distinct clusters based on the expression levels of 82 genes. We have also identified two proteins (PREX1 and RAD50), ten miRNAs (hsa-miR-140, 146, 150, 155, 342, 59, 342, 511, 592 and 1977), and five oncogenic pathways (CYCLIN, BCAT, CAMP, RB, NRL, EIF4E, and VEGF signaling pathways) significantly correlated with antitumor immune signatures. CONCLUSION These molecular features are potential markers of tumor immune status and response to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inas Elsayed
- Biomedical Informatics Research Lab, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,Cancer Genomics Research Center, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,Big Data Research Institute, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Gezira, Wad Madani, Sudan
| | - Nazik Elsayed
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Sciences, University of Gezira, Wad Madani, Sudan
| | - Qiushi Feng
- Biomedical Informatics Research Lab, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,Cancer Genomics Research Center, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,Big Data Research Institute, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Kieran Sheahan
- Centre for Colorectal Disease, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Elm Park, Ireland.,School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland
| | - Bruce Moran
- Department of Pathology, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Elm Park, Ireland
| | - Xiaosheng Wang
- Biomedical Informatics Research Lab, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,Cancer Genomics Research Center, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,Big Data Research Institute, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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23
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Eisenman D, Debold S, Riddle J. A Changing World in Gene Therapy Research: Exciting Opportunities for Medical Advancement and Biosafety Challenges. APPLIED BIOSAFETY 2021; 26:179-192. [PMID: 36034096 PMCID: PMC9134333 DOI: 10.1089/apb.2021.0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: We previously reported on the United States' regulatory environment evolving to accommodate an emerging boom in gene therapy research. Several important developments have transpired in the 2 years since that article was published, including the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the drive for large-scale testing of vaccines containing recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules. This report highlights key developments in the field with a focus on biosafety and issues of note to biosafety professionals with responsibilities over clinical research. Discussion: We provide guidance for performing risk assessments on the currently approved gene therapy products as well as the most utilized types of investigational products in clinical trials. Areas of focus include the prominent approaches utilized in the three major areas of research: oncology, infectious diseases, and rare diseases. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has created several opportunities for continued growth in gene therapy. National vaccination campaigns will result in greater public acceptance of gene therapy research. Technological advancements that made the vaccine race possible will spur the next generation of research. Advancements born in the developed world set the stage for the creation of therapeutics to treat greater numbers in the developing world and have the potential for massive benefits to global public health. Biosafety professionals and Institutional Biosafety Committees play key roles in contributing to the safe evidence-based advancement of gene therapy research. Biosafety professionals responsible for clinical research oversight must be aware of emerging technologies and their associated risks to support the safe and ethical conduct of research.
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24
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Ye T, Li F, Ma G, Wei W. Enhancing therapeutic performance of personalized cancer vaccine via delivery vectors. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 177:113927. [PMID: 34403752 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.113927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, personalized cancer vaccines have gained increasing attention as emerging immunotherapies with the capability to overcome interindividual differences and show great benefits for individual patients in the clinic due to the highly tailored vaccine formulations. A large number of materials have been studied as delivery vectors to enhance the therapeutic performance of personalized cancer vaccines, including artificial materials, engineered microorganisms, cells and cell derivatives. These delivery vectors with distinct features are employed to change antigen biodistributions and to facilitate antigen uptake, processing and presentation, improving the strength, velocity, and duration of the immune response when delivered by different strategies. Here, we provide an overview of personalized cancer vaccine delivery vectors, describing their materials, physicochemical properties, delivery strategies and challenges for clinical transformation.
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25
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Schmidt M, Heimes AS. Immunomodulating Therapies in Breast Cancer-From Prognosis to Clinical Practice. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4883. [PMID: 34638367 PMCID: PMC8507771 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13194883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of the immune system in breast cancer has been debated for decades. The advent of technologies such as next generation sequencing (NGS) has elucidated the crucial interplay between somatic mutations in tumors leading to neoantigens and immune responses with increased tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and improved prognosis of breast cancer patients. In particular, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a higher mutational burden compared to other breast cancer subtypes. In addition, higher levels of tumor-associated antigens suggest that immunotherapies are a promising treatment option, specifically for TNBC. Indeed, higher concentrations of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are associated with better prognosis and response to chemotherapy in TNBC. An important target within the cancer immune cell cycle is the "immune checkpoint". Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPis) block the interaction of certain cell surface proteins that act as "brakes" on immune responses. Recent studies have shown that ICPis improve survival in both early and advanced TNBC. However, this comes at the price of increased toxicity, particularly immune-mediated toxicity. As an alternative approach, individualized mRNA vaccination strategies against tumor-associated neoantigens represent another promising approach leading to neoantigen-specific immune responses. These novel strategies should help to improve treatment outcomes, especially for patients with triple negative breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Schmidt
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany;
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26
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Kim R, Kin T. Current and Future Therapies for Immunogenic Cell Death and Related Molecules to Potentially Cure Primary Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13194756. [PMID: 34638242 PMCID: PMC8507525 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13194756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary How a cure for primary breast cancer after (neo)adjuvant therapy can be achieved at the molecular level remains unclear. Immune activation by anticancer drugs may contribute to the eradication of residual tumor cells by postoperative (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy. In addition, chemotherapy-induced immunogenic cell death (ICD) may result in long-term immune activation by memory effector T cells, leading to the curing of primary breast cancer. In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms by which anticancer drugs induce ICD and immunogenic modifications for antitumor immunity and targeted therapy against damage-associated molecular patterns. Our aim was to gain a better understanding of how to eradicate residual tumor cells treated with anticancer drugs and cure primary breast cancer by enhancing antitumor immunity with immune checkpoint inhibitors and vaccines. Abstract How primary breast cancer can be cured after (neo)adjuvant therapy remains unclear at the molecular level. Immune activation by anticancer agents may contribute to residual tumor cell eradication with postsurgical (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy. Chemotherapy-induced immunogenic cell death (ICD) may result in long-term immune activation with memory effector T cells, leading to a primary breast cancer cure. Anthracycline and taxane treatments cause ICD and immunogenic modulations, resulting in the activation of antitumor immunity through damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), such as adenosine triphosphate, calreticulin, high mobility group box 1, heat shock proteins 70/90, and annexin A1. This response may eradicate residual tumor cells after surgical treatment. Although DAMP release is also implicated in tumor progression, metastasis, and drug resistance, thereby representing a double-edged sword, robust immune activation by anticancer agents and the subsequent acquisition of long-term antitumor immune memory can be essential components of the primary breast cancer cure. This review discusses the molecular mechanisms by which anticancer drugs induce ICD and immunogenic modifications for antitumor immunity and targeted anti-DAMP therapy. Our aim was to improve the understanding of how to eradicate residual tumor cells treated with anticancer drugs and cure primary breast cancer by enhancing antitumor immunity with immune checkpoint inhibitors and vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryungsa Kim
- Department of Breast Surgery, Hiroshima Mark Clinic, 1-4-3F, 2-Chome Ohte-machi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima 730-0051, Japan
- Correspondence:
| | - Takanori Kin
- Department of Breast Surgery, Hiroshima City Hospital, 7-33, Moto-machi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima 730-8518, Japan;
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27
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Weeder BR, Wood MA, Li E, Nellore A, Thompson RF. pepsickle rapidly and accurately predicts proteasomal cleavage sites for improved neoantigen identification. Bioinformatics 2021; 37:3723-3733. [PMID: 34478497 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btab628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Proteasomal cleavage is a key component in protein turnover, as well as antigen processing and presentation. Although tools for proteasomal cleavage prediction are available, they vary widely in their performance, options, and availability. RESULTS Herein we present pepsickle, an open-source tool for proteasomal cleavage prediction with better in vivo prediction performance (AUC) and computational speed than current models available in the field and with the ability to predict sites based on both constitutive and immunoproteasome profiles. Post-hoc filtering of predicted patient neoepitopes using pepsickle significantly enriches for immune-responsive epitopes and may improve current epitope prediction and vaccine development pipelines. AVAILABILITY pepsickle is open source and available at https://github.com/pdxgx/pepsickle. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin R Weeder
- Computational Biology Program, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | | | - Ellysia Li
- Pacific University, Forest Grove, OR, USA
| | - Abhinav Nellore
- Computational Biology Program, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.,Department of Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Reid F Thompson
- Computational Biology Program, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.,Department of Radiation Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.,Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.,Division of Hospital and Specialty Medicine, VA Portland Healthcare System, Portland, Oregon, USA
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28
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Preclinical models and technologies to advance nanovaccine development. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 172:148-182. [PMID: 33711401 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The remarkable success of targeted immunotherapies is revolutionizing cancer treatment. However, tumor heterogeneity and low immunogenicity, in addition to several tumor-associated immunosuppression mechanisms are among the major factors that have precluded the success of cancer vaccines as targeted cancer immunotherapies. The exciting outcomes obtained in patients upon the injection of tumor-specific antigens and adjuvants intratumorally, reinvigorated interest in the use of nanotechnology to foster the delivery of vaccines to address cancer unmet needs. Thus, bridging nano-based vaccine platform development and predicted clinical outcomes the selection of the proper preclinical model will be fundamental. Preclinical models have revealed promising outcomes for cancer vaccines. However, only few cases were associated with clinical responses. This review addresses the major challenges related to the translation of cancer nano-based vaccines to the clinic, discussing the requirements for ex vivo and in vivo models of cancer to ensure the translation of preclinical success to patients.
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29
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Fathi M, Pustokhina I, Kuznetsov SV, Khayrullin M, Hojjat-Farsangi M, Karpisheh V, Jalili A, Jadidi-Niaragh F. T-cell immunoglobulin and ITIM domain, as a potential immune checkpoint target for immunotherapy of colorectal cancer. IUBMB Life 2021; 73:726-738. [PMID: 33686787 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The importance of the tumor microenvironment in cancer progression has been well studied for many years. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are regarded as potential strategies in enhancing the immune responses in patients with cancer, particularly colorectal cancer (CRC). Notably, CRCs are extraordinarily heterogeneous and mostly are microsatellite-stable (MSS) or cold tumors, which means that the immune response is not usually as strong as that of foreign cells. T-cell immunoglobulin and ITIM domain (TIGIT) is a new immune checkpoint receptor overexpressed inside the CRC tumor-immune microenvironments. Moreover, several studies have shown that TIGIT in combination with other ICIs and/or conventional treatments, can lead to a robust anti-tumor response in CRC. This review looks deep inside TIGIT expression patterns, their various functions, and possible immunotherapy strategies to increase survival rates and decrease immune-related adverse events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehrdad Fathi
- Cancer and Immunology Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.,Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | | | - Sergey V Kuznetsov
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Mars Khayrullin
- Department of Research Management, K.G. Razumovsky Moscow State, University of Technologies and Management (The First Cossack University), Moscow, Russian Federation
| | | | - Vahid Karpisheh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ali Jalili
- Cancer and Immunology Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.,Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Farhad Jadidi-Niaragh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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30
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Kratochwil C, Giesel FL, Rathke H, Fink R, Dendl K, Debus J, Mier W, Jäger D, Lindner T, Haberkorn U. [ 153Sm]Samarium-labeled FAPI-46 radioligand therapy in a patient with lung metastases of a sarcoma. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2021; 48:3011-3013. [PMID: 33728499 PMCID: PMC8263436 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-021-05273-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Clemens Kratochwil
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, INF 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Frederik L Giesel
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, INF 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hendrik Rathke
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, INF 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rebecca Fink
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, INF 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katharina Dendl
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, INF 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Debus
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Walter Mier
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, INF 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dirk Jäger
- Department of Medical Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital and National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Lindner
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, INF 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Uwe Haberkorn
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, INF 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.,Cooperation Unit Nuclear Medicine, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany
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31
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Heine A, Juranek S, Brossart P. Clinical and immunological effects of mRNA vaccines in malignant diseases. Mol Cancer 2021; 20:52. [PMID: 33722265 PMCID: PMC7957288 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-021-01339-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro-transcribed messenger RNA-based therapeutics represent a relatively novel and highly efficient class of drugs. Several recently published studies emphasize the potential efficacy of mRNA vaccines in treating different types of malignant and infectious diseases where conventional vaccine strategies and platforms fail to elicit protective immune responses. mRNA vaccines have lately raised high interest as potent vaccines against SARS-CoV2. Direct application of mRNA or its electroporation into dendritic cells was shown to induce polyclonal CD4+ and CD8+ mediated antigen-specific T cell responses as well as the production of protective antibodies with the ability to eliminate transformed or infected cells. More importantly, the vaccine composition may include two or more mRNAs coding for different proteins or long peptides. This enables the induction of polyclonal immune responses against a broad variety of epitopes within the encoded antigens that are presented on various MHC complexes, thus avoiding the restriction to a certain HLA molecule or possible immune escape due to antigen-loss. The development and design of mRNA therapies was recently boosted by several critical innovations including the development of technologies for the production and delivery of high quality and stable mRNA. Several technical obstacles such as stability, delivery and immunogenicity were addressed in the past and gradually solved in the recent years.This review will summarize the most recent technological developments and application of mRNA vaccines in clinical trials and discusses the results, challenges and future directions with a special focus on the induced innate and adaptive immune responses.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antigens, Neoplasm/genetics
- Antigens, Neoplasm/immunology
- Cancer Vaccines/administration & dosage
- Cancer Vaccines/genetics
- Cancer Vaccines/immunology
- Drug Delivery Systems
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Gene Transfer Techniques
- Humans
- Immunity
- Immunotherapy
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/immunology
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/metabolism
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/pathology
- Neoplasms/etiology
- Neoplasms/pathology
- Neoplasms/therapy
- RNA Stability
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/immunology
- Vaccines, Synthetic/administration & dosage
- Vaccines, Synthetic/genetics
- Vaccines, Synthetic/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Annkristin Heine
- Medical Clinic III for Oncology, Hematology, Immune-Oncology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Stefan Juranek
- Medical Clinic III for Oncology, Hematology, Immune-Oncology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Peter Brossart
- Medical Clinic III for Oncology, Hematology, Immune-Oncology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany.
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Drug repurposing using transcriptome sequencing and virtual drug screening in a patient with glioblastoma. Invest New Drugs 2020; 39:670-685. [PMID: 33313992 PMCID: PMC8068653 DOI: 10.1007/s10637-020-01037-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Background Precision medicine and drug repurposing are attractive strategies, especially for tumors with worse prognosis. Glioblastoma is a highly malignant brain tumor with limited treatment options and short survival times. We identified novel BRAF (47-438del) and PIK3R1 (G376R) mutations in a glioblastoma patient by RNA-sequencing. Methods The protein expression of BRAF and PIK3R1 as well as the lack of EGFR expression as analyzed by immunohistochemistry corroborated RNA-sequencing data. The expression of additional markers (AKT, SRC, mTOR, NF-κB, Ki-67) emphasized the aggressiveness of the tumor. Then, we screened a chemical library of > 1500 FDA-approved drugs and > 25,000 novel compounds in the ZINC database to find established drugs targeting BRAF47-438del and PIK3R1-G376R mutated proteins. Results Several compounds (including anthracyclines) bound with higher affinities than the control drugs (sorafenib and vemurafenib for BRAF and PI-103 and LY-294,002 for PIK3R1). Subsequent cytotoxicity analyses showed that anthracyclines might be suitable drug candidates. Aclarubicin revealed higher cytotoxicity than both sorafenib and vemurafenib, whereas idarubicin and daunorubicin revealed higher cytotoxicity than LY-294,002. Liposomal formulations of anthracyclines may be suitable to cross the blood brain barrier. Conclusions In conclusion, we identified novel small molecules via a drug repurposing approach that could be effectively used for personalized glioblastoma therapy especially for patients carrying BRAF47-438del and PIK3R1-G376R mutations.
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33
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Yan Y, Zeng S, Gong Z, Xu Z. Clinical implication of cellular vaccine in glioma: current advances and future prospects. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2020; 39:257. [PMID: 33228738 PMCID: PMC7685666 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-020-01778-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Gliomas, especially glioblastomas, represent one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat human brain tumors. In the last few decades, clinical immunotherapy has been developed and has provided exceptional achievements in checkpoint inhibitors and vaccines for cancer treatment. Immunization with cellular vaccines has the advantage of containing specific antigens and acceptable safety to potentially improve cancer therapy. Based on T cells, dendritic cells (DC), tumor cells and natural killer cells, the safety and feasibility of cellular vaccines have been validated in clinical trials for glioma treatment. For TAA engineered T cells, therapy mainly uses chimeric antigen receptors (IL13Rα2, EGFRvIII and HER2) and DNA methylation-induced technology (CT antigen) to activate the immune response. Autologous dendritic cells/tumor antigen vaccine (ADCTA) pulsed with tumor lysate and peptides elicit antigen-specific and cytotoxic T cell responses in patients with malignant gliomas, while its pro-survival effect is biased. Vaccinations using autologous tumor cells modified with TAAs or fusion with fibroblast cells are characterized by both effective humoral and cell-mediated immunity. Even though few therapeutic effects have been observed, most of this therapy showed safety and feasibility, asking for larger cohort studies and better guidelines to optimize cellular vaccine efficiency in anti-glioma therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanliang Yan
- Department of Pharmacy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Shuangshuang Zeng
- Department of Pharmacy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhicheng Gong
- Department of Pharmacy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhijie Xu
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Hunan, 410008, Changsha, China.
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34
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Parra-Cantu C, Li W, Quiñones-Hinojosa A, Zhang YS. 3D bioprinting of glioblastoma models. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 4:113-125. [PMID: 33200034 DOI: 10.2217/3dp-2019-0027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The most common and malignant primary brain tumor in adults is glioblastoma (GBM). In vitro 3D brain models are needed to better understand the pathological processes underlying GBM and ultimately develop more efficient antineoplastic agents. Here, we describe the bioprinting methods that have been used to fabricate volumetric GBM models. We explain several factors that should be considered for 3D bioprinting, including bioinks, cells and construct designs, in relation to GBM modeling. Although 3D-bioprinted brain models are still to be improved, they have the potential to become a powerful tool for drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Parra-Cantu
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Wanlu Li
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Yu Shrike Zhang
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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35
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Lee KL, Schlom J, Hamilton DH. Combination therapies utilizing neoepitope-targeted vaccines. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2020; 70:875-885. [PMID: 33033852 PMCID: PMC7979579 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-020-02729-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Clinical successes have been achieved with checkpoint blockade therapy, which facilitates the function of T cells recognizing tumor-specific mutations known as neoepitopes. It is a reasonable hypothesis that therapeutic cancer vaccines targeting neoepitopes uniquely expressed by a patient’s tumor would prove to be an effective therapeutic strategy. With the advent of high-throughput next generation sequencing, it is now possible to rapidly identify these tumor-specific mutations and produce therapeutic vaccines targeting these patient-specific neoepitopes. However, initial reports suggest that when used as a monotherapy, neoepitope-targeted vaccines are not always sufficient to induce clinical responses in some patients. Therefore, research has now turned to investigating neoepitope vaccines in combination with other cancer therapies, both immune and non-immune, to improve their clinical efficacies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin L Lee
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jeffrey Schlom
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Duane H Hamilton
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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36
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Xu S, Yang K, Li R, Zhang L. mRNA Vaccine Era-Mechanisms, Drug Platform and Clinical Prospection. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E6582. [PMID: 32916818 PMCID: PMC7554980 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21186582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)-based drugs, notably mRNA vaccines, have been widely proven as a promising treatment strategy in immune therapeutics. The extraordinary advantages associated with mRNA vaccines, including their high efficacy, a relatively low severity of side effects, and low attainment costs, have enabled them to become prevalent in pre-clinical and clinical trials against various infectious diseases and cancers. Recent technological advancements have alleviated some issues that hinder mRNA vaccine development, such as low efficiency that exist in both gene translation and in vivo deliveries. mRNA immunogenicity can also be greatly adjusted as a result of upgraded technologies. In this review, we have summarized details regarding the optimization of mRNA vaccines, and the underlying biological mechanisms of this form of vaccines. Applications of mRNA vaccines in some infectious diseases and cancers are introduced. It also includes our prospections for mRNA vaccine applications in diseases caused by bacterial pathogens, such as tuberculosis. At the same time, some suggestions for future mRNA vaccine development about storage methods, safety concerns, and personalized vaccine synthesis can be found in the context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuqin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; (S.X.); (K.Y.)
| | - Kunpeng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; (S.X.); (K.Y.)
| | - Rose Li
- M.B.B.S., School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China;
| | - Lu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; (S.X.); (K.Y.)
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, Shanghai 200438, China
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Faghfuri E, Pourfarzi F, Faghfouri AH, Abdoli Shadbad M, Hajiasgharzadeh K, Baradaran B. Recent developments of RNA-based vaccines in cancer immunotherapy. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2020; 21:201-218. [PMID: 32842798 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2020.1815704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cancer immunotherapy is more dependent on monoclonal antibodies, proteins, and cells, as therapeutic agents, to attain prominent outcomes. However, cancer immunotherapy's clinical benefits need to be enhanced, as many patients still do not respond well to existing treatments, or their diseases may relapse after temporary control. RNA-based approaches have provided new options for advancing cancer immunotherapy. Moreover, considerable efforts have been made to utilize RNA for vaccine production. RNA vaccines, which encode tumor-associated or specific epitopes, stimulate adaptive immunity. This adaptive immune response is capable of elimination or reduction of tumor burden. It is crucial to develop effective RNA transfer technologies that penetrate the lipid bilayer to reach the cytoplasm for translation into functional proteins. Two important delivery methods include the loading of mRNA into dendritic cells ex vivo; and direct injection of naked RNA with or without a carrier. AREAS COVERED The latest results of pre-clinical and clinical studies with RNA vaccines in cancer immunotherapy are summarized in this review. EXPERT OPINION RNA vaccines are now in early clinical development with promising safety and efficacy outcomes. Also, the translation capacity and durability of these vaccines can be increased with chemical modifications and sequence engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elnaz Faghfuri
- Digestive Disease Research Center, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences , Ardabil, Iran
| | - Farhad Pourfarzi
- Digestive Disease Research Center, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences , Ardabil, Iran
| | - Amir Hossein Faghfouri
- Student's Research Committee, Department of Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Science , Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mahdi Abdoli Shadbad
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz, Iran
| | | | - Behzad Baradaran
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz, Iran
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Russo G, Reche P, Pennisi M, Pappalardo F. The combination of artificial intelligence and systems biology for intelligent vaccine design. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2020; 15:1267-1281. [PMID: 32662677 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2020.1791076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A new body of evidence depicts the applications of artificial intelligence and systems biology in vaccine design and development. The combination of both approaches shall revolutionize healthcare, accelerating clinical trial processes and reducing the costs and time involved in drug research and development. AREAS COVERED This review explores the basics of artificial intelligence and systems biology approaches in the vaccine development pipeline. The topics include a detailed description of epitope prediction tools for designing epitope-based vaccines and agent-based models for immune system response prediction, along with a focus on their potentiality to facilitate clinical trial phases. EXPERT OPINION Artificial intelligence and systems biology offer the opportunity to avoid the inefficiencies and failures that arise in the classical vaccine development pipeline. One promising solution is the combination of both methodologies in a multiscale perspective through an accurate pipeline. We are entering an 'in silico era' in which scientific partnerships, including a more and more increasing creation of an 'ecosystem' of collaboration and multidisciplinary approach, are relevant for addressing the long and risky road of vaccine discovery and development. In this context, regulatory guidance should be developed to qualify the in silico trials as evidence for intelligent vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Russo
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania , Catania, Italy
| | - Pedro Reche
- Department of Immunology, Universidad Complutense De Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria , Madrid, Spain
| | - Marzio Pennisi
- Computer Science Institute, DiSIT, University of Eastern Piedmont , Italy
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Zhou LY, Qin Z, Zhu YH, He ZY, Xu T. Current RNA-based Therapeutics in Clinical Trials. Curr Gene Ther 2020; 19:172-196. [PMID: 31566126 DOI: 10.2174/1566523219666190719100526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Long-term research on various types of RNAs has led to further understanding of diverse mechanisms, which eventually resulted in the rapid development of RNA-based therapeutics as powerful tools in clinical disease treatment. Some of the developing RNA drugs obey the antisense mechanisms including antisense oligonucleotides, small interfering RNAs, microRNAs, small activating RNAs, and ribozymes. These types of RNAs could be utilized to inhibit/activate gene expression or change splicing to provide functional proteins. In the meantime, some others based on different mechanisms like modified messenger RNAs could replace the dysfunctional endogenous genes to manage some genetic diseases, and aptamers with special three-dimensional structures could bind to specific targets in a high-affinity manner. In addition, the recent most popular CRISPR-Cas technology, consisting of a crucial single guide RNA, could edit DNA directly to generate therapeutic effects. The desired results from recent clinical trials indicated the great potential of RNA-based drugs in the treatment of various diseases, but further studies on improving delivery materials and RNA modifications are required for the novel RNA-based drugs to translate to the clinic. This review focused on the advances and clinical studies of current RNA-based therapeutics, analyzed their challenges and prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Yan Zhou
- Department of Pharmacy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Zhou Qin
- Department of Pharmacy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Yang-Hui Zhu
- Department of Pharmacy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.,State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zhi-Yao He
- Department of Pharmacy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.,State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Ting Xu
- Department of Pharmacy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
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40
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Roy S, Sethi TK, Taylor D, Kim YJ, Johnson DB. Breakthrough concepts in immune-oncology: Cancer vaccines at the bedside. J Leukoc Biol 2020; 108:1455-1489. [PMID: 32557857 DOI: 10.1002/jlb.5bt0420-585rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical approval of the immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) agents for multiple cancer types has reinvigorated the long-standing work on cancer vaccines. In the pre-ICB era, clinical efforts focused on the Ag, the adjuvants, the formulation, and the mode of delivery. These translational efforts on therapeutic vaccines range from cell-based (e.g., dendritic cells vaccine Sipuleucel-T) to DNA/RNA-based platforms with various formulations (liposome), vectors (Listeria monocytogenes), or modes of delivery (intratumoral, gene gun, etc.). Despite promising preclinical results, cancer vaccine trials without ICB have historically shown little clinical activity. With the anticipation and expansion of combinatorial immunotherapeutic trials with ICB, the cancer vaccine field has entered the personalized medicine arena with recent advances in immunogenic neoantigen-based vaccines. In this article, we review the literature to organize the different cancer vaccines in the clinical space, and we will discuss their advantages, limits, and recent progress to overcome their challenges. Furthermore, we will also discuss recent preclinical advances and clinical strategies to combine vaccines with checkpoint blockade to improve therapeutic outcome and present a translational perspective on future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sohini Roy
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Tarsheen K Sethi
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - David Taylor
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Young J Kim
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Douglas B Johnson
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Shi T, Song X, Wang Y, Liu F, Wei J. Combining Oncolytic Viruses With Cancer Immunotherapy: Establishing a New Generation of Cancer Treatment. Front Immunol 2020; 11:683. [PMID: 32411132 PMCID: PMC7198760 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent successes of tumor immunotherapy approaches, such as immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy, have revolutionized cancer treatment, improving efficacy and extending treatment to a larger proportion of cancer patients. However, due to high heterogeneity of cancer, poor tumor cell targeting, and the immunosuppressive status of the tumor microenvironment (TME), combinatorial agents are required to obtain more effective and consistent therapeutic responses in a wide range of cancers. Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are able to selectively replicate in and destroy tumor cells and subsequently induce systematic anti-tumor immune responses. Thus, they are ideal for combining with cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of OVs, as well as the latest preclinical and clinical progress of combining OVs with cancer immunotherapies, including ICB, CAR-T therapy, bispecific T cell engagers (BiTEs), and cancer vaccines. Moreover, we consider future directions for applying OVs to personalized cancer immunotherapies, which could potentially launch a new generation of cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Shi
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University & Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xueru Song
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University & Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue Wang
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University & Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fangcen Liu
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University & Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jia Wei
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University & Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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Boudousquié C, Boand V, Lingre E, Dutoit L, Balint K, Danilo M, Harari A, Gannon PO, Kandalaft LE. Development and Optimization of a GMP-Compliant Manufacturing Process for a Personalized Tumor Lysate Dendritic Cell Vaccine. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8010025. [PMID: 31947581 PMCID: PMC7157441 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8010025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
With the emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive T-cell therapies, there is a considerable interest in using personalized autologous dendritic cell (DC) vaccines in combination with T cell-targeting immunotherapies to potentially maximize the therapeutic impact of DC vaccines. Here, we describe the development and optimization of a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant manufacturing process based on tumor lysate as a tumor antigen source for the production of an oxidized tumor cell lysate loaded DC (OC-DC) vaccine. The manufacturing process required one day for lysate preparation and six days for OC-DC vaccine production. Tumor lysate production was standardized based on an optimal tumor digestion protocol and the immunogenicity was improved through oxidation using hypochloric acid prior to freeze-thaw cycles resulting in the oxidized tumor cell lysate (OC-L). Next, monocytes were selected using the CliniMACS prodigy closed system and were placed in culture in cell factories in the presence of IL-4 and GM-CSF. Immature DCs were loaded with OC-L and matured using MPLA-IFNγ. After assessing the functionality of the OC-DC cells (IL12p70 secretion and COSTIM assay), the OC-DC vaccine was cryopreserved in multiple doses for single use. Finally, the stability of the formulated doses was tested and validated. We believe this GMP-compliant DC vaccine manufacturing process will facilitate access of patients to personalized DC vaccines, and allow for multi-center clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Boudousquié
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; (V.B.); (E.L.); (L.D.); (K.B.); (A.H.); (P.O.G.)
- Correspondence: (C.B.); (L.E.K.)
| | - Valérie Boand
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; (V.B.); (E.L.); (L.D.); (K.B.); (A.H.); (P.O.G.)
| | - Emilie Lingre
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; (V.B.); (E.L.); (L.D.); (K.B.); (A.H.); (P.O.G.)
| | - Laeticia Dutoit
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; (V.B.); (E.L.); (L.D.); (K.B.); (A.H.); (P.O.G.)
| | - Klara Balint
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; (V.B.); (E.L.); (L.D.); (K.B.); (A.H.); (P.O.G.)
| | - Maxime Danilo
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland;
| | - Alexandre Harari
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; (V.B.); (E.L.); (L.D.); (K.B.); (A.H.); (P.O.G.)
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland;
| | - Philippe O. Gannon
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; (V.B.); (E.L.); (L.D.); (K.B.); (A.H.); (P.O.G.)
| | - Lana E. Kandalaft
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; (V.B.); (E.L.); (L.D.); (K.B.); (A.H.); (P.O.G.)
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland;
- Correspondence: (C.B.); (L.E.K.)
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Integrating context of tumor biology and vaccine design to shape multidimensional immunotherapies. FUTURE DRUG DISCOVERY 2020. [DOI: 10.4155/fdd-2019-0031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in cancer therapy have offered great promise but only modest clinical benefits as monotherapies to date. Patients usually respond well to therapies targeted at specific mutations, but only for a short time. Conversely, immunotherapies help fewer patients, but increase survival. Combination therapies, which could offer the best of both worlds, are currently limited by substantial toxicity. While recent advances in genomics and proteomics have yielded an unprecedented depth of enabling datasets, it has also shifted the focus toward in silico predictions. Designing the next wave of multidimensional immunotherapies will require leveraging this knowledge while providing a renewed emphasis on tumor biology and vaccine design. This includes careful selection of tumor clinical stage in the context of pre-existing tumor microenvironments, target antigen and technology platform selections to maximize their effect, and treatment staging. Here, we review strategies on how to approach an increasingly complex landscape of immunotherapeutic agents for use in combination therapies.
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Abstract
After more than a century of efforts to establish cancer immunotherapy in clinical practice, the advent of checkpoint inhibition (CPI) therapy was a critical breakthrough toward this direction (Hodi et al. in Cell Rep 13(2):412-424, 2010; Wolchok et al. in N Engl J Med 369(2):122-133, 2013; Herbst et al. in Nature 515(7528):563-567, 2014; Tumeh et al. in Nature 515(7528):568-571, 2014). Further, CPIs shifted the focus from long studied shared tumor-associated antigens to mutated ones. As cancer is caused by mutations in somatic cells, the concept to utilize these correlates of 'foreignness' to enable recognition and lysis of the cancer cell by T cell immunity seems an obvious thing to do.
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Abstract
T cells are key effectors of anticancer immunity. They are capable of distinguishing tumor cells from normal ones by recognizing major histocompatibility complex-bound cancer-specific peptides. Accumulating evidence suggests that peptides associated with T cell-mediated tumor rejection arise predominantly from somatically mutated proteins and are unique to every patient's tumor. Knowledge of an individual's cancer mutanome (the entirety of cancer mutations) allows harnessing this enormous tumor cell-specific repertoire of highly immunogenic antigens for individualized cancer vaccines. This review outlines the preclinical and clinical state of individualized cancer vaccine development and the challenges ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Vormehr
- Biopharmaceutical New Technologies (BioNTech) Corporation, 55131 Mainz, Germany; , .,University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Özlem Türeci
- Biopharmaceutical New Technologies (BioNTech) Corporation, 55131 Mainz, Germany; ,
| | - Ugur Sahin
- Biopharmaceutical New Technologies (BioNTech) Corporation, 55131 Mainz, Germany; , .,University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany; .,TRON - Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University gGmbH, 55131 Mainz, Germany
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Sarivalasis A, Boudousquié C, Balint K, Stevenson BJ, Gannon PO, Iancu EM, Rossier L, Martin Lluesma S, Mathevet P, Sempoux C, Coukos G, Dafni U, Harari A, Bassani-Sternberg M, Kandalaft LE. A Phase I/II trial comparing autologous dendritic cell vaccine pulsed either with personalized peptides (PEP-DC) or with tumor lysate (OC-DC) in patients with advanced high-grade ovarian serous carcinoma. J Transl Med 2019; 17:391. [PMID: 31771601 PMCID: PMC6880492 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-019-02133-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Most ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed at a late stage with 85% of them relapsing after surgery and standard chemotherapy; for this reason, new treatments are urgently needed. Ovarian cancer has become a candidate for immunotherapy by reason of their expression of shared tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) and private mutated neoantigens (NeoAgs) and the recognition of the tumor by the immune system. Additionally, the presence of intraepithelial tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is associated with improved progression-free and overall survival of patients with ovarian cancer. The aim of active immunotherapy, including vaccination, is to generate a new anti-tumor response and amplify an existing immune response. Recently developed NeoAgs-based cancer vaccines have the advantage of being more tumor specific, reducing the potential for immunological tolerance, and inducing robust immunogenicity. Methods We propose a randomized phase I/II study in patients with advanced ovarian cancer to compare the immunogenicity and to assess safety and feasibility of two personalized DC vaccines. After standard of care surgery and chemotherapy, patients will receive either a novel vaccine consisting of autologous DCs pulsed with up to ten peptides (PEP-DC), selected using an agnostic, yet personalized, epitope discovery algorithm, or a sequential combination of a DC vaccine loaded with autologous oxidized tumor lysate (OC-DC) prior to an equivalent PEP-DC vaccine. All vaccines will be administered in combination with low-dose cyclophosphamide. This study is the first attempt to compare the two approaches and to use NeoAgs-based vaccines in ovarian cancer in the adjuvant setting. Discussion The proposed treatment takes advantage of the beneficial effects of pre-treatment with OC-DC prior to PEP-DC vaccination, prompting immune response induction against a wide range of patient-specific antigens, and amplification of pre-existing NeoAgs-specific T cell clones. Trial registration This trial is already approved by Swissmedic (Ref.: 2019TpP1004) and will be registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov before enrollment opens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apostolos Sarivalasis
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Caroline Boudousquié
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Klara Balint
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Philippe O Gannon
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Emanuela Marina Iancu
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laetitia Rossier
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Silvia Martin Lluesma
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Patrice Mathevet
- Women-Mother-Child Department, Service of Gynecology, University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christine Sempoux
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - George Coukos
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Urania Dafni
- Laboratory of Biostatistics, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian, University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Alexandre Harari
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michal Bassani-Sternberg
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lana E Kandalaft
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. .,Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Yang C, Zhao P, Liu H, Tian H, Chen Y, Liu L. Sequential Administration of Nanoadjuvant and Nanoantigen Matters in Host Immunity. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2019; 2:4708-4713. [DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.9b00888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chengbiao Yang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Polymeric Composite Materials and Functional Materials of Ministry of Education, GD Research Center for Functional Biomaterials Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Pengfei Zhao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Polymeric Composite Materials and Functional Materials of Ministry of Education, GD Research Center for Functional Biomaterials Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Hong Liu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Polymeric Composite Materials and Functional Materials of Ministry of Education, GD Research Center for Functional Biomaterials Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Houkuan Tian
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Polymeric Composite Materials and Functional Materials of Ministry of Education, GD Research Center for Functional Biomaterials Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Yongming Chen
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Polymeric Composite Materials and Functional Materials of Ministry of Education, GD Research Center for Functional Biomaterials Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Lixin Liu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Polymeric Composite Materials and Functional Materials of Ministry of Education, GD Research Center for Functional Biomaterials Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
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Tőkés AM, Rusz O, Cserni G, Tóth E, Rubovszky G, Tőkés T, Vízkeleti L, Reiniger L, Kószó R, Kahán Z, Kulka J, Donia M, Vörös A, Szallasi Z. Influence of mutagenic versus non-mutagenic pre-operative chemotherapy on the immune infiltration of residual breast cancer. Acta Oncol 2019; 58:1603-1611. [PMID: 31271119 DOI: 10.1080/0284186x.2019.1633015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Background: Chemotherapeutic agents are often mutagenic. Induction of mutation associated neo-epitopes is one of the mechanisms by which chemotherapy is thought to increase the number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. It is not known, however, whether treatment with various chemotherapeutic agents with different mutagenic capacity induce a significantly different number of stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (StrTIL) in residual cancer.Methods: One hundred and twenty breast carcinoma cases with residual disease that were treated with one of three types of pre-operative chemotherapy regimens were selected for the study. The percentage of StrTIL was evaluated in pretreatment core biopsies (pre-StrTIL) and post-treatment surgical tumor samples (post-StrTIL). TIL changes (ΔStrTIL) were calculated from the difference between post-StrTIL and pre-StrTIL.Results: When analyzing the pre-StrTIL and post-StrTIL among the three treatment groups, we detected significant StrTIL increase independently of the treatment applied. Based on distant metastases-free survival analysis, both post-StrTIL and ΔStrTIL was found to be independent prognostic factor in HR negative cases. Conclusions: Significant increase of StrTIL in the residual disease was observed in patients treated with the highly (platinum), moderately (cyclophosphamide) and marginally mutagenic chemotherapeutic agents (taxane, anthracycline). Increase in StrTIL in residual cancer compared to pretreatment tumor tissue is associated with improved distant metastasis-free survival in cases with HR negative breast carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Mária Tőkés
- 2nd Department of Pathology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Orsolya Rusz
- Department of Oncotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Gábor Cserni
- Department of Pathology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Pathology, Bács-Kiskun County Teaching Hospital, Kecskemét, Hungary
| | - Erika Tóth
- National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Tímea Tőkés
- Oncology Center, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Laura Vízkeleti
- 2nd Department of Pathology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- 2nd Department of Pathology, SE-NAP Brain Metastasis Research Group, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Lilla Reiniger
- 2nd Department of Pathology, SE-NAP Brain Metastasis Research Group, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- 1st Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Renáta Kószó
- Department of Oncotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsanna Kahán
- Department of Oncotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Janina Kulka
- 2nd Department of Pathology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Marco Donia
- Department of Hematology, Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - András Vörös
- Department of Pathology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Zoltan Szallasi
- 2nd Department of Pathology, SE-NAP Brain Metastasis Research Group, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Computational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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49
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Sanghera C, Sanghera R. Immunotherapy - Strategies for Expanding Its Role in the Treatment of All Major Tumor Sites. Cureus 2019; 11:e5938. [PMID: 31788395 PMCID: PMC6858270 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.5938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy is widely regarded to have the ability to transform the treatment of cancer, with immune checkpoint inhibitors already in use for cancers such as advanced melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, despite its potential, the widespread adoption of immunotherapy for the treatment of other cancers has been largely limited. This can be partly attributed to additional immunosuppressive mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment that help promote and maintain a state of T cell exhaustion. As such, the exploration of combinatory immunotherapies is an active area of research and includes the combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors with cytotoxic therapies, cancer vaccines and monoclonal antibodies against other co-inhibitory and co-stimulatory receptors. Strategies are also being employed to improve the homing, extravasation and survival of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells in the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, the development of immunotherapies targeted to one or multiple neoantigens unique to a specific tumor may act to enhance anti-tumor immunity, as well as reduce immune-related adverse events (irAEs). As immunotherapy evolves to become a mainstay treatment for cancer, it is imperative that optimum treatment regimens that maximize efficacy and limit toxicity are developed. Foremost, appropriate biomarkers must be identified to help tailor combinatory immunotherapies to the individual patient and hence pave the way to a new era of personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rohan Sanghera
- School of the Biological Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, GBR
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Legrand AJ, Konstantinou M, Goode EF, Meier P. The Diversification of Cell Death and Immunity: Memento Mori. Mol Cell 2019; 76:232-242. [PMID: 31586546 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2019.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Why do cells have so many ways to die? Why does "cellular suicide" exist at all? In the war against pathogens and rogue cells, organisms developed cellular suicide as a last resort. Fighting an evolutionary arms race, cell death pathways have adapted and multiplied to cover the complexity of the foes the immune system faces. In this review, we discuss the different types of cell death, the underlying signaling events, and their unequal ability to trigger an immune response. We also comment on how to use our knowledge of cell death signaling to improve the efficacy of cancer treatment. We argue that cell death is integral to the immune response and acts as a beacon, a second messenger, that guides both immune system and tissue micro-environment to ensure tissue repair and homeostasis. Memento mori-"remember you must die"-as failure to do so opens the way to chronic infection and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud J Legrand
- Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Maria Konstantinou
- Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Emily F Goode
- Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Pascal Meier
- Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, UK.
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