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Rupp L, Dietsche I, Kießler M, Sommer U, Muckenhuber A, Steiger K, van Eijck CWF, Richter L, Istvanffy R, Jäger C, Friess H, van Eijck CHJ, Demir IE, Reyes CM, Schmitz M. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is associated with suppression of the B cell-centered immune landscape in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1378190. [PMID: 38629072 PMCID: PMC11018975 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1378190] [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: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is typically diagnosed at advanced stages and associated with early distant metastasis and poor survival. Besides clinical factors, the tumor microenvironment (TME) emerged as a crucial determinant of patient survival and therapy response in many tumors, including PDAC. Thus, the presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and the formation of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) is associated with longer survival in PDAC. Although neoadjuvant therapy (NeoTx) has improved the management of locally advanced tumors, detailed insight into its effect on various TME components is limited. While a remodeling towards a proinflammatory state was reported for PDAC-infiltrating T cells, the effect of NeoTx on B cell subsets, including plasma cells, and TLS formation is widely unclear. We thus investigated the frequency, composition, and spatial distribution of PDAC-infiltrating B cells in primary resected (PR) versus neoadjuvant-treated patients using a novel multiplex immunohistochemistry panel. The NeoTx group displayed significantly lower frequencies of pan B cells, GC B cells, plasmablasts, and plasma cells, accompanied by a reduced abundance of TLS. This finding was supported by bulk RNA-sequencing analysis of an independent fresh frozen tissue cohort, which revealed that major B cell pathways were downregulated in the NeoTx group. We further observed that plasma cells frequently formed aggregates that localized close to TLS and that TLS+ patients displayed significantly higher plasma cell frequencies compared to TLS- patients in the PR group. Additionally, high densities of CD20+ intratumoral B cells were significantly associated with longer overall survival in the PR group. While CD20+ B cells held no prognostic value for NeoTx patients, an increased frequency of proliferating CD20+Ki67+ B cells emerged as an independent prognostic factor for longer survival in the NeoTx group. These results indicate that NeoTx differentially affects PDAC-infiltrating immune cells and may have detrimental effects on the existing B cell landscape and the formation of TLS. Gaining further insight into the underlying molecular mechanisms is crucial to overcome the intrinsic immunotherapy resistance of PDAC and develop novel strategies to improve the long-term outcome of PDAC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luise Rupp
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ina Dietsche
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Maximilian Kießler
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Neural Influences in Cancer (NIC), International Research Consortium, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Ulrich Sommer
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Alexander Muckenhuber
- Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Katja Steiger
- Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Casper W. F. van Eijck
- Department of Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Group, Spanish National Cancer Research Center, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Leonard Richter
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Rouzanna Istvanffy
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Carsten Jäger
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Helmut Friess
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Casper H. J. van Eijck
- Department of Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Group, Spanish National Cancer Research Center, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ihsan Ekin Demir
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Neural Influences in Cancer (NIC), International Research Consortium, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of General Surgery, Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) Unit, School of Medicine, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Else Kröner Clinician Scientist Professor for Translational Pancreatic Surgery, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Carmen Mota Reyes
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Neural Influences in Cancer (NIC), International Research Consortium, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marc Schmitz
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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Soussan S, Pupier G, Cremer I, Joubert PE, Sautès-Fridman C, Fridman W, Sibéril S. Unraveling the complex interplay between anti-tumor immune response and autoimmunity mediated by B cells and autoantibodies in the era of anti-checkpoint monoclonal antibody therapies. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1343020. [PMID: 38318190 PMCID: PMC10838986 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1343020] [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: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The intricate relationship between anti-tumor immunity and autoimmunity is a complex yet crucial aspect of cancer biology. Tumor microenvironment often exhibits autoimmune features, a phenomenon that involves natural autoimmunity and the induction of humoral responses against self-antigens during tumorigenesis. This induction is facilitated by the orchestration of anti-tumor immunity, particularly within organized structures like tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS). Paradoxically, a significant number of cancer patients do not manifest autoimmune features during the course of their illness, with rare instances of paraneoplastic syndromes. This discrepancy can be attributed to various immune-mediated locks, including regulatory or suppressive immune cells, anergic autoreactive lymphocytes, or induction of effector cells exhaustion due to chronic stimulation. Overcoming these locks holds the risk to induce autoimmune mechanisms during cancer progression, a phenomenon notably observed with anti-immune checkpoint therapies, in contrast to more conventional treatments like chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Therefore, the challenge arises in managing immune-related adverse events (irAEs) induced by immune checkpoint inhibitors treatment, as decoupling them from the anti-tumor activity poses a significant clinical dilemma. This review summarizes recent advances in understanding the link between B-cell driven anti-tumor responses and autoimmune reactions in cancer patients, and discusses the clinical implications of this relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Sophie Sibéril
- Centre de recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM U1138, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
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