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Huang Y, Chen Z, Shen G, Fang S, Zheng J, Chi Z, Zhang Y, Zou Y, Gan Q, Liao C, Yao Y, Kong J, Fan X. Immune regulation and the tumor microenvironment in anti-PD-1/PDL-1 and anti-CTLA-4 therapies for cancer immune evasion: A bibliometric analysis. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2024; 20:2318815. [PMID: 38419524 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2024.2318815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis, employing visualization tools to examine literature pertaining to tumor immune evasion related to anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy from 1999 to 2022. A special emphasis is placed on the interplay between tumor microenvironment, signaling pathways, immune cells and immune evasion, with data sourced from the Web of Science core collection (WoSCC). Advanced tools, including VOSviewer, Citespace, and Scimago Graphica, were utilized to analyze various parameters, such as co-authorship/co-citation patterns, regional contributions, journal preferences, keyword co-occurrences, and significant citation bursts. Out of 4778 publications reviewed, there was a marked increase in research focusing on immune evasion, with bladder cancer being notably prominent. Geographically, China, the USA, and Japan were the leading contributors. Prestigious institutions like MD Anderson Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Fudan University, and Sun Yat Sen University emerged as major players. Renowned journals in this domain included Frontiers in Immunology, Cancers, and Frontiers in Oncology. Ehen LP and Wang W were identified as prolific authors on this topic, while Topalian SL stood out as one of the most cited. Research current situation is notably pivoting toward challenges like immunotherapy resistance and the intricate signaling pathways driving drug resistance. This bibliometric study seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of past and current research trends, emphasizing the potential role of tumor microenvironment, signaling pathways and immune cells in the context of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and tumor immune evasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Huang
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Zhijian Chen
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Gang Shen
- Department of Urology, DUSHU Lake Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Shuogui Fang
- Department of Radiotherapy, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Junjiong Zheng
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Zepai Chi
- Department of urology, Shantou Central Hospital, Shantou, China
| | - Yuanfeng Zhang
- Department of urology, Shantou Central Hospital, Shantou, China
| | - Yitong Zou
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Qinghua Gan
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Chengxiao Liao
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Yuhui Yao
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Jianqiu Kong
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Xinxiang Fan
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
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Evans ST, Jani Y, Jansen CS, Yildirim A, Kalemoglu E, Bilen MA. Understanding and overcoming resistance to immunotherapy in genitourinary cancers. Cancer Biol Ther 2024; 25:2342599. [PMID: 38629578 PMCID: PMC11028033 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2024.2342599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The introduction of novel immunotherapies has significantly transformed the treatment landscape of genitourinary (GU) cancers, even becoming the standard of care in some settings. One such type of immunotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) like nivolumab, ipilimumab, pembrolizumab, and atezolizumab play a pivotal role by disturbing signaling pathways that limit the immune system's ability to fight tumor cells. Despite the profound impact of these treatments, not all tumors are responsive. Recent research efforts have been focused on understanding how cancer cells manage to evade the immune response and identifying the possible mechanisms behind resistance to immunotherapy. In response, ICIs are being combined with other treatments to reduce resistance and attack cancer cells through multiple cellular pathways. Additionally, novel, targeted strategies are currently being investigated to develop innovative methods of overcoming resistance and treatment failure. This article presents a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms of immunotherapy resistance in GU cancers as currently described in the literature. It explores studies that have identified genetic markers, cytokines, and proteins that may predict resistance or response to immunotherapy. Additionally, we review current efforts to overcome this resistance, which include combination ICIs and sequential therapies, novel insights into the host immune profile, and new targeted therapies. Various approaches that combine immunotherapy with chemotherapy, targeted therapy, vaccines, and radiation have been studied in an effort to more effectively overcome resistance to immunotherapy. While each of these combination therapies has shown some efficacy in clinical trials, a deeper understanding of the immune system's role underscores the potential of novel targeted therapies as a particularly promising area of current research. Currently, several targeted agents are in development, along with the identification of key immune mediators involved in immunotherapy resistance. Further research is necessary to identify predictors of response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean T Evans
- Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yash Jani
- Undergraduate studies, Mercer University, Macon, GA, USA
| | - Caroline S Jansen
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Genitourinary Medical Oncology Program, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ahmet Yildirim
- Genitourinary Medical Oncology Program, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ecem Kalemoglu
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Basic Oncology, Health Institute of Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Asim Bilen
- Genitourinary Medical Oncology Program, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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3
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Tanegashima T, Shiota M, Fujiyama N, Narita S, Habuchi T, Fukuchi G, Takamatsu D, Oda Y, Miyake H, Takahashi M, Oya M, Tsuchiya N, Masumori N, Matsuyama H, Obara W, Shinohara N, Fujimoto K, Nozawa M, Ohba K, Ohyama C, Hashine K, Akamatsu S, Kamba T, Mita K, Gotoh M, Tatarano S, Fujisawa M, Tomita Y, Mukai S, Ito K, Tokunaga S, Eto M. Effect of HLA Genotype on Anti-PD-1 Antibody Treatment for Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma in the SNiP-RCC Study. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2024; 213:23-28. [PMID: 38758119 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade therapies are widely used for cancer treatment, including advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This study aimed to investigate the impact of zygosity in HLA genes and individual HLA genotypes on the efficacy of an anti-PD-1 Ab, nivolumab, in treating advanced RCC. Patient enrollment was conducted across 23 institutions in Japan from August 19, 2019, to September 30, 2020, with follow-up concluding on March 31, 2021. HLA genotype imputation of HLA-A, B, and C, DQB1, and DRB1 loci was performed. Among 222 patients, the presence of at least one homozygosity of the HLA-II allele significantly improved the best objective response (hazard ratio, 0.34; 95% confidence interval, 0.21-0.96; p = 0.042). The HLA evolutionary divergence (HED) of the HLA-A and HLA-B loci was higher than the HLA-C (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0001, respectively), with high HED of the HLA-B locus correlating to clinical benefits in nivolumab treatment (hazard ratio, 0.44; 95% confidence interval, 0.21-0.90; p = 0.024) and improving cancer-specific survival compared with the low group (p = 0.0202). Additionally, high HED of the HLA-B locus was correlated with the number of infiltrated CD8+ cells in the tumor microenvironment (correlation coefficient, 0.4042). These findings indicate that the diversity of the HLA-B locus plays a significant role in the anti-tumor effect of nivolumab treatment in advanced RCC, potentially offering insights for improved risk stratification in nivolumab treatment and leading to better medical management of advanced RCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tokiyoshi Tanegashima
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Masaki Shiota
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Fujiyama
- Center for Kidney Disease and Transplantation, Akita University Hospital, Akita, Japan
| | - Shintaro Narita
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Akita University, Akita, Japan
| | - Tomonori Habuchi
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Akita University, Akita, Japan
| | - Genshiro Fukuchi
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Dai Takamatsu
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yoshinao Oda
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hideaki Miyake
- Department of Urology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Masayuki Takahashi
- Department of Urology, Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Mototsugu Oya
- Department of Urology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Norihiko Tsuchiya
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata University, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Naoya Masumori
- Department of Urology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Hideyasu Matsuyama
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Ube, Japan
| | - Wataru Obara
- Department of Urology, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Iwate, Japan
| | - Nobuo Shinohara
- Department of Renal and Genitourinary Surgery, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | | | - Masahiro Nozawa
- Department of Urology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kojiro Ohba
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Chikara Ohyama
- Department of Urology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Katsuyoshi Hashine
- Department of Urology, National Hospital Organization Shikoku Cancer Center, Ehime, Japan
| | - Shusuke Akamatsu
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tomomi Kamba
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto Japan
| | - Koji Mita
- Department of Urology, Hiroshima City Asa Citizens Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Momokazu Gotoh
- Department of Urology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Shuichi Tatarano
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Masato Fujisawa
- Department of Urology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Tomita
- Department of Urology and Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Shoichiro Mukai
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Keiichi Ito
- Department of Urology, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan
| | - Shoji Tokunaga
- Medical Information Center, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Eto
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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4
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Eichhorn JS, Petrik J. Thetumor microenvironment'sinpancreatic cancer:Effects onimmunotherapy successandnovel strategiestoovercomethehostile environment. Pathol Res Pract 2024; 259:155370. [PMID: 38815507 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2024.155370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Cancer is a significant global health issue that poses a considerable burden on both patients and healthcare systems. Many different types of cancers exist that often require unique treatment approaches and therapies. A hallmark of tumor progression is the creation of an immunosuppressive environment, which poses complex challenges for current treatments. Amongst the most explored characteristics is a hypoxic environment, high interstitial pressure, and immunosuppressive cells and cytokines. Traditional cancer treatments involve radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgical procedures. The advent of immunotherapies was regarded as a promising approach with hopes of greatly increasing patients' survival and outcome. Although some success is seen with various immunotherapies, the vast majority of monotherapies are unsuccessful. This review examines how various aspects of the tumor microenvironment (TME) present challenges that impede the success of immunotherapies. Subsequently, we review strategies to manipulate the TME to facilitate the success of immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Sören Eichhorn
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Jim Petrik
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1 Canada.
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5
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Deng S, Wang J, Hu Y, Sun Y, Yang X, Zhang B, Deng Y, Wei W, Zhang Z, Wen L, Qin Y, Huang F, Sheng Y, Wan C, Yang K. Irradiated tumour cell-derived microparticles upregulate MHC-I expression in cancer cells via DNA double-strand break repair pathway. Cancer Lett 2024; 592:216898. [PMID: 38670306 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Radiotherapy (RT) is used for over 50 % of cancer patients and can promote adaptive immunity against tumour antigens. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we discovered that RT induces the release of irradiated tumour cell-derived microparticles (RT-MPs), which significantly upregulate MHC-I expression on the membranes of non-irradiated cells, enhancing the recognition and killing of these cells by T cells. Mechanistically, RT-MPs induce DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) in tumour cells, activating the ATM/ATR/CHK1-mediated DNA repair signalling pathway, and upregulating MHC-I expression. Inhibition of ATM/ATR/CHK1 reversed RT-MP-induced upregulation of MHC-I. Furthermore, phosphorylation of STAT1/3 following the activation of ATM/ATR/CHK1 is indispensable for the DSB-dependent upregulation of MHC-I. Therefore, our findings reveal the role of RT-MP-induced DSBs and the subsequent DNA repair signalling pathway in MHC-I expression and provide mechanistic insights into the regulation of MHC-I expression after DSBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suke Deng
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Institute of Radiation Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Precision Radiation Oncology, China
| | - Jiacheng Wang
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Institute of Radiation Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Precision Radiation Oncology, China
| | - Yan Hu
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Institute of Radiation Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Precision Radiation Oncology, China
| | - Yajie Sun
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Institute of Radiation Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Precision Radiation Oncology, China
| | - Xiao Yang
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Institute of Radiation Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Precision Radiation Oncology, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Institute of Radiation Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Precision Radiation Oncology, China
| | - Yue Deng
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Institute of Radiation Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Precision Radiation Oncology, China
| | - Wenwen Wei
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Institute of Radiation Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Precision Radiation Oncology, China
| | - Zhanjie Zhang
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Institute of Radiation Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Precision Radiation Oncology, China
| | - Lu Wen
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Institute of Radiation Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Precision Radiation Oncology, China
| | - You Qin
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Institute of Radiation Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Precision Radiation Oncology, China
| | - Fang Huang
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Institute of Radiation Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Precision Radiation Oncology, China
| | - Yuhan Sheng
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Institute of Radiation Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Precision Radiation Oncology, China
| | - Chao Wan
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Institute of Radiation Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Precision Radiation Oncology, China.
| | - Kunyu Yang
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Institute of Radiation Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Precision Radiation Oncology, China.
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6
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Tsui YM, Tian L, Lu J, Ma H, Ng IOL. Interplay among extracellular vesicles, cancer stemness and immune regulation in driving hepatocellular carcinoma progression. Cancer Lett 2024; 597:217084. [PMID: 38925362 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.217084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
The intricate interplay among extracellular vesicles, cancer stemness properties, and the immune system significantly impacts hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression, treatment response, and patient prognosis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are membrane-bound structures, play a pivotal role in conveying proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids between cells, thereby serving as essential mediators of intercellular communication. Since a lot of current research focuses on small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), with diameters ranging from 30nm to 200nm, this review emphasizes the role of sEVs in the context of interactions between HCC stemness-bearing cells and the immune cells. sEVs offer promising opportunities for the clinical application of innovative diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in HCC. By specifically targeting sEVs, novel therapeutics aimed at cancer stemness can be developed. Ongoing investigations into the roles of sEVs in cancer stemness and immune regulation in HCC will broaden our understanding and ultimately pave the way for groundbreaking therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Man Tsui
- Department of Pathology and; State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Lu Tian
- Department of Pathology and; State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Jingyi Lu
- Department of Pathology and; State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Huanhuan Ma
- Department of Pathology and; State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Irene Oi-Lin Ng
- Department of Pathology and; State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
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7
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Werner W, Kuzminskaya M, Lurje I, Tacke F, Hammerich L. Overcoming Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Liver Cancer with Combination Therapy: Stronger Together? Semin Liver Dis 2024. [PMID: 38806159 DOI: 10.1055/a-2334-8311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Primary liver cancer, represented mainly by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), is one of the most common and deadliest tumors worldwide. While surgical resection or liver transplantation are the best option in early disease stages, these tumors often present in advanced stages and systemic treatment is required to improve survival time. The emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has had a positive impact especially on the treatment of advanced cancers, thereby establishing immunotherapy as part of first-line treatment in HCC and CCA. Nevertheless, low response rates reflect on the usually cold or immunosuppressed tumor microenvironment of primary liver cancer. In this review, we aim to summarize mechanisms of resistance leading to tumor immune escape with a special focus on the composition of tumor microenvironment in both HCC and CCA, also reflecting on recent important developments in ICI combination therapy. Furthermore, we discuss how combination of ICIs with established primary liver cancer treatments (e.g. multikinase inhibitors and chemotherapy) as well as more complex combinations with state-of-the-art therapeutic concepts may reshape the tumor microenvironment, leading to higher response rates and long-lasting antitumor immunity for primary liver cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiebke Werner
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria Kuzminskaya
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Isabella Lurje
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Frank Tacke
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Linda Hammerich
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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8
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Zhang C, Sun YX, Yi DC, Jiang BY, Yan LX, Liu ZD, Peng LS, Zhang WJ, Sun H, Chen ZY, Wang DH, Peng D, Chen SA, Li SQ, Zhang Z, Tan XY, Yang J, Zhao ZY, Zhang WT, Su J, Li YS, Liao RQ, Dong S, Xu CR, Zhou Q, Yang XN, Wu YL, Zhang ZM, Zhong WZ. Neoadjuvant sintilimab plus chemotherapy in EGFR-mutant NSCLC: Phase 2 trial interim results (NEOTIDE/CTONG2104). Cell Rep Med 2024:101615. [PMID: 38897205 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
The clinical efficacy of neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemotherapy remains elusive in localized epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we report interim results of a Simon's two-stage design, phase 2 trial using neoadjuvant sintilimab with carboplatin and nab-paclitaxel in resectable EGFR-mutant NSCLC. All 18 patients undergo radical surgery, with one patient experiencing surgery delay. Fourteen patients exhibit confirmed radiological response, with 44% achieving major pathological response (MPR) and no pathological complete response (pCR). Similar genomic alterations are observed before and after treatment without influencing the efficacy of subsequent EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in vitro. Infiltration and T cell receptor (TCR) clonal expansion of CCR8+ regulatory T (Treg)hi/CXCL13+ exhausted T (Tex)lo cells define a subtype of EGFR-mutant NSCLC highly resistant to immunotherapy, with the phenotype potentially serving as a promising signature to predict immunotherapy efficacy. Informed circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) detection in EGFR-mutant NSCLC could help identify patients nonresponsive to neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy. These findings provide supportive data for the utilization of neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy and insight into immune resistance in EGFR-mutant NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Zhang
- Department of Pulmonary Surgery, Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Xuan Sun
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ding-Cheng Yi
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ben-Yuan Jiang
- Department of Pulmonary Surgery, Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li-Xu Yan
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ze-Dao Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Li-Shan Peng
- Department of Pulmonary Surgery, Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Jie Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Sun
- Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Yong Chen
- Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Department of Radiation Therapy, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | | | - Di Peng
- Burning Rock Biotech, Guangzhou, China
| | | | - Si-Qi Li
- Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ze Zhang
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Xiao-Yue Tan
- PET Center, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jie Yang
- Department of Pulmonary Surgery, Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhang-Yi Zhao
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Wan-Ting Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Su
- Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yang-Si Li
- Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ri-Qiang Liao
- Department of Pulmonary Surgery, Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Song Dong
- Department of Pulmonary Surgery, Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chong-Rui Xu
- Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing Zhou
- Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xue-Ning Yang
- Department of Pulmonary Surgery, Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi-Long Wu
- Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ze-Min Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China; BIOPIC, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Wen-Zhao Zhong
- Department of Pulmonary Surgery, Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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9
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Takahashi N, Pongor L, Agrawal SP, Shtumpf M, Rajapakse VN, Shafiei A, Schultz CW, Kim S, Roame D, Carter P, Vilimas R, Nichols S, Desai P, Figg WD, Bagheri M, Teif VB, Thomas A. Genomic alterations and transcriptional phenotypes in circulating tumor DNA and matched metastatic tumor. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.02.597054. [PMID: 38895436 PMCID: PMC11185519 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.02.597054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Background Profiling circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has become a fundamental practice in cancer medicine, but the effectiveness of cfDNA at elucidating tumor-derived molecular features has not been systematically compared to standard single-lesion tumor biopsies in prospective cohorts of patients. The use of plasma instead of tissue to guide therapy is particularly attractive for patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a cancer whose aggressive clinical course making it exceedingly challenging to obtain tumor biopsies. Methods Here, a prospective cohort of 49 plasma samples obtained before, during, and after treatment from 20 patients with recurrent SCLC, we study cfDNA low pass whole genome (0.1X coverage) and exome (130X) sequencing in comparison with time-point matched tumor, characterized using exome and transcriptome sequencing. Results Direct comparison of cfDNA versus tumor biopsy reveals that cfDNA not only mirrors the mutation and copy number landscape of the corresponding tumor but also identifies clinically relevant resistance mechanisms and cancer driver alterations not found in matched tumor biopsies. Longitudinal cfDNA analysis reliably tracks tumor response, progression, and clonal evolution. Genomic sequencing coverage of plasma DNA fragments around transcription start sites shows distinct treatment-related changes and captures the expression of key transcription factors such as NEUROD1 and REST in the corresponding SCLC tumors, allowing prediction of SCLC neuroendocrine phenotypes and treatment responses. Conclusions These findings have important implications for non-invasive stratification and subtype-specific therapies for patients with SCLC, now treated as a single disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuyuki Takahashi
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, USA
- Medical Oncology Branch, Center Hospital, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center East Hospital, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Lorinc Pongor
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, USA
| | | | - Mariya Shtumpf
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| | - Vinodh N Rajapakse
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, USA
| | - Ahmad Shafiei
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, USA
| | - Christopher W Schultz
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, USA
| | - Sehyun Kim
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, Korea
| | - Diana Roame
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, USA
| | - Paula Carter
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, USA
| | - Rasa Vilimas
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, USA
| | - Samantha Nichols
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, USA
| | - Parth Desai
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, USA
| | - William Douglas Figg
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, USA
| | - Mohammad Bagheri
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, USA
| | - Vladimir B Teif
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| | - Anish Thomas
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, USA
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10
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Lin C, Teng W, Tian Y, Li S, Xia N, Huang C. Immune landscape and response to oncolytic virus-based immunotherapy. Front Med 2024; 18:411-429. [PMID: 38453818 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-023-1048-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Oncolytic virus (OV)-based immunotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy for cancer treatment, offering a unique potential to selectively target malignant cells while sparing normal tissues. However, the immunosuppressive nature of tumor microenvironment (TME) poses a substantial hurdle to the development of OVs as effective immunotherapeutic agents, as it restricts the activation and recruitment of immune cells. This review elucidates the potential of OV-based immunotherapy in modulating the immune landscape within the TME to overcome immune resistance and enhance antitumor immune responses. We examine the role of OVs in targeting specific immune cell populations, including dendritic cells, T cells, natural killer cells, and macrophages, and their ability to alter the TME by inhibiting angiogenesis and reducing tumor fibrosis. Additionally, we explore strategies to optimize OV-based drug delivery and improve the efficiency of OV-mediated immunotherapy. In conclusion, this review offers a concise and comprehensive synopsis of the current status and future prospects of OV-based immunotherapy, underscoring its remarkable potential as an effective immunotherapeutic agent for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaolong Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Wenzhong Teng
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Yang Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Shaopeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Ningshao Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
| | - Chenghao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
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11
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Ying X, You G, Shao R. The analysis of the efficacy and safety of stereotactic body radiotherapy with sequential immune checkpoint inhibitors in the management of oligoprogressive advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Transl Cancer Res 2024; 13:2408-2418. [PMID: 38881915 PMCID: PMC11170538 DOI: 10.21037/tcr-23-2232] [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: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Background No standardized treatment strategy exists for managing oligoprogression during maintenance therapy in driver-negative advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Similarly, a uniform response to oligoprogression during maintenance therapy using immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has not been established. Consequently, our investigation focused on assessing the efficacy and safety of employing stereotactic total body radiotherapy in conjunction with ICIs to address oligoprogression in advanced NSCLC. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with driver-negative advanced NSCLC who received stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in combination with ICIs to manage oligoprogressive lesions within the period from October 2018 to October 2023 at our institution. Oligoprogression, defined as progression occurring in three or fewer disease sites, was the focus of our investigation. Our assessment encompassed various parameters including the local control rate (LCR), progression-free survival post-oligoprogression (PFS-P), overall survival post-oligoprogression (OS-P), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and the safety profile associated with SBRT followed by sequential ICIs after oligoprogression. Results A total of 15 patients were enrolled in this study, all at stage IV, with 12 (80%) receiving a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma. Before oligoprogression, 11 (73.3%) patients had undergone immunotherapy. Following the treatment of oligoprogressed lung cancer with SBRT sequential ICIs, the median PFS-P and OS-P were 8 months (95% CI: 2.7-13.3) and 12 months (95% CI: 7.3-16.7), respectively. Additionally, the median PFS and OS were 26 months (95% CI: 8.0-44.0) and 30 months (not reached), respectively. The median local control (LC) of 15 oligoprogressed lesions was 13 months (95% CI: 5.3-20.2), with a 1-year LCR of 77.9%. Notably, patients with a performance status (PS) score of less than 2 demonstrated a more favorable survival benefit. Conclusions Stereotactic systemic radiation therapy, combined with sequential ICIs, enhances both LC and survival in advanced NSCLC characterized by oligoprogression and negative driver gene mutations. This approach also exhibits the potential to postpone the transition between systemic chemotherapy regimens. Manageable adverse reactions were observed, with the absence of grade 4 reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xixi Ying
- Department of Radiology and Oncology, Taizhou Cancer Hospital, Taizhou, China
- Taizhou Key Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Intervention and Big Data Artificial Intelligence, Taizhou, China
| | - Guangxian You
- Department of Radiology and Oncology, Taizhou Cancer Hospital, Taizhou, China
- Taizhou Key Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Intervention and Big Data Artificial Intelligence, Taizhou, China
| | - Rongjun Shao
- Department of Radiology and Oncology, Taizhou Cancer Hospital, Taizhou, China
- Taizhou Key Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Intervention and Big Data Artificial Intelligence, Taizhou, China
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12
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Vasileiou M, Diamantoudis SC, Tsianava C, Nguyen NP. Immunotherapeutic Strategies Targeting Breast Cancer Stem Cells. Curr Oncol 2024; 31:3040-3063. [PMID: 38920716 PMCID: PMC11203270 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol31060232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and is a leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. Despite the implementation of multiple treatment options, including immunotherapy, breast cancer treatment remains a challenge. In this review, we aim to summarize present challenges in breast cancer immunotherapy and recent advancements in overcoming treatment resistance. We elaborate on the inhibition of signaling cascades, such as the Notch, Hedgehog, Hippo, and WNT signaling pathways, which regulate the self-renewal and differentiation of breast cancer stem cells and, consequently, disease progression and survival. Cancer stem cells represent a rare population of cancer cells, likely originating from non-malignant stem or progenitor cells, with the ability to evade immune surveillance and develop resistance to immunotherapeutic treatments. We also discuss the interactions between breast cancer stem cells and the immune system, including potential agents targeting breast cancer stem cell-associated signaling pathways, and provide an overview of the emerging approaches to breast cancer stem cell-targeted immunotherapy. Finally, we consider the development of breast cancer vaccines and adoptive cellular therapies, which train the immune system to recognize tumor-associated antigens, for eliciting T cell-mediated responses to target breast cancer stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vasileiou
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece;
| | | | - Christina Tsianava
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
| | - Nam P. Nguyen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Howard University, Washington, DC 20060, USA
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13
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Riva E, Carboni S, di Berardino-Besson W, Moyat M, Belnoue E, Devy-Dimanche L, Rossi M. Bimodal Effect of NKG2A Blockade on Intratumoral and Systemic CD8 T Cell Response Induced by Cancer Vaccine. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2036. [PMID: 38893156 PMCID: PMC11171001 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16112036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune check-point blockade (ICB) has revitalized cancer immunotherapy, showing unprecedented efficacy despite only a narrow number of indications and with limited long-term protection. Cancer vaccines are promising combination partners for ICB to widen the patient population profiting from these treatments. Therapeutic heterologous prime-boost vaccination with KISIMATM protein vaccine and VSV-GP-TAg oncolytic virus was shown to inflame the tumor microenvironment, promoting significant infiltration of antigen-specific CD8 T cells resulting in robust antitumoral efficacy in mouse tumor models, and clinical trials are currently ongoing. Here, we report the impact of NKG2A blockade on antitumoral CD8 T cell immune response elicited by KISIMA-VSV-GP-TAg vaccination in tumor mouse models. Combination therapy significantly reduced the amount of vaccine-induced exhausted CD8 T cells infiltrating the tumor, resulting in short-term improved tumor growth control and prolonged mouse survival, while it also influenced the establishment of systemic effector memory CD8 T cell response. Taken together, these data show a compartment-dependent effect of NKG2A blockade on cancer vaccine-induced T cell immunity, increasing intratumoral T cell efficacy and attenuating the development of peripheral effector memory CD8 T cell response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Riva
- Amal Therapeutics, Fondation Pour Recherches Médicales, Avenue de la Roseraie 64, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, 55216 Ingelheim, Germany
| | - Susanna Carboni
- Amal Therapeutics, Fondation Pour Recherches Médicales, Avenue de la Roseraie 64, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, 55216 Ingelheim, Germany
| | - Wilma di Berardino-Besson
- Amal Therapeutics, Fondation Pour Recherches Médicales, Avenue de la Roseraie 64, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, 55216 Ingelheim, Germany
| | - Mati Moyat
- Amal Therapeutics, Fondation Pour Recherches Médicales, Avenue de la Roseraie 64, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, 55216 Ingelheim, Germany
| | - Elodie Belnoue
- Amal Therapeutics, Fondation Pour Recherches Médicales, Avenue de la Roseraie 64, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, 55216 Ingelheim, Germany
| | - Laetitia Devy-Dimanche
- Amal Therapeutics, Fondation Pour Recherches Médicales, Avenue de la Roseraie 64, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, 55216 Ingelheim, Germany
| | - Matteo Rossi
- Amal Therapeutics, Fondation Pour Recherches Médicales, Avenue de la Roseraie 64, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, 55216 Ingelheim, Germany
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14
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Ma Y, Wang T, Zhang X, Wang P, Long F. The role of circular RNAs in regulating resistance to cancer immunotherapy: mechanisms and implications. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:312. [PMID: 38697964 PMCID: PMC11066075 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06698-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has rapidly transformed cancer treatment, yet resistance remains a significant hurdle, limiting its efficacy in many patients. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel class of non-coding RNAs, have emerged as pivotal regulators of gene expression and cellular processes. Increasing evidence indicates their involvement in modulating resistance to cancer immunotherapy. Notably, certain circRNAs function as miRNA sponges or interact with proteins, influencing the expression of immune-related genes, including crucial immune checkpoint molecules. This, in turn, shapes the tumor microenvironment and significantly impacts the response to immunotherapy. In this comprehensive review, we explore the evolving role of circRNAs in orchestrating resistance to cancer immunotherapy, with a specific focus on their mechanisms in influencing immune checkpoint gene expression. Additionally, we underscore the potential of circRNAs as promising therapeutic targets to augment the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy. Understanding the role of circRNAs in cancer immunotherapy resistance could contribute to the development of new therapeutic strategies to overcome resistance and improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Ma
- Department of Clinical Research, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Clinical Research, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xudong Zhang
- Department of Clinical Research, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Pinghan Wang
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Affiliated Women's and Children's Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610032, China
| | - Fangyi Long
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Affiliated Women's and Children's Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610032, China.
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15
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Khosravi G, Mostafavi S, Bastan S, Ebrahimi N, Gharibvand RS, Eskandari N. Immunologic tumor microenvironment modulators for turning cold tumors hot. Cancer Commun (Lond) 2024; 44:521-553. [PMID: 38551889 PMCID: PMC11110955 DOI: 10.1002/cac2.12539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumors can be classified into distinct immunophenotypes based on the presence and arrangement of cytotoxic immune cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Hot tumors, characterized by heightened immune activity and responsiveness to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), stand in stark contrast to cold tumors, which lack immune infiltration and remain resistant to therapy. To overcome immune evasion mechanisms employed by tumor cells, novel immunologic modulators have emerged, particularly ICIs targeting cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death protein 1/programmed death-ligand 1(PD-1/PD-L1). These agents disrupt inhibitory signals and reactivate the immune system, transforming cold tumors into hot ones and promoting effective antitumor responses. However, challenges persist, including primary resistance to immunotherapy, autoimmune side effects, and tumor response heterogeneity. Addressing these challenges requires innovative strategies, deeper mechanistic insights, and a combination of immune interventions to enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapies. In the landscape of cancer medicine, where immune cold tumors represent a formidable hurdle, understanding the TME and harnessing its potential to reprogram the immune response is paramount. This review sheds light on current advancements and future directions in the quest for more effective and safer cancer treatment strategies, offering hope for patients with immune-resistant tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gholam‐Reza Khosravi
- Department of Medical ImmunologySchool of MedicineIsfahan University of Medical SciencesIsfahanIran
| | - Samaneh Mostafavi
- Department of ImmunologyFaculty of Medical SciencesTarbiat Modares UniversityTehranIran
| | - Sanaz Bastan
- Department of Medical ImmunologySchool of MedicineIsfahan University of Medical SciencesIsfahanIran
| | - Narges Ebrahimi
- Department of Medical ImmunologySchool of MedicineIsfahan University of Medical SciencesIsfahanIran
| | - Roya Safari Gharibvand
- Department of ImmunologySchool of MedicineAhvaz Jundishapur University of Medical SciencesAhvazIran
| | - Nahid Eskandari
- Department of Medical ImmunologySchool of MedicineIsfahan University of Medical SciencesIsfahanIran
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16
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Kubo T, Asano S, Sasaki K, Murata K, Kanaseki T, Tsukahara T, Hirohashi Y, Torigoe T. Assessment of cancer cell-expressed HLA class I molecules and their immunopathological implications. HLA 2024; 103:e15472. [PMID: 38699870 DOI: 10.1111/tan.15472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Immunotherapy using immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has shown superior efficacy compared with conventional chemotherapy in certain cancer types, establishing immunotherapy as the fourth standard treatment alongside surgical intervention, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. In cancer immunotherapy employing ICIs, CD8-positive cytotoxic T lymphocytes are recognized as the primary effector cells. For effective clinical outcomes, it is essential that the targeted cancer cells express HLA class I molecules to present antigenic peptides derived from the tumor. However, cancer cells utilize various mechanisms to downregulate or lose HLA class I molecules from their surface, resulting in evasion from immune surveillance. Correlations between prognosis and the integrity of HLA class I molecules expressed by cancer cells have been consistently found across different types of cancer. This paper provides an overview of the regulatory mechanisms of HLA class I molecules and their role in cancer immunotherapy, with a particular emphasis on the significance of utilizing pathological tissues to evaluate HLA class I molecules expressed in cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terufumi Kubo
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Shiori Asano
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kenta Sasaki
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kenji Murata
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Takayuki Kanaseki
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Tomohide Tsukahara
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Hirohashi
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Torigoe
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan
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17
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Werner R, Steinmann N, Decaluwe H, Date H, De Ruysscher D, Opitz I. Complex situations in lung cancer: multifocal disease, oligoprogression and oligorecurrence. Eur Respir Rev 2024; 33:230200. [PMID: 38811031 PMCID: PMC11134198 DOI: 10.1183/16000617.0200-2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
With the emergence of lung cancer screening programmes and newly detected localised and multifocal disease, novel treatment compounds and multimodal treatment approaches, the treatment landscape of non-small cell lung cancer is becoming increasingly complex. In parallel, in-depth molecular analyses and clonality studies are revealing more information about tumorigenesis, potential therapeutical targets and the origin of lesions. All can play an important role in cases with multifocal disease, oligoprogression and oligorecurrence. In multifocal disease, it is essential to understand the relatedness of separate lesions for treatment decisions, because this information distinguishes separate early-stage tumours from locally advanced or metastatic cancer. Clonality studies suggest that a majority of same-histology lesions represent multiple primary tumours. With the current standard of systemic treatment, oligoprogression after an initial treatment response is a common scenario. In this state of induced oligoprogressive disease, local ablative therapy by either surgery or radiotherapy is becoming increasingly important. Another scenario involves the emergence of a limited number of metastases after radical treatment of the primary tumour, referred to as oligorecurrence, for which the use of local ablative therapy holds promise in improving survival. Our review addresses these complex situations in lung cancer by discussing current evidence, knowledge gaps and treatment recommendations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Werner
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nina Steinmann
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Herbert Decaluwe
- Department of Thoracovascular Surgery, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk, Belgium
| | - Hiroshi Date
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Dirk De Ruysscher
- Department of Radiation Oncology (MAASTRO), GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Isabelle Opitz
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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18
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Zheng C, Wang J, Zhou Y, Duan Y, Zheng R, Xie Y, Wei X, Wu J, Shen H, Ye M, Kong B, Liu Y, Xu P, Zhang Q, Liang T. IFNα-induced BST2 + tumor-associated macrophages facilitate immunosuppression and tumor growth in pancreatic cancer by ERK-CXCL7 signaling. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114088. [PMID: 38602878 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) features an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) that resists immunotherapy. Tumor-associated macrophages, abundant in the TME, modulate T cell responses. Bone marrow stromal antigen 2-positive (BST2+) macrophages increase in KrasG12D/+; Trp53R172H/+; Pdx1-Cre mouse models during PDAC progression. However, their role in PDAC remains elusive. Our findings reveal a negative correlation between BST2+ macrophage levels and PDAC patient prognosis. Moreover, an increased ratio of exhausted CD8+ T cells is observed in tumors with up-regulated BST2+ macrophages. Mechanistically, BST2+ macrophages secrete CXCL7 through the ERK pathway and bind with CXCR2 to activate the AKT/mTOR pathway, promoting CD8+ T cell exhaustion. The combined blockade of CXCL7 and programmed death-ligand 1 successfully decelerates tumor growth. Additionally, cGAS-STING pathway activation in macrophages induces interferon (IFN)α synthesis leading to BST2 overexpression in the PDAC TME. This study provides insights into IFNα-induced BST2+ macrophages driving an immune-suppressive TME through ERK-CXCL7 signaling to regulate CD8+ T cell exhaustion in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenlei Zheng
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Junli Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Yi Duan
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Rujia Zheng
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Yuting Xie
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Xiaobao Wei
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Jiangchao Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Hang Shen
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Mao Ye
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Bo Kong
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Section of Surgical Research, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yunhua Liu
- Department of Pathology & Pathophysiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Pinglong Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases, Hangzhou 310003, China; The Innovation Center for the Study of Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China; Zhejiang University Cancer Center, Hangzhou 310003, China; MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Pancreatic Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.
| | - Tingbo Liang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases, Hangzhou 310003, China; The Innovation Center for the Study of Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China; Zhejiang University Cancer Center, Hangzhou 310003, China; MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Pancreatic Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.
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19
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Hu B, Wiesehöfer M, de Miguel FJ, Liu Z, Chan LH, Choi J, Melnick MA, Arnal Estape A, Walther Z, Zhao D, Lopez-Giraldez F, Wurtz A, Cai G, Fan R, Gettinger S, Xiao A, Yan Q, Homer R, Nguyen DX, Politi K. ASCL1 Drives Tolerance to Osimertinib in EGFR Mutant Lung Cancer in Permissive Cellular Contexts. Cancer Res 2024; 84:1303-1319. [PMID: 38359163 PMCID: PMC11142404 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-0438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
The majority of EGFR mutant lung adenocarcinomas respond well to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). However, most of these responses are partial, with drug-tolerant residual disease remaining even at the time of maximal response. This residual disease can ultimately lead to relapses, which eventually develop in most patients. To investigate the cellular and molecular properties of residual tumor cells in vivo, we leveraged patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of EGFR mutant lung cancer. Subcutaneous EGFR mutant PDXs were treated with the third-generation TKI osimertinib until maximal tumor regression. Residual tissue inevitably harbored tumor cells that were transcriptionally distinct from bulk pretreatment tumor. Single-cell transcriptional profiling provided evidence of cells matching the profiles of drug-tolerant cells present in the pretreatment tumor. In one of the PDXs analyzed, osimertinib treatment caused dramatic transcriptomic changes that featured upregulation of the neuroendocrine lineage transcription factor ASCL1. Mechanistically, ASCL1 conferred drug tolerance by initiating an epithelial-to-mesenchymal gene-expression program in permissive cellular contexts. This study reveals fundamental insights into the biology of drug tolerance, the plasticity of cells through TKI treatment, and why specific phenotypes are observed only in certain tumors. SIGNIFICANCE Analysis of residual disease following tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment identified heterogeneous and context-specific mechanisms of drug tolerance in lung cancer that could lead to the development of strategies to forestall drug resistance. See related commentary by Rumde and Burns, p. 1188.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bomiao Hu
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Marc Wiesehöfer
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | - Zongzhi Liu
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Lok-Hei Chan
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Jungmin Choi
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Mary Ann Melnick
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Anna Arnal Estape
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Zenta Walther
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Dejian Zhao
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Yale Center for Genome Analysis (YCGA) Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Francesc Lopez-Giraldez
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Yale Center for Genome Analysis (YCGA) Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Anna Wurtz
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Guoping Cai
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Rong Fan
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Scott Gettinger
- Department of Medicine (Section of Medical Oncology), Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Andrew Xiao
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Qin Yan
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Robert Homer
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Don X Nguyen
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Medicine (Section of Medical Oncology), Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Katerina Politi
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Medicine (Section of Medical Oncology), Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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20
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Henick BS, Herzberg BO, Concepcion-Crisol CP, Taylor AM. Controlled Chaos: Parsing Acquired Immunoresistance in Lung Cancer. J Clin Oncol 2024; 42:1211-1214. [PMID: 38422476 PMCID: PMC11095881 DOI: 10.1200/jco.23.02339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brian S. Henick
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Division of Hematology/Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Benjamin O. Herzberg
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Division of Hematology/Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Carla P. Concepcion-Crisol
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Alison M. Taylor
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
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21
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Ricciuti B, Lamberti G, Puchala SR, Mahadevan NR, Lin JR, Alessi JV, Chowdhury A, Li YY, Wang X, Spurr L, Pecci F, Di Federico A, Venkatraman D, Barrichello AP, Gandhi M, Vaz VR, Pangilinan AJ, Haradon D, Lee E, Gupta H, Pfaff KL, Welsh EL, Nishino M, Cherniack AD, Johnson BE, Weirather JL, Dryg ID, Rodig SJ, Sholl LM, Sorger P, Santagata S, Umeton R, Awad MM. Genomic and Immunophenotypic Landscape of Acquired Resistance to PD-(L)1 Blockade in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. J Clin Oncol 2024; 42:1311-1321. [PMID: 38207230 PMCID: PMC11095860 DOI: 10.1200/jco.23.00580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have extended survival in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), acquired resistance (AR) to ICI frequently develops after an initial benefit. However, the mechanisms of AR to ICI in NSCLC are largely unknown. METHODS Comprehensive tumor genomic profiling, machine learning-based assessment of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, multiplexed immunofluorescence, and/or HLA-I immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed on matched pre- and post-ICI tumor biopsies from patients with NSCLC treated with ICI at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute who developed AR to ICI. Two additional cohorts of patients with intervening chemotherapy or targeted therapies between biopsies were included as controls. RESULTS We performed comprehensive genomic profiling and immunophenotypic characterization on samples from 82 patients with NSCLC and matched pre- and post-ICI biopsies and compared findings with a control cohort of patients with non-ICI intervening therapies between biopsies (chemotherapy, N = 32; targeted therapies, N = 89; both, N = 17). Putative resistance mutations were identified in 27.8% of immunotherapy-treated cases and included acquired loss-of-function mutations in STK11, B2M, APC, MTOR, KEAP1, and JAK1/2; these acquired alterations were not observed in the control groups. Immunophenotyping of matched pre- and post-ICI samples demonstrated significant decreases in intratumoral lymphocytes, CD3e+ and CD8a+ T cells, and PD-L1-PD1 engagement, as well as increased distance between tumor cells and CD8+PD-1+ T cells. There was a significant decrease in HLA class I expression in the immunotherapy cohort at the time of AR compared with the chemotherapy (P = .005) and the targeted therapy (P = .01) cohorts. CONCLUSION These findings highlight the genomic and immunophenotypic heterogeneity of ICI resistance in NSCLC, which will need to be considered when developing novel therapeutic strategies aimed at overcoming resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biagio Ricciuti
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Giuseppe Lamberti
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Sreekar R. Puchala
- Department of Informatics and Analytics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | | | - Jia-Ren Lin
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Ludwig Center at Harvard, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Joao V. Alessi
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Alexander Chowdhury
- Department of Informatics and Analytics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Yvonne Y. Li
- Department of Informatics and Analytics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Xinan Wang
- Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Liam Spurr
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Federica Pecci
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | | | - Deepti Venkatraman
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | | | - Malini Gandhi
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Victor R. Vaz
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Andy J. Pangilinan
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Danielle Haradon
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Elinton Lee
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Hersh Gupta
- Department of Informatics and Analytics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Kathleen L. Pfaff
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Emma L. Welsh
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Mizuki Nishino
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Andrew D. Cherniack
- Department of Informatics and Analytics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
- Ludwig Center at Harvard, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Bruce E. Johnson
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Jason L Weirather
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Ian D Dryg
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Scott J. Rodig
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Lynette M. Sholl
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Peter Sorger
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Ludwig Center at Harvard, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Sandro Santagata
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Ludwig Center at Harvard, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Renato Umeton
- Department of Informatics and Analytics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Mark M. Awad
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
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22
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Beck JD, Diken M, Suchan M, Streuber M, Diken E, Kolb L, Allnoch L, Vascotto F, Peters D, Beißert T, Akilli-Öztürk Ö, Türeci Ö, Kreiter S, Vormehr M, Sahin U. Long-lasting mRNA-encoded interleukin-2 restores CD8 + T cell neoantigen immunity in MHC class I-deficient cancers. Cancer Cell 2024; 42:568-582.e11. [PMID: 38490213 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2024.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigen presentation deficiency is a common cancer immune escape mechanism, but the mechanistic implications and potential strategies to address this challenge remain poorly understood. Studying β2-microglobulin (B2M) deficient mouse tumor models, we find that MHC class I loss leads to a substantial immune desertification of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and broad resistance to immune-, chemo-, and radiotherapy. We show that treatment with long-lasting mRNA-encoded interleukin-2 (IL-2) restores an immune cell infiltrated, IFNγ-promoted, highly proinflammatory TME signature, and when combined with a tumor-targeting monoclonal antibody (mAB), can overcome therapeutic resistance. Unexpectedly, the effectiveness of this treatment is driven by IFNγ-releasing CD8+ T cells that recognize neoantigens cross-presented by TME-resident activated macrophages. These macrophages acquire augmented antigen presentation proficiency and other M1-phenotype-associated features under IL-2 treatment. Our findings highlight the importance of restoring neoantigen-specific immune responses in the treatment of cancers with MHC class I deficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan D Beck
- TRON gGmbH - Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Freiligrathstr. 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Mustafa Diken
- TRON gGmbH - Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Freiligrathstr. 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany; BioNTech SE, An der Goldgrube 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Martin Suchan
- TRON gGmbH - Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Freiligrathstr. 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Michael Streuber
- TRON gGmbH - Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Freiligrathstr. 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Elif Diken
- TRON gGmbH - Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Freiligrathstr. 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Laura Kolb
- TRON gGmbH - Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Freiligrathstr. 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Lisa Allnoch
- BioNTech SE, An der Goldgrube 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Fulvia Vascotto
- TRON gGmbH - Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Freiligrathstr. 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Daniel Peters
- TRON gGmbH - Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Freiligrathstr. 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Tim Beißert
- TRON gGmbH - Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Freiligrathstr. 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Özlem Akilli-Öztürk
- TRON gGmbH - Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Freiligrathstr. 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Özlem Türeci
- BioNTech SE, An der Goldgrube 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Sebastian Kreiter
- TRON gGmbH - Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Freiligrathstr. 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany; BioNTech SE, An der Goldgrube 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Ugur Sahin
- BioNTech SE, An der Goldgrube 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany.
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23
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Rappaport AR, Kyi C, Lane M, Hart MG, Johnson ML, Henick BS, Liao CY, Mahipal A, Shergill A, Spira AI, Goldman JW, Scallan CD, Schenk D, Palmer CD, Davis MJ, Kounlavouth S, Kemp L, Yang A, Li YJ, Likes M, Shen A, Boucher GR, Egorova M, Veres RL, Espinosa JA, Jaroslavsky JR, Kraemer Tardif LD, Acrebuche L, Puccia C, Sousa L, Zhou R, Bae K, Hecht JR, Carbone DP, Johnson B, Allen A, Ferguson AR, Jooss K. A shared neoantigen vaccine combined with immune checkpoint blockade for advanced metastatic solid tumors: phase 1 trial interim results. Nat Med 2024; 30:1013-1022. [PMID: 38538867 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-02851-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Therapeutic vaccines that elicit cytotoxic T cell responses targeting tumor-specific neoantigens hold promise for providing long-term clinical benefit to patients with cancer. Here we evaluated safety and tolerability of a therapeutic vaccine encoding 20 shared neoantigens derived from selected common oncogenic driver mutations as primary endpoints in an ongoing phase 1/2 study in patients with advanced/metastatic solid tumors. Secondary endpoints included immunogenicity, overall response rate, progression-free survival and overall survival. Eligible patients were selected if their tumors expressed one of the human leukocyte antigen-matched tumor mutations included in the vaccine, with the majority of patients (18/19) harboring a mutation in KRAS. The vaccine regimen, consisting of a chimp adenovirus (ChAd68) and self-amplifying mRNA (samRNA) in combination with the immune checkpoint inhibitors ipilimumab and nivolumab, was shown to be well tolerated, with observed treatment-related adverse events consistent with acute inflammation expected with viral vector-based vaccines and immune checkpoint blockade, the majority grade 1/2. Two patients experienced grade 3/4 serious treatment-related adverse events that were also dose-limiting toxicities. The overall response rate was 0%, and median progression-free survival and overall survival were 1.9 months and 7.9 months, respectively. T cell responses were biased toward human leukocyte antigen-matched TP53 neoantigens encoded in the vaccine relative to KRAS neoantigens expressed by the patients' tumors, indicating a previously unknown hierarchy of neoantigen immunodominance that may impact the therapeutic efficacy of multiepitope shared neoantigen vaccines. These data led to the development of an optimized vaccine exclusively targeting KRAS-derived neoantigens that is being evaluated in a subset of patients in phase 2 of the clinical study. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT03953235 .
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chrisann Kyi
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | | | - Brian S Henick
- Columbia University Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chih-Yi Liao
- University of Chicago Medical Center and Biological Sciences, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Ardaman Shergill
- University of Chicago Medical Center and Biological Sciences, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - David P Carbone
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
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24
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Chaudhri A, Lizee G, Hwu P, Rai K. Chromatin Remodelers Are Regulators of the Tumor Immune Microenvironment. Cancer Res 2024; 84:965-976. [PMID: 38266066 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-2244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors show remarkable responses in a wide range of cancers, yet patients develop adaptive resistance. This necessitates the identification of alternate therapies that synergize with immunotherapies. Epigenetic modifiers are potent mediators of tumor-intrinsic mechanisms and have been shown to regulate immune response genes, making them prime targets for therapeutic combinations with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Some success has been observed in early clinical studies that combined immunotherapy with agents targeting DNA methylation and histone modification; however, less is known about chromatin remodeler-targeted therapies. Here, we provide a discussion on the regulation of tumor immunogenicity by the chromatin remodeling SWI/SNF complex through multiple mechanisms associated with immunotherapy response that broadly include IFN signaling, DNA damage, mismatch repair, regulation of oncogenic programs, and polycomb-repressive complex antagonism. Context-dependent targeting of SWI/SNF subunits can elicit opportunities for synthetic lethality and reduce T-cell exhaustion. In summary, alongside the significance of SWI/SNF subunits in predicting immunotherapy outcomes, their ability to modulate the tumor immune landscape offers opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apoorvi Chaudhri
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Gregory Lizee
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | | | - Kunal Rai
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- MDACC Epigenomics Therapy Initiative, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
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25
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Passaro A, Al Bakir M, Hamilton EG, Diehn M, André F, Roy-Chowdhuri S, Mountzios G, Wistuba II, Swanton C, Peters S. Cancer biomarkers: Emerging trends and clinical implications for personalized treatment. Cell 2024; 187:1617-1635. [PMID: 38552610 PMCID: PMC7616034 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.02.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
The integration of cancer biomarkers into oncology has revolutionized cancer treatment, yielding remarkable advancements in cancer therapeutics and the prognosis of cancer patients. The development of personalized medicine represents a turning point and a new paradigm in cancer management, as biomarkers enable oncologists to tailor treatments based on the unique molecular profile of each patient's tumor. In this review, we discuss the scientific milestones of cancer biomarkers and explore future possibilities to improve the management of patients with solid tumors. This progress is primarily attributed to the biological characterization of cancers, advancements in testing methodologies, elucidation of the immune microenvironment, and the ability to profile circulating tumor fractions. Integrating these insights promises to continually advance the precision oncology field, fostering better patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Passaro
- Division of Thoracic Oncology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Maise Al Bakir
- Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | - Emily G Hamilton
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Maximilian Diehn
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Fabrice André
- Gustave-Roussy Cancer Center, Paris Saclay University, Villejuif, France
| | - Sinchita Roy-Chowdhuri
- Department of Anatomic Pathology and Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Giannis Mountzios
- Fourth Department of Medical Oncology and Clinical Trials Unit, Henry Dunant Hospital Center, Athens, Greece
| | - Ignacio I Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Charles Swanton
- Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK; Department of Oncology, University College London Hospitals, London, UK
| | - Solange Peters
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
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26
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Liu AY. Prostate cancer research: tools, cell types, and molecular targets. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1321694. [PMID: 38595814 PMCID: PMC11002103 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1321694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Multiple cancer cell types are found in prostate tumors. They are either luminal-like adenocarcinoma or less luminal-like and more stem-like non-adenocarcinoma and small cell carcinoma. These types are lineage related through differentiation. Loss of cancer differentiation from luminal-like to stem-like is mediated by the activation of stem cell transcription factors (scTF) such as LIN28A, NANOG, POU5F1 and SOX2. scTF expression leads to down-regulation of β2-microglobulin (B2M). Thus, cancer cells can change from the scT F ˜ B 2 M hi phenotype of differentiated to that of scT F ˙ B 2 M lo of dedifferentiated in the disease course. In development, epithelial cell differentiation is induced by stromal signaling and cell contact. One of the stromal factors specific to prostate encodes proenkephalin (PENK). PENK can down-regulate scTF and up-regulate B2M in stem-like small cell carcinoma LuCaP 145.1 cells indicative of exit from the stem state and differentiation. In fact, prostate cancer cells can be made to undergo dedifferentiation or reprogramming by scTF transfection and then to differentiate by PENK transfection. Therapies need to be designed for treating the different cancer cell types. Extracellular anterior gradient 2 (eAGR2) is an adenocarcinoma antigen associated with cancer differentiation that can be targeted by antibodies to lyse tumor cells with immune system components. eAGR2 is specific to cancer as normal cells express only the intracellular form (iAGR2). For AGR2-negative stem-like cancer cells, factors like PENK that can target scTF could be effective in differentiation therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvin Y. Liu
- Department of Urology, Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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27
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Chariou PL, Minnar CM, Tandon M, Guest MR, Chari R, Schlom J, Gameiro SR. Generation of murine tumor models refractory to αPD-1/-L1 therapies due to defects in antigen processing/presentation or IFNγ signaling using CRISPR/Cas9. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0287733. [PMID: 38427670 PMCID: PMC10906908 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) targeting the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand 1 (PD-L1) fails to provide clinical benefit for most cancer patients due to primary or acquired resistance. Drivers of ICB resistance include tumor antigen processing/presentation machinery (APM) and IFNγ signaling mutations. Thus, there is an unmet clinical need to develop alternative therapies for these patients. To this end, we have developed a CRISPR/Cas9 approach to generate murine tumor models refractory to PD-1/-L1 inhibition due to APM/IFNγ signaling mutations. Guide RNAs were employed to delete B2m, Jak1, or Psmb9 genes in ICB-responsive EMT6 murine tumor cells. B2m was deleted in ICB-responsive MC38 murine colon cancer cells. We report a detailed development and validation workflow including whole exome and Sanger sequencing, western blotting, and flow cytometry to assess target gene deletion. Tumor response to ICB and immune effects of gene deletion were assessed in syngeneic mice. This workflow can help accelerate the discovery and development of alternative therapies and a deeper understanding of the immune consequences of tumor mutations, with potential clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul L. Chariou
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Christine M. Minnar
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Mayank Tandon
- National Cancer Institute, CCR Collaborative Bioinformatics Resource, Center for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Advanced Biomedical Computational Science, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Mary R. Guest
- Laboratory Animal Sciences Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Raj Chari
- Laboratory Animal Sciences Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey Schlom
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Sofia R. Gameiro
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
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28
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Kiem D, Ocker M, Greil R, Neureiter D, Melchardt T. Enhancing anti-CD274 (PD-L1) targeting through combinatorial immunotherapy with bispecific antibodies and fusion proteins: from preclinical to phase II clinical trials. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2024; 33:229-242. [PMID: 38354028 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2024.2319317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Immune checkpoint inhibitors have achieved great success in the treatment of many different types of cancer. Programmed cell death protein ligand 1 (PD-L1, CD274) is a major immunosuppressive immune checkpoint and a target for several already approved monoclonal antibodies. Despite this, novel strategies are under development, as the overall response remains low. AREAS COVERED In this review, an overview of the current biomarkers for response to PD-L1 inhibitor treatment is given, followed by a discussion of potential novel biomarkers, including tumor mutational burden and circulating tumor DNA. Combinatorial immunotherapy is a potential novel strategy to increase the response to PD-L1 inhibitor treatment and currently, several interesting bispecific antibodies as well as bispecific fusion proteins are undergoing early clinical investigation. We focus on substances targeting PD-L1 and a secondary target, and a secondary immunomodulatory target like CTLA-4, TIGIT, or CD47. EXPERT OPINION Overall, the presented studies show anti-tumor activity of these combinatorial immunotherapeutic approaches. However, still relatively low response rates suggest a need for better biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Kiem
- III Medical Department, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Matthias Ocker
- Medical Department, Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Cancer Immunology, Campus, Charité Mitte, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- EO Translational Insights Consulting GmbH, Berlin, Germany
- Tacalyx GmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | - Richard Greil
- III Medical Department, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Daniel Neureiter
- Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Institute of Pathology, Paracelsus Medical University, University Hospital Salzburg (SALK), Salzburg, Austria
| | - Thomas Melchardt
- III Medical Department, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
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29
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Fu X, Liu S, Cao D, Li C, Ji H, Wang G. Med23 deficiency reprograms the tumor microenvironment to promote lung tumorigenesis. Br J Cancer 2024; 130:716-727. [PMID: 38195889 PMCID: PMC10912217 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02556-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. We previously found that Mediator complex subunit 23 (MED23) is important for the tumourigenicity of lung cancer cells with hyperactive Ras activity in vitro, although the in vivo function of MED23 in lung tumourigenesis remains to be explored. METHODS In this study, we utilized well-characterized KrasG12D-driven non-small cell lung cancer mouse model to investigate the role of MED23 in lung cancer. The lung tumour progression was evaluated by H&E and IHC analysis. Western blotting and qRT-PCR assays were performed to detect changes in gene expression. Immune cells were analyzed by FACS technology. RNA-seq and reporter assays were conducted to explore the mechanism. RESULTS We observed that lung epithelial Med23 deletion by adeno-Cre resulted in a significant increase in KrasG12D tumour number and size, which was further verified with another mouse model with Med23 specifically deleted in alveolar type II cells. Mice with lung-specific Med23 deficiency also exhibited accelerated tumourigenesis, and a higher proliferation rate for tumour cells, along with increased ERK phosphorylation. Notably, the numbers of infiltrating CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells were significantly reduced in the lungs of Med23-deficient mice, while the numbers of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and Treg cells were significantly increased, suggesting the enhanced immune escape capability of the Med23-deficient lung tumours. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the downregulated genes in Med23-deficient lung tumour tissues were associated with the immune response. Specifically, Med23 deficiency may compromise the MHC-I complex formation, partially through down-regulating B2m expression. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, these findings revealed that MED23 may negatively regulate Kras-induced lung tumourigenesis in vivo, which would improve the precise classification of KRAS-mutant lung cancer patients and provide new insights for clinical interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobo Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Siming Liu
- Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Dan Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Chonghui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Hongbin Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Gang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.
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30
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Wang J, Lu Q, Chen X, Aifantis I. Targeting MHC-I inhibitory pathways for cancer immunotherapy. Trends Immunol 2024; 45:177-187. [PMID: 38433029 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2024.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
The MHC-I antigen presentation (AP) pathway is key to shaping mammalian CD8+ T cell immunity, with its aberrant expression closely linked to low tumor immunogenicity and immunotherapy resistance. While significant attention has been given to genetic mutations and downregulation of positive regulators that are essential for MHC-I AP, there is a growing interest in understanding how tumors actively evade MHC-I expression and/or AP through the induction of MHC-I inhibitory pathways. This emerging field of study may offer more viable therapeutic targets for future cancer immunotherapy. Here, we explore potential mechanisms by which cancer cells evade MHC-I AP and function and propose therapeutic strategies that might target these MHC-I inhibitors to restore impaired T cell immunity within the tumor microenvironment (TME).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wang
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Qiao Lu
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Xufeng Chen
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Iannis Aifantis
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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31
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Kim J, Kim TJ, Chae S, Ha H, Park Y, Park S, Yoon CJ, Lim SA, Lee H, Kim J, Kim J, Im K, Lee K, Kim J, Kim D, Lee E, Shin MH, Park SI, Rhee I, Jung K, Lee J, Lee KH, Hwang D, Lee KM. Targeted deletion of CD244 on monocytes promotes differentiation into anti-tumorigenic macrophages and potentiates PD-L1 blockade in melanoma. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:45. [PMID: 38424542 PMCID: PMC10903025 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01936-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the myeloid compartment of the tumor microenvironment, CD244 signaling has been implicated in immunosuppressive phenotype of monocytes. However, the precise molecular mechanism and contribution of CD244 to tumor immunity in monocytes/macrophages remains elusive due to the co-existing lymphoid cells expressing CD244. METHODS To directly assess the role of CD244 in tumor-associated macrophages, monocyte-lineage-specific CD244-deficient mice were generated using cre-lox recombination and challenged with B16F10 melanoma. The phenotype and function of tumor-infiltrating macrophages along with antigen-specific CD8 T cells were analyzed by flow cytometry and single cell RNA sequencing data analysis, and the molecular mechanism underlying anti-tumorigenic macrophage differentiation, antigen presentation, phagocytosis was investigated ex vivo. Finally, the clinical feasibility of CD244-negative monocytes as a therapeutic modality in melanoma was confirmed by adoptive transfer experiments. RESULTS CD244fl/flLysMcre mice demonstrated a significant reduction in tumor volume (61% relative to that of the CD244fl/fl control group) 14 days after tumor implantation. Within tumor mass, CD244fl/flLysMcre mice also showed higher percentages of Ly6Clow macrophages, along with elevated gp100+IFN-γ+ CD8 T cells. Flow cytometry and RNA sequencing data demonstrated that ER stress resulted in increased CD244 expression on monocytes. This, in turn, impeded the generation of anti-tumorigenic Ly6Clow macrophages, phagocytosis and MHC-I antigen presentation by suppressing autophagy pathways. Combining anti-PD-L1 antibody with CD244-/- bone marrow-derived macrophages markedly improved tumor rejection compared to the anti-PD-L1 antibody alone or in combination with wild-type macrophages. Consistent with the murine data, transcriptome analysis of human melanoma tissue single-cell RNA-sequencing dataset revealed close association between CD244 and the inhibition of macrophage maturation and function. Furthermore, the presence of CD244-negative monocytes/macrophages significantly increased patient survival in primary and metastatic tumors. CONCLUSION Our study highlights the novel role of CD244 on monocytes/macrophages in restraining anti-tumorigenic macrophage generation and tumor antigen-specific T cell response in melanoma. Importantly, our findings suggest that CD244-deficient macrophages could potentially be used as a therapeutic agent in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Furthermore, CD244 expression in monocyte-lineage cells serve as a prognostic marker in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeongsoo Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Tae-Jin Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
- Division of Radiation Biomedical Research, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, 01812, South Korea
| | - Sehyun Chae
- Division of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, College of Art, Culture and Engineering, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 24341, South Korea
| | - Hyojeong Ha
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Yejin Park
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Sunghee Park
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Chul Joo Yoon
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Seon Ah Lim
- Department of Life Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, South Korea
| | - Hyemin Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Jiyoung Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Jungwon Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Kyungtaek Im
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Kyunghye Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Jeongmin Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Daham Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
- Division of Radiation Biomedical Research, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, 01812, South Korea
| | - Eunju Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
- Division of Radiation Biomedical Research, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, 01812, South Korea
| | - Min Hwa Shin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
- Immune Research Institute, Seegene Medical Foundation, Seoul, 04805, South Korea
| | - Serk In Park
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Inmoo Rhee
- Department of Integrative Bioscience and Biotechnology, Sejong University, Seoul, 05006, South Korea
| | - Keehoon Jung
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeewon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Keun Hwa Lee
- Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, 04763, South Korea.
| | - Daehee Hwang
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, South Korea.
| | - Kyung-Mi Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea.
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Wang C, Chen J, Li J, Xu Z, Huang L, Zhao Q, Chen L, Liang X, Hu H, Li G, Xiong C, Wu B, You H, Du D, Wang X, Li H, Wang Z, Chen L. An EBV-related CD4 TCR immunotherapy inhibits tumor growth in an HLA-DP5+ nasopharyngeal cancer mouse model. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e172092. [PMID: 38412034 PMCID: PMC11014665 DOI: 10.1172/jci172092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Adoptive transfer of T cell receptor-engineered T cells (TCR-T) is a promising strategy for immunotherapy against solid tumors. However, the potential of CD4+ T cells in mediating tumor regression has been neglected. Nasopharyngeal cancer is consistently associated with EBV. Here, to evaluate the therapeutic potential of CD4 TCR-T in nasopharyngeal cancer, we screened for CD4 TCRs recognizing EBV nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) presented by HLA-DP5. Using mass spectrometry, we identified EBNA1567-581, a peptide naturally processed and presented by HLA-DP5. We isolated TCR135, a CD4 TCR with high functional avidity, that can function in both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and recognizes HLA-DP5-restricted EBNA1567-581. TCR135-transduced T cells functioned in two ways: directly killing HLA-DP5+EBNA1+ tumor cells after recognizing EBNA1 presented by tumor cells and indirectly killing HLA-DP5-negative tumor cells after recognizing EBNA1 presented by antigen-presenting cells. TCR135-transduced T cells preferentially infiltrated into the tumor microenvironment and significantly inhibited tumor growth in xenograft nasopharyngeal tumor models. Additionally, we found that 62% of nasopharyngeal cancer patients showed 50%-100% expression of HLA-DP on tumor cells, indicating that nasopharyngeal cancer is well suited for CD4 TCR-T therapy. These findings suggest that TCR135 may provide a new strategy for EBV-related nasopharyngeal cancer immunotherapy in HLA-DP5+ patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenwei Wang
- Guangzhou Medical University–Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health (GMU-GIBH) Joint School of Life Sciences and Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Joint Laboratory for Cell Fate Regulation and Diseases, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiewen Chen
- Guangzhou Medical University–Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health (GMU-GIBH) Joint School of Life Sciences and Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Joint Laboratory for Cell Fate Regulation and Diseases, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jingyao Li
- Guangzhou Medical University–Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health (GMU-GIBH) Joint School of Life Sciences and Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Joint Laboratory for Cell Fate Regulation and Diseases, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhihong Xu
- Guangzhou Medical University–Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health (GMU-GIBH) Joint School of Life Sciences and Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Joint Laboratory for Cell Fate Regulation and Diseases, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Lihong Huang
- Guangzhou Medical University–Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health (GMU-GIBH) Joint School of Life Sciences and Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Joint Laboratory for Cell Fate Regulation and Diseases, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Lei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
- Laboratory for Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology Limited, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaolong Liang
- Guangzhou Medical University–Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health (GMU-GIBH) Joint School of Life Sciences and Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Joint Laboratory for Cell Fate Regulation and Diseases, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Hai Hu
- Department of Pathology, Air Force Hospital of Southern Theater Command, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Huiqiao Medicine Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Chengjie Xiong
- Guangzhou Medical University–Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health (GMU-GIBH) Joint School of Life Sciences and Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Joint Laboratory for Cell Fate Regulation and Diseases, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Bin Wu
- Guangzhou Medical University–Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health (GMU-GIBH) Joint School of Life Sciences and Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Joint Laboratory for Cell Fate Regulation and Diseases, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Hua You
- Laboratory for Excellence in Systems Biomedicine of Pediatric Oncology, Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Danyi Du
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Precision Medical Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaoling Wang
- Guangzhou Medical University–Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health (GMU-GIBH) Joint School of Life Sciences and Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Joint Laboratory for Cell Fate Regulation and Diseases, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Hongle Li
- Department of Immunotherapy, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Zibing Wang
- Department of Immunotherapy, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Guangzhou Medical University–Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health (GMU-GIBH) Joint School of Life Sciences and Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Joint Laboratory for Cell Fate Regulation and Diseases, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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Zhang Q, Shi Y, Liu S, Yang W, Chen H, Guo N, Sun W, Zhao Y, Ren Y, Ren Y, Jia L, Yang J, Yun Y, Chen G, Wang L, Wu C. EZH2/G9a interact to mediate drug resistance in non-small-cell lung cancer by regulating the SMAD4/ERK/c-Myc signaling axis. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113714. [PMID: 38306271 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance is the leading problem in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) therapy. The contribution of histone methylation in mediating malignant phenotypes of NSCLC is well known. However, the role of histone methylation in NSCLC drug-resistance mechanisms remains unclear. Here, our data show that EZH2 and G9a, two histone methyltransferases, are involved in the drug resistance of NSCLC. Gene manipulation results indicate that the combination of EZH2 and G9a promotes tumor growth and mediates drug resistance in a complementary manner. Importantly, clinical study demonstrates that co-expression of both enzymes predicts a poor outcome in patients with NSCLC. Mechanistically, G9a and EZH2 interact and promote the silencing of the tumor-suppressor gene SMAD4, activating the ERK/c-Myc signaling pathway. Finally, SU08, a compound targeting both EZH2 and G9a, is demonstrated to sensitize resistant cells to therapeutic drugs by regulating the SMAD4/ERK/c-Myc signaling axis. These findings uncover the resistance mechanism and a strategy for reversing NSCLC drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuyue Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yajie Shi
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Sen Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Weiming Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Huiping Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Ning Guo
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Wanyu Sun
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yongshan Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yuxiang Ren
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yong Ren
- Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Central Theater Command of People's Liberation Army, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Lina Jia
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Jingyu Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yi Yun
- Biobank Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China
| | - Guoliang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
| | - Lihui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
| | - Chunfu Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
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Reis B, Attig J, Dziadek S, Graefe N, Heller A, Rieder N, Gomes B. Tumor beta2-microglobulin and HLA-A expression is increased by immunotherapy and can predict response to CIT in association with other biomarkers. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1285049. [PMID: 38455061 PMCID: PMC10917949 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1285049] [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: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Downregulation of MHC class I expression and/or defects in the antigen presentation pathways are commonly reported in human cancers. Numerous studies previously have explored extensively the molecular mechanisms that underlie HLA-class I and Beta2-Microglobulin (B2M) downregulation. However, the techniques presently available to detect expression of MHC class I proteins lack the robustness, specificity and sensitivity needed for systematic integration and analysis in clinical trials. Furthermore, the dynamics of HLA-class I and B2M expression have not been comprehensively studied as a potential biomarker for immunotherapy. Methods Using novel, validated, immunohistochemistry (IHC)-based methods for quantifying B2M and HLA-A in tumor samples from diverse cancer types, we have determined loss of B2M and HLA-A proteins in 336 archived, primary specimens and 329 biopsies from metastatic patients collected during Roche-sponsored Phase 1 clinical trials investigating novel immunotherapy candidates as monotherapy or in combination with CPI. Results Up to 56% of cases with B2M or HLA-A loss were noted in the investigated tumor types. The frequency of loss was dependent on indication and stage of disease and revealed heterogeneous expression patterns across patients. B2M and HLA-A loss was increased in metastatic lesions compared to primary tumors, indicating selection of MHC class I low clones in metastatic and refractory tumor cells. High on-treatment B2M expression correlated with successful clinical outcome (RECIST), while high baseline B2M did not. A treatment-induced increase of B2M expression was noted in most of the patients with low B2M levels at baseline. The triple biomarker combination of B2M, CD8 and PDL1 strongly improved response prediction to cancer immunotherapy. Conclusion Our results indicate that B2M and HLA-A loss occurs frequently in tumors and is reversed in most instances following immunotherapy which supports the conclusion that MHC class I loss is not the dominant resistance mechanism to CPI treatment. This investigation reveals a highly dynamic expression of HLA-A and B2M in tumors affected by indication, metastatic status, immunophenotype and immunotherapy treatment. Baseline expression levels of B2M on tumors may be of utility as a constituent of a biomarker panel used for selecting patients for immunotherapy clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Reis
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development Oncology, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jan Attig
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences - Biomarkers, Bioinformatics and Omics & Pathology, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Dziadek
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development Oncology, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nico Graefe
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development Oncology, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Astrid Heller
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development Oncology, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Natascha Rieder
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development Oncology, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Bruno Gomes
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development Oncology, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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35
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Kim IK, Diamond MS, Yuan S, Kemp SB, Kahn BM, Li Q, Lin JH, Li J, Norgard RJ, Thomas SK, Merolle M, Katsuda T, Tobias JW, Baslan T, Politi K, Vonderheide RH, Stanger BZ. Plasticity-induced repression of Irf6 underlies acquired resistance to cancer immunotherapy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1532. [PMID: 38378697 PMCID: PMC10879147 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46048-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Acquired resistance to immunotherapy remains a critical yet incompletely understood biological mechanism. Here, using a mouse model of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) to study tumor relapse following immunotherapy-induced responses, we find that resistance is reproducibly associated with an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), with EMT-transcription factors ZEB1 and SNAIL functioning as master genetic and epigenetic regulators of this effect. Acquired resistance in this model is not due to immunosuppression in the tumor immune microenvironment, disruptions in the antigen presentation machinery, or altered expression of immune checkpoints. Rather, resistance is due to a tumor cell-intrinsic defect in T-cell killing. Molecularly, EMT leads to the epigenetic and transcriptional silencing of interferon regulatory factor 6 (Irf6), rendering tumor cells less sensitive to the pro-apoptotic effects of TNF-α. These findings indicate that acquired resistance to immunotherapy may be mediated by programs distinct from those governing primary resistance, including plasticity programs that render tumor cells impervious to T-cell killing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Il-Kyu Kim
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mark S Diamond
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Salina Yuan
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Samantha B Kemp
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Benjamin M Kahn
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Qinglan Li
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jeffrey H Lin
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jinyang Li
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Robert J Norgard
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Stacy K Thomas
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Maria Merolle
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Takeshi Katsuda
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John W Tobias
- Penn Genomic Analysis Core, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Timour Baslan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Katerina Politi
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Robert H Vonderheide
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Ben Z Stanger
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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36
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Li Q, Zhang G, Yang H, Li J. Rare case report: a case of histological type transformation of lung cancer caused by neoadjuvant immunotherapy. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1329152. [PMID: 38425340 PMCID: PMC10902098 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1329152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality, with 1.8 million deaths per year. Small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are the main cancer types. Approximately 85% of cases are NSCLC, including adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large cell carcinoma. In this reported treatment case, the tumor histological type changed after targeted therapy, which has not been previously well documented. The patient was a 67-year-old woman diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma via bronchoscopy. She received five neoadjuvant immune monotherapies. The lesion shrank but then progressed, with a diagnosis of small cell carcinoma via bronchoscopy. This finding suggests that tumor acquisition of resistance as manifested by cancer-type changes needs consideration and study in the application of this particular type of immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guangxin Zhang
- Department of Thoracic of the Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
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37
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Memon D, Schoenfeld AJ, Ye D, Fromm G, Rizvi H, Zhang X, Keddar MR, Mathew D, Yoo KJ, Qiu J, Lihm J, Miriyala J, Sauter JL, Luo J, Chow A, Bhanot UK, McCarthy C, Vanderbilt CM, Liu C, Abu-Akeel M, Plodkowski AJ, McGranahan N, Łuksza M, Greenbaum BD, Merghoub T, Achour I, Barrett JC, Stewart R, Beltrao P, Schreiber TH, Minn AJ, Miller ML, Hellmann MD. Clinical and molecular features of acquired resistance to immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer. Cancer Cell 2024; 42:209-224.e9. [PMID: 38215748 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Although immunotherapy with PD-(L)1 blockade is routine for lung cancer, little is known about acquired resistance. Among 1,201 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with PD-(L)1 blockade, acquired resistance is common, occurring in >60% of initial responders. Acquired resistance shows differential expression of inflammation and interferon (IFN) signaling. Relapsed tumors can be separated by upregulated or stable expression of IFNγ response genes. Upregulation of IFNγ response genes is associated with putative routes of resistance characterized by signatures of persistent IFN signaling, immune dysfunction, and mutations in antigen presentation genes which can be recapitulated in multiple murine models of acquired resistance to PD-(L)1 blockade after in vitro IFNγ treatment. Acquired resistance to PD-(L)1 blockade in NSCLC is associated with an ongoing, but altered IFN response. The persistently inflamed, rather than excluded or deserted, tumor microenvironment of acquired resistance may inform therapeutic strategies to effectively reprogram and reverse acquired resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danish Memon
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK; Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way, Cambridge, UK; M:M Bio Limited, 99 Park Drive, Milton, Abingdon, UK
| | - Adam J Schoenfeld
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Darwin Ye
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Mark Foundation Center for Immunotherapy, Immune Signaling, and Radiation, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Hira Rizvi
- Druckenmiller Center for Lung Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Early Clinical Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xiang Zhang
- Data Sciences and Quantitative Biology, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Divij Mathew
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Jingya Qiu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Mark Foundation Center for Immunotherapy, Immune Signaling, and Radiation, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jayon Lihm
- Computational Oncology, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Jennifer L Sauter
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jia Luo
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew Chow
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Umesh K Bhanot
- Precision Pathology Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Caroline McCarthy
- Druckenmiller Center for Lung Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chad M Vanderbilt
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Cailian Liu
- Ludwig Collaborative and Swim Across America Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), New York, NY, USA
| | - Mohsen Abu-Akeel
- Ludwig Collaborative and Swim Across America Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew J Plodkowski
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicholas McGranahan
- Cancer Genome Evolution Research Group, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | - Marta Łuksza
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin D Greenbaum
- Computational Oncology, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Taha Merghoub
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Ludwig Collaborative and Swim Across America Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), New York, NY, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, MSK, New York, NY, USA; Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, MSK, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ikbel Achour
- Translational Medicine, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - J Carl Barrett
- Translational Medicine, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ross Stewart
- Translational Medicine, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Pedro Beltrao
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK; Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Andy J Minn
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Mark Foundation Center for Immunotherapy, Immune Signaling, and Radiation, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Martin L Miller
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way, Cambridge, UK; Oncology Data Science, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Matthew D Hellmann
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Early Clinical Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, New York, NY, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, MSK, New York, NY, USA.
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Sang W, Zhou Y, Chen H, Yu C, Dai L, Liu Z, Chen L, Fang Y, Ma P, Wu X, Kong H, Liao W, Jiang H, Qian J, Wang D, Liu YH. Receptor-interacting Protein Kinase 2 Is an Immunotherapy Target in Pancreatic Cancer. Cancer Discov 2024; 14:326-347. [PMID: 37824278 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-23-0584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a highly lethal malignancy because of its aggressive nature and the paucity of effective treatment options. Almost all registered drugs have proven ineffective in addressing the needs of patients with PDAC. This is the result of a poor understanding of the unique tumor-immune microenvironment (TME) in PDAC. To identify druggable regulators of immunosuppressive TME, we performed a kinome- and membranome-focused CRISPR screening using orthotopic PDAC models. Our data showed that receptor-interacting protein kinase 2 (RIPK2) is a crucial driver of immune evasion of cytotoxic T-cell killing and that genetic or pharmacologic targeting of RIPK2 sensitizes PDAC to anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD-1) immunotherapy, leading to prolonged survival or complete regression. Mechanistic studies revealed that tumor-intrinsic RIPK2 ablation disrupts desmoplastic TME and restores MHC class I (MHC-I) surface levels through eliminating NBR1-mediated autophagy-lysosomal degradation. Our results provide a rationale for a novel combination therapy consisting of RIPK2 inhibition and anti-PD-1 immunotherapy for PDAC. SIGNIFICANCE PDAC is resistant to almost all available therapies, including immune checkpoint blockade. Through in vivo CRISPR screen, we identified that RIPK2 plays a crucial role in facilitating immune evasion by impeding antigen presentation and cytotoxic T-cell killing. Targeting tumor-intrinsic RIPK2 either genetically or pharmacologically improves PDAC to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. See related commentary by Liu et al., p. 208 . This article is featured in Selected Articles from This Issue, p. 201.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhua Sang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery & Oncology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, and Department of Pathology & Pathophysiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yiduo Zhou
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Therapy for Major Gynecological Diseases, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haiyan Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chengxuan Yu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery and Oncology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lisi Dai
- Department of Colorectal Surgery & Oncology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, and Department of Pathology & Pathophysiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhongkun Liu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery & Oncology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, and Department of Pathology & Pathophysiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lang Chen
- Department of Colorectal Surgery & Oncology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, and Department of Pathology & Pathophysiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yimin Fang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery and Oncology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Panpan Ma
- Department of Colorectal Surgery & Oncology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, and Department of Pathology & Pathophysiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiangji Wu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Hao Kong
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wenting Liao
- Department of Experimental Research, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Junbin Qian
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Therapy for Major Gynecological Diseases, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang University Cancer Center, Hangzhou, China
| | - Da Wang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery and Oncology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang University Cancer Center, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yun-Hua Liu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery & Oncology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, and Department of Pathology & Pathophysiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang University Cancer Center, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention of China National Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Taylor BC, Sun X, Gonzalez-Ericsson PI, Sanchez V, Sanders ME, Wescott EC, Opalenik SR, Hanna A, Chou ST, Van Kaer L, Gomez H, Isaacs C, Ballinger TJ, Santa-Maria CA, Shah PD, Dees EC, Lehmann BD, Abramson VG, Pietenpol JA, Balko JM. NKG2A Is a Therapeutic Vulnerability in Immunotherapy Resistant MHC-I Heterogeneous Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Cancer Discov 2024; 14:290-307. [PMID: 37791898 PMCID: PMC10850946 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-23-0519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Despite the success of immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) in treating cancer, patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) often develop resistance to therapy, and the underlying mechanisms are unclear. MHC-I expression is essential for antigen presentation and T-cell-directed immunotherapy responses. This study demonstrates that TNBC patients display intratumor heterogeneity in regional MHC-I expression. In murine models, loss of MHC-I negates antitumor immunity and ICI response, whereas intratumor MHC-I heterogeneity leads to increased infiltration of natural killer (NK) cells in an IFNγ-dependent manner. Using spatial technologies, MHC-I heterogeneity is associated with clinical resistance to anti-programmed death (PD) L1 therapy and increased NK:T-cell ratios in human breast tumors. MHC-I heterogeneous tumors require NKG2A to suppress NK-cell function. Combining anti-NKG2A and anti-PD-L1 therapies restores complete response in heterogeneous MHC-I murine models, dependent on the presence of activated, tumor-infiltrating NK and CD8+ T cells. These results suggest that similar strategies may enhance patient benefit in clinical trials. SIGNIFICANCE Clinical resistance to immunotherapy is common in breast cancer, and many patients will likely require combination therapy to maximize immunotherapeutic benefit. This study demonstrates that heterogeneous MHC-I expression drives resistance to anti-PD-L1 therapy and exposes NKG2A on NK cells as a target to overcome resistance. This article is featured in Selected Articles from This Issue, p. 201.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xiaopeng Sun
- Cancer Biology Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Paula I. Gonzalez-Ericsson
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
- Breast Cancer Research Program, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Violeta Sanchez
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Melinda E. Sanders
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
- Breast Cancer Research Program, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Elizabeth C. Wescott
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Susan R. Opalenik
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Ann Hanna
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Shu-Ting Chou
- Cancer Biology Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Luc Van Kaer
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Henry Gomez
- Department of Medical Oncology, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplásicas, Lima, Perú
| | - Claudine Isaacs
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Tarah J. Ballinger
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | | | - Payal D. Shah
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Elizabeth C. Dees
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Brian D. Lehmann
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
- Breast Cancer Research Program, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Vandana G. Abramson
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
- Breast Cancer Research Program, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Jennifer A. Pietenpol
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
- Breast Cancer Research Program, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Justin M. Balko
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
- Breast Cancer Research Program, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
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Liu Q, Zhang C, Chen X, Han Z. Modern cancer therapy: cryoablation meets immune checkpoint blockade. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1323070. [PMID: 38384806 PMCID: PMC10881233 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1323070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Cryoablation, as a minimally invasive technology for the treatment of tumors, destroys target tumors with lethal low temperatures. It simultaneously releases a large number of tumor-specific antigens, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and nucleoproteins, known as "danger signals", activating the body's innate and adaptive immune responses. However, tumor cells can promote the inactivation of immune effector cells by reprogramming immune checkpoints, leading to the insufficiency of these antigens to induce an immune response capable of eradicating the tumor. Immune checkpoint blockers rejuvenate exhausted T cells by blocking immune checkpoints that induce programmed death of T cells, and are therefore considered a promising therapeutic strategy to enhance the immune effects of cryoablation. In this review, we provide a detailed explanation of the immunological mechanisms of cryoablation and articulate the theoretical basis and research progress of the treatment of cancer with cryoablation combined with immune checkpoint blockers. Preliminary data indicates that this combined treatment strategy exhibits good synergy and has been proven to be safe and effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Liu
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Sixth Medical Center of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China
- Navy Clinical College, the Fifth School of Clinical Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Chunyang Zhang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Sixth Medical Center of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China
- College of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xuxin Chen
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Sixth Medical Center of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China
- College of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhihai Han
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Sixth Medical Center of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China
- Navy Clinical College, the Fifth School of Clinical Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- College of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China
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41
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Meci A, Goyal N, Slonimsky G. Mechanisms of Resistance and Therapeutic Perspectives in Immunotherapy for Advanced Head and Neck Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:703. [PMID: 38398094 PMCID: PMC10887076 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16040703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy is emerging as an effective treatment for advanced head and neck cancers and interest in this treatment modality has led to rapid expansion of this research. Pembrolizumab and nivolumab, monoclonal antibodies directed against the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) receptor, are US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)- and European Medical Agency (EMA)-approved immunotherapies for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Resistance to immunotherapy is common, with about 60% of patients with recurrent or metastatic HNSCC not responding to immunotherapy and only 20-30% of patients without disease progression in the long term. Overcoming resistance to immunotherapy is therefore essential for augmenting the effectiveness of immunotherapy in HNSCC. This review details the innate and adaptive mechanisms by which head and neck cancers can become resistant to immunotherapeutic agents, biomarkers that can be used for immunotherapy patient selection, as well as other factors of the tumor microenvironment correlated with therapeutic response and prognosis. Numerous combinations and novel immunotherapies are currently being trialed, based on better understood immune evasion mechanisms. These potential treatments hold the promise of overcoming resistance to immunotherapy in head and neck cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Meci
- The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA;
| | - Neerav Goyal
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Penn State Health, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Dr, Hershey, PA 17033, USA;
| | - Guy Slonimsky
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Penn State Health, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Dr, Hershey, PA 17033, USA;
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Sun X, Watanabe T, Oda Y, Shen W, Ahmad A, Ouda R, de Figueiredo P, Kitamura H, Tanaka S, Kobayashi KS. Targeted demethylation and activation of NLRC5 augment cancer immunogenicity through MHC class I. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2310821121. [PMID: 38300873 PMCID: PMC10861931 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2310821121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Impaired expression of MHC (major histocompatibility complex) class I in cancers constitutes a major mechanism of immune evasion. It has been well documented that the low level of MHC class I is associated with poor prognosis and resistance to checkpoint blockade therapies. However, there is lmited approaches to specifically induce MHC class I to date. Here, we show an approach for robust and specific induction of MHC class I by targeting an MHC class I transactivator (CITA)/NLRC5, using a CRISPR/Cas9-based gene-specific system, designated TRED-I (Targeted reactivation and demethylation for MHC-I). The TRED-I system specifically recruits a demethylating enzyme and transcriptional activators on the NLRC5 promoter, driving increased MHC class I antigen presentation and accelerated CD8+ T cell activation. Introduction of the TRED-I system in an animal cancer model exhibited tumor-suppressive effects accompanied with increased infiltration and activation of CD8+ T cells. Moreover, this approach boosted the efficacy of checkpoint blockade therapy using anti-PD1 (programmed cell death protein) antibody. Therefore, targeting NLRC5 by this strategy provides an attractive therapeutic approach for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Sun
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo060-8638, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Watanabe
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo060-8638, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Oda
- Department of Cancer Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Sapporo060-8638, Japan
| | - Weidong Shen
- Division of Functional Immunology, Section of Disease Control, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo060-8638, Japan
| | - Alaa Ahmad
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo060-8638, Japan
| | - Ryota Ouda
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo060-8638, Japan
| | - Paul de Figueiredo
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX77807
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO65211
- Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO65211
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of MissouriSchool of Veterinary Medicine, Columbia, MO65211
| | - Hidemitsu Kitamura
- Division of Functional Immunology, Section of Disease Control, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo060-8638, Japan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Toyo University, Kawagoe350-8585, Japan
| | - Shinya Tanaka
- Department of Cancer Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Sapporo060-8638, Japan
- Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery, Hokkaido University, Sapporo001-0021, Japan
| | - Koichi S. Kobayashi
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo060-8638, Japan
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX77807
- Institute for Vaccine Research and Development, Hokkaido University, Sapporo060-8638, Japan
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Cui JW, Li Y, Yang Y, Yang HK, Dong JM, Xiao ZH, He X, Guo JH, Wang RQ, Dai B, Zhou ZL. Tumor immunotherapy resistance: Revealing the mechanism of PD-1 / PD-L1-mediated tumor immune escape. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 171:116203. [PMID: 38280330 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor immunotherapy, an innovative anti-cancer therapy, has showcased encouraging outcomes across diverse tumor types. Among these, the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway is a well-known immunological checkpoint, which is significant in the regulation of immune evasion by tumors. Nevertheless, a considerable number of patients develop resistance to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy, rendering it ineffective in the long run. This research focuses on exploring the factors of PD-1/PD-L1-mediated resistance in tumor immunotherapy. Initially, the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway is characterized by its role in facilitating tumor immune evasion, emphasizing its role in autoimmune homeostasis. Next, the primary mechanisms of resistance to PD-1/PD-L1-based immunotherapy are analyzed, including tumor antigen deletion, T cell dysfunction, increased immunosuppressive cells, and alterations in the expression of PD-L1 within tumor cells. The possible ramifications of altered metabolism, microbiota, and DNA methylation on resistance is also described. Finally, possible resolution strategies for dealing with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy resistance are discussed, placing particular emphasis on personalized therapeutic approaches and the exploration of more potent immunotherapy regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Wen Cui
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, China; College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yao Li
- College of Pharmacy, Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), China
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, China; College of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau SAR, China
| | - Hai-Kui Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, China
| | - Jia-Mei Dong
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, China
| | - Zhi-Hua Xiao
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, China; College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xin He
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, China
| | - Jia-Hao Guo
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, China; College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui-Qi Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, China.
| | - Bo Dai
- Department of Cardiology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Foshan City 528200, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Zhi-Ling Zhou
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, China.
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Sverchkova A, Burkholz S, Rubsamen R, Stratford R, Clancy T. Integrative HLA typing of tumor and adjacent normal tissue can reveal insights into the tumor immune response. BMC Med Genomics 2024; 17:37. [PMID: 38281021 PMCID: PMC10821267 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-024-01808-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The HLA complex is the most polymorphic region of the human genome, and its improved characterization can help us understand the genetics of human disease as well as the interplay between cancer and the immune system. The main function of HLA genes is to recognize "non-self" antigens and to present them on the cell surface to T cells, which instigate an immune response toward infected or transformed cells. While sequence variation in the antigen-binding groove of HLA may modulate the repertoire of immunogenic antigens presented to T cells, alterations in HLA expression can significantly influence the immune response to pathogens and cancer. METHODS RNA sequencing was used here to accurately genotype the HLA region and quantify and compare the level of allele-specific HLA expression in tumors and patient-matched adjacent normal tissue. The computational approach utilized in the study types classical and non-classical Class I and Class II HLA alleles from RNA-seq while simultaneously quantifying allele-specific or personalized HLA expression. The strategy also uses RNA-seq data to infer immune cell infiltration into tumors and the corresponding immune cell composition of matched normal tissue, to reveal potential insights related to T cell and NK cell interactions with tumor HLA alleles. RESULTS The genotyping method outperforms existing RNA-seq-based HLA typing tools for Class II HLA genotyping. Further, we demonstrate its potential for studying tumor-immune interactions by applying the method to tumor samples from two different subtypes of breast cancer and their matched normal breast tissue controls. CONCLUSIONS The integrative RNA-seq-based HLA typing approach described in the study, coupled with HLA expression analysis, neoantigen prediction and immune cell infiltration, may help increase our understanding of the interplay between a patient's tumor and immune system; and provide further insights into the immune mechanisms that determine a positive or negative outcome following treatment with immunotherapy such as checkpoint blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelina Sverchkova
- NEC OncoImmunity, Oslo Cancer Cluster, Innovation Park, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Scott Burkholz
- Flow Pharma, Inc, Warrensville Heights, Galaxy Parkway, OH, 4829, USA
| | - Reid Rubsamen
- Flow Pharma, Inc, Warrensville Heights, Galaxy Parkway, OH, 4829, USA
- University Hospitals, Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Richard Stratford
- NEC OncoImmunity, Oslo Cancer Cluster, Innovation Park, Oslo, Norway
| | - Trevor Clancy
- NEC OncoImmunity, Oslo Cancer Cluster, Innovation Park, Oslo, Norway.
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Lim WC, Marques Da Costa ME, Godefroy K, Jacquet E, Gragert L, Rondof W, Marchais A, Nhiri N, Dalfovo D, Viard M, Labaied N, Khan AM, Dessen P, Romanel A, Pasqualini C, Schleiermacher G, Carrington M, Zitvogel L, Scoazec JY, Geoerger B, Salmon J. Divergent HLA variations and heterogeneous expression but recurrent HLA loss-of- heterozygosity and common HLA-B and TAP transcriptional silencing across advanced pediatric solid cancers. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1265469. [PMID: 38318504 PMCID: PMC10839790 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1265469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system is a major factor controlling cancer immunosurveillance and response to immunotherapy, yet its status in pediatric cancers remains fragmentary. We determined high-confidence HLA genotypes in 576 children, adolescents and young adults with recurrent/refractory solid tumors from the MOSCATO-01 and MAPPYACTS trials, using normal and tumor whole exome and RNA sequencing data and benchmarked algorithms. There was no evidence for narrowed HLA allelic diversity but discordant homozygosity and allele frequencies across tumor types and subtypes, such as in embryonal and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, neuroblastoma MYCN and 11q subtypes, and high-grade glioma, and several alleles may represent protective or susceptibility factors to specific pediatric solid cancers. There was a paucity of somatic mutations in HLA and antigen processing and presentation (APP) genes in most tumors, except in cases with mismatch repair deficiency or genetic instability. The prevalence of loss-of-heterozygosity (LOH) ranged from 5.9 to 7.7% in HLA class I and 8.0 to 16.7% in HLA class II genes, but was widely increased in osteosarcoma and glioblastoma (~15-25%), and for DRB1-DQA1-DQB1 in Ewing sarcoma (~23-28%) and low-grade glioma (~33-50%). HLA class I and HLA-DR antigen expression was assessed in 194 tumors and 44 patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) by immunochemistry, and class I and APP transcript levels quantified in PDXs by RT-qPCR. We confirmed that HLA class I antigen expression is heterogeneous in advanced pediatric solid tumors, with class I loss commonly associated with the transcriptional downregulation of HLA-B and transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) genes, whereas class II antigen expression is scarce on tumor cells and occurs on immune infiltrating cells. Patients with tumors expressing sufficient HLA class I and TAP levels such as some glioma, osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma and non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft-tissue sarcoma cases may more likely benefit from T cell-based approaches, whereas strategies to upregulate HLA expression, to expand the immunopeptidome, and to target TAP-independent epitopes or possibly LOH might provide novel therapeutic opportunities in others. The consequences of HLA class II expression by immune cells remain to be established. Immunogenetic profiling should be implemented in routine to inform immunotherapy trials for precision medicine of pediatric cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan Ching Lim
- INSERM U1015, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
- Bioinformatics Platform, AMMICA, INSERM US23/CNRS UMS3655, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
- School of Data Sciences, Perdana University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | | - Karine Godefroy
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Translational Research Laboratory and Biobank, AMMICA, INSERM US23/CNRS UMS3655, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
| | - Eric Jacquet
- Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, CNRS UPR2301, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Loren Gragert
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Windy Rondof
- INSERM U1015, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
- Bioinformatics Platform, AMMICA, INSERM US23/CNRS UMS3655, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
| | - Antonin Marchais
- INSERM U1015, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
- Bioinformatics Platform, AMMICA, INSERM US23/CNRS UMS3655, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
| | - Naima Nhiri
- Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, CNRS UPR2301, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Davide Dalfovo
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Mathias Viard
- Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, United States
- Laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Nizar Labaied
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Translational Research Laboratory and Biobank, AMMICA, INSERM US23/CNRS UMS3655, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
| | - Asif M. Khan
- School of Data Sciences, Perdana University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Philippe Dessen
- Bioinformatics Platform, AMMICA, INSERM US23/CNRS UMS3655, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
| | - Alessandro Romanel
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Claudia Pasqualini
- INSERM U1015, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Oncology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
| | - Gudrun Schleiermacher
- INSERM U830, Recherche Translationnelle en Oncologie Pédiatrique (RTOP), and SIREDO Oncology Center (Care, Innovation and Research for Children and AYA with Cancer), PSL Research University, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - Mary Carrington
- Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, United States
- Laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, MIT and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Laurence Zitvogel
- INSERM U1015, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
| | - Jean-Yves Scoazec
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Translational Research Laboratory and Biobank, AMMICA, INSERM US23/CNRS UMS3655, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
| | - Birgit Geoerger
- INSERM U1015, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Oncology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
| | - Jerome Salmon
- INSERM U1015, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
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Gulhan DC, Viswanadham V, Muyas F, Jin H, Foote MB, Lee JJK, Barras D, Jung YL, Ljungstrom V, Rousseau B, Galor A, Diplas BH, Maron SB, Cleary JM, Cortés-Ciriano I, Park PJ. Predicting response to immune checkpoint blockade therapy among mismatch repair-deficient patients using mutational signatures. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.01.19.24301236. [PMID: 38293061 PMCID: PMC10827269 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.19.24301236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Despite the overall efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) for mismatch repair deficiency (MMRD) across tumor types, a sizable fraction of patients with MMRD still do not respond to ICB. We performed mutational signature analysis of panel sequencing data (n = 95) from MMRD cases treated with ICB. We discover that T>C-rich single base substitution (SBS) signatures-SBS26 and SBS54 from the COSMIC Mutational Signatures catalog-identify MMRD patients with significantly shorter overall survival. Tumors with a high burden of SBS26 show over-expression and enriched mutations of genes involved in double-strand break repair and other DNA repair pathways. They also display chromosomal instability (CIN), likely related to replication fork instability, leading to copy number losses that trigger immune evasion. SBS54 is associated with transcriptional activity and not with CIN, defining a distinct subtype. Consistently, cancer cell lines with a high burden of SBS26 and SBS54 are sensitive to treatments targeting pathways related to their proposed etiology. Together, our analysis offers an explanation for the heterogeneous responses to ICB among MMRD patients and supports an SBS signature-based predictor as a prognostic biomarker for differential ICB response.
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Adhikary S, Pathak S, Palani V, Acar A, Banerjee A, Al-Dewik NI, Essa MM, Mohammed SGAA, Qoronfleh MW. Current Technologies and Future Perspectives in Immunotherapy towards a Clinical Oncology Approach. Biomedicines 2024; 12:217. [PMID: 38255322 PMCID: PMC10813720 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12010217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy is now established as a potent therapeutic paradigm engendering antitumor immune response against a wide range of malignancies and other diseases by modulating the immune system either through the stimulation or suppression of immune components such as CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, B cells, monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells. By targeting several immune checkpoint inhibitors or blockers (e.g., PD-1, PD-L1, PD-L2, CTLA-4, LAG3, and TIM-3) expressed on the surface of immune cells, several monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal antibodies have been developed and already translated clinically. In addition, natural killer cell-based, dendritic cell-based, and CAR T cell therapies have been also shown to be promising and effective immunotherapeutic approaches. In particular, CAR T cell therapy has benefited from advancements in CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology, allowing the generation of several modified CAR T cells with enhanced antitumor immunity. However, the emerging SARS-CoV-2 infection could hijack a patient's immune system by releasing pro-inflammatory interleukins and cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, and IL-10, and IFN-γ and TNF-α, respectively, which can further promote neutrophil extravasation and the vasodilation of blood vessels. Despite the significant development of advanced immunotherapeutic technologies, after a certain period of treatment, cancer relapses due to the development of resistance to immunotherapy. Resistance may be primary (where tumor cells do not respond to the treatment), or secondary or acquired immune resistance (where tumor cells develop resistance gradually to ICIs therapy). In this context, this review aims to address the existing immunotherapeutic technologies against cancer and the resistance mechanisms against immunotherapeutic drugs, and explain the impact of COVID-19 on cancer treatment. In addition, we will discuss what will be the future implementation of these strategies against cancer drug resistance. Finally, we will emphasize the practical steps to lay the groundwork for enlightened policy for intervention and resource allocation to care for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhamay Adhikary
- Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Chennai 603103, India
| | - Surajit Pathak
- Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Chennai 603103, India
| | - Vignesh Palani
- Faculty of Medicine, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Chennai 603103, India
| | - Ahmet Acar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Türkiye;
| | - Antara Banerjee
- Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Chennai 603103, India
| | - Nader I. Al-Dewik
- Department of Pediatrics, Women’s Wellness and Research Center, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 00974, Qatar;
| | - Musthafa Mohamed Essa
- College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman
| | | | - M. Walid Qoronfleh
- Research & Policy Division, Q3 Research Institute (QRI), Ypsilanti, MI 48917, USA
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Wang S, Xiong Y, Zhang Y, Wang H, Chen M, Li J, Luo P, Luo YH, Hecht M, Frey B, Gaipl U, Li X, Zhao Q, Ma H, Zhou JG. TCCIA: a comprehensive resource for exploring CircRNA in cancer immunotherapy. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008040. [PMID: 38212124 PMCID: PMC10806567 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunotherapies targeting immune checkpoints have gained increasing attention in cancer treatment, emphasizing the need for predictive biomarkers. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators of tumor immunity, particularly in the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, and have shown potential in predicting immunotherapy efficacy. Yet, the detailed roles of circRNAs in cancer immunotherapy are not fully understood. While existing databases focus on either circRNA profiles or immunotherapy cohorts, there is currently no platform that enables the exploration of the intricate interplay between circRNAs and anti-tumor immunotherapy. A comprehensive resource combining circRNA profiles, immunotherapy responses, and clinical outcomes is essential to advance our understanding of circRNA-mediated tumor-immune interactions and to develop effective biomarkers. METHODS To address these gaps, we constructed The Cancer CircRNA Immunome Atlas (TCCIA), the first database that combines circRNA profiles, immunotherapy response data, and clinical outcomes across multicancer types. The construction of TCCIA involved applying standardized preprocessing to the raw sequencing FASTQ files, characterizing circRNA profiles using an ensemble approach based on four established circRNA detection tools, analyzing tumor immunophenotypes, and compiling immunotherapy response data from diverse cohorts treated with immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs). RESULTS TCCIA encompasses over 4,000 clinical samples obtained from 25 cohorts treated with ICBs along with other treatment modalities. The database provides researchers and clinicians with a cloud-based platform that enables interactive exploration of circRNA data in the context of ICB. The platform offers a range of analytical tools, including browse of identified circRNAs, visualization of circRNA abundance and correlation, association analysis between circRNAs and clinical variables, assessment of the tumor immune microenvironment, exploration of tumor molecular signatures, evaluation of treatment response or prognosis, and identification of altered circRNAs in immunotherapy-sensitive and resistant tumors. To illustrate the utility of TCCIA, we showcase two examples, including circTMTC3 and circMGA, by employing analysis of large-scale melanoma and bladder cancer cohorts, which unveil distinct impacts and clinical implications of different circRNA expression in cancer immunotherapy. CONCLUSIONS TCCIA represents a significant advancement over existing resources, providing a comprehensive platform to investigate the role of circRNAs in immuno-oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shixiang Wang
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Xiong
- Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Brain Tumor Research, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Yihao Zhang
- Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Brain Tumor Research, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Haitao Wang
- Center for Precision Medicine Research and Training, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, People's Republic of China
| | - Minjun Chen
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianfeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Shanghai Institute of Hematology, National Research Center for Translational Medicine, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Luo
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yung-Hung Luo
- Department of Chest Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Markus Hecht
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg, Germany
| | - Benjamin Frey
- Translational Radiobiology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
- FAU Profile Center Immunomedicine (FAU I-MED), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Udo Gaipl
- Translational Radiobiology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
- FAU Profile Center Immunomedicine (FAU I-MED), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Xuejun Li
- Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Brain Tumor Research, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Hu Ma
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Guo Zhou
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, People's Republic of China
- Translational Radiobiology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
- FAU Profile Center Immunomedicine (FAU I-MED), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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Peng Y, Dong Y, Sun Q, Zhang Y, Zhou X, Li X, Ma Y, Liu X, Li R, Guo F, Guo L. Integrative analysis of single-cell and bulk RNA-sequencing data revealed T cell marker genes based molecular sub-types and a prognostic signature in lung adenocarcinoma. Sci Rep 2024; 14:964. [PMID: 38200058 PMCID: PMC10781781 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50787-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising modality for addressing advanced or conventionally drug-resistant malignancies. When it comes to lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), T cells have demonstrated significant influence on both antitumor activity and the tumor microenvironment. However, their specific contributions remain largely unexplored. This investigation aimed to delineate molecular subtypes and prognostic indicators founded on T cell marker genes, thereby shedding light on the significance of T cells in LUAD prognosis and precision treatment. The cellular phenotypes were identified by scrutinizing the single-cell data obtained from the GEO repository. Subsequently, T cell marker genes derived from single-cell sequencing analyses were integrated with differentially expressed genes from the TCGA repository to pinpoint T cell-associated genes. Utilizing Cox analysis, molecular subtypes and prognostic signatures were established and subsequently verified using the GEO dataset. The ensuing molecular and immunological distinctions, along with therapy sensitivity between the two sub-cohorts, were examined via the ESTIMATE, CIBERSORT, and ssGSEA methodologies. Compartmentalization, somatic mutation, nomogram development, chemotherapy sensitivity prediction, and potential drug prediction analyses were also conducted according to the risk signature. Additionally, real-time qPCR and the HPA database corroborated the mRNA and protein expression patterns of signature genes in LUAD tissues. In summary, this research yielded an innovative T cell marker gene-based signature with remarkable potential to prognosis and anticipate immunotherapeutic outcomes in LUAD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueling Peng
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030012, Shanxi, China
- Department of Nephrology, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital (Fifth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University), Taiyuan, 030012, China
| | - Yafang Dong
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, China
| | - Qihui Sun
- South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030012, Shanxi, China
- Department of Nephrology, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital (Fifth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University), Taiyuan, 030012, China
| | - Xiangyang Zhou
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030012, Shanxi, China
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, China
| | - Xiaoyang Li
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030012, Shanxi, China
- Department of Nephrology, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital (Fifth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University), Taiyuan, 030012, China
| | - Yuehong Ma
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030012, Shanxi, China
- Department of Nephrology, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital (Fifth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University), Taiyuan, 030012, China
| | - Xingwei Liu
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030012, Shanxi, China
- Department of Nephrology, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital (Fifth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University), Taiyuan, 030012, China
| | - Rongshan Li
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030012, Shanxi, China
- Department of Nephrology, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital (Fifth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University), Taiyuan, 030012, China
| | - Fengjie Guo
- South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Lung Cancer Metastasis and Tumor Microenvironment, Tianjin Lung Cancer Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China.
| | - Lili Guo
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030012, Shanxi, China.
- Department of Nephrology, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital (Fifth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University), Taiyuan, 030012, China.
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Lung Cancer Metastasis and Tumor Microenvironment, Tianjin Lung Cancer Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China.
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Alotaibi F, Alshammari K, Alotaibi BA, Alsaab H. Destabilizing the genome as a therapeutic strategy to enhance response to immune checkpoint blockade: a systematic review of clinical trials evidence from solid and hematological tumors. Front Pharmacol 2024; 14:1280591. [PMID: 38264532 PMCID: PMC10803447 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1280591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Genomic instability is increased alterations in the genome during cell division and is common among most cancer cells. Genome instability enhances the risk of initial carcinogenic transformation, generating new clones of tumor cells, and increases tumor heterogeneity. Although genome instability contributes to malignancy, it is also an "Achilles' heel" that constitutes a therapeutically-exploitable weakness-when sufficiently advanced, it can intrinsically reduce tumor cell survival by creating DNA damage and mutation events that overwhelm the capacity of cancer cells to repair those lesions. Furthermore, it can contribute to extrinsic survival-reducing events by generating mutations that encode new immunogenic antigens capable of being recognized by the immune system, particularly when anti-tumor immunity is boosted by immunotherapy drugs. Here, we describe how genome-destabilization can induce immune activation in cancer patients and systematically review the induction of genome instability exploited clinically, in combination with immune checkpoint blockade. Methods: We performed a systematic review of clinical trials that exploited the combination approach to successfully treat cancers patients. We systematically searched PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Clinicaltrials.gov, and publication from the reference list of related articles. The most relevant inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed clinical trials published in English. Results: We identified 1,490 studies, among those 164 were clinical trials. A total of 37 clinical trials satisfied the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. The main outcome measurements were overall survival and progression-free survival. The majority of the clinical trials (30 out of 37) showed a significant improvement in patient outcome. Conclusion: The majority of the included clinical trials reported the efficacy of the concept of targeting DNA repair pathway, in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors, to create a "ring of synergy" to treat cancer with rational combinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faizah Alotaibi
- College of Science and Health Professions, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Alahsa, Saudi Arabia
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Ministry of National Guard-Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Kanaan Alshammari
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Ministry of National Guard-Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Oncology Department, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard-Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Badi A. Alotaibi
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Ministry of National Guard-Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hashem Alsaab
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
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