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Liu Y, Qi L, Ye B, Wang A, Lu J, Qu L, Luo P, Wang L, Jiang A. MOICS, a novel classier deciphering immune heterogeneity and aid precise management of clear cell renal cell carcinoma at multiomics level. Cancer Biol Ther 2024; 25:2345977. [PMID: 38659199 PMCID: PMC11057626 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2024.2345977] [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: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have indicated that the tumor immune microenvironment plays a pivotal role in the initiation and progression of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). However, the characteristics and heterogeneity of tumor immunity in ccRCC, particularly at the multiomics level, remain poorly understood. We analyzed immune multiomics datasets to perform a consensus cluster analysis and validate the clustering results across multiple internal and external ccRCC datasets; and identified two distinctive immune phenotypes of ccRCC, which we named multiomics immune-based cancer subtype 1 (MOICS1) and subtype 2 (MOICS2). The former, MOICS1, is characterized by an immune-hot phenotype with poor clinical outcomes, marked by significant proliferation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, fibroblasts, and high levels of immune inhibitory signatures; the latter, MOICS2, exhibits an immune-cold phenotype with favorable clinical characteristics, characterized by robust immune activity and high infiltration of endothelial cells and immune stimulatory signatures. Besides, a significant negative correlation between immune infiltration and angiogenesis were identified. We further explored the mechanisms underlying these differences, revealing that negatively regulated endopeptidase activity, activated cornification, and neutrophil degranulation may promote an immune-deficient phenotype, whereas enhanced monocyte recruitment could ameliorate this deficiency. Additionally, significant differences were observed in the genomic landscapes between the subtypes: MOICS1 exhibited mutations in TTN, BAP1, SETD2, MTOR, MUC16, CSMD3, and AKAP9, while MOICS2 was characterized by notable alterations in the TGF-β pathway. Overall, our work demonstrates that multi-immune omics remodeling analysis enhances the understanding of the immune heterogeneity in ccRCC and supports precise patient management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liu
- Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Qi
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Bicheng Ye
- School of Clinical Medicine, Medical College of Yangzhou Polytechnic College, Yangzhou, China
| | - Anbang Wang
- Department of Urology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Juan Lu
- Vocational Education Center, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Le Qu
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Peng Luo
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Linhui Wang
- Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Aimin Jiang
- Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China
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2
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Cheng W, Zhu N, Wang J, Yang R. A role of gut microbiota metabolites in HLA-E and NKG2 blockage immunotherapy against tumors: new insights for clinical application. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1331518. [PMID: 39229258 PMCID: PMC11368731 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1331518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Abstract
One of major breakthroughs in immunotherapy against tumor is from blocking immune checkpoint molecules on tumor and reactive T cells. The development of CTLA-4 and PD-1 blockage antibodies has triggered to search for additional effective therapeutic strategies. This causes recent findings that blocking the interaction of checkpoint molecule NKG2A in NK and CD8 T cells with HLA-E in tumors is effective in defensing tumors. Interestingly, gut microbiota also affects this immune checkpoint immunotherapy against tumor. Gut microbiota such as bacteria can contribute to the regulation of host immune response and homeostasis. They not only promote the differentiation and function of immunosuppressive cells but also the inflammatory cells through the metabolites such as tryptophan (Trp) and bile acid (BA) metabolites as well as short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). These gut microbiota metabolites (GMMs) educated immune cells can affect the differentiation and function of effective CD8 and NK cells. Notably, these metabolites also directly affect the activity of CD8 and NK cells. Furthermore, the expression of CD94/NKG2A in the immune cells and/or their ligand HLA-E in the tumor cells is also regulated by gut microbiota associated immune factors. These findings offer new insights for the clinical application of gut microbiota in precise and/or personalized treatments of tumors. In this review, we will discuss the impacts of GMMs and GMM educated immune cells on the activity of effective CD8 and NK cells and the expression of CD94/NKG2A in immune cells and/or their ligand HLA-E in tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyue Cheng
- Translational Medicine Institute, Affiliated Tianjin Union Medical Center of Nankai University, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Immunology, Nankai University School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ningning Zhu
- Translational Medicine Institute, Affiliated Tianjin Union Medical Center of Nankai University, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Immunology, Nankai University School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Juanjuan Wang
- Translational Medicine Institute, Affiliated Tianjin Union Medical Center of Nankai University, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Immunology, Nankai University School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Rongcun Yang
- Translational Medicine Institute, Affiliated Tianjin Union Medical Center of Nankai University, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Immunology, Nankai University School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
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3
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Fu Y, Aganezov S, Mahmoud M, Beaulaurier J, Juul S, Treangen TJ, Sedlazeck FJ. MethPhaser: methylation-based long-read haplotype phasing of human genomes. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5327. [PMID: 38909018 PMCID: PMC11193733 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49588-0] [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: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The assignment of variants across haplotypes, phasing, is crucial for predicting the consequences, interaction, and inheritance of mutations and is a key step in improving our understanding of phenotype and disease. However, phasing is limited by read length and stretches of homozygosity along the genome. To overcome this limitation, we designed MethPhaser, a method that utilizes methylation signals from Oxford Nanopore Technologies to extend Single Nucleotide Variation (SNV)-based phasing. We demonstrate that haplotype-specific methylations extensively exist in Human genomes and the advent of long-read technologies enabled direct report of methylation signals. For ONT R9 and R10 cell line data, we increase the phase length N50 by 78%-151% at a phasing accuracy of 83.4-98.7% To assess the impact of tissue purity and random methylation signals due to inactivation, we also applied MethPhaser on blood samples from 4 patients, still showing improvements over SNV-only phasing. MethPhaser further improves phasing across HLA and multiple other medically relevant genes, improving our understanding of how mutations interact across multiple phenotypes. The concept of MethPhaser can also be extended to non-human diploid genomes. MethPhaser is available at https://github.com/treangenlab/methphaser .
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilei Fu
- Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Medhat Mahmoud
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - Sissel Juul
- Oxford Nanopore Technologies Inc, New York, NY, USA
| | - Todd J Treangen
- Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Fritz J Sedlazeck
- Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
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4
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Riva E, Carboni S, di Berardino-Besson W, Moyat M, Belnoue E, Devy-Dimanche L, Rossi M. Bimodal Effect of NKG2A Blockade on Intratumoral and Systemic CD8 T Cell Response Induced by Cancer Vaccine. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2036. [PMID: 38893156 PMCID: PMC11171001 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16112036] [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: 05/03/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune check-point blockade (ICB) has revitalized cancer immunotherapy, showing unprecedented efficacy despite only a narrow number of indications and with limited long-term protection. Cancer vaccines are promising combination partners for ICB to widen the patient population profiting from these treatments. Therapeutic heterologous prime-boost vaccination with KISIMATM protein vaccine and VSV-GP-TAg oncolytic virus was shown to inflame the tumor microenvironment, promoting significant infiltration of antigen-specific CD8 T cells resulting in robust antitumoral efficacy in mouse tumor models, and clinical trials are currently ongoing. Here, we report the impact of NKG2A blockade on antitumoral CD8 T cell immune response elicited by KISIMA-VSV-GP-TAg vaccination in tumor mouse models. Combination therapy significantly reduced the amount of vaccine-induced exhausted CD8 T cells infiltrating the tumor, resulting in short-term improved tumor growth control and prolonged mouse survival, while it also influenced the establishment of systemic effector memory CD8 T cell response. Taken together, these data show a compartment-dependent effect of NKG2A blockade on cancer vaccine-induced T cell immunity, increasing intratumoral T cell efficacy and attenuating the development of peripheral effector memory CD8 T cell response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Riva
- Amal Therapeutics, Fondation Pour Recherches Médicales, Avenue de la Roseraie 64, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, 55216 Ingelheim, Germany
| | - Susanna Carboni
- Amal Therapeutics, Fondation Pour Recherches Médicales, Avenue de la Roseraie 64, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, 55216 Ingelheim, Germany
| | - Wilma di Berardino-Besson
- Amal Therapeutics, Fondation Pour Recherches Médicales, Avenue de la Roseraie 64, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, 55216 Ingelheim, Germany
| | - Mati Moyat
- Amal Therapeutics, Fondation Pour Recherches Médicales, Avenue de la Roseraie 64, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, 55216 Ingelheim, Germany
| | - Elodie Belnoue
- Amal Therapeutics, Fondation Pour Recherches Médicales, Avenue de la Roseraie 64, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, 55216 Ingelheim, Germany
| | - Laetitia Devy-Dimanche
- Amal Therapeutics, Fondation Pour Recherches Médicales, Avenue de la Roseraie 64, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, 55216 Ingelheim, Germany
| | - Matteo Rossi
- Amal Therapeutics, Fondation Pour Recherches Médicales, Avenue de la Roseraie 64, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, 55216 Ingelheim, Germany
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5
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Iyer RF, Verweij MC, Nair SS, Morrow D, Mansouri M, Chakravarty D, Beechwood T, Meyer C, Uebelhoer L, Lauron EJ, Selseth A, John N, Thin TH, Dzedzik S, Havenar-Daughton C, Axthelm MK, Douglas J, Korman A, Bhardwaj N, Tewari AK, Hansen S, Malouli D, Picker LJ, Früh K. CD8 + T cell targeting of tumor antigens presented by HLA-E. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadm7515. [PMID: 38728394 PMCID: PMC11086602 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm7515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
The nonpolymorphic major histocompatibility complex E (MHC-E) molecule is up-regulated on many cancer cells, thus contributing to immune evasion by engaging inhibitory NKG2A/CD94 receptors on NK cells and tumor-infiltrating T cells. To investigate whether MHC-E expression by cancer cells can be targeted for MHC-E-restricted T cell control, we immunized rhesus macaques (RM) with rhesus cytomegalovirus (RhCMV) vectors genetically programmed to elicit MHC-E-restricted CD8+ T cells and to express established tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) including prostatic acidic phosphatase (PAP), Wilms tumor-1 protein, or Mesothelin. T cell responses to all three tumor antigens were comparable to viral antigen-specific responses with respect to frequency, duration, phenotype, epitope density, and MHC restriction. Thus, CMV-vectored cancer vaccines can bypass central tolerance by eliciting T cells to noncanonical epitopes. We further demonstrate that PAP-specific, MHC-E-restricted CD8+ T cells from RhCMV/PAP-immunized RM respond to PAP-expressing HLA-E+ prostate cancer cells, suggesting that the HLA-E/NKG2A immune checkpoint can be exploited for CD8+ T cell-based immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi F. Iyer
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Marieke C. Verweij
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Sujit S. Nair
- Department of Urology and Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - David Morrow
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Mandana Mansouri
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Dimple Chakravarty
- Department of Urology and Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Teresa Beechwood
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | | | - Luke Uebelhoer
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | | | - Andrea Selseth
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Nessy John
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Tin Htwe Thin
- Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Siarhei Dzedzik
- Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | | | - Michael K. Axthelm
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | | | - Alan Korman
- Vir Biotechnology, San Francisco, CA 14158, USA
| | - Nina Bhardwaj
- Department of Urology and Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ashutosh K. Tewari
- Department of Urology and Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Scott Hansen
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Daniel Malouli
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Louis J. Picker
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Klaus Früh
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
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6
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Sun L, Hong W, Wang S, Xu Y, Li C. Association of HLA-E single nucleotide polymorphisms with human myeloid leukemia. HLA 2024; 103:e15440. [PMID: 38605657 DOI: 10.1111/tan.15440] [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: 12/24/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of HLA-E are related to the occurrence of many diseases, but their functions remain unclear. In this study, the function of SNPs at HLA-E rs76971248 and rs1264457 on the myeloid leukemia cells was analyzed by a progressive procedure, included genotyping, mRNA transcription, regulatory element, protein expression, and anti-tumor effect. The frequencies of rs76971248 G and rs1264457 G were found higher in myeloid leukemia patients than those in healthy blood donors (p < 0.05). For myeloid leukemia, rs76971248 T was protective, while rs1264457 G was susceptible. We also found that rs76971248 affected HLA-E mRNA transcription and membrane HLA-E (mHLA-E) expression in K562 cells through differently binding to transcription factor HOXA5 (p < 0.0001), while rs1264457 affected mHLA-E expression by changing mRNA transcription and an encoding amino acid (p < 0.01). In contrast, the expression of soluble HLA-E (sHLA-E) was not influenced by both rs1264457 and rs76971248. The higher HLA-E expression was detected among myeloid leukemia patients, and the K562 cells with higher HLA-E molecules played a significant inhibitory effect on the killing activity of NK-92MI cells (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the higher HLA-E expression of myeloid leukemia cells is promoted by rs76971248 G and rs1264457 G, which helps escape from NK-92MI cells' killing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyan Sun
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Shenzhen Institution of Transfusion Medicine, Shenzhen Blood Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wenxu Hong
- Shenzhen Institution of Transfusion Medicine, Shenzhen Blood Center, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Institute of Dermatology, Shenzhen Center for Chronic Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Songxing Wang
- Shenzhen Institution of Transfusion Medicine, Shenzhen Blood Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yunping Xu
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Shenzhen Institution of Transfusion Medicine, Shenzhen Blood Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chengyao Li
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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Nersesian S, Carter EB, Lee SN, Westhaver LP, Boudreau JE. Killer instincts: natural killer cells as multifactorial cancer immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1269614. [PMID: 38090565 PMCID: PMC10715270 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1269614] [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: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells integrate heterogeneous signals for activation and inhibition using germline-encoded receptors. These receptors are stochastically co-expressed, and their concurrent engagement and signaling can adjust the sensitivity of individual cells to putative targets. Against cancers, which mutate and evolve under therapeutic and immunologic pressure, the diversity for recognition provided by NK cells may be key to comprehensive cancer control. NK cells are already being trialled as adoptive cell therapy and targets for immunotherapeutic agents. However, strategies to leverage their naturally occurring diversity and agility have not yet been developed. In this review, we discuss the receptors and signaling pathways through which signals for activation or inhibition are generated in NK cells, focusing on their roles in cancer and potential as targets for immunotherapies. Finally, we consider the impacts of receptor co-expression and the potential to engage multiple pathways of NK cell reactivity to maximize the scope and strength of antitumor activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Nersesian
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Emily B. Carter
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Stacey N. Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | | | - Jeanette E. Boudreau
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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Martín Almazán N, Sala BM, Sandalova T, Sun Y, Resink T, Cichocki F, Söderberg-Nauclér C, Miller JS, Achour A, Sarhan D. Non-classical HLA-E restricted CMV 15-mer peptides are recognized by adaptive NK cells and induce memory responses. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1230718. [PMID: 37809084 PMCID: PMC10552778 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1230718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) reactivation causes complications in immunocompromised patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), significantly increasing morbidity and mortality. Adaptive Natural Killer (aNK) cells undergo a persistent reconfiguration in response to HCMV reactivation; however, the exact role of aNK cell memory in HCMV surveillance remains elusive. Methods We employed mass spectrometry and computational prediction approaches to identify HLA-E-restricted HCMV peptides that can elucidate aNK cell responses. We also used the K562 cell line transfected with HLA-E0*0103 for specific peptide binding and blocking assays. Subsequently, NK cells were cocultured with dendritic cells (DCs) loaded with each of the identified peptides to examine aNK and conventional (c)NK cell responses. Results Here, we discovered three unconventional HLA-E-restricted 15-mer peptides (SEVENVSVNVHNPTG, TSGSDSDEELVTTER, and DSDEELVTTERKTPR) derived from the HCMV pp65-protein that elicit aNK cell memory responses restricted to HCMV. aNK cells displayed memory responses towards HMCV-infected cells and HCMV-seropositive individuals when primed by DCs loaded with each of these peptides and predicted 9-mer versions. Blocking the interaction between HLA-E and the activation NKG2C receptor but not the inhibitory NKG2A receptor abolished these specific recall responses. Interestingly, compared to the HLA-E complex with the leader peptide VMAPRTLIL, HLA-E complexes formed with each of the three identified peptides significantly changed the surface electrostatic potential to highly negative. Furthermore, these peptides do not comprise the classical HLA-E-restriction motifs. Discussion These findings suggest a differential binding to NKG2C compared to HLA-E complexes with classical leader peptides that may result in the specific activation of aNK cells. We then designed six nonameric peptides based on the three discovered peptides that could elicit aNK cell memory responses to HCMV necessary for therapeutic inventions. The results provide novel insights into HLA-E-mediated signaling networks that mediate aNK cell recall responses and maximize their reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nerea Martín Almazán
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Pathology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Benedetta Maria Sala
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tatyana Sandalova
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yizhe Sun
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Pathology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tom Resink
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Frank Cichocki
- Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Cecilia Söderberg-Nauclér
- Department of Medicine, Microbial Pathogenesis Unit, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Neurology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Institute of Biomedicine, Unit for Infection and immunology, MediCity Research Laboratory, InFLAMES Flagship, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Jeffrey S Miller
- Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Adnane Achour
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Dhifaf Sarhan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Pathology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
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9
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Tang Y, Zhang C, Ye C, Tian K, Zeng J, Cheng S, Zeng W, Yang B, Liu Y, Yu Y. Construction and validation of programmed cell death-based molecular clusters for prognostic and therapeutic significance of clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Heliyon 2023; 9:e15693. [PMID: 37305457 PMCID: PMC10256830 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
As the dominant histological subtype of kidney cancer, clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) poorly responds to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Although novel immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors could have a durable effect in treating ccRCC patients, the limited availability of dependable biomarkers has restricted their application in clinic. In the study of carcinogenesis and cancer therapies, there has been a recent emphasis on researching programmed cell death (PCD). In the current study, we discovered the enriched and prognostic PCD in ccRCC utilizing gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and investigate the functional status of ccRCC patients with different PCD risks. Then, genes related to PCD that had prognostic value in ccRCC were identified for the conduction of non-negative matrix factorization to cluster ccRCC patients. Next, the tumor microenvironment, immunogenicity, and therapeutic response in different molecular clusters were analyzed. Among PCD, apoptosis and pyroptosis were enriched in ccRCC and correlated with prognosis. Patients with high PCD levels were related to poor prognosis and a rich but suppressive immune microenvironment. PCD-based molecular clusters were identified to differentiate the clinical status and prognosis of ccRCC. Moreover, the molecular cluster with high PCD levels may correlate with high immunogenicity and a favorable therapeutic response to ccRCC. Furthermore, a simplified PCD-based gene classifier was established to facilitate clinical application and used transcriptome sequencing data from clinical ccRCC samples to validate the applicability of the gene classifier. We thoroughly extended the understanding of PCD in ccRCC and constructed a PCD-based gene classifier for differentiation of the prognosis and therapeutic efficacy in ccRCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanlin Tang
- Department of Urology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Changzheng Zhang
- Department of Urology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chujin Ye
- Department of Urology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kaiwen Tian
- Department of Urology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiayi Zeng
- Department of Urology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shouyu Cheng
- Department of Urology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weinan Zeng
- Department of Urology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Bowen Yang
- Department of Urology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanjun Liu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Science, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuming Yu
- Department of Urology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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10
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TRUONG NC, HUYNH NT, PHAM KD, PHAM PV. Roles of cancer stem cells in cancer immune surveillance. MINERVA BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOMOLECULAR RESEARCH 2023. [DOI: 10.23736/s2724-542x.23.02944-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
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11
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NKG2A Immune Checkpoint in Vδ2 T Cells: Emerging Application in Cancer Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15041264. [PMID: 36831606 PMCID: PMC9954046 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15041264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune regulation has revolutionized cancer treatment with the introduction of T-cell-targeted immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). This successful immunotherapy has led to a more complete view of cancer that now considers not only the cancer cells to be targeted and destroyed but also the immune environment of the cancer cells. Current challenges associated with the enhancement of ICI effects are increasing the fraction of responding patients through personalized combinations of multiple ICIs and overcoming acquired resistance. This requires a complete overview of the anti-tumor immune response, which depends on a complex interplay between innate and adaptive immune cells with the tumor microenvironment. The NKG2A was revealed to be a key immune checkpoint for both Natural Killer (NK) cells and T cells. Monalizumab, a humanized anti-NKG2A antibody, enhances NK cell activity against various tumor cells and rescues CD8 αβ T cell function in combination with PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. In this review, we discuss the potential for targeting NKG2A expressed on tumor-sensing human γδ T cells, mostly on the specific Vδ2 T cell subset, in order to emphasize its importance and potential in the development of new ICI-based therapeutic approaches.
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12
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Wang X, Xiong H, Ning Z. Implications of NKG2A in immunity and immune-mediated diseases. Front Immunol 2022; 13:960852. [PMID: 36032104 PMCID: PMC9399941 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.960852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent studies, NKG2A is revealed to be a key immune checkpoint for both natural killer (NK) cells and CD8+ T cells. It form heterodimer receptors with CD94, and targets the peptide-presenting human leukocyte antigen-E (HLA-E) molecules. Upon crosslinking, NKG2A/CD94 delivers inhibitory signals for NK cells and CD8+ T cells, while blocking NKG2A can effectively unleash functions of these cytotoxic lymphocytes. The interaction between NKG2A and HLA-E contributes to tumor immune escape, and NKG2A-mediated mechanisms are currently being exploited to develop potential antitumor therapeutic strategies. In addition, growing evidence shows that NKG2A also plays important roles in other immune-related diseases including viral infections, autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases, parasite infections and transplant rejection. Therefore, the current work focuses on describing the effect of NKG2A on immune regulation and exploring its potential role in immune-mediated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotong Wang
- Institute of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- Jining Key Laboratory of Immunology, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Huabao Xiong
- Institute of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- Jining Key Laboratory of Immunology, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- *Correspondence: Zhaochen Ning, ; Huabao Xiong,
| | - Zhaochen Ning
- Institute of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- Jining Key Laboratory of Immunology, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- *Correspondence: Zhaochen Ning, ; Huabao Xiong,
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Hrbac T, Kopkova A, Siegl F, Vecera M, Ruckova M, Kazda T, Jancalek R, Hendrych M, Hermanova M, Vybihal V, Fadrus P, Smrcka M, Sokol F, Kubes V, Lipina R, Slaby O, Kren L, Sana J. HLA-E and HLA-F Are Overexpressed in Glioblastoma and HLA-E Increased After Exposure to Ionizing Radiation. Cancer Genomics Proteomics 2022; 19:151-162. [PMID: 35181585 PMCID: PMC8865046 DOI: 10.21873/cgp.20311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the deadliest human cancers responding very poorly to therapy. Although the central nervous system has been traditionally considered an immunologically privileged site with an enhanced immune response, GBM appears to benefit from this immunosuppressive milieu. Immunomodulatory molecules play an important role in immune tumor-host interactions. Non-classical human leukocyte antigens (HLA) class Ib molecules HLA-E, HLA-F, and HLA-G have been previously described to be involved in protecting semi-allogeneic fetal allografts from the maternal immune response and in transplant tolerance as well as tumoral immune escape. Unfortunately, their role in GBM remains poorly understood. Our study, therefore, aimed to characterize the relationship between the expression of these molecules in GBM on the transcriptional level and clinicopathological and molecular features of GBM as well as the effect of ionizing radiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed the analysis of HLA-E, HLA-F, and HLA-G mRNA expression in 69 GBM tissue samples and 21 non-tumor brain tissue samples (controls) by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, two primary GBM cell cultures had been irradiated to identify the effect of ionizing radiation on the expression of non-classical HLA molecules. RESULTS Analyses revealed that both HLA-E and HLA-F are significantly up-regulated in GBM samples. Subsequent survival analysis showed a significant association between low expression of HLA-E and shorter survival of GBM patients. The dysregulated expression of both molecules was also observed between patients with methylated and unmethylated O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter. Finally, we showed that ionizing radiation increased HLA-E expression level in GBM cells in vitro. CONCLUSION HLA-E and HLA-F play an important role in GBM biology and could be used as diagnostic biomarkers, and in the case of HLA-E also as a prognostic biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Hrbac
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Alena Kopkova
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Frantisek Siegl
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Vecera
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michaela Ruckova
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Kazda
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute and Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Jancalek
- Department of Neurosurgery, St. Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Hendrych
- First Department of Pathology, St. Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Marketa Hermanova
- First Department of Pathology, St. Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vaclav Vybihal
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Fadrus
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Smrcka
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Filip Sokol
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vaclav Kubes
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Lipina
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Slaby
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Leos Kren
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic;
| | - Jiri Sana
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic;
- Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
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14
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Jasinski-Bergner S, Schmiedel D, Mandelboim O, Seliger B. Role of HLA-G in Viral Infections. Front Immunol 2022; 13:826074. [PMID: 35237271 PMCID: PMC8882596 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.826074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G is a non-classical HLA class I molecule, which has distinct features to classical HLA-A, -B, -C antigens, such as a low polymorphism, different splice variants, highly restricted, tightly regulated expression and immune modulatory properties. HLA-G expression in tumor cells and virus-infected cells, as well as the release of soluble HLA-G leads to escape from host immune surveillance. Increased knowledge of the link between HLA-G expression, viral infection and disease progression is urgently required, which highlights the possible use of HLA-G as novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for viral infections, but also as therapeutic target. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the expression, regulation, function and impact of HLA-G in the context of different viral infections including virus-associated cancers. The characterization of HLA-G-driven immune escape mechanisms involved in the interactions between host cells and viruses might result in the design of novel immunotherapeutic strategies targeting HLA-G and/or its interaction with its receptors on immune effector cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Jasinski-Bergner
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Dominik Schmiedel
- Department of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Development & Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP) Design, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ofer Mandelboim
- The Lautenberg Center for General and Tumor Immunology, The BioMedical Research Institute Israel Canada of the Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Department of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Development & Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP) Design, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany
- *Correspondence: Barbara Seliger,
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15
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The Microenvironment's Role in Mycosis Fungoides and Sézary Syndrome: From Progression to Therapeutic Implications. Cells 2021; 10:cells10102780. [PMID: 34685762 PMCID: PMC8534987 DOI: 10.3390/cells10102780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sezary Syndrome (SS) are the most common cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. It has been hypothesized that the interaction between the immune system, cutaneous cells, and neoplastic elements may play a role in MF/SS pathogenesis and progression. METHODS This paper aims to revise in a narrative way our current knowledge of the microenvironment's role in MF/SS. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Literature data support a possible implication of microenvironment cells in MF/SS pathogenesis and progression, opening up new therapeutic avenues.
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16
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Bauer M, Jasinski-Bergner S, Mandelboim O, Wickenhauser C, Seliger B. Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Malignancies and Immune Escape: The Role of the Tumor Microenvironment and Tumor Cell Evasion Strategies. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13205189. [PMID: 34680337 PMCID: PMC8533749 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13205189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The Epstein–Barr virus, also termed human herpes virus 4, is a human pathogenic double-stranded DNA virus. It is highly prevalent and has been linked to the development of 1–2% of cancers worldwide. EBV-associated malignancies encompass various structural and epigenetic alterations. In addition, EBV-encoded gene products and microRNAs interfere with innate and adaptive immunity and modulate the tumor microenvironment. This review provides an overview of the characteristic features of EBV with a focus on the intrinsic and extrinsic immune evasion strategies, which contribute to EBV-associated malignancies. Abstract The detailed mechanisms of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection in the initiation and progression of EBV-associated malignancies are not yet completely understood. During the last years, new insights into the mechanisms of malignant transformation of EBV-infected cells including somatic mutations and epigenetic modifications, their impact on the microenvironment and resulting unique immune signatures related to immune system functional status and immune escape strategies have been reported. In this context, there exists increasing evidence that EBV-infected tumor cells can influence the tumor microenvironment to their own benefit by establishing an immune-suppressive surrounding. The identified mechanisms include EBV gene integration and latent expression of EBV-infection-triggered cytokines by tumor and/or bystander cells, e.g., cancer-associated fibroblasts with effects on the composition and spatial distribution of the immune cell subpopulations next to the infected cells, stroma constituents and extracellular vesicles. This review summarizes (i) the typical stages of the viral life cycle and EBV-associated transformation, (ii) strategies to detect EBV genome and activity and to differentiate various latency types, (iii) the role of the tumor microenvironment in EBV-associated malignancies, (iv) the different immune escape mechanisms and (v) their clinical relevance. This gained information will enhance the development of therapies against EBV-mediated diseases to improve patient outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Bauer
- Department of Pathology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 14, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany; (M.B.); (C.W.)
| | - Simon Jasinski-Bergner
- Department of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany;
| | - Ofer Mandelboim
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, En Kerem, P.O. Box 12271, Jerusalem 91120, Israel;
| | - Claudia Wickenhauser
- Department of Pathology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 14, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany; (M.B.); (C.W.)
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Department of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany;
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Perlickstr. 1, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-(345)-557-1357
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17
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Jasinski-Bergner S, Mandelboim O, Seliger B. Molecular mechanisms of human herpes viruses inferring with host immune surveillance. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 8:jitc-2020-000841. [PMID: 32616556 PMCID: PMC7333871 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-000841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Several human herpes viruses (HHVs) exert oncogenic potential leading to malignant transformation of infected cells and/or tissues. The molecular processes induced by viral-encoded molecules including microRNAs, peptides, and proteins contributing to immune evasion of the infected host cells are equal to the molecular processes of immune evasion mediated by tumor cells independently of viral infections. Such major immune evasion strategies include (1) the downregulation of proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines as well as the induction of anti-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines, (2) the downregulation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class Ia directly as well as indirectly by downregulation of the components involved in the antigen processing, and (3) the downregulation of stress-induced ligands for activating receptors on immune effector cells with NKG2D leading the way. Furthermore, (4) immune modulatory molecules like MHC class Ib molecules and programmed cell death1 ligand 1 can be upregulated on infections with certain herpes viruses. This review article focuses on the known molecular mechanisms of HHVs modulating the above-mentioned possibilities for immune surveillance and even postulates a temporal order linking regular tumor immunology with basic virology and offering putatively novel insights for targeting HHVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Jasinski-Bergner
- Institute for Medical Immunology, Martin-Luther-Universitat Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Ofer Mandelboim
- Immunology & Cancer Research Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Institute for Medical Immunology, Martin-Luther-Universitat Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
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18
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Jian Y, Yang K, Sun X, Zhao J, Huang K, Aldanakh A, Xu Z, Wu H, Xu Q, Zhang L, Xu C, Yang D, Wang S. Current Advance of Immune Evasion Mechanisms and Emerging Immunotherapies in Renal Cell Carcinoma. Front Immunol 2021; 12:639636. [PMID: 33767709 PMCID: PMC7985340 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.639636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Renal cell carcinoma is a highly heterogeneous cancer group, and the complex microenvironment of the tumor provides appropriate immune evasion opportunities. The molecular mechanism of immune escape in renal cell carcinoma is currently a hot issue, focusing primarily on the major complex of histocompatibility, immunosuppressive cells, their secreted immunosuppressive cytokines, and apoptosis molecule signal transduction. Immunotherapy is the best treatment option for patients with metastatic or advanced renal cell carcinoma and combination immunotherapy based on a variety of principles has shown promising prospects. Comprehensive and in-depth knowledge of the molecular mechanism of immune escape in renal cell carcinoma is of vital importance for the clinical implementation of effective therapies. The goal of this review is to address research into the mechanisms of immune escape in renal cell carcinoma and the use of the latest immunotherapy. In addition, we are all looking forward to the latest frontiers of experimental combination immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuli Jian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Glycobiology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Kangkang Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Glycobiology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Xiaoxin Sun
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Glycobiology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Jun Zhao
- Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Kai Huang
- Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Abdullah Aldanakh
- Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Zhongyang Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Glycobiology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Haotian Wu
- Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Qiwei Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Glycobiology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Glycobiology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Chunyan Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Glycobiology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Deyong Yang
- Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Shujing Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Glycobiology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
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19
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Zhu L, Karakizlis H, Weimer R, Morath C, Ekpoom N, Ibrahim EH, Opelz G, Daniel V. Circulating NKG2A-NKG2D+ CD56dimCD16+ Natural Killer (NK) Cells as Mediators of Functional Immunosurveillance in Kidney Transplant Recipients. Ann Transplant 2020; 25:e925162. [PMID: 33349627 PMCID: PMC7763919 DOI: 10.12659/aot.925162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recently, in patients with long-term functioning allografts, we showed that high NKG2D+ NK cell numbers in the peripheral blood were associated with a higher glomerular filtration rate, whereas high NKG2A+ NK cells were associated with a lower glomerular filtration rate. Both NK cell determinants react with ligands (MIC A/B, HLA-E) expressed on stressed cells, such as virus-infected cells, tumor cells, or cells activated during graft rejection. In the present study, we attempted to characterize these 2 NK cell subsets further. Material/Methods Using flow cytometry, NK cell subsets were analyzed in whole-blood samples of 35 stable kidney transplant recipients (serum creatinine mean±SD: 1.44±0.45 mg/dl). Blood was obtained 95–3786 days after transplant (mean±SD: 1168±1011 days after transplant). Results High proportions of NKG2A–NKG2D+ NK cells were strongly associated with high numbers of CD56dimCD16+ (p=0.001) NK cells co-expressing CD107 (P=0.001) and granzyme B (P=0.045), suggesting that NKG2A–NKG2D+ NK cells are predominantly cytotoxic. In contrast, high numbers of NKG2A+NKG2D− NK cells were strongly associated with low numbers of CD56dimCD16+ NK cells expressing CD107 (P=0.026), CD25 (p=0.008), TGF-βR (P=0.028), and TGF-β (P=0.005), suggesting that patients with high proportions of NKG2A+NKG2D− NK cells have low proportions of NK cell subsets with cytotoxic phenotype. Conclusions A high proportion of NKG2A+NKG2D− NK cells is associated with decreased counts of NKG2A–NKG2D+ CD56dimCD16+ cytotoxic NK cells in the circulation. This may result in impaired immunosurveillance. We would like to hypothesize that NKG2A–NKG2D+ CD56dimCD16+ cytotoxic NK cells eliminate MIC A/B-expressing stressed cells which possess a potential to harm the transplant. Further studies will have to evaluate whether the proportion of NKG2A–NKG2D+ CD56dimCD16+ cytotoxic NK cells is a useful biomarker for the prediction of an uncomplicated postoperative course in kidney transplant recipients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhu
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hebei, China (mainland).,Department of Transplantation Immunology, Institute of Immunology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hristos Karakizlis
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Rolf Weimer
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Christian Morath
- Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Naruemol Ekpoom
- Department of Transplantation Immunology, Institute of Immunology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eman H Ibrahim
- Department of Transplantation Immunology, Institute of Immunology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gerhard Opelz
- Department of Transplantation Immunology, Institute of Immunology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Volker Daniel
- Department of Transplantation Immunology, Institute of Immunology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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20
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Chu G, Jiao W, Yang X, Liang Y, Li Z, Niu H. C3, C3AR1, HLA-DRA, and HLA-E as potential prognostic biomarkers for renal clear cell carcinoma. Transl Androl Urol 2020; 9:2640-2656. [PMID: 33457236 PMCID: PMC7807358 DOI: 10.21037/tau-20-699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Prognostic biomarkers play a vital role in the early detection of the cancer and assessment of prognosis. With advances in technology, a large number of biomarkers of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) have been discovered, but their prognostic value has not been fully investigated, and thus have not been widely used in clinical practice. We aimed to identify the reliable markers associated with the prognosis of KIRC patients. Methods We obtained 72 normal samples and 539 tumor samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and 23 normal samples and 32 tumor samples from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Overlapping differentially expressed genes (ODEGs) were analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses, followed by construction of a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network to screen hub genes. Kaplan-Meier analysis, univariate Cox analysis, multivariate Cox analysis, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were performed to verify the prognostic value and function of the markers we selected. The relationships among gene expression level, tumor immune cell infiltration, and immune-checkpoints were also analyzed. Results A total of 910 genes were screened out, and C3, C3AR1, HLA-DRA, and HLA-E were identified as potential tumor markers. The expression of each gene was closely associated with tumor immune cell infiltration, survival rate, and the patients’ clinical characteristics (P<0.05). C3AR1, HLA-DRA, and HLA-E were also verified as independent prognostic factors of KIRC (P<0.05), and all these potential biomarkers had a close correlation with immune checkpoints. Conclusions C3, C3AR1, HLA-DRA, and HLA-E could be reliable biomarkers of KIRC and may have a significant contribution to make in immunotherapy, thus playing an important role in the improvement of prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangdi Chu
- Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Wei Jiao
- Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xuecheng Yang
- Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Ye Liang
- Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhiqiang Li
- The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University & The Biomedical Sciences Institute of Qingdao University (Qingdao Branch of SJTU Bio-X Institutes), Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Haitao Niu
- Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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21
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Pesce S, Trabanelli S, Di Vito C, Greppi M, Obino V, Guolo F, Minetto P, Bozzo M, Calvi M, Zaghi E, Candiani S, Lemoli RM, Jandus C, Mavilio D, Marcenaro E. Cancer Immunotherapy by Blocking Immune Checkpoints on Innate Lymphocytes. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12123504. [PMID: 33255582 PMCID: PMC7760325 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoints refer to a plethora of inhibitory pathways of the immune system that play a crucial role in maintaining self-tolerance and in tuning the duration and amplitude of physiological immune responses to minimize collateral tissue damages. The breakdown of this delicate balance leads to pathological conditions, including cancer. Indeed, tumor cells can develop multiple mechanisms to escape from immune system defense, including the activation of immune checkpoint pathways. The development of monoclonal antibodies, targeting inhibitory immune checkpoints, has provided an immense breakthrough in cancer therapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), initially developed to reverse functional exhaustion in T cells, recently emerged as important actors in natural killer (NK)-cell-based immunotherapy. Moreover, the discovery that also helper innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) express inhibitory immune checkpoints, suggests that these molecules might be targeted on ILCs, to modulate their functions in the tumor microenvironment. Recently, other strategies to achieve immune checkpoint blockade have been developed, including miRNA exploiting systems. Herein, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on inhibitory immune checkpoints on NK cells and ILCs and we discuss how to target these innate lymphocytes by ICI in both solid tumors and hematological malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Pesce
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES) and Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research (CEBR), University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.P.); (M.G.); (V.O.)
| | - Sara Trabanelli
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland; (S.T.); (C.J.)
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, CH-1066 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Clara Di Vito
- Unit of Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy; (C.D.V.); (M.C.); (E.Z.); (D.M.)
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine (BIOMETRA), University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Greppi
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES) and Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research (CEBR), University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.P.); (M.G.); (V.O.)
| | - Valentina Obino
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES) and Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research (CEBR), University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.P.); (M.G.); (V.O.)
| | - Fabio Guolo
- Clinic of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine (DIMI), University of Genoa, 16132 Genova, Italy; (F.G.); (P.M.); (R.M.L.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Paola Minetto
- Clinic of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine (DIMI), University of Genoa, 16132 Genova, Italy; (F.G.); (P.M.); (R.M.L.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Matteo Bozzo
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (M.B.); (S.C.)
| | - Michela Calvi
- Unit of Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy; (C.D.V.); (M.C.); (E.Z.); (D.M.)
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine (BIOMETRA), University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Zaghi
- Unit of Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy; (C.D.V.); (M.C.); (E.Z.); (D.M.)
| | - Simona Candiani
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (M.B.); (S.C.)
| | - Roberto Massimo Lemoli
- Clinic of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine (DIMI), University of Genoa, 16132 Genova, Italy; (F.G.); (P.M.); (R.M.L.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Camilla Jandus
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland; (S.T.); (C.J.)
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, CH-1066 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Domenico Mavilio
- Unit of Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy; (C.D.V.); (M.C.); (E.Z.); (D.M.)
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine (BIOMETRA), University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuela Marcenaro
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES) and Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research (CEBR), University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.P.); (M.G.); (V.O.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0103357888
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22
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Borst L, van der Burg SH, van Hall T. The NKG2A-HLA-E Axis as a Novel Checkpoint in the Tumor Microenvironment. Clin Cancer Res 2020; 26:5549-5556. [PMID: 32409305 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-19-2095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The success of checkpoint blockade therapy revolutionized cancer treatment. However, we need to increase the fraction of responding patients and overcome acquired resistance to these therapies. Recently, the inhibitory receptor NKG2A received attention as a new kid on the block of immune checkpoints. This receptor is selectively expressed on cytotoxic lymphocytes, including natural killer cells and CD8 T cells, and NKG2A+ T cells are preferentially residing in tissues, like the tumor microenvironment. Its ligand, histocompatibility leucocyte antigen E (HLA-E), is a conserved nonclassical HLA class I molecule that binds a limited peptide repertoire and its expression is commonly detected in human cancer. NKG2A blockade as a standalone therapy appears poorly effective in mouse tumor models, however, in the presence of activated T cells, for example, induced by PD-1/PD-L1 blockade or cancer vaccines, exerts strongly enhanced efficacy. Clinical trials demonstrated safety of the humanized NKG2A-blocking antibody, monalizumab, and first results of phase II trials demonstrate encouraging durable response rates. Further development of this axis is clearly warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Borst
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Sjoerd H van der Burg
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Thorbald van Hall
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
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23
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Friedrich M, Stoehr C, Jasinski-Bergner S, Hartmann A, Wach S, Wullich B, Steven A, Seliger B. Characterization of the expression and immunological impact of the transcriptional activator CREB in renal cell carcinoma. J Transl Med 2020; 18:371. [PMID: 32993793 PMCID: PMC7526213 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-020-02544-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The non-classical human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G is a strong immunomodulatory molecule. Under physiological conditions, HLA-G induces immunological tolerance in immune privileged tissues, while under pathophysiological situations it contributes to immune escape mechanisms. Therefore, HLA-G could act as a potential immune checkpoint for future anti-cancer immunotherapies. Recent data suggest an aberrant expression of the cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), which is correlated with tumor grade and stage. Furthermore, preliminary reports demonstrated a connection of CREB as a control variable of HLA-G transcription due to CREB binding sites in the HLA-G promoter region. This study investigates the interaction between CREB and HLA-G in different renal cell carcinoma (RCC) subtypes and its correlation to clinical parameters. Methods The direct interaction of CREB with the HLA-G promoter was investigated by chromatin immunoprecipitation in RCC cell systems. Furthermore, the expression of CREB and HLA-G was determined by immunohistochemistry using a tissue microarray (TMA) consisting of 453 RCC samples of distinct subtypes. Staining results were assessed for correlations to clinical parameters as well as to the composition of the immune cell infiltrate. Results There exists a distinct expression pattern of HLA-G and CREB in the three main RCC subtypes. HLA-G and CREB expression were the lowest in chromophobe RCC lesions. However, the clinical relevance of CREB and HLA-G expression differed. Unlike HLA-G, high levels of CREB expression were positively associated to the overall survival of RCC patients. A slightly, but significantly elevated number of tumor infiltrating regulatory T cells was observed in tumors of high CREB expression. Whether this small increase is of clinical relevance has to be further investigated. Conclusions An interaction of CREB with the HLA-G promoter could be validated in RCC cell lines. Thus, for the first time the expression of CREB and its interaction with the HLA-G in human RCCs has been shown, which might be of clinical relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Friedrich
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06110, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Christine Stoehr
- Institute of Pathology, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Simon Jasinski-Bergner
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06110, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Arndt Hartmann
- Institute of Pathology, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sven Wach
- Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Bernd Wullich
- Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - André Steven
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06110, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 2, 06110, Halle (Saale), Germany.
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24
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Wang X, Lopez R, Luchtel RA, Hafizi S, Gartrell B, Shenoy N. Immune evasion in renal cell carcinoma: biology, clinical translation, future directions. Kidney Int 2020; 99:75-85. [PMID: 32949550 DOI: 10.1016/j.kint.2020.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors have advanced the treatment landscape of Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) over the last decade. While checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated survival benefit and are currently approved in the front-line and second-line settings, primary and secondary resistance is common. A comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of immune evasion in RCC is therefore critical to the development of effective combination treatment strategies. This article reviews the current understanding of the different, yet coordinated, mechanisms adopted by RCC cells to evade immune killing; summarizes various aspects of clinical translation thus far, including the currently registered RCC clinical trials exploring agents in combination with checkpoint inhibitors; and provides perspectives on the current landscape and future directions for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Wang
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Jacobi Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Robert Lopez
- Department of Medicine (Oncology), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Rebecca A Luchtel
- Department of Medicine (Oncology), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sassan Hafizi
- School of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Benjamin Gartrell
- Department of Medicine (Oncology), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, New York, USA; Department of Urology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Niraj Shenoy
- Department of Medicine (Oncology), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, New York, USA; School of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK; Experimental Therapeutics Program, Albert Einstein Cancer Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
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25
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Kang N, Eccleston M, Clermont PL, Latarani M, Male DK, Wang Y, Crea F. EZH2 inhibition: a promising strategy to prevent cancer immune editing. Epigenomics 2020; 12:1457-1476. [PMID: 32938196 PMCID: PMC7607396 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2020-0186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapies are revolutionizing the clinical management of a wide range of cancers. However, intrinsic or acquired unresponsiveness to immunotherapies does occur due to the dynamic cancer immunoediting which ultimately leads to immune escape. The evolutionarily conserved histone modifier enhancer of zeste 2 (EZH2) is aberrantly overexpressed in a number of human cancers. Accumulating studies indicate that EZH2 is a main driver of cancer cells' immunoediting and mediate immune escape through downregulating immune recognition and activation, upregulating immune checkpoints and creating an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In this review, we overviewed the roles of EZH2 in cancer immunoediting, the preclinical and clinical studies of current pharmacologic EZH2 inhibitors and the prospects for EZH2 inhibitor and immunotherapy combination for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Kang
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer Research Centre, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1L3, Canada
| | - Mark Eccleston
- Belgian Volition SPRL, Parc Scientifique Créalys, Rue Phocas Lejeune 22, BE-5032 Isnes, Belgium
| | - Pier-Luc Clermont
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, 1050, avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Maryam Latarani
- Cancer Research Group, School of Life Health & Chemical Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK
| | - David Kingsley Male
- Cancer Research Group, School of Life Health & Chemical Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK
| | - Yuzhuo Wang
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer Research Centre, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1L3, Canada
- Department of Urologic Sciences, The Vancouver Prostate Centre, The University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak St, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3Z6, Canada
| | - Francesco Crea
- Cancer Research Group, School of Life Health & Chemical Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK
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26
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Díaz-Montero CM, Rini BI, Finke JH. The immunology of renal cell carcinoma. Nat Rev Nephrol 2020; 16:721-735. [PMID: 32733094 DOI: 10.1038/s41581-020-0316-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 228] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer and comprises several subtypes with unique characteristics. The most common subtype (~70% of cases) is clear-cell RCC. RCC is considered to be an immunogenic tumour but is known to mediate immune dysfunction in large part by eliciting the infiltration of immune-inhibitory cells, such as regulatory T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, into the tumour microenvironment. Several possible mechanisms have been proposed to explain how these multiple tumour-infiltrating cell types block the development of an effective anti-tumour immune response, including inhibition of the activity of effector T cells and of antigen presenting cells via upregulation of suppressive factors such as checkpoint molecules. Targeting immune suppression using checkpoint inhibition has resulted in clinical responses in some patients with RCC and combinatorial approaches involving checkpoint blockade are now standard of care in patients with advanced RCC. However, a substantial proportion of patients do not benefit from checkpoint blockade. The identification of reliable biomarkers of response to checkpoint blockade is crucial to facilitate improvements in the clinical efficacy of these therapies. In addition, there is a need for the development of other immune-based strategies that address the shortcomings of checkpoint blockade, such as adoptive cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Marcela Díaz-Montero
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| | - Brian I Rini
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - James H Finke
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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27
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Characterization of HLA-G Regulation and HLA Expression in Breast Cancer and Malignant Melanoma Cell Lines upon IFN-γ Stimulation and Inhibition of DNA Methylation. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21124307. [PMID: 32560316 PMCID: PMC7352735 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21124307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The potential role of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G as a target for new cancer immunotherapy drugs has increased the interest in the analysis of mechanisms by which HLA-G expression is regulated, and how the expression can be manipulated. We characterized HLA expression in breast cancer and malignant melanoma cell lines and investigated the induction of HLA-G expression by two distinct mechanisms: stimulation with interferon (IFN)-γ or inhibition of methylation by treatment with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC). The effect of IFN-γ and 5-aza-dC on HLA expression was dependent on the cancer cell lines studied. However, in general, surface expression of HLA class Ia was induced on all cell lines. Surface expression of HLA-G was inconclusive but induction of HLA-G mRNA was prevalent upon treatment with 5-aza-dC and a combination of IFN-γ and 5-aza-dC. IFN-γ alone failed to induce HLA-G expression in the HLA-G-negative cell lines. The results support that HLA-G expression is regulated partly by DNA methylation. Furthermore, IFN-γ may play a role in the maintenance of HLA-G expression rather than inducing expression. The study demonstrates the feasibility of manipulating HLA expression and contributes to the exploration of mechanisms that can be potential targets for immunotherapy in breast cancer and malignant melanoma.
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28
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Terrén I, Orrantia A, Mikelez-Alonso I, Vitallé J, Zenarruzabeitia O, Borrego F. NK Cell-Based Immunotherapy in Renal Cell Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12020316. [PMID: 32013092 PMCID: PMC7072691 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12020316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic lymphocytes that are able to kill tumor cells without prior sensitization. It has been shown that NK cells play a pivotal role in a variety of cancers, highlighting their relevance in tumor immunosurveillance. NK cell infiltration has been reported in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), the most frequent kidney cancer in adults, and their presence has been associated with patients’ survival. However, the role of NK cells in this disease is not yet fully understood. In this review, we summarize the biology of NK cells and the mechanisms through which they are able to recognize and kill tumor cells. Furthermore, we discuss the role that NK cells play in renal cell carcinoma, and review current strategies that are being used to boost and exploit their cytotoxic capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iñigo Terrén
- Immunopathology Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, 48903 Barakaldo, Spain; (I.T.); (A.O.); (I.M.-A.); (J.V.); (O.Z.)
| | - Ane Orrantia
- Immunopathology Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, 48903 Barakaldo, Spain; (I.T.); (A.O.); (I.M.-A.); (J.V.); (O.Z.)
| | - Idoia Mikelez-Alonso
- Immunopathology Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, 48903 Barakaldo, Spain; (I.T.); (A.O.); (I.M.-A.); (J.V.); (O.Z.)
- CIC biomaGUNE, 20014 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Joana Vitallé
- Immunopathology Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, 48903 Barakaldo, Spain; (I.T.); (A.O.); (I.M.-A.); (J.V.); (O.Z.)
| | - Olatz Zenarruzabeitia
- Immunopathology Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, 48903 Barakaldo, Spain; (I.T.); (A.O.); (I.M.-A.); (J.V.); (O.Z.)
| | - Francisco Borrego
- Immunopathology Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, 48903 Barakaldo, Spain; (I.T.); (A.O.); (I.M.-A.); (J.V.); (O.Z.)
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-94-600-6000 (ext. 7079)
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29
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Abstract
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is the most established and commonly used cellular immunotherapy in cancer care. It is the most potent anti-leukemic therapy in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is routinely used with curative intent in patients with intermediate and poor risk disease. Donor T cells, and possibly other immune cells, eliminate residual leukemia cells after prior (radio)chemotherapy. This immune-mediated response is known as graft-versus-leukemia (GvL). Donor alloimmune responses can also be directed against healthy tissues, which is known as graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). GvHD and GvL often co-occur and, therefore, a major barrier to exploiting the full immunotherapeutic benefit of donor immune cells against patient leukemia is the immunosuppression required to treat GvHD. However, curative responses to allo-SCT and GvHD do not always occur together, suggesting that these two immune responses could be de-coupled in some patients. To make further progress in successfully promoting GvL without GvHD, we must transform our limited understanding of the cellular and molecular basis of GvL and GvHD. Specifically, in most patients we do not understand the antigenic basis of immune responses in GvL and GvHD. Identification of antigens important for GvL but not GvHD, and vice versa, could impact on donor selection, allow us to track GvL immune responses and begin to specifically harness and strengthen anti-leukemic immune responses against patient AML cells, whilst minimizing the toxicity of GvHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor Sweeney
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Department of Haematology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Paresh Vyas
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Department of Haematology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom
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30
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Xu Y, Morales AJ, Cargill MJ, Towlerton AMH, Coffey DG, Warren EH, Tykodi SS. Preclinical development of T-cell receptor-engineered T-cell therapy targeting the 5T4 tumor antigen on renal cell carcinoma. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2019; 68:1979-1993. [PMID: 31686124 PMCID: PMC6877496 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-019-02419-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
5T4 (trophoblast glycoprotein, TPBG) is a transmembrane tumor antigen expressed on more than 90% of primary renal cell carcinomas (RCC) and a wide range of human carcinomas but not on most somatic adult tissues. The favorable expression pattern has encouraged the development and clinical testing of 5T4-targeted antibody and vaccine therapies. 5T4 also represents a compelling and unexplored target for T-cell receptor (TCR)-engineered T-cell therapy. Our group has previously isolated high-avidity CD8+ T-cell clones specific for an HLA-A2-restricted 5T4 epitope (residues 17-25; 5T4p17). In this report, targeted single-cell RNA sequencing was performed on 5T4p17-specific T-cell clones to sequence the highly variable complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) of T-cell receptor α chain (TRA) and β chain (TRB) genes. Full-length TRA and TRB sequences were cloned into lentiviral vectors and transduced into CD8+ T-cells from healthy donors. Redirected effector T-cell function against 5T4p17 was measured by cytotoxicity and cytokine release assays. Seven unique TRA-TRB pairs were identified. All seven TCRs exhibited high expression on CD8+ T-cells with transduction efficiencies from 59 to 89%. TCR-transduced CD8+ T-cells demonstrated redirected cytotoxicity and cytokine release in response to 5T4p17 on target-cells and killed 5T4+/HLA-A2+ kidney-, breast-, and colorectal-tumor cell lines as well as primary RCC tumor cells in vitro. TCR-transduced CD8+ T-cells also detected presentation of 5T4p17 in TAP1/2-deficient T2 target-cells. TCR-transduced T-cells redirected to recognize the 5T4p17 epitope from a broadly shared tumor antigen are of interest for future testing as a cellular immunotherapy strategy for HLA-A2+ subjects with 5T4+ tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuexin Xu
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Alicia J Morales
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Michael J Cargill
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Andrea M H Towlerton
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - David G Coffey
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.,Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Edus H Warren
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.,Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Scott S Tykodi
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.,Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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31
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Abdulhaqq SA, Wu H, Schell JB, Hammond KB, Reed JS, Legasse AW, Axthelm MK, Park BS, Asokan A, Früh K, Hansen SG, Picker LJ, Sacha JB. Vaccine-Mediated Inhibition of the Transporter Associated with Antigen Processing Is Insufficient To Induce Major Histocompatibility Complex E-Restricted CD8 + T Cells in Nonhuman Primates. J Virol 2019; 93:e00592-19. [PMID: 31315990 PMCID: PMC6744250 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00592-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Major histocompatibility complex E (MHC-E) is a highly conserved nonclassical MHC-Ib molecule that tightly binds peptides derived from leader sequences of classical MHC-Ia molecules for presentation to natural killer cells. However, MHC-E also binds diverse foreign and neoplastic self-peptide antigens for presentation to CD8+ T cells. Although the determinants of MHC-E-restricted T cell priming remain unknown, these cells are induced in humans infected with pathogens containing genes that inhibit the transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP). Indeed, mice vaccinated with TAP-inhibited autologous dendritic cells develop T cells restricted by the murine MHC-E homologue, Qa-1b. Here, we tested whether rhesus macaques (RM) vaccinated with viral constructs expressing a TAP inhibitor would develop insert-specific MHC-E-restricted CD8+ T cells. We generated viral constructs coexpressing SIVmac239 Gag in addition to one of three TAP inhibitors: herpes simplex virus 2 ICP47, bovine herpes virus 1 UL49.5, or rhesus cytomegalovirus Rh185. Each TAP inhibitor reduced surface expression of MHC-Ia molecules but did not reduce surface MHC-E expression. In agreement with modulation of surface MHC-Ia levels, TAP inhibition diminished presentation of MHC-Ia-restricted CD8+ T cell epitopes without impacting presentation of peptide antigen bound by MHC-E. Vaccination of macaques with vectors dually expressing SIVmac239 Gag with ICP47, UL49.5, or Rh185 generated Gag-specific CD8+ T cells classically restricted by MHC-Ia but not MHC-E. These data demonstrate that, in contrast to results in mice, TAP inhibition alone is insufficient for priming of MHC-E-restricted T cell responses in primates and suggest that additional unknown mechanisms govern the induction of CD8+ T cells recognizing MHC-E-bound antigen.IMPORTANCE Due to the near monomorphic nature of MHC-E in the human population and inability of many pathogens to inhibit MHC-E-mediated peptide presentation, MHC-E-restricted T cells have become an attractive vaccine target. However, little is known concerning how these cells are induced. Understanding the underlying mechanisms that induce these T cells would provide a powerful new vaccine strategy to an array of neoplasms and viral and bacterial pathogens. Recent studies have indicated a link between TAP inhibition and induction of MHC-E-restricted T cells. The significance of our research is in demonstrating that TAP inhibition alone does not prime MHC-E-restricted T cell generation and suggests that other, currently unknown mechanisms regulate their induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaheed A Abdulhaqq
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Helen Wu
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - John B Schell
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Katherine B Hammond
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Jason S Reed
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Alfred W Legasse
- Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Michael K Axthelm
- Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Byung S Park
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Aravind Asokan
- Department of Surgery, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Klaus Früh
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Scott G Hansen
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Louis J Picker
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Jonah B Sacha
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
- Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
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Ouni N, Chaaben AB, Kablouti G, Ayari F, Douik H, Abaza H, Gara S, Elgaaied-Benammar A, Guemira F, Tamouza R. The Impact of HLA-G 3'UTR Polymorphisms in Breast Cancer in a Tunisian Population. Immunol Invest 2019; 48:521-532. [PMID: 30945586 DOI: 10.1080/08820139.2019.1569043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Human leukocyte antigens G and E (HLA-G and HLA-E) are nonclassical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. These molecules play an important role in immune surveillance by inhibiting natural killer and cytotoxic T cells responsible for immune escape. The expression of HLA-G and HLA-E has been associated with several diseases including tumor. The main objective of the study is to evaluate the impact of three HLA-G 3'UTR potential polymorphisms: +3187 A > G (rs9380142), +3142 G > C (rs1063320), +2960 14-base pair (bp) Insertion/Deletion (Ins/Del) (rs66554220), and the HLA-E*01:01/01:03 A > G (rs1264457) polymorphism in Tunisian breast cancer population. A total of 355 patients and 381 controls were genotyping for HLA-G and HLA-E polymorphisms using a Taq Man assay. +3142 C allele and +3142 C/C genotype were significantly associated with increased risk of breast cancer (p = 0.00002; OR = 1.58; 95% CI = 27-1.97) (49% versus 35%; p = 0.0001; OR = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.32-2.44). In addition, Del allele and the homozygous state for Del/Del genotype confer a risk for breast cancer (52% versus 45%, p = 0.006; OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.08-1.64) (28% versus 22%, p = 0.039; OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 0.90-2.25). However, no statistical significant differences were reported for HLA-G + 3187 A > G and HLA-E variations and breast cancer in a Tunisian population. The found results indicate that HLA-G may play an important role in the breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nesrine Ouni
- a Clinical Biology Department , Salah Azaiz Institute , Tunis , Tunisia
| | - Arij Ben Chaaben
- a Clinical Biology Department , Salah Azaiz Institute , Tunis , Tunisia
- b Jean Dausset Laboratory and INSERM, U1160 , Saint Louis Hospital , Paris , France
| | - Ghalia Kablouti
- a Clinical Biology Department , Salah Azaiz Institute , Tunis , Tunisia
| | - Fayza Ayari
- a Clinical Biology Department , Salah Azaiz Institute , Tunis , Tunisia
| | - Hayet Douik
- a Clinical Biology Department , Salah Azaiz Institute , Tunis , Tunisia
| | - Hajer Abaza
- a Clinical Biology Department , Salah Azaiz Institute , Tunis , Tunisia
| | - Sonia Gara
- a Clinical Biology Department , Salah Azaiz Institute , Tunis , Tunisia
| | - Amel Elgaaied-Benammar
- c Immunology Department, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences , Tunis El Manar University , Tunis , Tunisia
| | - Fethi Guemira
- a Clinical Biology Department , Salah Azaiz Institute , Tunis , Tunisia
| | - Ryad Tamouza
- d INSERM, U955, Translational Psychiatry , Paris-East University , Creteil , France
- e AP-HP, DHU PePSY, Department of Psychiatry , Hôpital Henri Mondor, Université Paris-Est-Creteil , Creteil , France
- f Fondation FondaMental , Creteil , France
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Cichocki F, Miller JS. Setting traps for NKG2A gives NK cell immunotherapy a fighting chance. J Clin Invest 2019; 129:1839-1841. [PMID: 30985296 DOI: 10.1172/jci128480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The equilibrium of signaling through activating and inhibitory receptors dictates whether a given NK cell will execute cellular cytotoxicity. In this issue of the JCI, Kamiya et al. describe a novel approach to efficiently inhibiting surface expression of the inhibitory receptor CD94/NK group 2 member A (NKG2A) through retention of the protein in the endoplasmic reticulum. In adoptive transfer experiments into tumor-bearing immunodeficient mice, NKG2Anull NK cells were significantly more effective at eliminating HLA-E-expressing tumor cells than NKG2A+ NK cells. This study provides proof of concept for a new immunotherapeutic approach using NKG2Anull NK cells.
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Würfel FM, Winterhalter C, Trenkwalder P, Wirtz RM, Würfel W. European Patent in Immunoncology: From Immunological Principles of Implantation to Cancer Treatment. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20081830. [PMID: 31013867 PMCID: PMC6514949 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20081830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The granted European patent EP 2 561 890 describes a procedure for an immunological treatment of cancer. It is based on the principles of the HLA-supported communication of implantation and pregnancy. These principles ensure that the embryo is not rejected by the mother. In pregnancy, the placenta, more specifically the trophoblast, creates an “interface” between the embryo/fetus and the maternal immune system. Trophoblasts do not express the “original” HLA identification of the embryo/fetus (HLA-A to -DQ), but instead show the non-classical HLA groups E, F, and G. During interaction with specific receptors of NK cells (e.g., killer-immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR)) and lymphocytes (lymphocyte-immunoglobulin-like receptors (LIL-R)), the non-classical HLA groups inhibit these immunocompetent cells outside pregnancy. However, tumors are known to be able to express these non-classical HLA groups and thus make use of an immuno-communication as in pregnancies. If this occurs, the prognosis usually worsens. This patent describes, in a first step, the profiling of the non-classical HLA groups in primary tumor tissue as well as metastases and recurrent tumors. The second step comprises tailored antibody therapies, which is the subject of this patent. In this review, we analyze the underlying mechanisms and describe the currently known differences between HLA-supported communication of implantation and that of tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska M Würfel
- STRATIFYER Molecular Pathology GmbH, D-50935 Cologne, Werthmannstrasse 1c, 50935 Cologne, Germany.
| | | | | | - Ralph M Wirtz
- STRATIFYER Molecular Pathology GmbH, D-50935 Cologne, Werthmannstrasse 1c, 50935 Cologne, Germany.
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Xu YP, Wieten L, Wang SX, Cai Y, Olieslagers T, Zhang L, He LM, Tilanus MGJ, Hong WX. Clinical significance of HLA-E genotype and surface/soluble expression levels between healthy individuals and patients with acute leukemia. Leuk Lymphoma 2019; 60:208-215. [PMID: 29969046 DOI: 10.1080/10428194.2018.1474521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-E is a nonclassical HLA molecule with limited polymorphisms. Genotype frequency and expression of HLA-E were examined here for the first time in acute leukemia patients and healthy controls. The frequency of HLA-E*01:03/*01:03 individuals was significantly higher (p = .008, OR = 1.845), while the frequency of HLA-E*01:01/*01:01 individuals was much lower in the patient group (p = .002, OR = .363) than in control group. The surface expression on HLA-E*01:03/*01:03 individuals was found to be significantly higher than on HLA-E*01:01/*01:01 individuals in both of acute leukemia and control groups, but no significant difference was observed between the corresponding genotypes in two groups. However, the level of expression of soluble HLA-E is significantly higher in patients than in the control group, but there was no genotype-specific expression in either group. These findings indicate that soluble HLA-E secretion and HLA-E*01:03/*01:03 genotype that brings higher surface expression might play important roles in the mechanisms underlying tumor escape in acute leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Ping Xu
- a Immunogenetics Laboratory , Shenzhen Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Shenzhen Blood Center , Shenzhen , China
- b Transplantation Immunology, Tissue Typing Laboratory , Maastricht University Medical Center , Maastricht , The Netherlands
| | - Lotte Wieten
- b Transplantation Immunology, Tissue Typing Laboratory , Maastricht University Medical Center , Maastricht , The Netherlands
| | - Song-Xing Wang
- a Immunogenetics Laboratory , Shenzhen Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Shenzhen Blood Center , Shenzhen , China
| | - Yun Cai
- c Department of Hematopathology , Shenzhen Second People's Hospital , Shenzhen , China
| | - Timo Olieslagers
- b Transplantation Immunology, Tissue Typing Laboratory , Maastricht University Medical Center , Maastricht , The Netherlands
| | - Li Zhang
- a Immunogenetics Laboratory , Shenzhen Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Shenzhen Blood Center , Shenzhen , China
| | - Liu-Mei He
- a Immunogenetics Laboratory , Shenzhen Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Shenzhen Blood Center , Shenzhen , China
| | - Marce G J Tilanus
- b Transplantation Immunology, Tissue Typing Laboratory , Maastricht University Medical Center , Maastricht , The Netherlands
| | - Wen-Xu Hong
- a Immunogenetics Laboratory , Shenzhen Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Shenzhen Blood Center , Shenzhen , China
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van Montfoort N, Borst L, Korrer MJ, Sluijter M, Marijt KA, Santegoets SJ, van Ham VJ, Ehsan I, Charoentong P, André P, Wagtmann N, Welters MJP, Kim YJ, Piersma SJ, van der Burg SH, van Hall T. NKG2A Blockade Potentiates CD8 T Cell Immunity Induced by Cancer Vaccines. Cell 2018; 175:1744-1755.e15. [PMID: 30503208 PMCID: PMC6354585 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 219] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Tumor-infiltrating CD8 T cells were found to frequently express the inhibitory receptor NKG2A, particularly in immune-reactive environments and after therapeutic cancer vaccination. High-dimensional cluster analysis demonstrated that NKG2A marks a unique immune effector subset preferentially co-expressing the tissue-resident CD103 molecule, but not immune checkpoint inhibitors. To examine whether NKG2A represented an adaptive resistance mechanism to cancer vaccination, we blocked the receptor with an antibody and knocked out its ligand Qa-1b, the conserved ortholog of HLA-E, in four mouse tumor models. The impact of therapeutic vaccines was greatly potentiated by disruption of the NKG2A/Qa-1b axis even in a PD-1 refractory mouse model. NKG2A blockade therapy operated through CD8 T cells, but not NK cells. These findings indicate that NKG2A-blocking antibodies might improve clinical responses to therapeutic cancer vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine van Montfoort
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Linda Borst
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Michael J Korrer
- Department of Otolaryngology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Marjolein Sluijter
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Koen A Marijt
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Saskia J Santegoets
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Vanessa J van Ham
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ilina Ehsan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Pornpimol Charoentong
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Center for Tumor diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | | | - Marij J P Welters
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Young J Kim
- Department of Otolaryngology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Sytse J Piersma
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Sjoerd H van der Burg
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Thorbald van Hall
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, the Netherlands.
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Carlsten M, Namazi A, Reger R, Levy E, Berg M, St Hilaire C, Childs RW. Bortezomib sensitizes multiple myeloma to NK cells via ER-stress-induced suppression of HLA-E and upregulation of DR5. Oncoimmunology 2018; 8:e1534664. [PMID: 30713790 PMCID: PMC6343814 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2018.1534664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 09/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib has significantly improved the survival of patients with multiple myeloma (MM), the disease remains fatal as most patients eventually develop progressive disease. Recent data indicate that MM cells can evade bortezomib-induced cell death by undergoing autophagy as a consequence of endoplasmatic reticulum (ER)-stress induced by proteasome inhibition. Here we show that bortezomib sensitizes MM cells to NK cell killing via two distinct mechanisms: a) upregulation of the TRAIL death receptor DR5 on the surface of MM cells and b) ER-stress induced reduction of cell surface HLA-E. The latter mechanism is completely novel and was found to be exclusively controlled by the inhibitory receptor NKG2A, with NKG2A single-positive (NKG2ASP) NK cells developing a selective augmentation in tumor killing as a consequence of bortezomib-induced loss of HLA-E on the non-apoptotic MM cells. In contrast, the expression of classical HLA class I molecules remained unchanged following bortezomib exposure, diminishing the augmentation of MM killing by NK cells expressing KIR. Further, we found that feeder cell-based ex vivo expansion of NK cells increased both NK cell TRAIL surface expression and the percentage of NKG2ASP NK cells compared to unexpanded controls, substantially augmenting their capacity to kill bortezomib-treated MM cells. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that infusion of ex vivo expanded NK cells following treatment with bortezomib could eradicate MM cells that would normally evade killing through proteasome inhibition alone, potentially improving long-term survival among MM patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattias Carlsten
- Laboratory of Transplantation Immunotherapy, Hematology Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Ali Namazi
- Laboratory of Transplantation Immunotherapy, Hematology Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Robert Reger
- Laboratory of Transplantation Immunotherapy, Hematology Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Emily Levy
- Laboratory of Transplantation Immunotherapy, Hematology Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Maria Berg
- Laboratory of Transplantation Immunotherapy, Hematology Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Cynthia St Hilaire
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Richard W Childs
- Laboratory of Transplantation Immunotherapy, Hematology Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
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Voutsadakis IA. Expression and function of immune ligand-receptor pairs in NK cells and cancer stem cells: therapeutic implications. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2018; 41:107-121. [PMID: 29470831 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-018-0373-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The interplay between the immune system and cancer cells has come to the forefront of cancer therapeutics, with novel immune blockade inhibitors being approved for the treatment of an increasing list of cancers. However, the majority of cancer patients still display or develop resistance to these promising drugs. It is possible that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are contributing to this therapeutic resistance. Although CSCs usually represent a small percentage of the total number of cancer cells, they are endowed with the ability of self-renewal and to produce differentiated progeny. Additionally, they have shown the capacity to establish tumors after transplantation to animals, even in small numbers. CSCs have also been found to be resistant to various anti-cancer therapies, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy and, more recently, immunotherapy. This is true despite the sensitivity of CSCs to lysis in vitro by natural killer (NK) cells, the main effector cells of the innate immune system. In this paper the expression of ligands specific for NK cells on CSCs, the intracellular network responsible for the expression of the NK cytotoxicity receptors, and the status of activation of NK cells in the tumor micro-environment are reviewed. The aim of this review is to highlight potential strategies for overcoming CSC immune resistance, thereby enhancing the efficacy of current and future anti-cancer therapies. THERAPEUTIC IMPLICATIONS NK cell activation in the tumor micro-environment through drugs neutralizing inhibitory immune receptors, and combined with other drugs harnessing the potential of the adaptive immune system, could be the most effective approach for attacking both stem cell and non-stem cell cancer populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis A Voutsadakis
- Algoma District Cancer Program, Sault Area Hospital, Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Canada. .,Division of Clinical Sciences, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, ON, Canada. .,Division of Medical Oncology, Sault Area Hospital, 750 Great Northern Road, Sault Ste Marie, ON, P6B 0A8, Canada.
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Steven A, Seliger B. The Role of Immune Escape and Immune Cell Infiltration in Breast Cancer. Breast Care (Basel) 2018; 13:16-21. [PMID: 29950962 DOI: 10.1159/000486585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
While detailed analysis of aberrant cancer cell signaling pathways and changes in cancer cell DNA has dominated the field of breast cancer biology for years, there now exists increasing evidence that the tumor microenvironment (TME) including tumor-infiltrating immune cells support the growth and development of breast cancer and further facilitate invasion and metastasis formation as well as sensitivity to drug therapy. Furthermore, breast cancer cells have developed different strategies to escape surveillance from the adaptive and innate immune system. These include loss of expression of immunostimulatory molecules, gain of expression of immunoinhibitory molecules such as PD-L1 and HLA-G, and altered expression of components involved in apoptosis. Furthermore, the composition of the TME plays a key role in breast cancer development and treatment response. In this review we will focus on i) the different immune evasion mechanisms used by breast cancer cells, ii) the role of immune cell infiltration in this disease, and (iii) implication for breast cancer-based immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Steven
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
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Seliger B. Immune modulatory microRNAs as a novel mechanism to revert immune escape of tumors. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2017; 36:49-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2017.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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41
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Lennicke C, Rahn J, Bukur J, Hochgräfe F, Wessjohann LA, Lichtenfels R, Seliger B. Modulation of MHC class I surface expression in B16F10 melanoma cells by methylseleninic acid. Oncoimmunology 2016; 6:e1259049. [PMID: 28680742 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2016.1259049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2016] [Revised: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The essential trace element selenium (Se) might play a role in cancer prevention as well as for cancer therapy. Its metabolite methylselenol is able to kill cells through distinct mechanisms including induction of reactive oxygen species, DNA damage and apoptosis. Since methylselenol affects innate immune responses by modulating the expression of NKG2D ligands, the aim of this study was to determine whether the methylselenol generating compound methylseleninic acid (MSA) influences the expression of the MHC class I surface antigens and growth properties thereby reverting immune escape. Treatment of B16F10 melanoma cells expressing low basal MHC class I surface antigens with dimethyldiselenide (DMDSe) and MSA, but not with selenomethionine and selenite resulted in a dose-dependent upregulation of MHC class I cell surface antigens. This was due to a transcriptional upregulation of some major components of the antigen processing machinery (APM) and the interferon (IFN) signaling pathway and accompanied by a reduced migration of B16F10 melanoma cells in the presence of MSA. Comparative "ome"-based profilings of untreated and MSA-treated melanoma cells linked the anti-oxidative response system with MHC class I antigen processing. Since MSA treatment enhanced MHC class I surface expression also on different human tumors cell lines, MSA might affect the malignant phenotype of various tumor cells by restoring MHC class I APM component expression due to an altered redox status and by partially mimicking IFN-gamma signaling thereby providing a novel mechanism for the chemotherapeutic potential of methylselenol generating Se compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Lennicke
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jette Rahn
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jürgen Bukur
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Falko Hochgräfe
- Junior Research Group Pathoproteomics, Competence Center Functional Genomics, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | | | - Rudolf Lichtenfels
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
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