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Tang J, Chen Y, Wang C, Xia Y, Yu T, Tang M, Meng K, Yin L, Yang Y, Shen L, Xing H, Mao X. The role of mesenchymal stem cells in cancer and prospects for their use in cancer therapeutics. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e663. [PMID: 39070181 PMCID: PMC11283587 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are recruited by malignant tumor cells to the tumor microenvironment (TME) and play a crucial role in the initiation and progression of malignant tumors. This role encompasses immune evasion, promotion of angiogenesis, stimulation of cancer cell proliferation, correlation with cancer stem cells, multilineage differentiation within the TME, and development of treatment resistance. Simultaneously, extensive research is exploring the homing effect of MSCs and MSC-derived extracellular vesicles (MSCs-EVs) in tumors, aiming to design them as carriers for antitumor substances. These substances are targeted to deliver antitumor drugs to enhance drug efficacy while reducing drug toxicity. This paper provides a review of the supportive role of MSCs in tumor progression and the associated molecular mechanisms. Additionally, we summarize the latest therapeutic strategies involving engineered MSCs and MSCs-EVs in cancer treatment, including their utilization as carriers for gene therapeutic agents, chemotherapeutics, and oncolytic viruses. We also discuss the distribution and clearance of MSCs and MSCs-EVs upon entry into the body to elucidate the potential of targeted therapies based on MSCs and MSCs-EVs in cancer treatment, along with the challenges they face.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Tang
- Central LaboratoryXiangyang Central HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and ScienceXiangyangChina
| | - Yu Chen
- Central LaboratoryXiangyang Central HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and ScienceXiangyangChina
- Medical Affairs, Xiangyang Central HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and ScienceXiangyangChina
| | - Chunhua Wang
- Department of Clinical LaboratoryXiangyang No. 1 People's HospitalHubei University of MedicineXiangyangHubei ProvinceChina
| | - Ying Xia
- Central LaboratoryXiangyang Central HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and ScienceXiangyangChina
| | - Tingyu Yu
- Central LaboratoryXiangyang Central HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and ScienceXiangyangChina
| | - Mengjun Tang
- Central LaboratoryXiangyang Central HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and ScienceXiangyangChina
| | - Kun Meng
- Central LaboratoryXiangyang Central HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and ScienceXiangyangChina
| | - Lijuan Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and SafetyKey Laboratory of Industrial MicrobiologyMinistry of EducationTianjin Key Laboratory of Industry MicrobiologyNational and Local United Engineering Lab of Metabolic Control Fermentation TechnologyChina International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Food Nutrition/Safety and Medicinal ChemistryCollege of BiotechnologyTianjin University of Science & TechnologyTianjinChina
| | - Yang Yang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogen and ImmunityNational Clinical Research Center for Infectious DiseaseState Key Discipline of Infectious DiseaseShenzhen Third People's HospitalSecond Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhenChina
| | - Liang Shen
- Central LaboratoryXiangyang Central HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and ScienceXiangyangChina
| | - Hui Xing
- Central LaboratoryXiangyang Central HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and ScienceXiangyangChina
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyXiangyang Central HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and SciencesXiangyangChina
| | - Xiaogang Mao
- Central LaboratoryXiangyang Central HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and ScienceXiangyangChina
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyXiangyang Central HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and SciencesXiangyangChina
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Wessel RE, Ageeb N, Obeid JM, Mauldin I, Goundry KA, Hanson GF, Hossain M, Lehman C, Gentzler RD, Wages NA, Slingluff CL, Bullock TNJ, Dolatshahi S, Brown MG. Spatial colocalization and combined survival benefit of natural killer and CD8 T cells despite profound MHC class I loss in non-small cell lung cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.20.581048. [PMID: 38979183 PMCID: PMC11230195 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.20.581048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Background MHC class I (MHC-I) loss is frequent in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) rendering tumor cells resistant to T cell lysis. NK cells kill MHC-I-deficient tumor cells, and although previous work indicated their presence at NSCLC margins, they were functionally impaired. Within, we evaluated whether NK cell and CD8 T cell infiltration and activation vary with MHC-I expression. Methods We used single-stain immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Kaplan-Meier analysis to test the effect of NK cell and CD8 T cell infiltration on overall and disease-free survival. To delineate immune covariates of MHC-I-disparate lung cancers, we used multiplexed immunofluorescence (mIF) imaging followed by multivariate statistical modeling. To identify differences in infiltration and intercellular communication between IFNγ-activated and non-activated lymphocytes, we developed a computational pipeline to enumerate single cell neighborhoods from mIF images followed by multivariate discriminant analysis. Results Spatial quantitation of tumor cell MHC-I expression revealed intra- and inter-tumoral heterogeneity, which was associated with the local lymphocyte landscape. IHC analysis revealed that high CD56+ cell numbers in patient tumors were positively associated with disease-free survival (DFS) (HR=0.58, p=0.064) and overall survival (OS) (HR=0.496, p=0.041). The OS association strengthened with high counts of both CD56+ and CD8+ cells (HR=0.199, p<1×10-3). mIF imaging and multivariate discriminant analysis revealed enrichment of both CD3+CD8+ T cells and CD3-CD56+ NK cells in MHC-I-bearing tumors (p<0.05). To infer associations of functional cell states and local cell-cell communication, we analyzed spatial single cell neighborhood profiles to delineate the cellular environments of IFNγ+/- NK cells and T cells. We discovered that both IFNγ+ NK and CD8 T cells were more frequently associated with other IFNγ+ lymphocytes in comparison to IFNγ- NK cells and CD8 T cells (p<1×10-30). Moreover, IFNγ+ lymphocytes were most often found clustered near MHC-I+ tumor cells. Conclusions Tumor-infiltrating NK cells and CD8 T cells jointly affected control of NSCLC tumor progression. Co-association of NK and CD8 T cells was most evident in MHC-I-bearing tumors, especially in the presence of IFNγ. Frequent co-localization of IFNγ+ NK cells with other IFNγ+ lymphocytes in near-neighbor analysis suggests NSCLC lymphocyte activation is coordinately regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remziye E Wessel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
| | - Nardin Ageeb
- Department of Biology, UVA, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
| | - Joseph M Obeid
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140
| | - Ileana Mauldin
- Department of Surgery, UVA School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
| | - Kate A Goundry
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
| | - Gabriel F Hanson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
| | - Mahdin Hossain
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, UVA School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
| | - Chad Lehman
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, UVA School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
| | - Ryan D Gentzler
- Department of Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, UVA School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
| | - Nolan A Wages
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0032
| | - Craig L Slingluff
- Department of Surgery, UVA School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
| | - Timothy N J Bullock
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, UVA School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
- Department of Pathology, UVA School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
| | - Sepideh Dolatshahi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, UVA School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
| | - Michael G Brown
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, UVA School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
- Department of Medicine, Nephrology, UVA School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
- Center for Immunity, Inflammation and Regenerative Medicine, UVA School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, UVA School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
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Lee SH, Pankaj A, Rickelt S, Ting D, Ferrone C, Patil DT, Yilmaz O, Berger D, Deshpande V, Yilmaz O. β2-microglobulin expression is associated with aggressive histology, activated tumor immune milieu, and outcome in colon carcinoma. Am J Clin Pathol 2024:aqae066. [PMID: 38869306 DOI: 10.1093/ajcp/aqae066] [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: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We sought to assess the expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) proteins and β2-microglobulin (B2M) in tumor cells and the relationship with immune microenvironment and outcome in colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS A total of 953 CRC cases were evaluated by immunohistochemistry for HLA class I, HLA class II, and B2M. The expression level of these biomarkers was correlated with clinicopathologic information, BRAF V600E and mismatch repair (MMR) proteins, and the quantitated expression levels of immune cells (CD8 and CD163) and immune regulatory proteins (FoxP3, programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 [PD-L1], and LAG3). RESULTS We found that B2M-low tumors were statistically correlated with aggressive histologic features, including higher stage, higher grade, extramural venous invasion, perineural invasion, and distant metastasis. Expression of B2M was positively correlated (R2 = 0.3) and significantly associated with MMR-deficient tumors (P < .001); B2M-low tumors were also associated with an "immune cold"' microenvironment, including a reduced number of immune cells (CD8 and CD163), reduced expression of immune regulatory proteins by immune cells (PD-L1, FoxP3, and LAG3), and reduced tumor cell expression of PD-L1. These B2M-low tumors correlated with lower disease-specific survival (P = .018), a finding that maintained significance only for the proficient MMR cohort (P = .037). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that B2M expression may support predictive models for both outcome and checkpoint inhibitor therapy treatment response for colorectal adenocarcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soo Hyun Lee
- Department of Pathology, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, US
| | - Amaya Pankaj
- Departments of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, US
| | - Steffen Rickelt
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, US
| | - David Ting
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, US
- Departments of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, US
| | - Cristina Ferrone
- Departments of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, US
| | - Deepa T Patil
- Departments of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, US
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, US
| | - Omer Yilmaz
- Departments of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, US
- Departments of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, US
| | - David Berger
- Division of General Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, US
| | - Vikram Deshpande
- Departments of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, US
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, US
| | - Osman Yilmaz
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, US
- Departments of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, US
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Wu B, Zhang X, Feng N, Guo Z, Gao L, Wan Z, Zhang W. Prognostic value and immune landscapes of anoikis-associated lncRNAs in lung adenocarcinoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:2273-2298. [PMID: 38319706 PMCID: PMC10911388 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205481] [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: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Methods for predicting the outcome of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) in the clinic are limited. Anoikis is an important route to programmed cell death in LUAD, and the prognostic value of a model constructed with anoikis-related lncRNAs (ARlncRNAs) in LUAD is unclear. METHODS Transcriptome and basic information for LUAD patients was obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas. Coexpression and Cox regression analyses were utilized to identify prognostically significant ARlncRNAs and construct a prognostic signature. Furthermore, the signature was combined with clinical characteristics to create a nomogram. Finally, we performed principal component, enrichment, tumor mutation burden (TMB), tumor microenvironment (TME) and drug sensitivity analyses to evaluate the basic research and clinical merit of the signature. RESULTS The prognostic signature developed with eleven ARlncRNAs can accurately predict that high-risk group patients have a worse prognosis, as proven by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC: 0.718). Independent prognostic analyses indicated that the risk score is a significant independent prognostic element for LUAD (P<0.001). In the high-risk group, enrichment analysis demonstrated that glucose metabolism and DNA replication were the main enrichment pathways. TMB analysis indicated that the high-risk group had a high TMB (P<0.05). Drug sensitivity analyses can recognize drugs that are sensitive to different risk groups. Finally, 11 ARlncRNAs of this signature were verified by RT-qPCR analysis. CONCLUSIONS A novel prognostic signature developed with 11 ARlncRNAs can accurately predict the OS of LUAD patients and offer clinical guidance value for immunotherapy and chemotherapy treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China
| | - Xiang Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China
| | - Nan Feng
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China
| | - Zishun Guo
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China
| | - Lu Gao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Baoding No.1 Central Hospital, Baoding 071000, China
| | - Zhihua Wan
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Baoding No.1 Central Hospital, Baoding 071000, China
| | - Wenxiong Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China
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Pang Z, Lu MM, Zhang Y, Gao Y, Bai JJ, Gu JY, Xie L, Wu WZ. Neoantigen-targeted TCR-engineered T cell immunotherapy: current advances and challenges. Biomark Res 2023; 11:104. [PMID: 38037114 PMCID: PMC10690996 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-023-00534-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy using T cell receptor-engineered T cells (TCR-T) is a promising approach for cancer therapy with an expectation of no significant side effects. In the human body, mature T cells are armed with an incredible diversity of T cell receptors (TCRs) that theoretically react to the variety of random mutations generated by tumor cells. The outcomes, however, of current clinical trials using TCR-T cell therapies are not very successful especially involving solid tumors. The therapy still faces numerous challenges in the efficient screening of tumor-specific antigens and their cognate TCRs. In this review, we first introduce TCR structure-based antigen recognition and signaling, then describe recent advances in neoantigens and their specific TCR screening technologies, and finally summarize ongoing clinical trials of TCR-T therapies against neoantigens. More importantly, we also present the current challenges of TCR-T cell-based immunotherapies, e.g., the safety of viral vectors, the mismatch of T cell receptor, the impediment of suppressive tumor microenvironment. Finally, we highlight new insights and directions for personalized TCR-T therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Pang
- Liver Cancer Institute, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Clinical Center for Biotherapy, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Man-Man Lu
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Jin-Jin Bai
- Liver Cancer Institute, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Clinical Center for Biotherapy, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jian-Ying Gu
- Clinical Center for Biotherapy, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Lu Xie
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Shanghai, 200237, China.
| | - Wei-Zhong Wu
- Liver Cancer Institute, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Clinical Center for Biotherapy, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Qiao W, Jia Z, Guo W, Liu Q, Guo X, Deng M. Prognostic and Clinical Significance of Human Leukocyte Antigen Class I Expression in Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis. Mol Diagn Ther 2023; 27:573-582. [PMID: 37464212 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-023-00664-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The value of human leukocyte antigen (HLA; also known as major histocompatibility complex) class I expression for the prediction of breast cancer survival outcomes remains unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis to explore the prognostic significance of this expression. MATERIALS AND METHODS We searched electronic databases to identify reports on associations of HLA class I protein or mRNA expression with survival outcomes and clinicopathological factors in the breast cancer context. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to conduct a quantitative meta-analysis. RESULTS The sample comprised eight studies involving 3590 patients. Only the classical HLA class Ia (HLA-ABC) molecules studies were included in this meta-analysis. Elevated HLA class I protein expression was found to be significantly related to better disease-free survival (DFS) (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.35-0.95, P = 0.03), particularly among patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) (HR 0.31, 95% CI 0.18-0.52, P < 0.001), but not to overall survival. It was also associated with estrogen receptor (ER) negativity (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.24-2.35, P = 0.001), progesterone receptor (PR) negativity (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.22-1.81, P < 0.001), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positivity (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.18-1.94, P = 0.001), TNBC (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.15-2.45, P < 0.01), high Ki-67 indices (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.62-2.61, P < 0.001), and high nuclear grades (OR 2.67, 95% CI 2.17-3.29, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION This meta-analysis demonstrated that enhanced HLA class I protein expression is significantly associated with the better DFS of patients with breast cancer, especially TNBC, as well as with ER and PR negativity, HER2 positivity, TNBC, and high Ki-67 indices and nuclear grades. The immune target HLA class I may serve as a prognostic indicator for breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiqiang Qiao
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital and College of Clinical Medicine of Henan University of Science and Technology, Jinghua Road No. 24, Luoyang, 471000, China
| | - Zhiqiang Jia
- Henan Provincial Key Medical Laboratory of Tissue Damage and Repair, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471000, China
| | - Wanying Guo
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital and College of Clinical Medicine of Henan University of Science and Technology, Jinghua Road No. 24, Luoyang, 471000, China
| | - Qipeng Liu
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital and College of Clinical Medicine of Henan University of Science and Technology, Jinghua Road No. 24, Luoyang, 471000, China
| | - Xiao Guo
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital and College of Clinical Medicine of Henan University of Science and Technology, Jinghua Road No. 24, Luoyang, 471000, China
| | - Miao Deng
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital and College of Clinical Medicine of Henan University of Science and Technology, Jinghua Road No. 24, Luoyang, 471000, China.
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Tang S, Xu L, Wu Z, Wen Q, Li H, Li N. A novel immunogenomic classification for prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:10951-10964. [PMID: 37329462 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-04887-9] [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: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To facilitate immunotherapy and prognostic assessment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we established a novel immunogenomic classification to provide valid identification criteria. METHODS The immune enrichment scores were calculated by single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and clustered into Immunity_L and Immunity_H, and the reliability of this classification was demonstrated. Immune microenvironment score and immune cell infiltration analysis of NSCLC were also performed. Randomly divided into training group and test group, a prognosis-related immune profile was developed using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and stepwise COX proportional hazards model to construct a prognostic mode. RESULTS The risk score for this immune profile was identified as an independent prognostic factor and can be used as a powerful prognostic tool to refine tumor immunotherapy. Our study identified two NSCLC classifications based on immunomic profiling, Immunity_H and Immunity_L. CONCLUSION In conclusion, Immunogenomic classification can distinguish the immune status of different types of NSCLC patients and contribute to the immunotherapy of NSCLC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Tang
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1, East Construction Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
| | - Liqing Xu
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1, East Construction Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Zhanshen Wu
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1, East Construction Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Qiang Wen
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1, East Construction Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Na Li
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1, East Construction Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
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Expression of HLA class I is associated with immune cell infiltration and patient outcome in breast cancer. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20367. [PMID: 36437379 PMCID: PMC9701770 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24890-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Downregulation of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I is one mechanism of escaping anti-tumor immunity by tumor cells. This study was conducted to compare HLA class I expression in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive breast carcinoma (IBC) and to evaluate its association with immune cell infiltration of the tumors and clinical outcome of the patients. A total of 830 cases comprising 288 DCIS and 542 IBC were included in this study. Immunohistochemistry for HLA class I expression was performed using HLA-ABC in tissue microarrays and was analyzed in relation to clinicopathologic characteristics of tumors and infiltration of CD4+, CD8+, and FOXP3+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) subsets and PD-L1+ immune cells. As a whole, there was no difference in HLA class I expression between DCIS and IBC when dichotomized into high or low expression. However, in the HR-negative group, a high level of HLA class I expression was more frequent in IBC than DCIS. On the contrary, in the HR-positive group, a complete loss of HLA class I expression was more frequently observed in IBC than DCIS. High HLA class I expression level was generally associated with aggressive clinicopathologic features of IBC and was associated with high CD4+, CD8+, and FOXP3+ TIL and PD-L1+ immune cell infiltration in both DCIS and IBC. In survival analyses, HLA class I expression was not associated with clinical outcome in DCIS and IBC as a whole; however, low HLA class I expression was associated with poor clinical outcome in HR-negative IBC, especially in triple-negative subtype. In conclusion, this study showed that HLA class I expression increased in association with increased immune cell infiltration during in situ to invasive transition of HR-negative breast cancer, and HLA class I down-regulation had a prognostic value in HR-negative breast cancer.
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Massa D, Tosi A, Rosato A, Guarneri V, Dieci MV. Multiplexed In Situ Spatial Protein Profiling in the Pursuit of Precision Immuno-Oncology for Patients with Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:4885. [PMID: 36230808 PMCID: PMC9562913 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14194885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of many solid tumors. In breast cancer (BC), immunotherapy is currently approved in combination with chemotherapy, albeit only in triple-negative breast cancer. Unfortunately, most patients only derive limited benefit from ICIs, progressing either upfront or after an initial response. Therapeutics must engage with a heterogeneous network of complex stromal-cancer interactions that can fail at imposing cancer immune control in multiple domains, such as in the genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic domains. To overcome these types of heterogeneous resistance phenotypes, several combinatorial strategies are underway. Still, they can be predicted to be effective only in the subgroups of patients in which those specific resistance mechanisms are effectively in place. As single biomarker predictive performances are necessarily suboptimal at capturing the complexity of this articulate network, precision immune-oncology calls for multi-omics tumor microenvironment profiling in order to identify unique predictive patterns and to proactively tailor combinatorial treatments. Multiplexed single-cell spatially resolved tissue analysis, through precise epitope colocalization, allows one to infer cellular functional states in view of their spatial organization. In this review, we discuss-through the lens of the cancer-immunity cycle-selected, established, and emerging markers that may be evaluated in multiplexed spatial protein panels to help identify prognostic and predictive patterns in BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Massa
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
- Division of Oncology 2, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IRCCS, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Anna Tosi
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Diagnostics, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IRCCS, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Antonio Rosato
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Diagnostics, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IRCCS, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Valentina Guarneri
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
- Division of Oncology 2, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IRCCS, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Maria Vittoria Dieci
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
- Division of Oncology 2, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IRCCS, 35128 Padova, Italy
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β 2 -Microglobulin Participates in the Development of Vestibular Schwannoma by Regulating Nuclear Factor-κB. Otol Neurotol 2022; 43:e1049-e1055. [PMID: 36006779 DOI: 10.1097/mao.0000000000003647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Vestibular schwannoma (VS), the most common intercranial schwannoma, originates from the sheath of the vestibular nerve. The growth rate of VS varies greatly, with the tumor enlarging gradually, which can compress the peripheral nerve tissue and reveal corresponding symptoms. This study was aimed to elucidate the growth mechanism of VS by analyzing cellular changes at protein, messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), and other molecular levels. METHODS We determined mRNA and protein levels of β 2 -microglobulin (β 2 -M) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) in tumors of different sizes using the real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively. The relationship between these factors was verified in VS primary cells cultured in vitro, and the potential role of β 2 -M and NF-κB in VS growth was elucidated. RESULTS In the secretions of freshly isolated tumor tissue cultured for 72 h, the concentration of β 2 -M was positively correlated with the tumor diameter. Furthermore, tumors with larger diameter showed higher expressions of β 2 -M and NF-κB at protein and mRNA level. β 2 -M treatment resulted in elevated protein expression of NF-κB and also its phosphorylated form in vitro. CONCLUSION β 2 -M may participate in VS growth by regulating NF-κB and act as a key regulatory molecule in VS tumor growth.
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Liu Y, Yu M, Cheng X, Zhang X, Luo Q, Liao S, Chen Z, Zheng J, Long K, Wu X, Qu W, Gong M, Song Y. A novel LUAD prognosis prediction model based on immune checkpoint-related lncRNAs. Front Genet 2022; 13:1016449. [PMID: 36212122 PMCID: PMC9533213 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1016449] [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] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a malignant disease with an extremely poor prognosis, and there is currently a lack of clinical methods for early diagnosis and precise treatment and management. With the deepening of tumor research, more and more attention has been paid to the role of immune checkpoints (ICP) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulation in tumor development. Therefore, this study downloaded LUAD patient data from the TCGA database, and finally screened 14 key ICP-related lncRNAs based on ICP-related genes using univariate/multivariate COX regression analysis and LASSO regression analysis to construct a risk prediction model and corresponding nomogram. After multi-dimensional testing of the model, the model showed good prognostic prediction ability. In addition, to further elucidate how ICP plays a role in LUAD, we jointly analyzed the immune microenvironmental changes in LAUD patients and performed a functional enrichment analysis. Furthermore, to enhance the clinical significance of this study, we performed a sensitivity analysis of common antitumor drugs. All the above works aim to point to new directions for the treatment of LUAD.
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Gubin MM, Vesely MD. Cancer Immunoediting in the Era of Immuno-oncology. Clin Cancer Res 2022; 28:3917-3928. [PMID: 35594163 PMCID: PMC9481657 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-21-1804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Basic science breakthroughs in T-cell biology and immune-tumor cell interactions ushered in a new era of cancer immunotherapy. Twenty years ago, cancer immunoediting was proposed as a framework to understand the dynamic process by which the immune system can both control and shape cancer and in its most complex form occurs through three phases termed elimination, equilibrium, and escape. During cancer progression through these phases, tumors undergo immunoediting, rendering them less immunogenic and more capable of establishing an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Therefore, cancer immunoediting integrates the complex immune-tumor cell interactions occurring in the tumor microenvironment and sculpts immunogenicity beyond shaping antigenicity. However, with the success of cancer immunotherapy resulting in durable clinical responses in the last decade and subsequent emergence of immuno-oncology as a clinical subspecialty, the phrase "cancer immunoediting" has recently, at times, been inappropriately restricted to describing neoantigen loss by immunoselection. This focus has obscured other mechanisms by which cancer immunoediting modifies tumor immunogenicity. Although establishment of the concept of cancer immunoediting and definitive experimental evidence supporting its existence was initially obtained from preclinical models in the absence of immunotherapy, cancer immunoediting is a continual process that also occurs during immunotherapy in human patients with cancer. Herein, we discuss the known mechanisms of cancer immunoediting obtained from preclinical and clinical data with an emphasis on how a greater understanding of cancer immunoediting may provide insights into immunotherapy resistance and how this resistance can be overcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew M. Gubin
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
- The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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Integration of tumor extrinsic and intrinsic features associates with immunotherapy response in non-small cell lung cancer. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4053. [PMID: 35831288 PMCID: PMC9279502 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31769-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) varies greatly among metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Loss of heterozygosity at the HLA-I locus (HLA-LOH) has been identified as an important immune escape mechanism. However, despite HLA-I disruptions in their tumor, many patients have durable ICB responses. Here we seek to identify HLA-I-independent features associated with ICB response in NSCLC. We use single-cell profiling to identify tumor-infiltrating, clonally expanded CD4+ T cells that express a canonical cytotoxic gene program and NSCLC cells with elevated HLA-II expression. We postulate cytotoxic CD4+ T cells mediate anti-tumor activity via HLA-II on tumor cells and augment HLA-I-dependent cytotoxic CD8+ T cell interactions to drive ICB response in NSCLC. We show that integrating tumor extrinsic cytotoxic gene expression with tumor mutational burden is associated with longer time to progression in a real-world cohort of 123 NSCLC patients treated with ICB regimens, including those with HLA-LOH. Some cancer patients with impaired HLA-I still respond to immunotherapy. Here the authors combine a cytotoxic gene signature from CD4+ and CD8+ T cells with tumor mutational burden to predict immunotherapy response in NSCLC patients, including those with HLA-LOH.
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14
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Regulation of the antigen presentation machinery in cancer and its implication for immune surveillance. Biochem Soc Trans 2022; 50:825-837. [PMID: 35343573 PMCID: PMC9162455 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Evading immune destruction is one of the hallmarks of cancer. A key mechanism of immune evasion deployed by tumour cells is to reduce neoantigen presentation through down-regulation of the antigen presentation machinery. MHC-I and MHC-II proteins are key components of the antigen presentation machinery responsible for neoantigen presentation to CD8+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes, respectively. Their expression in tumour cells is modulated by a complex interplay of genomic, transcriptomic and post translational factors involving multiple intracellular antigen processing pathways. Ongoing research investigates mechanisms invoked by cancer cells to abrogate MHC-I expression and attenuate anti-tumour CD8+ cytotoxic T cell response. The discovery of MHC-II on tumour cells has been less characterized. However, this finding has triggered further interest in utilising tumour-specific MHC-II to harness sustained anti-tumour immunity through the activation of CD4+ T helper cells. Tumour-specific expression of MHC-I and MHC-II has been associated with improved patient survival in most clinical studies. Thus, their reactivation represents an attractive way to unleash anti-tumour immunity. This review provides a comprehensive overview of physiologically conserved or novel mechanisms utilised by tumour cells to reduce MHC-I or MHC-II expression. It outlines current approaches employed at the preclinical and clinical trial interface towards reversing these processes in order to improve response to immunotherapy and survival outcomes for patients with cancer.
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Passaro A, Brahmer J, Antonia S, Mok T, Peters S. Managing Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Lung Cancer: Treatment and Novel Strategies. J Clin Oncol 2022; 40:598-610. [PMID: 34985992 DOI: 10.1200/jco.21.01845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A proportion of patients with lung cancer experience long-term clinical benefit with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, most patients develop disease progression during treatment or after treatment discontinuation. Definitions of immune resistance are heterogeneous according to different clinical and biologic features. Primary resistance and acquired resistance, related to tumor-intrinsic and tumor-extrinsic mechanisms, are identified according to previous response patterns and timing of occurrence. The clinical resistance patterns determine differential clinical approaches. To date, several combination therapies are under development to delay or prevent the occurrence of resistance to ICIs, including the blockade of immune coinhibitory signals, the activation of those with costimulatory functions, the modulation of the tumor microenvironment, and the targeting T-cell priming. Tailoring the specific treatments with distinctive biologic resistance mechanisms would be ideal to improve the design and results of clinical trial. In this review, we reviewed the available evidence on immune resistance mechanisms, clinical definitions, and management of resistance to ICIs in lung cancer. We also reviewed data on novel strategies under investigation in this setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Passaro
- Division of Thoracic Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Julie Brahmer
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD
| | | | - Tony Mok
- State Key Laboratory in Translational Oncology, Department of Clinical Oncology Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P.R. China
| | - Solange Peters
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
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Plaja A, Moran T, Carcereny E, Saigi M, Hernández A, Cucurull M, Domènech M. Small-Cell Lung Cancer Long-Term Survivor Patients: How to Find a Needle in a Haystack? Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413508. [PMID: 34948300 PMCID: PMC8707503 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive malignancy characterized by a rapid progression and a high resistance to treatments. Unlike other solid tumors, there has been a scarce improvement in emerging treatments and survival during the last years. A better understanding of SCLC biology has allowed for the establishment of a molecular classification based on four transcription factors, and certain therapeutic vulnerabilities have been proposed. The universal inactivation of TP53 and RB1, along with the absence of mutations in known targetable oncogenes, has hampered the development of targeted therapies. On the other hand, the immunosuppressive microenvironment makes the success of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), which have achieved a modest improvement in overall survival in patients with extensive disease, difficult. Currently, atezolizumab or durvalumab, in combination with platinum–etoposide chemotherapy, is the standard of care in first-line setting. However, the magnitude of the benefit is scarce and no predictive biomarkers of response have yet been established. In this review, we describe SCLC biology and molecular classification, examine the SCLC tumor microenvironment and the challenges of predictive biomarkers of response to new treatments, and, finally, assess clinical and molecular characteristics of long-term survivor patients in order to identify possible prognostic factors and treatment vulnerabilities.
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Beta2-microglobulin(B2M) in cancer immunotherapies: Biological function, resistance and remedy. Cancer Lett 2021; 517:96-104. [PMID: 34129878 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapies have made much headway during the past decades. Techniques including the immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) and adoptive cell therapy (ACT) have harvested impressive efficacy and provided far-reaching tools for treating cancer patients. However, due to inadequate priming of the immune system, a certain subgroup of patients remains resistant to cancer immunotherapies during or after the treatment. β2-microglobulin (B2M) is an important subunit of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I which exerts substantive biological functions in tumorigenesis and immune control. Accumulating evidence has shown that alterations of B2M gene and B2M proteins contribute to poor reaction to cancer immunotherapies by dampening antigen presentation. Here, we discuss the basic biological functions of B2M, its distribution in a spectrum of cancers, and current understanding of its role in ICI, cancer vaccines and chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapies. Furthermore, we summarize some promising therapeutic strategies to improve the efficacy inhibited by B2M defects.
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