1
|
Bessoles S, Chiron A, Sarrabayrouse G, De La Grange P, Abina AM, Hacein-Bey-Abina S. Erythropoietin induces tumour progression and CD39 expression on immune cells in a preclinical model of triple-negative breast cancer. Immunology 2024; 173:360-380. [PMID: 38953295 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13832] [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: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The adverse effects observed in some cancer patients treated with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents such as erythropoietin (EPO) might be due to the latter's well-known immunosuppressive functions. Here, we used a mouse model of syngeneic triple-negative breast cancer to explore EPO's immunomodulatory role in a tumour setting. Our results showed that EPO treatment promotes tumour growth, exacerbates the 'immune desert', and results in a 'cold tumour'. EPO treatment changed the immune cell distribution in peripheral blood, secondary lymphoid organs, and the tumour microenvironment (TME). Our in-depth analysis showed that EPO mainly impacts CD4 T cells by accelerating their activation in the spleen and thus their subsequent exhaustion in the TME. This process is accompanied by a general elevation of CD39 expression by several immune cells (notably CD4 T cells in the tumour and spleen), which promotes an immunosuppressive TME. Lastly, we identified a highly immunosuppressive CD39+ regulatory T cell population (ICOS+, CTLA4+, Ki67+) as a potential biomarker of the risk of EPO-induced tumour progression. EPO displays pleiotropic immunosuppressive functions and enhances mammary tumour progression in mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Bessoles
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, INSERM, UTCBS, Unité des Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Paris, France
| | - Andrada Chiron
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, INSERM, UTCBS, Unité des Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Paris, France
- Clinical Immunology Laboratory, Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris-Sud, Hôpital Kremlin-Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Le-Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Guillaume Sarrabayrouse
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, INSERM, UTCBS, Unité des Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Paris, France
| | | | - Amine M Abina
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, INSERM, UTCBS, Unité des Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Paris, France
| | - Salima Hacein-Bey-Abina
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, INSERM, UTCBS, Unité des Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Paris, France
- Clinical Immunology Laboratory, Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris-Sud, Hôpital Kremlin-Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Le-Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Seifati SM, Zare F, Bafghi SAM, Hadinedoushan H. Impact of anti leukemia inhibitory factor antibody on immune related gene expression in breast cancer Balb/c mouse model. Sci Rep 2024; 14:20403. [PMID: 39223212 PMCID: PMC11369080 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-71014-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is involved in the progression of different cancers. In this study, we investigated the effect of anti-LIF antibodies on immune-related gene expression in the Balb/c mouse model of breast cancer. To immunize mice against LIF, recombinant LIF with Freund adjuvant was injected into the test group, whereas the control group received phosphate-buffered saline with adjuvant. Tumor induction (4T1 cell line) was performed by increasing the antibody titer. The expression of immune-related genes was evaluated by real-time PCR. The anti-LIF titer was significantly increased in the immunized group. The expression of genes related to the differentiation of T helper (Th)-1, Th-2, and Th-17 cells was significantly higher in the immunized group than in the control group. In addition, anti-LIF did not have a significant effect on the expression of genes related to the differentiation of regulatory T cells, and immune checkpoint-associated genes. Additionally, the test group had higher survival and lower tumor development rates. The results demonstrated that the anti-LIF antibody may potentially play a role in the differentiation of immune cells or immune responses. However, further studies utilizing advanced techniques are necessary to validate its function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Mohammad Seifati
- Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Postal Code: 8916181635, Iran
- Department of Immunology, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Fateme Zare
- Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Postal Code: 8916181635, Iran
| | | | - Hossein Hadinedoushan
- Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Postal Code: 8916181635, Iran.
- Department of Immunology, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Taghiloo S, Asgarian-Omran H. Cross-talk between leukemic and immune cells at the tumor microenvironment in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: An update review. Eur J Haematol 2024; 113:4-15. [PMID: 38698678 DOI: 10.1111/ejh.14224] [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: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a mature-type B cell malignancy correlated with significant changes and defects in both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system, together with a high dependency on the tumor microenvironment. Overall, the tumor microenvironment (TME) in CLL provides a supportive niche for leukemic cells to grow and survive, and interactions between CLL cells and the TME can contribute to disease progression and treatment resistance. Therefore, the increasing knowledge of the complicated interaction between immune cells and tumor cells, which is responsible for immune evasion and cancer progression, has provided an opportunity for the development of new therapeutic approaches. In this review, we outline tumor microenvironment-driven contributions to the licensing of immune escape mechanisms in CLL patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saeid Taghiloo
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Hossein Asgarian-Omran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Luan J, Liu Y, Cao M, Guo X, Guo N. The pathogenic response of cytotoxic T‑lymphocytes, a common therapeutic target for cancer, has a direct impact on treatment outcomes (Review). Oncol Rep 2024; 52:98. [PMID: 38904200 PMCID: PMC11200153 DOI: 10.3892/or.2024.8757] [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: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), also known as CD8+ T cells, participate in immune function by secreting various cytokines after recognizing specific antigens and class I major histocompatibility complex molecules associated with tumor cells, and thus have a key role in antitumor immunity. However, certain CD8+ T cells show low reactivity and thus cannot effectively remove tumor cells or viral antigens. Due to this heterogeneity, effective biomarkers representing these differences in CD8+ cells are needed. The identification of suitable biomarkers will also enhance the management of cancer treatment. Recent research has improved the understanding of CD8+ T lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment and circulatory system. Treatment efficacy is impacted directly by the pathogenic response of CTLs, and thus, the use of adjuvant therapies to address these pathological changes, e.g., stimulating the increase in the proportion of reactive T cells or suppressing the proportion of terminally exhausted T cells, would be advantageous.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Luan
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, P.R. China
| | - Yuxin Liu
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, P.R. China
| | - Meng Cao
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, P.R. China
| | - Xianing Guo
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, P.R. China
| | - Na Guo
- Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Otterlei Fjørtoft M, Huse K, Rye IH. The Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Breast Cancer Progression. Acta Oncol 2024; 63:359-367. [PMID: 38779867 PMCID: PMC11332517 DOI: 10.2340/1651-226x.2024.33008] [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: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The tumor microenvironment significantly influences breast cancer development, progression, and metastasis. Various immune cell populations, including T cells, B cells, NK cells, and myeloid cells exhibit diverse functions in different breast cancer subtypes, contributing to both anti-tumor and pro-tumor activities. PURPOSE This review provides an overview of the predominant immune cell populations in breast cancer subtypes, elucidating their suppressive and prognostic effects. We aim to outline the role of the immune microenvironment from normal breast tissue to invasive cancer and distant metastasis. METHODS A comprehensive literature review was conducted to analyze the involvement of immune cells throughout breast cancer progression. RESULTS In breast cancer, tumors exhibit increased immune cell infiltration compared to normal tissue. Variations exist across subtypes, with higher levels observed in triple-negative and HER2+ tumors are linked to better survival. In contrast, ER+ tumors display lower immune infiltration, associated with poorer outcomes. Furthermore, metastatic sites commonly exhibit a more immunosuppressive microenvironment. CONCLUSION Understanding the complex interaction between tumor and immune cells during breast cancer progression is essential for future research and the development of immune-based strategies. This comprehensive understanding may pave the way for more effective treatment approaches and improved patients outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marit Otterlei Fjørtoft
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Division of Cancer Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kanutte Huse
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Division of Cancer Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Inga Hansine Rye
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Division of Cancer Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lorenzi M, Resi MV, Bonanno L, Frega S, Dal Maso A, Ferro A, Guarneri V, Pasello G. Tissue and circulating biomarkers of benefit to immunotherapy in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer patients. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1308109. [PMID: 38348046 PMCID: PMC10859471 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1308109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Extensive stage-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (ES-SCLC) is an aggressive cancer with dismal prognosis. The addition of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) to platinum-based chemotherapy have been consistently demonstrated to improve outcomes and survival, becoming the new standard in first - line treatment of ES-SCLC patients. However, despite positive results reported in the pivotal trials, longer benefit appears evident only for a selected group of patients. Several predictive biomarkers have been studied so far but the prospective identification of patients more likely to experience better outcome seems to be challenging in SCLC. Indeed, classical immune predictive biomarkers as PD-L1 and tumor mutational burden (TMB) seem not to correlate with outcomes. Recently, a new molecular classification of SCLC based on differential expression of genes associated with specific clinical behaviors and therapeutic vulnerability have been presented suggesting a new field to be investigated. Despite the achievements, these studies focused mainly on inter-tumoral heterogeneity, limiting the exploration of intra-tumoral heterogeneity and cell to cell interactions. New analysis methods are ongoing in order to explore subtypes plasticity. Analysis on single biopsies cannot catch the whole genomic profile and dynamic change of disease over time and during treatment. Moreover, the availability of tissue for translational research is limited due to the low proportion of patients undergoing surgery. In this context, liquid biopsy is a promising tool to detect reliable predictive biomarkers. Here, we reviewed the current available data on predictive role of tissue and liquid biomarkers in ES-SCLC patients receiving ICIs. We assessed latest results in terms of predictive and prognostic value of gene expression profiling in SCLC. Finally, we explored the role of liquid biopsy as a tool to monitor SCLC patients over time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martina Lorenzi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Santa Chiara Hospital, Trento, Italy
| | - Maria Vittoria Resi
- Division of Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IRCCS, Padova, Italy
- Department of Surgery, Oncology, and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Laura Bonanno
- Division of Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Stefano Frega
- Division of Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Dal Maso
- Division of Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Alessandra Ferro
- Division of Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Valentina Guarneri
- Division of Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IRCCS, Padova, Italy
- Department of Surgery, Oncology, and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giulia Pasello
- Division of Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IRCCS, Padova, Italy
- Department of Surgery, Oncology, and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Algrafi AS, Jamal AA, Ismaeel DM. Microbiota as a New Target in Cancer Pathogenesis and Treatment. Cureus 2023; 15:e47072. [PMID: 38021696 PMCID: PMC10645418 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.47072] [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] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The microbial ecosystem of humans is an integral part of human health and disease. A significant percentage of tumors worldwide are thought to be microbially induced. The relationship between cancer and microbes is complex. In this article review, we aim to give an overview of human microbiota and its role in carcinogenesis, emphasize the relation between microbiota and cancer immunity, and highlight its role in the future of cancer therapy. The term microbiota refers to the collection of microorganisms that are located in an individual, whereas the total genome of these microorganisms is referred to as the microbiome. The microbiota in humans has many physiological functions. The microbiota within the gut lumen has a profound effect on the local and systemic immune system. The immune system can change the gut microbiota. Microbiota may induce carcinogenesis by several mechanisms. It also affects tumor progression. Thus, microbiota modulation may aid in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Intentionally introducing microorganisms into the oncological patient is assumed to mobilize the immune system to become able to, at least, limit the development of cancer. Microbes are used as vectors which are carriers of particular antineoplastic agents that reduce the side effects of chemotherapy. Inflammation and tumor microenvironment play an essential role in promoting chemo-resistance. There is now considerable evidence, both in humans as well as in laboratory animals, that the commensal microbiota has important effects on carcinogenesis, tumor growth, and therapy response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abeer S Algrafi
- Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Madinah, SAU
| | - Aisha A Jamal
- General Practice, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Madinah, SAU
| | - Dana M Ismaeel
- General Practice, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Madinah, SAU
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Geršak K, Geršak BM, Gazić B, Klevišar Ivančič A, Drev P, Ružić Gorenjec N, Grašič Kuhar C. The Possible Role of Anti- and Protumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Pathologic Complete Response in Early Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4794. [PMID: 37835488 PMCID: PMC10571934 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15194794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment, composed of pro- and antitumor immune cells, affects cancer cell behavior. We aimed to evaluate whether tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) density and TIL subtypes in core biopsies at the diagnosis of breast cancer patients could predict a pathologic complete response (pCR; ypT0/is ypN0) from neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST). The TIL subtypes were determined based on the proportions of presumably antitumor (CD8+, CXCL13+) and protumor (PD-1+, FOXP3+) immune cells. A prospective, noninterventional study, including 171 participants undergoing NST, was performed. The median TIL density for the entire cohort was 10% (IQR: 3.5-23.8), and 59 (35%) patients achieved pCR. TIL density was positively associated with pCR (univariately and multivariably). In the multivariable logistic regression model, TIL density was an independent predictor of pCR (p = 0.012, OR 1.27; 95% CI 1.05-1.54) when controlled for age (p = 0.232), Ki-67 (p = 0.001), node-negative status (p = 0.024), and HER2+/triple negative vs. luminal B-like subtype (p < 0.001). In our sample, higher proportions of PD-1+ TILs and FOXP3+ TILs were associated with a higher probability of pCR but the association was not statistically significant and we could not make any conclusions on the direction of associations in the model with all four biomarkers. In the exploratory multivariable analysis, we showed that only higher CD8+ TILs were associated with pCR. In conclusion, TIL density and its subtypes are associated with pCR.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Klara Geršak
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov Trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia (B.G.); (A.K.I.); (C.G.K.)
- Division of Medical Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Zaloška Cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Blaž Matija Geršak
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov Trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia (B.G.); (A.K.I.); (C.G.K.)
| | - Barbara Gazić
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov Trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia (B.G.); (A.K.I.); (C.G.K.)
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Zaloška Cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Andreja Klevišar Ivančič
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov Trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia (B.G.); (A.K.I.); (C.G.K.)
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Zaloška Cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Primož Drev
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Zaloška Cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Nina Ružić Gorenjec
- Institute for Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov Trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Cvetka Grašič Kuhar
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov Trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia (B.G.); (A.K.I.); (C.G.K.)
- Division of Medical Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Zaloška Cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Zareinejad M, Mehdipour F, Roshan-Zamir M, Faghih Z, Ghaderi A. Dual Functions of T Lymphocytes in Breast Carcinoma: From Immune Protection to Orchestrating Tumor Progression and Metastasis. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4771. [PMID: 37835465 PMCID: PMC10571747 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15194771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer type in women and the second leading cause of death. Despite recent advances, the mortality rate of BC is still high, highlighting a need to develop new treatment strategies including the modulation of the immune system and immunotherapies. In this regard, understanding the complex function of the involved immune cells and their crosstalk with tumor cells is of great importance. T-cells are recognized as the most important cells in the tumor microenvironment and are divided into several subtypes including helper, cytotoxic, and regulatory T-cells according to their transcription factors, markers, and functions. This article attempts to provide a comprehensive review of the role of T-cell subsets in the prognosis and treatment of patients with BC, and crosstalk between tumor cells and T-cells. The literature overwhelmingly contains controversial findings mainly due to the plasticity of T-cell subsets within the inflammatory conditions and the use of different panels for their phenotyping. However, investigating the role of T-cells in BC immunity depends on a variety of factors including tumor types or subtypes, the stage of the disease, the localization of the cells in the tumor tissue and the presence of different cells or cytokines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Zahra Faghih
- Shiraz Institute for Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 71348-45505, Iran; (M.Z.); (F.M.); (M.R.-Z.)
| | - Abbas Ghaderi
- Shiraz Institute for Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 71348-45505, Iran; (M.Z.); (F.M.); (M.R.-Z.)
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Koppensteiner L, Mathieson L, Pattle S, Dorward DA, O'Connor R, Akram AR. Location of CD39 + T cell subpopulations within tumors predict differential outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e006770. [PMID: 37648263 PMCID: PMC10471883 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-006770] [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] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE An improved mechanistic understanding of immunosuppressive pathways in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is important to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Here, we investigate the prognostic significance of the ectonucleotidases CD39 and CD73 in NSCLC. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN The expression and localization of CD39, CD73 and CD103 was digitally quantified in a cohort of 162 early treatment naïve NSCLC patients using multiplex-immunofluorescence and related to patient outcome. Expression among different cell-populations was assessed via flow cytometry. Targeted RNA-Seq was performed on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from digested NSCLC tumor tissue and single-cell RNA-Seq data was analyzed to investigate the functional significance of CD39+ T cell populations. RESULTS We demonstrate that flow cytometry of early untreated NSCLC patients shows an upregulation of CD39 expression in the tumor tissue among natural killer (NK) cells, fibroblasts and T cells. CD73 expression is mainly found among fibroblasts and Epcam+cells in the tumor tissue. Multiplex Immunofluorescence in a cohort of 162 early untreated NSCLC patients demonstrates that CD39 expression is mainly localized in the tumor stroma while CD73 expression is equally distributed between tumor nest and stroma, and high expression of CD39 and CD73 in the tumor stroma is associated with poor recurrence-free survival (RFS) at 5 years. Additionally, we find that CD8+T cells located in the tumor nest express CD103 and the density of CD39+CD103+CD8+ T cells in the tumor nest predicts improved RFS at 5 years. Targeted RNA-Seq shows that the tumor microenvironment of NSCLC upregulates regulatory pathways in CD4+ T cells and exhaustion in CD8+ T cells, and analysis of a single cell RNA sequencing dataset shows that CD39+CD4+ cells are enriched in Treg signature gene-sets, and CD39+CD103+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte show gene signatures indicative of an exhausted cytotoxic phenotype with upregulated expression of CXCL13. CONCLUSIONS Knowledge of patterns of distribution and location are required to understand the prognostic impact of CD39+ T cell populations in NSCLC. This study provides an improved understanding of spatial and functional characteristics of CD39+ T cells and their significance to patient outcome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Layla Mathieson
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Samuel Pattle
- Department of Pathology, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Richard O'Connor
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ahsan R Akram
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics & Molecular Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Liang Z, Chen W, Guo Y, Ren Y, Tian Y, Cai W, Bao Y, Liu Q, Ding P, Li Y. Soluble monomeric human programmed cell death-ligand 1 inhibits the functions of activated T cells. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1133883. [PMID: 37266424 PMCID: PMC10229872 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1133883] [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: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The presence of soluble human programmed cell death-ligand 1 (shPD-L1) in the blood of patients with cancer has been reported to be negatively correlated with disease prognosis. However, little information exists about the mechanisms underlying high levels of shPD-L1 for promoting disease progression. Methods In this study, we first analyzed the correlations between shPD-L1 and apoptosis of T cells in patients with cancer, then tested the effect of shPD-L1 on T-cell functions and the production of regulatory T cells. Results We found that the apoptosis of human peripheral PD-1+CD4+ T cells was significantly elevated in patients with cancer compared with healthy donors and was positively correlated with circulating PD-L1 levels in patients with cancer. In vitro, monomeric shPD-L1 significantly inhibited the proliferation, cytokine secretion, and cancer cell-killing activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) activated by either agonist antibodies or HATac (high-affinity T cell activation core)-NYE (NY-ESO-1 antigen). It also promoted CD4+ T cells to express forkhead family transcription factor 3 (FoxP3) for the conversion of induced T regulatory cells, which was more significant than that mediated by soluble human PD-L1 fusion protein (shPD-L1-Fc). Discussion These results confirm that soluble PD-L1 could be a candidate for inhibiting the functions of activated T cells, promoting peripheral tolerance to tumor cells, and implicating in system tumor immune escape in addition to the tumor microenvironment. This is an important mechanism explaining the negative correlation between peripheral blood PD-L1 levels and cancer prognosis. Therefore, understanding the roles of hPD-L1 in peripheral blood will be helpful for the development of precision immunotherapy programs in treating various tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoduan Liang
- Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health GuangDong Laboratory, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Wenfang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yunzhuo Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yuefei Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Ye Tian
- T-cell Immunity Optimized Cure (TIOC) Therapeutics Limited, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wenxuan Cai
- T-cell Immunity Optimized Cure (TIOC) Therapeutics Limited, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yifeng Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qi Liu
- T-cell Immunity Optimized Cure (TIOC) Therapeutics Limited, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Peng Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- T-cell Immunity Optimized Cure (TIOC) Therapeutics Limited, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Kouidhi S, Zidi O, Belkhiria Z, Rais H, Ayadi A, Ben Ayed F, Mosbah A, Cherif A, El Gaaied ABA. Gut microbiota, an emergent target to shape the efficiency of cancer therapy. EXPLORATION OF TARGETED ANTI-TUMOR THERAPY 2023; 4:240-265. [PMID: 37205307 PMCID: PMC10185446 DOI: 10.37349/etat.2023.00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
It is now well-acknowledged that microbiota has a profound influence on both human health and illness. The gut microbiota has recently come to light as a crucial element that influences cancer through a variety of mechanisms. The connections between the microbiome and cancer therapy are further highlighted by a number of preclinical and clinical evidence, suggesting that these complicated interactions may vary by cancer type, treatment, or even by tumor stage. The paradoxical relationship between gut microbiota and cancer therapies is that in some cancers, the gut microbiota may be necessary to maintain therapeutic efficacy, whereas, in other cancers, gut microbiota depletion significantly increases efficacy. Actually, mounting research has shown that the gut microbiota plays a crucial role in regulating the host immune response and boosting the efficacy of anticancer medications like chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Therefore, gut microbiota modulation, which aims to restore gut microbial balance, is a viable technique for cancer prevention and therapy given the expanding understanding of how the gut microbiome regulates treatment response and contributes to carcinogenesis. This review will provide an outline of the gut microbiota's role in health and disease, along with a summary of the most recent research on how it may influence the effectiveness of various anticancer medicines and affect the growth of cancer. This study will next cover the newly developed microbiota-targeting strategies including prebiotics, probiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to enhance anticancer therapy effectiveness, given its significance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Soumaya Kouidhi
- Laboratory BVBGR-LR11ES31, Biotechnopole Sidi Thabet, University Manouba, ISBST, Ariana 2020, Tunisia
- Association Tunisienne de Lutte contre le Cancer (ATCC), Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Oumaima Zidi
- Laboratory BVBGR-LR11ES31, Biotechnopole Sidi Thabet, University Manouba, ISBST, Ariana 2020, Tunisia
- Department of Biologu, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1068, Tunisia
| | | | - Henda Rais
- Association Tunisienne de Lutte contre le Cancer (ATCC), Tunis, Tunisia
- Service d’Oncologie Médicale, Hôpital Salah-Azaïz, Tunis 1006, Tunisia
| | - Aida Ayadi
- Department of Pathology, Abderrahman Mami Hospital, University of Tunis El Manar, Ariana 2080, Tunisia
| | - Farhat Ben Ayed
- Association Tunisienne de Lutte contre le Cancer (ATCC), Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Amor Mosbah
- Laboratory BVBGR-LR11ES31, Biotechnopole Sidi Thabet, University Manouba, ISBST, Ariana 2020, Tunisia
| | - Ameur Cherif
- Laboratory BVBGR-LR11ES31, Biotechnopole Sidi Thabet, University Manouba, ISBST, Ariana 2020, Tunisia
| | - Amel Ben Ammar El Gaaied
- Laboratory of Genetics, Immunology and Human Pathology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1068, Tunisia
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Dorobisz K, Dorobisz T, Zatoński T. The Microbiome's Influence on Head and Neck Cancers. Curr Oncol Rep 2023; 25:163-171. [PMID: 36696075 PMCID: PMC9947050 DOI: 10.1007/s11912-022-01352-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Head and neck tumors (HNC) rank sixth among cancers worldwide. Due to their late diagnosis and poor prognosis, they are a clinical challenge. However, recent years have seen a dynamic development of science on the microbiome. The aim of the study is to discuss the role of the microbiome in HNC, the impact of the microbiome on oncogenesis, the course of the disease, as well as on treatment, and its toxicity. RECENT FINDINGS The microbiome's influence on oncogenesis, the course of the disease, and the effectiveness of oncological treatment have been confirmed in cancers of the colon, pancreas, lungs, and prostate. There is no solid literature on HNC. Many studies indicate disruption of the oral microbiome and periodontal disease as potential cancer risk factors. Disruption of the microbiome increases radiotherapy's toxicity, intensifying radiation reactions. The microbiome plays an important role in cancer. It is a new target in research into new therapies. It may also be a prognostic marker of cancer development. Changes in the composition of the microbiome modulate the effectiveness of oncological treatment. More research is needed on the microbiome and its effects on HNC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Dorobisz
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Wrocław Medical University, Borowska 213, 50-556, Wrocław, Poland.
| | - Tadeusz Dorobisz
- Department of Vascular and General Surgery, Wrocław Medical University, Borowska 213, 50-556, Wrocław, Poland.
| | - Tomasz Zatoński
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Wrocław Medical University, Borowska 213, 50-556, Wrocław, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Yuan K, Wu J, Zhao Y, Lyu S, Zhou Q, Shi F, Li Y, Song Q. Consistent expression of PD-L1 in tumor microenvironment with peripheral PD-1/PD-L1 in circulating T lymphocytes of operable breast cancer: a diagnostic test. Diagn Pathol 2022; 17:68. [PMID: 36088412 PMCID: PMC9464389 DOI: 10.1186/s13000-022-01249-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The expression of PD-L1 in the immune microenvironment can guide the application of immunosuppressants. In order to monitor the immune status of the body, repeated biopsies have to be taken. Our research aims to find new and convenient means to evaluate this indicator. Methods Eighty-three cases of newly diagnosed operable breast cancer without receiving preoperative treatment, were recruited from Beijing Shijitan Hospital between November 2018 and November 2019. The expression of PD-1/PD-L1 on circulating T lymphocytes was detected by flow cytometry and the expression of PD-L1 on immune cells in tumor microenvironment was detected by immunohistochemistry. Results The median percentage of positive PD-1 and PD-L1 expression on circulating T lymphocytes was 15.2% and 0.7%, respectively. The peripheral PD-1 had no relationship with clinicopathological characteristics, but the peripheral PD-L1 expression had a correlation with lymph node metastasis (p = 0.005) and Her-2 expression (p = 0.034) (p < 0.05). The positive rate of PD-L1 expression was 32.9% in tumor microenvironment. PD-L1 expression in tumor microenvironment had a significant correlation with PD-1/PD-L1 expression on circulating T lymphocytes, the correlation coefficients being 0.24 (p < 0.05) and 0.26 (p < 0.05), respectively. To predict the PD-L1 expression in tumor microenvironment, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.65 and 0.66 for peripheral PD-1 and PD-L1, respectively. High level of peripheral PD-1/PD-L1 expression was associated with the odds ratios of 5.42 and 4.76 for positive PD-L1 expression in tumor microenvironment. Conclusion Peripheral PD-1/PD-L1 expression had a significant consistency with PD-L1 expression in tumor microenvironment and could act as an alternative choice of tissue detection, for the patients intolerable of biopsy.
Collapse
|
15
|
Tumor immune contexture is a determinant of anti-CD19 CAR T cell efficacy in large B cell lymphoma. Nat Med 2022; 28:1872-1882. [PMID: 36038629 PMCID: PMC9499856 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-022-01916-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) is an anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy approved for relapsed/refractory large B cell lymphoma (LBCL) and has treatment with similar efficacy across conventional LBCL subtypes. Toward patient stratification, we assessed whether tumor immune contexture influenced clinical outcomes after axi-cel. We evaluated the tumor microenvironment (TME) of 135 pre-treatment and post-treatment tumor biopsies taken from 51 patients in the ZUMA-1 phase 2 trial. We uncovered dynamic patterns that occurred within 2 weeks after axi-cel. The biological associations among Immunoscore (quantification of tumor-infiltrating T cell density), Immunosign 21 (expression of pre-defined immune gene panel) and cell subsets were validated in three independent LBCL datasets. In the ZUMA-1 trial samples, clinical response and overall survival were associated with pre-treatment immune contexture as characterized by Immunoscore and Immunosign 21. Circulating CAR T cell levels were associated with post-treatment TME T cell exhaustion. TME enriched for chemokines (CCL5 and CCL22), γ-chain receptor cytokines (IL-15, IL-7 and IL-21) and interferon-regulated molecules were associated with T cell infiltration and markers of activity. Finally, high density of regulatory T cells in pre-treatment TME associated with reduced axi-cel–related neurologic toxicity. These findings advance the understanding of LBCL TME characteristics associated with clinical responses to anti-CD19 CAR T cell therapy and could foster biomarker development and treatment optimization for patients with LBCL. Analysis of tumor biopsies from the pivotal phase 1/2 ZUMA-1 trial identifies pre-treatment T cell–related characteristics that are associated with clinical response and neurologic toxicity after anti-CD19 CAR T cell therapy in patients with large B cell lymphoma.
Collapse
|
16
|
Annese T, Tamma R, Ribatti D. Update in TIGIT Immune-Checkpoint Role in Cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:871085. [PMID: 35656508 PMCID: PMC9152184 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.871085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The in-depth characterization of cross-talk between tumor cells and T cells in solid and hematological malignancies will have to be considered to develop new therapeutical strategies concerning the reactivation and maintenance of patient-specific antitumor responses within the patient tumor microenvironment. Activation of immune cells depends on a delicate balance between activating and inhibitory signals mediated by different receptors. T cell immunoreceptor with immunoglobulin and ITIM domain (TIGIT) is an inhibitory receptor expressed by regulatory T cells (Tregs), activated T cells, and natural killer (NK) cells. TIGIT pathway regulates T cell-mediated tumor recognition in vivo and in vitro and represents an exciting target for checkpoint blockade immunotherapy. TIGIT blockade as monotherapy or in combination with other inhibitor receptors or drugs is emerging in clinical trials in patients with cancer. The purpose of this review is to update the role of TIGIT in cancer progression, looking at TIGIT pathways that are often upregulated in immune cells and at possible therapeutic strategies to avoid tumor aggressiveness, drug resistance, and treatment side effects. However, in the first part, we overviewed the role of immune checkpoints in immunoediting, the TIGIT structure and ligands, and summarized the key immune cells that express TIGIT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Annese
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Libera Università del Mediterraneo (LUM) Giuseppe Degennaro University, Bari, Italy.,Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, Section of Human Anatomy and Histology, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy
| | - Roberto Tamma
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, Section of Human Anatomy and Histology, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy
| | - Domenico Ribatti
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, Section of Human Anatomy and Histology, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Zahran AM, Rayan A, Zahran ZAM, Mohamed WMY, Mohamed DO, Abdel-Rahim MH, El-Badawy O. Overexpression of PD-1 and CD39 in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes compared with peripheral blood lymphocytes in triple-negative breast cancer. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262650. [PMID: 35051220 PMCID: PMC8775239 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Growing evidence highlighted the primary role of the immune system in the disease course of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The study aim was to investigate the expression of PD-1 and CD39 on CD4+ and CD8+ cells infiltrating tumor tissue compared to their counterparts in peripheral blood and explore its association with tumor characteristics, disease progression, and prognosis in females with TNBC. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study included 30 TNBC patients and 20 healthy controls. Cancer and normal breast tissue and peripheral blood samples were collected for evaluation of the expression of PD-1 and CD39 on CD4+ and CD8+T cells by flow cytometry. RESULTS A marked reduction in the percentage of CD8+ T lymphocytes and a significant increase in the frequencies of CD4+ T lymphocytes and CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes expressing PD1 and CD39 were evident in tumor tissue in comparison with the normal breast tissue. The DFS was inversely related to the cancer tissue PD1+CD8+ and CD39+CD8+ T lymphocytes. Almost all studied cells were significantly increased in the tumor tissue than in peripheral blood. Positive correlations were detected among peripheral PD1+CD4+T lymphocytes and each of cancer tissue PD1+CD4+, PD1+CD8+and CD39+CD8+T cells, and among peripheral and cancer tissue CD39+CD4+and CD39+CD8+ T cells. CONCLUSIONS The CD39 and PD1 inhibitory pathways are synergistically utilized by TNBC cells to evade host immune response causing poor survival. Hence, combinational immunotherapy blocking these pathways might be a promising treatment strategy in this type of cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Asmaa M. Zahran
- Department of Clinical Pathology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Amal Rayan
- Clinical Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | | | - Wael M. Y. Mohamed
- Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Port Said University, Port Said, Egypt
- Consultant Medical Oncologist Locum, Swansea University Hospital, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Dalia O. Mohamed
- Department of Radiation Oncology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Mona H. Abdel-Rahim
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Omnia El-Badawy
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Corchado-Cobos R, García-Sancha N, Mendiburu-Eliçabe M, Gómez-Vecino A, Jiménez-Navas A, Pérez-Baena MJ, Holgado-Madruga M, Mao JH, Cañueto J, Castillo-Lluva S, Pérez-Losada J. Pathophysiological Integration of Metabolic Reprogramming in Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14020322. [PMID: 35053485 PMCID: PMC8773662 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14020322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Tumors exhibit metabolic changes that differentiate them from the normal tissues from which they derive. These metabolic changes favor tumor growth, are primarily induced by cancer cells, and produce metabolic and functional changes in the surrounding stromal cells. There is a close functional connection between the metabolic changes in tumor cells and those that appear in the surrounding stroma. A better understanding of intratumoral metabolic interactions may help identify new vulnerabilities that will facilitate new, more individualized treatment strategies against cancer. We review the metabolic changes described in tumor and stromal cells and their functional changes and then consider, in depth, the metabolic interactions between the cells of the two compartments. Although these changes are generic, we illustrate them mainly with reference to examples in breast cancer. Abstract Metabolic changes that facilitate tumor growth are one of the hallmarks of cancer. The triggers of these metabolic changes are located in the tumor parenchymal cells, where oncogenic mutations induce an imperative need to proliferate and cause tumor initiation and progression. Cancer cells undergo significant metabolic reorganization during disease progression that is tailored to their energy demands and fluctuating environmental conditions. Oxidative stress plays an essential role as a trigger under such conditions. These metabolic changes are the consequence of the interaction between tumor cells and stromal myofibroblasts. The metabolic changes in tumor cells include protein anabolism and the synthesis of cell membranes and nucleic acids, which all facilitate cell proliferation. They are linked to catabolism and autophagy in stromal myofibroblasts, causing the release of nutrients for the cells of the tumor parenchyma. Metabolic changes lead to an interstitium deficient in nutrients, such as glucose and amino acids, and acidification by lactic acid. Together with hypoxia, they produce functional changes in other cells of the tumor stroma, such as many immune subpopulations and endothelial cells, which lead to tumor growth. Thus, immune cells favor tissue growth through changes in immunosuppression. This review considers some of the metabolic changes described in breast cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Corchado-Cobos
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (IBMCC-CIC), Universidad de Salamanca/CSIC, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.C.-C.); (N.G.-S.); (M.M.-E.); (A.G.-V.); (A.J.-N.); (M.J.P.-B.); (J.C.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
| | - Natalia García-Sancha
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (IBMCC-CIC), Universidad de Salamanca/CSIC, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.C.-C.); (N.G.-S.); (M.M.-E.); (A.G.-V.); (A.J.-N.); (M.J.P.-B.); (J.C.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
| | - Marina Mendiburu-Eliçabe
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (IBMCC-CIC), Universidad de Salamanca/CSIC, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.C.-C.); (N.G.-S.); (M.M.-E.); (A.G.-V.); (A.J.-N.); (M.J.P.-B.); (J.C.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
| | - Aurora Gómez-Vecino
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (IBMCC-CIC), Universidad de Salamanca/CSIC, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.C.-C.); (N.G.-S.); (M.M.-E.); (A.G.-V.); (A.J.-N.); (M.J.P.-B.); (J.C.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
| | - Alejandro Jiménez-Navas
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (IBMCC-CIC), Universidad de Salamanca/CSIC, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.C.-C.); (N.G.-S.); (M.M.-E.); (A.G.-V.); (A.J.-N.); (M.J.P.-B.); (J.C.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
| | - Manuel Jesús Pérez-Baena
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (IBMCC-CIC), Universidad de Salamanca/CSIC, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.C.-C.); (N.G.-S.); (M.M.-E.); (A.G.-V.); (A.J.-N.); (M.J.P.-B.); (J.C.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
| | - Marina Holgado-Madruga
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
- Departamento de Fisiología y Farmacología, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León (INCyL), Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Jian-Hua Mao
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA;
- Berkeley Biomedical Data Science Center, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Javier Cañueto
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (IBMCC-CIC), Universidad de Salamanca/CSIC, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.C.-C.); (N.G.-S.); (M.M.-E.); (A.G.-V.); (A.J.-N.); (M.J.P.-B.); (J.C.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
- Departamento de Dermatología, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Paseo de San Vicente 58-182, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Complejo Asistencial Universitario de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Sonia Castillo-Lluva
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: (S.C.-L.); (J.P-L.)
| | - Jesús Pérez-Losada
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (IBMCC-CIC), Universidad de Salamanca/CSIC, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.C.-C.); (N.G.-S.); (M.M.-E.); (A.G.-V.); (A.J.-N.); (M.J.P.-B.); (J.C.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
- Correspondence: (S.C.-L.); (J.P-L.)
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Liu J, Wang X, Deng Y, Yu X, Wang H, Li Z. Research Progress on the Role of Regulatory T Cell in Tumor Microenvironment in the Treatment of Breast Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:766248. [PMID: 34868991 PMCID: PMC8636122 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.766248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complex ecosystem comprised of cancer cells, stromal cells, and immune cells. Analysis of the composition of TME is essential to assess the prognosis of patients with breast cancer (BC) and the efficacy of different regimes. Treg plays a crucial role in the microenvironment of breast cancer subtypes, and its function contributes to the development and progression of BC by suppressing anti-tumor immunity directly or indirectly through multiple mechanisms. In addition, conventional treatments, such as anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and neo-therapies, such as immune-checkpoint blockades, have a significant impact on the absence of Tregs in BC TME, thus gaining additional anti-tumor effect to some extent. Strikingly, Treg in BC TME revealed the predicted efficacy of some therapeutic strategies. All these results suggest that we can manipulate the abundance of Treg to achieve the ultimate effect of both conventional and novel treatments. In this review, we discuss new insights into the characteristics of Treg in BC TME, the impact of different regiments on Treg, and the possibilities of Treg as a predictive marker of efficacy for certain treatments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianyu Liu
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Xueying Wang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Yuhan Deng
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Xin Yu
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Hongbin Wang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Zhigao Li
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Zheng Q, Wu C, Ye H, Xu Z, Ji Y, Rao J, Lu L, Zhu Y, Cheng F. Analysis of the efficacy and prognostic factors of PD-1 inhibitors in advanced gallbladder cancer. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2021; 9:1568. [PMID: 34790774 PMCID: PMC8576663 DOI: 10.21037/atm-21-4747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Background Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is highly malignant, its early diagnosis is difficult, and the 5-year survival rate is less than 5%. For patients with advanced GBC (GBCa), combined chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy are needed to improve the overall survival (OS) rate of patients. Methods Data were collected from 53 patients with GBCa who had volunteered to receive programmed death protein-1 (PD-1)-based treatment at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from February 2018 to February 2021. Statistical analysis of the collected data, including Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, Cox proportional hazard regression model and other methods. Results The objective response rates (ORRs) and disease control rates (DCRs) of 53 participants 3 months after receiving immunotherapy were 30.2% and 79.2%, respectively. The ORRs and DCRs of the combined treatment group were higher than those of the camrelizumab group (CG) (P<0.05). The DCRs of the camrelizumab plus apatinib group (CAG) at 3 and 6 months were 90.9% and 45.5% (P=0.003), respectively, while the DCRs at 3 and 6 months of the camrelizumab plus chemotherapy group (CCG) were 85.7% and 71.4% (P=0.450), respectively. After treatment, there were statistically significant differences before and after CA199 for each group (P<0.05). The median progression-free survival (mPFS) of the 53 participants was 7 months, and the median overall survival (mOS) was 12 months. The mPFS and mOS of the CAG and the CCG were greater than those in the CG (6 vs. 3 months, P<0.001, 12 vs. 8 months, P=0.019; 9 vs. 3 months, P<0.001, 13 vs. 8 months, P<0.001, respectively). A total of 16 cases had grade 1 or 2 adverse events, and 3 cases had grade 3 and higher adverse events. Conclusions For GBCa patients, PD-1 combined with targeted therapy or chemotherapy is more effective than immunotherapy alone. The targeted therapy group has more obvious early effects on the disease control rate, and combined chemotherapy can achieve sustained effects, providing new ideas for the future GBCa application of immune, targeted, and chemotherapy sequential therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qitong Zheng
- Hepatobiliary Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Research Unit of Liver Transplantation and Transplant Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Chen Wu
- Hepatobiliary Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Research Unit of Liver Transplantation and Transplant Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Huangshu Ye
- Department of Rheumatology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Research Unit of Liver Transplantation and Transplant Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhenggang Xu
- Hepatobiliary Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Research Unit of Liver Transplantation and Transplant Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Yang Ji
- Hepatobiliary Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Research Unit of Liver Transplantation and Transplant Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Jianhua Rao
- Hepatobiliary Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Research Unit of Liver Transplantation and Transplant Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Ling Lu
- Hepatobiliary Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Research Unit of Liver Transplantation and Transplant Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Yaqing Zhu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feng Cheng
- Hepatobiliary Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Research Unit of Liver Transplantation and Transplant Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Cilibrasi C, Papanastasopoulos P, Samuels M, Giamas G. Reconstituting Immune Surveillance in Breast Cancer: Molecular Pathophysiology and Current Immunotherapy Strategies. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12015. [PMID: 34769447 PMCID: PMC8584417 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222112015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past 50 years, breast cancer immunotherapy has emerged as an active field of research, generating novel, targeted treatments for the disease. Immunotherapies carry enormous potential to improve survival in breast cancer, particularly for the subtypes carrying the poorest prognoses. Here, we review the mechanisms by which cancer evades immune destruction as well as the history of breast cancer immunotherapies and recent developments, including clinical trials that have shaped the treatment of the disease with a focus on cell therapies, vaccines, checkpoint inhibitors, and oncolytic viruses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Cilibrasi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK; (P.P.); (M.S.)
| | | | | | - Georgios Giamas
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK; (P.P.); (M.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Kos K, de Visser KE. The Multifaceted Role of Regulatory T Cells in Breast Cancer. ANNUAL REVIEW OF CANCER BIOLOGY-SERIES 2021; 5:291-310. [PMID: 34632244 PMCID: PMC7611782 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cancerbio-042920-104912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The microenvironment of breast cancer hosts a dynamic cross talk between diverse players of the immune system. While cytotoxic immune cells are equipped to control tumor growth and metastasis, tumor-corrupted immunosuppressive immune cells strive to impair effective immunity and promote tumor progression. Of these, regulatory T cells (Tregs), the gatekeepers of immune homeostasis, emerge as multifaceted players involved in breast cancer. Intriguingly, clinical observations suggest that blood and intratumoral Tregs can have strong prognostic value, dictated by breast cancer subtype. Accordingly, emerging preclinical evidence shows that Tregs occupy a central role in breast cancer initiation and progression and provide critical support to metastasis formation. Here, Tregs are not only important for immune escape but also promote tumor progression independent of their immune regulatory capacity. Combining insights into Treg biology with advances made across the rapidly growing field of immuno-oncology is expected to set the stage for the design of more effective immunotherapy strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Kos
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karin E de Visser
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Qin X, He L, Feng C, Fan D, Liang W, Wang Q, Fang J. Injectable Micelle-Incorporated Hydrogels for the Localized Chemo-Immunotherapy of Breast Tumors. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:46270-46281. [PMID: 34550685 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c11563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Although immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) holds potential for the treatment of various tumors, a considerable proportion of patients show a limited response to ICB therapy due to the low immunogenicity of a variety of tumors. It has been shown that some chemotherapeutics can turn low-immunogenic tumors into immunogenic phenotypes by inducing a cascade of immune responses. In this paper, we synthesized an injectable micelle-incorporated hydrogel, which was able to sequentially release the chemotherapeutic gemcitabine (GEM) and the hydrophobic indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase inhibitor, d-1-methyltryptophan (d-1MT) at tumor sites. The hydrogel was formed via the thiol-ene click reaction between the thiolated chondroitin sulfate and the micelle formed by amphiphilic methacrylated Pluronic F127, in which hydrophobic d-1MT was encapsulated in the core of the F127 micelles and the hydrophilic GEM was dispersed in the hydrogel network. The successive release of chemotherapeutics and immune checkpoint inhibitors at tumor tissues will first promote the infiltration of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and subsequently induce a robust antitumor immune response, ultimately exerting a synergetic therapeutic efficacy. In a 4T1 tumor-bearing mice model, our results showed that the combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy through the micelle-incorporated hydrogel triggered an effective antitumor immune response and inhibited tumor metastasis to the lung. Our results highlight the potential of the injectable micelle-incorporated hydrogel for the localized chemo-immunotherapy in the treatment of breast tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xianyan Qin
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Liming He
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Chenglan Feng
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Donghao Fan
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Wenlang Liang
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Qin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Jiyu Fang
- Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32816, United States
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Yu W, Ji N, Gu C, Yao J, Ding M, Zhou D, Huang M, Zhang M. IRF4 is Correlated with the Conversion to a Th17-Like Phenotype in Regulatory T Cells from the Malignant Pleural Effusion. Int J Gen Med 2021; 14:6009-6019. [PMID: 34588805 PMCID: PMC8476179 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s330389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background RORγt+Foxp3+ (Th17-like) Tregs are a plastic Treg subset implicated in immune-related diseases; however, the mechanism of Treg phenotypic transformation in malignant pleural effusion (MPE) has not been elucidated. Methods The percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Helios+ and RORγt+Foxp3+ Tregs from peripheral blood and pleural effusion mononuclear cells were measured. The level of interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) mRNA expression was detected by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The effects of IRF4 on the induction of Tregs from patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were evaluated in vitro. Correlation assays between IRF4 expression and the frequency of RORγt+Foxp3+ Tregs were performed. Results The frequency of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Helios+ Tregs and CD4+RORγt+ Th17 cells was both increased in the MPE of NSCLC patients. The group of double-positive Foxp3+RORγt+ Treg phenotype were identified in the pleural effusion. A significant increase in the frequency of Foxp3+RORγt+ Tregs was found in MPE compared with the non-malignant pleural effusion (NPE). Compared to NPE, the relative level of IRF4 expression was increased in the MPE. IRF4 expression was positively associated with the frequency of Foxp3+RORγt+ Tregs in the PE. In vitro, the level of Helios mRNA and protein expression was reduced in induced Tregs following IRF4 over-expression. Additionally, the level of RORγt protein expression was substantially increased. However, ectopic Helios expression in induced Tregs reversed the effects induced by enhanced IRF4 expression. Conclusion IRF4 may serve as a potential molecule that promotes the conversion of regulatory T cells from MPE to a Th17-like phenotype by modulating Helios.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenqing Yu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Taizhou People's Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University, Taizhou, Jiangsu, 225300, People's Republic of China
| | - Ningfei Ji
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, People's Republic of China
| | - Chengjing Gu
- Department of Pharmacy, Taizhou People's Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University, Taizhou, Jiangsu, 225300, People's Republic of China
| | - Juan Yao
- Department of Oncology, Huaian Hospital of Huaian City, Huaian, Jiangsu, 223200, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingdong Ding
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Taizhou People's Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University, Taizhou, Jiangsu, 225300, People's Republic of China
| | - Daming Zhou
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Taizhou People's Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University, Taizhou, Jiangsu, 225300, People's Republic of China
| | - Mao Huang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingshun Zhang
- Department of Immunology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, People's Republic of China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Antibody Technique, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Le Noci V, Bernardo G, Bianchi F, Tagliabue E, Sommariva M, Sfondrini L. Toll Like Receptors as Sensors of the Tumor Microbial Dysbiosis: Implications in Cancer Progression. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:732192. [PMID: 34604233 PMCID: PMC8485072 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.732192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The microbiota is a complex ecosystem of active microorganisms resident in the body of mammals. Although the majority of these microorganisms resides in the distal gastrointestinal tract, high-throughput DNA sequencing technology has made possible to understand that several other tissues of the human body host their own microbiota, even those once considered sterile, such as lung tissue. These bacterial communities have important functions in maintaining a healthy body state, preserving symbiosis with the host immune system, which generates protective responses against pathogens and regulatory pathways that sustain the tolerance to commensal microbes. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are critical in sensing the microbiota, maintaining the tolerance or triggering an immune response through the direct recognition of ligands derived from commensal microbiota or pathogenic microbes. Lately, it has been highlighted that the resident microbiota influences the initiation and development of cancer and its response to therapies and that specific changes in the number and distribution of taxa correlate with the existence of cancers in various tissues. However, the knowledge of functional activity and the meaning of microbiome changes remain limited. This review summarizes the current findings on the function of TLRs as sensors of the microbiota and highlighted their modulation as a reflection of tumor-associated changes in commensal microbiota. The data available to date suggest that commensal "onco-microbes" might be able to break the tolerance of TLRs and become complicit in cancer by sustaining its growth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentino Le Noci
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Giancarla Bernardo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Bianchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- U.O. Laboratorio di Morfologia Umana Applicata, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Milan, Italy
| | - Elda Tagliabue
- Molecular Targeting Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Michele Sommariva
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Molecular Targeting Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Lucia Sfondrini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Molecular Targeting Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Abstract
Metagenomic analyses have revealed microbial dysbiosis in the gut of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). The gut microbiota influences CRC via a variety of mechanisms, including microbial-derived factors such as metabolites or genotoxins. Pathogenic drivers and opportunistic passenger bacteria may underlie direct effect of the gut microbiota on carcinogenesis. We posit that metabolites generated by gut microbiota can influence CRC through a multitude of epigenetic or genetic effects on malignant transformation. A closer look at the cross talks between the commensals, epithelial cells, immune regulators etc., needs to be established with more substantiated studies. The recurrence of chemoresistant disease following therapy undoubtedly provides the impetus for morbidity and mortality; yet, the role of gut microbiome in drug resistance remains to be fully investigated. We review the current literature on microbial dysbiosis during CRC and discuss the mechanistic basis of CRC-associated bacteria in tumor initiation, progression and drug resistance.
Collapse
|
27
|
Martínez-Cortés F, Servín-Blanco R, Domínguez-Romero AN, Munguía ME, Guzman Valle J, Odales J, Gevorkian G, Manoutcharian K. Generation of cancer vaccine immunogens derived from Oncofetal antigen (OFA/iLRP) using variable epitope libraries tested in an aggressive breast cancer model. Mol Immunol 2021; 139:65-75. [PMID: 34454186 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2021.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
After decades of cancer vaccine efforts, there is an imperious necessity for novel ideas that may result in better tumor control in patients. We have proposed the use of a novel Variable Epitope Library (VEL) vaccine strategy, which incorporates an unprecedented number of mutated epitopes to target antigenic variability and break tolerance against tumor-associated antigens. Here, we used an oncofetal antigen/immature laminin receptor protein-derived sequence to generate 9-mer and 43-mer VEL immunogens. 4T1 tumor-bearing mice developed epitope-specific CD8+IFN-γ+ and CD4+IFN-γ+ T cell responses after treatment. Tumor and lung analysis demonstrated that VELs could increase the number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes with diverse effector functions while reducing the number of immunosuppressive myeloid-derived suppressor and regulatory T cells. Most importantly, VEL immunogens inhibited tumor growth and metastasis after a single dose. The results presented here are consistent with our previous studies and provide evidence for VEL immunogens' feasibility as promising cancer immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Martínez-Cortés
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF, 04510, Mexico
| | - Rodolfo Servín-Blanco
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF, 04510, Mexico
| | - Allan Noé Domínguez-Romero
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF, 04510, Mexico
| | - María Elena Munguía
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF, 04510, Mexico
| | - Jesus Guzman Valle
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF, 04510, Mexico
| | - Josué Odales
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF, 04510, Mexico
| | - Goar Gevorkian
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF, 04510, Mexico
| | - Karen Manoutcharian
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), AP 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF, 04510, Mexico.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Yang Q, Zhou C, Han C, Zhang Y, Jiang Y, Li Z, Ma J. [Effects of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy on infiltrating immune cells in the tumor microenvironment of rectal cancer]. NAN FANG YI KE DA XUE XUE BAO = JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN MEDICAL UNIVERSITY 2021; 41:1270-1276. [PMID: 34549721 DOI: 10.12122/j.issn.1673-4254.2021.08.21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To detect the changes in the number and phenotype of tumor infiltrating immune cells in rectal cancer tissues before and after neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and analyze their correlation with the clinicopathological parameters of the patients. METHODS The protein expressions of CD3, CD4, CD8, CD56 and Foxp3 in biopsy specimens and postoperative pathological specimens collected from 20 rectal cancer patients before and after neoadjuvant CRT were detected using ElivisionTM Plus immunohistochemistry, and the results were statistically analyzed. RESULTS Compared with the measurements before the therapy, neoadjuvant CRT resulted in significant increments in CD3 (21.8% vs 48.8%, P < 0.001), CD4(16.5% vs 42.2%, P < 0.001), CD8(8.3% vs 33.4%, P < 0.001)and CD56(0 vs 7.6%, P=0.012), obvious reduction in Foxp3 expression(26.0% vs 15.3%, P=0.005), but no significant changes in CD4/CD8 ratio of(2.7 vs 5.1).Multivariate analysis showed that the increase of CD3-positive cells(HR=0.16, P=0.028)and CD8-positive cells(HR=0.03, P=0.001)was positively correlated with the disease-free survival of the patients after the operation. CONCLUSION Neoadjuvant CRT can significantly increase the proportions of infiltrating immune cells positive for CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD56 and decrease the proportion of Treg lymphocytes in the tumor tissues in patients with rectal cancer.The patients with increased CD3-and CD8-positive T lymphocytes may have longer disease-free survival after the surgery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Q Yang
- Clinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, Xiangya Second Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.,Department of Oncology, Xiangya Second Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - C Zhou
- Clinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, Xiangya Second Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.,Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Xiangya Second Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - C Han
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Second Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Y Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Second Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Y Jiang
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Second Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Z Li
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Second Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - J Ma
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Second Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Zahran AM, El-Badawy O, Kamel LM, Rayan A, Rezk K, Abdel-Rahim MH. Accumulation of Regulatory T Cells in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Can Boost Immune Disruption. Cancer Manag Res 2021; 13:6019-6029. [PMID: 34377021 PMCID: PMC8349183 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s285128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aim The present study was conducted to evaluate the number of Tregs in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), in normal breast parenchyma and in the peripheral blood of these patients and controls, in addition to their correlations with the clinico-pathologic features and the outcomes of TNBC. Methods Thirty adult treatment-naïve women with non-metastatic TNBC were recruited. In addition, 20 ages matched healthy females participated as a control group. Peripheral blood samples were collected from all participants in tubes containing heparin, fresh tumor tissues were also obtained from all patients undergoing surgery, and 20 normal breast tissue samples were obtained from the same patients’ areas adjacent to the safety margins; all these samples were taken for flow cytometric detection of Tregs. Results The mean percentages of CD4+CD25+highT cells and Tregs were higher in TNBC peripheral blood than healthy controls and in malignant tissue than normal tissue. Moreover, the frequencies of tumor-infiltrating CD4+T cells and Tregs were exceeding those in the peripheral blood of cancer patients. Only tumor-infiltrating Tregs have shown increasing levels with the increase in the tumor size and were significantly higher in patients with local recurrences than those without recurrence. In addition, Tregs showed significant inverse relation with DFS and direct relation with the level of the peripheral Tregs. Conclusion The findings of the current study support the possibility that TNBC microenvironment conveys specific characteristics on Tregs distinguishing them from those in normal breast tissue or Tregs in peripheral blood, improving the capabilities of tumor-infiltrating Tregs to enhance tumor growth, local recurrence and reduce the DFS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Asmaa M Zahran
- Department of Clinical Pathology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Omnia El-Badawy
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Lamiaa M Kamel
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Amal Rayan
- Clinical Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Khalid Rezk
- Surgical Oncology Department, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Mona H Abdel-Rahim
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Lu C, Chen W. Influenza virus infection selectively triggers the accumulation and persistence of more potent Helios-expressing Foxp3 + regulatory T cells in the lungs. Immunol Cell Biol 2021; 99:1011-1025. [PMID: 34251701 DOI: 10.1111/imcb.12492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) represent a special lineage of CD4+ T cells. Analysis of Treg response during primary and secondary influenza virus infection clearly demonstrates a robust accumulation of Tregs into the infected lungs and the existence of a population of long-lived antigen-specific memory Tregs in the same tissues after resolution of the infection. However, it remains unknown whether these Tregs co-express Helios, a member of the Ikaros transcription factor family. In this study, Foxp3+ Helios+ and Foxp3+ Helios- Tregs in the lungs, mLNs and spleens of influenza virus-infected and uninfected control mice were tracked. The data show that while there is a co-existence of Foxp3+ Helios+ and Foxp3+ Helios- Tregs in the tissues, the accumulated Tregs in the lungs and lung-draining mediastinal lymph nodes (mLNs) of the infected mice are highly enriched for Foxp3+ Helios+ cells. It was further demonstrated that, after the clearance of primary infection, Foxp3+ Helios+ cells have the ability to persist in the tissues over their Helios- counterparts. More importantly, Foxp3+ Helios+ Tregs accumulated in an accelerated kinetics during recall response to reinfection. In vitro analysis of Treg suppressive function revealed that Foxp3+ Helios+ Tregs are more capable of suppressing influenza virus-specific CD8+ T cell activation, cytokine production and proliferation. Together, the data provide new insights into Treg responses during primary and secondary influenza virus infection and suggest that Foxp3+ Helios+ Tregs predominantly drive the Treg responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chunni Lu
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia.,School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia
| | - Weisan Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Coexpression of Helios in Foxp3 + Regulatory T Cells and Its Role in Human Disease. DISEASE MARKERS 2021; 2021:5574472. [PMID: 34257746 PMCID: PMC8245237 DOI: 10.1155/2021/5574472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) expressing the Foxp3 transcription factor are indispensable for the maintenance of immune system homeostasis. Tregs may lose Foxp3 expression or be reprogrammed into cells that produce proinflammatory cytokines, for example, Th1-like Tregs, Th2-like Tregs, Th17-like Tregs, and Tfh-like Tregs. Accordingly, selective therapeutic molecules that manipulate Treg lineage stability and/or functional activity might have the potential to improve aberrant immune responses in human disorders. In particular, the transcription factor Helios has emerged as an important marker and modulator of Tregs. Therefore, the current review focuses on recent findings on the expression, function, and mechanisms of Helios, as well as the patterns of Foxp3+ Tregs coexpressing Helios in various human disorders, in order to explore the potential of Helios for the improvement of many immune-related diseases. The studies were selected from PubMed using the library of the Nanjing Medical University in this review. The findings of the included studies indicate that Helios expression stabilizes the phenotype and function of Foxp3+ Tregs in certain inflammatory environments. Further, Tregs coexpressing Helios and Foxp3 were identified as a specific phenotype of stronger suppressor immune cells in both humans and animal models. Importantly, there is ample evidence that Helios-expressing Foxp3+ Tregs are relevant to various human disorders, including connective tissue diseases, infectious diseases, solid organ transplantation-related immunity, and cancer. Thus, Helios+Foxp3+CD4+ Tregs could be a valuable target in human diseases, and their potential should be explored further in the clinical setting.
Collapse
|
32
|
Kern R, Panis C. CTLA-4 Expression and Its Clinical Significance in Breast Cancer. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) 2021; 69:16. [PMID: 34148159 DOI: 10.1007/s00005-021-00618-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the leading cause of women's death among all cancers. The main reason associated with this is the development of metastasis and therapy-resistant breast carcinoma (BC), which pose the main challenge of oncology nowadays. Evidence suggest that these tumors seem to have inhibitory mechanisms that may favor their progression and surveillance. Cancer cells can evade antitumor T cell responses by expressing some immune inhibitory molecules such as the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4), whose clinical meaning has emerged in the last few years and is poorly understood in the BC context. This systematic literature review aims at identifying studies on CTLA-4 expression in BC, and address what is known about its clinical meaning. A literature search was performed in PubMed and LILACS databases, using the MESH terms "breast cancer"; "CTLA-4 Antigen/antagonists and inhibitors"; and "Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/immunology", published in the last 10 years. In total, 12 studies were included in this review. Systematic review used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Despite the small number of eligible studies, the literature reports some associations between CTLA-4 expression in the tumor microenvironment and worse BC outcomes, regardless of its molecular subtype. CTLA-4 expression in BC is a putative marker of clinical significance and a rationale therapeutic target in the emerging field of immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Kern
- Laboratory of Tumor Biology, State University of West Paraná, UNIOESTE, Francisco Beltrão, Brazil
| | - Carolina Panis
- Laboratory of Tumor Biology, State University of West Paraná, UNIOESTE, Francisco Beltrão, Brazil.
- State University of Western Paraná, Health Sciences Center, Vitório Traiano Highway, Km 2, Francisco Beltrão, PR, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Jiang M, Wu C, Zhang L, Sun C, Wang H, Xu Y, Sun H, Zhu J, Zhao W, Fang Q, Yu J, Chen P, Wu S, Zheng Z, He Y, Zhou C. FOXP3-based immune risk model for recurrence prediction in small-cell lung cancer at stages I-III. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:jitc-2021-002339. [PMID: 34006632 PMCID: PMC8137193 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-002339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunotherapies may prolong the survival of patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) to some extent. The role of forkhead box protein P3 (FOXP3) in tumor microenvironment (TME) remains controversial. We aimed to examine FOXP3-related expression characteristics and prognostic values and to develop a clinically relevant predictive system for SCLC. METHODS We enrolled 102 patients with histologically confirmed SCLC at stages I-III. Through immunohistochemistry, we determined the expression pattern of FOXP3 and its association with other immune biomarkers. By machine learning and statistical analysis, we constructed effective immune risk score models. Furthermore, we examined FOXP3-related enrichment pathways and TME traits in distinct cohorts. RESULTS In SCLC, FOXP3 level was significantly associated with status of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), CD4, CD8, and CD3 (p=0.002, p=0.001, p=0.002, p=0.030, and p<0.001). High FOXP3 expression showed longer relapse-free survival (RFS) than the low-level group (41.200 months, 95% CI 26.937 to 55.463, vs 14.000 months, 95% CI 8.133 to 19.867; p=0.008). For tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), subgroup analysis demonstrated FOXP3 and PD-1, PD-L1, lymphocyte activation gene-3, CD3, CD4, or CD8 double positive were significantly correlated with longer RFS. We further performed importance evaluation for immune biomarkers, constructed an immune risk score incorporating the top three important biomarkers, FOXP3, TIL PD-L1, and CD8, and found their independently prognostic role to predict SCLC relapse. Better predictive performance was achieved in this immune risk model compared with single-indicator-based or two-indicator-based prediction systems (area under the curve 0.715 vs 0.312-0.711). Then, relapse prediction system integrating clinical staging and immune risk score was established, which performed well in different cohorts. High FOXP3-related genes were enriched in several immune-related pathways, and the close relationships of interleukin-2, CD28, basic excision repair genes MUTYH, POLD1, POLD2, and oxidative phosphorylation related gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit 8A with FOXP3 expression were revealed. Moreover, we found low-immune risk score group had statistically higher activated CD4+ memory T cells (p=0.014) and plasma cells (p=0.049) than the high-risk group. The heterogeneity of tumor-infiltrating immune cells might represent a promising feature for risk prediction in SCLC. CONCLUSION FOXP3 interacts closely with immune biomarkers on tumor-infiltrating cells in TME. This study highlighted the crucial prognostic value and promising clinical applications of FOXP3 in SCLC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Minlin Jiang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai 200433, China.,Tongji University, No 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Chunyan Wu
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Liping Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Chenglong Sun
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai 200433, China.,Tongji University, No 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai 200433, China.,Tongji University, No 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai 200433, China.,Tongji University, No 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Hui Sun
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jun Zhu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Wencheng Zhao
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Qiyu Fang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jia Yu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Peixin Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai 200433, China.,Tongji University, No 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Shengyu Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai 200433, China.,Tongji University, No 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Zixuan Zheng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai 200433, China.,Tongji University, No 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yayi He
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Caicun Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Recruitment and Expansion of Tregs Cells in the Tumor Environment-How to Target Them? Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13081850. [PMID: 33924428 PMCID: PMC8069615 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13081850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The immune response against cancer is generated by effector T cells, among them cytotoxic CD8+ T cells that destroy cancer cells and helper CD4+ T cells that mediate and support the immune response. This antitumor function of T cells is tightly regulated by a particular subset of CD4+ T cells, named regulatory T cells (Tregs), through different mechanisms. Even if the complete inhibition of Tregs would be extremely harmful due to their tolerogenic role in impeding autoimmune diseases in the periphery, the targeted blockade of their accumulation at tumor sites or their targeted depletion represent a major therapeutic challenge. This review focuses on the mechanisms favoring Treg recruitment, expansion and stabilization in the tumor microenvironment and the therapeutic strategies developed to block these mechanisms. Abstract Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are present in a large majority of solid tumors and are mainly associated with a poor prognosis, as their major function is to inhibit the antitumor immune response contributing to immunosuppression. In this review, we will investigate the mechanisms involved in the recruitment, amplification and stability of Tregs in the tumor microenvironment (TME). We will also review the strategies currently developed to inhibit Tregs’ deleterious impact in the TME by either inhibiting their recruitment, blocking their expansion, favoring their plastic transformation into other CD4+ T-cell subsets, blocking their suppressive function or depleting them specifically in the TME to avoid severe deleterious effects associated with Treg neutralization/depletion in the periphery and normal tissues.
Collapse
|
35
|
Fathi M, Pustokhina I, Kuznetsov SV, Khayrullin M, Hojjat-Farsangi M, Karpisheh V, Jalili A, Jadidi-Niaragh F. T-cell immunoglobulin and ITIM domain, as a potential immune checkpoint target for immunotherapy of colorectal cancer. IUBMB Life 2021; 73:726-738. [PMID: 33686787 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The importance of the tumor microenvironment in cancer progression has been well studied for many years. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are regarded as potential strategies in enhancing the immune responses in patients with cancer, particularly colorectal cancer (CRC). Notably, CRCs are extraordinarily heterogeneous and mostly are microsatellite-stable (MSS) or cold tumors, which means that the immune response is not usually as strong as that of foreign cells. T-cell immunoglobulin and ITIM domain (TIGIT) is a new immune checkpoint receptor overexpressed inside the CRC tumor-immune microenvironments. Moreover, several studies have shown that TIGIT in combination with other ICIs and/or conventional treatments, can lead to a robust anti-tumor response in CRC. This review looks deep inside TIGIT expression patterns, their various functions, and possible immunotherapy strategies to increase survival rates and decrease immune-related adverse events.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mehrdad Fathi
- Cancer and Immunology Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.,Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | | | - Sergey V Kuznetsov
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Mars Khayrullin
- Department of Research Management, K.G. Razumovsky Moscow State, University of Technologies and Management (The First Cossack University), Moscow, Russian Federation
| | | | - Vahid Karpisheh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ali Jalili
- Cancer and Immunology Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.,Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Farhad Jadidi-Niaragh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Salemme V, Centonze G, Cavallo F, Defilippi P, Conti L. The Crosstalk Between Tumor Cells and the Immune Microenvironment in Breast Cancer: Implications for Immunotherapy. Front Oncol 2021; 11:610303. [PMID: 33777750 PMCID: PMC7991834 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.610303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer progression is a complex process controlled by genetic and epigenetic factors that coordinate the crosstalk between tumor cells and the components of tumor microenvironment (TME). Among those, the immune cells play a dual role during cancer onset and progression, as they can protect from tumor progression by killing immunogenic neoplastic cells, but in the meanwhile can also shape tumor immunogenicity, contributing to tumor escape. The complex interplay between cancer and the immune TME influences the outcome of immunotherapy and of many other anti-cancer therapies. Herein, we present an updated view of the pro- and anti-tumor activities of the main immune cell populations present in breast TME, such as T and NK cells, myeloid cells, innate lymphoid cells, mast cells and eosinophils, and of the underlying cytokine-, cell–cell contact- and microvesicle-based mechanisms. Moreover, current and novel therapeutic options that can revert the immunosuppressive activity of breast TME will be discussed. To this end, clinical trials assessing the efficacy of CAR-T and CAR-NK cells, cancer vaccination, immunogenic cell death-inducing chemotherapy, DNA methyl transferase and histone deacetylase inhibitors, cytokines or their inhibitors and other immunotherapies in breast cancer patients will be reviewed. The knowledge of the complex interplay that elapses between tumor and immune cells, and of the experimental therapies targeting it, would help to develop new combination treatments able to overcome tumor immune evasion mechanisms and optimize clinical benefit of current immunotherapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Salemme
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Giorgia Centonze
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Federica Cavallo
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Paola Defilippi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Laura Conti
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Gaete D, Rodriguez D, Watts D, Sormendi S, Chavakis T, Wielockx B. HIF-Prolyl Hydroxylase Domain Proteins (PHDs) in Cancer-Potential Targets for Anti-Tumor Therapy? Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:988. [PMID: 33673417 PMCID: PMC7956578 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13050988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Solid tumors are typically associated with unbridled proliferation of malignant cells, accompanied by an immature and dysfunctional tumor-associated vascular network. Consequent impairment in transport of nutrients and oxygen eventually leads to a hypoxic environment wherein cells must adapt to survive and overcome these stresses. Hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs) are central transcription factors in the hypoxia response and drive the expression of a vast number of survival genes in cancer cells and in cells in the tumor microenvironment. HIFs are tightly controlled by a class of oxygen sensors, the HIF-prolyl hydroxylase domain proteins (PHDs), which hydroxylate HIFs, thereby marking them for proteasomal degradation. Remarkable and intense research during the past decade has revealed that, contrary to expectations, PHDs are often overexpressed in many tumor types, and that inhibition of PHDs can lead to decreased tumor growth, impaired metastasis, and diminished tumor-associated immune-tolerance. Therefore, PHDs represent an attractive therapeutic target in cancer research. Multiple PHD inhibitors have been developed that were either recently accepted in China as erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESA) or are currently in phase III trials. We review here the function of HIFs and PHDs in cancer and related therapeutic opportunities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Ben Wielockx
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; (D.G.); (D.R.); (D.W.); (S.S.); (T.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Guo S, Smeltz RB, Nanajian A, Heller R. IL-15/IL-15Rα Heterodimeric Complex as Cancer Immunotherapy in Murine Breast Cancer Models. Front Immunol 2021; 11:614667. [PMID: 33628206 PMCID: PMC7897681 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.614667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Interleukin 15 (IL-15) has been evaluated as a potential treatment for solid tumors in clinical trials, but the effectiveness of systemic IL-15 administration as a monotherapy has not been realized. IL-15 receptor alpha (IL-15Rα) can stabilize IL-15 and enhance its bioactivity. The goal of this study was to examine the activity of IL-15/IL-15Rα complex (IL-15cx) to CD8+ T cells and evaluate its potential efficacy in murine breast cancer models. The antitumor efficacy was studied in mouse mammary carcinoma models (Her2/neu transgenic and 4T1-luc mammary cancers) treated with systemic recombinant protein with/without the depletion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells or intra-tumoral gene electrotransfer (GET). IL-15cx shows superior in vivo bioactivity to expand CD8 T cells in comparison to an equimolar single chain IL-15. T-bet is partially involved in CD8 T cell expansion ex vivo and in vivo due to IL-15 or IL-15cx. Intraperitoneal administration of IL-15cx results in a moderate inhibition of breast cancer growth that is associated with an increase in the frequency of cytotoxic CD8 T cells and the improvement of their function. The depletion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) has no impact on mouse breast cancer growth. IL-15cx treatment diminishes MDSCs in murine tumors. However, it also antagonizes the effects of anti-Gr-1 depleting antibodies. Intratumoral GET with plasmid IL-15/IL-15Rα leads to a long-term survival benefit in 4T1 mammary carcinoma model. An early increase of local cytotoxic cells correlates with GET treatment and an increase of long-term memory T cells results from animals with complete tumor regression. Systemic and local administration of IL-15cx shows two distinct therapeutic responses, a moderate tumor growth inhibition or heterogeneous tumor regressions with survival improvement. Further studies are warranted to improve the efficacy of IL-15cx as an immunotherapy for breast cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Guo
- Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States.,Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Ronald B Smeltz
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Anthony Nanajian
- Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States
| | - Richard Heller
- Department of Medical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Sasidharan Nair V, Saleh R, Toor SM, Cyprian FS, Elkord E. Metabolic reprogramming of T regulatory cells in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2021; 70:2103-2121. [PMID: 33532902 PMCID: PMC8289790 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-020-02842-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Metabolic dysregulation in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME) is considered as a hallmark of solid tumors, leading to changes in biosynthetic pathways favoring onset, survival and proliferation of malignant cells. Within the TME, hypoxic milieu favors metabolic reprogramming of tumor cells, which subsequently affects biological properties of tumor-infiltrating immune cells. T regulatory cells (Tregs), including both circulating and tissue-resident cells, are particularly susceptible to hypoxic metabolic signaling that can reprogram their biological and physicochemical properties. Furthermore, metabolic reprogramming modifies Tregs to utilize alternative substrates and undergo a plethora of metabolic events to meet their energy demands. Major impact of this metabolic reprogramming can result in differentiation, survival, excessive secretion of immunosuppressive cytokines and proliferation of Tregs within the TME, which in turn dampen anti-tumor immune responses. Studies on fine-tuning of Treg metabolism are challenging due to heterogenicity of tissue-resident Tregs and their dynamic functions. In this review, we highlight tumor intrinsic and extrinsic factors, which can influence Treg metabolism in the hypoxic TME. Moreover, we focus on metabolic reprogramming of Tregs that could unveil potential regulatory networks favoring tumorigenesis/progression, and provide novel insights, including inhibitors against acetyl-coA carboxylase 1 and transforming growth factor beta into targeting Treg metabolism for therapeutic benefits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Varun Sasidharan Nair
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), Doha, Qatar
| | - Reem Saleh
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), Doha, Qatar
| | - Salman M Toor
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), Doha, Qatar
| | - Farhan S Cyprian
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Member of QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Eyad Elkord
- Biomedical Research Center, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Manchester, M5 4WT, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Zanetti-Domingues LC, Bonner SE, Martin-Fernandez ML, Huber V. Mechanisms of Action of EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Receptor Incorporated in Extracellular Vesicles. Cells 2020; 9:cells9112505. [PMID: 33228060 PMCID: PMC7699420 DOI: 10.3390/cells9112505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
EGFR and some of the cognate ligands extensively traffic in extracellular vesicles (EVs) from different biogenesis pathways. EGFR belongs to a family of four homologous tyrosine kinase receptors (TKRs). This family are one of the major drivers of cancer and is involved in several of the most frequent malignancies such as non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and ovarian cancer. The carrier EVs exert crucial biological effects on recipient cells, impacting immunity, pre-metastatic niche preparation, angiogenesis, cancer cell stemness and horizontal oncogene transfer. While EV-mediated EGFR signalling is important to EGFR-driven cancers, little is known about the precise mechanisms by which TKRs incorporated in EVs play their biological role, their stoichiometry and associations to other proteins relevant to cancer pathology and EV biogenesis, and their means of incorporation in the target cell. In addition, it remains unclear whether different subtypes of EVs incorporate different complexes of TKRs with specific functions. A raft of high spatial and temporal resolution methods is emerging that could solve these and other questions regarding the activity of EGFR and its ligands in EVs. More importantly, methods are emerging to block or mitigate EV activity to suppress cancer progression and drug resistance. By highlighting key findings and areas that remain obscure at the intersection of EGFR signalling and EV action, we hope to cross-fertilise the two fields and speed up the application of novel techniques and paradigms to both.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura C. Zanetti-Domingues
- Central Laser Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK;
- Correspondence: (L.C.Z.-D.); (V.H.)
| | - Scott E. Bonner
- The Wood Lab, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK;
| | - Marisa L. Martin-Fernandez
- Central Laser Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK;
| | - Veronica Huber
- Unit of Immunotherapy of Human Tumors, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence: (L.C.Z.-D.); (V.H.)
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Taghiloo S, Asgarian-Omran H. Immune evasion mechanisms in acute myeloid leukemia: A focus on immune checkpoint pathways. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2020; 157:103164. [PMID: 33271388 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2020.103164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune surveillance mechanisms comprising of adaptive and innate immune systems are naturally designed to eliminate AML development. However, leukemic cells apply various immune evasion mechanisms to deviate host immune responses resulting tumor progression. One of the recently well-known immune escape mechanisms is over-expression of immune checkpoint receptors and their ligands. Introduction of blocking antibodies targeting co-inhibitory molecules achieved invaluable success in tumor targeted therapy. Moreover, several new co-inhibitory pathways are currently studying for their potential impacts on improving anti-tumor immune responses. Although immunotherapeutic strategies based on the blockade of immune checkpoint molecules have shown promising results in a number of hematological malignances, their effectiveness in AML patients showed less remarkable success. This review discusses current knowledge about the involvement of co-inhibitory signaling pathways in immune evasion mechanisms of AML and potential application of immune checkpoint inhibitors for targeted immunotherapy of this malignancy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saeid Taghiloo
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Hossein Asgarian-Omran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Center, Non-Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Immunogenetics Research Center, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Bauché D, Mauze S, Kochel C, Grein J, Sawant A, Zybina Y, Blumenschein W, Yang P, Annamalai L, Yearley JH, Punnonen J, Bowman EP, Chackerian A, Laface D. Antitumor efficacy of combined CTLA4/PD-1 blockade without intestinal inflammation is achieved by elimination of FcγR interactions. J Immunother Cancer 2020; 8:jitc-2020-001584. [PMID: 33127658 PMCID: PMC7604872 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-001584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and CTLA4 combination blockade enhances clinical efficacy in melanoma compared with targeting either checkpoint alone; however, clinical response improvement is coupled with increased risk of developing immune-related adverse events (irAE). Delineating the mechanisms of checkpoint blockade-mediated irAE has been hampered by the lack of animal models that replicate these clinical events. Methods We have developed a mouse model of checkpoint blockade-mediated enterocolitis via prolonged administration of an Fc-competent anti-CTLA4 antibody. Results Sustained treatment with Fc-effector, but not Fc-mutant or Fc-null, anti-CTLA4 antagonist for 7 weeks resulted in enterocolitis. Moreover, combining Fc-null or Fc-mutant CTLA4 antagonists with PD-1 blockade results in potent antitumor combination efficacy indicating that Fc-effector function is not required for combination benefit. Conclusion These data suggest that using CTLA4 antagonists with no Fc-effector function can mitigate gut inflammation associated with anti-CTLA4 antibody therapy yet retain potent antitumor activity in combination with PD-1 blockade.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Bauché
- Discovery Oncology, Merck & Co. Inc, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Smita Mauze
- Discovery Oncology, Merck & Co. Inc, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Christina Kochel
- Discovery Oncology, Merck & Co. Inc, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jeff Grein
- Molecular Discovery, Merck & Co. Inc, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Anandi Sawant
- Discovery Oncology, Merck & Co. Inc, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Yulia Zybina
- Molecular Discovery, Merck & Co. Inc, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Wendy Blumenschein
- Molecular Discovery, Merck & Co. Inc, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Peng Yang
- Anatomic Pathology, Merck & Co. Inc, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Jennifer H Yearley
- Anatomic Pathology, Merck & Co. Inc, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Juha Punnonen
- Discovery Oncology, Merck & Co. Inc, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Edward P Bowman
- Discovery Oncology, Merck & Co. Inc, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Alissa Chackerian
- Discovery Oncology, Merck & Co. Inc, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Drake Laface
- Discovery Oncology, Merck & Co. Inc, South San Francisco, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Lin B, Du L, Li H, Zhu X, Cui L, Li X. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes: Warriors fight against tumors powerfully. Biomed Pharmacother 2020; 132:110873. [PMID: 33068926 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are infiltrating lymphocytes in tumor tissues. After isolation, screening and amplification in vitro, they will be implanted into patients and play a specific killing effect on tumors. Since TILs have not been genetically modified and come from the body of patients, there will be relatively few adverse reactions. This is also the advantage of TIL treatment. In recent years, its curative effect on solid tumors began to show its sharpness. However, due to the limitations of the immune microenvironment and the mutation of antigens, TIL's development was slowed down. This article reviews the research progress, biological characteristics, preparation and methods of enhancing the therapeutic effect of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, their roles in different tumors and prognosis, and emphasizes the important value of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in anti-tumor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Baisheng Lin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Natural Drugs, The Marine Biomedical Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang), Zhanjiang, China
| | - Likun Du
- First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Hongmei Li
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China
| | - Xiao Zhu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Natural Drugs, The Marine Biomedical Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang), Zhanjiang, China; The Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Guangdong Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang, China; The Key Lab of Zhanjiang for R&D Marine Microbial Resources in the Beibu Gulf Rim, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China.
| | - Liao Cui
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Natural Drugs, The Marine Biomedical Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Xiaosong Li
- Clinical Molecular Medicine Testing Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Sadeghalvad M, Mohammadi-Motlagh HR, Rezaei N. Immune microenvironment in different molecular subtypes of ductal breast carcinoma. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2020; 185:261-279. [PMID: 33011829 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-020-05954-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Ductal breast carcinoma as a heterogeneous disease has different molecular subtypes associated with clinical prognosis and patients' survival. The role of immune system as a consistent part of the tumor microenvironment (TME) has been documented in progression of ductal breast carcinoma. Here, we aimed to describe the important immune cells and the immune system-associated molecules in Ductal Carcinoma In situ (DCIS) and Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC) with special emphasis on their associations with different molecular subtypes and patients' prognosis. RESULTS The immune cells have a dual role in breast cancer (BC) microenvironment depending on the molecular subtype or tumor grade. These cells with different frequencies are present in the TME of DCIS and IDC. The presence of regulatory cells including Tregs, MDSC, Th2, Th17, M2 macrophages, HLADR- T cells, and Tγδ cells is related to more immunosuppressive microenvironment, especially in ER- and TN subtypes. In contrast, NK cells, CTL, Th, and Tfh cells are associated to the anti-tumor activity. These cells are higher in ER+ BC, although in other subtypes such as TN or HER2+ are associated with a favorable prognosis. CONCLUSION Determining the specific immune response in each subtype could be helpful in estimating the possible behavior of the tumor cells in TME. It is important to realize that different frequencies of immune cells in BC environment likely determine the patients' prognosis and their survival in each subtype. Therefore, elucidation of the distinct immune players in TME would be helpful toward developing targeted therapies in each subtype.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mona Sadeghalvad
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.,Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid-Reza Mohammadi-Motlagh
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Nima Rezaei
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. .,Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. .,Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran. .,Children's Medical Center Hospital, Dr Qarib St, Keshavarz Blvd, 14194, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Lotfinejad P, Kazemi T, Mokhtarzadeh A, Shanehbandi D, Jadidi Niaragh F, Safaei S, Asadi M, Baradaran B. PD-1/PD-L1 axis importance and tumor microenvironment immune cells. Life Sci 2020; 259:118297. [PMID: 32822718 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is heterogeneous cancer with poor prognosis among the other breast tumors. Rapid recurrence and increased progression rate could be reasons for the poor prognosis of this type of breast cancer. Recently, because of the lack of specific targets in multiple cancer treatment, immune checkpoint blockade therapies with targeting PD-1/PD-L1 axis have displayed significant advances and improved survival. Among different types of breast cancers, TNBC is considered more immunogenic with high T-cell and other immune cells infiltration compared to other breast cancer subtypes. This immunogenic characteristic of TNBC is a beneficial marker in the immunotherapy of these tumors. Clinical studies with a focus on immune checkpoint therapy have demonstrated promising results in TNBC treatment. In this review, we summarize clinical trials with the immunotherapy-based treatment of different cancers and also discuss the interaction between infiltrating immune cells and breast tumor microenvironment. In addition, we focus on the signaling pathway that controls PD-L1 expression and continues with CAR T-cell therapy and siRNA as novel strategies and potential tools in targeted therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Lotfinejad
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Immunology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Tohid Kazemi
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Immunology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ahad Mokhtarzadeh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Dariush Shanehbandi
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Farhad Jadidi Niaragh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Immunology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Sahar Safaei
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Milad Asadi
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Behzad Baradaran
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Immunology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Kern R, Correa SC, Scandolara TB, Carla da Silva J, Pires BR, Panis C. Current advances in the diagnosis and personalized treatment of breast cancer: lessons from tumor biology. Per Med 2020; 17:399-420. [PMID: 32804054 DOI: 10.2217/pme-2020-0070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer treatment has advanced enormously in the last decade. Most of this is due to advances reached in the knowledge regarding tumor biology, mainly in the field of diagnosis and treatment. This review brings information about how the genomics-based information contributed to advances in breast cancer diagnosis and prognosis perspective, as well as presents how tumor biology discoveries fostered the main therapeutic approaches available to treat such patients, based on a personalized point of view.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Kern
- Laboratory of Tumor Biology, State University of West Paraná, Francisco Beltrão - Paraná 85601-970, Brazil.,Post-Graduation Program in Health-Applied Sciences, State University of West Paraná, Francisco Beltrão - Paraná 85601-970, Brazil
| | - Stephany Christiane Correa
- Center for Bone Marrow Transplantation, Laboratory of Stem Cells, National Cancer Institute (INCA), Rio de Janeiro 20230-130, RJ, Brazil
| | - Thalita Basso Scandolara
- Laboratory of Tumor Biology, State University of West Paraná, Francisco Beltrão - Paraná 85601-970, Brazil.,Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, RJ, Brazil
| | - Janaína Carla da Silva
- Laboratory of Tumor Biology, State University of West Paraná, Francisco Beltrão - Paraná 85601-970, Brazil.,Post-Graduation Program in Health-Applied Sciences, State University of West Paraná, Francisco Beltrão - Paraná 85601-970, Brazil
| | - Bruno Ricardo Pires
- Instituto Nacional de Câncer José Alencar Gomes da Silva, Rio de Janeiro 20230-130, RJ, Brazil.,Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Carolina Panis
- Laboratory of Tumor Biology, State University of West Paraná, Francisco Beltrão - Paraná 85601-970, Brazil.,Post-Graduation Program in Health-Applied Sciences, State University of West Paraná, Francisco Beltrão - Paraná 85601-970, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Zhang JZ, Ma YZ, Gu JL, Huo JG. Clinical research progress of immune checkpoint inhibitors in treatment of primary liver cancer. Shijie Huaren Xiaohua Zazhi 2020; 28:605-616. [DOI: 10.11569/wcjd.v28.i14.605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary liver cancer (PLC) is a common malignant tumor of the digestive system in China. At present, the main treatments for liver cancer (LC) are surgical resection, radiofrequency ablation, chemotherapy, transarterial chemoembolization, and liver transplantation. Due to the limited treatment options, the overall 5-year survival rate of patients with advanced LC is still low. New treatments are urgently needed to prolong their survival and improve their quality of life. In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors reprensented by programmed death receptor-1 and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 have made breakthrough progress in the treatment of LC, and bring new hope for LC patients. In this paper, the clinical research progress of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of PLC is reviewed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Zhi Zhang
- The Third Clinical Medical College of Nanjing University Of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing 210002, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yu-Zhu Ma
- The Third Clinical Medical College of Nanjing University Of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing 210002, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jia-Lin Gu
- The Third Clinical Medical College of Nanjing University Of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing 210002, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jie-Ge Huo
- The Third Clinical Medical College of Nanjing University Of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing 210002, Jiangsu Province, China
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
FoxP3 + T regulatory cells in cancer: Prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Cancer Lett 2020; 490:174-185. [PMID: 32721551 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 06/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
T Regulatory cells (Tregs) can have both protective and pathological roles. They maintain immune homeostasis and inhibit immune responses in various diseases, including cancer. Proportions of Tregs in the peripheral blood of some cancer patients increase by approximately two-fold, compared to those in healthy individuals. Tregs contribute to cancer development and progression by suppressing T effector cell functions, thereby compromising tumor killing and promoting tumor growth. Highly immunosuppressive Tregs express upregulated levels of the transcription factor, Forkhead box protein P3 (FoxP3). Elevated levels of FoxP3+ Tregs within the tumor microenvironment (TME) showed a positive correlation with poor prognosis in various cancer patients. Despite the success of immunotherapy, including the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors, a significant proportion of patients show low response rates as a result of primary or acquired resistance against therapy. Some of the mechanisms which underlie the development of therapy resistance are associated with Treg suppressive function. In this review, we describe Treg contribution to cancer development/progression, and the mechanisms of Treg-mediated immunosuppression. We discuss the prognostic significance of FoxP3+ Tregs in different cancers and their potential use as prognostic biomarkers. We also describe potential therapeutic strategies to target Tregs in combination with other types of immunotherapies aiming to overcome tumor resistance and improve clinical outcomes in cancer patients. Overall, understanding the prognostic significance of FoxP3+ Tregs in various cancers and their contribution to therapy resistance could help in the development of more effective targeted therapeutic strategies to enhance the clinical outcomes in cancer patients.
Collapse
|
49
|
Melaiu O, Lucarini V, Giovannoni R, Fruci D, Gemignani F. News on immune checkpoint inhibitors as immunotherapy strategies in adult and pediatric solid tumors. Semin Cancer Biol 2020; 79:18-43. [PMID: 32659257 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2020.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown unprecedented benefits in various adult cancers, and this success has prompted the exploration of ICI therapy even in childhood malignances. Although the use of ICIs as individual agents has achieved disappointing response rates, combinational therapies are likely to promise better results. However, only a subset of patients experienced prolonged clinical effects, thus suggesting the need to identify robust bio-markers that predict individual clinical response or resistance to ICI therapy as the main challenge. In this review, we focus on how the use of ICIs in adult cancers can be translated into pediatric malignances. We discuss the physiological mechanism of action of each IC, including PD-1, PD-L1 and CTLA-4 and the new emerging ones, LAG-3, TIM-3, TIGIT, B7-H3, BTLA and IDO-1, and evaluate their prognostic value in both adult and childhood tumors. Furthermore, we offer an overview of preclinical models and clinical trials currently under investigation to improve the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies in these patients. Finally, we outline the main predictive factors that influence the efficacy of ICIs, in order to lay the basis for the development of a pan-cancer immunogenomic model, able to direct young patients towards more specific immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ombretta Melaiu
- Paediatric Haematology/Oncology Department, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Lucarini
- Paediatric Haematology/Oncology Department, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Doriana Fruci
- Paediatric Haematology/Oncology Department, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy.
| | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
A Brief Communication on Circulating PD-1-positive T-Regulatory Lymphocytes in Melanoma Patients Undergoing Adjuvant Immunotherapy With Nivolumab. J Immunother 2020; 42:265-268. [PMID: 31145230 DOI: 10.1097/cji.0000000000000277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Upregulation of T-regulatory lymphocytes (Tregs) is one of numerous immune escape mechanisms of malignancies. In the present pilot study we aimed to study the effect of adjuvant nivolumab during the initiation of treatment on circulating Tregs subpopulations in patients with stage III melanoma. We subsequently recruited patients with stage III melanoma who had the indication for adjuvant anti-programmed death 1 (PD-1) treatment with nivolumab. Blood collections were performed before the initiation of nivolumab and before every 2-week therapy cycle. Flow cytometry was performed for the determination of circulating CD4CD25highCD127PD-1(PD-1Tregs) and CD4CD25highCD127CTLA-4 (CTLA-4Tregs) Treg populations. Circulating PD-1Tregs [18.1% (range, 2.9%-41.7%) vs. 4.2% (0.4%-9.8%), P=0.0001] significantly decreased after the first cycle of immunotherapy and maintained decreased during a 3-month course of treatment. By contrast, CTLA-4Tregs significantly increased after the first nivolumab dose when compared with CTLA-4Tregs before the second treatment [0.75 (0-45.5) vs. 2.1 (0.1-90.8), P=0.0002]. Blood levels of PD-1Tregs and CTLA-4Tregs remained more or less decreased and increased during a 3-month therapy with nivolumab, respectively. Data of PD-1Tregs as well as CTLA-4Tregs was not significantly associated with frequencies of immune-related adverse events (P<0.05). In conclusion, we have demonstrated that circulating PD-1Tregs of melanoma patients in stage III rapidly and continuously decline after the initiation of adjuvant treatment with the PD-1 blocking antibody nivolumab. By contrast, this decline is paralleled with an increase of CTLA-4Tregs. The expression of PD-1 and CTLA-4 on Tregs might be a potential biomarker for the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade in melanoma.
Collapse
|