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Rocha GIY, Gomes JEM, Leite ML, da Cunha NB, Costa FF. Epigenome-Driven Strategies for Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy. Cancer Manag Res 2023; 15:1351-1367. [PMID: 38058537 PMCID: PMC10697012 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s272031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Fighting cancer remains one of the greatest challenges for science in the 21st century. Advances in immunotherapy against different types of cancer have greatly contributed to the treatment, remission, and cure of patients. In this context, knowledge of epigenetic phenomena, their relationship with tumor cells and how the immune system can be epigenetically modulated represent some of the greatest advances in the development of anticancer therapies. Epigenetics is a rapidly growing field that studies how environmental factors can affect gene expression without altering DNA sequence. Epigenomic changes include DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA regulation, which impact cellular function. Epigenetics has shown promise in developing cancer therapies, such as immunotherapy, which aims to stimulate the immune system to attack cancer cells. For example, PD-1 and PD-L1 are biomarkers that regulate the immune response to cancer cells and recent studies have shown that epigenetic modifications can affect their expression, potentially influencing the efficacy of immunotherapy. New therapies targeting epigenetic modifications, such as histone deacetylases and DNA methyltransferases, are being developed for cancer treatment, and some have shown promise in preclinical studies and clinical trials. With growing understanding of epigenetic regulation, we can expect more personalized and effective cancer immunotherapies in the future. This review highlights key advances in the use of epigenetic and epigenomic tools and modern immuno-oncology strategies to treat several types of tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michel Lopes Leite
- Genomic Sciences and Biotechnology Program, Catholic University of Brasilia, Brasília, DF, Brazil
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasilia (UnB), Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Nicolau B da Cunha
- Genomic Sciences and Biotechnology Program, Catholic University of Brasilia, Brasília, DF, Brazil
- Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine (FAV), Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasilia (UnB), Brasília, DF, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Agronomy, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasilia (UnB), Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Fabricio F Costa
- Genomic Sciences and Biotechnology Program, Catholic University of Brasilia, Brasília, DF, Brazil
- Cancer Biology and Epigenomics Program, Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Genomic Enterprise, San FranciscoCA, USA
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Rausch J, Ullrich E, Kühn MW. Epigenetic targeting to enhance acute myeloid leukemia-directed immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1269012. [PMID: 37809078 PMCID: PMC10556528 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1269012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
AML is a malignant disease of hematopoietic progenitor cells with unsatisfactory treatment outcome, especially in patients that are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy. Immunotherapy, comprising checkpoint inhibition, T-cell engaging antibody constructs, and cellular therapies, has dramatically improved the outcome of patients with solid tumors and lymphatic neoplasms. In AML, these approaches have been far less successful. Discussed reasons are the relatively low mutational burden of AML blasts and the difficulty in defining AML-specific antigens not expressed on hematopoietic progenitor cells. On the other hand, epigenetic dysregulation is an essential driver of leukemogenesis, and non-selective hypomethylating agents (HMAs) are the current backbone of non-intensive treatment. The first clinical trials that evaluated whether HMAs may improve immune checkpoint inhibitors' efficacy showed modest efficacy except for the anti-CD47 antibody that was substantially more efficient against AML when combined with azacitidine. Combining bispecific antibodies or cellular treatments with HMAs is subject to ongoing clinical investigation, and efficacy data are awaited shortly. More selective second-generation inhibitors targeting specific chromatin regulators have demonstrated promising preclinical activity against AML and are currently evaluated in clinical trials. These drugs that commonly cause leukemia cell differentiation potentially sensitize AML to immune-based treatments by co-regulating immune checkpoints, providing a pro-inflammatory environment, and inducing (neo)-antigen expression. Combining selective targeted epigenetic drugs with (cellular) immunotherapy is, therefore, a promising approach to avoid unintended effects and augment efficacy. Future studies will provide detailed information on how these compounds influence specific immune functions that may enable translation into clinical assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Rausch
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Evelyn Ullrich
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Children’s Hospital, Experimental Immunology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- University Cancer Center (UCT), Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Michael W.M. Kühn
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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Nin DS, Deng LW. Biology of Cancer-Testis Antigens and Their Therapeutic Implications in Cancer. Cells 2023; 12:cells12060926. [PMID: 36980267 PMCID: PMC10047177 DOI: 10.3390/cells12060926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumour-specific antigens have been an area of interest in cancer therapy since their discovery in the middle of the 20th century. In the era of immune-based cancer therapeutics, redirecting our immune cells to target these tumour-specific antigens has become even more relevant. Cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) are a class of antigens with an expression specific to the testis and cancer cells. CTAs have also been demonstrated to be expressed in a wide variety of cancers. Due to their frequency and specificity of expression in a multitude of cancers, CTAs have been particularly attractive as cancer-specific therapeutic targets. There is now a rapid expansion of CTAs being identified and many studies have been conducted to correlate CTA expression with cancer and therapy-resistant phenotypes. Furthermore, there is an increasing number of clinical trials involving using some of these CTAs as molecular targets in pharmacological and immune-targeted therapeutics for various cancers. This review will summarise the current knowledge of the biology of known CTAs in tumorigenesis and the regulation of CTA genes. CTAs as molecular targets and the therapeutic implications of these CTA-targeted anticancer strategies will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn Sijin Nin
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, MD 7, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117596, Singapore
- NUS Center for Cancer Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore
| | - Lih-Wen Deng
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, MD 7, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117596, Singapore
- NUS Center for Cancer Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- National University Cancer Institute, National University Health System, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119074, Singapore
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The Melanoma-Associated Antigen Family A (MAGE-A): A Promising Target for Cancer Immunotherapy? Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15061779. [PMID: 36980665 PMCID: PMC10046478 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15061779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Early efforts to identify tumor-associated antigens over the last decade have provided unique cancer epitopes for targeted cancer therapy. MAGE-A proteins are a subclass of cancer/testis (CT) antigens that are presented on the cell surface by MHC class I molecules as an immune-privileged site. This is due to their restricted expression to germline cells and a wide range of cancers, where they are associated with resistance to chemotherapy, metastasis, and cancer cells with an increasing potential for survival. This makes them an appealing candidate target for designing an effective and specific immunotherapy, thereby suggesting that targeting oncogenic MAGE-As with cancer vaccination, adoptive T-cell transfer, or a combination of therapies would be promising. In this review, we summarize and discuss previous and ongoing (pre-)clinical studies that target these antigens, while bearing in mind the benefits and drawbacks of various therapeutic strategies, in order to speculate on future directions for MAGE-A-specific immunotherapies.
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Almutairi MH, Alotaibi MM, Alonaizan R, Almutairi BO. Expression Profile of MAGE-B1 Gene and Its Hypomethylation Activation in Colon Cancer. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 2022:6066567. [PMID: 35937396 PMCID: PMC9348940 DOI: 10.1155/2022/6066567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cancer-testis (CT) genes are typically expressed in the testes; however, they have been linked to aberrant expression in a variety of malignancies. MAGE-B family genes are an example of CT genes. Therefore, the overarching objective of this study was to examine the expressions of MAGE-B family genes in several patients with colon cancer (CC) to see if they might be employed as cancer biomarkers in the early phases of cancer detection and to improve treatment. In this investigation, RT-PCR was used to analyze MAGE-B family genes in neighboring normal colon (NC) tissue from 10 CC patients. In addition, the effect of DNA demethylation on the expression status of the MAGE-B1 gene was evaluated by RT-PCR in HCT116 and Caco-2 cells and by qRT-PCR for HCT116 only after treating both CC cell lines with varying concentrations of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (1.0, 5.0, and 10.0 μM) for 48 or 72 hours. All MAGE-B family genes except for MAGE-B1 showed weak bands in several samples of NC tissues: MAGE-B2, MAGE-B3, MAGE-B4, MAGE-B5, and MAGE-B6 genes were observed in 40%, 50%, 40%, 30%, and 60% of the NC samples, respectively. Nonetheless, they had strong bands in multiple samples of CC tissues, with 70%, 90%, 60%, 50%, and 90% of the CC samples, respectively. Interestingly, MAGE-B1 was detected in 60% of CC tissues but not in NC tissues, suggesting that it is a potential biomarker for early CC detection. MAGE-B1 expression was not observed in either untreated or DMSO-treated HCT116 cells after 48 or 72 hours of treatment. However, according to the RT-PCR and qRT-PCR results, the MAGE-B1 gene was overexpressed in the HCT116 cells treated with three different concentrations of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. This shows that demethylation plays a crucial role in MAGE-B1 expression activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhlid H. Almutairi
- Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box: 2455, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mona M. Alotaibi
- Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box: 2455, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rasha Alonaizan
- Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box: 2455, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bader O. Almutairi
- Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box: 2455, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Liu Z, Ren Y, Weng S, Xu H, Li L, Han X. A New Trend in Cancer Treatment: The Combination of Epigenetics and Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:809761. [PMID: 35140720 PMCID: PMC8818678 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.809761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, immunotherapy has become a hot spot in the treatment of tumors. As an emerging treatment, it solves many problems in traditional cancer treatment and has now become the main method for cancer treatment. Although immunotherapy is promising, most patients do not respond to treatment or develop resistance. Therefore, in order to achieve a better therapeutic effect, combination therapy has emerged. The combination of immune checkpoint inhibition and epigenetic therapy is one such strategy. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the key mechanisms of how epigenetic mechanisms affect cancer immune responses and reveal the key role of epigenetic processes in regulating immune cell function and mediating anti-tumor immunity. In addition, we highlight the outlook of combined epigenetic and immune regimens, particularly the combination of immune checkpoint blockade with epigenetic agents, to address the limitations of immunotherapy alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaoqu Liu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Interventional Institute of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Interventional Treatment and Clinical Research Center of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yuqing Ren
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Siyuan Weng
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Interventional Institute of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Interventional Treatment and Clinical Research Center of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Hui Xu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Interventional Institute of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Interventional Treatment and Clinical Research Center of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lifeng Li
- Internet Medical and System Applications of National Engineering Laboratory, Zhengzhou, China
- Medical School, Huanghe Science and Technology University, Zhengzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Xinwei Han, ; Lifeng Li,
| | - Xinwei Han
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Interventional Institute of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Interventional Treatment and Clinical Research Center of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Xinwei Han, ; Lifeng Li,
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Jin J, Tu J, Ren J, Cai Y, Chen W, Zhang L, Zhang Q, Zhu G. Comprehensive Analysis to Identify MAGEA3 Expression Correlated With Immune Infiltrates and Lymph Node Metastasis in Gastric Cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 11:784925. [PMID: 34970496 PMCID: PMC8712941 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.784925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) is an aggressive malignant tumor and causes a significant number of deaths every year. With the coming of the age of cancer immunotherapy, search for a new target in gastric cancer may benefit more advanced patients. Melanoma-associated antigen-A3 (MAGEA3), one of the members of the cancer-testis antigen (CTA) family, was considered an important part of cancer immunotherapy. We evaluate the potential role of MAGEA3 in GC through the TCGA database. The result revealed that MAGEA3 is upregulated in GC and linked to poor OS and lymph node metastasis. MAGEA3 was also correlated with immune checkpoints, TMB, and affected the tumor immune microenvironment and the prognosis of GC through CIBERSORT, TIMER, and Kaplan-Meier plotter database analysis. In addition, GSEA-identified MAGEA3 is involved in the immune regulation of GC. Moreover, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks of MAGEA3 were constructed through STRING database and MAGEA3-correlated miRNAs were screened based on the joint analysis of multiple databases. In terms of experimental verification, we constructed pET21a (+)/MAGEA3 restructuring plasmids and transformed to Escherichia coli Rosetta. MAGEA3 protein was used as an antigen after being expressed and purified and can effectively detect the specific IgG in 93 GC patients' serum specimens with 44.08% sensitivity and 92.54% specificity. Through further analysis, the positive rate of MAGEA3 was related to the stage and transfer number of lymph nodes. These results indicated that MAGEA3 is a novel biomarker and correlated with lymph node metastasis and immune infiltrates in GC, which could be a new target for immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinji Jin
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jianxin Tu
- Department of Rheumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jiahuan Ren
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yiqi Cai
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Wenjing Chen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Lifang Zhang
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Qiyu Zhang
- Department of Hepato-Bilio-Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Guanbao Zhu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
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Saeednejad Zanjani L, Razmi M, Fattahi F, Kalantari E, Abolhasani M, Saki S, Madjd Z, Mohsenzadegan M. Overexpression of melanoma-associated antigen A2 has a clinical significance in embryonal carcinoma and is associated with tumor progression. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2021; 148:609-631. [PMID: 34837545 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-021-03859-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Melanoma-associated antigen A2 (MAGE-A2) is a member of the cancer-testis antigen family differentially overexpressed in a variety of malignancies and is associated with tumor development. However, clinical significance and prognostic value of MAGE-A2 in different histological subtypes of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) have not been explored. MATERIALS AND METHODS Here, we aimed to investigate the clinical significance and prognostic impact of MAGE-A2 expression in TGCTs compared to benign tumors as well as adjacent normal tissues and then between seminomas and non-seminomas groups using immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays. RESULTS The results indicated a statistically significant difference between overexpression of MAGE-A2 and histological subtypes of TGCTs. A statistically significant association was found between a high level of nuclear expression of MAGE-A2 protein and advanced pT stage (P = 0.022), vascular invasion (P = 0.037), as well as involvement of rete testis (P = 0.022) in embryonal carcinomas. Increased nuclear expression of MAGE-A2 was observed to be associated with more aggressive behaviors and tumor progression rather than cytoplasmic expression in these cases. Further, high level nuclear expression of MAGE-A2 had shorter disease-specific survival (DSS) or progression-free survival (PFS) compared to patients with moderate and low expression of MAGE-A2, however, without a statistically significant association. CONCLUSION Our results confirm that increased nuclear expression of MAGE-A2 has a clinical significance in embryonal carcinomas and is associated with progression of disease. Moreover, MAGE-A2 may act as a potential predictive biomarker for the prognosis in embryonal carcinomas if follow-up period becomes longer. Further investigations for the biological function of MAGE-A2 are required in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mahdieh Razmi
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Fahimeh Fattahi
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elham Kalantari
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Abolhasani
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
- Hasheminejad Kidney Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Sima Saki
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Madjd
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Monireh Mohsenzadegan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran.
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Wu SC, Münger K. Role and Clinical Utility of Cancer/Testis Antigens in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13225690. [PMID: 34830845 PMCID: PMC8616139 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13225690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer/testis (CT) antigens exhibit selective expression predominantly in immunoprivileged tissues in non-pathological contexts but are aberrantly expressed in diverse cancers. Due to their expression pattern, they have historically been attractive targets for immunotherapies. A growing number of studies implicate CT antigens in almost all hallmarks of cancer, suggesting that they may act as cancer drivers. CT antigens are expressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. However, their role in the pathogenesis of these cancers remains poorly studied. Given that CT antigens hold intriguing potential as therapeutic targets and as biomarkers for prognosis and that they can provide novel insights into oncogenic mechanisms, their further study in the context of head and squamous cell carcinoma is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Changshan Wu
- Molecular Microbiology Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA;
| | - Karl Münger
- Department of Developmental, Molecular, and Chemical Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA
- Correspondence:
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Sanceau J, Gougelet A. Epigenetic mechanisms of liver tumor resistance to immunotherapy. World J Hepatol 2021; 13:979-1002. [PMID: 34630870 PMCID: PMC8473495 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v13.i9.979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver tumor, which stands fourth in rank of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The incidence of HCC is constantly increasing in correlation with the epidemic in diabetes and obesity, arguing for an urgent need for new treatments for this lethal cancer refractory to conventional treatments. HCC is the paradigm of inflammation-associated cancer, since more than 80% of HCC emerge consecutively to cirrhosis associated with a vast remodeling of liver microenvironment. In the recent decade, immunomodulatory drugs have been developed and have given impressive results in melanoma and later in several other cancers. In the present review, we will discuss the recent advancements concerning the use of immunotherapies in HCC, in particular those targeting immune checkpoints, used alone or in combination with other anti-cancers agents. We will address why these drugs demonstrate unsatisfactory results in a high proportion of liver cancers and the mechanisms of resistance developed by HCC to evade immune response with a focus on the epigenetic-related mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Sanceau
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, Paris 75006, France
| | - Angélique Gougelet
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, Paris 75006, France
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Poojary M, Jishnu PV, Kabekkodu SP. Prognostic Value of Melanoma-Associated Antigen-A (MAGE-A) Gene Expression in Various Human Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of 7428 Patients and 44 Studies. Mol Diagn Ther 2021; 24:537-555. [PMID: 32548799 PMCID: PMC7497308 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-020-00476-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Background Members of the melanoma-associated antigen-A (MAGE-A) subfamily are overexpressed in many cancers and can drive cancer progression, metastasis, and therapeutic recurrence. Objective This study is the first comprehensive meta-analysis evaluating the prognostic utility of MAGE-A members in different cancers. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Web of Science. The pooled hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals were estimated to evaluate the prognostic significance of MAGE-A expression in various cancers. Results In total, 44 eligible studies consisting of 7428 patients from 11 countries were analysed. Univariate and multivariate analysis for overall survival, progression-free survival, and disease-free survival showed a significant association between high MAGE-A expression and various cancers (P < 0.00001). Additionally, subgroup analysis demonstrated that high MAGE-A expression was significantly associated with poor prognosis for lung, gastrointestinal, breast, and ovarian cancer in both univariate and multivariate analysis for overall survival. Conclusion Overexpression of MAGE-A subfamily members is linked to poor prognosis in multiple cancers. Therefore, it could serve as a potential prognostic marker of poor prognosis in cancers. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s40291-020-00476-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Poojary
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Padacherri Vethil Jishnu
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Shama Prasada Kabekkodu
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India.
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Akbari B, Ghahri-Saremi N, Soltantoyeh T, Hadjati J, Ghassemi S, Mirzaei HR. Epigenetic strategies to boost CAR T cell therapy. Mol Ther 2021; 29:2640-2659. [PMID: 34365035 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has led to a paradigm shift in cancer immunotherapy, but still several obstacles limit CAR T cell efficacy in cancers. Advances in high-throughput technologies revealed new insights into the role that epigenetic reprogramming plays in T cells. Mechanistic studies as well as comprehensive epigenome maps revealed an important role for epigenetic remodeling in T cell differentiation. These modifications shape the overall immune response through alterations in T cell phenotype and function. Here, we outline how epigenetic modifications in CAR T cells can overcome barriers limiting CAR T cell effectiveness, particularly in immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments. We also offer our perspective on how selected epigenetic modifications can boost CAR T cells to ultimately improve the efficacy of CAR T cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behnia Akbari
- Department of Medical Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1417613151, Iran
| | - Navid Ghahri-Saremi
- Department of Medical Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1417613151, Iran
| | - Tahereh Soltantoyeh
- Department of Medical Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1417613151, Iran
| | - Jamshid Hadjati
- Department of Medical Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1417613151, Iran
| | - Saba Ghassemi
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hamid Reza Mirzaei
- Department of Medical Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1417613151, Iran.
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Mokhtari RB, Sambi M, Qorri B, Baluch N, Ashayeri N, Kumar S, Cheng HLM, Yeger H, Das B, Szewczuk MR. The Next-Generation of Combination Cancer Immunotherapy: Epigenetic Immunomodulators Transmogrify Immune Training to Enhance Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:3596. [PMID: 34298809 PMCID: PMC8305317 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13143596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy harnesses the immune system by targeting tumor cells that express antigens recognized by immune system cells, thus leading to tumor rejection. These tumor-associated antigens include tumor-specific shared antigens, differentiation antigens, protein products of mutated genes and rearrangements unique to tumor cells, overexpressed tissue-specific antigens, and exogenous viral proteins. However, the development of effective therapeutic approaches has proven difficult, mainly because these tumor antigens are shielded, and cells primarily express self-derived antigens. Despite innovative and notable advances in immunotherapy, challenges associated with variable patient response rates and efficacy on select tumors minimize the overall effectiveness of immunotherapy. Variations observed in response rates to immunotherapy are due to multiple factors, including adaptative resistance, competency, and a diversity of individual immune systems, including cancer stem cells in the tumor microenvironment, composition of the gut microbiota, and broad limitations of current immunotherapeutic approaches. New approaches are positioned to improve the immune response and increase the efficacy of immunotherapies, highlighting the challenges that the current global COVID-19 pandemic places on the present state of immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Bayat Mokhtari
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada; (M.S.); (B.Q.)
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Thoreau Laboratory for Global Health, M2D2, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA 01852, USA;
| | - Manpreet Sambi
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada; (M.S.); (B.Q.)
| | - Bessi Qorri
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada; (M.S.); (B.Q.)
| | - Narges Baluch
- Department of Immunology and Allergy, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada;
| | - Neda Ashayeri
- Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Ali-Asghar Children Hospital, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran 1449614535, Iran;
| | - Sushil Kumar
- QPS, Holdings LLC, Pencader Corporate Center, 110 Executive Drive, Newark, DE 19702, USA;
| | - Hai-Ling Margaret Cheng
- The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada;
- Translational Biology & Engineering Program, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Herman Yeger
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada;
| | - Bikul Das
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Thoreau Laboratory for Global Health, M2D2, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA 01852, USA;
- KaviKrishna Laboratory, Department of Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, GBP, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati 781039, India
| | - Myron R. Szewczuk
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada; (M.S.); (B.Q.)
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Sanaei M, Kavoosi F, Sahraeian H. The Effects of 5-Aza-2'-Deoxycytidine and Valproic Acid on Apoptosis Induction and Cell Growth Inhibition in Colon Cancer HT 29 Cell Line. Int J Prev Med 2021; 12:33. [PMID: 34249282 PMCID: PMC8218802 DOI: 10.4103/ijpvm.ijpvm_410_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Epigenetic changes, including DNA methylation and histone modification, alter gene expression without the nucleotide template alterations and are associated with all stages of tumor formation and progression. Previously, we investigated the effects of DNA demethylating agents and histone deacetylase inhibitors on hepatocellular carcinoma and colon cancers. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-AZA-CdR, decitabine) and valproic acid (VPA), individually as well as combined on apoptosis induction and cell growth inhibition in colon cancer HT 29 cell line. Methods: The effect of the compounds on the cell viability was measured by MTT assay. To determine cell apoptosis, the cells were treated with 5-aza-CdR and VPA. Propidium iodide was used for staining and the cells were analyzed using flow cytometry. Results: Both agents decreased cell viability in a time and dose-dependent manner significantly (P < 0.002). The results of flow cytometry demonstrated that 5-aza-CdR and VPA induced apoptosis significantly as opposed to control groups. Maximal percentage of apoptotic cells was obtained after 48 h with combined treatment. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that 5-aza-CdR and VPA can significantly inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis in colon cancer HT 29 cell line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masumeh Sanaei
- Research Center for Non-communicable Diseases, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Fars Province, Iran
| | - Fraidoon Kavoosi
- Research Center for Non-communicable Diseases, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Fars Province, Iran
| | - Hamed Sahraeian
- Student of Research Committee, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Fars Province, Iran
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15
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Florke Gee RR, Chen H, Lee AK, Daly CA, Wilander BA, Fon Tacer K, Potts PR. Emerging roles of the MAGE protein family in stress response pathways. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:16121-16155. [PMID: 32921631 PMCID: PMC7681028 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.rev120.008029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The melanoma antigen (MAGE) proteins all contain a MAGE homology domain. MAGE genes are conserved in all eukaryotes and have expanded from a single gene in lower eukaryotes to ∼40 genes in humans and mice. Whereas some MAGEs are ubiquitously expressed in tissues, others are expressed in only germ cells with aberrant reactivation in multiple cancers. Much of the initial research on MAGEs focused on exploiting their antigenicity and restricted expression pattern to target them with cancer immunotherapy. Beyond their potential clinical application and role in tumorigenesis, recent studies have shown that MAGE proteins regulate diverse cellular and developmental pathways, implicating them in many diseases besides cancer, including lung, renal, and neurodevelopmental disorders. At the molecular level, many MAGEs bind to E3 RING ubiquitin ligases and, thus, regulate their substrate specificity, ligase activity, and subcellular localization. On a broader scale, the MAGE genes likely expanded in eutherian mammals to protect the germline from environmental stress and aid in stress adaptation, and this stress tolerance may explain why many cancers aberrantly express MAGEs Here, we present an updated, comprehensive review on the MAGE family that highlights general characteristics, emphasizes recent comparative studies in mice, and describes the diverse functions exerted by individual MAGEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca R Florke Gee
- Cell and Molecular Biology Department, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Helen Chen
- Cell and Molecular Biology Department, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Anna K Lee
- Cell and Molecular Biology Department, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Christina A Daly
- Cell and Molecular Biology Department, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Benjamin A Wilander
- Cell and Molecular Biology Department, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Klementina Fon Tacer
- Cell and Molecular Biology Department, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA; School of Veterinary Medicine, Texas Tech University, Amarillo, Texas, USA.
| | - Patrick Ryan Potts
- Cell and Molecular Biology Department, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
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Nielsen AY, Ormhøj M, Traynor S, Gjerstorff MF. Augmenting engineered T-cell strategies in solid cancers through epigenetic priming. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2020; 69:2169-2178. [PMID: 32648166 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-020-02661-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
T-cell receptor (TCR)- and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-based adoptive cell transfer (ACT) has shown promising results in hematological malignancies, but remains immature in solid cancers. The challenges associated with identification of tumor-specific targets, the heterogenic antigen expression, limited T-cell trafficking to tumor sites and the hostile tumor microenvironment (TME), are all factors contributing to the limited efficacy of ACT therapies against solid tumors. Epigenetic priming of tumor cells and the microenvironment may be a way of overcoming these obstacles and improving the clinical efficacy of adoptive T-cell therapies in the future. Here, we review the current literature and suggest combining epigenetic modulators and ACT strategies as a way of augmenting the efficacy of TCR- and CAR-engineered T cells against solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaraby Y Nielsen
- Department of Cancer and Inflammation Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Maria Ormhøj
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sofie Traynor
- Department of Cancer and Inflammation Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Morten F Gjerstorff
- Department of Cancer and Inflammation Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. .,Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark. .,Academy of Geriatric Cancer Research (AgeCare), Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
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Miljanic M, Capasso A, Triplett TA, Eckhardt SG, Aung KL. Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Gastrointestinal Cancers: The Current Status and Emerging Paradigms. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOTHERAPY AND PRECISION ONCOLOGY 2020; 3:3-15. [PMID: 35756177 PMCID: PMC9208391 DOI: 10.4103/jipo.jipo_1_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapy is a rapidly evolving treatment paradigm that holds promise to provide long-lasting survival benefits for patients with cancer. This promise, however, remains unfulfilled for the majority of patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, as significant limitations in efficacy exist with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in this disease group. A plethora of novel combination treatment strategies are currently being investigated in various clinical trials to make them more efficacious as our understanding of molecular mechanisms mediating resistance to immunotherapy advances. In this article, we summarize the current status of immune checkpoint blockade in GI cancers and discuss the biological rationales that underlie the emerging treatment strategies being tested in ongoing clinical trials in combination with ICIs. We also highlight the promising early results from these strategies and provide future perspectives on enhancing response to immunotherapy for patients with GI cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihailo Miljanic
- Department of Oncology, The LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes and Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Anna Capasso
- Department of Oncology, The LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes and Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Todd A. Triplett
- Department of Oncology, The LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes and Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - S. Gail Eckhardt
- Department of Oncology, The LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes and Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Kyaw L. Aung
- Department of Oncology, The LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes and Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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18
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Liu S, Zhao Y, Xu Y, Sang M, Zhao R, Gu L, Shan B. The clinical significance of methylation of MAGE-A1 and-A3 promoters and expression of DNA methyltransferase in patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Am J Otolaryngol 2020; 41:102318. [PMID: 31732299 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2019.102318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Abnormal DNA methylation plays an important role in clinical diagnosis and prognosis of various tumors. DNA methylation is catalyzed by DNA methyltransferase (DNMT). However, the methylation status of MAGE-A1 and MAGE-A3 promoter regions in LSCC is unclear. To investigate the methylation levels of MAGE-A1, -A3 in LSCC and corresponding normal tissues. The expression of DNMTs (DNMT1, DNMT3a and DNMT3b) in LSCC and the relationship between the methylation status of MAGE-A1, -A3 were analyzed. MATERIALS AND METHODS We examined methylation status of MAGE-A1, -A3 in LSCC by using MSP. Meanwhile, the expression level of DNMTs in LSCC was detected by immunohistochemistry. And further analysis the correlation between DNMTs expression level and methylation status of MAGE-A1 and MAGE-A3. RESULTS The unmethylation rate of MAGE-A1, -A3 were 39.62% and 46.23%. The expression of DNMTs was 33.02% to 37.74%. The level of demethylation of MAGE-A1 and MAGE-A3 were negative related to DNMTs protein. MAGE-A1 and MAGE-A3 unmethylation status and DNMT3a expression were independent prognostic factors for LSCC. CONCLUSIONS The DNMTs may participate in the methylation process of MAGE-A1 and MAGE-A3, which may play an important role in the occurrence and development of LSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenghui Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, People's Republic of China; Department of Research Center, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Department of Otolaryngology, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuru Xu
- Department of Otolaryngology, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, People's Republic of China
| | - Meixiang Sang
- Department of Research Center, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, People's Republic of China; Tumor Research Institute, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruili Zhao
- Department of Otolaryngology, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, People's Republic of China
| | - Lina Gu
- Department of Research Center, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, People's Republic of China
| | - Baoen Shan
- Department of Research Center, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, People's Republic of China; Tumor Research Institute, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, People's Republic of China.
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19
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Aberrantly enhanced melanoma-associated antigen (MAGE)-A3 expression facilitates cervical cancer cell proliferation and metastasis via actuating Wnt signaling pathway. Biomed Pharmacother 2019; 122:109710. [PMID: 31918280 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2019.109710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Revised: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The over-expression of melanoma-associated antigen (MAGE)-A3 in cervical cancer (CC) has been observed in our previous study, suggesting that it possibly take a vital role during the development and metastasis of CC. The present study aimed to investigate the biological function of MAGE-A3 in the progression of CC and explore how it executes its roles. METHODS The mRNA expression of MAGE-A3 in End1/E6E7 and CC cell lines (HeLa, SiHa and C33A) was measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Loss- and gain-of-function methods were used to assess the effect of MAGE-A3 on the proliferative, migratory and invasive abilities of HeLa and SiHa cells. Western blot was performed to measure the expression levels of proteins related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and proteins in the Wnt signaling pathway. In vivo tumorigenesis assay was conducted to evaluate the effect of MAGE-A3 on tumor growth. RESULTS MAGE-A3 expression was significantly up-regulated in CC cell lines (HeLa, SiHa and C33A) compared with that in End1/E6E7 cell line. Knockdown of MAGE-A3 could significantly suppress migration, invasion and proliferation in HeLa cells; whereas, overexpression of MAGE-A3 in SiHa cells presented the opposite results. Moreover, knockdown of MAGE-A3 presented a suppressive effect on the activation of EMT and Wnt signaling pathway in HeLa cells, whilst up-regulation of MAGE-A3 exhibited the opponent outcomes in SiHa cells. Through in vivo tumorigenesis assay, we further verified that MAGE-A3 acted as a facilitator in tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS MAGE-A3 is overexpressed in CC cells and possibly facilitates the viability and motility of CC cells via modulating EMT and Wnt signaling. This study implied that MAGE-A3 might be a potential therapeutic target as well as a prognosis predictor for patients with CC.
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20
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Bezu L, Wu Chuang A, Liu P, Kroemer G, Kepp O. Immunological Effects of Epigenetic Modifiers. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11121911. [PMID: 31805711 PMCID: PMC6966579 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11121911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic alterations are associated with major pathologies including cancer. Epigenetic dysregulation, such as aberrant histone acetylation, altered DNA methylation, or modified chromatin organization, contribute to oncogenesis by inactivating tumor suppressor genes and activating oncogenic pathways. Targeting epigenetic cancer hallmarks can be harnessed as an immunotherapeutic strategy, exemplified by the use of pharmacological inhibitors of DNA methyltransferases (DNMT) and histone deacetylases (HDAC) that can result in the release from the tumor of danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) on one hand and can (re-)activate the expression of tumor-associated antigens on the other hand. This finding suggests that epigenetic modifiers and more specifically the DNA methylation status may change the interaction of chromatin with chaperon proteins including HMGB1, thereby contributing to the antitumor immune response. In this review, we detail how epigenetic modifiers can be used for stimulating therapeutically relevant anticancer immunity when used as stand-alone treatments or in combination with established immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucillia Bezu
- Service anesthésie-réanimation, Hôpital européen Georges Pompidou, AP-HP, 75015 Paris, France;
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Paris Sud, 94270 Kremlin-Bicêtre, France;
- Equipe labellisée par la Ligue contre le cancer, 75000, Paris, France;
- Université de Paris, Sorbonne, INSERM U1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, 75006 Paris, France
- Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Alejandra Wu Chuang
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Paris Sud, 94270 Kremlin-Bicêtre, France;
- Equipe labellisée par la Ligue contre le cancer, 75000, Paris, France;
- Université de Paris, Sorbonne, INSERM U1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, 75006 Paris, France
- Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Peng Liu
- Equipe labellisée par la Ligue contre le cancer, 75000, Paris, France;
- Université de Paris, Sorbonne, INSERM U1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, 75006 Paris, France
- Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Guido Kroemer
- Equipe labellisée par la Ligue contre le cancer, 75000, Paris, France;
- Université de Paris, Sorbonne, INSERM U1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, 75006 Paris, France
- Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, 94800 Villejuif, France
- Pôle de Biologie, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, AP-HP, 75015 Paris, France
- Suzhou Institute for Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 215123 Suzhou, China
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital, 171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
- Correspondence: (G.K.); (O.K.)
| | - Oliver Kepp
- Equipe labellisée par la Ligue contre le cancer, 75000, Paris, France;
- Université de Paris, Sorbonne, INSERM U1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, 75006 Paris, France
- Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, 94800 Villejuif, France
- Correspondence: (G.K.); (O.K.)
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Gerber HP, Sibener LV, Lee LJ, Gee M. Intracellular targets as source for cleaner targets for the treatment of solid tumors. Biochem Pharmacol 2019; 168:275-284. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2019.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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22
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Soh JE, Abu N, Sagap I, Mazlan L, Yahaya A, Mustangin M, Khoo TS, Saidin S, Ishak M, Ab Mutalib NS, Jamal R. Validation of immunogenic PASD1 peptides against HLA-A*24:02 colorectal cancer. Immunotherapy 2019; 11:1205-1219. [PMID: 31478431 DOI: 10.2217/imt-2019-0073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer is the third commonest malignancy in Asia including Malaysia. The immunogenic cancer-testis antigens, which are expressed in a variety of cancers but with limited expression in normal tissues except the testis, represent an attractive approach to improve treatment options for colorectal cancer. We aimed to validate four PASD1 peptides as the immunotherapeutic targets in colorectal cancer. First, PASD1 mRNA and protein expression were determined via real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. The PASD1 peptides specific to HLA-A*24:02 were investigated using IFN-y-ELISpot assay, followed by the cytolytic and granzyme-B-ELISpot assays to analyze the cytolytic effects of CD8+ T cells. Gene and protein expressions of PASD1 were detected in 20% and 17.3% of colorectal cancer samples, respectively. PASD1(4) peptide was shown to be immunogenic in colorectal cancer samples. CD8+ T cells raised against PASD1(4) peptide were able to lyze HLA-A*24:02+ PASD1+ cells. Our results reveal that PASD1(4) peptide represents a potential target for colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne Ec Soh
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Nadiah Abu
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Ismail Sagap
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Luqman Mazlan
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Azyani Yahaya
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Muaatamarulain Mustangin
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Tze S Khoo
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Sazuita Saidin
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Muhiddin Ishak
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Nurul S Ab Mutalib
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Rahman Jamal
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Li Y, Sun W, Sun D, Yin D. Retracted: Ras-ERK1/2 signaling promotes the development of uveal melanoma by downregulating H3K14ac. J Cell Physiol 2019; 234:16011-16020. [PMID: 30770563 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.28259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Ras-extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) signaling has been proposed as the crucial regulators in the development of various cancers. Histone acetylation at H3 lysine 14 (H3K14ac) is closely associated with gene expression and DNA damage. However, whether H3K14ac participates in mediating Ras-ERK1/2-induced cell proliferation and migration in uveal melanoma cells remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of H3K14ac on Ras-ERK1/2 affected uveal melanoma cell phenotypes. MP65 cells were transfected with Ras WT and Ras G12V/T35S , the unloaded plasmid of pEGFP-N1 served as a negative control. Protein levels of phosphorylated ERK1/2 Thr202 and H3K14ac were assessed by western blot assay. Cell viability, number of colonies, migration, and the downstream genes of ERK1/2 were analyzed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide, soft-agar colony formation, transwell, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. HA-tag vectors of CLR3 and TIP60 and the small interfering RNAs that specific for CLR3 and MDM2 were transfected into MP65 cells to uncover the effects of CLR3, TIP60, and MDM2 on Ras-ERK1/2 mediated H3K14ac expression and MP65 cell phenotypes. We found that, Ras-ERK1/2 decreased H3K14ac expression in MP65 cells, and H3K14ac significantly suppressed Ras-ERK1/2-induced cell viability, colony formation, and migration in MP65 cells. Moreover, the transcription of CYR61, IGFBP3, WNT16B, NT5E, GDF15, and CARD16 was regulated by H3K14ac. Additionally, CLR3 silence recovered H3K14ac expression and reversed the effect of Ras-ERK1/2 on MP65 cell proliferation, migration and the mRNAs of ERK1/2 downstream genes. Besides, Ras-ERK1/2 decreased H3K14ac expression by MDM2-mediated TIP60 degradation. In conclusion, Ras-ERK1/2 promoted uveal melanoma cells growth and migration by downregulating H3K14ac via MDM2-mediated TIP60 degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaping Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Weixuan Sun
- Department of Gastrointestinal Colorectal and Anal Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Dajun Sun
- Department of Vascular Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Dexin Yin
- Department of Vascular Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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Macfarlane FR, Chaplain M, Lorenzi T. A stochastic individual-based model to explore the role of spatial interactions and antigen recognition in the immune response against solid tumours. J Theor Biol 2019; 480:43-55. [PMID: 31374282 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2019.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Spatial interactions between cancer and immune cells, as well as the recognition of tumour antigens by cells of the immune system, play a key role in the immune response against solid tumours. The existing mathematical models generally focus only on one of these key aspects. We present here a spatial stochastic individual-based model that explicitly captures antigen expression and recognition. In our model, each cancer cell is characterised by an antigen profile which can change over time due to either epimutations or mutations. The immune response against the cancer cells is initiated by the dendritic cells that recognise the tumour antigens and present them to the cytotoxic T cells. Consequently, T cells become activated against the tumour cells expressing such antigens. Moreover, the differences in movement between inactive and active immune cells are explicitly taken into account by the model. Computational simulations of our model clarify the conditions for the emergence of tumour clearance, dormancy or escape, and allow us to assess the impact of antigenic heterogeneity of cancer cells on the efficacy of immune action. Ultimately, our results highlight the complex interplay between spatial interactions and adaptive mechanisms that underpins the immune response against solid tumours, and suggest how this may be exploited to further develop cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- F R Macfarlane
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9SS, United Kingdom.
| | - Maj Chaplain
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9SS, United Kingdom
| | - T Lorenzi
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9SS, United Kingdom
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25
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Xu J, Zhu C, Yu Y, Wu W, Cao J, Li Z, Dai J, Wang C, Tang Y, Zhu Q, Wang J, Wen W, Xue L, Zhen F, Liu J, Huang C, Zhao F, Zhou Y, He Z, Pan X, Wei H, Zhu Y, He Y, Que J, Luo J, Chen L, Wang W. Systematic cancer-testis gene expression analysis identified CDCA5 as a potential therapeutic target in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. EBioMedicine 2019; 46:54-65. [PMID: 31324603 PMCID: PMC6710982 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2019] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most lethal malignancies with poor prognosis. Cancer-testis genes (CTGs) have been vigorously pursued as targets for cancer immunotherapy, but the expressive patterns and functional roles of CTGs remain unclear in ESCC. Methods A systematic screening strategy was adopted to screen CTGs in ESCC by integrating multiple public databases and RNA expression microarray data from 119 ESCC subjects. For the newly identified ESCC prognosis-associated CTGs, an independent cohort of 118 patients with ESCC was recruited to validate the relationship via immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, functional assays were performed to determine the underlying mechanisms. Findings 21 genes were recognized as CTGs, in particular, CDCA5 was aberrantly upregulated in ESCC tissues and significantly associated with poor prognosis (HR = 1.85, 95%CI: 1.14–3.01, P = .013). Immunohistochemical staining confirmed that positive CDCA5 expression was associated with advanced TNM staging and a shorter overall survival rate (45.59% vs 28.00% for CDCA5−/+ subjects, P = 1.86 × 10−3). H3K27 acetylation in CDCA5 promoter might lead to the activation of CDCA5 during ESCC tumorigenesis. Functionally, in vitro assay of gain- and loss-of-function of CDCA5 suggested that CDCA5 could promote ESCC cells proliferation, invasion, migration, apoptosis resistance and reduce chemosensitivity to cisplatin. Moreover, in vivo assay showed that silenced CDCA5 could inhibit tumor growth. Mechanistically, CDCA5 knockdown led to an arrest in G2/M phase and changes in the expression of factors that played fundamental roles in the cell cycle pathway. Interpretation CDCA5 contributed to ESCC progression and might serve as an attractive target for ESCC immunotherapy. Fund This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (No. BK20181083 and BK20181496), Jiangsu Top Expert Program in Six Professions (No. WSW-003 and WSW-007), Major Program of Science and Technology Foundation of Jiangsu Province (No. BE2016790 and BE2018746), Jiangsu Medical Young Talent Project (No. QNRC2016566), the Program of Jiangsu Medical Innovation Team (No. CXTDA2017006), Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province (KYCX18_1487) and Jiangsu Province 333 Talents Project (No. BRA2017545).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chengxiang Zhu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue Yu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weibing Wu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Cao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhihua Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Juncheng Dai
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yu Tang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Quan Zhu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wei Wen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lei Xue
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fuxi Zhen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jinyuan Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chenjun Huang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fei Zhao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue Zhou
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhicheng He
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xianglong Pan
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Haixing Wei
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yining Zhu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yaozhou He
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jun Que
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jinghua Luo
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Liang Chen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
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26
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Immunoepigenetics Combination Therapies: An Overview of the Role of HDACs in Cancer Immunotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20092241. [PMID: 31067680 PMCID: PMC6539010 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20092241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-standing efforts to identify the multifaceted roles of histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) have positioned these agents as promising drug candidates in combatting cancer, autoimmune, neurodegenerative, and infectious diseases. The same has also encouraged the evaluation of multiple HDACi candidates in preclinical studies in cancer and other diseases as well as the FDA-approval towards clinical use for specific agents. In this review, we have discussed how the efficacy of immunotherapy can be leveraged by combining it with HDACis. We have also included a brief overview of the classification of HDACis as well as their various roles in physiological and pathophysiological scenarios to target key cellular processes promoting the initiation, establishment, and progression of cancer. Given the critical role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) towards the outcome of anticancer therapies, we have also discussed the effect of HDACis on different components of the TME. We then have gradually progressed into examples of specific pan-HDACis, class I HDACi, and selective HDACis that either have been incorporated into clinical trials or show promising preclinical effects for future consideration. Finally, we have included examples of ongoing trials for each of the above categories of HDACis as standalone agents or in combination with immunotherapeutic approaches.
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27
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Schnekenburger M, Dicato M, Diederich MF. Anticancer potential of naturally occurring immunoepigenetic modulators: A promising avenue? Cancer 2019; 125:1612-1628. [PMID: 30840315 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.32041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Revised: 12/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The immune system represents the major primary defense line against carcinogenesis and acts by identifying and eradicating nascent transformed cells. A growing body of evidence is indicating that aberrant epigenetic reprogramming plays a key role in tumor immune escape through: 1) impaired efficient recognition of neoplastic cells by the immune system, resulting from a downregulation or loss of the expression of tumor-associated antigens, human leukocyte antigens, antigen processing and presenting machinery, and costimulatory molecule genes; 2) aberrant expression of immune checkpoint proteins and their ligands; and 3) modification of cytokine profiles and tumor-associated immune cell populations toward an immunosuppressive state in the tumor microenvironment. Consistent with the inherent reversibility of epigenetic alterations, epigenetic drugs, including DNA methyltransferase and histone deacetylase inhibitors, have the unique potential to favorably modify the tumor microenvironment, restore tumor recognition and stimulate an antitumor immune response. The objective of this review is to highlight selected, naturally occurring epigenetic modulators, namely, butyrate, curcumin, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, resveratrol, romidepsin, and trichostatin A, with a special focus on their antitumor immune properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Schnekenburger
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Cancer, Kirchberg Hospital, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Mario Dicato
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Cancer, Kirchberg Hospital, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Marc F Diederich
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
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28
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Sharma A, Albahrani M, Zhang W, Kufel CN, James SR, Odunsi K, Klinkebiel D, Karpf AR. Epigenetic activation of POTE genes in ovarian cancer. Epigenetics 2019; 14:185-197. [PMID: 30764732 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2019.1581590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The POTE gene family consists of 14 homologous genes localized to autosomal pericentromeres, and a sub-set of POTEs are cancer-testis antigen (CTA) genes. POTEs are over-expressed in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), including the high-grade serous subtype (HGSC), and expression of individual POTEs correlates with chemoresistance and reduced survival in HGSC. The mechanisms driving POTE overexpression in EOC and other cancers is unknown. Here, we investigated the role of epigenetics in regulating POTE expression, with a focus on DNA hypomethylation. Consistent with their pericentromeric localization, Pan-POTE expression in EOC correlated with expression of the pericentromeric repeat NBL2, which was not the case for non-pericentromeric CTAs. POTE genomic regions contain LINE-1 (L1) sequences, and Pan-POTE expression correlated with both global and POTE-specific L1 hypomethylation in EOC. Analysis of individual POTEs using RNA-seq and DNA methylome data from fallopian tube epithelia (FTE) and HGSC revealed that POTEs C, E, and F have increased expression in HGSC in conjunction with DNA hypomethylation at 5' promoter or enhancer regions. Moreover, POTEs C/E/F showed additional increased expression in recurrent HGSC in conjunction with 5' hypomethylation, using patient-matched samples. Experiments using decitabine treatment and DNMT knockout cell lines verified a functional contribution of DNA methylation to POTE repression, and epigenetic drug combinations targeting histone deacetylases (HDACs) and histone methyltransferases (HMTs) in combination with decitabine further increased POTE expression. In summary, several alterations of the cancer epigenome, including pericentromeric activation, global and locus-specific L1 hypomethylation, and locus-specific 5' CpG hypomethylation, converge to promote POTE expression in ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashok Sharma
- a Eppley Institute , University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha , NE , USA.,b Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center , University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha , NE , USA
| | - Mustafa Albahrani
- a Eppley Institute , University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha , NE , USA.,b Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center , University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha , NE , USA
| | - Wa Zhang
- a Eppley Institute , University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha , NE , USA.,b Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center , University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha , NE , USA
| | - Christina N Kufel
- c Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics , Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center , Buffalo , NY , USA
| | - Smitha R James
- c Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics , Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center , Buffalo , NY , USA
| | - Kunle Odunsi
- d Department of Immunology , Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center , Buffalo , NY , USA.,e Department of Gynecologic Oncology , Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center , Buffalo , NY , USA.,f Center for Immunotherapy , Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center , Buffalo , NY , USA
| | - David Klinkebiel
- b Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center , University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha , NE , USA.,g Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha , NE , USA
| | - Adam R Karpf
- a Eppley Institute , University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha , NE , USA.,b Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center , University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha , NE , USA.,c Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics , Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center , Buffalo , NY , USA
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29
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Duperret EK, Liu S, Paik M, Trautz A, Stoltz R, Liu X, Ze K, Perales-Puchalt A, Reed C, Yan J, Xu X, Weiner DB. A Designer Cross-reactive DNA Immunotherapeutic Vaccine that Targets Multiple MAGE-A Family Members Simultaneously for Cancer Therapy. Clin Cancer Res 2018; 24:6015-6027. [PMID: 30262507 PMCID: PMC6319943 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-18-1013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Cancer/testis antigens have emerged as attractive targets for cancer immunotherapy. Clinical studies have targeted MAGE-A3, a prototype antigen that is a member of the MAGE-A family of antigens, in melanoma and lung carcinoma. However, these studies have not yet had a significant impact due to poor CD8+ T-cell immunogenicity, platform toxicity, or perhaps limited target antigen availability. In this study, we develop an improved MAGE-A immunogen with cross-reactivity to multiple family members. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN In this study, we analyzed MAGE-A expression in The Cancer Genome Atlas and observed that many patients express multiple MAGE-A isoforms, not limited to MAGE-A3, simultaneously in diverse tumors. On the basis of this, we designed an optimized consensus MAGE-A DNA vaccine capable of cross-reacting with many MAGE-A isoforms, and tested immunogenicity and antitumor activity of this vaccine in a relevant autochthonous melanoma model. RESULTS Immunization of this MAGE-A vaccine by electroporation in C57Bl/6 mice generated robust IFNγ and TNFα CD8+ T-cell responses as well as cytotoxic CD107a/IFNγ/T-bet triple-positive responses against multiple isoforms. Furthermore, this MAGE-A DNA immunogen generated a cross-reactive immune response in 14 of 15 genetically diverse, outbred mice. We tested the antitumor activity of this MAGE-A DNA vaccine in Tyr::CreER;BRAFCa/+;Ptenlox/lox transgenic mice that develop melanoma upon tamoxifen induction. The MAGE-A DNA therapeutic vaccine significantly slowed tumor growth and doubled median mouse survival. CONCLUSIONS These results support the clinical use of consensus MAGE-A immunogens with the capacity to target multiple MAGE-A family members to prevent tumor immune escape.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shujing Liu
- The University of Pennsylvania Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Philadelphia PA
| | - Megan Paik
- The Wistar Institute, Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center, Philadelphia PA
| | - Aspen Trautz
- The Wistar Institute, Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center, Philadelphia PA
| | - Regina Stoltz
- The Wistar Institute, Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center, Philadelphia PA
| | - Xiaoming Liu
- The University of Pennsylvania Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Philadelphia PA
| | - Kan Ze
- The University of Pennsylvania Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Philadelphia PA
| | | | | | - Jian Yan
- Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA
| | - Xiaowei Xu
- The University of Pennsylvania Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Philadelphia PA
| | - David B. Weiner
- The Wistar Institute, Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center, Philadelphia PA,Corresponding author: David B. Weiner, Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center, The Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104,
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30
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Epigenetic regulation of MAGE family in human cancer progression-DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNAs. Clin Epigenetics 2018; 10:115. [PMID: 30185218 PMCID: PMC6126015 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-018-0550-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The melanoma antigen gene (MAGE) proteins are a group of highly conserved family members that contain a common MAGE homology domain. Type I MAGEs are relevant cancer-testis antigens (CTAs), and originally considered as attractive targets for cancer immunotherapy due to their typically high expression in tumor tissues but restricted expression in normal adult tissues. Here, we reviewed the recent discoveries and ideas that illustrate the biological functions of MAGE family in cancer progression. Furthermore, we also highlighted the current understanding of the epigenetic mechanism of MAGE family expression in human cancers.
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31
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Gordeeva O. Cancer-testis antigens: Unique cancer stem cell biomarkers and targets for cancer therapy. Semin Cancer Biol 2018; 53:75-89. [PMID: 30171980 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2018.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) are considered as unique and promising cancer biomarkers and targets for cancer therapy. CTAs are multifunctional protein group with specific expression patterns in normal embryonic and adult cells and various types of cancer cells. CTAs are involved in regulating of the basic cellular processes during development, stem cell differentiation and carcinogenesis though the biological roles and cell functions of CTA families remain largely unclear. Analysis of CTA expression patterns in embryonic germ and somatic cells, pluripotent and multipotent stem cells, cancer stem cells and their cell descendants indicates that rearrangements of characteristic CTA profiles (aberrant expression) could be associated with cancer transformation and failure of the developmental program of cell lineage specification and germ line restriction. Therefore, aberrant CTA profiles can be used as panels of biomarkers for diagnoses and the selection of cancer treatment strategies. Moreover, immunogenic CTAs are prospective targets for cancer immunotherapy. Clinical trials testing broad range of cancer therapeutic vaccines against antigens of MAGEA and NY-ESO-1 families for treating various cancers have shown mixed clinical efficiency, safety and tolerability, suggesting the requirement of in-depth research of CTA expression in normal and cancer stem cells and extensive clinical trials for improving cancer immunotherapy technologies. This review focuses on recent advancement in study of CTAs in normal and cancer cells, particularly in normal and cancer stem cells, and provides a new insight into CTA expression patterns during normal and cancer stem cell lineage development. Additionally, new approaches in development of effective CTA-based therapies exclusively targeting cancer stem cells will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Gordeeva
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Mechanisms of Histogenesis, Kol'tsov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 26 Vavilov Street, Moscow, 119334, Russia.
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32
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Conte M, De Palma R, Altucci L. HDAC inhibitors as epigenetic regulators for cancer immunotherapy. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2018. [PMID: 29535070 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2018.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, anti-tumor immunotherapy has shown promising results, and immune-oncology is now emerging as the fourth major wave in the treatment of tumors after radiotherapy, chemotherapy and molecular targeted therapy. Understanding the impact of the immune system on neoplastic cells is crucial to improve its effectiveness against cancer. The stratification of patients who might benefit from immunotherapy as well as the personalization of medicine have contributed to the discovery of new immunotherapeutic targets and molecules. In the present review, we discuss the mechanistic role of histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) as potential immunomodulating agents to treat cancer. Our current understanding of the use of HDACi in combination with various immunotherapeutic approaches, such as immunomodulating agents and cancer vaccines, is also addressed. The potential clinical applications of the growing number of novel epigenetic drugs for cancer immunotherapy are widening, and some of these therapies are already in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Raffaele De Palma
- Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Vico L. De Crecchio 7, 80138, Naples, Italy
| | - Lucia Altucci
- Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Vico L. De Crecchio 7, 80138, Naples, Italy.
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33
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Meyer TJ, Hartmann S, Wohlleben G, Brisam M, Seher A, Kübler AC, Polat B, Müller-Richter UDA. MAGE-A9 in head and neck cancer: Prognostic value and preclinical findings in the context of irradiation. Mol Clin Oncol 2018; 8:513-519. [PMID: 29556384 DOI: 10.3892/mco.2018.1558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Radiotherapy alone, or as an addition to surgery is important for the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In addition to their expression in germ cells, melanoma associated antigens-A (MAGE-A) are only expressed in malignant tissue. Notably, there is a known correlation between MAGE-A9 expression and poor prognosis in HNSCC patients. However, current knowledge regarding the function of MAGE-A9 expression, particularly in the context of irradiation, is limited. MAGE-A9 expression in 37 oral squamous cell carcinoma patents was immunohistochemically determined and analyzed for overall survival by the Kaplan-Meier log-rank test. Next, the expression of MAGE-A9 was determined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction in HNSCC cell lines prior to and following irradiation with 2 Gray. The radiosensitivity of each cell line was determined using a clonogenic survival assay. There was a significantly (P=0.0468) longer overall survival in patients with a low level of MAGE-A9 expression. The median overall survival in patients with high MAGE-A9 expression was 47% compared to 73% in the group with low MAGE-A9 expression. The cell lines revealed a distinct expression pattern of MAGE-A9. Following irradiation of the cell lines, a significant enhancement of MAGE-A9 mRNA expression levels was observed. The most prominent alteration in MAGE-A9 expression was observed in the most radioresistant cell line. A high MAGE-A9 expression level correlates significantly with lower overall survival in HNSCC patients. Additionally, irradiation increased the MAGE-A9 mRNA levels in all five HNSCC cell lines, and the most resistant cell line demonstrated the greatest increase in MAGE-A9 expression following irradiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Till J Meyer
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital of Würzburg, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Hartmann
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital of Würzburg, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Gisela Wohlleben
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital of Würzburg, D-97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Muna Brisam
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital of Würzburg, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Axel Seher
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital of Würzburg, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Alexander C Kübler
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital of Würzburg, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Bülent Polat
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital of Würzburg, D-97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Urs D A Müller-Richter
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital of Würzburg, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany
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34
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Liu S, Liu F, Huang W, Gu L, Meng L, Ju Y, Wu Y, Li J, Liu L, Sang M. MAGE-A11 is activated through TFCP2/ZEB1 binding sites de-methylation as well as histone modification and facilitates ESCC tumor growth. Oncotarget 2017; 9:3365-3378. [PMID: 29423052 PMCID: PMC5790469 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.22973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, we have reported that the product of Melanoma Antigens Genes (MAGE) family member MAGE-A11 is an independent poor prognostic marker for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the reason how MAGE-A11 is activated in ESCC progression still remains unclear. In the current study, we demonstrated that DNA methylation and the subsequent histone posttranslational modifications play crucial roles in the regulation of MAGE-A11 in ESCC progression. We found that the methylation rate of TFCP2/ZEB1 binding site on MAGE-A11 promoter in ESCC tissues and cells is higher than the normal esophageal epithelial tissues and cells. Transcription factors TFCP2 and ZEB1 directly bind MAGE-A11 promoter and regulate the endogenous MAGE-A11 expression in a methylation-dependent manner in ESCC cells. Following MAGE-A11 promoter methylation, the methyl-CpG-binding protein MeCP2 was found to bind the methylated MAGE-A11 promoter to mediate histone deactylation by recruiting HDAC1 and HDAC2. Simultaneously, histone inactivation marks including H3K27me3 as well as H3K9me3 were increased, whereas histone activation mark H3K4me3 was decreased. HDAC inhibitor Trichostatin A (TSA) increased DNA methylase inhibitor Decitabine (DAC)-induced MAGE-A11 expression. siRNA-mediated knockdown of histone methltransferase EZH2 or DZNep (a EZH2 inhibitor) treatment increased DAC-induced MAGE-A11 expression. Our results indicate that MAGE-A11 is activated through DNA demethylation, histone acetylation and histone methylation in ESCC, and its activation promotes ESCC tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shina Liu
- Research Center, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, P. R. China
| | - Fei Liu
- Research Center, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, P. R. China
| | - Weina Huang
- Research Center, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, P. R. China
| | - Lina Gu
- Research Center, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, P. R. China
| | - Lingjiao Meng
- Research Center, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, P. R. China
| | - Yingchao Ju
- Research Center, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, P. R. China.,Animal Center, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, P. R. China
| | - Yunyan Wu
- Research Center, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, P. R. China
| | - Juan Li
- Research Center, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, P. R. China
| | - Lihua Liu
- Research Center, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, P. R. China
| | - Meixiang Sang
- Research Center, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, P. R. China.,Tumor Research Institute, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, P. R. China
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Srivastava P, Paluch BE, Matsuzaki J, James SR, Collamat-Lai G, Blagitko-Dorfs N, Ford LA, Naqash R, Lübbert M, Karpf AR, Nemeth MJ, Griffiths EA. Induction of cancer testis antigen expression in circulating acute myeloid leukemia blasts following hypomethylating agent monotherapy. Oncotarget 2017; 7:12840-56. [PMID: 26883197 PMCID: PMC4914325 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.7326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer testis antigens (CTAs) are promising cancer associated antigens in solid tumors, but in acute myeloid leukemia, dense promoter methylation silences their expression. Leukemia cell lines exposed to HMAs induce expression of CTAs. We hypothesized that AML patients treated with standard of care decitabine (20mg/m2 per day for 10 days) would demonstrate induced expression of CTAs. Peripheral blood blasts serially isolated from AML patients treated with decitabine were evaluated for CTA gene expression and demethylation. Induction of NY-ESO-1 and MAGEA3/A6, were observed following decitabine. Re-expression of NY-ESO-1 and MAGEA3/A6 was associated with both promoter specific and global (LINE-1) hypomethylation. NY-ESO-1 and MAGEA3/A6 mRNA levels were increased irrespective of clinical response, suggesting that these antigens might be applicable even in patients who are not responsive to HMA therapy. Circulating blasts harvested after decitabine demonstrate induced NY-ESO-1 expression sufficient to activate NY-ESO-1 specific CD8+ T-cells. Induction of CTA expression sufficient for recognition by T-cells occurs in AML patients receiving decitabine. Vaccination against NY-ESO-1 in this patient population is feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragya Srivastava
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin E Paluch
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Junko Matsuzaki
- Center for Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Smitha R James
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Golda Collamat-Lai
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Nadja Blagitko-Dorfs
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Freiburg, Medical Center, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Laurie Ann Ford
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Rafeh Naqash
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Michael Lübbert
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Freiburg, Medical Center, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Adam R Karpf
- Eppley Institute for Cancer Research, Fred and Pamela Buffet Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Michael J Nemeth
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA.,Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Griffiths
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA.,Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
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36
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Wei Y, Wang Y, Gong J, Rao L, Wu Z, Nie T, Shi D, Zhang L. High expression of MAGE-A9 contributes to stemness and malignancy of human hepatocellular carcinoma. Int J Oncol 2017; 52:219-230. [PMID: 29138811 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2017.4198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
MAGE-A9, a well-characterized cancer testis antigen (CTA), belongs to a member of melanoma antigen gene (MAGE) family. In human malignancies, aberrant expression of MAGE genes correlated with poor clinical prognosis, increased tumor growth, metastases, and enrichment in stem cell populations of certain cancers. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been proposed to contribute to the major malignant phenotypes of liver cancer, including recurrence, metastasis and chemoresistance. However, expression and potential role of MAGE-A9 in liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) still remain unclear. In the present study, we first analyzed the expression profiling of MAGE family genes in EpCAM+ and EpCAM- human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), based on public Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Among these examined MAGE members, MAGE-A9 is the only one with significantly higher expression in EpCAM+ HCC specimens as compared with EpCAM- HCC. Quantitative PCR analysis further confirmed that MAGE-A9 expression significantly elevated in a subtype of HCC patients that had features of hepatic stem/progenitor cells with high-level expression of EpCAM and α-fetoprotein (AFP). Moreover, MAGE-A9 displayed remarkably enriched expression in EpCAM+ HCC cells that were sorted by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and cultured HCC cell spheroids with characteristics of stem/progenitor cells. Functional experiments further revealed that MAGE-A9 overexpression promoted cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, chemoresistance, and tumorigenicity in the context of EpCAM+ HCC cells, whereas MAGE-A9 knockdown significantly inhibited anchorage-dependent and spheroid colony formation and in vivo tumorigenicity. Collectively, these data demonstrate that MAGE-A9 functions as an important regulator of LCSCs, and MAGE-A9 may serve as a potential therapeutic target against HCC stem/progenitor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youping Wei
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330003, P.R. China
| | - Yanqin Wang
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330003, P.R. China
| | - Jing Gong
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330003, P.R. China
| | - Lihua Rao
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330003, P.R. China
| | - Zhiwei Wu
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330003, P.R. China
| | - Teng Nie
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330003, P.R. China
| | - Dongling Shi
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330003, P.R. China
| | - Liming Zhang
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330003, P.R. China
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Identification of genes and critical control proteins associated with inflammatory breast cancer using network controllability. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0186353. [PMID: 29108005 PMCID: PMC5673205 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 10/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer is inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), whose lack of tumour mass also makes a prompt diagnosis difficult. Moreover, genomic differences between common breast cancers and IBC have not been completely assessed, thus substantially limiting the identification of biomarkers unique to IBC. Here, we developed a novel statistical analysis of gene expression profiles corresponding to microdissected IBC, non-IBC (nIBC) and normal samples that enabled us to identify a set of genes significantly associated with a specific disease state. Second, by using advanced methods based on controllability network theory, we identified a set of critical control proteins that uniquely and structurally control the entire proteome. By mapping high change variance genes in protein interaction networks, we found that a large statistically significant fraction of genes whose variance changed significantly between normal and IBC and nIBC disease states were among the set of critical control proteins. Moreover, this analysis identified the overlapping genes with the highest statistical significance; these genes may assist in developing future biomarkers and determining drug targets to disrupt the molecular pathways driving carcinogenesis in IBC.
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Zanchi C, Macconi D, Trionfini P, Tomasoni S, Rottoli D, Locatelli M, Rudnicki M, Vandesompele J, Mestdagh P, Remuzzi G, Benigni A, Zoja C. MicroRNA-184 is a downstream effector of albuminuria driving renal fibrosis in rats with diabetic nephropathy. Diabetologia 2017; 60:1114-1125. [PMID: 28364255 PMCID: PMC5423990 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-017-4248-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS Renal fibrosis is a common complication of diabetic nephropathy and is a major cause of end-stage renal disease. Despite the suggested link between renal fibrosis and microRNA (miRNA) dysregulation in diabetic nephropathy, the identification of the specific miRNAs involved is still incomplete. The aim of this study was to investigate miRNA profiles in the diabetic kidney and to identify potential downstream targets implicated in renal fibrosis. METHODS miRNA expression profiling was investigated in the kidneys of 8-month-old Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats during overt nephropathy. Localisation of the most upregulated miRNA was established by in situ hybridisation. The candidate miRNA target was identified by in silico analysis and its expression documented in the diabetic kidney associated with fibrotic markers. Cultured tubule cells served to assess which of the profibrogenic stimuli acted as a trigger for the overexpressed miRNA, and to investigate underlying epigenetic mechanisms. RESULTS In ZDF rats, miR-184 showed the strongest differential upregulation compared with lean rats (18-fold). Tubular localisation of miR-184 was associated with reduced expression of lipid phosphate phosphatase 3 (LPP3) and collagen accumulation. Transfection of NRK-52E cells with miR-184 mimic reduced LPP3, promoting a profibrotic phenotype. Albumin was a major trigger of miR-184 expression. Anti-miR-184 counteracted albumin-induced LPP3 downregulation and overexpression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. In ZDF rats, ACE-inhibitor treatment limited albuminuria and reduced miR-184, with tubular LPP3 preservation and tubulointerstitial fibrosis amelioration. Albumin-induced miR-184 expression in tubule cells was epigenetically regulated through DNA demethylation and histone lysine acetylation and was accompanied by binding of NF-κB p65 subunit to miR-184 promoter. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION These results suggest that miR-184 may act as a downstream effector of albuminuria through LPP3 to promote tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and offer the rationale to investigate whether targeting miR-184 in association with albuminuria-lowering drugs may be a new strategy to achieve fully anti-fibrotic effects in diabetic nephropathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Zanchi
- IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Centro Anna Maria Astori, Science and Technology Park Kilometro Rosso, Via Stezzano 87, 24126, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Daniela Macconi
- IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Centro Anna Maria Astori, Science and Technology Park Kilometro Rosso, Via Stezzano 87, 24126, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Piera Trionfini
- IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Centro Anna Maria Astori, Science and Technology Park Kilometro Rosso, Via Stezzano 87, 24126, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Susanna Tomasoni
- IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Centro Anna Maria Astori, Science and Technology Park Kilometro Rosso, Via Stezzano 87, 24126, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Daniela Rottoli
- IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Centro Anna Maria Astori, Science and Technology Park Kilometro Rosso, Via Stezzano 87, 24126, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Monica Locatelli
- IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Centro Anna Maria Astori, Science and Technology Park Kilometro Rosso, Via Stezzano 87, 24126, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Michael Rudnicki
- Medical University Innsbruck, Department of Internal Medicine IV-Nephrology and Hypertension, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | | | - Giuseppe Remuzzi
- IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Centro Anna Maria Astori, Science and Technology Park Kilometro Rosso, Via Stezzano 87, 24126, Bergamo, Italy
- Unit of Nephrology and Dialysis, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Ariela Benigni
- IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Centro Anna Maria Astori, Science and Technology Park Kilometro Rosso, Via Stezzano 87, 24126, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Carlamaria Zoja
- IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Centro Anna Maria Astori, Science and Technology Park Kilometro Rosso, Via Stezzano 87, 24126, Bergamo, Italy.
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Dunn J, Rao S. Epigenetics and immunotherapy: The current state of play. Mol Immunol 2017; 87:227-239. [PMID: 28511092 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2017.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2016] [Revised: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cancer cells employ a number of mechanisms to escape immunosurveillance and facilitate tumour progression. The recent explosion of interest in immunotherapy, especially immune checkpoint blockade, is a result of discoveries about the fundamental ligand-receptor interactions that occur between immune and cancer cells within the tumour microenvironment. Distinct ligands expressed by cancer cells engage with cell surface receptors on immune cells, triggering inhibitory pathways (such as PD-1/PD-L1) that render immune cells immunologically tolerant. Importantly, recent studies on the role of epigenetics in immune evasion have exposed a key role for epigenetic modulators in augmenting the tumour microenvironment and restoring immune recognition and immunogenicity. Epigenetic drugs such as DNA methyltransferase and histone deacetylase inhibitors can reverse immune suppression via several mechanisms such as enhancing expression of tumour-associated antigens, components of the antigen processing and presenting machinery pathways, immune checkpoint inhibitors, chemokines, and other immune-related genes. These discoveries have established a highly promising basis for studies using combined epigenetic and immunotherapeutic agents as anti-cancer therapies. In this review, we discuss the exciting role of epigenetic immunomodulation in tumour immune escape, emphasising its significance in priming and sensitising the host immune system to immunotherapies through mechanisms such as the activation of the viral defence pathway. With this background in mind, we highlight the promise of combined epigenetic therapy and immunotherapy, focusing on immune checkpoint blockade, to improve outcomes for patients with many different cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Dunn
- Health Research Institute, Faculty of Education, Science, Technology and Mathematics, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2601, Australia.
| | - Sudha Rao
- Health Research Institute, Faculty of Education, Science, Technology and Mathematics, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2601, Australia.
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40
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Lee AK, Potts PR. A Comprehensive Guide to the MAGE Family of Ubiquitin Ligases. J Mol Biol 2017; 429:1114-1142. [PMID: 28300603 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2017.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2016] [Revised: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Melanoma antigen (MAGE) genes are conserved in all eukaryotes and encode for proteins sharing a common MAGE homology domain. Although only a single MAGE gene exists in lower eukaryotes, the MAGE family rapidly expanded in eutherians and consists of more than 50 highly conserved genes in humans. A subset of MAGEs initially garnered interest as cancer biomarkers and immunotherapeutic targets due to their antigenic properties and unique expression pattern that is primary restricted to germ cells and aberrantly reactivated in various cancers. However, further investigation revealed that MAGEs not only drive tumorigenesis but also regulate pathways essential for diverse cellular and developmental processes. Therefore, MAGEs are implicated in a broad range of diseases including neurodevelopmental, renal, and lung disorders, and cancer. Recent biochemical and biophysical studies indicate that MAGEs assemble with E3 RING ubiquitin ligases to form MAGE-RING ligases (MRLs) and act as regulators of ubiquitination by modulating ligase activity, substrate specification, and subcellular localization. Here, we present a comprehensive guide to MAGEs highlighting the molecular mechanisms of MRLs and their physiological roles in germ cell and neural development, oncogenic functions in cancer, and potential as therapeutic targets in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna K Lee
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105-3678, USA
| | - Patrick Ryan Potts
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105-3678, USA.
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Pilot Study on MAGE-C2 as a Potential Biomarker for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. DISEASE MARKERS 2016; 2016:2325987. [PMID: 27843173 PMCID: PMC5098074 DOI: 10.1155/2016/2325987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2016] [Revised: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 09/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Objective. In the current study, we measured the expression status of melanoma antigen gene c2 (MAGE-C2) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and analyzed its prognostic with the clinical pathological features of patients with TNBC. Methods. The expressions statuses of MAGE-C2 were detected in TNBC tissues and paracarcinoma tissues by immunohistochemistry, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and western blotting. Then, we investigated the relationship of MAGE-C2 expression status and clinicopathological parameters of TNBC patients by the chi-squared test. Finally, we discussed the relations of MAGE-C2 expression state and prognosis of patients with TNBC by Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model. Results. High MAGE-C2 expression was found in 38.18% (42/110) of TNBC tissues. In adjacent tissues it was 9.09% (10/110). High MAGE-C2 expression in TNBC patients was closely associated with lymph node status, tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage, and lymphovascular invasion (P < 0.001). TNBC patients with high MAGE-C2 expression had significantly shorter survival time than low expression patients. We also found that age, lymph node status, TNM stage, lymphovascular invasion, and MAGE-C2 expression status were closely associated with overall survival of TNBC patients (P < 0.05). Conclusion. High MAGE-C2 expression may serve as an independent prognostic factor for TNBC patients.
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Wang D, Wang J, Ding N, Li Y, Yang Y, Fang X, Zhao H. MAGE-A1 promotes melanoma proliferation and migration through C-JUN activation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2016; 473:959-965. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.03.161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Xie C, Subhash VV, Datta A, Liem N, Tan SH, Yeo MS, Tan WL, Koh V, Yan FL, Wong FY, Wong WK, So J, Tan IB, Padmanabhan N, Yap CT, Tan P, Goh LK, Yong WP. Melanoma associated antigen (MAGE)-A3 promotes cell proliferation and chemotherapeutic drug resistance in gastric cancer. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2016; 39:175-86. [PMID: 26868260 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-015-0261-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Melanoma-associated antigen (MAGE)-A3 is a member of the family of cancer-testis antigens and has been found to be epigenetically regulated and aberrantly expressed in various cancer types. It has also been found that MAGE-A3 expression may correlate with an aggressive clinical course and with chemo-resistance. The objectives of this study were to assess the relationship between MAGE-A3 promoter methylation and expression and (1) gastric cancer patient survival and (2) its functional consequences in gastric cancer-derived cells. METHODS Samples from two independent gastric cancer cohorts (including matched non-malignant gastric samples) were included in this study. MAGE-A3 methylation and mRNA expression levels were determined by methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), respectively. MAGE-A3 expression was knocked down in MKN1 gastric cancer-derived cells using miRNAs. In addition, in vitro cell proliferation, colony formation, apoptosis, cell cycle, drug treatment, immunohistochemistry and Western blot assays were performed. RESULTS Clinical analysis of 223 primary patient-derived samples (ntumor = 161, nnormal = 62) showed a significant inverse correlation between MAGE-A3 promoter methylation and expression in the cancer samples (R = -0.63, p = 5.99e-19). A lower MAGE-A3 methylation level was found to be associated with a worse patient survival (HR: 1.5, 95 % CI: 1.02-2.37, p = 0.04). In addition, we found that miRNA-mediated knockdown of MAGE-A3 expression in MKN1 cells caused a reduction in its proliferation and colony forming capacities, respectively. Under stress conditions MAGE-A3 was found to regulate the expression of Bax and p21. MAGE-A3 knock down also led to an increase in Puma and Noxa expression, thus contributing to an enhanced docetaxel sensitivity in the gastric cancer-derived cells. CONCLUSIONS From our results we conclude that MAGE-A3 expression is regulated epigenetically by promoter methylation, and that its expression contributes to gastric cell proliferation and drug sensitivity. This study underscores the potential implications of MAGE-A3 as a therapeutic target and prognostic marker in gastric cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Xie
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Hospital, Level 7, NUHS Tower Block, 1E, Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
| | - Vinod Vijay Subhash
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Hospital, Level 7, NUHS Tower Block, 1E, Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore.,Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Arpita Datta
- Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Natalia Liem
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Hospital, Level 7, NUHS Tower Block, 1E, Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
| | - Shi Hui Tan
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Hospital, Level 7, NUHS Tower Block, 1E, Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore.,Centre for Quantitative Medicine, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mei Shi Yeo
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Hospital, Level 7, NUHS Tower Block, 1E, Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
| | - Woei Loon Tan
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Hospital, Level 7, NUHS Tower Block, 1E, Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
| | - Vivien Koh
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Hospital, Level 7, NUHS Tower Block, 1E, Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
| | - Fui Leng Yan
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Hospital, Level 7, NUHS Tower Block, 1E, Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
| | - Foong Ying Wong
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Hospital, Level 7, NUHS Tower Block, 1E, Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
| | - Wai Keong Wong
- Departments of Pathology and General Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jimmy So
- Departments of Medicine, Surgery, and Pathology, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Iain Beehuat Tan
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nisha Padmanabhan
- Department of Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Celestial T Yap
- Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,National University Cancer Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Patrick Tan
- Department of Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Liang Kee Goh
- Centre for Quantitative Medicine, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wei Peng Yong
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Hospital, Level 7, NUHS Tower Block, 1E, Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore. .,Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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Zang Y, Wei Y, Shi Y, Chen Q, Xing D. Chemo/Photoacoustic Dual Therapy with mRNA-Triggered DOX Release and Photoinduced Shockwave Based on a DNA-Gold Nanoplatform. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2016; 12:756-769. [PMID: 26683002 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201502857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Revised: 11/08/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
A multifunctional nanoparticle based on gold nanorod (GNR), utilizing mRNA triggered chemo-drug release and near-infrared photoacoustic effect, is developed for a combined chemo-photoacoustic therapy. The constructed nanoparticle (GNR-DNA/FA:DOX) comprises three functional components: (i) GNR as the drug delivery platform and photoacoustic effect enhancer; (ii) toehold-possessed DNA dressed on the GNR to load doxorubicin (DOX) to implement a tumor cell specific chemotherapy; and (iii) folate acid (FA) modified on GNR to guide the nanoparticle to target tumor cells. The results show that, upon an effective and specific delivery of the nanoparticles to the tumor cells with overexpressed folate receptors, the cytotoxic DOX loaded on the GNR-DNA nanoplatform can be released through DNA displacement reaction in melanoma-associated antigen gene mRNA expressed cells. With 808 nm pulse laser irradiation, the photoacoustic effect of the GNR leads to a direct physical damage to the cells. The combined treatment of the two modalities can effectively destroy tumor cells and eradicate the tumors with two distinctively different and supplementing mechanisms. With the nanoparticle, photoacoustic imaging is successfully performed in situ to monitor the drug distribution and tumor morphology for therapeutical guidance. With further in-depth investigation, the proposed nanoparticle may provide an effective and safe alternative cancer treatment modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yundong Zang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science and Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, P. R. China
| | - Yanchun Wei
- MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science and Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, P. R. China
| | - Yujiao Shi
- MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science and Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, P. R. China
| | - Qun Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science and Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, P. R. China
| | - Da Xing
- MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science and Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, P. R. China
- Joint Laboratory of Laser Oncology with Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
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Yang Q, Mas A, Diamond MP, Al-Hendy A. The Mechanism and Function of Epigenetics in Uterine Leiomyoma Development. Reprod Sci 2016; 23:163-75. [PMID: 25922306 PMCID: PMC5933172 DOI: 10.1177/1933719115584449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Uterine leiomyomas, also known as uterine fibroids, are the most common pelvic tumors, occurring in nearly 70% of all reproductive-aged women and are the leading indication for hysterectomy worldwide. The development of uterine leiomyomas involve a complex and heterogeneous constellation of hormones, growth factors, stem cells, genetic, and epigenetic abnormalities. An increasing body of evidence emphasizes the important contribution of epigenetics in the pathogenesis of leiomyomas. Genome-wide methylation analysis demonstrates that a subset of estrogen receptor (ER) response genes exhibit abnormal hypermethylation levels that are inversely correlated with their RNA expression. Several tumor suppressor genes, including Kruppel-like factor 11 (KLF11), deleted in lung and esophageal cancer 1 (DLEC1), keratin 19 (KRT19), and death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1) also display higher hypermethylation levels in leiomyomas when compared to adjacent normal tissues. The important role of active DNA demethylation was recently identified with regard to the ten-eleven translocation protein 1 and ten-eleven translocation protein 3-mediated elevated levels of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in leiomyoma. In addition, both histone deacetylase and histone methyltransferase are reported to be involved in the biology of leiomyomas. A number of deregulated microRNAs have been identified in leiomyomas, leading to an altered expression of their targets. More recently, the existence of side population (SP) cells with characteristics of tumor-initiating cells have been characterized in leiomyomas. These SP cells exhibit a tumorigenic capacity in immunodeficient mice when exposed to 17β-estradiol and progesterone, giving rise to fibroid-like tissue in vivo. These new findings will likely enhance our understanding of the crucial role epigenetics plays in the pathogenesis of uterine leiomyomas as well as point the way to novel therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiwei Yang
- Division of Translation Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Georgia Regents University, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Aymara Mas
- Division of Translation Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Georgia Regents University, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Michael P Diamond
- Division of Translation Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Georgia Regents University, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Ayman Al-Hendy
- Division of Translation Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Georgia Regents University, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, USA
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Brisam M, Rauthe S, Hartmann S, Linz C, Brands RC, Kübler AC, Rosenwald A, Müller-Richter UD. Expression of MAGE-A1-A12 subgroups in the invasive tumor front and tumor center in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Oncol Rep 2016; 35:1979-86. [PMID: 26820613 DOI: 10.3892/or.2016.4600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
MAGE-A proteins are highly expressed in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and are promising targets for cancer immunotherapy. This study examined the presence of MAGE-A expression within the tumor center (TC) and tumor invasive front (TIF) and evaluated its relationship to poor prognosis. The expression rate of each MAGE-A subtype, A1-A12, was examined in 68 OSCCs at the TIF and TC. Slides (1-µm) of tissue microarrays (diameter =0.6 mm) were immunohistochemically stained, and the findings were correlated to clinical data. Approximately 95% of the tumors had MAGE-A expression. Higher expression in the TC was shown significantly for MAGE-A1, -A5, -A6, -A9 and -A12 (P<0.05). MAGE-A2 and -A3 exhibited the opposite behavior (not significant, P>0.05). Age, tumor size, grade and survival time were not associated with the expression of certain MAGE-A subgroups. When expression in the whole tumor tissue was considered, only MAGE-A1 was expressed at a significantly higher rate in male patients (P=0.034). At the TIF, MAGE-A9 and the UICC disease stage were significantly correlated (P=0.0263), and MAGE-A6 and the UICC disease stage exhibited a strong trend (P=0.0596). The expression of MAGE-A3, -A4, -A5, -A9 and -A11 was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis, while MAGE-A4 was expressed in all regions of the tumors (TIF and TC). This study showed that higher expression of most MAGE-A antigens occurred at the TC rather than at the TIF. MAGE‑A1, -A3, -A4, -A5, -A9 and -A11 were significantly associated with clinically advanced stages of disease and seem to be of particular interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Brisam
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Würzburg, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany
| | - S Rauthe
- Institute of Pathology, University Würzburg, D-97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - S Hartmann
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Würzburg, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany
| | - C Linz
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Würzburg, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany
| | - R C Brands
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Würzburg, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany
| | - A C Kübler
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Würzburg, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany
| | - A Rosenwald
- Institute of Pathology, University Würzburg, D-97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - U D Müller-Richter
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Würzburg, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany
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Srivastava P, Paluch BE, Matsuzaki J, James SR, Collamat-Lai G, Taverna P, Karpf AR, Griffiths EA. Immunomodulatory action of the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor SGI-110 in epithelial ovarian cancer cells and xenografts. Epigenetics 2015; 10:237-46. [PMID: 25793777 PMCID: PMC4623048 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2015.1017198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We aimed to determine the effect of SGI-110 on methylation and expression of the cancer testis antigens (CTAs) NY-ESO-1 and MAGE-A in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cells in vitro and in vivo and to establish the impact of SGI-110 on expression of major histocompatibility (MHC) class I and Intracellular Adhesion Molecule 1 (ICAM-1) on EOC cells, and on recognition of EOC cells by NY-ESO-1-specific CD8+ T-cells. We also tested the impact of combined SGI-110 and NY-ESO-1-specific CD8+ T-cells on tumor growth and/or murine survival in a xenograft setting. EOC cells were treated with SGI-110 in vitro at various concentrations and as tumor xenografts with 3 distinct dose schedules. Effects on global methylation (using LINE-1), NY-ESO-1 and MAGE-A methylation, mRNA, and protein expression were determined and compared to controls. SGI-110 treated EOC cells were evaluated for expression of immune-modulatory genes using flow cytometry, and were co-cultured with NY-ESO-1 specific T-cell clones to determine immune recognition. In vivo administration of SGI-110 and CD8+ T-cells was performed to determine anti-tumor effects on EOC xenografts. SGI-110 treatment induced hypomethylation and CTA gene expression in a dose dependent manner both in vitro and in vivo, at levels generally superior to azacitidine or decitabine. SGI-110 enhanced the expression of MHC I and ICAM-1, and enhanced recognition of EOC cells by NY-ESO-1-specific CD8+ T-cells. Sequential SGI-110 and antigen-specific CD8+ cell treatment restricted EOC tumor growth and enhanced survival in a xenograft setting. SGI-110 is an effective hypomethylating agent and immune modulator and, thus, an attractive candidate for combination with CTA-directed vaccines in EOC.
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Key Words
- AZA, Azacitidine (5-azacytidine)
- CTA, Cancer-testis antigen or cancer-germline antigen
- CTAG1B, Cancer/testis antigen 1B
- DAC, Decitabine (5-aza-2′-deoxycitidine)
- DNA methylation
- DNA methyltransferase inhibitors
- DNA, Deoxyribonucleic acid
- DNMTi, DNA methyltransferase inhibitor
- EOC, Epithelial ovarian cancer
- HLA, Human leukocyte antigen
- ICAM-1, Intracellular Adhesion Molecule 1
- LINE-1, Long interspersed nuclear element-1
- MAGE-A, Melanoma antigen family A
- MHC, Major histocompatibility complex
- NY-ESO-1, New york esophageal squamous cell carcinoma 1
- RNA, Ribonucleic acid
- SGI-110
- cancer germline genes
- cancer testis antigens
- epigenetics
- epithelial ovarian cancer
- immune modulation
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragya Srivastava
- a Department of Medicine; Roswell Park Cancer Institute ; Buffalo NY USA
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Klar AS, Gopinadh J, Kleber S, Wadle A, Renner C. Treatment with 5-Aza-2'-Deoxycytidine Induces Expression of NY-ESO-1 and Facilitates Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte-Mediated Tumor Cell Killing. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0139221. [PMID: 26447882 PMCID: PMC4598131 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND NY-ESO-1 belongs to the cancer/testis antigen (CTA) family and represents an attractive target for cancer immunotherapy. Its expression is induced in a variety of solid tumors via DNA demethylation of the promoter of CpG islands. However, NY-ESO-1 expression is usually very low or absent in some tumors such as breast cancer or multiple myeloma. Therefore, we established an optimized in vitro treatment protocol for up-regulation of NY-ESO-1 expression by tumor cells using the hypomethylating agent 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (DAC). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We demonstrated de novo induction of NY-ESO-1 in MCF7 breast cancer cells and significantly increased expression in U266 multiple myeloma cells. This effect was time- and dose-dependent with the highest expression of NY-ESO-1 mRNA achieved by the incubation of 10 μM DAC for 72 hours. NY-ESO-1 activation was also confirmed at the protein level as shown by Western blot, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence staining. The detection and quantification of single NY-ESO-1 peptides presented at the tumor cell surface in the context of HLA-A*0201 molecules revealed an increase of 100% and 50% for MCF7 and U266 cells, respectively. Moreover, the enhanced expression of NY-ESO-1 derived peptides at the cell surface was accompanied by an increased specific lysis of MCF7 and U266 cells by HLA-A*0201/NY-ESO-1(157-165) peptide specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) CD8+ T cells. In addition, the killing activity of CAR T cells correlated with the secretion of higher IFN-gamma levels. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE These results indicate that NY-ESO-1 directed immunotherapy with specific CAR T cells might benefit from concomitant DAC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnes S. Klar
- Tissue Biology Research Unit, Department of Surgery, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jakka Gopinadh
- Department of Oncology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sascha Kleber
- Department of Oncology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Wadle
- Department of Oncology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Renner
- Department of Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Gallagher SJ, Tiffen JC, Hersey P. Histone Modifications, Modifiers and Readers in Melanoma Resistance to Targeted and Immune Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2015; 7:1959-82. [PMID: 26426052 PMCID: PMC4695870 DOI: 10.3390/cancers7040870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2015] [Revised: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The treatment of melanoma has been revolutionized by new therapies targeting MAPK signaling or the immune system. Unfortunately these therapies are hindered by either primary resistance or the development of acquired resistance. Resistance mechanisms involving somatic mutations in genes associated with resistance have been identified in some cases of melanoma, however, the cause of resistance remains largely unexplained in other cases. The importance of epigenetic factors targeting histones and histone modifiers in driving the behavior of melanoma is only starting to be unraveled and provides significant opportunity to combat the problems of therapy resistance. There is also an increasing ability to target these epigenetic changes with new drugs that inhibit these modifications to either prevent or overcome resistance to both MAPK inhibitors and immunotherapy. This review focuses on changes in histones, histone reader proteins and histone positioning, which can mediate resistance to new therapeutics and that can be targeted for future therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart J Gallagher
- Melanoma Immunology and Oncology Group, Centenary Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown 2050, Australia.
- Melanoma Institute Australia, Crow's Nest 2065, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Jessamy C Tiffen
- Melanoma Immunology and Oncology Group, Centenary Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown 2050, Australia.
- Melanoma Institute Australia, Crow's Nest 2065, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Peter Hersey
- Melanoma Immunology and Oncology Group, Centenary Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown 2050, Australia.
- Melanoma Institute Australia, Crow's Nest 2065, Sydney, Australia.
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Juo YY, Gong XJ, Mishra A, Cui X, Baylin SB, Azad NS, Ahuja N. Epigenetic therapy for solid tumors: from bench science to clinical trials. Epigenomics 2015; 7:215-35. [PMID: 25942532 DOI: 10.2217/epi.14.73] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The cancer epigenome is characterized by global DNA methylation and chromatin changes, such as the hypermethylation of specific CpG island promoters. Epigenetic agents like DNA methyltransferase or histone deacetylase inhibitors induce phenotype changes by reactivation of epigenetically silenced tumor suppressor genes. Despite initial promise in hematologic malignancies, epigenetic agents have not shown significant efficacy as monotherapy against solid tumors. Recent trials showed that epigenetic agents exert favorable modifier effects when combined with chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, or other epigenetic agents. Due to the novel nature of their mechanism, it is important to reconsider the optimal patient selection, drug regimen, study design, and outcome measures when pursuing future trials in order to discover the full potential of this new therapeutic modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Yi Juo
- Department of Surgery, George Washington University Medical Center, 2150 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 6B, Washington, DC 20037, USA
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