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Zhou Z, Wang J, Wang J, Yang S, Wang R, Zhang G, Li Z, Shi R, Wang Z, Lu Q. Deciphering the tumor immune microenvironment from a multidimensional omics perspective: insight into next-generation CAR-T cell immunotherapy and beyond. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:131. [PMID: 38918817 PMCID: PMC11201788 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-02047-2] [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: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) consists of intra-tumor immunological components and plays a significant role in tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, and response to therapy. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell immunotherapy has revolutionized the cancer treatment paradigm. Although CAR-T cell immunotherapy has emerged as a successful treatment for hematologic malignancies, it remains a conundrum for solid tumors. The heterogeneity of TIME is responsible for poor outcomes in CAR-T cell immunotherapy against solid tumors. The advancement of highly sophisticated technology enhances our exploration in TIME from a multi-omics perspective. In the era of machine learning, multi-omics studies could reveal the characteristics of TIME and its immune resistance mechanism. Therefore, the clinical efficacy of CAR-T cell immunotherapy in solid tumors could be further improved with strategies that target unfavorable conditions in TIME. Herein, this review seeks to investigate the factors influencing TIME formation and propose strategies for improving the effectiveness of CAR-T cell immunotherapy through a multi-omics perspective, with the ultimate goal of developing personalized therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaokai Zhou
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Jiahui Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
- Department of Nephrology, Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, PekingBeijing, 100730, China
| | - Jiaojiao Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Shuai Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Ruizhi Wang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Ge Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Zhengrui Li
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Run Shi
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhan Wang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Qiong Lu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China.
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2
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Porter LH, Harrison SG, Risbridger GP, Lister N, Taylor RA. Left out in the cold: Moving beyond hormonal therapy for the treatment of immunologically cold prostate cancer with CAR T cell immunotherapies. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2024; 243:106571. [PMID: 38909866 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2024.106571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Prostate cancer is primarily hormone-dependent, and medical treatments have focused on inhibiting androgen biosynthesis or signaling through various approaches. Despite significant advances with the introduction of androgen receptor signalling inhibitors (ARSIs), patients continue to progress to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), highlighting the need for targeted therapies that extend beyond hormonal blockade. Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cells and other engineered immune cells represent a new generation of adoptive cellular therapies. While these therapies have significantly enhanced outcomes for patients with hematological malignancies, ongoing research is exploring the broader use of CAR T therapy in solid tumors, including advanced prostate cancer. In general, CAR T cell therapies are less effective against solid cancers with the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment hindering T cell infiltration, activation and cytotoxicity following antigen recognition. In addition, inherent tumor heterogeneity exists in patients with advanced prostate cancer that may prevent durable therapeutic responses using single-target agents. These barriers must be overcome to inform clinical trial design and improve treatment efficacy. In this review, we discuss the innovative and rationally designed strategies under investigation to improve the clinical translation of cellular immunotherapy in prostate cancer and maximise therapeutic outcomes for these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- L H Porter
- Prostate Cancer Research Group, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Cancer Program, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - S G Harrison
- Prostate Cancer Research Group, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Cancer Program, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - G P Risbridger
- Prostate Cancer Research Group, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Cancer Program, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; Cancer Immunology Program, Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; Cabrini Institute, Cabrini Health, Malvern, VIC 3144, Australia
| | - Natalie Lister
- Prostate Cancer Research Group, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Cancer Program, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - R A Taylor
- Cancer Immunology Program, Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; Cabrini Institute, Cabrini Health, Malvern, VIC 3144, Australia; Prostate Cancer Research Group, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Cancer Program, Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
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3
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Kellermann G, Leulliot N, Cherfils-Vicini J, Blaud M, Brest P. Activated B-Cells enhance epitope spreading to support successful cancer immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1382236. [PMID: 38571942 PMCID: PMC10989059 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1382236] [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: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint therapies (ICT) have transformed the treatment of cancer over the past decade. However, many patients do not respond or suffer relapses. Successful immunotherapy requires epitope spreading, but the slow or inefficient induction of functional antitumoral immunity delays the benefit to patients or causes resistances. Therefore, understanding the key mechanisms that support epitope spreading is essential to improve immunotherapy. In this review, we highlight the major role played by B-cells in breaking immune tolerance by epitope spreading. Activated B-cells are key Antigen-Presenting Cells (APC) that diversify the T-cell response against self-antigens, such as ribonucleoproteins, in autoimmunity but also during successful cancer immunotherapy. This has important implications for the design of future cancer vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicolas Leulliot
- Université Paris Cité, Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), Cibles Thérapeutiques et Conception de Médicaments (CiTCoM), Paris, France
| | - Julien Cherfils-Vicini
- Université Côte d’Azur, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, Nice (IRCAN), Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), Centre Antoine Lacassagne, Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU), RESPIRera, Fédérations Hospitalo-Universitaires (FHU)OncoAge, Nice, France
| | - Magali Blaud
- Université Paris Cité, Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), Cibles Thérapeutiques et Conception de Médicaments (CiTCoM), Paris, France
| | - Patrick Brest
- Université Côte d’Azur, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, Nice (IRCAN), Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), Centre Antoine Lacassagne, Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU), RESPIRera, Fédérations Hospitalo-Universitaires (FHU)OncoAge, Nice, France
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Gugulothu KN, Anvesh Sai P, Suraparaju S, Karuturi SP, Pendli G, Kamma RB, Nimmagadda K, Modepalli A, Mamilla M, Vashist S. WT1 Cancer Vaccine in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: A Systematic Review. Cureus 2024; 16:e56934. [PMID: 38665761 PMCID: PMC11043900 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.56934] [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] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Advanced pancreatic cancer is one of the prominent contributors to cancer-related mortality globally. Chemotherapy, especially gemcitabine, is generally used for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer. Despite the treatment, the fatality rate for advanced pancreatic cancer is alarmingly high. Thus, the dire need for better treatment alternatives has drawn focus to cancer vaccinations. The Wilms tumor gene (WT1), typically associated with Wilms tumor, is found to be excessively expressed in some cancers, such as pancreatic cancer. This characteristic feature is harvested to develop cancer vaccines against WT1. This review aims to systematically summarize the clinical trials investigating the efficacy and safety of WT1 vaccines in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. An extensive literature search was conducted on databases Medline, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar using the keywords "Advanced pancreatic cancer," "Cancer vaccines," "WT1 vaccines," and "Pulsed DC vaccines," and the results were exclusively studied to construct this review. WT1 vaccines work by introducing peptides from the WT1 protein to trigger an immune response involving cytotoxic T lymphocytes via antigen-presenting cells. Upon activation, these lymphocytes induce apoptosis in cancer cells by specifically targeting those with increased WT1 levels. WT1 vaccinations, which are usually given in addition to chemotherapy, have demonstrated clinically positive results and minimal side effects. However, there are several challenges to their widespread use, such as the immunosuppressive nature of tumors and heterogeneity in expression. Despite these limitations, the risk-benefit profile of cancer vaccines is encouraging, especially for the WT1 vaccine in the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer. Considering the fledgling status of their development, large multicentric, variables-matched, extensive analysis across diverse demographics is considered essential.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sonika Suraparaju
- Internal Medicine, Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women, Tirupati, IND
| | | | - Ganesh Pendli
- Internal Medicine, PES Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Kuppam, IND
| | - Ravi Babu Kamma
- Internal Medicine, Sri Venkata Sai (SVS) Medical College, Mahabubnagar, IND
| | | | - Alekhya Modepalli
- Internal Medicine, Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women, Tirupati, IND
| | - Mahesh Mamilla
- Internal Medicine, Sri Venkateswara Medical College, Tirupati, IND
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Srivastava PK. Cancer neoepitopes viewed through negative selection and peripheral tolerance: a new path to cancer vaccines. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e176740. [PMID: 38426497 PMCID: PMC10904052 DOI: 10.1172/jci176740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
A proportion of somatic mutations in tumors create neoepitopes that can prime T cell responses that target the MHC I-neoepitope complexes on tumor cells, mediating tumor control or rejection. Despite the compelling centrality of neoepitopes to cancer immunity, we know remarkably little about what constitutes a neoepitope that can mediate tumor control in vivo and what distinguishes such a neoepitope from the vast majority of similar candidate neoepitopes that are inefficacious in vivo. Studies in mice as well as clinical trials have begun to reveal the unexpected paradoxes in this area. Because cancer neoepitopes straddle that ambiguous ground between self and non-self, some rules that are fundamental to immunology of frankly non-self antigens, such as viral or model antigens, do not appear to apply to neoepitopes. Because neoepitopes are so similar to self-epitopes, with only small changes that render them non-self, immune response to them is regulated at least partially the way immune response to self is regulated. Therefore, neoepitopes are viewed and understood here through the clarifying lens of negative thymic selection. Here, the emergent questions in the biology and clinical applications of neoepitopes are discussed critically and a mechanistic and testable framework that explains the complexity and translational potential of these wonderful antigens is proposed.
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Ponomarev AV, Shubina IZ, Sokolova ZA, Baryshnikova MA, Kosorukov VS. Transplantable Murine Tumors in the Studies of Peptide Antitumor Vaccines. Oncol Rev 2024; 17:12189. [PMID: 38260723 PMCID: PMC10800450 DOI: 10.3389/or.2023.12189] [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: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have shown that antitumor vaccines based on synthetic peptides are safe and can induce both CD8+ and CD4+ tumor-specific T cell responses. However, clinical results are still scarce, and such approach to antitumor treatment has not gained a wide implication, yet. Recently, particular advances have been achieved due to tumor sequencing and the search for immunogenic neoantigens caused by mutations. One of the most important issues for peptide vaccines, along with the choice of optimal adjuvants and vaccination regimens, is the search for effective target antigens. Extensive studies of peptide vaccines, including those on murine models, are required to reveal the effective vaccine constructs. The review presents transplantable murine tumors with the detected peptides that showed antitumor efficacy as a vaccine compound.
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Zhu Y, Li X, Chen T, Wang J, Zhou Y, Mu X, Du Y, Wang J, Tang J, Liu J. Personalised neoantigen-based therapy in colorectal cancer. Clin Transl Med 2023; 13:e1461. [PMID: 37921274 PMCID: PMC10623652 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1461] [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: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) has become one of the most common tumours with high morbidity, mortality and distinctive evolution mechanism. The neoantigens arising from the somatic mutations have become considerable treatment targets in the management of CRC. As cancer-specific aberrant peptides, neoantigens can trigger the robust host immune response and exert anti-tumour effects while minimising the emergence of adverse events commonly associated with alternative therapeutic regimens. In this review, we summarised the mechanism, generation, identification and prognostic significance of neoantigens, as well as therapeutic strategies challenges of neoantigen-based therapy in CRC. The evidence suggests that the establishment of personalised neoantigen-based therapy holds great promise as an effective treatment approach for patients with CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya‐Juan Zhu
- Department of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Xiong Li
- Department of GastroenterologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Ting‐Ting Chen
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou UniversityLanzhouChina
| | - Jia‐Xiang Wang
- Department of Renal Cancer and MelanomaPeking University Cancer Hospital & InstituteBeijingChina
| | - Yi‐Xin Zhou
- Department of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Xiao‐Li Mu
- Department of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Yang Du
- Department of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Jia‐Ling Wang
- Department of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Jie Tang
- Clinical Trial CenterWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Ji‐Yan Liu
- Department of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
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8
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Viborg N, Pavlidis MA, Barrio-Calvo M, Friis S, Trolle T, Sørensen AB, Thygesen CB, Kofoed SV, Kleine-Kohlbrecher D, Hadrup SR, Rønø B. DNA based neoepitope vaccination induces tumor control in syngeneic mouse models. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:77. [PMID: 37244905 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00671-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent findings have positioned tumor mutation-derived neoepitopes as attractive targets for cancer immunotherapy. Cancer vaccines that deliver neoepitopes via various vaccine formulations have demonstrated promising preliminary results in patients and animal models. In the presented work, we assessed the ability of plasmid DNA to confer neoepitope immunogenicity and anti-tumor effect in two murine syngeneic cancer models. We demonstrated that neoepitope DNA vaccination led to anti-tumor immunity in the CT26 and B16F10 tumor models, with the long-lasting presence of neoepitope-specific T-cell responses in blood, spleen, and tumors after immunization. We further observed that engagement of both the CD4+ and CD8+ T cell compartments was essential to hamper tumor growth. Additionally, combination therapy with immune checkpoint inhibition provided an additive effect, superior to either monotherapy. DNA vaccination offers a versatile platform that allows the encoding of multiple neoepitopes in a single formulation and is thus a feasible strategy for personalized immunotherapy via neoepitope vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Viborg
- Evaxion Biotech, Hørsholm, Denmark
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Sine Reker Hadrup
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
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Shen L, Brown JR, Johnston SA, Altan M, Sykes KF. Predicting response and toxicity to immune checkpoint inhibitors in lung cancer using antibodies to frameshift neoantigens. J Transl Med 2023; 21:338. [PMID: 37217961 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04172-w] [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: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate a new class of blood-based biomarkers, anti-frameshift peptide antibodies, for predicting both tumor responses and adverse immune events to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies in advanced lung cancer patients. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Serum samples were obtained from 74 lung cancer patients prior to palliative PD-(L)1 therapies with subsequently recorded tumor responses and immune adverse events (irAEs). Pretreatment samples were assayed on microarrays of frameshift peptides (FSPs), representing ~ 375,000 variant peptides that tumor cells can be informatically predicted to produce from translated mRNA processing errors. Serum-antibodies specifically recognizing these ligands were measured. Binding activities preferentially associated with best-response and adverse-event outcomes were determined. These antibody bound FSPs were used in iterative resampling analyses to develop predictive models of tumor response and immune toxicity. RESULTS Lung cancer serum samples were classified based on predictive models of ICI treatment outcomes. Disease progression was predicted pretreatment with ~ 98% accuracy in the full cohort of all response categories, though ~ 30% of the samples were indeterminate. This model was built with a heterogeneous sample cohort from patients that (i) would show either clear response or stable outcomes, (ii) would be administered either single or combination therapies and (iii) were diagnosed with different lung cancer subtypes. Removing the stable disease, combination therapy or SCLC groups from model building increased the proportion of samples classified while performance remained high. Informatic analyses showed that several of the FSPs in the all-response model mapped to translations of variant mRNAs from the same genes. In the predictive model for treatment toxicities, binding to irAE-associated FSPs provided 90% accuracy pretreatment, with no indeterminates. Several of the classifying FSPs displayed sequence similarity to self-proteins. CONCLUSIONS Anti-FSP antibodies may serve as biomarkers for predicting ICI outcomes when tested against ligands corresponding to mRNA-error derived FSPs. Model performances suggest this approach might provide a single test to predict treatment response to ICI and identify patients at high risk for immunotherapy toxicities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luhui Shen
- Calviri, Inc, 850 N 5th St., Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | | | | | - Mehmet Altan
- MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Thoracic-Head & Neck Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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10
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Kang Y, Zhang W, Yu Q, Gao L, Quan J, Gu F, Wu Y, Tian Y, Wu Z, Shao S, Zhou H, Duan S, Zhou Y, Zhang L, Gao X, Tian H, Yao W. Self-assembled nanoparticles based on DNA origami and a nitrated T helper cell epitope as a platform for the development of personalized cancer vaccines. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2023:10.1007/s00262-023-03446-y. [PMID: 37119260 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-023-03446-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
Neoantigen vaccines constitute an emerging and promising cancer immunotherapy. However, not all neoantigens have anti-tumor activity, as poor CD4+ epitope recognition can lead to the lack of greatly limit the persistence of the CD8+ T cell response. Therefore, we designed a self-assembled nanoplatform hereinafter referred to as DNA-coupled nitrated T helper cell epitope nanoparticle (DCNP) based on DNA origami containing a nitrated CD4 + T cell epitope, which can facilitate the effective activation of neoantigen-specific CD8+ T cells. Moreover, we embedded the cytidine-phosphate-guanosine oligonucleotide (CpG ODN) motif sequence in the DNA skeleton to function as a built-in adjuvant to activate Toll-like receptor 9. DCNP can markedly improve adjuvant and neoantigen co-delivery to lymphoid organs and promote neoantigen presentation on dendritic cells. Moreover, DCNP induced robust, and long-lived neoantigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses that significantly delayed tumor growth. Further, these effects were largely dependent on the nitrated T cell epitope. Collectively, our findings indicate that DCNP is a promising platform that could improve the development of personalized therapeutic neoantigen vaccines for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanliang Kang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Wanli Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Qiumin Yu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Le Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Jiale Quan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Fangling Gu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Yuxin Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Yahong Tian
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Zijie Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Shishuai Shao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Hongyou Zhou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Shukang Duan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Yixiang Zhou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of General Internal Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830054, China.
| | - Xiangdong Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China.
| | - Hong Tian
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China.
| | - Wenbing Yao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China.
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11
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Martínez-Cortés F, Domínguez-Romero AN, Pérez-Hernández EG, Orozco-Delgado DL, Avila S, Odales J, Guzman Valle J, Gevorkian G, Manoutcharian K. Tumor antigen-unbiased variable epitope library contains mimotopes with antitumor effect in a mouse model of breast cancer. Mol Immunol 2023; 157:91-100. [PMID: 37002957 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2023.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death that affects the female population worldwide. Despite advances in treatments and a greater understanding of the disease, there are still difficulties in successfully treating patients. Currently, the main challenge in the field of cancer vaccines is antigenic variability which can reduce antigen-specific T- cell response efficacy. The search for and validation of immunogenic antigen targets increased dramatically over the past few decades and, with the advent of modern sequencing techniques, permitting the fast and accurate identification of the neoantigen landscape of tumor cells, will undoubtedly continue to grow exponentially for years to come. We have previously implemented Variable Epitope Libraries (VEL) as an unconventional vaccine strategy in preclinical models and for identifying and selecting mutant epitope variants. Here, we used an alanine-based sequence to generate a 9-mer VEL-like combinatorial mimotope library G3d as a new class of vaccine immunogen. An in silico analysis of the 16,000 G3d-derived sequences revealed potential MHC-I binders and immunogenic mimotopes. We demonstrated the antitumor effect of treatment with G3d in the 4T1 murine model of breast cancer. Moreover, two different T cell proliferation screening assays against a panel of randomly selected G3d-derived mimotopes allowed the isolation of both stimulatory and inhibitory mimotopes showing differential therapeutic vaccine efficacy. Thus, the mimotope library is a promising vaccine immunogen and a reliable source for isolating molecular cancer vaccine components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Martínez-Cortés
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad Universitaria, AP 70228, México City 04510, Mexico
| | - Allan Noé Domínguez-Romero
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad Universitaria, AP 70228, México City 04510, Mexico
| | - Eréndira G Pérez-Hernández
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad Universitaria, AP 70228, México City 04510, Mexico
| | - Diana L Orozco-Delgado
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad Universitaria, AP 70228, México City 04510, Mexico
| | - Sandra Avila
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad Universitaria, AP 70228, México City 04510, Mexico
| | - Josué Odales
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad Universitaria, AP 70228, México City 04510, Mexico
| | - Jesus Guzman Valle
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad Universitaria, AP 70228, México City 04510, Mexico
| | - Goar Gevorkian
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad Universitaria, AP 70228, México City 04510, Mexico
| | - Karen Manoutcharian
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad Universitaria, AP 70228, México City 04510, Mexico.
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12
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Li H, Luo Q, Zhang H, Ma X, Gu Z, Gong Q, Luo K. Nanomedicine embraces cancer radio-immunotherapy: mechanism, design, recent advances, and clinical translation. Chem Soc Rev 2023; 52:47-96. [PMID: 36427082 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs00437b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Cancer radio-immunotherapy, integrating external/internal radiation therapy with immuno-oncology treatments, emerges in the current management of cancer. A growing number of pre-clinical studies and clinical trials have recently validated the synergistic antitumor effect of radio-immunotherapy, far beyond the "abscopal effect", but it suffers from a low response rate and toxicity issues. To this end, nanomedicines with an optimized design have been introduced to improve cancer radio-immunotherapy. Specifically, these nanomedicines are elegantly prepared by incorporating tumor antigens, immuno- or radio-regulators, or biomarker-specific imaging agents into the corresponding optimized nanoformulations. Moreover, they contribute to inducing various biological effects, such as generating in situ vaccination, promoting immunogenic cell death, overcoming radiation resistance, reversing immunosuppression, as well as pre-stratifying patients and assessing therapeutic response or therapy-induced toxicity. Overall, this review aims to provide a comprehensive landscape of nanomedicine-assisted radio-immunotherapy. The underlying working principles and the corresponding design strategies for these nanomedicines are elaborated by following the concept of "from bench to clinic". Their state-of-the-art applications, concerns over their clinical translation, along with perspectives are covered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haonan Li
- Department of Radiology, Department of Biotherapy, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Cancer Center, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Qiang Luo
- Department of Radiology, Department of Biotherapy, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Cancer Center, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Hu Zhang
- Amgen Bioprocessing Centre, Keck Graduate Institute, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
| | - Xuelei Ma
- Department of Radiology, Department of Biotherapy, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Cancer Center, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Zhongwei Gu
- Department of Radiology, Department of Biotherapy, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Cancer Center, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Department of Radiology, Department of Biotherapy, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Cancer Center, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu 610041, China. .,Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province and Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Kui Luo
- Department of Radiology, Department of Biotherapy, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Cancer Center, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu 610041, China. .,Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province and Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
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13
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Chopp L, Redmond C, O'Shea JJ, Schwartz DM. From thymus to tissues and tumors: A review of T-cell biology. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2023; 151:81-97. [PMID: 36272581 PMCID: PMC9825672 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2022.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
T cells are critical orchestrators of the adaptive immune response that optimally eliminate a specific pathogen. Aberrant T-cell development and function are implicated in a broad range of human disease including immunodeficiencies, autoimmune diseases, and allergic diseases. Accordingly, therapies targeting T cells and their effector cytokines have markedly improved the care of patients with immune dysregulatory diseases. Newer discoveries concerning T-cell-mediated antitumor immunity and T-cell exhaustion have further prompted development of highly effective and novel treatment modalities for malignancies, including checkpoint inhibitors and antigen-reactive T cells. Recent discoveries are also uncovering the depth and variability of T-cell phenotypes: while T cells have long been described using a subset-based classification system, next-generation sequencing technologies suggest an astounding degree of complexity and heterogeneity at the single-cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Chopp
- Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda
| | - Christopher Redmond
- Clinical Fellowship Program, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda
| | - John J O'Shea
- Molecular Immunology and Inflammation Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda
| | - Daniella M Schwartz
- Laboratory of Allergic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh.
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14
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Khan P, Fatima M, Khan MA, Batra SK, Nasser MW. Emerging role of chemokines in small cell lung cancer: Road signs for metastasis, heterogeneity, and immune response. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 87:117-126. [PMID: 36371025 PMCID: PMC10199458 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a recalcitrant, relatively immune-cold, and deadly subtype of lung cancer. SCLC has been viewed as a single or homogenous disease that includes deletion or inactivation of the two major tumor suppressor genes (TP53 and RB1) as a key hallmark. However, recent sightings suggest the complexity of SCLC tumors that comprises highly dynamic multiple subtypes contributing to high intratumor heterogeneity. Furthermore, the absence of targeted therapies, the understudied tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), and subtype plasticity are also responsible for therapy resistance. Secretory chemokines play a crucial role in immunomodulation by trafficking immune cells to the tumors. Chemokines and cytokines modulate the anti-tumor immune response and wield a pro-/anti-tumorigenic effect on SCLC cells after binding to cognate receptors. In this review, we summarize and highlight recent findings that establish the role of chemokines in SCLC growth and metastasis, and sophisticated intratumor heterogeneity. We also discuss the chemokine networks that are putative targets or modulators for augmenting the anti-tumor immune responses in targeted or chemo-/immuno-therapeutic strategies, and how these combinations may be utilized to conquer SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parvez Khan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Mahek Fatima
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Md Arafat Khan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Surinder Kumar Batra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Mohd Wasim Nasser
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA.
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15
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Waki K, Ozawa M, Yamada A. Suppression of high mobility group box 1 in B16F10 tumor does not inhibit the induction of neoantigen-specific T cells. Cancer Sci 2022; 113:4082-4091. [PMID: 36057084 PMCID: PMC9746042 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulated clinical data of immune checkpoint blockades have suggested the importance of neoantigens in cancer immunity. Tumor antigens are released from dead cancer cells together with cellular components, such as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), into the tumor microenvironment. We recently reported that high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a representative DAMP molecule, showed a negative impact on anti-tumor immunity. However, a positive role of HMGB1 in the initiation of innate and subsequent adaptive immunity has also been demonstrated; thus, the effects of HMGB1 on anti-tumor immunity have not been well understood. In this study, we identified nine immunogenic neoantigen epitopes of B16F10 murine melanoma cells and subsequently investigated the effects of suppression of HMGB1 on the induction of neoantigen-specific immunity using HMGB1-knockout tumors. Neoantigen-reactive T cells were expanded in B16F10 tumor-bearing mice, and T cell receptor repertoire analysis suggested that neoantigen-reactive T cells were oligo-clonally increased in B16F10 tumor bearers. An increase of neoantigen-reactive T cells and oligoclonal expansion of the T cells were similarly detected in HMGB1-knockout tumor-bearing mice. The induction of neoantigen-specific immunity under the suppression of HMGB1 in the tumor microenvironment shown in this study supports further development of combination therapy of HMGB1 suppression with neoantigen-targeted cancer immunotherapies, including immune checkpoint blockade therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayoko Waki
- Cancer Vaccine Development Division, Research Center for Innovative Cancer TherapyKurume UniversityKurume, FukuokaJapan
| | - Miyako Ozawa
- Cancer Vaccine Development Division, Research Center for Innovative Cancer TherapyKurume UniversityKurume, FukuokaJapan
| | - Akira Yamada
- Cancer Vaccine Development Division, Research Center for Innovative Cancer TherapyKurume UniversityKurume, FukuokaJapan
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16
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Velaga R, Koo KM, Mainwaring PN. Harnessing gene fusion-derived neoantigens for 'cold' breast and prostate tumor immunotherapy. Immunotherapy 2022; 14:1165-1179. [PMID: 36043380 DOI: 10.2217/imt-2022-0081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast and prostate cancers are generally considered immunologically 'cold' tumors due to multiple mechanisms rendering them unresponsive to immune checkpoint blockade therapies. With little success in garnering positive outcomes in modern immunotherapeutic clinical trials, it is prudent to re-examine the role of immunogenic neoantigens in these cold tumors. Gene fusions are driver mutations in hormone-driven cancers that can result in alternative mutation-specific neoantigens to promote immunotherapy sensitivity. This review focuses on 1) gene fusion formation mechanisms in neoantigen generation; 2) gene fusion neoantigens in cancer immunotherapeutic strategies and associated clinical trials; and 3) challenges and opportunities in computational and liquid biopsy technologies. This review is anticipated to initiate further research into gene fusion neoantigens of cold tumors for further experimental validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Velaga
- Breast Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Kevin M Koo
- XING Technologies Pty Ltd, Brisbane, QLD 4073, Australia.,The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research (UQCCR), Brisbane, QLD 4029, Australia
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17
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Hong K, Zhang Y, Yao L, Zhang J, Sheng X, Song L, Guo Y, Guo Y. Pan-cancer analysis of the angiotensin II receptor-associated protein as a prognostic and immunological gene predicting immunotherapy responses in pan-cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:913684. [PMID: 36060798 PMCID: PMC9437438 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.913684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Understanding interior molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis and cancer progression contributes to antitumor treatments. The angiotensin II receptor-associated protein (AGTRAP) has been confirmed to be related with metabolic products in metabolic diseases and can drive the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma and colon carcinoma. However, functions of AGTRAP in other kinds of cancers are unclear, and a pan-cancer analysis of AGTRAP has not been carried out. Methods and materials: We downloaded data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Genotype-Tissue Expression dataset and The Human Protein Atlas databases and then used R software (version 4.1.1) and several bioinformatic tools to conduct the analysis. Results: In our study, we evaluated the expression of AGTRAP in cancers, such as high expression in breast cancer, lung adenocarcinoma, and glioma and low expression in kidney chromophobe. Furthermore, our study revealed that high expression of AGTRAP is significantly related with poor prognosis in glioma, liver cancer, kidney chromophobe, and so on. We also explored the putative functional mechanisms of AGTRAP across pan-cancer, such as endoplasmic reticulum pathway, endocytosis pathway, and JAK-STAT signaling pathway. In addition, the connection between AGTRAP and tumor microenvironment, tumor mutation burden, and immune-related genes was proven. Conclusion: Our study provided comprehensive evidence of the roles of AGTRAP in different kinds of cancers and supported the relationship of AGTRAP and tumorous immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Hong
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Ningbo City First Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- Medicine School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yingjue Zhang
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Division of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Lingli Yao
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Ningbo City First Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- Medicine School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiabo Zhang
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Ningbo City First Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xianneng Sheng
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Ningbo City First Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lihua Song
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Ningbo City First Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- Medicine School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yu Guo
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Ningbo City First Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- *Correspondence: Yu Guo, ; Yangyang Guo,
| | - Yangyang Guo
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Ningbo City First Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- *Correspondence: Yu Guo, ; Yangyang Guo,
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18
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T-Cell Receptor Repertoire Sequencing and Its Applications: Focus on Infectious Diseases and Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158590. [PMID: 35955721 PMCID: PMC9369427 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune system is a dynamic feature of each individual and a footprint of our unique internal and external exposures. Indeed, the type and level of exposure to physical and biological agents shape the development and behavior of this complex and diffuse system. Many pathological conditions depend on how our immune system responds or does not respond to a pathogen or a disease or on how the regulation of immunity is altered by the disease itself. T-cells are important players in adaptive immunity and, together with B-cells, define specificity and monitor the internal and external signals that our organism perceives through its specific receptors, TCRs and BCRs, respectively. Today, high-throughput sequencing (HTS) applied to the TCR repertoire has opened a window of opportunity to disclose T-cell repertoire development and behavior down to the clonal level. Although TCR repertoire sequencing is easily accessible today, it is important to deeply understand the available technologies for choosing the best fit for the specific experimental needs and questions. Here, we provide an updated overview of TCR repertoire sequencing strategies, providers and applications to infectious diseases and cancer to guide researchers’ choice through the multitude of available options. The possibility of extending the TCR repertoire to HLA characterization will be of pivotal importance in the near future to understand how specific HLA genes shape T-cell responses in different pathological contexts and will add a level of comprehension that was unthinkable just a few years ago.
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19
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Sellars MC, Wu CJ, Fritsch EF. Cancer vaccines: Building a bridge over troubled waters. Cell 2022; 185:2770-2788. [PMID: 35835100 PMCID: PMC9555301 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.06.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Cancer vaccines aim to direct the immune system to eradicate cancer cells. Here we review the essential immunologic concepts underpinning natural immunity and highlight the multiple unique challenges faced by vaccines targeting cancer. Recent technological advances in mass spectrometry, neoantigen prediction, genetically and pharmacologically engineered mouse models, and single-cell omics have revealed new biology, which can help to bridge this divide. We particularly focus on translationally relevant aspects, such as antigen selection and delivery and the monitoring of human post-vaccination responses, and encourage more aggressive exploration of novel approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- MacLean C Sellars
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Catherine J Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Edward F Fritsch
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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20
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Oosting LT, Franke K, Martin MV, Kloosterman WP, Jamieson JA, Glenn LA, de Jager MW, van Zanten J, Allersma DP, Gareb B. Development of a Personalized Tumor Neoantigen Based Vaccine Formulation (FRAME-001) for Use in a Phase II Trial for the Treatment of Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14071515. [PMID: 35890409 PMCID: PMC9322189 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14071515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Stage III–IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a devastating disease characterized by a poor prognosis. NSCLC tumors carry genetic mutations, which can lead to the expression of altered protein sequences. Peptides originating from mutated proteins and bound to MHC molecules on the tumor cell surface are referred to as neoantigens, as they are tumor-specific and not expressed in normal cells. Due to their tumor specificity, neoantigens have a strong potential to induce an anti-tumor immune response and have been investigated for development of personalized therapeutic cancer vaccines. The current study describes the development of a clinical grade neoantigen vaccine formulation (FRAME-001) intended as immunotherapy in advanced NSCLC in combination with the immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab. The detection of aberrant tumor-specific transcripts as well as an algorithm to select immunogenic neoantigen peptides are described. Subsequently, selected neoantigen peptides were synthesized with a high throughput synthesis platform and aseptically formulated under good manufacturing practice (GMP) conditions into four aqueous peptides mixtures that each contained six neoantigen peptides. A validated stability-indicating analytical method was developed in which we considered the personalized nature of the formulation. An extensive stability study performed either at −25 °C or −80 °C showed that the formulation was stable for up to 32 weeks. The formulation was mixed with the vaccine adjuvant Montanide ISA 51 VG, which yielded the final vaccine emulsion. The stability of the vaccine emulsion was demonstrated using microscopic examination, differential light scattering, and the water-drop test. The presented data show that FRAME-001 is a feasible personalized vaccine formulation for the treatment of stage III–IV NSCLC. The presented data may give guidance in the development of novel personalized therapeutic vaccines since this formulation strategy could be used for any cancer indication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linette T. Oosting
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; (L.T.O.); (J.v.Z.); (D.P.A.)
| | - Katka Franke
- CureVac Netherlands B.V., Matrix Building VII, Science Park 106, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (K.F.); (M.V.M.); (W.P.K.)
| | - Michael V. Martin
- CureVac Netherlands B.V., Matrix Building VII, Science Park 106, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (K.F.); (M.V.M.); (W.P.K.)
| | - Wigard P. Kloosterman
- CureVac Netherlands B.V., Matrix Building VII, Science Park 106, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (K.F.); (M.V.M.); (W.P.K.)
| | - Jennifer A. Jamieson
- Almac Sciences Scotland Ltd., The Fleming Building, Edinburgh Technopole, Milton Bridge, Penicuik EH26 0BE, UK; (J.A.J.); (L.A.G.)
| | - Laura A. Glenn
- Almac Sciences Scotland Ltd., The Fleming Building, Edinburgh Technopole, Milton Bridge, Penicuik EH26 0BE, UK; (J.A.J.); (L.A.G.)
| | | | - Jacoba van Zanten
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; (L.T.O.); (J.v.Z.); (D.P.A.)
| | - Derk P. Allersma
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; (L.T.O.); (J.v.Z.); (D.P.A.)
| | - Bahez Gareb
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; (L.T.O.); (J.v.Z.); (D.P.A.)
- Correspondence:
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21
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Shang S, Zhao Y, Qian K, Qin Y, Zhang X, Li T, Shan L, Wei M, Xi J, Tang B. The role of neoantigens in tumor immunotherapy. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 151:113118. [PMID: 35623169 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor neoantigens are aberrant polypeptides produced by tumor cells as a result of genomic mutations. They are also tumor-specific antigens (TSA). Neoantigens are more immunogenic than tumor-related antigens and do not induce autoimmunity. Based on the rapid development of bioinformatics and the continuous update of sequencing technology, cancer immunotherapy with tumor neoantigens has made promising breakthroughs and progress. In this review, the generation, prediction, and identification of novel antigens, as well as the individualized treatments of neoantigens, were first introduced. Secondly, the mechanism of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Immunotherapy (CAR-T) therapy and immune checkpoint blockade therapy in the treatment of tumors were outlined, and the three treatment methods were compared. Thirdly, the application of neoantigens in CAR-T therapy and PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy was briefly described. The benefits of the neoantigen vaccines over common vaccines were summarized as well. Finally, the prospect of neoantigen therapy was presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengwen Shang
- School of Life Science, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui Province 233030, China
| | - Yongjie Zhao
- School of Life Science, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui Province 233030, China
| | - Kaiqiang Qian
- School of Life Science, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui Province 233030, China
| | - Yuexuan Qin
- School of Life Science, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui Province 233030, China
| | - Xinyi Zhang
- School of Life Science, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui Province 233030, China
| | - Tianyue Li
- School of Life Science, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui Province 233030, China
| | - Lidong Shan
- School of Life Science, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui Province 233030, China
| | - Meili Wei
- School of Life Science, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui Province 233030, China
| | - Jun Xi
- School of Life Science, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui Province 233030, China
| | - Bikui Tang
- School of Life Science, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui Province 233030, China.
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22
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Robles-Oteiza C, Wu CJ. Editorial overview: Vaccines: Reinvigorating therapeutic cancer vaccines. Curr Opin Immunol 2022; 76:102176. [PMID: 35429774 PMCID: PMC9612210 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2022.102176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Lessons learned from the rapid deployment of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic are reinvigorating the cancer vaccine field. Using delivery platforms including mRNA and synthetic long peptides, recent clinical trials have demonstrated that cancer vaccines are safe, feasible, and can be associated with the generation of antigen-specific memory T cells and, in some cases, durable clinical responses. Despite these advances, fundamental questions remain regarding the optimal delivery platforms and antigen targets to use in cancer vaccines. Ongoing and future studies that harness advances in the identification of novel sources of antigens, the prediction of immunogenic antigens, and the use of single-cell technologies to profile antigen-specific T cells will hopefully reveal correlates with clinical outcomes and provide a mechanistic basis for future progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Robles-Oteiza
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Catherine J Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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Jia Q, Wang A, Yuan Y, Zhu B, Long H. Heterogeneity of the tumor immune microenvironment and its clinical relevance. Exp Hematol Oncol 2022; 11:24. [PMID: 35461288 PMCID: PMC9034473 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-022-00277-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
During the course of tumorigenesis and subsequent metastasis, malignant cells gradually diversify and become more heterogeneous. Consequently, the tumor mass might be infiltrated by diverse immune-related components, including the cytokine/chemokine environment, cytotoxic activity, or immunosuppressive elements. This immunological heterogeneity is universally presented spatially or varies temporally along with tumor evolution or therapeutic intervention across almost all solid tumors. The heterogeneity of anti-tumor immunity shows a profound association with the progression of disease and responsiveness to treatment, particularly in the realm of immunotherapy. Therefore, an accurate understanding of tumor immunological heterogeneity is essential for the development of effective therapies. Facilitated by multi-regional and -omics sequencing, single cell sequencing, and longitudinal liquid biopsy approaches, recent studies have demonstrated the potential to investigate the complexity of immunological heterogeneity of the tumors and its clinical relevance in immunotherapy. Here, we aimed to review the mechanism underlying the heterogeneity of the immune microenvironment. We also explored how clinical assessments of tumor heterogeneity might facilitate the development of more effective personalized therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingzhu Jia
- Institute of Cancer, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Military Medical University, Xinqiao Main Street, Chongqing, 400037, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Immunotherapy, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400037, China
| | - Aoyun Wang
- Institute of Cancer, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Military Medical University, Xinqiao Main Street, Chongqing, 400037, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Immunotherapy, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400037, China
| | - Yixiao Yuan
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650118, China
| | - Bo Zhu
- Institute of Cancer, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Military Medical University, Xinqiao Main Street, Chongqing, 400037, China. .,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Immunotherapy, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400037, China.
| | - Haixia Long
- Institute of Cancer, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Military Medical University, Xinqiao Main Street, Chongqing, 400037, China. .,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Immunotherapy, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400037, China.
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24
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Adoptive Cellular Therapy for Multiple Myeloma Using CAR- and TCR-Transgenic T Cells: Response and Resistance. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030410. [PMID: 35159220 PMCID: PMC8834324 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the substantial improvement of therapeutic approaches, multiple myeloma (MM) remains mostly incurable. However, immunotherapeutic and especially T cell-based approaches pioneered the therapeutic landscape for relapsed and refractory disease recently. Targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) on myeloma cells has been demonstrated to be highly effective not only by antibody-derived constructs but also by adoptive cellular therapies. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-transgenic T cells lead to deep, albeit mostly not durable responses with manageable side-effects in intensively pretreated patients. The spectrum of adoptive T cell-transfer covers synthetic CARs with diverse specificities as well as currently less well-established T cell receptor (TCR)-based personalized strategies. In this review, we want to focus on treatment characteristics including efficacy and safety of CAR- and TCR-transgenic T cells in MM as well as the future potential these novel therapies may have. ACT with transgenic T cells has only entered clinical trials and various engineering strategies for optimization of T cell responses are necessary to overcome therapy resistance mechanisms. We want to outline the current success in engineering CAR- and TCR-T cells, but also discuss challenges including resistance mechanisms of MM for evading T cell therapy and point out possible novel strategies.
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25
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Richard G, Princiotta MF, Bridon D, Martin WD, Steinberg GD, De Groot AS. Neoantigen-based personalized cancer vaccines: the emergence of precision cancer immunotherapy. Expert Rev Vaccines 2021; 21:173-184. [PMID: 34882038 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2022.2012456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The field of cancer therapy has undergone a major transformation in less than a decade due to the introduction of checkpoint inhibitors, the advent of next generation sequencing and the discovery of neoantigens. The key observation that the breadth of each patient's immune response to the unique mutations or neoantigens present in their tumor is directly related to their survival has led oncologists to focus on driving immune responses to neoantigens through vaccination. Oncology has entered the era of precision immunotherapy, and cancer vaccine development is undergoing a paradigm shift. AREAS COVERED Neoantigens are short peptide sequences found in tumors, but not noncancerous tissues, the vast majority of which are unique to each patient. In addition to providing a description of the distinguishing features of neoantigen discovery platforms, this review will address cross-cutting personalized cancer vaccine design themes and developmental stumbling blocks. EXPERT OPINION Immunoinformatic pipelines that can rapidly scan cancer genomes and identify 'the best' neoantigens are in high demand. Despite the need for such tools, immunoinformatic methods for identifying neoepitopes in cancer genomes are diverse and have not been well-validated. Validation of 'personalized vaccine design pipelines' will bring about a revolution in neoantigen-based vaccine design and delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Gary D Steinberg
- EpiVax Therapeutics, Inc., Providence, RI, USA.,Perlmutter Cancer Center, Department of Urology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anne S De Groot
- EpiVax, Inc., Providence, RI, USA.,Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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26
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Therapeutic cancer vaccines: reasons to believe. Emerg Top Life Sci 2021; 5:591-595. [PMID: 34495328 DOI: 10.1042/etls20210205] [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: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Our hopes of using the power of the immune system to control tumours have been partially fulfilled with anti-PD1 antibodies and other checkpoint inhibitors and the use of engineered T cells targeting lineage-specific surface markers with chimeric antigen receptors. Can these successes be generalised? Therapeutic cancer vaccines aim to educate or re-educate the immune system to recognise tumour specific or tumour associated antigens. After many false dawns, some positive data for the effectiveness of such an approach is starting to emerge in advanced solid tumours, albeit as combination therapies with checkpoint inhibitors. But is the field targeting the right antigens? Interventions using the most effective vaccine platforms to target certain sets of antigens in patients with low disease burden might bring impressive long-term benefits to patients as single agents.
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27
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In Silico Model Estimates the Clinical Trial Outcome of Cancer Vaccines. Cells 2021; 10:cells10113048. [PMID: 34831269 PMCID: PMC8616443 DOI: 10.3390/cells10113048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Over 30 years after the first cancer vaccine clinical trial (CT), scientists still search the missing link between immunogenicity and clinical responses. A predictor able to estimate the outcome of cancer vaccine CTs would greatly benefit vaccine development. Published results of 94 CTs with 64 therapeutic vaccines were collected. We found that preselection of CT subjects based on a single matching HLA allele does not increase immune response rates (IRR) compared with non-preselected CTs (median 60% vs. 57%, p = 0.4490). A representative in silico model population (MP) comprising HLA-genotyped subjects was used to retrospectively calculate in silico IRRs of CTs based on the percentage of MP-subjects having epitope(s) predicted to bind ≥ 1–4 autologous HLA allele(s). We found that in vitro measured IRRs correlated with the frequency of predicted multiple autologous allele-binding epitopes (AUC 0.63–0.79). Subgroup analysis of multi-antigen targeting vaccine CTs revealed correlation between clinical response rates (CRRs) and predicted multi-epitope IRRs when HLA threshold was ≥ 3 (r = 0.7463, p = 0.0004) but not for single HLA allele-binding epitopes (r = 0.2865, p = 0.2491). Our results suggest that CRR depends on the induction of broad T-cell responses and both IRR and CRR can be predicted when epitopes binding to multiple autologous HLAs are considered.
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28
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Vaccines for Non-Viral Cancer Prevention. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222010900. [PMID: 34681560 PMCID: PMC8535337 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222010900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer vaccines are a type of immune therapy that seeks to modulate the host’s immune system to induce durable and protective immune responses against cancer-related antigens. The little clinical success of therapeutic cancer vaccines is generally attributed to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment at late-stage diseases. The administration of cancer-preventive vaccination at early stages, such as pre-malignant lesions or even in healthy individuals at high cancer risk could increase clinical efficacy by potentiating immune surveillance and pre-existing specific immune responses, thus eliminating de novo appearing lesions or maintaining equilibrium. Indeed, research focus has begun to shift to these approaches and some of them are yielding encouraging outcomes.
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Shibata H, Xu N, Saito S, Zhou L, Ozgenc I, Webb J, Fu C, Zolkind P, Egloff AM, Uppaluri R. Integrating CD4 + T cell help for therapeutic cancer vaccination in a preclinical head and neck cancer model. Oncoimmunology 2021; 10:1958589. [PMID: 34408919 PMCID: PMC8366550 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2021.1958589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are well suited for cancer vaccination strategies. In addition to tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) and endogenous retrovirus (ERV) encoded proteins, HNSCCs have a relatively high tumor mutational burden encoding potential neoepitopes. Peptide vaccine candidates are prioritized by predicted high-affinity to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I with MHC-II affinity largely not being considered. Herein, we extend previous studies to evaluate therapeutic vaccination in the mouse oral cancer (MOC) 22 model. Two distinct MOC22 derived SLPs were tested – a TSA-oriented mutant intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (mICAM1) and p15E, an ERV encoded antigen. In silico prediction revealed mICAM1 SLP bore strong MHC-I and MHC-II epitopes sharing a mutant residue with vaccination significantly increasing both antigen-specific IFN-γ producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. By contrast, p15E SLP had a predicted high-affinity MHC-I epitope but lacked an MHC-II epitope and vaccination induced antigen-specific CD8+ but not CD4+ T cell responses. Therapeutic mICAM1 vaccination attenuated tumor growth effectively with mICAM1-specific T cells displaying durable IFN-γ production compared with p15E SLP. Furthermore, mICAM1 SLPs carrying weakened MHC-II binding epitopes were unable to control tumor growth. These data underscore the potential value of therapeutic targeting of HNSCC epitopes and highlight the importance of studying distinct antigen classes in this setting. Moreover, they raise the possibility that, at least in part, CD4+ T cell help is critical for cancer vaccination in this preclinical HNSCC model and suggest in silico prediction approaches prioritize overlapping MHC-I and MHC-II epitopes to generate potent cancer vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirofumi Shibata
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Otolaryngology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan
| | - Na Xu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Tea and Food Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
| | - Shin Saito
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Liye Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ibrahim Ozgenc
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jason Webb
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cong Fu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paul Zolkind
- Department of Otolaryngology/ Head and Neck Surgery, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ann Marie Egloff
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Surgery/Otolaryngology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ravindra Uppaluri
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Surgery/Otolaryngology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
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30
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Pasetto A, Lu YC. Single-Cell TCR and Transcriptome Analysis: An Indispensable Tool for Studying T-Cell Biology and Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2021; 12:689091. [PMID: 34163487 PMCID: PMC8215674 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.689091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells have been known to be the driving force for immune response and cancer immunotherapy. Recent advances on single-cell sequencing techniques have empowered scientists to discover new biology at the single-cell level. Here, we review the single-cell techniques used for T-cell studies, including T-cell receptor (TCR) and transcriptome analysis. In addition, we summarize the approaches used for the identification of T-cell neoantigens, an important aspect for T-cell mediated cancer immunotherapy. More importantly, we discuss the applications of single-cell techniques for T-cell studies, including T-cell development and differentiation, as well as the role of T cells in autoimmunity, infectious disease and cancer immunotherapy. Taken together, this powerful tool not only can validate previous observation by conventional approaches, but also can pave the way for new discovery, such as previous unidentified T-cell subpopulations that potentially responsible for clinical outcomes in patients with autoimmunity or cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Pasetto
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Microbiology, ANA FUTURA, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yong-Chen Lu
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.,Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States
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31
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Multi-step screening of neoantigens' HLA- and TCR-interfaces improves prediction of survival. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9983. [PMID: 33976291 PMCID: PMC8113358 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89016-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Improvement of risk stratification through prognostic biomarkers may enhance the personalization of cancer patient monitoring and treatment. We used Ancer, an immunoinformatic CD8, CD4, and regulatory T cell neoepitope screening system, to perform an advanced neoantigen analysis of genomic data derived from the urothelial cancer cohort of The Cancer Genome Atlas. Ancer demonstrated improved prognostic stratification and five-year survival prediction compared to standard analyses using tumor mutational burden or neoepitope identification using NetMHCpan and NetMHCIIpan. The superiority of Ancer, shown in both univariate and multivariate survival analyses, is attributed to the removal of neoepitopes that do not contribute to tumor immunogenicity based on their homology with self-epitopes. This analysis suggests that the presence of a higher number of unique, non-self CD8- and CD4-neoepitopes contributes to cancer survival, and that prospectively defining these neoepitopes using Ancer is a novel prognostic or predictive biomarker.
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