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Xu Q, Chen Y, Jin Y, Wang Z, Dong H, Kaufmann AM, Albers AE, Qian X. Advanced Nanomedicine for High-Risk HPV-Driven Head and Neck Cancer. Viruses 2022; 14:v14122824. [PMID: 36560828 PMCID: PMC9788019 DOI: 10.3390/v14122824] [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: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence of high-risk Human Papillomavirus (HR-HPV)-driven head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is on the rise globally. HR-HPV-driven HNSCC displays molecular and clinical characteristics distinct from HPV-uninvolved cases. Therapeutic strategies for HR-HPV-driven HNSCC are under investigation. HR-HPVs encode the oncogenes E6 and E7, which are essential in tumorigenesis. Meanwhile, involvement of E6 and E7 provides attractive targets for developing new therapeutic regimen. Here we will review some of the recent advancements observed in preclinical studies and clinical trials on HR-HPV-driven HNSCC, focusing on nanotechnology related methods. Materials science innovation leads to great improvement for cancer therapeutics including HNSCC. This article discusses HPV-E6 or -E7- based vaccines, based on plasmid, messenger RNA or peptide, at their current stage of development and testing as well as how nanoparticles can be designed to target and access cancer cells and activate certain immunology pathways besides serving as a delivery vehicle. Nanotechnology was also used for chemotherapy and photothermal treatment. Short interference RNA targeting E6/E7 showed some potential in animal models. Gene editing by CRISPR-CAS9 combined with other treatments has also been assessed. These advancements have the potential to improve the outcome in HR-HPV-driven HNSCC, however breakthroughs are still to be awaited with nanomedicine playing an important role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Xu
- The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310022, China
| | - Ye Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 East Banshan Road, Gongshu District, Hangzhou 310022, China
| | - Yuan Jin
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 East Banshan Road, Gongshu District, Hangzhou 310022, China
| | - Zhiyu Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 East Banshan Road, Gongshu District, Hangzhou 310022, China
- Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Haoru Dong
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 East Banshan Road, Gongshu District, Hangzhou 310022, China
- Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Andreas M. Kaufmann
- Clinic for Gynecology, Berlin Institute of Health, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 12203 Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas E. Albers
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Medical School Berlin, 14197 Berlin, Germany
| | - Xu Qian
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 East Banshan Road, Gongshu District, Hangzhou 310022, China
- Correspondence:
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Taylor D, Meyer CT, Graves D, Sen R, Fu J, Tran E, Mirza B, Rodriguez G, Lang C, Feng H, Quaranta V, Wilson JT, Kim YJ, Korrer MJ. MuSyC dosing of adjuvanted cancer vaccines optimizes antitumor responses. Front Immunol 2022; 13:936129. [PMID: 36059502 PMCID: PMC9437625 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.936129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
With the clinical approval of T-cell-dependent immune checkpoint inhibitors for many cancers, therapeutic cancer vaccines have re-emerged as a promising immunotherapy. Cancer vaccines require the addition of immunostimulatory adjuvants to increase vaccine immunogenicity, and increasingly multiple adjuvants are used in combination to bolster further and shape cellular immunity to tumor antigens. However, rigorous quantification of adjuvants' synergistic interactions is challenging due to partial redundancy in costimulatory molecules and cytokine production, leading to the common assumption that combining both adjuvants at the maximum tolerated dose results in optimal efficacy. Herein, we examine this maximum dose assumption and find combinations of these doses are suboptimal. Instead, we optimized dendritic cell activation by extending the Multidimensional Synergy of Combinations (MuSyC) framework that measures the synergy of efficacy and potency between two vaccine adjuvants. Initially, we performed a preliminary in vitro screening of clinically translatable adjuvant receptor targets (TLR, STING, NLL, and RIG-I). We determined that STING agonist (CDN) plus TLR4 agonist (MPL-A) or TLR7/8 agonist (R848) as the best pairwise combinations for dendritic cell activation. In addition, we found that the combination of R848 and CDN is synergistically efficacious and potent in activating both murine and human antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in vitro. These two selected adjuvants were then used to estimate a MuSyC-dose optimized for in vivo T-cell priming using ovalbumin-based peptide vaccines. Finally, using B16 melanoma and MOC1 head and neck cancer models, MuSyC-dose-based adjuvating of cancer vaccines improved the antitumor response, increased tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and induced novel myeloid tumor infiltration changes. Further, the MuSyC-dose-based adjuvants approach did not cause additional weight changes or increased plasma cytokine levels compared to CDN alone. Collectively, our findings offer a proof of principle that our MuSyC-extended approach can be used to optimize cancer vaccine formulations for immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Taylor
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Christian T. Meyer
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Diana Graves
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Rupashree Sen
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Juan Fu
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Emily Tran
- College Arts and Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Bilal Mirza
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Gabriel Rodriguez
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Cara Lang
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Hanwen Feng
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Vito Quaranta
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - John T. Wilson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Young J. Kim
- Oncology Chair, Global Development, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY, United States
| | - Michael J. Korrer
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
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Huang L, Ge X, Liu Y, Li H, Zhang Z. The Role of Toll-like Receptor Agonists and Their Nanomedicines for Tumor Immunotherapy. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14061228. [PMID: 35745800 PMCID: PMC9230510 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14061228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a class of pattern recognition receptors that play a critical role in innate and adaptive immunity. Toll-like receptor agonists (TLRa) as vaccine adjuvant candidates have become one of the recent research hotspots in the cancer immunomodulatory field. Nevertheless, numerous current systemic deliveries of TLRa are inappropriate for clinical adoption due to their low efficiency and systemic adverse reactions. TLRa-loaded nanoparticles are capable of ameliorating the risk of immune-related toxicity and of strengthening tumor suppression and eradication. Herein, we first briefly depict the patterns of TLRa, followed by the mechanism of agonists at those targets. Second, we summarize the emerging applications of TLRa-loaded nanomedicines as state-of-the-art strategies to advance cancer immunotherapy. Additionally, we outline perspectives related to the development of nanomedicine-based TLRa combined with other therapeutic modalities for malignancies immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Hui Li
- Correspondence: (H.L.); (Z.Z.)
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Xu F, Guan Y, Zhang P, Xue L, Ma Y, Gao M, Chong T, Ren BC. Tumor mutational burden presents limiting effects on predicting the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors and prognostic assessment in adrenocortical carcinoma. BMC Endocr Disord 2022; 22:130. [PMID: 35568842 PMCID: PMC9107278 DOI: 10.1186/s12902-022-01017-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a highly malignant urologic cancer and tends to metastasize. Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) bring a glimmer of light to conquer ACC, only a fraction of patients have benefit from ICIs treatment. It is well known that tumor mutational burden (TMB) is closely associated with the efficacy and response rate of immunotherapy. However, its roles in ACC were not investigated. METHODS Using somatic mutations data of 92 ACC samples in TCGA database, we calculated their TMB values by the 'maftools' package in R software (Ver 3.6.3). To explore the roles of TMB in ICIs therapy, we have addressed this issue from three perspectives. First, the effects of TMB levels on tumor immune microenvironment (TIM) were analyzed through CIBERSORT algorithm, ssGSEA method and TIMER web server. Second, we investigated the expressive correlations between TMB level and five pivotal immune checkpoints based on Pearson coefficient. Third, the difference in TIDE score between high- and low-TMB groups was compared. The prognostic value of TMB was also evaluated. Besides, GSEA was performed to determine the changes in the activities of signaling pathways caused by TMB. RESULTS TMB values in ACC samples were not high. The average of total mutation counts in each sample was only 21.5. High TMB could lead metabolic reprogramming and poor survival outcomes. However, it was unable to affect the infiltration levels of lymphocytes, and failed to facilitate the activities of immune-related pathways. Regarding immune checkpoints (ICs), only PD-L1 upregulation could result in a good prognosis, and TMB level did not correlate with the expressions of other ICs except for LAG3. There was no significant difference in TIDE score between high- and low-TMB groups. Combining the present results and previous study, we speculated that inadequate stimulation for neoantigens formation, intrinsic immune-resistance and special genomic alterations were three possible reasons for TMB limiting functions in TIM and ICIs. Besides, TMB was toughly applied in clinical practice due to its high cost of determination and non-universal definition of high TMB. CONCLUSIONS TMB presents limiting effects on prediction for ICIs efficacy and prognostic assessment for ACC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangshi Xu
- Department of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 76, Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 157, West Five Road, Xi'an, 710000, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Yibing Guan
- Department of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 76, Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 157, West Five Road, Xi'an, 710000, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 157, West Five Road, Xi'an, 710000, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Li Xue
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 157, West Five Road, Xi'an, 710000, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Yubo Ma
- Department of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 76, Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 157, West Five Road, Xi'an, 710000, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Mei Gao
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 157, West Five Road, Xi'an, 710000, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Tie Chong
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 157, West Five Road, Xi'an, 710000, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Bin-Cheng Ren
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 157, West Five Road, Xi'an, 710000, Shaanxi Province, China.
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HPV16 E6-specific T cell response and HLA-A alleles are related to the prognosis of patients with cervical cancer. Infect Agent Cancer 2021; 16:61. [PMID: 34530896 PMCID: PMC8447512 DOI: 10.1186/s13027-021-00395-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND T cell epitopes are polypeptide fragments presented to T cell receptors by MHC molecules encoded by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes after antigen-presenting cell processing, which is the basis for the study of antigen immune mechanism and multi-epitope vaccine. This study investigated T cell response to HPV16 E6 and E7 in patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). Also, the HLA-A allele distribution was compared among patients and evaluated as a factor to predict prognosis in these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study recruited a total of 76 patients with International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IIB-IIIB CSCC. Mononuclear cells were isolated from the peripheral blood before any treatment and then enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISpot) assay was employed to measure the E6 and E7-specific T cell response. HLA-A alleles were typed using Sanger sequencing-based typing techniques with DNA extracted from the peripheral blood. The correlation between the T cell responses, HLA-A allele distribution and patient prognosis were analysed using the Kaplan-Meier method, univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS The frequency of HPV E6-specific T cell responses in patients with pelvic lymph node metastasis was lower than that in patients without metastasis (P = 0.022). The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates of patients were 87.5% for those responding to multiple overlapping peptides, 72.7% for those responding to 1-2 overlapping peptides and 47.7% for non-responders (P = 0.032). Cox regression analysis indicated that the presence of HLA*A02:07 was independently associated with worse OS (hazard ratio [HR] 3.042; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.348-6.862; P = 0.007), while concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) was independently associated with better OS (HR 0.475; 95% CI 0.232-0.975; P = 0.042). CONCLUSION The results of our study demonstrated that the level of HPV16 E6-specific T cell response and HLA*A02:07 were correlated with prognosis in patients with advanced CSCC.
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Xu F, Zhang Z, Zhao Y, Zhou Y, Pei H, Bai L. Bioinformatic mining and validation of the effects of ferroptosis regulators on the prognosis and progression of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Gene 2021; 795:145804. [PMID: 34175402 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.145804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Ferroptosis, a new form of programmed cell death, provides a new option for anti-tumor treatment. However, the roles of ferroptosis-related (FR) genes in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) were not fully elaborated. In the present study, 185 TCGA samples and 81 ICGC samples were used as training and validation cohorts, respectively. A novel FR risk signature (ALOX5, ALOX12, PTGS2, SAT1, STEAP3 and SQLE) was constructed via the Lasso regression analysis. In TCGA cohort, the risk signature was identified as an independent prognostic factor. Decision curve analysis (DCA) indicated that FR risk score could increase the net benefit when making clinical-decision. In addition, we constructed a nomogram to predict the overall survival rate (OSR) of individual at 1,2,3 year. Meanwhile, the prognostic value was partly validated in ICGC cohort. Through immune analyses, we found that high FR risk could affect the immune abundances of five lymphocytes but not effectively affect the activities of immune-related pathways. The expressions of most FR risk genes did not correlate with that of PD-L1(CD274) and CTLA4. Further, through RT-qPCR tests, the expressions of PTGS2 and SQLE were proven to be significantly upregulated in normal pancreatic duct epithelia cell (HPDE6-C7) compared to pancreatic cancer cells (SW1990 and BxPC-3). MTT, wound-healing and transwell assays revealed that silencing PTGS2 and SQLE could inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells. Besides, western-blot assays showed that blocking PTGS2 and SQLE expressions could suppress the protein expressions of cyclin D1 and N-cadherin, but facilitate that of E-cadherin, which suggested that they were involved in the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Collectively, FR risk signature provides an important complement for PAAD prognostic analysis. High FR risk level can adversely affect anti-tumor immune process, but may not serve as a predictive marker of ICIs efficacy. PTGS2 and SQLE are proven to possess cancer-promoting abilities in PAAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangshi Xu
- Department of Emergency, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710000, Shaanxi Province, China; Department of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710000, Shaanxi Province, China.
| | - Zhengliang Zhang
- Department of Emergency, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710000, Shaanxi Province, China.
| | - Yidi Zhao
- Department of Emergency, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710000, Shaanxi Province, China.
| | - Yang Zhou
- Department of Emergency, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710000, Shaanxi Province, China.
| | - Honghong Pei
- Department of Emergency, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710000, Shaanxi Province, China.
| | - Ling Bai
- Department of Emergency, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710000, Shaanxi Province, China.
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Horwitz DA, Bickerton S, La Cava A. Strategies to Use Nanoparticles to Generate CD4 and CD8 Regulatory T Cells for the Treatment of SLE and Other Autoimmune Diseases. Front Immunol 2021; 12:681062. [PMID: 34211471 PMCID: PMC8239238 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.681062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Autoimmune diseases are disorders of immune regulation where the mechanisms responsible for self-tolerance break down and pathologic T cells overcome the protective effects of T regulatory cells (Tregs) that normally control them. The result can be the initiation of chronic inflammatory diseases. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other autoimmune diseases are generally treated with pharmacologic or biological agents that have broad suppressive effects. These agents can halt disease progression, yet rarely cure while carrying serious adverse side effects. Recently, nanoparticles have been engineered to correct homeostatic regulatory defects and regenerate therapeutic antigen-specific Tregs. Some approaches have used nanoparticles targeted to antigen presenting cells to switch their support from pathogenic T cells to protective Tregs. Others have used nanoparticles targeted directly to T cells for the induction and expansion of CD4+ and CD8+ Tregs. Some of these T cell targeted nanoparticles have been formulated to act as tolerogenic artificial antigen presenting cells. This article discusses the properties of these various nanoparticle formulations and the strategies to use them in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. The restoration and maintenance of Treg predominance over effector cells should promote long-term autoimmune disease remission and ultimately prevent them in susceptible individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Horwitz
- General Nanotherapeutics, LLC, Santa Monica, CA, United States
- Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Sean Bickerton
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Antonio La Cava
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Xu F, Guan Y, Ma Y, Xue L, Zhang P, Yang X, Chong T. Bioinformatic analyses and experimental validation of the role of m6A RNA methylation regulators in progression and prognosis of adrenocortical carcinoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:11919-11941. [PMID: 33952721 PMCID: PMC8109058 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
M6A-related genes have been proven to play an important role in many cancers. However, the role of that in adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, 77 ACC samples from TCGA database were divided into localized (n = 46) and metastatic (n = 31) groups. Three differential expression genes (DEGs) and five prognostic m6A genes were screened out. M6A-related risk signature (RBM15 and HNRNPC) was constructed by the Lasso regression analysis. In TCGA cohort (training cohort), the risk signature was identified as an ACC-independent prognostic factor and can distinguish the prognostic difference of ACC patients with clinical stage I-II, T3-4 and N0 stages. A nomogram combining T stage and m6A risk score was constructed to predict the overall survival rate (OSR) of individual at 1,2,3 year. Meanwhile, its prognostic value was also confirmed in the validation cohort (GSE33371 dataset). The potential associations between m6A risk level and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy were also investigated via the TISIDB online tool. High m6A risk not only can suppress immunotherapy-related biological processes, but also repress the expressions of immune-checkpoint markers. Moreover, five pairs of clinical specimens were collected to confirm the overexpression of HNRNPC and non-ectopic expression of RBM15 in tumor tissues. HNRNPC was proven to promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of H295R and SW13 cells through MTT and Transwell assays. In conclusion, the m6A-related risk signature was beneficial for prognostic analysis and can affect immune microenvironment in ACC. HNRNPC played a pro-cancer role in ACC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangshi Xu
- Department of Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Yibing Guan
- Department of Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Yubo Ma
- Department of Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Li Xue
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710000, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710000, China
| | - Xiaojie Yang
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710000, China
| | - Tie Chong
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710000, China
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Lin PH, Liang CY, Yao BY, Chen HW, Pan CF, Wu LL, Lin YH, Hsu YS, Liu YH, Chen PJ, Hu CMJ, Yang HC. Robust induction of T RMs by combinatorial nanoshells confers cross-strain sterilizing immunity against lethal influenza viruses. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2021; 21:299-314. [PMID: 33898629 PMCID: PMC8047433 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2021.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Antigen-specific lung-resident memory T cells (TRMs) constitute the first line of defense that mediates rapid protection against respiratory pathogens and inspires novel vaccine designs against infectious pandemic threats, yet effective means of inducing TRMs, particularly via non-viral vectors, remain challenging. Here, we demonstrate safe and potent induction of lung-resident TRMs using a biodegradable polymeric nanoshell that co-encapsulates antigenic peptides and TLR9 agonist CpG-oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG-ODN) in a virus-mimicking structure. Through subcutaneous priming and intranasal boosting, the combinatorial nanoshell vaccine elicits prominent lung-resident CD4+ and CD8+ T cells that surprisingly show better durability than live viral infections. In particular, nanoshells containing CpG-ODN and a pair of conserved class I and II major histocompatibility complex-restricted influenza nucleoprotein-derived antigenic peptides are demonstrated to induce near-sterilizing immunity against lethal infections with influenza A viruses of different strains and subtypes in mice, resulting in rapid elimination of replicating viruses. We further examine the pulmonary transport dynamic and optimal composition of the nanoshell vaccine conducive for robust TRM induction as well as the benefit of subcutaneous priming on TRM replenishment. The study presents a practical vaccination strategy for inducing protective TRM-mediated immunity, offering a compelling platform and critical insights in the ongoing quest toward a broadly protective vaccine against universal influenza as well as other respiratory pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pin-Hung Lin
- Graduate Institute of Microbiology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chieh-Yu Liang
- Graduate Institute of Microbiology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Bing-Yu Yao
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Wen Chen
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Fu Pan
- Graduate Institute of Microbiology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Li-Ling Wu
- Institute of Physiology, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Hsuan Lin
- Graduate Institute of Microbiology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Sung Hsu
- Graduate Institute of Microbiology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Han Liu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Jer Chen
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Che-Ming Jack Hu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Chih Yang
- Graduate Institute of Microbiology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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Chen Q, Shi R, Liu Z, Shi Z, Gu K, Chen J, He Y, Li Y, Wu J, Ji S, Zhou J, Zhu J. Prognostic significance of negative conversion of high-risk Human Papillomavirus DNA after treatment in Cervical Cancer patients. J Cancer 2020; 11:5911-5917. [PMID: 32922533 PMCID: PMC7477422 DOI: 10.7150/jca.46683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the prognostic value of conversion of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) status after treatment for cervical cancer. Methods: A total of 112 cervical cancer patients with HR-HPV positivity without distant metastasis treated with surgery or radical concurrent radiochemotherapy were enrolled. HR-HPV status was analyzed before and after treatment and at the time point of recurrence or metastasis. Log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the association between conversion of HR-HPV status after treatment and survival. Results: Eighty-four (75%) patients had negative conversion HR-HPV (ncHR-HPV) after treatment and twenty-eight (25%) were persistent positive HR-HPV (ppHR-HPV). The negative conversion rate was 75.8% in patients who received surgical treatment and 71.4% in patients who received radical concurrent radiochemotherapy. There was no significant difference between the two groups (χ2=0.000, P=1.000). There was no significant correlation between HR-HPV conversion after treatment with age (χ2=0.616, P=0.252), FIGO stage (χ2=0.051, P=0.823) and pathological type (χ2=0.000, P=1.000). Univariate analysis showed that treatment regimen and ncHR-HPV was closely related to progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of cervical cancer patients. Multivariate COX regression model showed that treatment regimen (HR=3.57, 95% CI: 1.57-8.11, P=0.002) and ncHR-HPV (HR=5.14, 95% CI: 2.32-11.46, P<0.001) were independent prognostic factors for PFS, while only ncHR-HPV (HR=12.56, 95% CI: 3.54-44.65, P<0.001) was an independent prognostic factor for OS. The presence of ppHR-HPV after treatment (χ2=14.827, P<0.001) was associated with recurrence and metastasis. Eleven of the patients with ncHR-HPV after treatment had recurrence or metastasis, and HPV reinfection was not detected in any of them. Conclusion: ncHR-HPV after treatment in cervical cancer patients indicated better PFS and OS, while ppHR-HPV indicated worse prognosis and high risk of recurrence or metastasis. For patients with ncHR-HPV after treatment, continued HPV screening may not predict recurrence or metastasis. This study suggested that HR-HPV monitoring is necessary for ppHR-HPV patients after treatment but may not be for ncHR-HPV patients. However, further large and multi-center prospective studies should be performed to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingqing Chen
- Department of Radiotherapy & Oncology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Runjun Shi
- Department of Radiotherapy & Oncology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Zhengcao Liu
- Department of Radiotherapy & Oncology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Zhouhong Shi
- Department of Gynecology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Ke Gu
- Department of Radiotherapy & Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Radiotherapy & Oncology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yan He
- Department of Radiotherapy & Oncology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Radiotherapy & Oncology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jinchang Wu
- Department of Radiotherapy & Oncology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Shengjun Ji
- Department of Radiotherapy & Oncology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jundong Zhou
- Department of Radiotherapy & Oncology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jiahao Zhu
- Department of Radiotherapy & Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
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11
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Xu Q, Fang M, Zhu J, Dong H, Cao J, Yan L, Leonard F, Oppel F, Sudhoff H, Kaufmann AM, Albers AE, Qian X. Insights into Nanomedicine for Immunotherapeutics in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the head and neck. Int J Biol Sci 2020; 16:2506-2517. [PMID: 32792853 PMCID: PMC7415431 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.47068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint blockade benefit only a portion of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The multidisciplinary field of nanomedicine is emerging as a promising strategy to achieve maximal anti-tumor effect in cancer immunotherapy and to turn non-responders into responders. Various methods have been developed to deliver therapeutic agents that can overcome bio-barriers, improve therapeutic delivery into the tumor and lymphoid tissues and reduce adverse effects in normal tissues. Additional modification strategies also have been employed to improve targeting and boost cytotoxic T cell-based immune responses. Here, we review the state-of-the-art use of nanotechnologies in the laboratory, in advanced preclinical phases as well as those running through clinical trials assessing their advantages and challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Xu
- Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital); Institute of Cancer and Basic Medicine (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences. Hangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Meiyu Fang
- Key Laboratory of Head & Neck Cancer Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital); Institute of Cancer and Basic Medicine (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences. Hangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Jing Zhu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital); Institute of Cancer and Basic Medicine (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences. Hangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Haoru Dong
- First School of Clinical Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, P.R. China
| | - Jun Cao
- Key Laboratory of Head & Neck Cancer Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital); Institute of Cancer and Basic Medicine (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences. Hangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Lin Yan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Fransisca Leonard
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, USA
| | - Felix Oppel
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Klinikum Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Holger Sudhoff
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Klinikum Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Andreas M Kaufmann
- Clinic for Gynecology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas E Albers
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Xu Qian
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital); Institute of Cancer and Basic Medicine (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences. Hangzhou, P.R. China
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12
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Therapeutic ISCOMATRIX™ adjuvant vaccine elicits effective anti-tumor immunity in the TRAMP-C1 mouse model of prostate cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2020; 69:1959-1972. [PMID: 32388678 PMCID: PMC7223769 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-020-02597-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cancer vaccine development has proven challenging with the exception of some virally induced cancers for which prophylactic vaccines exist. Currently, there is only one FDA approved vaccine for the treatment of prostate cancer and as such prostate cancer continues to present a significant unmet medical need. In this study, we examine the effectiveness of a therapeutic cancer vaccine that combines the ISCOMATRIX™ adjuvant (ISCOMATRIX) with the Toll-like receptor 3 agonist, polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C), and Flt3L, FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand. We employed the TRAMP-C1 (transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate) model of prostate cancer and the self-protein mPAP (prostatic acid phosphatase) as the tumor antigen. ISCOMATRIX™-mPAP-Poly I:C-Flt3L was delivered in a therapeutic prime-boost regime that was consistently able to achieve complete tumor regression in 60% of animals treated and these tumor-free animals were protected upon rechallenge. Investigations into the underlying immunological mechanisms contributing to the effectiveness of this vaccine identified that both innate and adaptive responses are elicited and required. NK cells, CD4+ T cells and interferon-γ were all found to be critical for tumor control while tumor infiltrating CD8+ T cells became disabled by an immunosuppressive microenvironment. There is potential for broader application of this cancer vaccine, as we have been able to demonstrate effectiveness in two additional cancer models; melanoma (B16-OVA) and a model of B cell lymphoma (Eµ-myc-GFP-OVA).
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13
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Horwitz DA, Fahmy TM, Piccirillo CA, La Cava A. Rebalancing Immune Homeostasis to Treat Autoimmune Diseases. Trends Immunol 2019; 40:888-908. [PMID: 31601519 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2019.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
During homeostasis, interactions between tolerogenic dendritic cells (DCs), self-reactive T cells, and T regulatory cells (Tregs) contribute to maintaining mammalian immune tolerance. In response to infection, immunogenic DCs promote the generation of proinflammatory effector T cell subsets. When complex homeostatic mechanisms maintaining the balance between regulatory and effector functions become impaired, autoimmune diseases can develop. We discuss some of the newest advances on the mechanisms of physiopathologic homeostasis that can be employed to develop strategies to restore a dysregulated immune equilibrium. Some of these designs are based on selectively activating regulators of immunity and inflammation instead of broadly suppressing these processes. Promising approaches include the use of nanoparticles (NPs) to restore Treg control over self-reactive cells, aiming to achieve long-term disease remission, and potentially to prevent autoimmunity in susceptible individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Horwitz
- General Nanotherapeutics, LLC, Santa Monica, CA, USA; Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Tarek M Fahmy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Immunobiology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ciriaco A Piccirillo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Program in Infectious Disease and Immunity in Global Health, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada; Centre of Excellence in Translational Immunology (CETI), Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Antonio La Cava
- Department of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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14
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Braunstein MJ, Kucharczyk J, Adams S. Targeting Toll-Like Receptors for Cancer Therapy. Target Oncol 2019; 13:583-598. [PMID: 30229471 DOI: 10.1007/s11523-018-0589-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The immune system encompasses a broad array of defense mechanisms against foreign threats, including invading pathogens and transformed neoplastic cells. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are critically involved in innate immunity, serving as pattern recognition receptors whose stimulation leads to additional innate and adaptive immune responses. Malignant cells exploit the natural immunomodulatory functions of TLRs, expressed mainly by infiltrating immune cells but also aberrantly by tumor cells, to foster their survival, invasion, and evasion of anti-tumor immune responses. An extensive body of research has demonstrated context-specific roles for TLR activation in different malignancies, promoting disease progression in certain instances while limiting cancer growth in others. Despite these conflicting roles, TLR agonists have established therapeutic benefits as anti-cancer agents that activate immune cells in the tumor microenvironment and facilitate the expression of cytokines that allow for infiltration of anti-tumor lymphocytes and the suppression of oncogenic signaling pathways. This review focuses on the clinical application of TLR agonists for cancer treatment. We also highlight agents that are undergoing development in clinical trials, including investigations of TLR agonists in combination with other immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc J Braunstein
- Department of Medicine, NYU Winthrop Hospital, 120 Mineola Blvd. Suite 500, Mineola, 11501, NY, USA
| | - John Kucharczyk
- Department of Medicine, NYU Winthrop Hospital, 120 Mineola Blvd. Suite 500, Mineola, 11501, NY, USA
| | - Sylvia Adams
- Department of Medicine, NYU Langone Medical Center, Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, 160 East 34th Street, 4th Floor, New York, 10016, NY, USA.
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15
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Cuschieri K, Lorincz AT, Nedjai B. Human Papillomavirus Research: Where Should We Place Our Bets? Acta Cytol 2019; 63:85-96. [PMID: 30921789 DOI: 10.1159/000493800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Massive strides have been made with respect to primary and secondary prevention of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated disease as a result of prophylactic vaccination and cervical screening based on molecular HPV testing. However, cervical cancer continues to be an important clinical and societal burden. Additionally, other HPV-associated cancers, for which there are no screening programmes, are rising. Finally, the optimal combination of vaccination and screening strategies will require careful thinking. Considering this unprecedented and important time, we were keen to solicit the views of the expert community to determine what they perceived were the key priorities for HPV research. Our objective was to identify consensus and key priorities for HPV-based research through provision of a questionnaire disseminated to a multidisciplinary group of key opinion leaders (KOLs). SUMMARY A structured survey composed of 46 HPV research "categories" was sent to 73 KOLs who were invited to "rank" the categories according to priority. The invitees represented clinical and public health disciplines as well as basic scientists. Scores were weighted according to the number of responses. Invitees also had the opportunity to comment on barriers to the research and suggest other research areas that required attention not reflected in the survey. We received 29 responses in total; overall, the 3 highest-ranked categories were "optimal cervical screening in low and middle-income countries (LMICs)," "primary disease prevention in LMICs" and "impact of vaccine on HPV infection and associated disease." "HPV and the microbiome" and "mechanisms of transformation" were the highest-ranked categories with respect to basic research. Consistent barriers to research were around governance on the use of samples and data and funding, particularly in an era of vaccination. Key Messages: Research to support the management of disease in LMICs is clearly perceived as a priority in the international community in addition to other diverse areas which necessitate an improved basic understanding of viral mechanisms and interactions. International, multidisciplinary efforts which articulate the broader HPV research agenda will be important when seeking funding in addition to international endeavours to support the efficient use of existing samples and cohorts to facilitate such research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Cuschieri
- Scottish HPV Reference Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Attila T Lorincz
- Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Centre for Cancer Prevention, Queen Mary University of London, Barts and the London School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom,
| | - Belinda Nedjai
- Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Centre for Cancer Prevention, Queen Mary University of London, Barts and the London School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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16
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Ma M, Feng Y, Fan P, Yao X, Peng Y, Dong T, Wang R. Human papilloma virus E1-specific T cell immune response is associated with the prognosis of cervical cancer patients with squamous cell carcinoma. Infect Agent Cancer 2018; 13:35. [PMID: 30479656 PMCID: PMC6240195 DOI: 10.1186/s13027-018-0206-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cervical cancer is attributable to human papilloma virus (HPV) infection in the majority cases. E1, an HPV derived-protein, plays an important role in the initiation and development of cervical cancer. Our study aims to investigate the HPV E1-specific T cell response in patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). Methods A total of 66 CSCC patients with FIGO stage IIB-IIIB and 60 healthy controls were enrolled. Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSpot (ELISPOT) assays was used to measure the HPV E1-specific T cell response in the peripheral blood of these patients before treatment. The patients were treated with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy and followed up clinically for three years. The relationship between the T cell response, various clinical characteristics and the prognosis were studied with univariate analysis, multivariate analysis and survival curve analysis. Results The frequency of HPV E1-specific T cell response in peripheral blood of cervical cancer patients was 59.09%, with mean response intensity 24.56 SFC/106 PBMCs. The frequency and intensity of HPV E1-specific T cell response in patients were higher than healthy controls(p < 0.001; p = 0.009). The intensity of HPV E1-specific T cell responses were higher in the stage IIB patients and patients with no pelvic lymph node metastasis (p = 0.038; p = 0.044). Univariate analysis showed that HPV E1 specific T cell response was associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (PFS: p = 0.021; OS: p = 0.004). Multivariate analysis showed that HPV E1-specific T cell response was an independent prognostic factor influencing PFS and OS among all the factors included in our study (PFS: HR = 7.252, 95%CI = 1.690–31.126, p = 0.008; OS: HR = 7.499, 95%CI = 1.661–33.856, p = 0.009). The survival curves showed that the rate of PFS and OS in patients with HPV E1 specific T cell response was significantly higher than those who did not response. Conclusions Our study demonstrated that the level of HPV E1-specific T cell response was correlated with the survival of advanced patients with CSCC. Patients who displayed no HPV E1-specific T cell response were more likely to be those with poor prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaomiao Ma
- 1Department of Radiation Oncology, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Ürümqi, China
| | - Yaning Feng
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy and Radiotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Ürümqi, China
| | - Peiwen Fan
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy and Radiotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Ürümqi, China
| | - Xuan Yao
- 3MRC Human Immunology Unit, The Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford, UK
| | - Yanchun Peng
- 3MRC Human Immunology Unit, The Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford, UK
| | - Tao Dong
- 3MRC Human Immunology Unit, The Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford, UK.,4Nuffeld Department of Medicine, CAMS Oxford Center for Translational Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Oxford Institute, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - Ruozheng Wang
- 1Department of Radiation Oncology, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Ürümqi, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy and Radiotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Ürümqi, China
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