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Parvini N, Akbari ME, Hamidieh AA, Fathi F, Amini AA, Ebrahimi M, Vahabzadeh Z. CTLA-4 Blockade of Natural Killer Cells Increases Cytotoxicity against Acute Lymphoid Leukaemia Cells Neda. CELL JOURNAL 2024; 26:150-157. [PMID: 38459732 PMCID: PMC10924838 DOI: 10.22074/cellj.2024.2015187.1444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There is interest in using cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) immunotherapy to treat blood cancers. Unfortunately, patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) frequently exhibit resistance to treatment and natural killer (NK) cell exhaustion. This study aims to increase the cytotoxic potency of natural killer cells by using CTLA-4 to block the Nalm-6 leukaemia cell line. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this experimental study, NK cells were purified from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 10 healthy people and assessed by flow cytometry for purity and viability. The purified cells were activated overnight at 37°C and 5% CO2 with interleukin-15 (IL-15, 10 ng/ml) followed by evaluation of expressions of CTLA-4, activating and inhibitory receptors, and the release of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and granzyme B (GZM B). CTLA-4 expression on NK cells from recurrent ALL patients was also evaluated. Finally, the cytotoxic activity of NK cells was assessed after the CTLA-4 blockade. RESULTS The purity of the isolated cells was 96.58 ± 2.57%. Isolated NK cells activated with IL-15 resulted in significantly higher CTLA-4 expression (8.75%, P<0.05). Similarly, CTLA-4 expression on the surface of NK cells from patients with ALL was higher (7.46%) compared to healthy individuals (1.46%, P<0.05). IL-15 reduced NKG2A expression (P<0.01), and increased expressions of NKP30 (P<0.05) and NKP46 (P<0.01). The activated NK cells released more IFN-γ (P<0.5) and GZM B (P<0.01) compared to unactivated NK cells. Blockade of CTLA-4 enhanced the NK cell killing potential against Nalm-6 cells (56.3%, P<0.05); however, IFN-γ and GZM B levels were not statistically different between the blocked and non-blocked groups. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that CTLA-4 blockage of Nalm-6 cells causes an increase in antitumour activity of NK cells against these cells. Our study also provides evidence for the potential of cancer immunotherapy treatment using blocking anti-CTLA-4 mAbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Parvini
- Student Research Committee, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
- Cellular and Molecular Research Centre, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Centre, Royan Institute for Stem Cells, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Amir Ali Hamidieh
- Paediatric Cell and Gene Therapy Research Centre, Gene, Cell and Tissue Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fardin Fathi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Centre, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Abbas Ali Amini
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Marzieh Ebrahimi
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Centre, Royan Institute for Stem Cells, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Centre, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Zakaria Vahabzadeh
- Cellular and Molecular Research Centre, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran .
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
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Lama GIG, Noél G, Márquez FCL, Galarza FFG, Hinojosa AIP, Rivera LEN, Willard-Gallo K, Astorga JRA. Concomitant Expression of CD39, CD69, and CD103 Identifies Antitumor CD8 + T Cells in Breast Cancer Implications for Adoptive Cell Therapy. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2024; 25:1747-1757. [PMID: 37680154 DOI: 10.2174/1389201025666230901094219] [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: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In cancer, an effective immune response involves the action of several different cell types, among which CD8 T cells play a major role as they can specifically recognize and kill cancer cells via the release of cytotoxic molecules and cytokines, being of major importance for adoptive cell transfer (ACT) of ex vivo expanded tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). The inflammation resulting from the tumor growth attracts both activated and bystander T cells. For an effective antitumor response, the T cell must express a specific group of chemokine receptors and integrins which include CD103, CD39, CD69, and CD25. These markers had already been analyzed in various cancers, not including breast cancer and their subsequent subtypes, until now. To analyze, the key receptors on ex vivo expanded tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in luminal A and luminal B breast cancer (BC) subtypes. MATERIALS AND METHODS We were successful in expanding TILs ex vivo using a standard TIL culture condition from a cohort study of 15 primary luminal A and luminal B breast cancer patients. Furthermore, we examined the expression of CD103, CD39, CD69, and CD25 biomarkers after the expansion by flow cytometry. RESULTS We found that the information about the percentage of TILs obtainable after the ex vivo expansion is not associated to nor it is dependent on the heterogeneity of the TIL population before the expansion and does not differ by the molecular subtype (p>0.05). We also found that there is a major population of memory-resident antitumor CD8+CD103+CD39+ and CD8+CD103+ CD69+ TILs present in the stroma after the expansion when compared to CD4 immunosubtypes (p<0.0001). Only the CD8+CD103+CD39+ subpopulation was related to BC subtype (0.0009). CONCLUSION Evidence from our study suggests that CD8 TILs present in the stroma of luminal A and luminal B breast cancer patients can be quantified and phenotyped by flow cytometry and be further expanded ex vivo. The immuno-phenotyping of these markers may be targeted to improve the success of immunotherapeutic approaches, such as adoptive cellular therapy (ACT) in patients with BC.
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MESH Headings
- Breast Neoplasms/immunology
- Breast Neoplasms/therapy
- Breast Neoplasms/metabolism
- Breast Neoplasms/pathology
- Humans
- Antigens, CD/immunology
- Antigens, CD/metabolism
- Integrin alpha Chains/metabolism
- Integrin alpha Chains/immunology
- Female
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte/metabolism
- Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte/immunology
- Apyrase/metabolism
- Apyrase/immunology
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/immunology
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/metabolism
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive/methods
- Lectins, C-Type/metabolism
- Lectins, C-Type/immunology
- Middle Aged
- Aged
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Ivonne Gattas Lama
- Universidad Iberoamericana de Torreón, Coahuila, México
- Departamento de Inmunología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Torreón, Coahuila, México
| | | | - Francisco Carlos López Márquez
- Departamento de Inmunología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Torreón, Coahuila, México
| | | | - Adria Imelda Prieto Hinojosa
- Universidad Iberoamericana de Torreón, Coahuila, México
- Departamento de Inmunología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Torreón, Coahuila, México
| | - Lydia Enith Nava Rivera
- Departamento de Inmunología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Torreón, Coahuila, México
| | - Karen Willard-Gallo
- Departamento de Inmunología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Torreón, Coahuila, México
| | - Jesús Rafael Arguëllo Astorga
- Departamento de Inmunología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Torreón, Coahuila, México
- Instituto de Ciencias y Medicina Genómica, Torreón, Coahuila, México
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Hossenipour Khodaei S, Sabetnam S, Nozad Charoudeh H, Dizaji Asl K, Rafat A, Mazloumi Z. The effect of mitochondria inhibition on natural killer cells cytotoxicity in triple-negative breast cancer cells. Eur J Pharmacol 2023; 960:176106. [PMID: 37839666 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.176106] [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: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), the most common invasive breast cancer, depicts cancer poor response to conventional therapies. The clinical management of TNBC is a challenging issue. Natural killer (NK) cell therapy in the field of cancer treatment is rapidly growing however, regarding the immunogenicity of breast cancer cells, this type of therapy has shown limited efficacy. Recently, targeting tumor biomarkers has revolutionized the field of cancer therapy. Mitochondria affects apoptosis and innate immunity. Therefore, in this study, mitochondria were inhibited with Tigecycline in stimulating the cytotoxicity of NK cells against TNBC cell lines. MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231 were cultured and treated with IC50 (the half-maximal inhibitory concentration) level of Tigecycline for 48 h and afterward co-cultured with peripheral blood NK cells for 5 h. Lastly, the inhibitory effects of mitochondria on the cytotoxicity of NK cells and apoptosis of TNBC cells were evaluated. Moreover, the expression of apoptotic-related genes was studied. The results showed that mitochondria inhibition increased NK cells cytotoxicity against TNBC cells. Moreover, NK cell/mitochondria inhibition in a combinative form improved apoptosis in TNBC cells by the upregulation of Bad and Bid expression. In conclusion, Tigecycline inhibited mitochondria and sensitized TNBC cells to NK cell therapy. Therefore, mitochondria inhibition could help NK cells function properly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepide Hossenipour Khodaei
- Department of Dentistry, Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) Famagusta, North Cyprus Mersin 10, Turkey
| | - Shahbaz Sabetnam
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kyrenia, Mersin 10, Kyrenia, Turkey; Department of Histopathology and Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine Sciences, Tabriz Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran
| | | | - Khadijeh Dizaji Asl
- Department of Histopathology and Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine Sciences, Tabriz Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ali Rafat
- Anatomical Sciences Research Center, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Zeinab Mazloumi
- Department of Applied Cell Sciences, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
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Portillo AL, Monteiro JK, Rojas EA, Ritchie TM, Gillgrass A, Ashkar AA. Charting a killer course to the solid tumor: strategies to recruit and activate NK cells in the tumor microenvironment. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1286750. [PMID: 38022679 PMCID: PMC10663242 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1286750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to expand and activate natural Killer (NK) cells ex vivo has dramatically changed the landscape in the development of novel adoptive cell therapies for treating cancer over the last decade. NK cells have become a key player for cancer immunotherapy due to their innate ability to kill malignant cells while not harming healthy cells, allowing their potential use as an "off-the-shelf" product. Furthermore, recent advancements in NK cell genetic engineering methods have enabled the efficient generation of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing NK cells that can exert both CAR-dependent and antigen-independent killing. Clinically, CAR-NK cells have shown promising efficacy and safety for treating CD19-expressing hematologic malignancies. While the number of pre-clinical studies using CAR-NK cells continues to expand, it is evident that solid tumors pose a unique challenge to NK cell-based adoptive cell therapies. Major barriers for efficacy include low NK cell trafficking and infiltration into solid tumor sites, low persistence, and immunosuppression by the harsh solid tumor microenvironment (TME). In this review we discuss the barriers posed by the solid tumor that prevent immune cell trafficking and NK cell effector functions. We then discuss promising strategies to enhance NK cell infiltration into solid tumor sites and activation within the TME. This includes NK cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms such as NK cell engineering to resist TME-mediated inhibition and use of tumor-targeted agents such as oncolytic viruses expressing chemoattracting and activating payloads. We then discuss opportunities and challenges for using combination therapies to extend NK cell therapies for the treatment of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana L. Portillo
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Jonathan K. Monteiro
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Eduardo A. Rojas
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Tyrah M. Ritchie
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Amy Gillgrass
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Ali A. Ashkar
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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5
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Shabrish S, Chandrakasan S, Madkaikar M. Editorial: NK cell defects: diagnosis and treatment. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1323793. [PMID: 38022628 PMCID: PMC10644773 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1323793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Snehal Shabrish
- Translational Research Laboratory, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, India
| | - Shanmuganathan Chandrakasan
- Department of Pediatrics, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Manisha Madkaikar
- Department of Pediatric Immunology & Leukocyte Biology, Indian Council of Medical Research - National Institute of Immunohaematology, King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
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Shman TV, Vashkevich KP, Migas AA, Matveyenka MA, Lasiukov YA, Mukhametshyna NS, Horbach KI, Aleinikova OV. Phenotypic and functional characterisation of locally produced natural killer cells ex vivo expanded with the K562-41BBL-mbIL21 cell line. Clin Exp Med 2023; 23:2551-2560. [PMID: 36527513 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-022-00974-2] [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: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
We characterised the expansion, phenotype and functional activity of natural killer (NK) cells obtained for a clinical trial. Nineteen expansion procedures were performed to obtain NK cell products for 16 patients. NK cells were expanded ex vivo from haploidentical donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells in the presence of the locally generated feeder cell line K-562 with ectopic expression of 4-1BBL and mbIL-21. The median duration of expansion was 18 days (interquartile range 15-19). The median number of live cells yielded was 2.26 × 109 (range 1.6-3.4 × 109) with an NK content of 96.6% (range 95.1-97.9%). The median NK cell fold expansion was 171 (range 124-275). NK cell fold expansion depended on the number of seeded NK cells, the initial level of C-myc expression and the initial number of mature and immature NK cells. The majority of expanded NK cells had the phenotype of immature activated cells (NKG2A + , double bright CD56 + + CD16 + + , CD57-) expressing NKp30, NKp44, NKp46, NKG2D, CD69, HLA-DR and CD96. Despite the expression of exhaustion markers, expanded NK cells exhibited high cytolytic activity against leukaemia cell lines, high degranulation activity and cytokine production. There was a noted decrease in the functional activity of NK cells in tests against the patient's blasts.In conclusion, NK cells obtained by ex vivo expansion with locally generated K562-41BBL-mbIL21 cells had a relatively undifferentiated phenotype and enhanced cytolytic activity against cancer cell lines. Expansion of NK cells with feeder cells yielded a sufficient quantity of the NK cell product to reach high cell doses or increase the frequency of cell infusions for adoptive immunotherapy. Registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04327037.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsiana V Shman
- Belarusian Research Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology, Minsk Reg., d., Frunzenskaya Str., 43., 223053, Borovliany, Belarus.
| | - Katsiaryna P Vashkevich
- Belarusian Research Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology, Minsk Reg., d., Frunzenskaya Str., 43., 223053, Borovliany, Belarus
| | - Alexandr A Migas
- Belarusian Research Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology, Minsk Reg., d., Frunzenskaya Str., 43., 223053, Borovliany, Belarus
| | - Mikhail A Matveyenka
- Belarusian Research Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology, Minsk Reg., d., Frunzenskaya Str., 43., 223053, Borovliany, Belarus
| | - Yauheni A Lasiukov
- Belarusian Research Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology, Minsk Reg., d., Frunzenskaya Str., 43., 223053, Borovliany, Belarus
| | - Nastassia S Mukhametshyna
- Belarusian Research Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology, Minsk Reg., d., Frunzenskaya Str., 43., 223053, Borovliany, Belarus
| | - Katsiaryna I Horbach
- Belarusian Research Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology, Minsk Reg., d., Frunzenskaya Str., 43., 223053, Borovliany, Belarus
| | - Olga V Aleinikova
- Belarusian Research Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology, Minsk Reg., d., Frunzenskaya Str., 43., 223053, Borovliany, Belarus
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Elanany MM, Mostafa D, Hamdy NM. Remodeled tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) parade via natural killer cells reprogramming in breast cancer. Life Sci 2023; 330:121997. [PMID: 37536617 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.121997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the main cause of cancer-related mortality among women globally. Despite substantial advances in the identification and management of primary tumors, traditional therapies including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation cannot completely eliminate the danger of relapse and metastatic illness. Metastasis is controlled by microenvironmental and systemic mechanisms, including immunosurveillance. This led to the evolvement of immunotherapies that has gained much attention in the recent years for cancer treatment directed to the innate immune system. The long forgotten innate immune cells known as natural killer (NK) cells have emerged as novel targets for more effective therapeutics for BC. Normally, NK cells has the capacity to identify and eradicate tumor cells either directly or by releasing cytotoxic granules, chemokines and proinflammatory cytokines. Yet, NK cells are exposed to inhibitory signals by cancer cells, which causes them to become dysfunctional in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) in BC, supporting tumor escape and spread. Potential mechanisms of NK cell dysfunction in BC metastasis have been recently identified. Understanding these immunologic pathways driving BC metastasis will lead to improvements in the current immunotherapeutic strategies. In the current review, we highlight how BC evades immunosurveillance by rendering NK cells dysfunctional and we shed the light on novel NK cell- directed therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona M Elanany
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abassia, 11566 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Dina Mostafa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abassia, 11566 Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Nadia M Hamdy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abassia, 11566 Cairo, Egypt.
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Liu Y, Hu Y, Xue J, Li J, Yi J, Bu J, Zhang Z, Qiu P, Gu X. Advances in immunotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:145. [PMID: 37660039 PMCID: PMC10474743 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01850-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunotherapy has recently emerged as a treatment strategy which stimulates the human immune system to kill tumor cells. Tumor immunotherapy is based on immune editing, which enhances the antigenicity of tumor cells and increases the tumoricidal effect of immune cells. It also suppresses immunosuppressive molecules, activates or restores immune system function, enhances anti-tumor immune responses, and inhibits the growth f tumor cell. This offers the possibility of reducing mortality in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). MAIN BODY Immunotherapy approaches for TNBC have been diversified in recent years, with breakthroughs in the treatment of this entity. Research on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has made it possible to identify different molecular subtypes and formulate individualized immunotherapy schedules. This review highlights the unique tumor microenvironment of TNBC and integrates and analyzes the advances in ICI therapy. It also discusses strategies for the combination of ICIs with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, and emerging treatment methods such as nanotechnology, ribonucleic acid vaccines, and gene therapy. Currently, numerous ongoing or completed clinical trials are exploring the utilization of immunotherapy in conjunction with existing treatment modalities for TNBC. The objective of these investigations is to assess the effectiveness of various combined immunotherapy approaches and determine the most effective treatment regimens for patients with TNBC. CONCLUSION This review provides insights into the approaches used to overcome drug resistance in immunotherapy, and explores the directions of immunotherapy development in the treatment of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Yueting Hu
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Jinqi Xue
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Jingying Li
- Department of Health Management, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Jiang Yi
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Jiawen Bu
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Zhenyong Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning Province, China.
| | - Peng Qiu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning Province, China.
| | - Xi Gu
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning Province, China.
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Liu Y, Wu W, Cai C, Zhang H, Shen H, Han Y. Patient-derived xenograft models in cancer therapy: technologies and applications. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:160. [PMID: 37045827 PMCID: PMC10097874 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01419-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, in which tumor tissues from patients are implanted into immunocompromised or humanized mice, have shown superiority in recapitulating the characteristics of cancer, such as the spatial structure of cancer and the intratumor heterogeneity of cancer. Moreover, PDX models retain the genomic features of patients across different stages, subtypes, and diversified treatment backgrounds. Optimized PDX engraftment procedures and modern technologies such as multi-omics and deep learning have enabled a more comprehensive depiction of the PDX molecular landscape and boosted the utilization of PDX models. These irreplaceable advantages make PDX models an ideal choice in cancer treatment studies, such as preclinical trials of novel drugs, validating novel drug combinations, screening drug-sensitive patients, and exploring drug resistance mechanisms. In this review, we gave an overview of the history of PDX models and the process of PDX model establishment. Subsequently, the review presents the strengths and weaknesses of PDX models and highlights the integration of novel technologies in PDX model research. Finally, we delineated the broad application of PDX models in chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and other novel therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihan Liu
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, P.R. China
| | - Wantao Wu
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, P.R. China
| | - Changjing Cai
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, P.R. China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hong Shen
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, P.R. China.
| | - Ying Han
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, P.R. China.
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Liu A, Zhang G, Yang Y, Xia Y, Li W, Liu Y, Cui Q, Wang D, Zhao J, Yu J. A clinical nomogram based on absolute count of lymphocyte subsets for predicting overall survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 114:109391. [PMID: 36508919 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109391] [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: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The absolute count of lymphocyte subsets (ACLS) is correlated to the prognosis of multiple malignancies. This study aimed to combine the ACLS with the clinicopathological parameters to develop a nomogram to accurately predict the prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. METHODS This retrospective study included a training cohort (n = 1685) and validation cohort (n = 337) with NSCLC patients treated in First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine between January 2018 and January 2021. Cox regression were conducted to identify factors associated with overall survival. The nomogram was built based on 10 significant factors, and evaluated by the concordance index (C-index), calibration curve and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS In the training cohort, the multivariate cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that the independent factors for overall survival (OS) included age, brain metastases, hepatic metastases, respiratory system diseases, clinical stages, surgery, absolute count (AC) of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and NK cells, which were all applied in the nomogram. The C-index of the nomogram to predict OS was 0.777 (95% CI, 0.751-0.802) in training cohort and 0.822 (95% CI, 0.798-0.846) in validation cohort. The area under the ROC showed a good discriminative ability in both cohorts. Calibration curves presented an excellent consistence between the nomogram predicted probability and actual observation. CONCLUSIONS We established a prognostic nomogram to predict OS of the NSCLC patient. This nomogram provided a more quantitative, scientific and objective basis for accurate diagnosis and individual management of NSCLC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aqing Liu
- Department of Oncology, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China; Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Guan Zhang
- Department of Oncology, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China; Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Yanjie Yang
- Department of Oncology, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China; Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Ying Xia
- Department of Oncology, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China; Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Wentao Li
- Department of Oncology, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China
| | - Yunhe Liu
- Department of Oncology, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China
| | - Qian Cui
- Department of Oncology, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China; Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Dong Wang
- Department of Oncology, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China; Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Jian Zhao
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, BioClinicum, Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Jianchun Yu
- Department of Oncology, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China.
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11
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Chi H, Xie X, Yan Y, Peng G, Strohmer DF, Lai G, Zhao S, Xia Z, Tian G. Natural killer cell-related prognosis signature characterizes immune landscape and predicts prognosis of HNSCC. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1018685. [PMID: 36263048 PMCID: PMC9575041 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1018685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), the most common head and neck cancer, is highly aggressive and heterogeneous, resulting in variable prognoses and immunotherapeutic outcomes. Natural killer (NK) cells play essential roles in malignancies’ development, diagnosis, and prognosis. The purpose of this study was to establish a reliable signature based on genes related to NK cells (NRGs), thus providing a new perspective for assessing immunotherapy response and prognosis of HNSCC patients. Methods In this study, NRGs were used to classify HNSCC from the TCGA-HNSCC and GEO cohorts. The genes were evaluated using univariate cox regression analysis based on the differential analysis of normal and tumor samples in TCGA-HNSCC conducted using the “limma” R package. Thereafter, we built prognostic gene signatures using LASSO-COX analysis. External validation was carried out in the GSE41613 cohort. Immunity analysis based on NRGs was performed via several methods, such as CIBERSORT, and immunotherapy response was evaluated by TIP portal website. Results With the TCGA-HNSCC data, we established a nomogram based on the 17-NRGs signature and a variety of clinicopathological characteristics. The low-risk group exhibited a better effect when it came to immunotherapy. Conclusions 17-NRGs signature and nomograms demonstrate excellent predictive performance and offer new perspectives for assessing pre-immune efficacy, which will facilitate future precision immuno-oncology research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Chi
- Clinical Medical College, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xixi Xie
- School of Stomatology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Yingjie Yan
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Gaoge Peng
- Clinical Medical College, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Dorothee Franziska Strohmer
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Guichuan Lai
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Songyun Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Wuxi People's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Zhijia Xia
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
- *Correspondence: Zhijia Xia, ; Gang Tian,
| | - Gang Tian
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Zhijia Xia, ; Gang Tian,
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12
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Razeghian E, Kameh MC, Shafiee S, Khalafi F, Jafari F, Asghari M, Kazemi K, Ilkhani S, Shariatzadeh S, Haj-Mirzaian A. The role of the natural killer (NK) cell modulation in breast cancer incidence and progress. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:10935-10948. [PMID: 36008609 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07865-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The importance of the immune system on tumor surveillance has been investigated for many years, and its impact on controlling tumor progression has been verified. An important subgroup of the innate immune system is natural killer (NK) cells, whose essential function in modulating tumor behavior and suppressing metastasis and tumor growth has been demonstrated. The first idea of NK cells' crucial biological processes was demonstrated through their potent ability to conduct direct cellular cytotoxicity, even without former sensitization. These properties of NK cells allow them to recognize transformed cells that have attenuated self-ligand and express stress-induced ligands. Furthermore, secretion of various cytokines and chemokines after their activation leads to tumor elimination via either direct cytotoxic effect on malignant cells or activation of the adaptive immune system. In addition, novel immunotherapeutic approaches tend to take advantage of NK cells' ability, leading to antibody-based approaches, the formation of engineered CAR-NK cells, and adoptive cell transfer. However, the restricted functionality of NK cells and the inability to infiltrate tumors are its blind spots in breast cancer patients. In this review, we gathered newly acquired data on the biology and functions of NK cells in breast cancer and proposed ways to employ this knowledge for novel therapeutic approaches in cancers, particularly breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Razeghian
- Human Genetics Division, Medical Biotechnology Department, National Institute of Genetics Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdis Chahar Kameh
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sepehr Shafiee
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farima Khalafi
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fehimeh Jafari
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Radiation Oncology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammadali Asghari
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kiarash Kazemi
- Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saba Ilkhani
- Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Siavash Shariatzadeh
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Arvin Haj-Mirzaian
- Department of Pharmacology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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13
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Gong Y, Chen W, Chen X, He Y, Jiang H, Zhang X, Pan L, Ni B, Yang F, Xu Y, Zhang Q, Zhou L, Cheng Y. An Injectable Epigenetic Autophagic Modulatory Hydrogel for Boosting Umbilical Cord Blood NK Cell Therapy Prevents Postsurgical Relapse of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2201271. [PMID: 35712750 PMCID: PMC9376812 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202201271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) exhibits resistance to conventional treatments due to the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs), causing postsurgical relapse and a dismal prognosis. Umbilical cord blood natural killer (UCB-NK) cell-based immunotherapy represents a promising strategy for cancer treatment. However, its therapeutic efficacy is greatly restrained by downregulation of the NK cell activation ligand MHC class I-related chain A/B (MICA/B) and autophagy-mediated degradation of NK cell-derived granzyme B (GZMB) in CSCs. Herein, it is demonstrated that suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) epigenetically downregulates let-7e-5p and miR-615-3p to increase MICA/B expression and that 3-methyl adenine (3MA) inhibits autophagy-mediated GZMB degradation, thereby sensitizing breast CSCs to UCB-NK cells. Then, an injectable hydrogel is designed to codeliver SAHA and 3MA to enhance UCB-NK cell infusion efficacy in TNBC. The hydrogel precursors can be smoothly injected into the tumor resection bed and form a stable gel in situ, allowing for a pH-sensitive sustained release of SAHA and 3MA. Moreover, UCB-NK cell infusion in combination with the hydrogel efficiently controls postsurgical relapse of TNBC. In addition, the hydrogel exhibits good hemostasis and wound-healing functions. Therefore, the work provides proof of concept that an injectable epigenetic autophagic modulatory hydrogel augments UCB-NK cell therapy to combat postsurgical relapse of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihang Gong
- Department of Hepatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Liver Disease ResearchThe Third Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
| | - Wenjie Chen
- Biotherapy Centre & Cell‐Gene Therapy Translational Medicine Research CentreThe Third Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
| | - Xiuxing Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationDepartment of Medical OncologySun Yat‐sen Memorial HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Yizhan He
- Biotherapy Centre & Cell‐Gene Therapy Translational Medicine Research CentreThe Third Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
| | - Hua Jiang
- Department of Breast & Thyroid SurgeryThe Third Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
| | - Xijian Zhang
- Department of Hepatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Liver Disease ResearchThe Third Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
| | - Lijie Pan
- Biotherapy Centre & Cell‐Gene Therapy Translational Medicine Research CentreThe Third Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
| | - Beibei Ni
- Biotherapy Centre & Cell‐Gene Therapy Translational Medicine Research CentreThe Third Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
| | - Fan Yang
- Biotherapy Centre & Cell‐Gene Therapy Translational Medicine Research CentreThe Third Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
| | - Yan Xu
- Biotherapy Centre & Cell‐Gene Therapy Translational Medicine Research CentreThe Third Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Biotherapy Centre & Cell‐Gene Therapy Translational Medicine Research CentreThe Third Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
| | - Lei Zhou
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Spine Disease Prevention and TreatmentDepartment of Spine SurgeryThe Third Affiliated HospitalGuangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhou510150China
| | - Yusheng Cheng
- Department of Hepatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Liver Disease ResearchThe Third Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
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14
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Abadijoo H, Khayamian MA, Faramarzpour M, Ghaderinia M, Simaee H, Shalileh S, Yazdanparast SM, Ghabraie B, Makarem J, Sarrami-Forooshani R, Abdolahad M. Healing Field: Using Alternating Electric Fields to Prevent Cytokine Storm by Suppressing Clonal Expansion of the Activated Lymphocytes in the Blood Sample of the COVID-19 Patients. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:850571. [PMID: 35721862 PMCID: PMC9201910 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.850571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In the case of the COVID-19 early diagnosis, numerous tech innovations have been introduced, and many are currently employed worldwide. But, all of the medical procedures for the treatment of this disease, up to now, are just limited to chemical drugs. All of the scientists believe that the major challenge toward the mortality of the COVID-19 patients is the out-of-control immune system activation and the subsequent cytokine production. During this process, the adaptive immune system is highly activated, and many of the lymphocytes start to clonally expand; hence many cytokines are also released. So, any attempt to harness this cytokine storm and calm down the immune outrage is appreciated. While the battleground for the immune hyperactivation is the lung ambient of the infected patients, the only medical treatment for suppressing the hypercytokinemia is based on the immunosuppressor drugs that systemically dampen the immunity with many unavoidable side effects. Here, we applied the alternating electric field to suppress the expansion of the highly activated lymphocytes, and by reducing the number of the renewed cells, the produced cytokines were also decreased. Applying this method to the blood of the COVID-19 patients in vitro showed ∼33% reduction in the average concentration of the three main cytokines after 4 days of stimulation. This method could carefully be utilized to locally suppress the hyperactivated immune cells in the lung of the COVID-19 patients without any need for systemic suppression of the immune system by the chemical drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamed Abadijoo
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Thin Film and Nano Electronics Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Institute of Cancer, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- UT and TUMS Cancer Electronics Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ali Khayamian
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Thin Film and Nano Electronics Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Institute of Cancer, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- UT and TUMS Cancer Electronics Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- *Correspondence: Mohammad Ali Khayamian, , ; Mohammad Abdolahad, ,
| | - Mahsa Faramarzpour
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Thin Film and Nano Electronics Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Institute of Cancer, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- UT and TUMS Cancer Electronics Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammadreza Ghaderinia
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Thin Film and Nano Electronics Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Institute of Cancer, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- UT and TUMS Cancer Electronics Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Simaee
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Thin Film and Nano Electronics Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Institute of Cancer, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- UT and TUMS Cancer Electronics Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahriar Shalileh
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Thin Film and Nano Electronics Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Institute of Cancer, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- UT and TUMS Cancer Electronics Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Mojtaba Yazdanparast
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Thin Film and Nano Electronics Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Institute of Cancer, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- UT and TUMS Cancer Electronics Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bahman Ghabraie
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Thin Film and Nano Electronics Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Institute of Cancer, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- UT and TUMS Cancer Electronics Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jalil Makarem
- UT and TUMS Cancer Electronics Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ramin Sarrami-Forooshani
- ATMP Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Mohammad Abdolahad
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Thin Film and Nano Electronics Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Institute of Cancer, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- UT and TUMS Cancer Electronics Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- *Correspondence: Mohammad Ali Khayamian, , ; Mohammad Abdolahad, ,
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15
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Immune Checkpoint Blockades in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Current State and Molecular Mechanisms of Resistance. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10051130. [PMID: 35625867 PMCID: PMC9138553 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10051130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs) have revolutionized cancer treatment. Recent studies have revealed a subset of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) to be considered as an immunogenic breast cancer subtype. Characteristics of TNBC, such as higher mutation rates and number of tumor-infiltrating immune cells, render the immunogenic phenotypes. Consequently, TNBCs have shown durable responses to ICBs such as atezolizumab and pembrolizumab in clinic. However, a significant number of TNBC patients do not benefit from these therapies, and mechanisms of resistance are poorly understood. Here, we review biomarkers that predict the responsiveness of TNBCs to ICB and recent advances in delineating molecular mechanisms of resistance to ICBs.
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16
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Regulating MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell adhesion on laser-patterned surfaces with micro- and nanotopography. Biointerphases 2022; 17:021002. [PMID: 35291767 DOI: 10.1116/6.0001564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer observed in women. Communication with the tumor microenvironment allows invading breast cancer cells, such as triple negative breast cancer cells, to adapt to specific substrates. The substrate topography modulates the cellular behavior among other factors. Several different materials and micro/nanofabrication techniques have been employed to develop substrates for cell culture. Silicon-based substrates present a lot of advantages as they are amenable to a wide range of processing techniques and they permit rigorous control over the surface structure. We investigate and compare the response of the triple negative breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) on laser-patterned silicon substrates with two different topographical scales, i.e., the micro- and the nanoscale, in the absence of any other biochemical modification. We develop silicon surfaces with distinct morphological characteristics by employing two laser systems with different pulse durations (nanosecond and femtosecond) and different processing environments (vacuum, SF6 gas, and water). Our findings demonstrate that surfaces with microtopography are repellent, while those with nanotopography are attractive for MDA-MB-231 cell adherence.
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17
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Sawasdee N, Wattanapanitch M, Thongsin N, Phanthaphol N, Chiawpanit C, Thuwajit C, Yenchitsomanus PT, Panya A. Doxorubicin sensitizes breast cancer cells to natural killer cells in connection with increased Fas receptors. Int J Mol Med 2022; 49:40. [PMID: 35119077 PMCID: PMC8815410 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2022.5095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women. Although standard treatments are successful in patients with BC diagnosed at an early stage, an alternative treatment is required for patients with advanced-stage disease who do not respond to these treatments. The concept of using chemotherapy to sensitize cancer cells to become susceptible to immunotherapy was recently introduced and may be used as an alternative treatment for BC. The chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin has been reported to sensitize cancer cells; however, the efficacy to sensitize the solid spheroids, in addition to its underlying mechanism regarding how doxorubicin sensitizes BC, has not previously been explored. In the present study, the effectiveness of a combined treatment of doxorubicin and natural killer-92 (NK-92) cells against BC in either 2D or 3D spheroid models, and its association with Fas receptor (FasR) expression, was demonstrated. The BC (MCF7) cell line expressing a higher level of FasR was more sensitive to NK-92 cell killing than the MDA-MB-231 cell line, which expressed a lower level of FasR. A sublethal dose of doxorubicin caused a significant improvement in NK cytotoxicity. Concordantly, a significant reduction in cell viability was observed in the doxorubicin-treated MCF7 spheroids. Notably, flow cytometric analysis revealed significantly increased FasR expression in the MCF7 cells, suggesting the underlying sensitization mechanism of doxorubicin in BC was related to the FasR upregulation. The present findings supported the use of combined doxorubicin and NK immunotherapy in BC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nunghathai Sawasdee
- Siriraj Center of Research Excellence for Cancer Immunotherapy, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
| | - Methichit Wattanapanitch
- Siriraj Center for Regenerative Medicine, Research Department, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
| | - Nontaphat Thongsin
- Siriraj Center for Regenerative Medicine, Research Department, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
| | - Nattaporn Phanthaphol
- Siriraj Center of Research Excellence for Cancer Immunotherapy, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
| | - Chutipa Chiawpanit
- Department of Biology, Industry and Medicine, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Chanitra Thuwajit
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
| | - Pa-Thai Yenchitsomanus
- Siriraj Center of Research Excellence for Cancer Immunotherapy, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
| | - Aussara Panya
- Department of Biology, Industry and Medicine, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
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18
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Bitsouni V, Tsilidis V. Mathematical modeling of tumor-immune system interactions: the effect of rituximab on breast cancer immune response. J Theor Biol 2022; 539:111001. [PMID: 34998860 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2021.111001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
tBregs are a newly discovered subcategory of B regulatory cells, which are generated by breast cancer, resulting in the increase of Tregs and therefore in the death of NK cells. In this study, we use a mathematical and computational approach to investigate the complex interactions between the aforementioned cells as well as CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells and B cells. Furthermore, we use data fitting to prove that the functional response regarding the lysis of breast cancer cells by NK cells has a ratio-dependent form. Additionally, we include in our model the concentration of rituximab - a monoclonal antibody that has been suggested as a potential breast cancer therapy - and test its effect, when the standard, as well as experimental dosages, are administered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Bitsouni
- Department of Mathematics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, GR-15784 Athens, Greece; School of Science and Technology, Hellenic Open University, 18 Parodos Aristotelous Str., GR-26335 Patras, Greece.
| | - Vasilis Tsilidis
- School of Science and Technology, Hellenic Open University, 18 Parodos Aristotelous Str., GR-26335 Patras, Greece.
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19
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Billerhart M, Schönhofer M, Schueffl H, Polzer W, Pichler J, Decker S, Taschauer A, Maier J, Anton M, Eckmann S, Blaschek M, Heffeter P, Sami H, Ogris M. CD47-targeted cancer immunogene therapy: Secreted SIRPα-Fc fusion protein eradicates tumors by macrophage and NK cell activation. MOLECULAR THERAPY-ONCOLYTICS 2021; 23:192-204. [PMID: 34729396 PMCID: PMC8526499 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2021.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
CD47 protects healthy cells from macrophage attack by binding to signal regulatory protein α (SIRPα), while its upregulation in cancer prevents immune clearance. Systemic treatment with CD47 antibodies requires a weakened Fc-mediated effector function or lower CD47-binding affinity to prevent side effects. Our approach combines “the best of both worlds,” i.e., maximized CD47 binding and full Fc-mediated immune activity, by exploiting gene therapy for paracrine release. We developed a plasmid vector encoding for the secreted fusion protein sCV1-hIgG1, comprising highly efficient CD47-blocking moiety CV1 and Fc domain of human immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) with maximized immune activation. sCV1-hIgG1 exhibited a potent bystander effect, blocking CD47 on all cells via fusion protein secreted from only a fraction of cells or when transferring transfection supernatant to untransfected cells. The CpG-free plasmid ensured sustained secretion of sCV1-hIgG1. In orthotopic human triple-negative breast cancer in CB17-severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice, ex vivo transfection significantly delayed tumor growth and eradicated one-third of tumors. In intratumoral transfection experiments, CD47 blockage and increased migration of macrophages into the tumor were observed within 17 h of a single injection. Natural killer (NK) cell-mediated lysis of sCV1-hIgG1-expressing cells was demonstrated in vitro. Taken together, this approach also opens the opportunity to block, in principle, any immune checkpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Billerhart
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Monika Schönhofer
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Hemma Schueffl
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfram Polzer
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia Pichler
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Simon Decker
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Taschauer
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia Maier
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Martina Anton
- Institutes of Molecular Immunology and Experimental Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Straße 22, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Eckmann
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Manuel Blaschek
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Petra Heffeter
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Haider Sami
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Manfred Ogris
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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20
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Heipertz EL, Zynda ER, Stav-Noraas TE, Hungler AD, Boucher SE, Kaur N, Vemuri MC. Current Perspectives on "Off-The-Shelf" Allogeneic NK and CAR-NK Cell Therapies. Front Immunol 2021; 12:732135. [PMID: 34925314 PMCID: PMC8671166 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.732135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer cells (NK cells) are the first line of the innate immune defense system, primarily located in peripheral circulation and lymphoid tissues. They kill virally infected and malignant cells through a balancing play of inhibitory and stimulatory receptors. In pre-clinical investigational studies, NK cells show promising anti-tumor effects and are used in adoptive transfer of activated and expanded cells, ex-vivo. NK cells express co-stimulatory molecules that are attractive targets for the immunotherapy of cancers. Recent clinical trials are investigating the use of CAR-NK for different cancers to determine the efficiency. Herein, we review NK cell therapy approaches (NK cell preparation from tissue sources, ways of expansion ex-vivo for "off-the-shelf" allogeneic cell-doses for therapies, and how different vector delivery systems are used to engineer NK cells with CARs) for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica L. Heipertz
- Cell & Gene Therapy, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Evan R. Zynda
- BioProduction, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Grand Island, NY, United States
| | | | - Andrew D. Hungler
- Cell & Gene Therapy, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Shayne E. Boucher
- Cell & Gene Therapy, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Navjot Kaur
- Cell & Gene Therapy, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Mohan C. Vemuri
- Cell & Gene Therapy, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Frederick, MD, United States
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21
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Manoochehri M, Hielscher T, Borhani N, Gerhäuser C, Fletcher O, Swerdlow AJ, Ko YD, Brauch H, Brüning T, Hamann U. Epigenetic quantification of circulating immune cells in peripheral blood of triple-negative breast cancer patients. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:207. [PMID: 34789319 PMCID: PMC8596937 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01196-1] [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: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A shift in the proportions of blood immune cells is a hallmark of cancer development. Here, we investigated whether methylation-derived immune cell type ratios and methylation-derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (mdNLRs) are associated with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). METHODS Leukocyte subtype-specific unmethylated/methylated CpG sites were selected, and methylation levels at these sites were used as proxies for immune cell type proportions and mdNLR estimation in 231 TNBC cases and 231 age-matched controls. Data were validated using the Houseman deconvolution method. Additionally, the natural killer (NK) cell ratio was measured in a prospective sample set of 146 TNBC cases and 146 age-matched controls. RESULTS The mdNLRs were higher in TNBC cases compared with controls and associated with TNBC (odds ratio (OR) range (2.66-4.29), all Padj. < 1e-04). A higher neutrophil ratio and lower ratios of NK cells, CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, monocytes, and B cells were associated with TNBC. The strongest association was observed with decreased NK cell ratio (OR range (1.28-1.42), all Padj. < 1e-04). The NK cell ratio was also significantly lower in pre-diagnostic samples of TNBC cases compared with controls (P = 0.019). CONCLUSION This immunomethylomic study shows that a shift in the ratios/proportions of leukocyte subtypes is associated with TNBC, with decreased NK cell showing the strongest association. These findings improve our knowledge of the role of the immune system in TNBC and point to the possibility of using NK cell level as a non-invasive molecular marker for TNBC risk assessment, early detection, and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Manoochehri
- Molecular Genetics of Breast Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. .,Department of in-Vitro Diagnostics, Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Thomas Hielscher
- Division of Biostatistics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nasim Borhani
- Molecular Genetics of Breast Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Clarissa Gerhäuser
- Cancer Epigenomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Olivia Fletcher
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Anthony J Swerdlow
- The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.,Division of Genetics and Epidemiology and Division of Breast Cancer Research, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Yon-Dschun Ko
- Department of Internal Medicine, Evangelische Kliniken Bonn gGmbH, Johanniter Krankenhaus, 53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Hiltrud Brauch
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, 70376, Stuttgart, Germany.,iFIT Cluster of Excellence, University of Tübingen, 72074, Tübingen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Partner Site Tübingen, 72074, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Brüning
- Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum (IPA), 44789, Bochum, Germany
| | - Ute Hamann
- Molecular Genetics of Breast Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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22
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Breast cancer immune microenvironment: from pre-clinical models to clinical therapies. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2021; 191:257-267. [PMID: 34731350 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-021-06431-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The breast cancer tumour microenvironment (BC-TME) is characterized by significant cellular and spatial heterogeneity that has important clinical implications and can affect response to therapy. There is a growing need to develop methods that reliably quantify and characterize the BC-TME and model its composition and functions in experimental systems, in the hope of developing new treatments for patients. In this review, we examine the role of immune-activating cells (including tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes and natural killer cells) and immune inhibitory cells (including T regulatory cells, tumour-associated macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells) in the BC-TME. We summarize methods being used to characterize the microenvironment, with specific attention to pre-clinical models including co-cultures, organoids, and genetically modified and humanized mouse models. Finally, we explore the implications and applications of existing preclinical data for drug development and highlight several drugs designed to alter the BC-TME in order to improve treatment outcomes for patients.
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23
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Lu T, Ma R, Li Z, Mansour AG, Teng KY, Chen L, Zhang J, Barr T, Caligiuri MA, Yu J. Hijacking TYRO3 from Tumor Cells via Trogocytosis Enhances NK-Cell Effector Functions and Proliferation. Cancer Immunol Res 2021; 9:1229-1241. [PMID: 34326137 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-20-1014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Trogocytosis is a fast, cell-cell contact-dependent uptake of membrane patches and associated molecules by one cell from another. Here, we report our investigation of trogocytosis of TYRO3, a cell membrane protein, from tumor target cells to natural killer (NK) cells and the associated functional consequences for NK cells. We found that although NK cells did not express endogenous TYRO3 on the cell surface, activated NK cells rapidly acquired TYRO3 from tumor cells via trogocytosis in vitro and in vivo. NK cells that acquired TYRO3, which we termed TYRO3+ NK cells, had significantly enhanced cytotoxicity and IFNγ production as well as higher expression of some activated surface markers compared with TYRO3- NK cells. Furthermore, the activation status of NK cells and TYRO3 expression levels on donor cells, either endogenous or ectopic, positively correlated with trogocytosis levels. When the antigen-presenting cell (APC) K562 leukemia cell line, a feeder cell line to expand NK cells, overexpressed TYRO3, TYRO3 was transferred to NK cells via trogocytosis, which improved NK-cell proliferation ex vivo. This provides a strategy to manufacture NK cells or their engineered counterparts, such as chimeric antigen receptor NK cells, for the treatment of cancer or infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Lu
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Rui Ma
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Zhenlong Li
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Anthony G Mansour
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Kun-Yu Teng
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Jianying Zhang
- Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Tasha Barr
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Michael A Caligiuri
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California. .,Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California.,Hematologic Malignancies Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.,City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Jianhua Yu
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California. .,Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California.,Hematologic Malignancies Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.,City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California
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24
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Zheng H, Siddharth S, Parida S, Wu X, Sharma D. Tumor Microenvironment: Key Players in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Immunomodulation. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13133357. [PMID: 34283088 PMCID: PMC8269090 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13133357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complicated network composed of various cells, signaling molecules, and extra cellular matrix. TME plays a crucial role in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) immunomodulation and tumor progression, paradoxically, acting as an immunosuppressive as well as immunoreactive factor. Research regarding tumor immune microenvironment has contributed to a better understanding of TNBC subtype classification. Shall we treat patients precisely according to specific subtype classification? Moving beyond traditional chemotherapy, multiple clinical trials have recently implied the potential benefits of immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy. In this review, we aimed to elucidate the paradoxical role of TME in TNBC immunomodulation, summarize the subtype classification methods for TNBC, and explore the synergistic mechanism of chemotherapy plus immunotherapy. Our study may provide a new direction for the development of combined treatment strategies for TNBC. Abstract Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous disease and is highly related to immunomodulation. As we know, the most effective approach to treat TNBC so far is still chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can induce immunogenic cell death, release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), and tumor microenvironment (TME) remodeling; therefore, it will be interesting to investigate the relationship between chemotherapy-induced TME changes and TNBC immunomodulation. In this review, we focus on the immunosuppressive and immunoreactive role of TME in TNBC immunomodulation and the contribution of TME constituents to TNBC subtype classification. Further, we also discuss the role of chemotherapy-induced TME remodeling in modulating TNBC immune response and tumor progression with emphasis on DAMPs-associated molecules including high mobility group box1 (HMGB1), exosomes, and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1), which may provide us with new clues to explore effective combined treatment options for TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmei Zheng
- Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Breast Cancer, Department of Breast Surgery, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430079, China
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (S.S.); (S.P.); (D.S.)
- Correspondence: (H.Z.); (X.W.)
| | - Sumit Siddharth
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (S.S.); (S.P.); (D.S.)
| | - Sheetal Parida
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (S.S.); (S.P.); (D.S.)
| | - Xinhong Wu
- Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Breast Cancer, Department of Breast Surgery, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430079, China
- Correspondence: (H.Z.); (X.W.)
| | - Dipali Sharma
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (S.S.); (S.P.); (D.S.)
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25
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Barzaman K, Moradi-Kalbolandi S, Hosseinzadeh A, Kazemi MH, Khorramdelazad H, Safari E, Farahmand L. Breast cancer immunotherapy: Current and novel approaches. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 98:107886. [PMID: 34153663 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.107886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The crucial role of the immune system in the progression/regression of breast cancer (BC) should always be taken into account. Various immunotherapy approaches have been investigated for BC, including tumor-targeting antibodies (bispecific antibodies), adoptive T cell therapy, vaccines, and immune checkpoint blockade such as anti-PD-1. In addition, a combination of conventional chemotherapy and immunotherapy approaches contributes to improving patients' overall survival rates. Although encouraging outcomes have been reported in most clinical trials of immunotherapy, some obstacles should still be resolved in this regard. Recently, personalized immunotherapy has been proposed as a potential complementary medicine with immunotherapy and chemotherapy for overcoming BC. Accordingly, this review discusses the brief association of these methods and future directions in BC immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khadijeh Barzaman
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Recombinant Proteins Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran; Immunology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shima Moradi-Kalbolandi
- Recombinant Proteins Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Aysooda Hosseinzadeh
- Recombinant Proteins Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Kazemi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; ATMP Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Khorramdelazad
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Molecular Medicine Research Center, Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjani University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjani, Iran; Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Rafsanjani University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjani, Iran
| | - Elahe Safari
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Immunology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Leila Farahmand
- Recombinant Proteins Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
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26
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Portillo AL, Hogg R, Poznanski SM, Rojas EA, Cashell NJ, Hammill JA, Chew MV, Shenouda MM, Ritchie TM, Cao QT, Hirota JA, Dhesy-Thind S, Bramson JL, Ashkar AA. Expanded human NK cells armed with CAR uncouple potent anti-tumor activity from off-tumor toxicity against solid tumors. iScience 2021; 24:102619. [PMID: 34159300 PMCID: PMC8193615 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the remarkable success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells against hematologic malignancies, severe off-tumor effects have constrained their use against solid tumors. Recently, CAR-engineered natural killer (NK) cells have emerged as an effective and safe alternative. Here, we demonstrate that HER2 CAR-expression in NK cells from healthy donors and patients with breast cancer potently enhances their anti-tumor functions against various HER2-expressing cancer cells, regardless of MHC class I expression. Moreover, HER2 CAR-NK cells exert higher cytotoxicity than donor-matched HER2 CAR-T cells against tumor targets. Importantly, unlike CAR-T cells, HER2 CAR-NK cells do not elicit enhanced cytotoxicity or inflammatory cytokine production against non-malignant human lung epithelial cells with basal HER2 expression. Further, HER2 CAR-NK cells maintain high cytotoxic function in the presence of immunosuppressive factors enriched in solid tumors. These results show that CAR-NK cells may be a highly potent and safe source of immunotherapy in the context of solid tumors. Primary HER2 CAR-NK cells from patients with cancer have potent anti-tumor functions HER2 CAR-NK cells have a higher tumor killing capacity than HER2 CAR-T cells HER2 CAR-NK cells are not overly activated against HER2+ lung epithelial cells CAR-NK cells can overcome inhibition by the immunosuppressive factors TGF-β and PGE2
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana L Portillo
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada.,McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Richard Hogg
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Sophie M Poznanski
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada.,McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Eduardo A Rojas
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada.,McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Niamh J Cashell
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Joanne A Hammill
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada.,McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Marianne V Chew
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Mira M Shenouda
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Tyrah M Ritchie
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada.,McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Quynh T Cao
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada.,McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada.,Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health - Division of Respirology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Jeremy A Hirota
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada.,McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada.,Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health - Division of Respirology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | | | - Jonathan L Bramson
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada.,McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Ali A Ashkar
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada.,McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
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27
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Ghaderinia M, Khayamian MA, Abadijoo H, Shalileh S, Faramarzpour M, Zandi A, Simaee H, Abbasvandi F, Esmailinejad MR, Rafizadeh-Tafti S, Jahangiri M, Kordehlachin Y, Ghaffari H, Ansari E, Dabbagh N, Akbari ME, Hoseinpour P, Abdolahad M. Capture-free deactivation of CTCs in the bloodstream; a metastasis suppression method by electrostatic stimulation of the peripheral blood. Biosens Bioelectron 2021; 183:113194. [PMID: 33813209 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2021.113194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
While limited investigations have been reported on CTC elimination and its profits, recently, some new works were reported on detection followed by the destruction of CTCs. Limitations and complications of CTC capturing procedures have highly reduced the chance of selective destruction of CTCs in the bloodstream in the therapeutic guidelines of the patients. Here, we selectively deactivated the invasive function of CTCs during their circulation in the bloodstream by exposing the whole blood to pure positive electrostatic charge stimulation (PPECS). Our treatment suppressed pulmonary metastasis and extended the survival of the mice had been intravenously injected by electrostatically deactivated 4T1 breast cancer CTCs. Moreover, the number of cancerous lung nodules was drastically reduced in the mice injected by treated CTCs in comparison with the non-treated cohort. Evaluating the side effect of the PPECS on the blood components revealed no major effect on the functional properties of the white blood cells, and just a negligible fraction (∼10%) was damaged during this process. This approach does not need any capturing or targeting of CTCs from the blood as it is focused on perturbing the electrical function of negatively-charged tumor cells after being exposed to positive electrostatic charges. Taken together, continuous in-vivo deactivation of CTCs by PPECS with no requirement to complicated capturing protocols may improve the survival of cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammadreza Ghaderinia
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, P.O. Box 14395/515
| | - Mohammad Ali Khayamian
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, P.O. Box 14395/515
| | - Hamed Abadijoo
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, P.O. Box 14395/515
| | - Shahriar Shalileh
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, P.O. Box 14395/515
| | - Mahsa Faramarzpour
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, P.O. Box 14395/515
| | - Ashkan Zandi
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, P.O. Box 14395/515
| | - Hossein Simaee
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, P.O. Box 14395/515; Integrative Oncology Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, P.O. BOX 15179/64311, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fereshteh Abbasvandi
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, P.O. Box 14395/515; ATMP Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, P.O. BOX 15179/64311, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Esmailinejad
- Department of Surgery and Radiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, P.O. Box 14155/6453
| | - Saeed Rafizadeh-Tafti
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, P.O. Box 14395/515
| | - Mojtaba Jahangiri
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, P.O. Box 14395/515
| | - Yasin Kordehlachin
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, P.O. Box 14395/515
| | - Hadi Ghaffari
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, P.O. Box 14395/515
| | - Ehsan Ansari
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Thin Film and Nano Electronics Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, P.O. Box 14395/515
| | - Najmeh Dabbagh
- Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, P.O. BOX 15179/64311, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Esmaeil Akbari
- Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, P.O. BOX 15179/64311, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Abdolahad
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronic Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, P.O. Box 14395/515; Cancer Institute, Imam-Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. BOX 13145-158, Tehran, Iran; UT&TUMS Cancer Electrotechnique Research Center, YAS Hospital, P.O. Box 1598718311, Tehran, Iran.
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Thomas R, Al-Khadairi G, Decock J. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Treatment: Promising Future Prospects. Front Oncol 2021; 10:600573. [PMID: 33718107 PMCID: PMC7947906 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.600573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has emerged as the fifth pillar of cancer treatment alongside surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are the current superheroes of immunotherapy, unleashing a patient's own immune cells to kill tumors and revolutionizing cancer treatment in a variety of cancers. Although breast cancer was historically believed to be immunologically silent, treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors has been shown to induce modest responses in metastatic breast cancer. Given the inherent heterogeneity of breast tumors, this raised the question whether certain breast tumors might benefit more from immune-based interventions and which cancer cell-intrinsic and/or microenvironmental factors define the likelihood of inducing a potent and durable anti-tumor immune response. In this review, we will focus on triple negative breast cancer as immunogenic breast cancer subtype, and specifically discuss the relevance of tumor mutational burden, the plethora and diversity of tumor infiltrating immune cells in addition to the immunoscore, the presence of immune checkpoint expression, and the microbiome in defining immune checkpoint blockade response. We will highlight the current immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment options, either as monotherapy or in combination with standard-of-care treatment modalities such as chemotherapy and targeted therapy. In addition, we will look into the potential of immunotherapy-based combination strategies using immune checkpoint inhibitors to enhance both innate and adaptive immune responses, or to establish a more immune favorable environment for cancer vaccines. Finally, the review will address the need for unambiguous predictive biomarkers as one of the main challenges of immune checkpoint blockade. To conclude, the potential of immune checkpoint blockade for triple negative breast cancer treatment could be enhanced by exploration of aforementioned factors and treatment strategies thereby providing promising future prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remy Thomas
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), Doha, Qatar
| | - Ghaneya Al-Khadairi
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), Doha, Qatar
| | - Julie Decock
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), Doha, Qatar
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Poznanski SM, Ritchie TM, Fan IY, El-Sayes A, Portillo AL, Ben-Avi R, Rojas EA, Chew MV, Shargall Y, Ashkar AA. Expanded human NK cells from lung cancer patients sensitize patients' PDL1-negative tumors to PD1-blockade therapy. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:jitc-2020-001933. [PMID: 33479024 PMCID: PMC7825270 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-001933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death worldwide despite the significant progress made by immune checkpoint inhibitors, including programmed death receptor-1 (PD1)/PD ligand 1 (PDL1)-blockade therapy. PD1/PDL1-blockade has achieved unprecedented tumor regression in some patients with advanced lung cancer. However, the majority of patients fail to respond to PD1/PDL1 inhibitors. The high rate of therapy non-response results from insufficient PDL1 expression on most patients' tumors and the presence of further immunosuppressive mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment. Here, we sensitize non-responding tumors from patients with lung cancer to PD1-blockade therapy using highly cytotoxic expanded natural killer (NK) cells. We uncover that NK cells expanded from patients with lung cancer dismantle the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment by maintaining strong antitumor activity against both PDL1+ and PDL1- patient tumors. In the process, through a contact-independent mechanism involving interferon γ, expanded NK cells rescued tumor killing by exhausted endogenous TILs and upregulated the tumor proportion score of PDL1 across patient tumors. In contrast, unexpanded NK cells, which are susceptible to tumor-induced immunosuppression, had no effect on tumor PDL1. As a result, combined treatment of expanded NK cells and PD1-blockade resulted in robust synergistic tumor destruction of initially non-responding patient tumors. Thus, expanded NK cells may overcome the critical roadblocks to extending the prodigious benefits of PD1-blockade therapy to more patients with lung cancer and other tumor types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie M Poznanski
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tyrah M Ritchie
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Isabella Y Fan
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Abdullah El-Sayes
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ana L Portillo
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ronny Ben-Avi
- Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Eduardo A Rojas
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marianne V Chew
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Ali A Ashkar
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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30
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Arianfar E, Shahgordi S, Memarian A. Natural Killer Cell Defects in Breast Cancer: A Key Pathway for Tumor Evasion. Int Rev Immunol 2020; 40:197-216. [PMID: 33258393 DOI: 10.1080/08830185.2020.1845670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
As the most important innate immune component cancers invader, natural killer (NK) cells have a magnificent role in antitumor immunity without any prior sensitization. Different subsets of NK cells have distinct responses during tumor cell exposure, according to their phenotypes and environments. Their function is induced mainly by the activity of both inhibitory and activating receptors against cancerous cells. Since the immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment of breast cancer patients has directly deteriorated the phenotype and disturbed the function of NK cells, recruiting compensatory mechanisms indicate promising outcomes for immunotherapeutic approaches. These evidences accentuate the importance of NK cell distinct features in protection against breast tumors. In this review, we discuss the several mechanisms involved in NK cells suppression which consequently promote tumor progression and disease recurrence in patients with breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaheh Arianfar
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Immunology, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Sanaz Shahgordi
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Immunology, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Ali Memarian
- Golestan Research Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.,Immunology department, Faculty of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
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31
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NK Cell Adoptive Immunotherapy of Cancer: Evaluating Recognition Strategies and Overcoming Limitations. Transplant Cell Ther 2020; 27:21-35. [PMID: 33007496 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbmt.2020.09.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells, the primary effector cells of the innate immune system, utilize multiple strategies to recognize tumor cells by (1) detecting the presence of activating receptor ligands, which are often upregulated in cancer; (2) targeting cells that have a loss of major histocompatibility complex (MHC); and (3) binding to antibodies that bind to tumor-specific antigens on the tumor cell surface. All these strategies have been successfully harnessed in adoptive NK cell immunotherapies targeting cancer. In this review, we review the applications of NK cell therapies across different tumor types. Similar to other forms of immunotherapy, tumor-induced immune escape and immune suppression can limit NK cell therapies' efficacy. Therefore, we also discuss how these limitations can be overcome by conferring NK cells with the ability to redirect their tumor-targeting capabilities and survive the immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment. Finally, we also discuss how future iterations can benefit from combination therapies with other immunotherapeutic agents.
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Yang S, Cao B, Zhou G, Zhu L, Wang L, Zhang L, Kwok HF, Zhang Z, Zhao Q. Targeting B7-H3 Immune Checkpoint With Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Engineered Natural Killer Cells Exhibits Potent Cytotoxicity Against Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:1089. [PMID: 32848731 PMCID: PMC7406658 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.01089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified natural killer (NK) cell therapy represents a kind of promising anti-cancer treatment because CAR renders NK cells activation and recognition specificity toward tumor cells. An immune checkpoint molecule, B7-H3, plays an inhibitory role in modulation of NK cells. To enhance NK cell functions, we generated NK-92MI cells carrying anti-B7-H3 CAR by lentiviral transduction. The expression of anti-B7-H3 CAR significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of NK-92MI cells against B7-H3-positive tumor cells. In accordance with enhanced cytotoxicity, the secretions of perforin/granzyme B and expression of CD107a were highly elevated in anti-B7-H3 CAR-NK-92MI cells. Moreover, compared to unmodified NK-92MI cells, anti-B7-H3 CAR-NK-92MI cells effectively limited tumor growth in mouse xenografts of non-small cell lung cancer and significantly prolonged the survival days of mice. This study provides the rationale and feasibility of B7-H3-specific CAR-NK cells for application in adoptive cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Yang
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China.,Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Bihui Cao
- Department of Radiology, Translational Medicine Center and Guangdong Provincial Education Department Key Laboratory of Nano-Immunoregulation Tumor Microenviroment, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guangyu Zhou
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China.,Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Lipeng Zhu
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China.,Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Radiology, Translational Medicine Center and Guangdong Provincial Education Department Key Laboratory of Nano-Immunoregulation Tumor Microenviroment, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China.,Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Zhenfeng Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Translational Medicine Center and Guangdong Provincial Education Department Key Laboratory of Nano-Immunoregulation Tumor Microenviroment, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qi Zhao
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China.,Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
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Erokhina SA, Streltsova MA, Kanevskiy LM, Grechikhina MV, Sapozhnikov AM, Kovalenko EI. HLA-DR-expressing NK cells: Effective killers suspected for antigen presentation. J Leukoc Biol 2020; 109:327-337. [PMID: 32421903 DOI: 10.1002/jlb.3ru0420-668rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
HLA-DR-expressing cells comprise an intriguing group of NK cells, which combine phenotypic characteristics of both NK cells and dendritic cells. These cells can be found in humans and mice; they are present in blood and tissues in healthy conditions and can expand in a spectrum of pathologies. HLA-DR+ NK cells are functionally active: they produce proinflammatory cytokines, degranulate, and easily proliferate in response to stimuli. Additionally, HLA-DR+ NK cells seem able to take in and then present certain antigens to CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, inducing their activation and proliferation, which puts them closer to professional antigen-presenting cells. It appears that these NK cells should be considerable players of the innate immune system, both due to their functional activity and regulation of the innate and adaptive immune responses. In this review, for the first time, we provide a detailed description and analysis of the available data characterizing phenotypic, developmental, and functional features of the HLA-DR+ NK cells in a healthy condition and a disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofya A Erokhina
- Laboratory of Cell Interactions, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, Russia
| | - Maria A Streltsova
- Laboratory of Cell Interactions, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, Russia
| | - Leonid M Kanevskiy
- Laboratory of Cell Interactions, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, Russia
| | - Maria V Grechikhina
- Laboratory of Cell Interactions, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander M Sapozhnikov
- Laboratory of Cell Interactions, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena I Kovalenko
- Laboratory of Cell Interactions, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, Russia
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Peighambarzadeh F, Najafalizadeh A, Esmaeil N, Rezaei A, Ashrafi F, Ganjalikhani Hakemi M. Optimization of In Vitro Expansion and Activation of Human Natural Killer Cells against Breast Cancer Cell Line. Avicenna J Med Biotechnol 2020; 12:17-23. [PMID: 32153734 PMCID: PMC7035457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Regarding to the increase of cancer deaths in recent years and disability of common therapies to eradicate cancers, as well as expansion of Natural Killer (NK) cell therapy, it seems so vital to find new useful therapies against cancers. Breast cancer is the second main cause of cancer death among women. As it is impossible for a majority of patients to receive NK cell therapy, an attempt was made to establish a low-cost and efficient method for expanding and activating NK cells against breast cancer cell line (MCF7). METHODS NK cells were isolated from Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) applying either MACS based NK cell enrichment kit or antibodies and complement as cytotoxic method. Then, the NK cells were cultured in Stem Cell Growth Medium (SCGM) with feeder layer (irradiated PBMCs) along with PHA or OKT3. IL-2, IL-15 and IL-21 were used to expand NK cells and finally their cytotoxic activity was investigated by flow cytometry. RESULTS Highly pure NK cells were obtained and no significant difference between the two isolation methods was found. Using IL-2 plus IL-15, the number of NK cells increased up to100 fold after 16 days. No significant effect was observed after IL-21 treatment. CONCLUSION Our data indicated that cytotoxicity method can be considered a low-cost alternative for NK cell isolation kits. It seems that culturing NK cells for 14 days in either PHA or OKT3 supplemented SCGM medium would be more effective than culturing for 16 days in the presence of IL-21.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzaneh Peighambarzadeh
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Anahita Najafalizadeh
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Nafiseh Esmaeil
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Abbas Rezaei
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Farzaneh Ashrafi
- Hematology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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Milanese JS, Tibiche C, Zou J, Meng Z, Nantel A, Drouin S, Marcotte R, Wang E. Germline variants associated with leukocyte genes predict tumor recurrence in breast cancer patients. NPJ Precis Oncol 2019; 3:28. [PMID: 31701019 PMCID: PMC6825127 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-019-0100-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Germline variants such as BRCA1/2 play an important role in tumorigenesis and clinical outcomes of cancer patients. However, only a small fraction (i.e., 5-10%) of inherited variants has been associated with clinical outcomes (e.g., BRCA1/2, APC, TP53, PTEN and so on). The challenge remains in using these inherited germline variants to predict clinical outcomes of cancer patient population. In an attempt to solve this issue, we applied our recently developed algorithm, eTumorMetastasis, which constructs predictive models, on exome sequencing data to ER+ breast (n = 755) cancer patients. Gene signatures derived from the genes containing functionally germline variants significantly distinguished recurred and non-recurred patients in two ER+ breast cancer independent cohorts (n = 200 and 295, P = 1.4 × 10-3). Furthermore, we compared our results with the widely known Oncotype DX test (i.e., Oncotype DX breast cancer recurrence score) and outperformed prediction for both high- and low-risk groups. Finally, we found that recurred patients possessed a higher rate of germline variants. In addition, the inherited germline variants from these gene signatures were predominately enriched in T cell function, antigen presentation, and cytokine interactions, likely impairing the adaptive and innate immune response thus favoring a pro-tumorigenic environment. Hence, germline genomic information could be used for developing non-invasive genomic tests for predicting patients' outcomes in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chabane Tibiche
- National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2 Canada
| | - Jinfeng Zou
- National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2 Canada
| | - Zhigang Meng
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Medical Genetics, and Oncology, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1 Canada
- Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, No. 12 Zhongguangcun South Street, Haidian District, Beijing, 100086 China
| | - Andre Nantel
- National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2 Canada
| | - Simon Drouin
- National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2 Canada
| | - Richard Marcotte
- National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2 Canada
- Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Centre, McGill University, 1160 Pine Avenue W, Montreal, QC H3A 1A3 Canada
| | - Edwin Wang
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Medical Genetics, and Oncology, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1 Canada
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute and Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Research Institute, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1 Canada
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Gingrich AA, Modiano JF, Canter RJ. Characterization and Potential Applications of Dog Natural Killer Cells in Cancer Immunotherapy. J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8111802. [PMID: 31717876 PMCID: PMC6912828 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8111802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells of the innate immune system are a key focus of research within the field of immuno-oncology based on their ability to recognize and eliminate malignant cells without prior sensitization or priming. However, barriers have arisen in the effective translation of NK cells to the clinic, in part because of critical species differences between mice and humans. Companion animals, especially dogs, are valuable species for overcoming many of these barriers, as dogs develop spontaneous tumors in the setting of an intact immune system, and the genetic and epigenetic factors that underlie oncogenesis appear to be similar between dogs and humans. Here, we summarize the current state of knowledge for dog NK cells, including cell surface marker phenotype, key NK genes and genetic regulation, similarities and differences of dog NK cells to other mammals, especially human and mouse, expression of canonical inhibitory and activating receptors, ex vivo expansion techniques, and current and future clinical applications. While dog NK cells are not as well described as those in humans and mice, the knowledge of the field is increasing and clinical applications in dogs can potentially advance the field of human NK biology and therapy. Better characterization is needed to truly understand the similarities and differences of dog NK cells with mouse and human. This will allow for the canine model to speed clinical translation of NK immunotherapy studies and overcome key barriers in the optimization of NK cancer immunotherapy, including trafficking, longevity, and maximal in vivo support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia A. Gingrich
- Department of Surgery, University of California Davis, 2221 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA;
| | - Jaime F. Modiano
- Animal Cancer Care and Research Program, College of Veterinary Medicine and Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, 1365 Gortner Ave, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA;
| | - Robert J. Canter
- Department of Surgery, University of California Davis, 2221 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA;
- Correspondence:
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Kim KW, Jeong JU, Lee KH, Uong TNT, Rhee JH, Ahn SJ, Kim SK, Cho D, Quang Nguyen HP, Pham CT, Yoon MS. Combined NK Cell Therapy and Radiation Therapy Exhibit Long-Term Therapeutic and Antimetastatic Effects in a Human Triple Negative Breast Cancer Model. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2019; 108:115-125. [PMID: 31605787 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2019.09.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE We investigated whether adoptive cell therapy with ex vivo-activated natural killer (NK) cells enhances the therapeutic efficacy of local tumor radiation therapy (RT) using a human triple-negative breast cancer xenograft model. METHODS AND MATERIALS NK cells from healthy donors were expanded ex vivo. MDA-MB-231/Luc-GFP cells were subcutaneously implanted into the thighs of NSG mice. The animals were divided into 4 experimental groups: control, RT, NK, and RT + NK. On day 17 after tumor implantation, tumors from the RT groups were irradiated. The ex vivo-expanded NK cells were intravenously administered twice, on days 17 and 19. Primary and secondary tumors were evaluated using long-term bioluminescence imaging, and histopathology was performed on resected tumor tissue specimens. RESULTS The luciferase signals of the primary tumors in the RT + NK group were significantly lower than those of comparably sized primary tumors in the RT group. The long-term migration and infiltration of NK cells into the primary tumor sites were significantly higher in RT + NK than in NK mice. Moreover, lymphatic metastasis to the axillary lymph nodes and liver and lung metastases were highly suppressed in the RT + NK group, as demonstrated by BLI and p53 immunohistochemistry. The long-term survival of the RT + NK group was significantly higher than that of the RT or NK groups. CONCLUSIONS Reduction in tumor burden by combining RT and systemic NK cell therapy improved the suppression of primary tumor growth, with efficient NK cell migration and penetration into the primary tumor site. Administered NK cells were maintained in the primary tissue for a significantly longer time in RT + NK group compared with NK group. Both lymphatic spread and distant metastasis to the lungs and liver were effectively suppressed by the combined therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Won Kim
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, South Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Chonnam National University Graduate School, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Jae-Uk Jeong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Kyung-Hwa Lee
- Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Tung Nguyen Thanh Uong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, South Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Chonnam National University Graduate School, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Joon Haeng Rhee
- Department of Microbiology and Clinical Vaccine R&D Center, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Sung-Ja Ahn
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Sang-Ki Kim
- Department of Companion & Laboratory Animal Science, Kongju National University, Yesan, Republic of Korea
| | - Duck Cho
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Genetics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Huy Phuoc Quang Nguyen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, South Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Chonnam National University Graduate School, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Chanh Tin Pham
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, South Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Chonnam National University Graduate School, Gwangju, South Korea; Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Mee Sun Yoon
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, South Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Chonnam National University Graduate School, Gwangju, South Korea.
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Choucair K, Duff JR, Cassidy CS, Albrethsen MT, Kelso JD, Lenhard A, Staats H, Patel R, Brunicardi FC, Dworkin L, Nemunaitis J. Natural killer cells: a review of biology, therapeutic potential and challenges in treatment of solid tumors. Future Oncol 2019; 15:3053-3069. [DOI: 10.2217/fon-2019-0116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells lead immune surveillance against cancer and early elimination of small tumors. Owing to their ability to engage tumor targets without the need of specific antigen, the therapeutic potential of NK cells has been extensively explored in hematological malignancies. In solid tumors, however, their role in the clinical arena remains poorly exploited despite a broad accumulation of preclinical data. In this article, we review our current knowledge of NK cells’ biology, and highlight the challenges facing NK cell antitumor strategies in solid tumors. We further summarize the abundant preclinical attempts at overcoming these challenges, present past and ongoing clinical trial data and finally discuss the potential impact of novel insights on the development of NK cell-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalil Choucair
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine & Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Joseph R Duff
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine & Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Christine S Cassidy
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine & Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Mary T Albrethsen
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine & Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Jesse D Kelso
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine & Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Amanda Lenhard
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine & Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Hannah Staats
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine & Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Rayna Patel
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine & Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - F Charles Brunicardi
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine & Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Lance Dworkin
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine & Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - John Nemunaitis
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine & Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
- ProMedica Health System, Toledo, OH 43604, USA
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39
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Inhibiting exosomal MIC-A and MIC-B shedding of cancer cells to overcome immune escape: new insight of approved drugs. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 27:879-884. [PMID: 31435903 DOI: 10.1007/s40199-019-00295-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Our knowledge of the role of innate immunity in protecting against cancers has expanded greatly in recent years. An early focus was on the adoptive transfer of natural killer (NK) cells and, although this approach has demonstrated promising results in many patients, a few limitations including immune escape of tumors from cytotoxic killing by NK cells have caused treatment failures. Downregulation of the expression of activating ligands on the surface of cancer cells and prevention of the activity of soluble factors are among the mechanisms employed by cancer cells to overcome NK-mediated immunity. It has become evident that a class of small membranous structures of endosomal origin known as exosomes play a key role in regulating the local tumor microenvironment. Here we hypothesize that exosome secretion by cancer cells, which is greater than that of normal cells, is an important escape mechanism employed by cancer cells. Interruption of exosome release by various inhibitory agents in combination with the adoptive transfer of NK cells may overcome, at least in part, the treatment failures that occur with adoptive NK cell transfer. In this regard, repositioning of approved drugs with previously shown effects on exosome release may be a good strategy to bypass the safety issues of newly identified agents and will also dramatically reduce the huge costs of drug approval process.
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40
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Lee DA. Cellular therapy: Adoptive immunotherapy with expanded natural killer cells. Immunol Rev 2019; 290:85-99. [DOI: 10.1111/imr.12793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dean A. Lee
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Bone Marrow Transplantation Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Ohio
- Department of Pediatrics The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio
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41
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Zhao X, Jiang Y, Wang L, Li Z, Li Q, Feng X. Advances in Understanding the Immune Imbalance between T-Lymphocyte Subsets and NK Cells in Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion. Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd 2018; 78:677-683. [PMID: 30258242 PMCID: PMC6150770 DOI: 10.1055/a-0634-1813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2018] [Revised: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recurrent spontaneous abortion is a global problem, and unexplained recurrent abortion triggered by immunological factors is an important focus of current research. Helper T lymphocytes (Th cells) and regulatory T lymphocytes (Treg cells) are central in human immune regulation and play a complex role in pregnancy. Natural killer cells (NK cells) exist in the endometrium and cooperate with T lymphocytes to create immune tolerance at the maternal-fetal interface, which is essential for successful pregnancy. This review has analyzed studies on Th17 cell, Treg cell and NK cell dysfunction and cellular imbalances which may contribute to unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion to suggest a possible direction for future immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxuan Zhao
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150040, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yuepeng Jiang
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150040, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Lin Wang
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150040, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Zhihao Li
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150040, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Qiang Li
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150040, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Xiaoling Feng
- First Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150040, Heilongjiang, China
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42
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Poznanski SM, Nham T, Chew MV, Lee AJ, Hammill JA, Fan IY, Butcher M, Bramson JL, Lee DA, Hirte HW, Ashkar AA. Expanded CD56superbrightCD16+ NK Cells from Ovarian Cancer Patients Are Cytotoxic against Autologous Tumor in a Patient-Derived Xenograft Murine Model. Cancer Immunol Res 2018; 6:1174-1185. [DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-18-0144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 05/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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43
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Li Z, Qiu Y, Lu W, Jiang Y, Wang J. Immunotherapeutic interventions of Triple Negative Breast Cancer. J Transl Med 2018; 16:147. [PMID: 29848327 PMCID: PMC5977468 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-018-1514-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is a highly heterogeneous subtype of breast cancer that lacks the expression of oestrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. Although TNBC is sensitive to chemotherapy, the overall outcomes of TNBC are worse than for other breast cancers, and TNBC is still one of the most fatal diseases for women. With the discovery of antigens specifically expressed in TNBC cells and the developing technology of monoclonal antibodies, chimeric antigen receptors and cancer vaccines, immunotherapy is emerging as a novel promising option for TNBC. This review is mainly focused on the tumour microenvironment and host immunity, Triple Negative Breast Cancer and the clinical treatment of TNBC, novel therapies for cancer and immunotherapy for TNBC, and the future outlook for the treatment for TNBC and the interplay between the therapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors with targeted treatments in TNBC, adoptive cell therapy, cancer vaccines. The review also highlights recent reports on the synergistic effects of immunotherapy and chemotherapy, antibody-drug conjugates, and exosomes, as potential multifunctional therapeutic agents in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehuan Li
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032 People’s Republic of China
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 2901 Caolang Road, Jinshan District, Shanghai, 201508 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yiran Qiu
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032 People’s Republic of China
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 2901 Caolang Road, Jinshan District, Shanghai, 201508 People’s Republic of China
| | - Weiqi Lu
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032 People’s Republic of China
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 2901 Caolang Road, Jinshan District, Shanghai, 201508 People’s Republic of China
| | - Ying Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032 People’s Republic of China
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 2901 Caolang Road, Jinshan District, Shanghai, 201508 People’s Republic of China
| | - Jin Wang
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 2901 Caolang Road, Jinshan District, Shanghai, 201508 People’s Republic of China
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Nakasone ES, Hurvitz SA, McCann KE. Harnessing the immune system in the battle against breast cancer. Drugs Context 2018; 7:212520. [PMID: 29456568 PMCID: PMC5810622 DOI: 10.7573/dic.212520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Revised: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy in women and the second most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Despite major innovations in early detection and advanced therapeutics, up to 30% of women with node-negative breast cancer and 70% of women with node-positive breast cancer will develop recurrence. The recognition that breast tumors are infiltrated by a complex array of immune cells that influence their development, progression, and metastasis, as well as their responsiveness to systemic therapies has sparked major interest in the development of immunotherapies. In fact, not only the native host immune system can be altered to promote potent antitumor response, but also its components can be manipulated to generate effective therapeutic strategies. We present here a review of the major approaches to immunotherapy in breast cancers, both successes and failures, as well as new therapies on the horizon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth S Nakasone
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sara A Hurvitz
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kelly E McCann
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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45
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Lieberman NAP, DeGolier K, Haberthur K, Chinn H, Moyes KW, Bouchlaka MN, Walker KL, Capitini CM, Crane CA. An Uncoupling of Canonical Phenotypic Markers and Functional Potency of Ex Vivo-Expanded Natural Killer Cells. Front Immunol 2018; 9:150. [PMID: 29456538 PMCID: PMC5801405 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in cellular therapies for patients with cancer, including checkpoint blockade and ex vivo-expanded, tumor-specific T cells, have demonstrated that targeting the immune system is a powerful approach to the elimination of tumor cells. Clinical efforts have also demonstrated limitations, however, including the potential for tumor cell antigenic drift and neoantigen formation, which promote tumor escape and recurrence, as well as rapid onset of T cell exhaustion in vivo. These findings suggest that antigen unrestricted cells, such as natural killer (NK) cells, may be beneficial for use as an alternative to or in combination with T cell based approaches. Although highly effective in lysing transformed cells, to date, few clinical trials have demonstrated antitumor function or persistence of transferred NK cells. Several recent studies describe methods to expand NK cells for adoptive transfer, although the effects of ex vivo expansion are not fully understood. We therefore explored the impact of a clinically validated 12-day expansion protocol using a K562 cell line expressing membrane-bound IL-15 and 4-1BB ligand with high-dose soluble IL-2 on the phenotype and functions of NK cells from healthy donors. Following expansions using this protocol, we found expression of surface proteins that implicate preferential expansion of NK cells that are not fully mature, as is typically associated with highly cytotoxic NK cell subsets. Despite increased expression of markers associated with functional exhaustion in T cells, we found that ex vivo-expanded NK cells retained cytokine production capacity and had enhanced tumor cell cytotoxicity. The preferential expansion of an NK cell subset that is phenotypically immature and functionally pleiotropic suggests that adoptively transferred cells may persist better in vivo when compared with previous methods using this approach. Ex vivo expansion does not quell killer immunoglobulin-like receptor diversity, allowing responsiveness to various factors in vivo that may influence activation and inhibition. Collectively, our data suggest that in addition to robust NK cell expansion that has been described using this method, expanded NK cells may represent an ideal cell therapy that is longer lived, highly potent, and responsive to an array of activating and inhibitory signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole A P Lieberman
- Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Kole DeGolier
- Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Kristen Haberthur
- Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Harrison Chinn
- Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Kara W Moyes
- Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Myriam N Bouchlaka
- Department of Pediatrics, Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Kirsti L Walker
- Department of Pediatrics, Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Christian M Capitini
- Department of Pediatrics, Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Courtney A Crane
- Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States.,Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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46
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Chamaraux-Tran TN, Piegeler T. The Amide Local Anesthetic Lidocaine in Cancer Surgery-Potential Antimetastatic Effects and Preservation of Immune Cell Function? A Narrative Review. Front Med (Lausanne) 2017; 4:235. [PMID: 29326939 PMCID: PMC5742360 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2017.00235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Surgical removal of the primary tumor in solid cancer is an essential component of the treatment. However, the perioperative period can paradoxically lead to an increased risk of cancer recurrence. A bimodal dynamics for early-stage breast cancer recurrence suggests a tumor dormancy-based model with a mastectomy-driven acceleration of the metastatic process and a crucial role of the immunosuppressive state during the perioperative period. Recent evidence suggests that anesthesia could also influence the progress of the disease. Local anesthetics (LAs) have long been used for their properties to block nociceptive input. They also exert anti-inflammatory capacities by modulating the liberation or signal propagation of inflammatory mediators. Interestingly, LAs can reduce viability and proliferation of many cancer cells in vitro as well. Additionally, retrospective clinical trials have suggested that regional anesthesia for cancer surgery (either with or without general anesthesia) might reduce the risk of recurrence. Lidocaine, a LA, which can be administered intravenously, is widely used in clinical practice for multimodal analgesia. It is associated with a morphine-sparing effect, reduced pain scores, and in major surgery probably also with a reduced incidence of postoperative ileus and length of hospital stay. Systemic delivery might therefore be efficient to target residual disease or reach cells able to form micrometastasis. Moreover, an in vitro study has shown that lidocaine could enhance the activity of natural killer (NK) cells. Due to their ability to recognize and kill tumor cells without the requirement of prior antigen exposure, NKs are the main actor of the innate immune system. However, several perioperative factors can reduce NK activity, such as stress, pain, opioids, or general anesthetics. Intravenous lidocaine as part of the perioperative anesthesia regimen would be of major interest for clinicians, as it might bear the potential to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence or progression patients undergoing cancer surgery. As a well-known pharmaceutical agent, lidocaine might therefore be a promising candidate for oncological drug repurposing. We urgently need clinical randomized trials assessing the protective effect of lidocaine on NKs function and against recurrence after cancer surgery to achieve a “proof of concept.”
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiên-Nga Chamaraux-Tran
- Département d'Anesthésie et Réanimation Chirurgicale, Hôpital Hautepierre, CHU Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7104, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, U964 Institut National de Santé et de Recherche Médicale, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Tobias Piegeler
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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47
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Vahedi F, Nham T, Poznanski SM, Chew MV, Shenouda MM, Lee D, Ashkar AA. Ex Vivo Expanded Human NK Cells Survive and Proliferate in Humanized Mice with Autologous Human Immune Cells. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12083. [PMID: 28935883 PMCID: PMC5608690 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12223-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adoptive immune cell therapy is emerging as a promising immunotherapy for cancer. Particularly, the adoptive transfer of NK cells has garnered attention due to their natural cytotoxicity against tumor cells and safety upon adoptive transfer to patients. Although strategies exist to efficiently generate large quantities of expanded NK cells ex vivo, it remains unknown whether these expanded NK cells can persist and/or proliferate in vivo in the absence of exogenous human cytokines. Here, we have examined the adoptive transfer of ex vivo expanded human cord blood-derived NK cells into humanized mice reconstituted with autologous human cord blood immune cells. We report that ex vivo expanded NK cells are able to survive and possibly proliferate in vivo in humanized mice without exogenous cytokine administration, but not in control mice that lack human immune cells. These findings demonstrate that the presence of autologous human immune cells supports the in vivo survival of ex vivo expanded human NK cells. These results support the application of ex vivo expanded NK cells in cancer immunotherapy and provide a translational humanized mouse model to test the lifespan, safety, and functionality of adoptively transferred cells in the presence of autologous human immune cells prior to clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Vahedi
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tina Nham
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sophie M Poznanski
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marianne V Chew
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mira M Shenouda
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dean Lee
- Cellular Therapy and Cancer Immunology Program, Department of Hematology/Oncology and BMT, Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, United States
| | - Ali A Ashkar
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
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