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Yeboah SK, Zigli A, Sintim HO. 2',4'-LNA-Functionalized 5'-S-Phosphorothioester CDNs as STING Agonists. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202400321. [PMID: 38720428 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202400321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) have garnered popularity over the last decade as immunotherapeutic agents, which activate the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway to trigger an immune response. Many analogs of 2'3'-cGAMP, c-di-GMP, and c-di-AMP have been developed and shown as effective cancer vaccines and immunomodulators for the induction of both the adaptive and innate immune systems. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of these CDNs is limited by their chemical and enzymatic instability. We recently introduced 5'-endo-phosphorothoiate 2'3'-cGAMP analogs as potent STING agonist with improved resistance to cleavage by clinically relevant phosphodiesterases. We herein report the synthesis of locked nucleic acid-functionalized (LNA) endo-S-CDNs and evaluate their ability to activate STING in THP1 monocytes. Interestingly, some of our synthesized LNA 3'3'-endo-S-CDNs can moderately activate hSTING REF haplotype (R232H), which exhibit diminished response to both 2'3'-cGAMP and ADU-S100. Also, we show that one of our most potent endo-S-CDNs has remarkable chemical (oxidants I2 and H2O2) and phosphodiesterase stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simpa K Yeboah
- Department of Chemistry, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907-2084
- Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, 720 Clinic Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Abdulai Zigli
- Department of Chemistry, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907-2084
- Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, 720 Clinic Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Herman O Sintim
- Department of Chemistry, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907-2084
- Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, 720 Clinic Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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2
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Aybar-Torres A, Saldarriaga LA, Pham AT, Emtiazjoo AM, Sharma AK, Bryant AJ, Jin L. The common TMEM173 HAQ, AQ alleles rescue CD4 T cellpenia, restore T-regs, and prevent SAVI (N153S) inflammatory disease in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.05.561109. [PMID: 37886547 PMCID: PMC10602033 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.05.561109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The significance of STING (encoded by the TMEM173 gene) in tissue inflammation and cancer immunotherapy has been increasingly recognized. Intriguingly, common human TMEM173 alleles R71H-G230A-R293Q (HAQ) and G230A-R293Q (AQ) are carried by ~60% of East Asians and ~40% of Africans, respectively. Here, we examine the modulatory effects of HAQ, AQ alleles on STING-associated vasculopathy with onset in infancy (SAVI), an autosomal dominant, fatal inflammatory disease caused by gain-of-function human STING mutations. CD4 T cellpenia is evident in SAVI patients and mouse models. Using STING knock-in mice expressing common human TMEM173 alleles HAQ, AQ, and Q293, we found that HAQ, AQ, and Q293 splenocytes resist STING-mediated cell death ex vivo, establishing a critical role of STING residue 293 in cell death. The HAQ/SAVI(N153S) and AQ/SAVI(N153S) mice did not have CD4 T cellpenia. The HAQ/SAVI(N153S), AQ/SAVI(N153S) mice have more (~10-fold, ~20-fold, respectively) T-regs than WT/SAVI(N153S) mice. Remarkably, while they have comparable TBK1, IRF3, and NFκB activation as the WT/SAVI, the AQ/SAVI mice have no tissue inflammation, regular body weight, and normal lifespan. We propose that STING activation promotes tissue inflammation by depleting T-regs cells in vivo. Billions of modern humans have the dominant HAQ, AQ alleles. STING research and STING-targeting immunotherapy should consider TMEM173 heterogeneity in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Aybar-Torres
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, U.S.A
| | - Lennon A Saldarriaga
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, U.S.A
| | - Ann T Pham
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, U.S.A
| | - Amir M Emtiazjoo
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, U.S.A
| | - Ashish K Sharma
- Division of Vascular Surgery & Endovascular Therapy, Department of Surgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, U.S.A
| | - Andrew J Bryant
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, U.S.A
| | - Lei Jin
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, U.S.A
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3
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Ednacot EMQ, Nabhani A, Dinh DM, Morehouse BR. Pharmacological potential of cyclic nucleotide signaling in immunity. Pharmacol Ther 2024; 258:108653. [PMID: 38679204 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2024.108653] [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: 01/07/2024] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotides are important signaling molecules that play many critical physiological roles including controlling cell fate and development, regulation of metabolic processes, and responding to changes in the environment. Cyclic nucleotides are also pivotal regulators in immune signaling, orchestrating intricate processes that maintain homeostasis and defend against pathogenic threats. This review provides a comprehensive examination of the pharmacological potential of cyclic nucleotide signaling pathways within the realm of immunity. Beginning with an overview of the fundamental roles of cAMP and cGMP as ubiquitous second messengers, this review delves into the complexities of their involvement in immune responses. Special attention is given to the challenges associated with modulating these signaling pathways for therapeutic purposes, emphasizing the necessity for achieving cell-type specificity to avert unintended consequences. A major focus of the review is on the recent paradigm-shifting discoveries regarding specialized cyclic nucleotide signals in the innate immune system, notably the cGAS-STING pathway. The significance of cyclic dinucleotides, exemplified by 2'3'-cGAMP, in controlling immune responses against pathogens and cancer, is explored. The evolutionarily conserved nature of cyclic dinucleotides as antiviral agents, spanning across diverse organisms, underscores their potential as targets for innovative immunotherapies. Findings from the last several years have revealed a striking diversity of novel bacterial cyclic nucleotide second messengers which are involved in antiviral responses. Knowledge of the existence and precise identity of these molecules coupled with accurate descriptions of their associated immune defense pathways will be essential to the future development of novel antibacterial therapeutic strategies. The insights presented herein may help researchers navigate the evolving landscape of immunopharmacology as it pertains to cyclic nucleotides and point toward new avenues or lines of thinking about development of therapeutics against the pathways they regulate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eirene Marie Q Ednacot
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Ali Nabhani
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - David M Dinh
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Benjamin R Morehouse
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Institute for Immunology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Center for Virus Research, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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4
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Yeboah SK, Sintim HO. PDE-stable 2'3'-cGAMP analogues, containing 5'-S-phosphorothioester linkage, as STING agonists. RSC Med Chem 2024; 15:1508-1514. [PMID: 38784462 PMCID: PMC11110794 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00593c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) has emerged as a promising target for cancer immunotherapy. 2'3'-cGAMP, a natural agonist of STING, shows anticancer activity via stimulation of immune cells but it is susceptible to degradation in vivo by hydrolytic enzymes. Consequently, the cyclic dinucleotide analogues that are being evaluated in the clinic as immunotherapies contain the hydrolytically stable phosphorothioate moiety, whereby the sulfur moiety is exo to the phosphate containing ring. The synthesis of these phosphorothioates however produces diastereomers, which presents separation challenges. An alternative phosphorothioate (referred to as endo-S-phosphorothioate) whereby the sulfur atom is endo to the cyclic phosphate ring (i.e. 5'-S-phosphorothioester linkage) would not have chirality at phosphorus and hence not pose diastereomer separation problems. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of novel 5'-endo-phosphorothioate substituted 2'3'cGAMP analogues that are hydrolytically stable towards both ectonucleotide phosphodiesterase I (ENPP1, a mammalian phosphodiesterase) and poxvirus immune nucleases (poxin, a phosphodiesterase in Poxvirus) but retains STING-TBK1-IRF activation, comparable to clinical candidate, ADU-S100 in THP1 monocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simpa K Yeboah
- Department of Chemistry 560 Oval Drive West Lafayette Indiana 47907-2084 USA
- Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University 720 Clinic Drive West Lafayette IN 47907 USA
| | - Herman O Sintim
- Department of Chemistry 560 Oval Drive West Lafayette Indiana 47907-2084 USA
- Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University 720 Clinic Drive West Lafayette IN 47907 USA
- Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease West Lafayette IN 47907 USA
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5
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Turley JL, Ward RW, Huete-Carrasco J, Muñoz-Wolf N, Roche K, Jin L, Bowie A, Andersson M, Lavelle EC. Intratumoral delivery of the chitin-derived C100 adjuvant promotes robust STING, IFNAR, and CD8 + T cell-dependent anti-tumor immunity. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101560. [PMID: 38729159 PMCID: PMC11148802 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101560] [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: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) is a promising target for adjuvants utilized in in situ cancer vaccination approaches. However, key barriers remain for clinical translation, including low cellular uptake and accessibility, STING variability necessitating personalized STING agonists, and interferon (IFN)-independent signals that can promote tumor growth. Here, we identify C100, a highly deacetylated chitin-derived polymer (HDCP), as an attractive alternative to conventional STING agonists. C100 promotes potent anti-tumor immune responses, outperforming less deacetylated HDCPs, with therapeutic efficacy dependent on STING and IFN alpha/beta receptor (IFNAR) signaling and CD8+ T cell mediators. Additionally, C100 injection synergizes with systemic checkpoint blockade targeting PD-1. Mechanistically, C100 triggers mitochondrial stress and DNA damage to exclusively activate the IFN arm of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway and elicit sustained IFNAR signaling. Altogether, these results reveal an effective STING- and IFNAR-dependent adjuvant for in situ cancer vaccines with a defined mechanism and distinct properties that overcome common limitations of existing STING therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna L Turley
- Adjuvant Research Group, School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, D02 R590 Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Ross W Ward
- Adjuvant Research Group, School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, D02 R590 Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Jorge Huete-Carrasco
- Adjuvant Research Group, School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, D02 R590 Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Natalia Muñoz-Wolf
- Adjuvant Research Group, School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, D02 R590 Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Kate Roche
- Adjuvant Research Group, School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, D02 R590 Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Lei Jin
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Andrew Bowie
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Science Institute (TBSI), Trinity College Dublin, D02 R590 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Mats Andersson
- Division Bioscience and Materials, RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden), Forskargatan 18, 151 36 Södertälje, Sweden
| | - Ed C Lavelle
- Adjuvant Research Group, School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, D02 R590 Dublin 2, Ireland; Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN) & Advanced Materials Bio-Engineering Research Centre (AMBER), Trinity College Dublin, D02 PN40 Dublin 2, Ireland.
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6
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Zhuo SH, Wang TY, Zhao L, Su JY, Hu JJ, Zhao YF, Li YM. piSTING: A Pocket-Independent Agonist Based on Multivalency-Driven STING Oligomerization. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024:e202407037. [PMID: 38767062 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202407037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2024] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway is a potent therapeutic target for innate immunity. Despite the efforts to develop pocket-dependent small-molecule STING agonists that mimic the endogenous STING ligand, cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate (cGAMP), most of these agonists showed disappointing results in clinical trials owing to the limitations of the STING pocket. In this study, we developed novel pocket-independent STING-activating agonists (piSTINGs), which act through multivalency-driven oligomerization to activate STING. Additionally, a piSTING-adjuvanted vaccine elicited a significant antibody response and inhibited tumour growth in therapeutic models. Moreover, a piSTING-based vaccine combination with aPD-1 showed remarkable potential to enhance the effectiveness of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) immunotherapy. In particular, piSTING can strengthen the impact of STING pathway in immunotherapy and accelerate the clinical translation of STING agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Hua Zhuo
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
| | - Tian-Yang Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
| | - Lang Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
| | - Jing-Yun Su
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
| | - Jin-Jian Hu
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
| | - Yu-Fen Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315221, P. R. China
| | - Yan-Mei Li
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
- Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, 100069, P. R. China
- Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
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7
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Carlsson F, Råberg L. The germ theory revisited: A noncentric view on infection outcome. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2319605121. [PMID: 38578984 PMCID: PMC11047106 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2319605121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The germ theory states that pathogenic microorganisms are responsible for causing infectious diseases. The theory is inherently microbe-centric and does not account for variability in disease severity among individuals and asymptomatic carriership-two phenomena indicating an important role for host variability in infection outcome. The basic tenet of the germ theory was recently challenged, and a radically host-centric paradigm referred to as the "full-blown host theory" was proposed. According to this view, the pathogen is reduced to a passive environmental trigger, and the development of disease is instead due to pre-existing immunodeficiencies of the host. Here, we consider the factors that determine disease severity using established knowledge concerning evolutionary biology, microbial pathogenesis, and host-pathogen interactions. We note that the available data support a noncentric view that recognizes key roles for both the causative microbe and the host in dictating infection outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lars Råberg
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund223 62, Sweden
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Klima M, Dejmek M, Duchoslav V, Eisenreichova A, Sala M, Chalupsky K, Chalupska D, Novotná B, Birkuš G, Nencka R, Boura E. Fluorinated cGAMP analogs, which act as STING agonists and are not cleavable by poxins: Structural basis of their function. Structure 2024; 32:433-439.e4. [PMID: 38325369 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2024.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
The cGAS-STING pathway is a crucial part of innate immunity; it serves to detect DNA in the cytoplasm and to defend against certain cancers, viruses, and bacteria. We designed and synthesized fluorinated carbocyclic cGAMP analogs, MD1203 and MD1202D (MDs), to enhance their stability and their affinity for STING. These compounds demonstrated exceptional activity against STING. Despite their distinct chemical modifications relative to the canonical cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs), crystallographic analysis revealed a binding mode with STING that was consistent with the canonical CDNs. Importantly, MDs were resistant to cleavage by viral poxin nucleases and MDs-bound poxin adopted an unliganded-like conformation. Moreover, MDs complexed with poxin showed a conformation distinct from cGAMP bound to poxin, closely resembling their conformation when bound to STING. In conclusion, the development of MD1203 and MD1202D showcases their potential as potent STING activators with remarkable stability against poxin-mediated degradation-a crucial characteristic for future development of antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Klima
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Dejmek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtech Duchoslav
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Andrea Eisenreichova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Sala
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Chalupsky
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Dominika Chalupska
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Novotná
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkuš
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Nencka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
| | - Evzen Boura
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
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Boda AR, Liu AJ, Castro-Pando S, Whitfield BT, Molldrem JJ, Al-Atrash G, Di Francesco ME, Jones P, Ager CR, Curran MA. Identification of Nonfunctional Alternatively Spliced Isoforms of STING in Human Acute Myeloid Leukemia. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:911-918. [PMID: 38477596 PMCID: PMC10962316 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-24-0095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Lack of robust activation of Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) pathway and subsequent induction of type I IFN responses is considered a barrier to antitumor immunity in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Using common human AML cell lines as in vitro tools to evaluate the efficacy of novel STING agonists, we found most AML lines to be poor producers of IFNs upon exposure to extremely potent agonists, suggesting cell-intrinsic suppression of STING signaling may occur. We observed unexpected patterns of response that did not correlate with levels of STING pathway components or of known enzymes associated with resistance. To identify a genetic basis for these observations, we cloned and sequenced STING from the cDNA of human AML cell lines and found both frequent mutations and deviations from normal RNA splicing. We identified two novel spliced isoforms of STING in these lines and validated their expression in primary human AML samples. When transduced into reporter cells, these novel STING isoforms exhibited complete insensitivity to agonist stimulation. These observations identify alternative splicing as a mechanism of STING pathway suppression and suggest that most AML silences the STING pathway through direct modification rather than through engagement of external inhibitory factors. SIGNIFICANCE We find that AML acquires resistance to innate immune activation via the STING pathway through aberrant splicing of the STING transcript including two novel forms described herein that act as dominant negatives. These data broaden understanding of how cancers evolve STING resistance, and suggest that the AML tumor microenvironment, not the cancer cell, should be the target of therapeutic interventions to activate STING.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akash R. Boda
- Immunology Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Arthur J. Liu
- Immunology Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Susana Castro-Pando
- Immunology Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Benjamin T. Whitfield
- Immunology Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas
| | - Jeffrey J. Molldrem
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Gheath Al-Atrash
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Maria Emilia Di Francesco
- Institute for Applied Cancer Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Philip Jones
- Institute for Applied Cancer Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Casey R. Ager
- Department of Immunology, The Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona
| | - Michael A. Curran
- Immunology Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
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10
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Yeyeodu S, Hanafi D, Webb K, Laurie NA, Kimbro KS. Population-enriched innate immune variants may identify candidate gene targets at the intersection of cancer and cardio-metabolic disease. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 14:1286979. [PMID: 38577257 PMCID: PMC10991756 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1286979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Both cancer and cardio-metabolic disease disparities exist among specific populations in the US. For example, African Americans experience the highest rates of breast and prostate cancer mortality and the highest incidence of obesity. Native and Hispanic Americans experience the highest rates of liver cancer mortality. At the same time, Pacific Islanders have the highest death rate attributed to type 2 diabetes (T2D), and Asian Americans experience the highest incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cancers induced by infectious agents. Notably, the pathologic progression of both cancer and cardio-metabolic diseases involves innate immunity and mechanisms of inflammation. Innate immunity in individuals is established through genetic inheritance and external stimuli to respond to environmental threats and stresses such as pathogen exposure. Further, individual genomes contain characteristic genetic markers associated with one or more geographic ancestries (ethnic groups), including protective innate immune genetic programming optimized for survival in their corresponding ancestral environment(s). This perspective explores evidence related to our working hypothesis that genetic variations in innate immune genes, particularly those that are commonly found but unevenly distributed between populations, are associated with disparities between populations in both cancer and cardio-metabolic diseases. Identifying conventional and unconventional innate immune genes that fit this profile may provide critical insights into the underlying mechanisms that connect these two families of complex diseases and offer novel targets for precision-based treatment of cancer and/or cardio-metabolic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Yeyeodu
- Julius L Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Institute (JLC-BBRI), North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, United States
- Charles River Discovery Services, Morrisville, NC, United States
| | - Donia Hanafi
- Julius L Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Institute (JLC-BBRI), North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Kenisha Webb
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Nikia A. Laurie
- Julius L Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Institute (JLC-BBRI), North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - K. Sean Kimbro
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
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11
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Temizoz B, Shibahara T, Hioki K, Hayashi T, Kobiyama K, Lee MSJ, Surucu N, Sag E, Kumanogoh A, Yamamoto M, Gursel M, Ozen S, Kuroda E, Coban C, Ishii KJ. 5,6-dimethylxanthenone-4-acetic acid (DMXAA), a partial STING agonist, competes for human STING activation. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1353336. [PMID: 38533502 PMCID: PMC10963404 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1353336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
5,6-dimethylxanthenone-4-acetic acid (DMXAA) is a mouse-selective stimulator of interferon gene (STING) agonist exerting STING-dependent anti-tumor activity. Although DMXAA cannot fully activate human STING, DMXAA reached phase III in lung cancer clinical trials. How DMXAA is effective against human lung cancer is completely unknown. Here, we show that DMXAA is a partial STING agonist interfering with agonistic STING activation, which may explain its partial anti-tumor effect observed in humans, as STING was reported to be pro-tumorigenic for lung cancer cells with low antigenicity. Furthermore, we developed a DMXAA derivative-3-hydroxy-5-(4-hydroxybenzyl)-4-methyl-9H-xanthen-9-one (HHMX)-that can potently antagonize STING-mediated immune responses both in humans and mice. Notably, HHMX suppressed aberrant responses induced by STING gain-of-function mutations causing STING-associated vasculopathy with onset in infancy (SAVI) in in vitro experiments. Furthermore, HHMX treatment suppressed aberrant STING pathway activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from SAVI patients. Lastly, HHMX showed a potent therapeutic effect in SAVI mouse model by mitigating disease progression. Thus, HHMX offers therapeutic potential for STING-associated autoinflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burcu Temizoz
- Division of Vaccine Science, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- International Vaccine Design Center (VDesC), The Institute of Medical Science (IMSUT), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takayuki Shibahara
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kou Hioki
- Division of Vaccine Science, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoya Hayashi
- Division of Vaccine Science, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- International Vaccine Design Center (VDesC), The Institute of Medical Science (IMSUT), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kouji Kobiyama
- Division of Vaccine Science, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- International Vaccine Design Center (VDesC), The Institute of Medical Science (IMSUT), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michelle Sue Jann Lee
- International Vaccine Design Center (VDesC), The Institute of Medical Science (IMSUT), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Malaria Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science (IMSUT), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naz Surucu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Erdal Sag
- Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Atsushi Kumanogoh
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masahiro Yamamoto
- Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Immunoparasitology, Division of Infectious Disease, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Mayda Gursel
- MG Laboratory on Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, Basic and Translational Research Program, Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Türkiye
| | - Seza Ozen
- Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Etsushi Kuroda
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Hyogo Medical University, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Cevayir Coban
- International Vaccine Design Center (VDesC), The Institute of Medical Science (IMSUT), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Malaria Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science (IMSUT), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ken J. Ishii
- Division of Vaccine Science, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- International Vaccine Design Center (VDesC), The Institute of Medical Science (IMSUT), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Tokyo, Japan
- Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
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12
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He X, Wedn A, Wang J, Gu Y, Liu H, Zhang J, Lin Z, Zhou R, Pang X, Cui Y. IUPHAR ECR review: The cGAS-STING pathway: Novel functions beyond innate immune and emerging therapeutic opportunities. Pharmacol Res 2024; 201:107063. [PMID: 38216006 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is a crucial innate immune sensor responsible for distinguishing pathogens and cytosolic DNA, mediating innate immune signaling pathways to defend the host. Recent studies have revealed additional regulatory functions of STING beyond its innate immune-related activities, including the regulation of cellular metabolism, DNA repair, cellular senescence, autophagy and various cell deaths. These findings highlight the broader implications of STING in cellular physiology beyond its role in innate immunity. Currently, approximately 10 STING agonists have entered the clinical stage. Unlike inhibitors, which have a maximum inhibition limit, agonists have the potential for infinite amplification. STING signaling is a complex process that requires precise regulation of STING to ensure balanced immune responses and prevent detrimental autoinflammation. Recent research on the structural mechanism of STING autoinhibition and its negative regulation by adaptor protein complex 1 (AP-1) provides valuable insights into its different effects under physiological and pathological conditions, offering a new perspective for developing immune regulatory drugs. Herein, we present a comprehensive overview of the regulatory functions and molecular mechanisms of STING beyond innate immune regulation, along with updated details of its structural mechanisms. We discuss the implications of these complex regulations in various diseases, emphasizing the importance and feasibility of targeting the immunity-dependent or immunity-independent functions of STING. Moreover, we highlight the current trend in drug development and key points for clinical research, basic research, and translational research related to STING.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu He
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Peking University First Hospital, Xueyuan Road 38, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China; Department of Pharmacy, Peking University First Hospital, Xishiku Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Abdalla Wedn
- School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 5051 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Yanlun Gu
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Peking University First Hospital, Xueyuan Road 38, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China; Department of Pharmacy Administration and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Xueyuan Road 38, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Hongjin Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Peking University First Hospital, Xishiku Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Juqi Zhang
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Peking University First Hospital, Xueyuan Road 38, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China; Department of Pharmacy, Peking University First Hospital, Xishiku Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Zhiqiang Lin
- Institute of Systems Biomedicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Tumor Systems Biology, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Renpeng Zhou
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui 230601, China; Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT06519, USA.
| | - Xiaocong Pang
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Peking University First Hospital, Xueyuan Road 38, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China; Department of Pharmacy, Peking University First Hospital, Xishiku Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100034, China.
| | - Yimin Cui
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Peking University First Hospital, Xueyuan Road 38, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China; Department of Pharmacy, Peking University First Hospital, Xishiku Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100034, China.
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13
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Hendy DA, Pena ES, Ontiveros‐Padilla L, Dixon TA, Middleton DD, Williamson GL, Lukesh NR, Simpson SR, Stiepel RT, Islam MJ, Carlock MA, Ross TM, Bachelder EM, Ainslie KM. Immunogenicity of an adjuvanted broadly active influenza vaccine in immunocompromised and diverse populations. Bioeng Transl Med 2024; 9:e10634. [PMID: 38435811 PMCID: PMC10905549 DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Influenza virus outbreaks are a major burden worldwide each year. Current vaccination strategies are inadequate due to antigenic drift/shift of the virus and the elicitation of low immune responses. The use of computationally optimized broadly reactive antigen (COBRA) hemagglutinin (HA) immunogens subvert the constantly mutating viruses; however, they are poorly immunogenic on their own. To increase the immunogenicity of subunit vaccines such as this, adjuvants can be delivered with the vaccine. For example, agonists of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) have proven efficacy as vaccine adjuvants. However, their use in high-risk populations most vulnerable to influenza virus infection has not been closely examined. Here, we utilize a vaccine platform consisting of acetalated dextran microparticles loaded with COBRA HA and the STING agonist cyclic GMP-AMP. We examine the immunogenicity of this platform in mouse models of obesity, aging, and chemotherapy-induced immunosuppression. Further, we examine vaccine efficacy in collaborative cross mice, a genetically diverse population that mimics human genetic heterogeneity. Overall, this vaccine platform had variable efficacy in these populations supporting work to better tailor adjuvants to specific populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan A. Hendy
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of PharmacyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Erik S. Pena
- Joint Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State UniversityChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Luis Ontiveros‐Padilla
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of PharmacyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Timothy A. Dixon
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of PharmacyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Denzel D. Middleton
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of PharmacyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Grace L. Williamson
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of PharmacyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Nicole Rose Lukesh
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of PharmacyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Sean R. Simpson
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of PharmacyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Rebeca T. Stiepel
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of PharmacyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Md Jahirul Islam
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of PharmacyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | | | - Ted M. Ross
- Florida Research and Innovation CenterPort St. LucieFloridaUSA
- Center for Vaccines and ImmunologyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
- Department of Infectious DiseasesUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
| | - Eric M. Bachelder
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of PharmacyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Kristy M. Ainslie
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of PharmacyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
- Joint Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State UniversityChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of MedicineUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
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14
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Yang K, Tang Z, Xing C, Yan N. STING signaling in the brain: Molecular threats, signaling activities, and therapeutic challenges. Neuron 2024; 112:539-557. [PMID: 37944521 PMCID: PMC10922189 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is an innate immune signaling protein critical to infections, autoimmunity, and cancer. STING signaling is also emerging as an exciting and integral part of many neurological diseases. Here, we discuss recent advances in STING signaling in the brain. We summarize how molecular threats activate STING signaling in the diseased brain and how STING signaling activities in glial and neuronal cells cause neuropathology. We also review human studies of STING neurobiology and consider therapeutic challenges in targeting STING to treat neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Yang
- Department of Immunology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Zhen Tang
- Department of Immunology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Cong Xing
- Department of Immunology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Nan Yan
- Department of Immunology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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15
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Xie Z, Yang Y, Ma D, Xi Z. Design, synthesis, and cell-based in vitro assay of deoxyinosine-mixed SATE-dCDN prodrugs that activate all common STING variants. Org Biomol Chem 2024; 22:606-620. [PMID: 38131469 DOI: 10.1039/d3ob01838e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Developing therapeutic strategies to modulate the activity of all prevalent variants (wild-type, HAQ, R232H, AQ, and R293Q) of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is still of great interest to treating immune-related diseases. Herein, we synthesized six novel deoxyinosine-mixed deoxyribose cyclic dinucleotide prodrugs (SATE-dCDN) including a combination of hypoxanthine and other bases (A, U, C, T, and G) for a cell-based in vitro assay. The HPLC assay indicated that deoxyinosine-mixed SATE (S-acylthioalkyl ester)-dCDN prodrugs retained high serum stability. The IRF3-responsive luciferase assay in THP1-Lucia cells showed that the activity of the prodrugs with purine bases (SATE-3',3'-c-di-dIMP, SATE-3',3'-c-di-dIdAMP, and SATE-3',3'-c-di-dIdGMP) was higher than that of the prodrugs with pyrimidine bases (SATE-3',3'-c-di-dIdUMP, SATE-3',3'-c-di-dIdTMP, and SATE-3',3'-c-di-dIdCMP), among which prodrug 14a (SATE-3',3'-c-di-dIdAMP) with hypoxanthine and adenine bases exhibited the highest activity with an EC50 value of 0.046 μM. The IRF3 responsive dual-luciferase reporter assay in HEK293T cells transfected with plasmids expressing different STING variants further showed that prodrug 14a could activate all five most common hSTING variants, including the refractory hSTINGR232H and hSTINGQ variants. Furthermore, prodrug 14a also induced the production of the highest levels of mRNA of IFN-β, CXCL10, IL-6 and TNF-α through STING-dependent IRF and NF-κB signaling pathways in THP-1 cells. These results suggested that the combination of deoxyinosine with a SATE-dCDN prodrug could modulate the broad-spectrum activity of all common STING variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
| | - Yuchen Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
| | - Dejun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
| | - Zhen Xi
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
- National Pesticide Engineering Research Centre, Tianjin 300071, China
- Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, Tianjin 300192, China
- Collaborative Innovation Centre of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin 300071, China
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16
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Caldwell SE, Janosko CP, Deiters A. Development of a light-activated STING agonist. Org Biomol Chem 2024; 22:302-308. [PMID: 38054844 DOI: 10.1039/d3ob01578e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
The STING pathway is critical to innate immunity and is being investigated as a potential therapeutic target. Existing agents targeting STING suffer from several undesirable effects, particularly the possibility of systematic activation, which increases the risk of autoimmune disorders. In this proof-of-concept study, we report the development of a light-activated STING agonist, based on the potent compound SR-717. We first screened the activity of the non-caged agonist toward 5 human STING variants to identify the most viable target. A photocaged agonist was designed and synthesized in order to block an essential interaction between the carboxy acid group of the ligand with the R238 residue of the STING protein. We then investigated the selective activation of STING with the photocaged agonist, demonstrating an irradiation-dependent response. The development and characterization of this selective agonist expands the growing toolbox of conditionally controlled STING agonists to avoid systematic immune activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven E Caldwell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
| | - Chasity P Janosko
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
| | - Alexander Deiters
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
- Center for Systems Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
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17
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Khorasani M. Role of cGAS-STING in colorectal cancer: A new window for treatment strategies. Cytokine 2024; 173:156422. [PMID: 37948979 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2023.156422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common and deadly form of cancer, leading to the need for new therapeutic targets and strategies for treatment. Recent studies have shown the cGAS-STING pathway to be a promising target for cancer therapy. The cGAS-STING pathway is a part of the innate immune system and serves to identify DNA damage and viral infection, promoting an immune response. Activation of this pathway leads to the production of immune mediators, such as type I interferons, that activate immune cells to attack cancer cells. Research has identified the cGAS-STING pathway as a frequently dysregulated component in CRC, promoting tumor growth and metastasis, or leading to chronic inflammation and tissue damage. The modulation of this pathway presents a potential therapeutic approach, either activating or inhibiting the pathway to enhance the immune response and prevent inflammation, respectively. Developing drugs that can modulate the cGAS-STING pathway offers promise for improving treatment outcomes for CRC patients. The present review explores recent research on the role of cGAS-STING in CRC and highlights the potential therapeutic benefits of targeting this pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milad Khorasani
- Healthy Ageing Research Centre, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran; Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran.
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18
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Elahi R, Hozhabri S, Moradi A, Siahmansouri A, Jahani Maleki A, Esmaeilzadeh A. Targeting the cGAS-STING pathway as an inflammatory crossroad in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol 2023; 45:639-649. [PMID: 37335770 DOI: 10.1080/08923973.2023.2215405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE The emerging pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has imposed significant mortality and morbidity on the world. An appropriate immune response is necessary to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 spread throughout the body. RESULTS During the early stages of infection, the pathway of stimulators of interferon genes (STING), known as the cGAS-STING pathway, has a significant role in the induction of the antiviral immune response by regulating nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and Interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3), two key pathways responsible for proinflammatory cytokines and type I IFN secretion, respectively. DISCUSSION During the late stages of COVID-19, the uncontrolled inflammatory responses, also known as cytokine storm, lead to the progression of the disease and poor prognosis. Hyperactivity of STING, leading to elevated titers of proinflammatory cytokines, including Interleukin-I (IL-1), IL-4, IL-6, IL-18, and tissue necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), is considered one of the primary mechanisms contributing to the cytokine storm in COVID-19. CONCLUSION Exploring the underlying molecular processes involved in dysregulated inflammation can bring up novel anti-COVID-19 therapeutic options. In this article, we aim to discuss the role and current studies targeting the cGAS/STING signaling pathway in both early and late stages of COVID-19 and COVID-19-related complications and the therapeutic potential of STING agonists/antagonists. Furthermore, STING agonists have been discussed as a vaccine adjuvant to induce a potent and persistent immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Elahi
- School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Salar Hozhabri
- School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Amirhosein Moradi
- School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Amir Siahmansouri
- School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | | | - Abdolreza Esmaeilzadeh
- Department of Immunology, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
- Cancer Gene Therapy Research Center (CGRC), Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
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19
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Korneenko TV, Pestov NB, Nevzorov IA, Daks AA, Trachuk KN, Solopova ON, Barlev NA. At the Crossroads of the cGAS-cGAMP-STING Pathway and the DNA Damage Response: Implications for Cancer Progression and Treatment. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1675. [PMID: 38139802 PMCID: PMC10747911 DOI: 10.3390/ph16121675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary conserved DNA-sensing cGAS-STING innate immunity pathway represents one of the most important cytosolic DNA-sensing systems that is activated in response to viral invasion and/or damage to the integrity of the nuclear envelope. The key outcome of this pathway is the production of interferon, which subsequently stimulates the transcription of hundreds of genes. In oncology, the situation is complex because this pathway may serve either anti- or pro-oncogenic roles, depending on context. The prevailing understanding is that when the innate immune response is activated by sensing cytosolic DNA, such as DNA released from ruptured micronuclei, it results in the production of interferon, which attracts cytotoxic cells to destroy tumors. However, in tumor cells that have adjusted to significant chromosomal instability, particularly in relapsed, treatment-resistant cancers, the cGAS-STING pathway often supports cancer progression, fostering the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Here, we review this intricate pathway in terms of its association with cancer progression, giving special attention to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and gliomas. As the development of new cGAS-STING-modulating small molecules and immunotherapies such as oncolytic viruses involves serious challenges, we highlight several recent fundamental discoveries, such as the proton-channeling function of STING. These discoveries may serve as guiding lights for potential pharmacological advancements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana V. Korneenko
- Group of Cross-Linking Enzymes, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Nikolay B. Pestov
- Group of Cross-Linking Enzymes, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow 117997, Russia
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Moscow 119121, Russia
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products, Moscow 108819, Russia
| | - Ivan A. Nevzorov
- Institute of Cytology, Tikhoretsky ave 4, St-Petersburg 194064, Russia
| | - Alexandra A. Daks
- Institute of Cytology, Tikhoretsky ave 4, St-Petersburg 194064, Russia
| | - Kirill N. Trachuk
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products, Moscow 108819, Russia
| | - Olga N. Solopova
- Research Institute of Experimental Diagnostics and Tumor Therapy, Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Moscow 115478, Russia
| | - Nickolai A. Barlev
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Moscow 119121, Russia
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products, Moscow 108819, Russia
- Institute of Cytology, Tikhoretsky ave 4, St-Petersburg 194064, Russia
- Institute of Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow 119991, Russia
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20
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Froechlich G, Finizio A, Napolano A, Amiranda S, De Chiara A, Pagano P, Mallardo M, Leoni G, Zambrano N, Sasso E. The common H232 STING allele shows impaired activities in DNA sensing, susceptibility to viral infection, and in monocyte cell function, while the HAQ variant possesses wild-type properties. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19541. [PMID: 37945588 PMCID: PMC10636114 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46830-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Different innate immune pathways converge to Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) and trigger type I interferon responses after recognition of abnormal nucleic acids in the cells. This non-redundant function renders STING a major player in immunosurveillance, and an emerging target for cancer and infectious diseases therapeutics. Beyond somatic mutations that often occur in cancer, the human gene encoding STING protein, TMEM173 (STING1), holds great genetic heterogeneity; R232, HAQ (R71H-G230A-R293Q) and H232 are the most common alleles. Although some of these alleles are likely to be hypomorphic, their function is still debated, due to the available functional assessments, which have been performed in biased biological systems. Here, by using genetic background-matched models, we report on the functional evaluation of R232, HAQ and H232 variants on STING function, and on how these genotypes affect the susceptibility to clinically relevant viruses, thus supporting a potential contributing cause to differences in inter-individual responses to infections. Our findings also demonstrate a novel toll-like receptor-independent role of STING in modulating monocytic cell function and differentiation into macrophages. We further supported the interplay of STING1 variants and human biology by demonstrating how monocytes bearing the H232 allele were impaired in M1/M2 differentiation, interferon response and antigen presentation. Finally, we assessed the response to PD-1 inhibitor in a small cohort of melanoma patients stratified according to STING genotype. Given the contribution of the STING protein in sensing DNA viruses, bacterial pathogens and misplaced cancer DNA, these data may support the development of novel therapeutic options for infectious diseases and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guendalina Froechlich
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131, Napoli, NA, Italy
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore S.C.aR.L., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Naples, Italy
| | - Arianna Finizio
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131, Napoli, NA, Italy
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore S.C.aR.L., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandra Napolano
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131, Napoli, NA, Italy
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore S.C.aR.L., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Naples, Italy
| | - Sara Amiranda
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131, Napoli, NA, Italy
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore S.C.aR.L., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Naples, Italy
| | - Arianna De Chiara
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131, Napoli, NA, Italy
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore S.C.aR.L., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Naples, Italy
| | - Pasqualina Pagano
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131, Napoli, NA, Italy
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore S.C.aR.L., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Naples, Italy
| | - Massimo Mallardo
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131, Napoli, NA, Italy
| | | | - Nicola Zambrano
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131, Napoli, NA, Italy.
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore S.C.aR.L., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Naples, Italy.
| | - Emanuele Sasso
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131, Napoli, NA, Italy.
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore S.C.aR.L., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Naples, Italy.
- ImGen-T Srl, Viale del Parco Carelli, Napoli, NA, Italy.
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21
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Zhao K, Huang J, Zhao Y, Wang S, Xu J, Yin K. Targeting STING in cancer: Challenges and emerging opportunities. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2023; 1878:188983. [PMID: 37717857 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.188983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway is a key pathway through which the host regulates immune responses by recognizing cytoplasmic double-stranded DNA of abnormal origin, and it plays an important role in tumor growth as well as metastasis, with relevant molecular details constantly being explored and updated. The significant immunomodulatory effects make STING an attractive target for cancer immunotherapy, and STING agonists have been receiving great attention for their development and clinical translation. Despite exciting results in preclinical work, the application of STING agonists to cancer therapy remains challenging due to their poor pharmacokinetic and physicochemical properties, as well as toxic side effects they produce. Here, we summarize the dichotomous role of cGAS-STING in cancer and discuss the limitations of cancer immunotherapy based on STING activation as well as feasible strategies to overcome them to achieve tumor regression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kexin Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China; Department of Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Jiaojiao Huang
- Department of Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Yue Zhao
- Department of Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Shengjun Wang
- Department of Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China; Department of Laboratory Medicine, the Affiliated People's Hospital, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.
| | - Juan Xu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Taizhou People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou, China.
| | - Kai Yin
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China.
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22
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Cho W, Lee JH, Park SB. STING upregulation strategies to potentiate STING immunotherapy. Future Med Chem 2023; 15:1819-1822. [PMID: 37791535 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2023-0227] [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] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Wansang Cho
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
| | - Jung Ho Lee
- Department of Biophysics & Chemical Biology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
| | - Seung Bum Park
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
- Department of Biophysics & Chemical Biology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
- SPARK Biopharma, Inc., 134 Gwanak-ro Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08791, Korea
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23
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Barasa L, Chaudhuri S, Zhou JY, Jiang Z, Choudhary S, Green RM, Wiggin E, Cameron M, Humphries F, Fitzgerald KA, Thompson PR. Development of LB244, an Irreversible STING Antagonist. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:20273-20288. [PMID: 37695732 PMCID: PMC11059204 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c03637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
The cGMP-AMP Synthase (cGAS)-Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) pathway plays a critical role in sensing dsDNA localized to the cytosol, resulting in the activation of a robust inflammatory response. While cGAS-STING signaling is essential for antiviral immunity, aberrant STING activation is observed in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), lupus, and autoinflammatory diseases such as Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS) and STING associated vasculopathy with onset in infancy (SAVI). Significant efforts have therefore focused on the development of STING inhibitors. In a concurrent submission, we reported that BB-Cl-amidine inhibits STING-dependent signaling in the nanomolar range, both in vitro and in vivo. Considering this discovery, we sought to generate analogs with higher potency and proteome-wide selectivity. Herein, we report the development of LB244, which displays nanomolar potency and inhibits STING signaling with markedly enhanced proteome-wide selectivity. Moreover, LB244 mirrored the efficacy of BB-Cl-amidine in vivo. In summary, our data identify novel chemical entities that inhibit STING signaling and provide a scaffold for the development of therapeutics for treating STING-dependent inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard Barasa
- Program in Chemical Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Sauradip Chaudhuri
- Program in Chemical Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Jeffrey Y. Zhou
- Division of Innate Immunity, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Zhaozhao Jiang
- Division of Innate Immunity, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Shruti Choudhary
- Program in Chemical Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Robert Madison Green
- Program in Chemical Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Elenore Wiggin
- Program in Chemical Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Michael Cameron
- Department of Molecular Medicine, UF Scripps Institute,130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Fiachra Humphries
- Division of Innate Immunity, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Katherine A. Fitzgerald
- Division of Innate Immunity, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Paul R. Thompson
- Program in Chemical Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
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24
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Luo J, Pang S, Hui Z, Zhao H, Xu S, Yu W, Yang L, Sun Q, Hao X, Wei F, Wang J, Ren X. Blocking Tim-3 enhances the anti-tumor immunity of STING agonist ADU-S100 by unleashing CD4 + T cells through regulating type 2 conventional dendritic cells. Theranostics 2023; 13:4836-4857. [PMID: 37771774 PMCID: PMC10526657 DOI: 10.7150/thno.86792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale: An immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) is a major obstacle in tumor immunotherapy. Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonists trigger an inflammatory innate immune response to potentially overcome tumor immunosuppression. While STING agonists may hold promise as potential cancer therapy agents, tumor resistance to STING monotherapy has emerged in clinical trials, and the mechanisms remain unclear. Methods: The in vivo anti-tumor immunity of STING agonist ADU-S100 (S100), plus anti-T cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing-3 antibody (αTim-3) were measured using murine tumor models. Tumor-specific T cell activation and alterations in the TME were detected using flow cytometry. The maturation and function of dendritic cells (DC) were also measured using flow cytometry, and the importance of CD4+ T cells in combination therapy was measured by blocking antibodies. Additionally, the effect of S100 on CD4+ T was verified via in vitro assays. Lastly, the impact of conventional dendritic cells (cDC) 2 with a high expression of Tim-3 on survival or therapeutic outcomes was further evaluated in human tumor samples. Results: S100 boosted CD8+ T by activating cDC1 but failed to initiate cDC2. Mechanistically, the administration of S100 results in an upregulation of Tim-3 expressed in cDC2 (Tim-3+cDC2) in both mice and humans, which is immunosuppressive. Tim-3+cDC2 restrained CD4+ T and attenuated the CD4+ T-driven anti-tumor response. Combining S100 with αTim-3 effectively promoted cDC2 maturation and antigen presentation, releasing CD4+ T cells, thus reducing tumor burden while prolonging survival. Furthermore, high percentages of Tim-3+cDC2 in the human TME predicted poor prognosis, whereas the abundance of Tim-3+cDC2 may act as a biomarker for CD4+ T quality and a contributing indicator for responsiveness to immunotherapy. Conclusion: This research demonstrated that blocking Tim-3 could enhance the anti-tumor immunity of STING agonist ADU-S100 by releasing CD4+ T cells through regulating cDC2. It also revealed an intrinsic barrier to ADU-S100 monotherapy, besides providing a combinatorial strategy for overcoming immunosuppression in tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Luo
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Shuju Pang
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Zhenzhen Hui
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Department of Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Hua Zhao
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Shilei Xu
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Laboratory of Cancer Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Wenwen Yu
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Lili Yang
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Qian Sun
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Xishan Hao
- Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Feng Wei
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Jian Wang
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Xiubao Ren
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Department of Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin 300060, China
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25
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Zou Y, Zhang M, Zhou J. Recent trends in STING modulators: Structures, mechanisms, and therapeutic potential. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103694. [PMID: 37393985 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase stimulator (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon gene (STING) signaling pathway has an integral role in the host immune response through DNA sensing followed by inducing a robust innate immune defense program. STING has become a promising therapeutic target associated with multiple diseases, including various inflammatory diseases, cancer, and infectious diseases, among others. Thus, modulators of STING are regarded as emerging therapeutic agents. Recent progress has been made in STING research, including recently identified STING-mediated regulatory pathways, the development of a new STING modulator, and the new association of STING with disease. In this review, we focus on recent trends in the development of STING modulators, including structures, mechanisms, and clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zou
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China; Drug Development and Innovation Center, College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China; Drug Development and Innovation Center, College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Jinming Zhou
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China; Drug Development and Innovation Center, College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China.
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26
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Kuttruff CA, Fleck M, Carotta S, Arnhof H, Bretschneider T, Dahmann G, Gremel G, Grube A, Handschuh S, Heimann A, Hofmann MH, Impagnatiello MA, Nar H, Rast G, Schaaf O, Schmidt E, Oost T. Discovery of BI 7446: A Potent Cyclic Dinucleotide STING Agonist with Broad-Spectrum Variant Activity for the Treatment of Cancer. J Med Chem 2023; 66:9376-9400. [PMID: 37450324 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Activating the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway with STING agonists is an attractive immune oncology concept to treat patients with tumors that are refractory to single-agent anti-PD-1 therapy. For best clinical translatability and broad application to cancer patients, STING agonists with potent cellular activation of all STING variants are desired. Novel cyclic dinucleotide (CDN)-based selective STING agonists were designed and synthesized comprising noncanonical nucleobase, ribose, and phosphorothioate moieties. This strategy led to the discovery of 2',3'-CDN 13 (BI 7446), which features unprecedented potency and activates all five STING variants in cellular assays. ADME profiling revealed that CDN 13 has attractive drug-like properties for development as an intratumoral agent. Injection of low doses of CDN 13 into tumors in mice induced long-lasting, tumor-specific immune-mediated tumor rejection. Based on its compelling preclinical profile, BI 7446 has been advanced to clinical trials (monotherapy and in combination with anti-PD-1 antibody).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin Fleck
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88400 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | | | | | - Tom Bretschneider
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88400 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Georg Dahmann
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88400 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | | | - Achim Grube
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88400 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Sandra Handschuh
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88400 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Annekatrin Heimann
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88400 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | | | | | - Herbert Nar
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88400 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Georg Rast
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88400 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Otmar Schaaf
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, 1120 Vienna, Austria
| | - Esther Schmidt
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88400 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Thorsten Oost
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88400 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
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27
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Tang Z, Zhao J, Li Y, Tomer S, Selvaraju M, Tien N, Sun D, Johnson DK, Zhen A, Li P, Wang J. Structural and Biological Evaluations of a Non-Nucleoside STING Agonist Specific for Human STING A230 Variants. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.02.547363. [PMID: 37425806 PMCID: PMC10327114 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.02.547363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Previously we identified a non-nucleotide tricyclic agonist BDW568 that activates human STING (stimulator of interferon genes) gene variant containing A230 in a human monocyte cell line (THP-1). STINGA230 alleles, including HAQ and AQ, are less common STING variants in human population. To further characterize the mechanism of BDW568, we obtained the crystal structure of the C-terminal domain of STINGA230 complexed with BDW-OH (active metabolite of BDW568) at 1.95 Å resolution and found the planar tricyclic structure in BDW-OH dimerizes in the STING binding pocket and mimics the two nucleobases of the endogenous STING ligand 2',3'-cGAMP. This binding mode also resembles a known synthetic ligand of human STING, MSA-2, but not another tricyclic mouse STING agonist DMXAA. Structure-activity-relationship (SAR) studies revealed that all three heterocycles in BDW568 and the S-acetate side chain are critical for retaining the compound's activity. BDW568 could robustly activate the STING pathway in human primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with STINGA230 genotype from healthy individuals. We also observed BDW568 could robustly activate type I interferon signaling in purified human primary macrophages that were transduced with lentivirus expressing STINGA230, suggesting its potential use to selectively activate genetically engineered macrophages in macrophage-based approaches, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-macrophage immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhichao Tang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
| | - Junxing Zhao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Shallu Tomer
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Manikandan Selvaraju
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
| | - Nicholas Tien
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Diyun Sun
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - David K. Johnson
- Computation Chemical Biology Core, and Molecular Graphics and Modeling Laboratory, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
| | - Anjie Zhen
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Pingwei Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Jingxin Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
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28
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Movert E, Bolarin JS, Valfridsson C, Velarde J, Skrede S, Nekludov M, Hyldegaard O, Arnell P, Svensson M, Norrby-Teglund A, Cho KH, Elhaik E, Wessels MR, Råberg L, Carlsson F. Interplay between human STING genotype and bacterial NADase activity regulates inter-individual disease variability. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4008. [PMID: 37414832 PMCID: PMC10326033 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39771-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Variability in disease severity caused by a microbial pathogen is impacted by each infection representing a unique combination of host and pathogen genomes. Here, we show that the outcome of invasive Streptococcus pyogenes infection is regulated by an interplay between human STING genotype and bacterial NADase activity. S. pyogenes-derived c-di-AMP diffuses via streptolysin O pores into macrophages where it activates STING and the ensuing type I IFN response. However, the enzymatic activity of the NADase variants expressed by invasive strains suppresses STING-mediated type I IFN production. Analysis of patients with necrotizing S. pyogenes soft tissue infection indicates that a STING genotype associated with reduced c-di-AMP-binding capacity combined with high bacterial NADase activity promotes a 'perfect storm' manifested in poor outcome, whereas proficient and uninhibited STING-mediated type I IFN production correlates with protection against host-detrimental inflammation. These results reveal an immune-regulating function for bacterial NADase and provide insight regarding the host-pathogen genotype interplay underlying invasive infection and interindividual disease variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elin Movert
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | | | | | - Jorge Velarde
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, and Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Steinar Skrede
- Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Michael Nekludov
- Department of Anaesthesia, Surgical Services and Intensive Care, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ole Hyldegaard
- Department of Anaesthesia, Head and Orthopedic Center, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Per Arnell
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mattias Svensson
- Centre for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Norrby-Teglund
- Centre for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kyu Hong Cho
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, USA
| | - Eran Elhaik
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Michael R Wessels
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, and Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Lars Råberg
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Fredric Carlsson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
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Coderch C, Arranz-Herrero J, Nistal-Villan E, de Pascual-Teresa B, Rius-Rocabert S. The Many Ways to Deal with STING. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24109032. [PMID: 37240378 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24109032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is an adaptor protein involved in the activation of IFN-β and many other genes associated with the immune response activation in vertebrates. STING induction has gained attention from different angles such as the potential to trigger an early immune response against different signs of infection and cell damage, or to be used as an adjuvant in cancer immune treatments. Pharmacological control of aberrant STING activation can be used to mitigate the pathology of some autoimmune diseases. The STING structure has a well-defined ligand binding site that can harbor natural ligands such as specific purine cyclic di-nucleotides (CDN). In addition to a canonical stimulation by CDNs, other non-canonical stimuli have also been described, whose exact mechanism has not been well defined. Understanding the molecular insights underlying the activation of STING is important to realize the different angles that need to be considered when designing new STING-binding molecules as therapeutic drugs since STING acts as a versatile platform for immune modulators. This review analyzes the different determinants of STING regulation from the structural, molecular, and cell biology points of view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Coderch
- Departamento de Química y Bioquímica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
| | - Javier Arranz-Herrero
- Transplant Immunology Unit, National Center of Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28220 Majadahonda, Spain
- Departamento CC, Farmacéuticas y de la Salud, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
- Institute of Applied Molecular Medicine (IMMA), Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
| | - Estanislao Nistal-Villan
- Departamento CC, Farmacéuticas y de la Salud, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
- Institute of Applied Molecular Medicine (IMMA), Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
| | - Beatriz de Pascual-Teresa
- Departamento de Química y Bioquímica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
| | - Sergio Rius-Rocabert
- Departamento CC, Farmacéuticas y de la Salud, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
- Institute of Applied Molecular Medicine (IMMA), Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
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30
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Fukuda K. Immune Regulation by Cytosolic DNA Sensors in the Tumor Microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15072114. [PMID: 37046775 PMCID: PMC10093344 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15072114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
cGAS and AIM2 are CDSs that are activated in the presence of cytosolic dsDNA and are expressed in various cell types, including immune and tumor cells. The recognition of tumor-derived dsDNA by CDSs in the cytosol of tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells (TIDCs) activates the innate and acquired immunity, thereby enhancing anti-tumor immune responses. STING is the downstream signaling effector of cGAS that induces type I interferon (IFN) signaling. Owing to their ability to activate TIDCs, STING agonists have been intratumorally injected in several clinical trials to enhance the anti-tumor immune response elicited by immune checkpoint antibodies. However, they have shown minimal effect, suggesting the importance of optimizing the dose and route of administration for STING agonists and deciphering other immune pathways that contribute to anti-tumor immune responses. Recent studies have revealed that AIM2 activity induces pro-tumor growth through multiple parallel pathways, including inhibition of STING-type I IFN signaling. Thus, AIM2 could be a potential molecular target for cancer immunotherapies. This review summarizes the current research on the roles of cGAS, STING, and AIM2 in immune cells and tumor cells in the tumor microenvironment and discusses the future prospects of anti-tumor treatment approaches based on these molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keitaro Fukuda
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Laboratory for Skin Homeostasis, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
- Department of Dermatology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
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31
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Hines JB, Kacew AJ, Sweis RF. The Development of STING Agonists and Emerging Results as a Cancer Immunotherapy. Curr Oncol Rep 2023; 25:189-199. [PMID: 36705879 PMCID: PMC10994474 DOI: 10.1007/s11912-023-01361-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW New therapies are needed to potentiate the effects of current immunotherapies and overcome resistance. The stimulator of interferon genes genes (STING) pathway is an innate immune activating cascade that may enhance current cancer immunotherapies. RECENT FINDINGS Preclinical data has shown that the addition of a STING agonist enhances the effect of current treatments such as immune checkpoint inhibitor antibodies and radiation therapy. Early phase trials have demonstrated modest efficacy of STING agonists and revealed new mechanistic and technical challenges. STING agonists are a new class of agents that activate the immune response to improve tumor control. A wide range of preclinical experiments, translational data, and ongoing clinical trials support the therapeutic use of STING agonists in patients. Trials to determine optimal drug combinations and novel delivery mechanisms are continuing in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacobi B Hines
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago, 5841 S Maryland Ave, MC 2115, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA
| | - Alec J Kacew
- Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Randy F Sweis
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago, 5841 S Maryland Ave, MC 2115, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA.
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Whelan JT, Singaravelu R, Wang F, Pelin A, Tamming LA, Pugliese G, Martin NT, Crupi MJF, Petryk J, Austin B, He X, Marius R, Duong J, Jones C, Fekete EEF, Alluqmani N, Chen A, Boulton S, Huh MS, Tang MY, Taha Z, Scut E, Diallo JS, Azad T, Lichty BD, Ilkow CS, Bell JC. CRISPR-mediated rapid arming of poxvirus vectors enables facile generation of the novel immunotherapeutic STINGPOX. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1050250. [PMID: 36713447 PMCID: PMC9880309 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1050250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Poxvirus vectors represent versatile modalities for engineering novel vaccines and cancer immunotherapies. In addition to their oncolytic capacity and immunogenic influence, they can be readily engineered to express multiple large transgenes. However, the integration of multiple payloads into poxvirus genomes by traditional recombination-based approaches can be highly inefficient, time-consuming and cumbersome. Herein, we describe a simple, cost-effective approach to rapidly generate and purify a poxvirus vector with multiple transgenes. By utilizing a simple, modular CRISPR/Cas9 assisted-recombinant vaccinia virus engineering (CARVE) system, we demonstrate generation of a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing three distinct transgenes at three different loci in less than 1 week. We apply CARVE to rapidly generate a novel immunogenic vaccinia virus vector, which expresses a bacterial diadenylate cyclase. This novel vector, STINGPOX, produces cyclic di-AMP, a STING agonist, which drives IFN signaling critical to the anti-tumor immune response. We demonstrate that STINGPOX can drive IFN signaling in primary human cancer tissue explants. Using an immunocompetent murine colon cancer model, we demonstrate that intratumoral administration of STINGPOX in combination with checkpoint inhibitor, anti-PD1, promotes survival post-tumour challenge. These data demonstrate the utility of CRISPR/Cas9 in the rapid arming of poxvirus vectors with therapeutic payloads to create novel immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack T. Whelan
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada,Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Ragunath Singaravelu
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada,Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada,Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Fuan Wang
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada,MG DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Adrian Pelin
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada,Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Levi A. Tamming
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada,Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Giuseppe Pugliese
- Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Nikolas T. Martin
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada,Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Mathieu J. F. Crupi
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada,Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Julia Petryk
- Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Bradley Austin
- Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Xiaohong He
- Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Ricardo Marius
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada,Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jessie Duong
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada,Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Carter Jones
- Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Emily E. F. Fekete
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada,Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Nouf Alluqmani
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada,Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Andrew Chen
- Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Stephen Boulton
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada,Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Michael S. Huh
- Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Matt Y. Tang
- Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Zaid Taha
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada,Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Elena Scut
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada,Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jean-Simon Diallo
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada,Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Taha Azad
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada,Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Brian D. Lichty
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada,MG DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada,*Correspondence: John C. Bell, ; Carolina S. Ilkow, ; Brian D. Lichty,
| | - Carolina S. Ilkow
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada,Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada,*Correspondence: John C. Bell, ; Carolina S. Ilkow, ; Brian D. Lichty,
| | - John C. Bell
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada,Centre for Innovation Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada,*Correspondence: John C. Bell, ; Carolina S. Ilkow, ; Brian D. Lichty,
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Yang J, Ding H, Shuai B, Zhang Y, Zhang Y. Mechanism and effects of STING-IFN-I pathway on nociception: A narrative review. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 15:1081288. [PMID: 36683857 PMCID: PMC9846240 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1081288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the discovery of STING in 2008, numerous studies have investigated its functions in immunity, inflammation, and cancer. STING activates downstream molecules including IFN-I, NLRP3, and NF-κB. The STING-IFN-I pathway plays a vital role in nociception. After receiving the upstream signal, STING is activated and induces the expression of IFN-I, and after paracrine and autocrine signaling, IFN-I binds to IFN receptors. Subsequently, the activity of ion channels is inhibited by TYK2, which induces an acute antinociceptive effect. JAK activates PIK3 and MAPK-MNK-eIF4E pathways, which sensitize nociceptors in the peripheral nervous system. In the mid-late stage, the STING-IFN-I pathway activates STAT, increases pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, inhibits ER-phagy, and promotes microglial M1-polarization in the central nervous system, leading to central sensitization. Thus, the STING-IFN-I pathway may exert complex effects on nociception at various stages, and these effects require further comprehensive elucidation. Therefore, in this review, we systematically summarized the mechanisms of the STING-IFN-I pathway and discussed its function in nociception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinghan Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Ding
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Bo Shuai
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Pain, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China,*Correspondence: Yan Zhang,
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China,Institute of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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34
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Zhang Z, Zhou H, Ouyang X, Dong Y, Sarapultsev A, Luo S, Hu D. Multifaceted functions of STING in human health and disease: from molecular mechanism to targeted strategy. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:394. [PMID: 36550103 PMCID: PMC9780328 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01252-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the discovery of Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) as an important pivot for cytosolic DNA sensation and interferon (IFN) induction, intensive efforts have been endeavored to clarify the molecular mechanism of its activation, its physiological function as a ubiquitously expressed protein, and to explore its potential as a therapeutic target in a wide range of immune-related diseases. With its orthodox ligand 2'3'-cyclic GMP-AMP (2'3'-cGAMP) and the upstream sensor 2'3'-cGAMP synthase (cGAS) to be found, STING acquires its central functionality in the best-studied signaling cascade, namely the cGAS-STING-IFN pathway. However, recently updated research through structural research, genetic screening, and biochemical assay greatly extends the current knowledge of STING biology. A second ligand pocket was recently discovered in the transmembrane domain for a synthetic agonist. On its downstream outputs, accumulating studies sketch primordial and multifaceted roles of STING beyond its cytokine-inducing function, such as autophagy, cell death, metabolic modulation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and RNA virus restriction. Furthermore, with the expansion of the STING interactome, the details of STING trafficking also get clearer. After retrospecting the brief history of viral interference and the milestone events since the discovery of STING, we present a vivid panorama of STING biology taking into account the details of the biochemical assay and structural information, especially its versatile outputs and functions beyond IFN induction. We also summarize the roles of STING in the pathogenesis of various diseases and highlight the development of small-molecular compounds targeting STING for disease treatment in combination with the latest research. Finally, we discuss the open questions imperative to answer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zili Zhang
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430022 Wuhan, China
| | - Haifeng Zhou
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430022 Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaohu Ouyang
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430022 Wuhan, China
| | - Yalan Dong
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430022 Wuhan, China
| | - Alexey Sarapultsev
- grid.426536.00000 0004 1760 306XInstitute of Immunology and Physiology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 620049 Ekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Shanshan Luo
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Institute of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022 China
| | - Desheng Hu
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430022 Wuhan, China ,grid.419897.a0000 0004 0369 313XKey Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, The Ministry of Education, 430022 Wuhan, China ,Clinical Research Center of Cancer Immunotherapy, 430022 Hubei Wuhan, China
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35
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Aliakbar Tehrani Z, Rulíšek L, Černý J. Molecular dynamics simulations provide structural insight into binding of cyclic dinucleotides to human STING protein. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:10250-10264. [PMID: 34187319 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1942213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Human stimulator of interferon genes (hSTING) is a signaling adaptor protein that triggers innate immune system by response to cytosolic DNA and second messenger cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs). Natural CDNs contain purine nucleobase with different phosphodiester linkage types (3'-3', 2'-2' or mixed 2'-3'-linkages) and exhibit different binding affinity towards hSTING, ranging from micromolar to nanomolar. High-affinity CDNs are considered as suitable candidates for treatment of chronic hepatitis B and cancer. We have used molecular dynamics simulations to investigate dynamical aspects of binding of natural CDNs (specifically, 2'-2'-cGAMP, 2'-3'-cGAMP, 3'-3'-cGAMP, 3'-3'-c-di-AMP, and 3'-3'-c-di-GMP) with hSTINGwt protein. Our results revealed that CDN/hSTINGwt interactions are controlled by the balance between fluctuations (conformational changes) in the CDN ligand and the protein dynamics. Binding of different CDNs induces different degrees of conformational/dynamics changes in hSTINGwt ligand binding cavity, especially in α1-helices, the so-called lid region and α2-tails. The ligand residence time in hSTINGwt protein pocket depends on different contribution of R232 and R238 residues interacting with oxygen atoms of phosphodiester groups in ligand, water distribution around interacting charged centers (in protein residues and ligand) and structural stability of closed conformation state of hSTINGwt protein. These findings may perhaps guide design of new compounds modulating hSTING activity.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Aliakbar Tehrani
- Laboratory of Structural Bioinformatics of Proteins, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Lubomír Rulíšek
- Theoretical Bioinorganic Chemistry, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Černý
- Laboratory of Structural Bioinformatics of Proteins, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
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Vila IK, Guha S, Kalucka J, Olagnier D, Laguette N. Alternative pathways driven by STING: From innate immunity to lipid metabolism. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2022; 68:54-68. [PMID: 36085258 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2022.08.006] [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: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) is a major adaptor protein that is central to the initiation of type I interferon responses and proinflammatory signalling. STING-dependent signalling is triggered by the presence of cytosolic nucleic acids that are generated following pathogen infection or cellular stress. Beyond this central role in controlling immune responses through the production of cytokines and chemokines, recent reports have uncovered inflammation-independent STING functions. Amongst these, a rapidly growing body of evidence demonstrates a key role of STING in controlling metabolic pathways at several levels. Since immunity and metabolic homeostasis are tightly interconnected, these findings deepen our understanding of the involvement of STING in human pathologies. Here, we discuss these findings and reflect on their impact on our current understanding of how nucleic acid immunity controls homeostasis and promotes pathological outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle K Vila
- Institut de Génétique Humaine, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
| | - Soumyabrata Guha
- Institut de Génétique Humaine, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Joanna Kalucka
- Aarhus University, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - David Olagnier
- Aarhus University, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Nadine Laguette
- Institut de Génétique Humaine, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
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Huang R, Ning Q, Zhao J, Zhao X, Zeng L, Yi Y, Tang S. Targeting STING for cancer immunotherapy: From mechanisms to translation. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 113:109304. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Kelly SH, Votaw NL, Cossette BJ, Wu Y, Shetty S, Shores LS, Issah LA, Collier JH. A sublingual nanofiber vaccine to prevent urinary tract infections. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabq4120. [PMID: 36417519 PMCID: PMC9683704 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq4120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a major public health problem affecting millions of individuals each year. Recurrent UTIs are managed by long-term antibiotic use, making the alarming rise of antibiotic resistance a substantial threat to future UTI treatment. Extended antibiotic regimens may also have adverse effects on the microbiome. Here, we report the use of a supramolecular vaccine to provide long-term protection against uropathogenic Escherichia coli, which cause 80% of uncomplicated UTIs. We designed mucus-penetrating peptide-polymer nanofibers to enable sublingual (under the tongue) vaccine delivery and elicit antibody responses systemically and in the urogenital tract. In a mouse model of UTI, we demonstrate equivalent efficacy to high-dose oral antibiotics but with significantly less perturbation of the gut microbiome. We also formulate our vaccine as a rapid-dissolving sublingual tablet that raises response in mice and rabbits. Our approach represents a promising alternative to antibiotics for the treatment and prevention of UTIs.
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Pharmacogenetics Role of Genetic Variants in Immune-Related Factors: A Systematic Review Focusing on mCRC. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14112468. [PMID: 36432658 PMCID: PMC9693433 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14112468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pharmacogenetics plays a key role in personalized cancer treatment. Currently, the clinically available pharmacogenetic markers for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) are in genes related to drug metabolism, such as DPYD for fluoropyrimidines and UGT1A1 for irinotecan. Recently, the impact of host variability in inflammatory and immune-response genes on treatment response has gained considerable attention, opening innovative perspectives for optimizing tailored mCRC therapy. A literature review was performed on the predictive role of immune-related germline genetic biomarkers on pharmacological outcomes in patients with mCRC. Particularly, that for efficacy and toxicity was reported and the potential role for clinical management of patients was discussed. Most of the available data regard therapy effectiveness, while the impact on toxicity remains limited. Several studies focused on the effects of polymorphisms in genes related to antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (FCGR2A, FCGR3A) and yielded promising but inconclusive results on cetuximab efficacy. The remaining published data are sparse and mainly hypothesis-generating but suggest potentially interesting topics for future pharmacogenetic studies, including innovative gene-drug interactions in a clinical context. Besides the tumor immune escape pathway, genetic markers belonging to cytokines/interleukins (IL-8 and its receptors) and angiogenic mediators (IGF1) seem to be the best investigated and hopefully most promising to be translated into clinical practice after validation.
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Vavřina Z, Perlíková P, Milisavljević N, Chevrier F, Smola M, Smith J, Dejmek M, Havlíček V, Buděšínský M, Liboska R, Vaneková L, Brynda J, Boura E, Řezáčová P, Hocek M, Birkuš G. Design, Synthesis, and Biochemical and Biological Evaluation of Novel 7-Deazapurine Cyclic Dinucleotide Analogues as STING Receptor Agonists. J Med Chem 2022; 65:14082-14103. [PMID: 36201304 PMCID: PMC9620234 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) are second messengers that activate stimulator of interferon genes (STING). The cGAS-STING pathway plays a promising role in cancer immunotherapy. Here, we describe the synthesis of CDNs containing 7-substituted 7-deazapurine moiety. We used mouse cyclic GMP-AMP synthase and bacterial dinucleotide synthases for the enzymatic synthesis of CDNs. Alternatively, 7-(het)aryl 7-deazapurine CDNs were prepared by Suzuki-Miyaura cross-couplings. New CDNs were tested in biochemical and cell-based assays for their affinity to human STING. Eight CDNs showed better activity than 2'3'-cGAMP, the natural ligand of STING. The effect on cytokine and chemokine induction was also evaluated. The best activities were observed for CDNs bearing large aromatic substituents that point above the CDN molecule. We solved four X-ray structures of complexes of new CDNs with human STING. We observed π-π stacking interactions between the aromatic substituents and Tyr240 that are involved in the stabilization of CDN-STING complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zdeněk Vavřina
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- Department
of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles
University, Hlavova 2030/8, Prague 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Pavla Perlíková
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Technicka 5, Prague 166 28, Czech Republic
| | - Nemanja Milisavljević
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 2030/8, Prague 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Florian Chevrier
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Smola
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Joshua Smith
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- First
Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Katerinska 1660/32, Prague 121 08, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Dejmek
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Havlíček
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 2030/8, Prague 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Miloš Buděšínský
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Liboska
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Vaneková
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- Department
of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles
University, Vinicna 1594/7, Prague 128 43, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Brynda
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Evzen Boura
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Pavlína Řezáčová
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Hocek
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkuš
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
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Zhao J, Tang Z, Selvaraju M, Johnson KA, Douglas JT, Gao PF, Petrassi HM, Wang MZ, Wang J. Cellular Target Deconvolution of Small Molecules Using a Selection-Based Genetic Screening Platform. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2022; 8:1424-1434. [PMID: 36313155 PMCID: PMC9615120 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.2c00609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Small-molecule drug target identification is an essential and often rate-limiting step in phenotypic drug discovery and remains a major challenge. Here, we report a novel platform for target identification of activators of signaling pathways by leveraging the power of a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) knockout library. This platform links the expression of a suicide gene to the small-molecule-activated signaling pathway to create a selection system. With this system, loss-of-function screening using a CRISPR single-guide (sg) RNA library positively enriches cells in which the target has been knocked out. The identities of the drug targets and other essential genes required for the activity of small molecules of interest are then uncovered by sequencing. We tested this platform on BDW568, a newly discovered type-I interferon signaling activator, and identified stimulator of interferon genes (STING) as its target and carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) to be a key metabolizing enzyme required to activate BDW568 for target engagement. The platform we present here can be a general method applicable for target identification for a wide range of small molecules that activate different signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junxing Zhao
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
| | - Zhichao Tang
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
| | - Manikandan Selvaraju
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
| | - Kristen A. Johnson
- Calibr,
Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Justin T. Douglas
- Nuclear
Magnetic Resonance Laboratory, University
of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
| | - Philip F. Gao
- Protein
Production Group, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
| | - H. Michael Petrassi
- Calibr,
Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Michael Zhuo Wang
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
| | - Jingxin Wang
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
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Wan R, Fänder J, Zakaraia I, Lee-Kirsch MA, Wolf C, Lucas N, Olfe LI, Hendrich C, Jonigk D, Holzinger D, Steindor M, Schmidt G, Davenport C, Klemann C, Schwerk N, Griese M, Schlegelberger B, Stehling F, Happle C, Auber B, Steinemann D, Wetzke M, von Hardenberg S. Phenotypic spectrum in recessive STING-associated vasculopathy with onset in infancy: Four novel cases and analysis of previously reported cases. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1029423. [PMID: 36275728 PMCID: PMC9583393 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1029423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Gain-of-function variants in the stimulator of interferon response cGAMP interactor 1 (STING1) gene cause STING-Associated Vasculopathy with onset in Infancy (SAVI). Previously, only heterozygous and mostly de novo STING1 variants have been reported to cause SAVI. Interestingly, one variant that only leads to SAVI when homozygous, namely c.841C>T p.(Arg281Trp), has recently been described. However, there are no entries in public databases regarding an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance. Here, we report four additional unrelated SAVI patients carrying c.841C>T in homozygous state. All patients had interstitial lung disease and displayed typical interferon activation patterns. Only one child displayed cutaneous vasculitis, while three other patients presented with a relatively mild SAVI phenotype. Steroid and baricitinib treatment had a mitigating effect on the disease phenotype in two cases, but failed to halt disease progression. Heterozygous c.841C>T carriers in our analysis were healthy and showed normal interferon activation. Literature review identified eight additional cases with autosomal recessive SAVI caused by c.841C>T homozygosity. In summary, we present four novel and eight historic cases of autosomal recessive SAVI. We provide comprehensive clinical data and show treatment regimens and clinical responses. To date, SAVI has been listed as an exclusively autosomal dominant inherited trait in relevant databases. With this report, we aim to raise awareness for autosomal recessive inheritance in this rare, severe disease which may aid in early diagnosis and development of optimized treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rensheng Wan
- Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Johannes Fänder
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Ia Zakaraia
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Min Ae Lee-Kirsch
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital and Medical Faculty Carl Gustav-Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christine Wolf
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital and Medical Faculty Carl Gustav-Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nadja Lucas
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital and Medical Faculty Carl Gustav-Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lisa Isabel Olfe
- Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Corinna Hendrich
- Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Danny Jonigk
- Institute of Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- German Center for Lung Research, Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease, Hannover, Germany
| | - Dirk Holzinger
- Department of Pediatric Haemato-Oncology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- Department of Applied Health Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Mathis Steindor
- Pediatric Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine, Cystic Fibrosis Center, Children’s Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Gunnar Schmidt
- Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Claudia Davenport
- Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Christian Klemann
- Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Nicolaus Schwerk
- Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Matthias Griese
- Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, German Center for Lung Research, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Florian Stehling
- Pediatric Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine, Cystic Fibrosis Center, Children’s Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Christine Happle
- Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Bernd Auber
- Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Doris Steinemann
- Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Martin Wetzke
- Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- *Correspondence: Martin Wetzke, ; Sandra von Hardenberg,
| | - Sandra von Hardenberg
- Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- *Correspondence: Martin Wetzke, ; Sandra von Hardenberg,
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Yao H, Wang S, Zhou X, Sun J, Zhou G, Zhou D, Chen G, Shi X, Chen J, Shi B, Tai Q, Mi X, Sun L, Yao Y, He S. STING promotes proliferation and induces drug resistance in colorectal cancer by regulating the AMPK-mTOR pathway. J Gastrointest Oncol 2022; 13:2458-2471. [PMID: 36388670 PMCID: PMC9660059 DOI: 10.21037/jgo-22-957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In recent years, reports regarding stimulator of interferon genes (STING) and the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) have emerged rapidly, yet their association remains controversial. This research was aimed to provide an insight into the prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target significance of STING in CRC. METHODS CRC Cell lines of HCT116 and SW480, as well as 32 paired CRC specimens were chosen for this study. STING expressions were examined by immunohistochemistry to evaluate the correlation with clinicopathological factors. Data analysis of STING expressions in colon cancer and rectal cancer were performed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. siRNA was transfected into cell lines for knocking down the expression of STING. Transwell assay was employed to evaluate cell migration and invasiveness. CCK-8 assay was used for assessing the change of cell proliferation. Drug sensitive test was involved to evaluate drug resistance of cell lines. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was applied for exploring potential downstream mechanism of STING in CRC progression and Western blotting is used for mechanism validation. RESULTS In the thirty-two paired CRC and adjacent normal tissues, we found a significant up-regulated in STING expression with immunohistochemical staining in cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues (P<0.01), which was correlated with the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage of patients (P=0.028). Meanwhile, GESA enrichment analysis indicated a remarkable change in mTOR signaling following STING regulation. In HCT116 and SW480 cell lines of CRC, When STING was down-regulated, its biological behavior of cell viability, cell invasion and drug sensitivity to 5-fluorouracil were significantly reduced (P<0.05), we also observed the up-regulation of P-AMPK (P<0.05) and down-regulation of p-mTOR (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS STING expressions was significantly up-regulated in CRC tissues. Expression of STING was correlated with the TNM stage of patients. STING is found to promote cell proliferation, invasion ability and drug resistance mediating AMPK-mTOR signaling in CRC. STING could be a promising target for the sensitization of chemotherapy and inhibits CRC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huihui Yao
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Suo Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- Department of General Surgery, Changshu Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, First People’s Hospital of Changshu City, Changshu, China
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jinbing Sun
- Department of General Surgery, Changshu Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, First People’s Hospital of Changshu City, Changshu, China
| | - Guoqiang Zhou
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Changshu No. 2 Hospital, Changshu, China
| | - Diyuan Zhou
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Guoliang Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xinyu Shi
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Junjie Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Bo Shi
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Qingliang Tai
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xiuwei Mi
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Liang Sun
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yizhou Yao
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Songbing He
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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Tripathi S, Najem H, Mahajan AS, Zhang P, Low JT, Stegh AH, Curran MA, Ashley DM, James CD, Heimberger AB. cGAS-STING pathway targeted therapies and their applications in the treatment of high-grade glioma. F1000Res 2022; 11:1010. [PMID: 36324813 PMCID: PMC9597127 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.125163.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Median survival of patients with glioblastoma (GBM) treated with standard of care which consists of maximal safe resection of the contrast-enhancing portion of the tumor followed by radiation therapy with concomitant adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) remains 15 months. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is known to contain immune suppressive myeloid cells with minimal effector T cell infiltration. Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is an important activator of immune response and results in production of Type 1 interferon and antigen presentation by myeloid cells. This review will discuss important developments in STING agonists, potential biomarkers for STING response, and new combinatorial therapeutic approaches in gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shashwat Tripathi
- Department of Neurological Surgery,, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA,Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Hinda Najem
- Department of Neurological Surgery,, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA,Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Akanksha Sanjay Mahajan
- Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA,Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Neurological Surgery,, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA,Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Justin T Low
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Alexander H Stegh
- Department of Neurological Surgery, The Brain Tumor Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Michael A Curran
- Department of Immunology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - David M Ashley
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Charles David James
- Department of Neurological Surgery,, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA,Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Amy B Heimberger
- Department of Neurological Surgery,, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA,Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA,
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45
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Tian X, Xu F, Zhu Q, Feng Z, Dai W, Zhou Y, You QD, Xu X. Medicinal chemistry perspective on cGAS-STING signaling pathway with small molecule inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 244:114791. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Kazmierski J, Elsner C, Döhner K, Xu S, Ducroux A, Pott F, Jansen J, Thorball CW, Zeymer O, Zhou X, Fedorov R, Fellay J, Löffler MW, Weber ANR, Sodeik B, Goffinet C. A Baseline Cellular Antiviral State Is Maintained by cGAS and Its Most Frequent Naturally Occurring Variant rs610913. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2022; 209:535-547. [PMID: 35851540 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2100685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Upon recognition of aberrantly located DNA, the innate immune sensor cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) activates stimulator of IFN genes (STING)/IFN regulatory factor (IRF)3-driven antiviral responses. In this study, we characterized the ability of a specific variant of the human cGAS-encoding gene MB21D1, rs610913, to alter cGAS-mediated DNA sensing and viral infection. rs610913 is a frequent G>T polymorphism resulting in a P261H exchange in the cGAS protein. Data from the International Collaboration for the Genomics of HIV suggested that rs610913 nominally associates with HIV-1 acquisition in vivo. Molecular modeling of cGAS(P261H) hinted toward the possibility for an additional binding site for a potential cellular cofactor in cGAS dimers. However, cGAS(wild-type [WT]) or cGAS(P261H)-reconstituted THP-1 cGAS knockout cells shared steady-state expression of IFN-stimulated genes, as opposed to cells expressing the enzymatically inactive cGAS(G212A/S213A). Accordingly, cGAS(WT) and cGAS(P261H) cells were less susceptible to lentiviral transduction and infection with HIV-1, HSV-1, and Chikungunya virus as compared with cGAS knockout or cGAS(G212A/S213A) cells. Upon DNA challenge, innate immune activation appeared to be mildly reduced upon expression of cGAS(P261H) compared with cGAS(WT). Finally, DNA challenge of PBMCs from donors homozygously expressing rs610913 provoked a trend toward a slightly reduced type I IFN response as compared with PBMCs from GG donors. Taken together, the steady-state activity of cGAS maintains a baseline antiviral state rendering cells more refractory to IFN-stimulated gene-sensitive viral infections. rs610913 failed to grossly differ phenotypically from the WT gene, suggesting that cGAS(P261H) and WT cGAS share a similar ability to sense viral infections in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Kazmierski
- Institute of Virology, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Experimental Virology, Twincore Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a Joint Venture between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Carina Elsner
- Institute of Experimental Virology, Twincore Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a Joint Venture between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Katinka Döhner
- Institute of Virology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Shuting Xu
- Institute of Experimental Virology, Twincore Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a Joint Venture between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Aurélie Ducroux
- Institute of Experimental Virology, Twincore Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a Joint Venture between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Fabian Pott
- Institute of Virology, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Experimental Virology, Twincore Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a Joint Venture between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jenny Jansen
- Institute of Virology, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian W Thorball
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Precision Medicine Unit, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ole Zeymer
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Research Division for Structural Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- RESIST-Cluster of Excellence, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Xiaoyi Zhou
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Research Division for Structural Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- RESIST-Cluster of Excellence, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Roman Fedorov
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Research Division for Structural Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- RESIST-Cluster of Excellence, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jacques Fellay
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Precision Medicine Unit, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Markus W Löffler
- Department of Immunology, Interfaculty Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen Germany
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- iFIT-Cluster of Excellence (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies," University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Alexander N R Weber
- Department of Immunology, Interfaculty Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- iFIT-Cluster of Excellence (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies," University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- CMFI-Cluster of Excellence (EXC 2124) "Controlling Microbes to Fight Infection," University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; and
| | - Beate Sodeik
- Institute of Virology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- RESIST-Cluster of Excellence, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, Hannover-Braunschweig Partner Site, Hannover, Germany
| | - Christine Goffinet
- Institute of Virology, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Experimental Virology, Twincore Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a Joint Venture between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
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Niu J, Bai H, Li Z, Gao Y, Zhang Y, Wang X, Yang Y, Xu Y, Geng M, Xie Z, Zhou B. Discovery of novel Thieno[2,3-d]imidazole derivatives as agonists of human STING for antitumor immunotherapy using systemic administration. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 238:114482. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Morere J, Hognon C, Miclot T, Jiang T, Dumont E, Barone G, Monari A, Bignon E. How Fragile We Are: Influence of Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) Variants on Pathogen Recognition and Immune Response Efficiency. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:3096-3106. [PMID: 35675714 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) protein is a cornerstone of the human immune response. Its activation by cGAMP in the presence of cytosolic DNA stimulates the production of type I interferons and inflammatory cytokines. In the human population, several STING variants exist and exhibit dramatic differences in their activity, impacting the efficiency of the host defense against infections. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of these variants opens perspectives for personalized medicine treatments against diseases such as viral infections, cancers, or autoinflammatory diseases. Through microsecond-scale molecular modeling simulations, contact analyses, and machine learning techniques, we reveal the dynamic behavior of four STING variants (wild type, G230A, R293Q, and G230A/R293Q) and rationalize the variability of efficiency observed experimentally. Our results show that the decrease in STING activity is linked to a stiffening of key structural elements of the binding cavity together with changes in the interaction patterns within the protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Morere
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS, LPCT UMR 7019, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Cécilia Hognon
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS, LPCT UMR 7019, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Tom Miclot
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS, LPCT UMR 7019, F-54000 Nancy, France.,Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universita degli Studi di Palermo, via delle Scienze, 90126 Palermo, Italy
| | - Tao Jiang
- Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5182, Laboratoire de Chimie, F-69342 Lyon, France
| | - Elise Dumont
- Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5182, Laboratoire de Chimie, F-69342 Lyon, France.,Institut Universitaire de France, 5 rue Descartes, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Giampaolo Barone
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universita degli Studi di Palermo, via delle Scienze, 90126 Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonio Monari
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS, LPCT UMR 7019, F-54000 Nancy, France.,Université Paris Cité and CNRS, ITODYS, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuelle Bignon
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS, LPCT UMR 7019, F-54000 Nancy, France
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49
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Wang J, Xiao Y, Loupakis F, Stintzing S, Yang Y, Arai H, Battaglin F, Kawanishi N, Jayachandran P, Soni S, Zhang W, Mancao C, Cremolini C, Liu T, Heinemann V, Falcone A, Shen L, Millstein J, Lenz HJ. Genetic variants involved in the cGAS-STING pathway predict outcome in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: Data from FIRE-3 and TRIBE trials. Eur J Cancer 2022; 172:22-30. [PMID: 35749909 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2022.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The activation of stimulator of interferon genes (STING) was reported to enhance cetuximab-mediated natural killer cell activation and dendritic cell maturation. Polymorphisms in genes in the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-STING pathway may affect innate immune response. Therefore, we hypothesised that genetic variants in the cGAS-STING pathway may predict the efficacy of cetuximab-based treatment in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. METHODS Genomic DNA from blood samples of patients enrolled in FIRE-3 (cetuximab arm, n = 129; bevacizumab arm, n = 107) and TRIBE (bevacizumab arm, n = 215) was genotyped using the OncoArray-500K bead chip panel. Seven selected single nucleotide polymorphisms in 3 genes (cGAS, STING and interferon B1 (IFNB1)) were analysed for the association with overall survival and progression-free survival. RESULTS In the cetuximab cohort, patients with STING rs1131769 any T allele showed significantly shorter overall survival (36.3 versus 56.1 months) than carriers of C/C in both univariate [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.08; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06-4.07; P = 0.03] and multivariate (HR = 2.98; 95% CI: 1.35-6.6; P = 0.0085) analyses; patients carrying IFNB1 rs1051922 G/A and A/A genotype showed a significantly shorter progression-free survival than carriers of G/G allele in both univariate (G/A versus G/G, 10.2 versus 14.1 months, HR = 1.84; 95% CI 1.23-2.76; A/A versus G/G, 10.7 versus 14.1 months, HR = 2.19; 95% CI 0.97-4.96; P = 0.0077) and multivariate analyses (G/A versus G/G, HR = 2; 95% CI 1.22-3.3; A/A versus G/G, HR = 2.19, 95% CI 0.92-5.26, P = 0.02). These associations were not observed in the bevacizumab arm of FIRE-3 or TRIBE. CONCLUSION These results suggest for the first time that germline polymorphisms in STING and IFNB1 genes may predict the outcomes of cetuximab-based treatment in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyuan Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Division of Medical Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, 52 Fucheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100142, China; Center of Evidence-based Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Xiao
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Fotios Loupakis
- Clinical and Experimental Oncology Department, Medical Oncology Unit 1, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Sebastian Stintzing
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Cancer Immunology (CCM), Charité - Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| | - Yan Yang
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Hiroyuki Arai
- Division of Medical Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Francesca Battaglin
- Division of Medical Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Natsuko Kawanishi
- Division of Medical Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Priya Jayachandran
- Division of Medical Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shivani Soni
- Division of Medical Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Wu Zhang
- Division of Medical Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christoph Mancao
- Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech Inc., Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Tianshu Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Volker Heinemann
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Alfredo Falcone
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Lin Shen
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, 52 Fucheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Joshua Millstein
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Heinz-Josef Lenz
- Division of Medical Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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50
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He J, Du C, Peng X, Hong W, Qiu D, Qiu X, Zhang X, Qin Y, Zhang Q. Hepatocyte nuclear factor 1A suppresses innate immune response by inducing degradation of TBK1 to inhibit steatohepatitis. Genes Dis 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2022.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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