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Galassi C, Esteller M, Vitale I, Galluzzi L. Epigenetic control of immunoevasion in cancer stem cells. Trends Cancer 2024:S2405-8033(24)00171-7. [PMID: 39244477 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2024.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 07/24/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a poorly differentiated population of malignant cells that (at least in some neoplasms) is responsible for tumor progression, resistance to therapy, and disease relapse. According to a widely accepted model, all stages of cancer progression involve the ability of neoplastic cells to evade recognition or elimination by the host immune system. In line with this notion, CSCs are not only able to cope with environmental and therapy-elicited stress better than their more differentiated counterparts but also appear to better evade tumor-targeting immune responses. We summarize epigenetic modifications of DNA and histones through which CSCs evade immune recognition or elimination, and propose that such alterations constitute promising therapeutic targets to increase the sensitivity of some malignancies to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Galassi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Manel Esteller
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Cancer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain; Physiological Sciences Department, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ilio Vitale
- Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCSS) Candiolo, Torino, Italy; Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO - IRCCS, Candiolo, Italy.
| | - Lorenzo Galluzzi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA; Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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Li T, Sun G, Ye H, Song C, Shen Y, Cheng Y, Zou Y, Fang Z, Shi J, Wang K, Dai L, Wang P. ESCCPred: a machine learning model for diagnostic prediction of early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma using autoantibody profiles. Br J Cancer 2024; 131:883-894. [PMID: 38956246 PMCID: PMC11369250 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-024-02781-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a deadly cancer with no clinically ideal biomarkers for early diagnosis. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a user-friendly diagnostic tool for early ESCC detection. METHODS The study encompassed three phases: discovery, verification, and validation, comprising a total of 1309 individuals. Serum autoantibodies were profiled using the HuProtTM human proteome microarray, and autoantibody levels were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Twelve machine learning algorithms were employed to construct diagnostic models, and evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The model application was facilitated through R Shiny, providing a graphical interface. RESULTS Thirteen autoantibodies targeting TAAs (CAST, FAM131A, GABPA, HDAC1, HDGFL1, HSF1, ISM2, PTMS, RNF219, SMARCE1, SNAP25, SRPK2, and ZPR1) were identified in the discovery phase. Subsequent verification and validation phases identified five TAAbs (anti-CAST, anti-HDAC1, anti-HSF1, anti-PTMS, and anti-ZPR1) that exhibited significant differences between ESCC and control subjects (P < 0.05). The support vector machine (SVM) model demonstrated robust performance, with AUCs of 0.86 (95% CI: 0.82-0.89) in the training set and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.78-0.88) in the test set. For early-stage ESCC, the SVM model achieved AUCs of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.79-0.88) in the training set and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.77-0.90) in the test set. Notably, promising results were observed for high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, with an AUC of 0.87 (95% CI: 0.77-0.98). The web-based implementation of the early ESCC diagnostic tool is publicly accessible at https://litdong.shinyapps.io/ESCCPred/ . CONCLUSION This study provides a promising and easy-to-use diagnostic prediction model for early ESCC detection. It holds promise for improving early detection strategies and has potential implications for public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiandong Li
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan Provinc, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Tumor Epidemiology and State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan Province, China
| | - Guiying Sun
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan Provinc, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Tumor Epidemiology and State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan Province, China
- Henan Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital Affiliated of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450018, Henan Province, China
| | - Hua Ye
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan Provinc, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Tumor Epidemiology and State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan Province, China
| | - Caijuan Song
- The Institution for Chronic and Noncommunicable Disease Control and Prevention, Zhengzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan Provinc, China
| | - Yajing Shen
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan Provinc, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Tumor Epidemiology and State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan Province, China
| | - Yifan Cheng
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan Provinc, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Tumor Epidemiology and State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan Province, China
| | - Yuanlin Zou
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan Provinc, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Tumor Epidemiology and State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan Province, China
| | - Zhaoyang Fang
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan Provinc, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Tumor Epidemiology and State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan Province, China
| | - Jianxiang Shi
- Henan Key Laboratory of Tumor Epidemiology and State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan Province, China
- Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Keyan Wang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Tumor Epidemiology and State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan Province, China
- Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Liping Dai
- Henan Key Laboratory of Tumor Epidemiology and State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan Province, China
- Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Peng Wang
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan Provinc, China.
- Henan Key Laboratory of Tumor Epidemiology and State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan Province, China.
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3
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Zhang L, Ren H, Wu Y, Xue L, Bai Y, Wei D, Wu Q. PRG4 represses the genesis and metastasis of osteosarcoma by inhibiting PDL1 expression. Tissue Cell 2024; 88:102409. [PMID: 38781792 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2024.102409] [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: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Osteosarcoma is originated from skeletal system. Recombinant human proteoglycan 4 (rhPRG4) can inhibit cell proliferation and migration in multiple cancers. This research is designed to dig out the role and mechanism of PRG4 in osteosarcoma. METHODS Human osteosarcoma cell lines, MG63 and 143B, were transfected with programmed death 1 (PD-L1) overexpression vectors and/or treated with 20, 50, and 100 μg/mL rhPRG4, followed by the determination of cell viability, colony formation, sphere formation, invasion, migration, apoptosis, and the expressions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), PD-L1 and apoptosis-related proteins. Tumor-bearing mouse models were constructed by injection of 143B cells and treatment of anti-PD-L1 antibody and/or adenovirus PRG4 (AdPRG4). Tumor volume was monitored, and immunohistochemical location of Ki67 was performed. Expressions of MMPs, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), PD-L1, and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins were measured in tumors. RESULTS RhPRG4 (20, 50, and 100 μg/mL) inhibited the viability, colony formation, sphere formation, invasion, migration, and the expressions of MMP2, MMP9 and Bcl2 in osteosarcoma cells, while promoting cell apoptosis as well as Bax and c-caspase3 expressions, at a dose-dependent manner; by contrast, PD-L1 overexpression reversed the above effects of 100 μg/mL rhPRG4. AdPRG4 or anti-PD-L1 antibody decreased tumor volume, number of pulmonary metastasis nodule, Ki67 location, and expressions of TGF-β, PD-L1, MMP2, MMP9, Vimentin, and Snail, but increased E-cadherin expression in tumor cells. Moreover, anti-PD-L1 antibody and AdPRG4 together functioned more effectively than them alone in reducing tumor burden. CONCLUSION PRG4 represses the genesis and metastasis of osteosarcoma via inhibiting PD-L1 expression, and AdPRG4 enhances the effectiveness of anti-PD-L1 therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China
| | - Hongwei Ren
- Department of Oncology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China
| | - Yanjuan Wu
- Department of Cardiothoracic surgery, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China
| | - Lili Xue
- Department of Oncology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China
| | - Yang Bai
- Department of Oncology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China
| | - Dong Wei
- Department of Oncology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China
| | - Qilong Wu
- Department of Oncology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China.
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Liu X, Zhao A, Xiao S, Li H, Li M, Guo W, Han Q. PD-1: A critical player and target for immune normalization. Immunology 2024; 172:181-197. [PMID: 38269617 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune system imbalances contribute to the pathogenesis of several different diseases, and immunotherapy shows great therapeutic efficacy against tumours and infectious diseases with immune-mediated derivations. In recent years, molecules targeting the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint have attracted much attention, and related signalling pathways have been studied clearly. At present, several inhibitors and antibodies targeting PD-1 have been utilized as anti-tumour therapies. However, increasing evidence indicates that PD-1 blockade also has different degrees of adverse side effects, and these new explorations into the therapeutic safety of PD-1 inhibitors contribute to the emerging concept that immune normalization, rather than immune enhancement, is the ultimate goal of disease treatment. In this review, we summarize recent advancements in PD-1 research with regard to immune normalization and targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuening Liu
- Institute of Immunopharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Alison Zhao
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Su Xiao
- Institute of Immunopharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- People's Hospital of Zhoucun, Zibo, Shandong, China
| | - Haohao Li
- Institute of Immunopharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Menghua Li
- Institute of Immunopharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Wei Guo
- Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Jinan, China
| | - Qiuju Han
- Institute of Immunopharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
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Knipper K, Damanakis AI, Lyu SI, Simon AG, Wahler I, Bruns CJ, Schröder W, Schmidt T, Quaas A. High NANOG expression correlates with worse patients' survival in esophageal adenocarcinoma. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:669. [PMID: 37461005 PMCID: PMC10351130 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-11146-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer demonstrate a low overall survival even despite the established multimodal therapy as the current standard of care. Therefore, further biomarkers for patients with high-risk and additional therapy options are needed. NANOG is a transcription factor, which can be found in stem cells and is known to support tumorigenesis. METHODS Six hundred sixty patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma, who were operated at the University of Cologne with a curative intent, were included. Immunohistochemical stainings for NANOG were performed. The study population was divided into NANOG-positive and -negative subgroups. RESULTS Positive NANOG expression correlates significantly with worse overall survival (p = 0.002) and could be confirmed as an independent risk factor for worse patient survival in multivariate analysis (HR = 1.40, 95%CI = 1.09-1.80, p = 0.006). This effect could be detected in the subgroup of primarily operated patients, but not in patients after neoadjuvant therapy. CONCLUSIONS We describe a NANOG-positive subgroup of patients with esophageal cancer, who exhibit worse overall survival in a large patient cohort. This discovery suggests the potential use of NANOG as a biomarker for both intensified therapy and stricter follow-up regimes. Additionally, NANOG-positive stem cell-like cancer cells could be used as a new antitumoral treatment target if validated in mechanistic and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Knipper
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Alexander I Damanakis
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Su Ir Lyu
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Adrian Georg Simon
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Isabell Wahler
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christiane J Bruns
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Schröder
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmidt
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alexander Quaas
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Oh SJ, Lim JY, Son MK, Ahn JH, Song KH, Lee HJ, Kim S, Cho EH, Chung JY, Cho H, Kim H, Kim JH, Park J, Choi J, Hwang SW, Kim TW. TRPV1 inhibition overcomes cisplatin resistance by blocking autophagy-mediated hyperactivation of EGFR signaling pathway. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2691. [PMID: 37165076 PMCID: PMC10172196 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38318-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cisplatin resistance along with chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain is an important cause of treatment failure for many cancer types and represents an unmet clinical need. Therefore, future studies should provide evidence regarding the mechanisms of potential targets that can overcome the resistance as well as alleviate pain. Here, we show that the emergence of cisplatin resistance is highly associated with EGFR hyperactivation, and that EGFR hyperactivation is arisen by a transcriptional increase in the pain-generating channel, TRPV1, via NANOG. Furthermore, TRPV1 promotes autophagy-mediated EGF secretion via Ca2+ influx, which activates the EGFR-AKT signaling and, consequentially, the acquisition of cisplatin resistance. Importantly, TRPV1 inhibition renders tumors susceptible to cisplatin. Thus, our findings indicate a link among cisplatin resistance, EGFR hyperactivation, and TRPV1-mediated autophagic secretion, and implicate that TRPV1 could be a crucial drug target that could not only overcome cisplatin resistance but also alleviate pain in NANOG+ cisplatin-resistant cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Se Jin Oh
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Yeon Lim
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
- Department of Physiology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Kyu Son
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Hyeok Ahn
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwon-Ho Song
- Department of Cell biology, Daegu Catholic University School of Medicine, Daegu, 42472, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo-Jung Lee
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Suyeon Kim
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Ho Cho
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Joon-Yong Chung
- Molecular Imaging Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Hanbyoul Cho
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 06273, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyosun Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 06273, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Hoon Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 06273, Republic of Korea
| | - Jooyoung Park
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungmin Choi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun Wook Hwang
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
- Department of Physiology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Woo Kim
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.
- NEX-I Inc., Seoul, 05854, Republic of Korea.
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Zhu Y, Wen J, Li Q, Chen B, Zhao L, Liu S, Yang Y, Wang S, Lv Y, Li J, Zhang L, Hu Y, Liu M, Xi M. Toripalimab combined with definitive chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (EC-CRT-001): a single-arm, phase 2 trial. Lancet Oncol 2023; 24:371-382. [PMID: 36990609 DOI: 10.1016/s1470-2045(23)00060-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toripalimab is a PD-1 inhibitor that is approved for the treatment of advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, but its efficacy in locally advanced disease is unclear. We administered toripalimab with definitive chemoradiotherapy to patients with unresectable locally advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and aimed to investigate the activity and safety of this regimen, and potential biomarkers. METHODS EC-CRT-001 was a single-arm, phase 2 trial done at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (Guangzhou, China). Patients aged 18-70 years with untreated, unresectable, stage I-IVA oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, with an ECOG performance status of 0-2, and adequate organ and bone marrow function were eligible for inclusion. Patients received concurrent thoracic radiotherapy (50·4 Gy in 28 fractions), chemotherapy (five cycles of weekly intravenous paclitaxel [50 mg/m2] and cisplatin [25 mg/m2]), and toripalimab (240 mg intravenously every 3 weeks for up to 1 year, or until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity). The primary endpoint was the complete response rate at 3 months after radiotherapy by investigator assessment. Secondary endpoints were overall survival, progression-free survival, duration of response, quality of life (not reported here), and safety. All enrolled patients were included in the activity and safety analyses. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04005170; enrolment is completed and follow-up is ongoing. FINDINGS Between Nov 12, 2019, and Jan 25, 2021, 42 patients were enrolled. The median age was 56 years (IQR 53-63), 39 (93%) of 42 patients had stage III or IVA disease, and 32 (76%) patients were male and 10 (24%) were female. 40 (95%) of 42 patients completed the planned chemoradiotherapy and 26 (62%; 95% CI 46-76) of 42 had a complete response. The median duration of response was 12·1 months (95% CI 5·9-18·2). After a median follow-up of 14·9 months (IQR 11·9-18·4), 1-year overall survival was 78·4% (95% CI 66·9-92·0) and 1-year progression-free survival was 54·5% (41·3-72·0). The most common grade 3 or worse adverse event was lymphopenia (36 [86%] of 42). One (2%) patient died from treatment-related pneumonitis. INTERPRETATION Combining toripalimab with definitive chemoradiotherapy provided encouraging activity and acceptable toxicity in patients with locally advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and this regimen warrants further investigation. FUNDING National Natural Science Foundation of China and Sci-Tech Project Foundation of Guangzhou. TRANSLATION For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.
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Zhang Z, Wang G, Zhong K, Chen Y, Yang N, Lu Q, Yuan B, Wang Z, Li H, Guo L, Zhang R, Wu Z, Zheng M, Zhao S, Tang X, Shao B, Tong A. A drug screening to identify novel combinatorial strategies for boosting cancer immunotherapy efficacy. J Transl Med 2023; 21:23. [PMID: 36635683 PMCID: PMC9838049 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-03875-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells and immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs) have made remarkable breakthroughs in cancer treatment, but the efficacy is still limited for solid tumors due to tumor antigen heterogeneity and the tumor immune microenvironment. The restrained treatment efficacy prompted us to seek new potential therapeutic methods. METHODS In this study, we conducted a small molecule compound library screen in a human BC cell line to identify whether certain drugs contribute to CAR T cell killing. Signaling pathways of tumor cells and T cells affected by the screened drugs were predicted via RNA sequencing. Among them, the antitumor activities of JK184 in combination with CAR T cells or ICBs were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS We selected three small molecule drugs from a compound library, among which JK184 directly induces tumor cell apoptosis by inhibiting the Hedgehog signaling pathway, modulates B7-H3 CAR T cells to an effector memory phenotype, and promotes B7-H3 CAR T cells cytokine secretion in vitro. In addition, our data suggested that JK184 exerts antitumor activities and strongly synergizes with B7-H3 CAR T cells or ICBs in vivo. Mechanistically, JK184 enhances B7-H3 CAR T cells infiltrating in xenograft mouse models. Moreover, JK184 combined with ICB markedly reshaped the tumor immune microenvironment by increasing effector T cells infiltration and inflammation cytokine secretion, inhibiting the recruitment of MDSCs and the transition of M2-type macrophages in an immunocompetent mouse model. CONCLUSION These data show that JK184 may be a potential adjutant in combination with CAR T cells or ICB therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongliang Zhang
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province China
| | - Guoqing Wang
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province China
| | - Kunhong Zhong
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province China
| | - Yongdong Chen
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province China
| | - Nian Yang
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province China
| | - Qizhong Lu
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province China
| | - Boyang Yuan
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province China
| | - Zeng Wang
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province China
| | - Hexian Li
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province China
| | - Liping Guo
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province China
| | - Ruyuan Zhang
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province China
| | - Zhiguo Wu
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province China
| | - Meijun Zheng
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province China
| | - Shasha Zhao
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province China
| | - Xin Tang
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province China
| | - Bin Shao
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province China ,grid.13291.380000 0001 0807 1581State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Aiping Tong
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan Province China
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Saito M. Novel Roles of Nanog in Cancer Cells and Their Extracellular Vesicles. Cells 2022; 11:cells11233881. [PMID: 36497144 PMCID: PMC9736053 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of extracellular vesicle (EV)-based vaccines is a strategically promising way to prevent cancer metastasis. The effective roles of immune cell-derived EVs have been well understood in the literature. In the present paper, we focus on cancer cell-derived EVs to enforce, more thoroughly, the use of EV-based vaccines against unexpected malignant cells that might appear in poor prognostic patients. As a model of such a cancer cell with high malignancy, Nanog-overexpressing melanoma cell lines were developed. As expected, Nanog overexpression enhanced the metastatic potential of melanomas. Against our expectations, a fantastic finding was obtained that determined that EVs derived from Nanog-overexpressing melanomas exhibited a metastasis-suppressive effect. This is considered to be a novel role for Nanog in regulating the property of cancer cell-derived EVs. Stimulated by this result, the review of Nanog's roles in various cancer cells and their EVs has been updated once again. Although there was no other case presenting a similar contribution by Nanog, only one case suggested that NANOG and SOX might be better prognosis markers in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. This review clarifies the varieties of Nanog-dependent phenomena and the relevant signaling factors. The information summarized in this study is, thus, suggestive enough to generate novel ideas for the construction of an EV-based versatile vaccine platform against cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikako Saito
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
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Yang FF, Hu T, Liu JQ, Yu XQ, Ma LY. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) as the promising immunotherapeutic targets for hematologic cancer treatment. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 245:114920. [PMID: 36399875 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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