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Wu S, Ge A, Deng X, Liu L, Wang Y. Evolving immunotherapeutic solutions for triple-negative breast carcinoma. Cancer Treat Rev 2024; 130:102817. [PMID: 39154410 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2024.102817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast carcinoma (TNBC) remains a formidable clinical hurdle owing to its high aggressiveness and scant therapeutic options. Nonetheless, the evolving landscape of immunotherapeutic strategies opens up promising avenues for tackling this hurdle. This review discusses the advancing immunotherapy for TNBC, accentuating personalized interventions due to tumor microenvironment (TME) diversity. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) hold pivotal significance, both as single-agent therapies and when administered alongside cytotoxic agents. Moreover, the concurrent inhibition of multiple immune checkpoints represents a potent approach to augment the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. Synergistic effects have been observed when ICIs are combined with targeted treatments like PARP inhibitors, anti-angiogenics, and ADCs (antibody-drug conjugates). Emerging tactics include tumor vaccines, cellular immunotherapy, and oncolytic viruses, leveraging the immune system's ability for selective malignant cell destruction. This review offers an in-depth examination of the diverse landscape of immunotherapy development for TNBC, furnishing meticulous insights into various advancements within this field. In addition, immunotherapeutic interventions offer hope for TNBC, needing further research for optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiting Wu
- Department of Galactophore, the First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan Province 410007, China
| | - Anqi Ge
- Department of Galactophore, the First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan Province 410007, China
| | - Xianguang Deng
- Department of Galactophore, the First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan Province 410007, China
| | - Lifang Liu
- Department of Galactophore, the First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan Province 410007, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Galactophore, the First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan Province 410007, China.
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2
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Tang H, Li YX, Lian JJ, Ng HY, Wang SSY. Personalized treatment using predictive biomarkers in solid organ malignancies: A review. TUMORI JOURNAL 2024:3008916241261484. [PMID: 39091157 DOI: 10.1177/03008916241261484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, the influence of specific biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognosis of solid organ malignancies has been increasingly prominent. The relevance of the use of predictive biomarkers, which predict cancer response to specific forms of treatment provided, is playing a more significant role than ever before, as it affects diagnosis and initiation of treatment, monitoring for efficacy and side effects of treatment, and adjustment in treatment regimen in the long term. In the current review, we explored the use of predictive biomarkers in the treatment of solid organ malignancies, including common cancers such as colorectal cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and cancers associated with high mortalities, such as pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, kidney cancer and cancers of the central nervous system. We additionally analyzed the goals and types of personalized treatment using predictive biomarkers, and the management of various types of solid organ malignancies using predictive biomarkers and their relative efficacies so far in the clinical settings.
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3
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Bullock KK, Richmond A. Beyond Anti-PD-1/PD-L1: Improving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Responses in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2189. [PMID: 38927895 PMCID: PMC11201651 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16122189] [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: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The introduction of anti-programmed cell death protein-1 (anti-PD-1) to the clinical management of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents a breakthrough for a disease whose treatment has long relied on the standards of chemotherapy and surgery. Nevertheless, few TNBC patients achieve a durable remission in response to anti-PD-1, and there is a need to develop strategies to maximize the potential benefit of immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) for TNBC patients. In the present review, we discuss three conceptual strategies to improve ICI response rates in TNBC patients. The first effort involves improving patient selection. We discuss proposed biomarkers of response and resistance to anti-PD-1, concluding that an optimal biomarker will likely be multifaceted. The second effort involves identifying existing targeted therapies or chemotherapies that may synergize with ICI. In particular, we describe recent efforts to use inhibitors of the PI3K/AKT or RAS/MAPK/ERK pathways in combination with ICI. Third, considering the possibility that targeting the PD-1 axis is not the most promising strategy for TNBC treatment, we describe ongoing efforts to identify novel immunotherapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ann Richmond
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA;
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4
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Huang X, Anderson SA, Siegal GP, Wei S, Liu S, Yang J, Roisin P, Pickens JT, Huo L, Sahin AA, Granada CP, Chen S. Comparison of PD-L1 (22C3) Expression in Paired Primary and Metastatic Breast Carcinoma. Clin Breast Cancer 2024; 24:e310-e318. [PMID: 38492995 DOI: 10.1016/j.clbc.2024.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) is being used as a predictive marker of the benefit derived from immunotherapy in several cancer types, including breast cancer. However, the insight gleaned of the prognostic and predictive value of PD-L1 status and its correlation with molecular characteristics during breast cancer progression remains limited. METHODS We performed an PD-L1 (22C3) assay in pre-treatment primary and metastatic tumor sections from 33 patients with breast carcinoma, matched for post neoadjuvant chemotherapy (p-NACT). PD-L1 expression was evaluated using 3 scoring methods: immune cell (IC) and tumor cell (TC) with a 1% as the cutoff value, and combined positive scores (CPS) with a 1 as the cutoff value. Twenty-two samples from 11 patients had successful fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)-based molecular data available for analysis. RESULTS In the 33 pre-treatment primary tumors, PD-L1 IC, TC, and CPS showed positive correlation with stromal tumor infiltrate lymphocytes (sTIL), histological grade 3, and triple negative breast carcinoma (TNBC). In the matched metastatic tumors, only PD-L1 IC showed a positive correlation with sTIL. The primary tumors showed a higher PD-L1 expression than the matched metastatic tumors by IC and CPS. Negative to positive conversion by CPS was identified in the metastatic tumors from lung, pleura and liver. p-NACT tumors also showed a trend of lower PD-L1 expression compared to the pre-treatment tumors. Six patients had matched samples for molecular and PD-L1 comparison, and none of them showed consistent gene alterations or PD-L1 expression among the primary, p-NACT and metastatic tumors. CONCLUSION Our study showed a decrease in PD-L1 expression and disconnected molecular features during breast cancer progression. Repeating PD-L1 IHC testing could be considered in some specific metastatic sites if primary tumors were negative. Further studies are needed to identify other predictive factors for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in patients with breast carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Huang
- Department of Pathology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.
| | - Sarah A Anderson
- Department of Pathology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Gene P Siegal
- Department of Pathology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Shi Wei
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
| | - Shanrun Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Jingyun Yang
- Department of Neurological Sciences, RUSH University, Chicago, IL
| | | | - J Taylor Pickens
- Department of Pathology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Lei Huo
- Department of Pathology, Division of Pathology/Lab Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Aysegul A Sahin
- Department of Pathology, Division of Pathology/Lab Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Carlos Prieto Granada
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Shuojun Chen
- Department of Pathology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
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5
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Roussos Torres ET, Ho WJ, Danilova L, Tandurella JA, Leatherman J, Rafie C, Wang C, Brufsky A, LoRusso P, Chung V, Yuan Y, Downs M, O'Connor A, Shin SM, Hernandez A, Engle EL, Piekarz R, Streicher H, Talebi Z, Rudek MA, Zhu Q, Anders RA, Cimino-Mathews A, Fertig EJ, Jaffee EM, Stearns V, Connolly RM. Entinostat, nivolumab and ipilimumab for women with advanced HER2-negative breast cancer: a phase Ib trial. NATURE CANCER 2024; 5:866-879. [PMID: 38355777 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-024-00729-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
We report the results of 24 women, 50% (N = 12) with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer and 50% (N = 12) with advanced triple-negative breast cancer, treated with entinostat + nivolumab + ipilimumab from the dose escalation (N = 6) and expansion cohort (N = 18) of ETCTN-9844 ( NCT02453620 ). The primary endpoint was safety. Secondary endpoints were overall response rate, clinical benefit rate, progression-free survival and change in tumor CD8:FoxP3 ratio. There were no dose-limiting toxicities. Among evaluable participants (N = 20), the overall response rate was 25% (N = 5), with 40% (N = 4) in triple-negative breast cancer and 10% (N = 1) in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. The clinical benefit rate was 40% (N = 8), and progression-free survival at 6 months was 50%. Exploratory analyses revealed that changes in myeloid cells may contribute to responses; however, no correlation was noted between changes in CD8:FoxP3 ratio, PD-L1 status and tumor mutational burden and response. These findings support further investigation of this treatment in a phase II trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evanthia T Roussos Torres
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Won J Ho
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ludmila Danilova
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joseph A Tandurella
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - James Leatherman
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christine Rafie
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Chenguang Wang
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Adam Brufsky
- University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and UPMC Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Yuan Yuan
- Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Melinda Downs
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ashley O'Connor
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sarah M Shin
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alexei Hernandez
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Elizabeth L Engle
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Richard Piekarz
- Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP), National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Howard Streicher
- Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP), National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Zahra Talebi
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Michelle A Rudek
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Qingfeng Zhu
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert A Anders
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ashley Cimino-Mathews
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Elana J Fertig
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Jaffee
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Vered Stearns
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Roisin M Connolly
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Cancer Research @UCC, College of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
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Arulraj T, Wang H, Deshpande A, Varadhan R, Emens LA, Jaffee EM, Fertig EJ, Santa-Maria CA, Popel AS. Virtual patient analysis identifies strategies to improve the performance of predictive biomarkers for PD-1 blockade. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.21.595235. [PMID: 38826266 PMCID: PMC11142158 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.21.595235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) show variable responses to PD-1 inhibition. Efficient patient selection by predictive biomarkers would be desirable, but is hindered by the limited performance of existing biomarkers. Here, we leveraged in-silico patient cohorts generated using a quantitative systems pharmacology model of metastatic TNBC, informed by transcriptomic and clinical data, to explore potential ways to improve patient selection. We tested 90 biomarker candidates, including various cellular and molecular species, by a cutoff-based biomarker testing algorithm combined with machine learning-based feature selection. Combinations of pre-treatment biomarkers improved the specificity compared to single biomarkers at the cost of reduced sensitivity. On the other hand, early on-treatment biomarkers, such as the relative change in tumor diameter from baseline measured at two weeks after treatment initiation, achieved remarkably higher sensitivity and specificity. Further, blood-based biomarkers had a comparable ability to tumor- or lymph node-based biomarkers in identifying a subset of responders, potentially suggesting a less invasive way for patient selection.
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Kundu M, Butti R, Panda VK, Malhotra D, Das S, Mitra T, Kapse P, Gosavi SW, Kundu GC. Modulation of the tumor microenvironment and mechanism of immunotherapy-based drug resistance in breast cancer. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:92. [PMID: 38715072 PMCID: PMC11075356 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01990-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer, the most frequent female malignancy, is often curable when detected at an early stage. The treatment of metastatic breast cancer is more challenging and may be unresponsive to conventional therapy. Immunotherapy is crucial for treating metastatic breast cancer, but its resistance is a major limitation. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is vital in modulating the immunotherapy response. Various tumor microenvironmental components, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), are involved in TME modulation to cause immunotherapy resistance. This review highlights the role of stromal cells in modulating the breast tumor microenvironment, including the involvement of CAF-TAM interaction, alteration of tumor metabolism leading to immunotherapy failure, and other latest strategies, including high throughput genomic screening, single-cell and spatial omics techniques for identifying tumor immune genes regulating immunotherapy response. This review emphasizes the therapeutic approach to overcome breast cancer immune resistance through CAF reprogramming, modulation of TAM polarization, tumor metabolism, and genomic alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moumita Kundu
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Brainware University, West Bengal, 700125, India
| | - Ramesh Butti
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA
| | - Venketesh K Panda
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
| | - Diksha Malhotra
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
| | - Sumit Das
- National Centre for Cell Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus, Pune, 411007, India
| | - Tandrima Mitra
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
| | - Prachi Kapse
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, 411007, India
| | - Suresh W Gosavi
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, 411007, India
| | - Gopal C Kundu
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India.
- Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India.
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8
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Said SS, Ibrahim WN. Breaking Barriers: The Promise and Challenges of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Biomedicines 2024; 12:369. [PMID: 38397971 PMCID: PMC10886684 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12020369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive malignancy with pronounced immunogenicity, exhibiting rapid proliferation and immune cell infiltration into the tumor microenvironment. TNBC's heterogeneity poses challenges to immunological treatments, inducing resistance mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment. Therapeutic modalities, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4, are explored in preclinical and clinical trials. Promising results emerge from combining ICIs with anti-TGF-β and VISTA, hindering TNBC tumor growth. TNBC cells employ complex evasion strategies involving interactions with stromal and immune cells, suppressing immune recognition through various cytokines, chemokines, and metabolites. The recent focus on unraveling humoral and cellular components aims to disrupt cancer crosstalk within the tumor microenvironment. This review identifies TNBC's latest resistance mechanisms, exploring potential targets for clinical trials to overcome immune checkpoint resistance and enhance patient survival rates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wisam Nabeel Ibrahim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar;
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9
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Andresen NK, Røssevold AH, Quaghebeur C, Gilje B, Boge B, Gombos A, Falk RS, Mathiesen RR, Julsrud L, Garred Ø, Russnes HG, Lereim RR, Chauhan SK, Lingjærde OC, Dunn C, Naume B, Kyte JA. Ipilimumab and nivolumab combined with anthracycline-based chemotherapy in metastatic hormone receptor-positive breast cancer: a randomized phase 2b trial. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e007990. [PMID: 38242720 PMCID: PMC10806573 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007990] [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: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown minimal clinical activity in hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer (HR+mBC). Doxorubicin and low-dose cyclophosphamide are reported to induce immune responses and counter regulatory T cells (Tregs). Here, we report the efficacy and safety of combined programmed cell death protein-1/cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 blockade concomitant with or after immunomodulatory chemotherapy for HR+mBC. METHODS Patients with HR+mBC starting first-/second- line chemotherapy (chemo) were randomized 2:3 to chemotherapy (pegylated liposomal doxorubicin 20 mg/m2 every second week plus cyclophosphamide 50 mg by mouth/day in every other 2-week cycle) with or without concomitant ipilimumab (ipi; 1 mg/kg every sixth week) and nivolumab (nivo; 240 mg every second week). Patients in the chemo-only arm were offered cross-over to ipi/nivo without chemotherapy. Co-primary endpoints were safety in all patients starting therapy and progression-free survival (PFS) in the per-protocol (PP) population, defined as all patients evaluated for response and receiving at least two treatment cycles. Secondary endpoints included objective response rate, clinical benefit rate, Treg changes during therapy and assessment of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), mutational burden and immune gene signatures as biomarkers. RESULTS Eighty-two patients were randomized and received immune-chemo (N=49) or chemo-only (N=33), 16 patients continued to the ipi/nivo-only cross-over arm. Median follow-up was 41.4 months. Serious adverse events occurred in 63% in the immune-chemo arm, 39% in the chemo-only arm and 31% in the cross-over-arm. In the PP population (N=78) median PFS in the immune-chemo arm was 5.1 months, compared with 3.6 months in the chemo-only arm, with HR 0.94 (95% CI 0.59 to 1.51). Clinical benefit rates were 55% (26/47) and 48% (15/31) in the immune-chemo and chemo-only arms, respectively. In the cross-over-arm (ipi/nivo-only), objective responses were observed in 19% of patients (3/16) and clinical benefit in 25% (4/16). Treg levels in blood decreased after study chemotherapy. High-grade immune-related adverse events were associated with prolonged PFS. PD-L1 status and mutational burden were not associated with ipi/nivo benefit, whereas a numerical PFS advantage was observed for patients with a high Treg gene signature in tumor. CONCLUSION The addition of ipi/nivo to chemotherapy increased toxicity without improving efficacy. Ipi/nivo administered sequentially to chemotherapy was tolerable and induced clinical responses. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03409198.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai Kragøe Andresen
- Department of Clinical Cancer Research and Department of Cancer Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Andreas Hagen Røssevold
- Department of Clinical Cancer Research and Department of Cancer Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Claire Quaghebeur
- Department of Oncology, CHU UCL Namur - Site Sainte-Elisabeth, Namur, Belgium
| | - Bjørnar Gilje
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Beate Boge
- Center for Cancer Treatment, Sørlandet Hospital Kristiansand, Kristiansand, Norway
| | - Andrea Gombos
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Jules Bordet, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Ragnhild Sørum Falk
- Oslo Centre for Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Lars Julsrud
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Øystein Garred
- Department of Pathology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hege G Russnes
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Pathology and Department of Cancer Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ragnhild Reehorst Lereim
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sudhir Kumar Chauhan
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole Christian Lingjærde
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Center for Bioinformatics, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Claire Dunn
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Bjørn Naume
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jon Amund Kyte
- Department of Clinical Cancer Research and Department of Cancer Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
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10
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Wang L, Sun P, Xu F, Zheng Q, Jiang K, Hong R, Wang S. Construction of immune score and its prognostic value in invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast using computational pathology analysis. Cancer Med 2024; 13:e6896. [PMID: 38151972 PMCID: PMC10807639 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.6896] [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: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown that high level of TILs in invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is associated with poor prognosis, contrary to that in TNBC and HER2-positive breast cancer. METHODS The densities of six immune cell markers and three immune checkpoints in the ILC microenvironment were detected by computational pathology analysis. Then, the LASSO cox regression model was used to construct an immune score (IS) and further evaluate its prognostic value. RESULTS In our ILC cohort, the low density of CD4, CD8, CD20, CD56, CD68, FOXP3, PD-1, and PD-L1 had significantly longer disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS); however, the low density of CTLA-4 was associated with shorter DFS and OS. Based on this, an IS was constructed, and patients with low-IS had significantly prolonged DFS (p < 0.0001) and OS (p < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed that IS was an independent prognostic indicator for DFS and OS. Further analysis showed that IS may increase the prognostic value of TNM stage. We further explored the prognostic role of CD68 and FOXP3 in the transcriptional level and the corresponding ISm in the METABRIC dataset, and found that low proportion of CD68 and FOXP3 and their ISm were associated with longer OS, and ISm was also an independent prognostic factor for OS. CONCLUSION IS was a promising biomarker to distinguish the prognosis in ILC patients.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Female
- Breast Neoplasms/pathology
- Breast Neoplasms/mortality
- Breast Neoplasms/immunology
- Breast Neoplasms/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Lobular/pathology
- Carcinoma, Lobular/mortality
- Carcinoma, Lobular/immunology
- Carcinoma, Lobular/metabolism
- Prognosis
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/immunology
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/metabolism
- Biomarkers, Tumor
- Tumor Microenvironment/immunology
- Middle Aged
- Forkhead Transcription Factors/metabolism
- Antigens, CD/metabolism
- Computational Biology/methods
- Disease-Free Survival
- Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic/metabolism
- Neoplasm Staging
- Aged
- CD68 Molecule
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Affiliation(s)
- Liye Wang
- Department of Medical OncologySun Yat‐Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
- Department of Oncologythe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouHenanChina
| | - Peng Sun
- Department of Medical OncologySun Yat‐Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Fei Xu
- Department of Medical OncologySun Yat‐Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Qiufan Zheng
- Department of Medical OncologySun Yat‐Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Kuikui Jiang
- Department of Medical OncologySun Yat‐Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Ruoxi Hong
- Department of Medical OncologySun Yat‐Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Shusen Wang
- Department of Medical OncologySun Yat‐Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
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Jallah JK, Dweh TJ, Anjankar A, Palma O. A Review of the Advancements in Targeted Therapies for Breast Cancer. Cureus 2023; 15:e47847. [PMID: 38022130 PMCID: PMC10679843 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.47847] [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: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer, the second-most common and lethal disease in women, poses a severe danger to global health. Breast cancer rates continue to climb despite advances in medical technology. Predictions indicate that by 2040, there will be more than three million new cases yearly. Targeted medicines have experienced a profound transformation in treating breast cancer, allowing for individualized strategies that lessen side effects and improve patient outcomes. This thorough analysis gives a rigorous investigation of current developments in breast cancer-targeted treatments. It carefully examines several subtypes, including hormone receptor-positive (HR+), HER2-positive (HER2+), and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), recognizing the illness' fundamental variety. It offers specialized treatment plans catered to each subtype's particular traits. The review also examines how precise genetic abnormalities like BRCA1/2 and PIK3CA mutations and molecular profiling facilitate therapy selection. Monoclonal antibodies and small molecule inhibitors are some of the targeted medicines examined in the study. It explains how each of these treatments works and supports its findings with data from clinical trials. It also considers potential new medications and addresses persistent problems, such as resistance mechanisms, chances for combining therapies, and cutting-edge patient classification techniques. This study seeks to give healthcare professionals, researchers, and patients a thorough overview of the recent advancements in breast cancer-targeted therapy by drawing on the opinions of top authorities in the area. The coordinated effort aims to create customized, efficient therapies, eventually bolstering the battle against this powerful illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Kessellie Jallah
- Department of Biochemistry, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Wardha, IND
| | - Tuward J Dweh
- Department of Biotechnology, C.V. Raman Global University, Bhubaneswar, IND
| | - Ashish Anjankar
- Department of Biochemistry, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Wardha, IND
| | - Ogiza Palma
- Department of Biochemistry, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Wardha, IND
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Liu Y, Hu Y, Xue J, Li J, Yi J, Bu J, Zhang Z, Qiu P, Gu X. Advances in immunotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:145. [PMID: 37660039 PMCID: PMC10474743 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01850-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunotherapy has recently emerged as a treatment strategy which stimulates the human immune system to kill tumor cells. Tumor immunotherapy is based on immune editing, which enhances the antigenicity of tumor cells and increases the tumoricidal effect of immune cells. It also suppresses immunosuppressive molecules, activates or restores immune system function, enhances anti-tumor immune responses, and inhibits the growth f tumor cell. This offers the possibility of reducing mortality in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). MAIN BODY Immunotherapy approaches for TNBC have been diversified in recent years, with breakthroughs in the treatment of this entity. Research on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has made it possible to identify different molecular subtypes and formulate individualized immunotherapy schedules. This review highlights the unique tumor microenvironment of TNBC and integrates and analyzes the advances in ICI therapy. It also discusses strategies for the combination of ICIs with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, and emerging treatment methods such as nanotechnology, ribonucleic acid vaccines, and gene therapy. Currently, numerous ongoing or completed clinical trials are exploring the utilization of immunotherapy in conjunction with existing treatment modalities for TNBC. The objective of these investigations is to assess the effectiveness of various combined immunotherapy approaches and determine the most effective treatment regimens for patients with TNBC. CONCLUSION This review provides insights into the approaches used to overcome drug resistance in immunotherapy, and explores the directions of immunotherapy development in the treatment of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Yueting Hu
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Jinqi Xue
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Jingying Li
- Department of Health Management, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Jiang Yi
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Jiawen Bu
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Zhenyong Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning Province, China.
| | - Peng Qiu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning Province, China.
| | - Xi Gu
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning Province, China.
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13
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Ye F, Dewanjee S, Li Y, Jha NK, Chen ZS, Kumar A, Vishakha, Behl T, Jha SK, Tang H. Advancements in clinical aspects of targeted therapy and immunotherapy in breast cancer. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:105. [PMID: 37415164 PMCID: PMC10324146 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01805-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 98.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death for women worldwide. The heterogeneity of this disease presents a big challenge in its therapeutic management. However, recent advances in molecular biology and immunology enable to develop highly targeted therapies for many forms of breast cancer. The primary objective of targeted therapy is to inhibit a specific target/molecule that supports tumor progression. Ak strain transforming, cyclin-dependent kinases, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, and different growth factors have emerged as potential therapeutic targets for specific breast cancer subtypes. Many targeted drugs are currently undergoing clinical trials, and some have already received the FDA approval as monotherapy or in combination with other drugs for the treatment of different forms of breast cancer. However, the targeted drugs have yet to achieve therapeutic promise against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In this aspect, immune therapy has come up as a promising therapeutic approach specifically for TNBC patients. Different immunotherapeutic modalities including immune-checkpoint blockade, vaccination, and adoptive cell transfer have been extensively studied in the clinical setting of breast cancer, especially in TNBC patients. The FDA has already approved some immune-checkpoint blockers in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs to treat TNBC and several trials are ongoing. This review provides an overview of clinical developments and recent advancements in targeted therapies and immunotherapies for breast cancer treatment. The successes, challenges, and prospects were critically discussed to portray their profound prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Saikat Dewanjee
- Advanced Pharmacognosy Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700032, India
| | - Yuehua Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Niraj Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, Greater Noida, India
- School of Bioengineering & Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, 144411, India
| | - Zhe-Sheng Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, New York, 11439, USA
| | - Ankush Kumar
- Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Career Point University, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Vishakha
- Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Career Point University, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Tapan Behl
- School of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Bidholi, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India.
| | - Saurabh Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, Greater Noida, India.
- Department of Biotechnology Engineering and Food Technology, Chandigarh University, Mohali, 140413, India.
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied & Life Sciences (SALS), Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, 248007, India.
| | - Hailin Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
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Tarekegn K, Keskinkilic M, Kristoff TJ, Evans ST, Kalinsky K. The role of immune checkpoint inhibition in triple negative breast cancer. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2023; 23:1095-1106. [PMID: 37771270 DOI: 10.1080/14737140.2023.2265059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, including TNBC, which has limited options of treatment and poor prognosis. ICIs studied in TNBC include pembrolizumab, nivolumab, atezolizumab, and durvalumab. Initial studies exploring ICI monotherapy demonstrated promising yet limited responses. Subsequent studies, KEYNOTE 522 and KEYNOTE 355, which combined ICI with chemotherapy, have resulted in the FDA approval of pembrolizumab in the early-stage and metastatic setting, respectively. AREAS COVERED This article provides a comprehensive review of the role of ICI in the treatment of TNBC. We reviewed the trials that have evaluated ICI monotherapy, dual therapy, ICI in combination with chemotherapy, targeted therapy, vaccines and radiation. Additionally, we reviewed potential biomarkers of response and immune-related adverse events (irAEs). A literature search was conducted via PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov as of 5 June 2023. EXPERT OPINION Various approaches combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy, targeted therapy, vaccines and radiation have been assessed. Pembrolizumab remains the only ICI approved in both the early stage and mTNBC. The role of adjuvant pembrolizumab in those who achieved pCR after neoadjuvant therapy is being investigated. Combining ICI with PARP inhibitors and radiation shows promise. More research is needed in identifying predictors of response. Monitoring of irAEs remains crucial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kidist Tarekegn
- Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Merve Keskinkilic
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | | | - Sean T Evans
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kevin Kalinsky
- Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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15
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Mortezaee K. B7-H3 immunoregulatory roles in cancer. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 163:114890. [PMID: 37196544 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
B7 homolog 3 (B7-H3, also called CD276) is a checkpoint of B7 family that is aberrantly and consistently expressed in several human cancers, and its overexpression correlates with weak prognosis. B7-H3 is expressed on a number of cells, and it acts as a driver of immune evasion. This is mediated through hampering T cell infiltration and promoting exhaustion of CD8+ T cells. Increased B7-H3 activity also promotes macrophage polarity toward pro-tumor type 2 (M2) phenotype. In addition, high B7-H3 activity induces aberrant angiogenesis to promote hypoxia, a result of which is resistance to common immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. This is mediated through the impact of hypoxia on dampening CD8+ T cell recruitment into tumor area. The immunosuppressive property of B7-H3 offers insights into targeting this checkpoint as a desired approach in cancer immunotherapy. B7-H3 can be a target in blocking monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), combination therapies, chimeric antigen receptor-modified T (CAR-T) cells and bispecific antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keywan Mortezaee
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.
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16
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Emens LA, Loi S. Immunotherapy Approaches for Breast Cancer Patients in 2023. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2023; 13:13/4/a041332. [PMID: 37011999 PMCID: PMC10071416 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy, particularly agents targeting the immunoregulatory PD-1/PD-L1 axis, harnesses the power of the immune system to treat cancer, with unique potential for a durable treatment effect due to immunologic memory. The PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by adjuvant pembrolizumab improves event-free survival and is a new standard of care for high-risk, early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), regardless of tumor PD-L1 expression. For metastatic TNBC, pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy is a new standard of care for the first-line therapy of PD-L1+ metastatic TNBC, with improvement in overall survival. The PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab combined with nab-paclitaxel is also approved outside the United States for the first-line treatment of metastatic PD-L1+ TNBC. Current research focuses on refining the use of immunotherapy in TNBC by defining informative predictive biomarkers, developing immunotherapy in early and advanced HER2-driven and luminal breast cancers, and overcoming primary and secondary resistance to immunotherapy through unique immune-based strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leisha A Emens
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh/UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15232, USA
- Ankyra Therapeutics, Boston, Massachusetts 02116, USA
| | - Sherene Loi
- The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Medical Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
- Division of Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
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17
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Rapoport BL, Steel HC, Benn CA, Nayler S, Smit T, Heyman L, Theron AJ, Hlatshwayo N, Kwofie LL, Meyer PW, Anderson R. Dysregulation of systemic soluble immune checkpoints in early breast cancer is attenuated following administration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and is associated with recovery of CD27, CD28, CD40, CD80, ICOS and GITR and substantially increased levels of PD-L1, LAG-3 and TIM-3. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1097309. [PMID: 37064132 PMCID: PMC10098332 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1097309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) may alter the immune landscape of patients with early breast cancer (BC), potentially setting the scene for more effective implementation of checkpoint-targeted immunotherapy. This issue has been investigated in the current study in which alterations in the plasma concentrations of 16 soluble co-stimulatory and co-inhibitory, immune checkpoints were measured sequentially in a cohort of newly diagnosed, early BC patients (n=72), pre-treatment, post-NAC and post-surgery using a Multiplex® bead array platform. Relative to a group of healthy control subjects (n=45), the median pre-treatment levels of five co-stimulatory (CD27, CD40, GITRL, ICOS, GITR) and three co-inhibitory (TIM-3, CTLA-4, PD-L1) soluble checkpoints were significantly lower in the BC patients vs. controls (p<0.021-p<0.0001; and p<0.008-p<0.00001, respectively). Following NAC, the plasma levels of six soluble co-stimulatory checkpoints (CD28, CD40, ICOS, CD27, CD80, GITR), all involved in activation of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, were significantly increased (p<0.04-p<0.00001), comparable with control values and remained at these levels post-surgery. Of the soluble co-inhibitory checkpoints, three (LAG-3, PD-L1, TIM-3) increased significantly post-NAC, reaching levels significantly greater than those of the control group. PD-1 remained unchanged, while BTLA and CTLA-4 decreased significantly (p<0.03 and p<0.00001, respectively). Normalization of soluble co-stimulatory immune checkpoints is seemingly indicative of reversal of systemic immune dysregulation following administration of NAC in early BC, while recovery of immune homeostasis may explain the increased levels of several negative checkpoint proteins, albeit with the exceptions of CTLA-4 and PD-1. Although a pathological complete response (pCR) was documented in 61% of patients (mostly triple-negative BC), surprisingly, none of the soluble immune checkpoints correlated with the pCR, either pre-treatment or post-NAC. Nevertheless, in the case of the co-stimulatory ICMs, these novel findings are indicative of the immune-restorative potential of NAC in early BC, while in the case of the co-inhibitory ICMs, elevated levels of soluble PD-L1, LAG-3 and TIM-3 post-NAC underscore the augmentative immunotherapeutic promise of targeting these molecules, either individually or in combination, as a strategy, which may contribute to the improved management of early BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo L. Rapoport
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Medical Oncology Centre of Rosebank, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Netcare Breast Care Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa
- *Correspondence: Bernardo L. Rapoport,
| | - Helen C. Steel
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Carol A. Benn
- Netcare Breast Care Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Simon Nayler
- Netcare Breast Care Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Drs Gritzman & Thatcher Inc. Laboratories, University of the Witwatersrand Donald Gordon Medical Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Teresa Smit
- Medical Oncology Centre of Rosebank, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Liezl Heyman
- Medical Oncology Centre of Rosebank, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Annette J. Theron
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Nomsa Hlatshwayo
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Immunology, Tshwane Academic Division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Luyanda L.I. Kwofie
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Immunology, Tshwane Academic Division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Pieter W.A. Meyer
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Immunology, Tshwane Academic Division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ronald Anderson
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Montoyo-Pujol YG, García-Escolano M, Ponce JJ, Delgado-García S, Martín TA, Ballester H, Castellón-Molla E, Martínez-Peinado P, Pascual-García S, Sempere-Ortells JM, Peiró G. Variable Intrinsic Expression of Immunoregulatory Biomarkers in Breast Cancer Cell Lines, Mammospheres, and Co-Cultures. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:4478. [PMID: 36901916 PMCID: PMC10003642 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054478] [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: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in immunotherapy have increased interest in knowing the role of the immune system in breast cancer (BC) pathogenesis. Therefore, immune checkpoints (IC) and other pathways related to immune regulation, such as JAK2 and FoXO1, have emerged as potential targets for BC treatment. However, their intrinsic gene expression in vitro has not been extensively studied in this neoplasia. Thus, we evaluated the mRNA expression of tumor-cell-intrinsic CTLA-4, PDCD1 (PD1), CD274 (PD-L1), PDCD1LG2 (PD-L2), CD276 (B7-H3), JAK2, and FoXO1 in different BC cell lines, derived mammospheres, and co-cultures with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Our results showed that intrinsic CTLA-4, CD274 (PD-L1), and PDCD1LG2 (PD-L2) were highly expressed in triple-negative cell lines, while CD276 was predominantly overexpressed in luminal cell lines. In contrast, JAK2 and FoXO1 were under-expressed. Moreover, high levels of CTLA-4, PDCD1 (PD1), CD274 (PD-L1), PDCD1LG2 (PD-L2), and JAK2 were found after mammosphere formation. Finally, the interaction between BC cell lines and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) stimulates the intrinsic expression of CTLA-4, PCDC1 (PD1), CD274 (PD-L1), and PDCD1LG2 (PD-L2). In conclusion, the intrinsic expression of immunoregulatory genes seems very dynamic, depending on BC phenotype, culture conditions, and tumor-immune cell interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoel Genaro Montoyo-Pujol
- Research Unit, Dr. Balmis University General Hospital, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Pintor Baeza 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Medical Oncology Department, Dr. Balmis University General Hospital, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Pintor Baeza 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Marta García-Escolano
- Research Unit, Dr. Balmis University General Hospital, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Pintor Baeza 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - José J. Ponce
- Medical Oncology Department, Dr. Balmis University General Hospital, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Pintor Baeza 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Silvia Delgado-García
- Gynecology and Obstetrics Department, Dr. Balmis University General Hospital, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Pintor Baeza 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Tina Aurora Martín
- Gynecology and Obstetrics Department, Dr. Balmis University General Hospital, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Pintor Baeza 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Hortensia Ballester
- Gynecology and Obstetrics Department, Dr. Balmis University General Hospital, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Pintor Baeza 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Elena Castellón-Molla
- Pathology Department, Dr. Balmis University General Hospital, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Pintor Baeza 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Pascual Martínez-Peinado
- Biotechnology Department, Immunology Division, University of Alicante, Ctra San Vicente s/n., 03080 San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
| | - Sandra Pascual-García
- Biotechnology Department, Immunology Division, University of Alicante, Ctra San Vicente s/n., 03080 San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
| | - José Miguel Sempere-Ortells
- Biotechnology Department, Immunology Division, University of Alicante, Ctra San Vicente s/n., 03080 San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Pintor Baeza 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Gloria Peiró
- Research Unit, Dr. Balmis University General Hospital, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Pintor Baeza 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Pathology Department, Dr. Balmis University General Hospital, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Pintor Baeza 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Biotechnology Department, Immunology Division, University of Alicante, Ctra San Vicente s/n., 03080 San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
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19
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Efficacy and Safety of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Triple-negative Breast Cancer: A Study Based on 41 Cohorts Incorporating 6558 Participants. J Immunother 2023; 46:29-42. [PMID: 36378154 DOI: 10.1097/cji.0000000000000447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The project was designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Electronic databases were screened to identify relevant trials. The primary endpoints were prognostic parameters and adverse events (AEs) through pooled rate, odds ratio, and hazard ratio (HR) with 95% CI. Totally, 6558 TNBC patients from 41 cohorts were included. The pooled pathologic complete response rate (odds ratio=2.03, 95% CI: 1.35-3.06, P =0.0007) and event-free survival (HR=0.84, 95% CI: 0.73-0.96, P =0.0100) of ICIs plus chemotherapy was higher than that of chemotherapy-alone in early-stage TNBC. For metastatic TNBC, compared with chemotherapy-alone, the addition of ICIs prolonged the progression-free survival (PFS) (HR=0.92, 95% CI: 0.88-0.96, P <0.0001); the improvement also existed in the following 3 subgroups: programmed cell death-ligand 1 positive, race of White and Asian, and patients without previous neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy; however, the benefit of the combined regimen was not observed in overall survival (OS) (HR=0.95; 95% CI: 0.89-1.03, P =0.2127). In addition, the pooled rates of OS, PFS, and objective response rate of ICIs plus chemotherapy were better than those of ICIs plus targeted therapy or ICIs-alone. In the safety analysis, compared with chemotherapy-alone, ICIs plus chemotherapy increased immune-related AEs and several serious AE. The regimen of ICIs plus chemotherapy is promising in both early-stage and metastatic TNBC, while the increased serious AE should not be neglected. Furthermore, the pooled rates of OS, PFS, and objective response rate of ICIs plus chemotherapy were better than those of ICIs plus targeted therapy or ICIs-alone.
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20
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Valenza C, Rizzo G, Passalacqua MI, Boldrini L, Corti C, Trapani D, Curigliano G. Evolving treatment landscape of immunotherapy in breast cancer: current issues and future perspectives. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2023; 15:17588359221146129. [PMID: 36743524 PMCID: PMC9893403 DOI: 10.1177/17588359221146129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) deeply changed the treatment landscape of breast cancer (BC). In particular, anti-programmed-death (ligand) 1 antibodies were approved for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), both in first line for metastatic disease and in neoadjuvant setting, on the basis of a demonstrated improvement of the survival outcomes. In light of these results, current clinical trials aim at improving this benefit investigating novel combinations and strategies, at exploring the role of ICIs beyond TNBC, and at better selecting the patients in order to spare non-responders from avoidable toxicities. This narrative review aims at summarizing and discussing the evolving landscape of immunotherapeutic treatments for BC, highlighting the current challenges and the future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmine Valenza
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milano, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milano, Milano
| | - Graziella Rizzo
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Human Pathology “G. Barresi”, Medical Oncology Unit, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Maria Ilenia Passalacqua
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Human Pathology “G. Barresi”, Medical Oncology Unit, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Laura Boldrini
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milano, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milano, Milano
| | - Chiara Corti
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milano, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milano, Milano
| | - Dario Trapani
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milano, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milano, Milano
| | - Giuseppe Curigliano
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milano, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milano, Milano
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Abstract
The advent of immunotherapy, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), has revolutionized the treatment of solid tumor malignancies. In breast cancer, the most robust data to date for ICI exist for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Preclinical studies suggested increased antitumoral immune response in patients with TNBC undergoing ICI treatment. Early clinical trials investigated the use of ICI monotherapy in patients with metastatic TNBC with promising results, particularly in the first-line setting and for those patients whose tumors had high programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) or programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. Subsequent trials evaluated the use of ICI in combination with conventional chemotherapy to enhance the host immune response. Pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy in the KEYNOTE-355 study resulted in improved progression-free survival and overall survival benefits for patients with PD-L1 combined positive score > 10 metastatic TNBC. In early-stage disease, two phase III trials demonstrated increased rates of pathologic complete response at the time of surgery with the addition of neoadjuvant ICI to standard chemotherapy. The large KEYNOTE-522 trial showed improved event-free survival with neoadjuvant and adjuvant ICI. Several biomarkers have been identified, which may be predictive of response to ICI therapy including PD-1/PD-L1 expression, tumor mutational burden, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and multigene assays capturing favorable immune cell signatures. For hormone receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor-positive breast cancer, there are ongoing studies evaluating ICI therapy in combination with chemotherapy and targeted agents. Finally, across all subtypes, several novel immunotherapeutic agents are under investigation including novel ICIs, cancer vaccines, adoptive cellular therapy, and oncolytic viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saya L Jacob
- University of California San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA
| | - Laura A Huppert
- University of California San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA
| | - Hope S Rugo
- University of California San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA
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22
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Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Novel Immunotherapy Approaches for Breast Cancer. Curr Oncol Rep 2022; 24:1801-1819. [PMID: 36255603 DOI: 10.1007/s11912-022-01339-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To critically review the existing evidence on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in early-stage and metastatic breast cancer and discuss emerging strategies in the different breast cancer subtypes. RECENT FINDINGS Immunotherapy has become one of the major milestones in contemporary oncology, revolutionizing the treatment of multiple solid tumors. ICI agents combined with chemotherapy have demonstrated significant efficacy in both early-stage and metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. However, only a subgroup of patients responds to those agents and some associated toxicities, although infrequent, can be life-disabling. Emerging data from immunotherapy studies in advanced hormone receptor-positive (HR +) breast cancer as well as HER2-positive disease are arising with mixed results. Although breast cancer has not classically been considered a hot tumor, ICIs have proven to be effective in a subset of breast cancer patients. However, much remains to be learned, and the identification of new biomarkers beyond PD-L1 expression is essential not only to improve the efficacy of ICI but also to identify patients who can avoid them, together with their toxicities and costs.
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23
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Targeting TRAIL Death Receptors in Triple-Negative Breast Cancers: Challenges and Strategies for Cancer Therapy. Cells 2022; 11:cells11233717. [PMID: 36496977 PMCID: PMC9739296 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily member TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) induces apoptosis in cancer cells via death receptor (DR) activation with little toxicity to normal cells or tissues. The selectivity for activating apoptosis in cancer cells confers an ideal therapeutic characteristic to TRAIL, which has led to the development and clinical testing of many DR agonists. However, TRAIL/DR targeting therapies have been widely ineffective in clinical trials of various malignancies for reasons that remain poorly understood. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has the worst prognosis among breast cancers. Targeting the TRAIL DR pathway has shown notable efficacy in a subset of TNBC in preclinical models but again has not shown appreciable activity in clinical trials. In this review, we will discuss the signaling components and mechanisms governing TRAIL pathway activation and clinical trial findings discussed with a focus on TNBC. Challenges and potential solutions for using DR agonists in the clinic are also discussed, including consideration of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of DR agonists, patient selection by predictive biomarkers, and potential combination therapies. Moreover, recent findings on the impact of TRAIL treatment on the immune response, as well as novel strategies to address those challenges, are discussed.
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Uliano J, Nicolò E, Corvaja C, Taurelli Salimbeni B, Trapani D, Curigliano G. Combination immunotherapy strategies for triple-negative breast cancer: current progress and barriers within the pharmacological landscape. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2022; 15:1399-1413. [DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2022.2142559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Uliano
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Eleonora Nicolò
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Carla Corvaja
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Beatrice Taurelli Salimbeni
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Oncology Unit, “La Sapienza” University of RomeAzienda Ospedaliera Sant’Andrea, Rome, Italy
| | - Dario Trapani
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Medical Oncology, Medical Oncology Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Giuseppe Curigliano
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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25
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Varma R, Wright M, Abraham J, Kruse M. Immune checkpoint inhibition in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2022; 22:1225-1238. [PMID: 36278877 DOI: 10.1080/14737140.2022.2139240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Breast cancer cells can evade immune recognition by upregulating programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) leading to decreased T cell function. Anti-PD-1 agents, like pembrolizumab, and anti-PD-L1 agents, such as atezolizumab and durvalumab, in combination with chemotherapy were found to have efficacy in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). With sub-optimal long-term outcomes in early-stage TNBC, this combination of immune checkpoint inhibition with chemotherapy was subsequently investigated. A robust immune microenvironment and extensive tumor antigen exposure in early-stage breast cancer is believed to facilitate response to checkpoint inhibitors. AREAS COVERED This review focuses on studies that assess the role of neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibition along with chemotherapy. The results of key phase I, II and III trials using checkpoint inhibitors in early-stage breast cancer (ESBC) are reviewed along with foundational data from metastatic TNBC, including the role of biomarkers in predicting response to immunotherapy. EXPERT OPINION Despite a clear role for neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibition in TNBC, many questions remain. The benefit of these agents in the neoadjuvant versus adjuvant setting is unclear and immune-related toxicity is a major concern. Additional studies are needed to elucidate which immune checkpoint inhibitor is most efficacious and best tolerated in early-stage TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Revati Varma
- Jawaharlal Institute of Post-graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, India
| | - Matthew Wright
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
| | - Jame Abraham
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
| | - Megan Kruse
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
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Lembo RR, Manna L, Froechlich G, Sasso E, Passariello M, De Lorenzo C. New Insights on the Role of Anti-PD-L1 and Anti-CTLA-4 mAbs on Different Lymphocytes Subpopulations in TNBC. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:5289. [PMID: 36358708 PMCID: PMC9656156 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14215289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibody-based cancer immunotherapy includes monoclonals against immune checkpoints (ICs), to modulate specific T cell responses against cancer. NK cells are a newly emerging target for immune checkpoint receptor inhibition in cancer immunotherapy, as ICs are also expressed on NK cells in various cancers. The latter cells are becoming attractive targets for cancer immunotherapy, as they are effector cells similar to CTLs, exerting natural cytotoxicity against primary tumor cells and metastasis, and they are able to distinguish tumor cells from healthy ones, leading to more specific anti-tumor cytotoxicity and reduced off-target effects. Thus, we decided to test the effects on isolated NK cells and T cell subpopulations of novel immunomodulatory mAbs, recently generated in our lab, in comparison with those in clinical use, such as ipilimumab and atezolizumab. Interestingly, we found that the novel anti-CTLA-4 (ID-1) and anti-PD-L1 (PD-L1_1) antibodies are able to induce NK cell activation and exert anti-tumor effects on TNBC cells co-cultured with NK cells more efficiently than the clinically validated ones, either when used as single agents or in combinatorial treatments. On the other hand, ipilimumab was found to be more effective in activating T cells with respect to ID-1. These findings indicate that antibodies targeting different epitopes can have differential effects on different lymphocytes subpopulations and that novel combinations of mAbs could be suitable for therapeutic approaches aimed at activating not only T cells but also NK cells, especially for tumors lacking MHC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Rapuano Lembo
- Ceinge—Biotecnologie Avanzate s.c.a.r.l., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy
- European School of Molecular Medicine, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Manna
- Ceinge—Biotecnologie Avanzate s.c.a.r.l., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Guendalina Froechlich
- Ceinge—Biotecnologie Avanzate s.c.a.r.l., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy
- European School of Molecular Medicine, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuele Sasso
- Ceinge—Biotecnologie Avanzate s.c.a.r.l., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Margherita Passariello
- Ceinge—Biotecnologie Avanzate s.c.a.r.l., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Claudia De Lorenzo
- Ceinge—Biotecnologie Avanzate s.c.a.r.l., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
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27
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Luo L, Wei Q, Xu C, Dong M, Zhao W. Immune landscape and risk prediction based on pyroptosis-related molecular subtypes in triple-negative breast cancer. Front Immunol 2022; 13:933703. [PMID: 36189269 PMCID: PMC9524227 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.933703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The survival outcome of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains poor, with difficulties still existing in prognosis assessment and patient stratification. Pyroptosis, a newly discovered form of programmed cell death, is involved in cancer pathogenesis and progression. The role of pyroptosis in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of TNBC has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we disclosed global alterations in 58 pyroptosis-related genes at somatic mutation and transcriptional levels in TNBC samples collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases. Based on the expression patterns of genes related to pyroptosis, we identified two molecular subtypes that harbored different TME characteristics and survival outcomes. Then, based on differentially expressed genes between two subtypes, we established a 12-gene score with robust efficacy in predicting short- and long-term overall survival of TNBC. Patients at low risk exhibited a significantly better prognosis, more antitumor immune cell infiltration, and higher expression of immune checkpoints including PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4, and LAG3. The comprehensive analysis of the immune landscape in TNBC indicated that alterations in pyroptosis-related genes were closely related to the formation of the immune microenvironment and the intensity of the anticancer response. The 12-gene score provided new information on the risk stratification and immunotherapy strategy for highly heterogeneous patients with TNBC.
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28
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Targeted immunotherapy against distinct cancer-associated fibroblasts overcomes treatment resistance in refractory HER2+ breast tumors. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5310. [PMID: 36085201 PMCID: PMC9463158 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32782-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
About 50% of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)+ breast cancer patients do not benefit from HER2-targeted therapy and almost 20% of them relapse after treatment. Here, we conduct a detailed analysis of two independent cohorts of HER2+ breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab to elucidate the mechanisms of resistance to anti-HER2 monoclonal antibodies. In addition, we develop a fully humanized immunocompetent model of HER2+ breast cancer recapitulating ex vivo the biological processes that associate with patients’ response to treatment. Thanks to these two approaches, we uncover a population of TGF-beta-activated cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) specific from tumors resistant to therapy. The presence of this cellular subset related to previously described myofibroblastic (CAF-S1) and podoplanin+ CAF subtypes in breast cancer associates with low IL2 activity. Correspondingly, we find that stroma-targeted stimulation of IL2 pathway in unresponsive tumors restores trastuzumab anti-cancer efficiency. Overall, our study underscores the therapeutic potential of exploiting the tumor microenvironment to identify and overcome mechanisms of resistance to anti-cancer treatment. A substantial proportion of HER2+ breast cancer patients do not benefit from HER2-targeted therapy. Here, the authors identify a population of cancer-associated fibroblasts involved in the suppression of trastuzumab-induced ADCC that can be pharmacologically targeted to raise treatment effectiveness in unresponsive tumors.
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29
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Howard FM, Pearson AT, Nanda R. Clinical trials of immunotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2022; 195:1-15. [PMID: 35834065 PMCID: PMC9338129 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-022-06665-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Immunotherapy has started to transform the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), in part due to the unique immunogenicity of this breast cancer subtype. This review summarizes clinical studies of immunotherapy in advanced and early-stage TNBC. FINDINGS Initial studies of checkpoint blockade monotherapy demonstrated occasional responses, especially in patients with untreated programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) positive advanced TNBC, but failed to confirm a survival advantage over chemotherapy. Nonetheless, pembrolizumab monotherapy has tumor agnostic approval for microsatellite instability-high or high tumor mutational burden cancers, and thus can be considered for select patients with advanced TNBC. Combination chemoimmunotherapy approaches have been more successful, and pembrolizumab is approved for PD-L1 positive advanced TNBC in combination with chemotherapy. This success has been translated to the curative setting, where pembrolizumab is now approved in combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy for high-risk early-stage TNBC. CONCLUSION Immunotherapy has been a welcome addition to the growing armamentarium for TNBC, but responses remain limited to a subset of patients. Innovative strategies are under investigation in an attempt to induce immune responses in resistant tumors-with regimens incorporating small-molecule inhibitors, novel immune checkpoint targets, and intratumoral injections that directly alter the tumor microenvironment. As the focus shifts toward the use of immunotherapy for early-stage TNBC, it will be critical to identify those who derive the most benefit from treatment, given the potential for irreversible autoimmune toxicity and the lack of predictive accuracy of PD-L1 expression in the early-stage setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick M Howard
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago Medicine & Biological Sciences, 5841 S. Maryland Ave MC 2115, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - Alexander T Pearson
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago Medicine & Biological Sciences, 5841 S. Maryland Ave MC 2115, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Rita Nanda
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago Medicine & Biological Sciences, 5841 S. Maryland Ave MC 2115, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
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30
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Capici S, Ammoni LC, Meli N, Cogliati V, Pepe FF, Piazza F, Cazzaniga ME. Personalised Therapies for Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: When Target Is Not Everything. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14153729. [PMID: 35954393 PMCID: PMC9367432 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14153729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The purpose of the present review is to shed light on new molecular biomarkers in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), showing emerging therapeutic approaches related to specific molecular signatures and their mechanisms of action. A general overview of ongoing clinical trials, future perspectives and differences in approval by American and European regulatory authorities is provided. Abstract Triple-negative breast cancer—defined by the absence of oestrogen/progesterone receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 expression—is a complex and heterogeneous type of tumour characterised by poor prognosis, aggressive behaviour and lack of effective therapeutic strategies. The identification of new biomarkers and molecular signatures is leading to development of new therapeutic strategies including immunotherapy, targeted therapy and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Against a background where chemotherapy has always been considered the standard of care, evolution towards a precision medicine approach could improve TNBC clinical practice in a complex scenario, with many therapeutic options and new drugs. The aim of this review was to focus on emerging therapeutic targets and their related specific therapy, discussing available and emerging drugs, underlining differences in approval by American and European regulatory authorities and showing the future perspective in the large number of ongoing clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Capici
- Phase 1 Research Centre, ASST-Monza (MB), 20900 Monza, Italy; (S.C.); (V.C.); (F.F.P.); (M.E.C.)
| | - Luca Carlofrancesco Ammoni
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (N.M.); (F.P.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Nicole Meli
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (N.M.); (F.P.)
| | - Viola Cogliati
- Phase 1 Research Centre, ASST-Monza (MB), 20900 Monza, Italy; (S.C.); (V.C.); (F.F.P.); (M.E.C.)
| | - Francesca Fulvia Pepe
- Phase 1 Research Centre, ASST-Monza (MB), 20900 Monza, Italy; (S.C.); (V.C.); (F.F.P.); (M.E.C.)
| | - Francesca Piazza
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (N.M.); (F.P.)
| | - Marina Elena Cazzaniga
- Phase 1 Research Centre, ASST-Monza (MB), 20900 Monza, Italy; (S.C.); (V.C.); (F.F.P.); (M.E.C.)
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (N.M.); (F.P.)
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31
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Santa-Maria CA, Dunn SA, Ho AY. Immunotherapy Combined with Radiation Therapy in Breast Cancer: A Rapidly Evolving Landscape. Semin Radiat Oncol 2022; 32:291-297. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semradonc.2022.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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32
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Ning WJ, Liu X, Zeng HY, An ZQ, Luo WX, Xia NS. Recent progress in antibody-based therapeutics for triple-negative breast cancer. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2022; 19:815-832. [PMID: 35738312 DOI: 10.1080/17425247.2022.2093853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of severely aggressive breast cancer that lacks the expression of oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and is highly metastatic and related to a poor prognosis. Current standard treatments are still limited to systemic chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgical resection. More effective treatments are urgently needed. AREAS COVERED The immunogenicity of TNBC has provided opportunities for the development of targeted immunotherapy. In this review, we focus on the recent development in antibody-based drug modalities, including angiogenesis inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors, antibody-drug conjugates, immunoconjugates, T cell-redirecting bispecific antibodies and CAR-T cells, and their mechanisms of action in TNBC. EXPERT OPINION At present, the treatment of TNBC is still a major challenge that needs to be addressed. Novel immunotherapies are promising opportunities for improving the management of this aggressive disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Jing Ning
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics & National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Xue Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics & National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Hong-Ye Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics & National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang An
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Wen-Xin Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics & National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Ning-Shao Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics & National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
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33
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Shelkey E, Oommen D, Stirling ER, Soto-Pantoja DR, Cook KL, Lu Y, Votanopoulos KI, Soker S. Immuno-reactive cancer organoid model to assess effects of the microbiome on cancer immunotherapy. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9983. [PMID: 35705580 PMCID: PMC9200712 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13930-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has demonstrated good efficacy in many cancer types. In cancers such as non-resectable advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), it has recently been approved as a promising treatment. However, clinical data shows overall response rates (ORRs) from ~ 3-40% in breast cancer patients, depending on subtype, previous treatments, and mutation status. Composition of the host-microbiome has a significant role in cancer development and therapeutic responsiveness. Some bacterial families are conducive to oncogenesis and progression, while others aid innate and therapeutically induced anti-tumor immunity. Modeling microbiome effects on anti-tumor immunity in ex vivo systems is challenging, forcing the use of in vivo models, making it difficult to dissect direct effects on immune cells from combined effects on tumor and immune cells. We developed a novel immune-enhanced tumor organoid (iTO) system to study factors affecting ICB response. Using the 4T1 TNBC murine cell line and matched splenocytes, we demonstrated ICB-induced response. Further administration of bacterial-derived metabolites from species found in the immunomodulatory host-microbiome significantly increased ICB-induced apoptosis of tumor cells and altered immune cell receptor expression. These outcomes represent a method to isolate individual factors that alter ICB response and streamline the study of microbiome effects on ICB efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan Shelkey
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27101, USA
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - David Oommen
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27101, USA
- Current Address: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | | | | | | | - Yong Lu
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
- Current Address: Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | | | - Shay Soker
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27101, USA.
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA.
- Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, 27101, USA.
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Uchimiak K, Badowska-Kozakiewicz AM, Sobiborowicz-Sadowska A, Deptała A. Current State of Knowledge on the Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treatment: Approaches, Efficacy, and Challenges. Clin Med Insights Oncol 2022; 16:11795549221099869. [PMID: 35721387 PMCID: PMC9201309 DOI: 10.1177/11795549221099869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive breast cancer subtype with limited treatment options. Recently, there has been a growing interest in immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in TNBC, leading to extensive preclinical and clinical research. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on ICIs efficacy and their predictive markers in TNBC and highlights the areas where the data are still limited. Currently, the only approved ICI-based regimen for TNBC is pembrolizumab with chemotherapy. Its advantage over chemotherapy alone was confirmed for non-metastatic TNBC regardless of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression (KEYNOTE-522) and for metastatic, PD-L1-positive TNBC (KEYNOTE-355). Pembrolizumab's efficacy was also evaluated in monotherapy, or in combination with niraparib and radiation therapy, showing potential efficacy and acceptable safety profile in phase 2 clinical trials. Atezolizumab + nab-paclitaxel increased the overall survival (OS) over placebo + nab-paclitaxel in early TNBC, regardless of PD-L1 status (IMpassion031). In IMpassion130 (untreated, advanced TNBC), the OS improvement was not statistically significant in the intention-to-treat population but clinically meaningful in the PD-L1 positive cohort. The durvalumab-anthracycline combination showed an increased response durability over placebo anthracycline in early TNBC (GeparNuevo). Several phase 1 clinical trials also showed a potential efficacy of atezolizumab and avelumab monotherapy in metastatic TNBC. ICIs appear to be applicable in both neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings, and are both pretreated and previously untreated patients. Further research is necessary to determine the most beneficial drug combinations and optimize patient selection. It is essential to identify the predictive markers for ICIs and factors affecting their expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Uchimiak
- Students’ Scientific Organization of
Cancer Cell Biology, Department of Cancer Prevention, Medical University of Warsaw,
Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Aleksandra Sobiborowicz-Sadowska
- Students’ Scientific Organization of
Cancer Cell Biology, Department of Cancer Prevention, Medical University of Warsaw,
Warsaw, Poland
| | - Andrzej Deptała
- Department of Cancer Prevention,
Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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Howard FM, Villamar D, He G, Pearson AT, Nanda R. The emerging role of immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of breast cancer. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2022; 31:531-548. [PMID: 34569400 PMCID: PMC8995399 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2022.1986002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Breast cancer has traditionally been viewed as immunogenically 'cold,' but two immune checkpoint inhibitors have been approved in combination with chemotherapy for PD-L1 positive advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and pembrolizumab was also recently approved for early stage TNBC. As the landscape is rapidly evolving, a comprehensive review of checkpoint inhibitors in breast cancer is needed to aid clinicians in selecting appropriate candidates for therapy, and to highlight ongoing promising studies in this area and topics in need of further investigation. AREA COVERED This review summarizes the latest evidence from completed and ongoing trials of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Ongoing studies were identified using a search of ClinicalTrials.gov with the term 'breast cancer' along with specific checkpoint inhibitor agents. EXPERT OPINION A number of novel combination strategies are under investigation to enhance response and overcome resistance to immunotherapy, with promising preliminary data from checkpoint inhibitors targeting TIGIT, combinations with small molecule inhibitors such as lenvatinib, and injectable agents directly influencing the immune microenvironment. As immunotherapy enters into the curative setting, biomarkers predictive of immunotherapy benefit are needed, as PD-L1 status has not been a helpful discriminator in completed trials in early-stage breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dario Villamar
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Gong He
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Rita Nanda
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Vetrei C, Passariello M, Froechlich G, Rapuano Lembo R, Sasso E, Zambrano N, De Lorenzo C. Novel Combinations of Human Immunomodulatory mAbs Lacking Cardiotoxic Effects for Therapy of TNBC. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 14:cancers14010121. [PMID: 35008285 PMCID: PMC8750931 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14010121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Immunotherapy has revolutionized the management of cancer by improving outcomes of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Recently, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), was identified as a target for TNBC and several preclinical and clinical trials are currently focusing on combinatorial treatments of immunomodulatory mAbs with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or other mAbs. Here, we tested in in vitro models novel combinations of immunomodulatory mAbs on TNBC cell lines and on cardiomyocytes, in comparison with the mAbs approved by FDA for cancer therapy, in order to identify at early stages the more potent anti-cancer combinations endowed with low or no cardiotoxic side effects. Abstract Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive subtype of breast cancer characterized by a higher mortality rate among breast cancer subtypes. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors are used in clinics to treat a subgroup of TNBC patients, but other targeted therapies are urgently needed. Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), involved in tumor immune escape, was recently identified as a target for TNBC; accordingly, the anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody (mAb), atezolizumab, has been approved by FDA in combination with Paclitaxel for the therapy of metastatic TNBC. Here, we tested novel combinations of fully human immunomodulatory mAbs, including anti-PD-L1 mAbs generated in our laboratory and atezolizumab, on TNBC and other tumor cell lines. We evaluated their anti-tumor efficacy when used as single agents or in combinatorial treatments with anti-CTLA-4 mAbs in in vitro co-cultures of hPBMCs with tumor cells, by measuring tumor cell lysis and IL-2 and IFNγ cytokines secretion by lymphocytes. In parallel, by using co-cultures of hPBMCs and cardiomyocytes, we analyzed the potential cardiotoxic adverse side effects of the same antibody treatments by measuring the cardiac cell lysis and the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. We identified novel combinations of immunomodulatory mAbs endowed with more potent anti-cancer activity on TNBC and lower cardiotoxic side effects than the combination of atezolizumab and ipilimumab.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Vetrei
- Ceinge—Biotecnologie Avanzate s.c.a.r.l., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy; (C.V.); (M.P.); (G.F.); (R.R.L.); (E.S.); (N.Z.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Margherita Passariello
- Ceinge—Biotecnologie Avanzate s.c.a.r.l., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy; (C.V.); (M.P.); (G.F.); (R.R.L.); (E.S.); (N.Z.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Guendalina Froechlich
- Ceinge—Biotecnologie Avanzate s.c.a.r.l., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy; (C.V.); (M.P.); (G.F.); (R.R.L.); (E.S.); (N.Z.)
- European School of Molecular Medicine, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Rosa Rapuano Lembo
- Ceinge—Biotecnologie Avanzate s.c.a.r.l., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy; (C.V.); (M.P.); (G.F.); (R.R.L.); (E.S.); (N.Z.)
- European School of Molecular Medicine, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuele Sasso
- Ceinge—Biotecnologie Avanzate s.c.a.r.l., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy; (C.V.); (M.P.); (G.F.); (R.R.L.); (E.S.); (N.Z.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Nicola Zambrano
- Ceinge—Biotecnologie Avanzate s.c.a.r.l., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy; (C.V.); (M.P.); (G.F.); (R.R.L.); (E.S.); (N.Z.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Claudia De Lorenzo
- Ceinge—Biotecnologie Avanzate s.c.a.r.l., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy; (C.V.); (M.P.); (G.F.); (R.R.L.); (E.S.); (N.Z.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Napoli, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-081-373-7868
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Chen N, Higashiyama N, Hoyos V. Predictive Biomarkers of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Response in Breast Cancer: Looking beyond Tumoral PD-L1. Biomedicines 2021; 9:1863. [PMID: 34944679 PMCID: PMC8698415 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9121863] [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: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors utilize the immune system to kill cancer cells and are now widely applied across numerous malignancies. Pembrolizumab has two breast-specific indications in triple-negative disease. Currently, programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression on tumor and surrounding immune cells is the only validated predictive biomarker for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in breast cancer; however, it can be imprecise. Additional biomarkers are needed to identify the patient population who will derive the most benefit from these therapies. The tumor immune microenvironment contains many biomarker candidates. In tumor cells, tumor mutational burden has emerged as a robust biomarker across malignancies in general, with higher burden cancers demonstrating improved response, but will need further refinement for less mutated cancers. Preliminary studies suggest that mutations in breast cancer gene 2 (BRCA-2) are associated with increased immune infiltration and response to ICI therapy. Other genomic alterations are also being investigated as potential predictive biomarkers. In immune cells, increased quantity of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and CD8+ cytotoxic T cells have correlated with response to immunotherapy treatment. The role of other immune cell phenotypes is being investigated. Peripherally, many liquid-based biomarker strategies such as PD-L1 expression on circulating tumor cells and peripheral immune cell quantification are being studied; however, these strategies require further standardization and refinement prior to large-scale testing. Ultimately, multiple biomarkers utilized together may be needed to best identify the appropriate patients for these treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Chen
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (N.H.); (V.H.)
| | | | - Valentina Hoyos
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (N.H.); (V.H.)
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Ledys F, Kalfeist L, Galland L, Limagne E, Ladoire S. Therapeutic Associations Comprising Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 in Breast Cancer: Clinical Challenges and Perspectives. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:5999. [PMID: 34885109 PMCID: PMC8656936 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13235999] [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: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite a few cases of long-responder patients, immunotherapy with anti-PD-(L)1 has so far proved rather disappointing in monotherapy in metastatic breast cancer, prompting the use of synergistic therapeutic combinations incorporating immunotherapy by immune-checkpoint inhibitors. In addition, a better understanding of both the mechanisms of sensitivity and resistance to immunotherapy, as well as the immunological effects of the usual treatments for breast cancer, make it possible to rationally consider this type of therapeutic combination. For several years, certain treatments, commonly used to treat patients with breast cancer, have shown that in addition to their direct cytotoxic effects, they may have an impact on the tumor immune microenvironment, by increasing the antigenicity and/or immunogenicity of a "cold" tumor, targeting the immunosuppressive microenvironment or counteracting the immune-exclusion profile. This review focuses on preclinical immunologic synergic mechanisms of various standard therapeutic approaches with anti-PD-(L)1, and discusses the potential clinical use of anti-PD-1/L1 combinations in metastatic or early breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Ledys
- Platform of Transfer in Cancer Biology, Georges-François Leclerc Center, 21000 Dijon, France; (F.L.); (L.K.); (L.G.); (E.L.)
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Burgundy Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
- UMR INSERM 1231, Lipides Nutrition Cancer, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Laura Kalfeist
- Platform of Transfer in Cancer Biology, Georges-François Leclerc Center, 21000 Dijon, France; (F.L.); (L.K.); (L.G.); (E.L.)
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Burgundy Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
- UMR INSERM 1231, Lipides Nutrition Cancer, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Loick Galland
- Platform of Transfer in Cancer Biology, Georges-François Leclerc Center, 21000 Dijon, France; (F.L.); (L.K.); (L.G.); (E.L.)
- Department of Medical Oncology, Georges-François Leclerc Center, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Emeric Limagne
- Platform of Transfer in Cancer Biology, Georges-François Leclerc Center, 21000 Dijon, France; (F.L.); (L.K.); (L.G.); (E.L.)
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Burgundy Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
- UMR INSERM 1231, Lipides Nutrition Cancer, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Sylvain Ladoire
- Platform of Transfer in Cancer Biology, Georges-François Leclerc Center, 21000 Dijon, France; (F.L.); (L.K.); (L.G.); (E.L.)
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Burgundy Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
- UMR INSERM 1231, Lipides Nutrition Cancer, 21000 Dijon, France
- Department of Medical Oncology, Georges-François Leclerc Center, 21000 Dijon, France
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Bou-Dargham MJ, Draughon S, Cantrell V, Khamis ZI, Sang QXA. Advancements in Human Breast Cancer Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy. J Cancer 2021; 12:6949-6963. [PMID: 34729098 PMCID: PMC8558657 DOI: 10.7150/jca.64205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Human breast cancer treatment regimens have evolved greatly due to the significant advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms and pathways of the common subtypes of breast cancer. In this review, we discuss recent progress in breast cancer targeted therapy and immunotherapy as well as ongoing clinical trials. We also highlight the potential of combination therapies and personalized approaches to improve clinical outcomes. Targeted therapies have surpassed the hormone receptors and the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) to include many other molecules in targetable pathways such as the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), poly (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP), and cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6). However, resistance to targeted therapy persists, underpinning the need for more efficacious therapies. Immunotherapy is considered a milestone in breast cancer treatments, including the engineered immune cells (CAR-T cell therapy) to better target the tumor cells, vaccines to stimulate the patient's immune system against tumor antigens, and checkpoint inhibitors (PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA4) to block molecules that mediate immune inhibition. Targeted therapies and immunotherapy tested in breast cancer clinical trials are discussed here, with special emphasis on combinatorial approaches which are believed to maximize treatment efficacy and enhance patient survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayassa J Bou-Dargham
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Sophia Draughon
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Vance Cantrell
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Zahraa I Khamis
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences-I, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Qing-Xiang Amy Sang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America.,Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
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Torres ETR, Emens LA. Emerging combination immunotherapy strategies for breast cancer: dual immune checkpoint modulation, antibody-drug conjugates and bispecific antibodies. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2021; 191:291-302. [PMID: 34716871 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-021-06423-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer has historically been considered a non-immunogenic tumor. Multiple studies over the last 10-15 years have demonstrated that a small subset of breast cancers is immune-activated, with PD-L1 expression and/or TILs in the tumor microenvironment. The PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab in combination with chemotherapy is now approved by the US FDA for the first-line treatment of metastatic PD-L1 + triple negative breast cancer, and the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab has also demonstrated clinical activity. The median progression-free survival for pembrolizumab or atezolizumab combined with chemotherapy increased with the addition of immunotherapy by 4.1 months and 2.5 months, respectively. Despite this success, there is major room for improvement. Clinical benefit is modest. Only about 40% of triple negative breast cancers are PD-L1 + , not all PD-L1 + patients with advanced triple negative breast cancer respond, and immunotherapy is not yet approved for advanced PD-L1-negative triple negative breast cancer, HER2 + breast cancer, or ER + breast cancer. It is likely that redundant pathways of immune suppression are active in breast cancer, or that important pathways of immune activation are silent. In this review, we discuss emerging strategies for targeting multiple pathways of immunoregulation in advanced breast cancer with dual immune checkpoint inhibition, bispecific antibodies, and novel antibody drug conjugates. We also discuss the potential of nanotechnology to improve the delivery of immunotherapeutics to the breast tumor microenvironment to enhance their antitumor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evanthia T Roussos Torres
- Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA. .,Department of Medicine-Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1441 Eastlake Ave, Suite 6412, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.
| | - Leisha A Emens
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, 5117 Centre Avenue, Room 1.46e, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA. .,Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
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Ibragimova MK, Tsyganov MM, Litviakov NV. Molecular-Genetic Portrait of Breast Cancer with Triple Negative Phenotype. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13215348. [PMID: 34771512 PMCID: PMC8582512 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215348] [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: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Breast cancer is a genetically heterogeneous disease with different molecular biological and clinical characteristics. The available knowledge about the genetic heterogeneity of the most aggressive molecular subtype of breast cancer—triple-negative—has led to discoveries in drug treatment. Identification of the molecular-genetic phenotype of breast cancer is an important prognostic factor of the disease and allows personalization of the patient’s treatment. Abstract Understanding of the genetic mechanisms and identification of the biological markers of tumor progression that form the individual molecular phenotype of transformed cells can characterize the degree of tumor malignancy, the ability to metastasize, the hormonal sensitivity, and the effectiveness of chemotherapy, etc. Breast cancer (BC) is a genetically heterogeneous disease with different molecular biological and clinical characteristics. The available knowledge about the genetic heterogeneity of the most aggressive molecular subtype of breast cancer—triple-negative (TN)—has led to discoveries in drug treatment, including the use of DNA damaging agents (platinum and PARP inhibitors) for these tumors, as well as the use of immunotherapy. Most importantly, the ability to prescribe optimal drug treatment regimens for patients with TNBC based on knowledge of the molecular-genetic characteristics of this subtype of BC will allow the achievement of high rates of overall and disease-free survival. Thus, identification of the molecular-genetic phenotype of breast cancer is an important prognostic factor of the disease and allows personalization of the patient’s treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina K. Ibragimova
- Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634009 Tomsk, Russia; (M.M.T.); (N.V.L.)
- National Research Tomsk State University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
- Correspondence:
| | - Matvey M. Tsyganov
- Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634009 Tomsk, Russia; (M.M.T.); (N.V.L.)
| | - Nikolai V. Litviakov
- Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634009 Tomsk, Russia; (M.M.T.); (N.V.L.)
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Jeong S, Lee N, Park MJ, Jeon K, Song W. Currently Used Laboratory Methodologies for Assays Detecting PD-1, PD-L1, PD-L2 and Soluble PD-L1 in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13205225. [PMID: 34680373 PMCID: PMC8534186 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13205225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Several methods targeting the programmed death protein-1 (PD-1) axis have been developed and evaluated for the detection of immune checkpoint levels that are strongly involved in immunotherapy for patients with metastatic breast cancer. Variations in different assays used in diverse studies have affected their result interpretation and clinical utility. When applying these assays to the laboratory, a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of them should be recognized. We reviewed applied laboratory techniques for detecting PD-1, PD-ligand (L)1, PD-L2, and soluble PD-L1, which are important for selecting metastatic cancer patients for immunotherapy. Advances in methodologies according to the epoch are also investigated to gain insight into immunologic techniques and to facilitate appropriate laboratory settings for evaluating the PD-1 axis status, which are useful for estimating outcomes and planning patient-tailored immunotherapy strategies. Abstract Approximately 20% of breast cancer (BC) patients suffer from distant metastasis. The incidence and prevalence rates of metastatic BC have increased annually. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are an emerging area of treatment, especially for metastatic patients with poor outcomes. Several antibody drugs have been developed and approved for companion testing of the programmed death protine-1 (PD-1) axis. We reviewed currently used laboratory methodologies for assays determining PD-1 axis to provide a comprehensive understanding of principles, advantages, and drawbacks involved in their implementation. The most commonly used method is immunohistochemistry (92.9%) for PD-L1 expression using tissue samples (96.4%). The commonly used anti-PD-L1 antibody clone were commercially available 22C3 (30.8%), SP142 (19.2%), SP263 (15.4%), and E1L3N (11.5%). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and electrochemiluminescent immunoassay that target soluble PD-ligand (L)1 were developed and popularized in 2019–2021, in contrast to 2016–2018. Easy accessibility and non-invasiveness due to the use of blood samples, quantitative outputs, and relatively rapid turnaround times make them more preferable. Regarding scoring methods, a combination of tumor and immune cells (45.5% in 2016–2018 to 57.1% in 2019–2021) rather than each cell alone became more popular. Information about antibody clones, platforms, scoring methods, and related companion drugs is recommended for reporting PD-L1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seri Jeong
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul 07440, Korea; (S.J.); (N.L.); (M.-J.P.)
| | - Nuri Lee
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul 07440, Korea; (S.J.); (N.L.); (M.-J.P.)
| | - Min-Jeong Park
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul 07440, Korea; (S.J.); (N.L.); (M.-J.P.)
| | - Kibum Jeon
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul 07440, Korea;
| | - Wonkeun Song
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul 07440, Korea; (S.J.); (N.L.); (M.-J.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-2-829-5259
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Zhang W, Kong X, Ai B, Wang Z, Wang X, Wang N, Zheng S, Fang Y, Wang J. Research Progresses in Immunological Checkpoint Inhibitors for Breast Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Oncol 2021; 11:582664. [PMID: 34631507 PMCID: PMC8495193 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.582664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor immune escape refers to the phenomenon in which tumor cells escape the recognition and attack of the body’s immune system through various mechanisms so that they can survive and proliferate in vivo. The imbalance of immune checkpoint protein expression is the primary mechanism for breast cancer to achieve immune escape. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4) and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death protein-ligand 1 (PD-L1) are critical immune checkpoints for breast cancer. Immune checkpoint inhibitors block the checkpoint and relieve its inhibition effect on immune cells, reactivate T-cells and destroy cancer cells and restore the body’s ability to resist tumors. At present, immunological checkpoint inhibitors have made significant progress in breast cancer immunotherapy, and it is expected to become a new treatment for breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxiang Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, China National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangyi Kong
- Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, China National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Bolun Ai
- Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, China National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zhongzhao Wang
- Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, China National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangyu Wang
- Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, China National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Nianchang Wang
- Department of Cancer Prevention, China National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Zheng
- Department of Pathology, China National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Fang
- Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, China National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, China National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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Srivastava RM, Purohit TA, Chan TA. Diverse Neoantigens and the Development of Cancer Therapies. Semin Radiat Oncol 2021; 30:113-128. [PMID: 32381291 DOI: 10.1016/j.semradonc.2019.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is the manifestation of uncontrolled cellular growth and immune escape mechanisms. Unrestrained tumor growth can be associated with incidental errors in the genome during replication and genotoxic agents can alter the structure and sequence of our DNA. Among all genetic aberrations in cancer, only limited number of mutations can produce immunogenic antigens which have the potential to bind human leukocyte antigen class I or human leukocyte antigen class II, and help activate the adaptive immune system. These neoantigens can be recognized by CD8+ and CD4+ neoantigen-specific T lymphocytes. Recently, several immune checkpoint targeting drugs have been approved for clinical use. Primarily, these drugs expand and facilitate the cytotoxic activity of neoantigen-specific T cells to eradicate tumors. Differential drug response across cancers could be attributed, at least in part, to differences in the 'tumor antigen landscape' and 'antigen presentation pathway' in patients. Although tumor mutational burden correlates with response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in many cancer types and has evolved as a broad biomarker, a comprehensive understanding of the neoantigen landscape and the function of cognate T cell responses is lacking and is needed for improved patient selection criteria and neoantigen vaccine design. Here, we review cancer neoantigens, their implications for antitumor responses, the dynamics of neoantigen-specific T cells, and the advancement of neoantigen-based therapy in proposed clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghvendra M Srivastava
- Immunogenomics and Precision Oncology Platform, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Tanaya A Purohit
- Immunogenomics and Precision Oncology Platform, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Timothy A Chan
- Immunogenomics and Precision Oncology Platform, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.
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Voorwerk L, Kok M. 'IMpassionate conflicts' in immunotherapy trials for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. Ann Oncol 2021; 32:947-949. [PMID: 34272039 DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2021.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- L Voorwerk
- Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M Kok
- Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Investigational Drug Treatments for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11070652. [PMID: 34357119 PMCID: PMC8303312 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11070652] [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: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer (BC) and accounts for 10–20% of cases. Due to the lack of expression of several receptors, hormone therapy is largely ineffective for treatment purposes. Nevertheless, TNBC often responds very well to chemotherapy, which constitutes the most often recommended treatment. New beneficial targeted therapies are important to be investigated in order to achieve enhanced outcomes in patients with TNBC. This review will focus on recent therapeutic innovations for TNBC, focusing on various inhibitors such as phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway inhibitors, poly-ADP-ribosyl polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, aurora kinase inhibitors, histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs), and immune checkpoint inhibitors.
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Clinical trial data and emerging immunotherapeutic strategies: hormone receptor-positive, HER2- negative breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2021; 189:1-13. [PMID: 34213658 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-021-06291-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
While checkpoint inhibitors have been approved in patients with newly metastatic PDL1-positive triple negative breast cancer, similar clinical benefit with immunotherapy alone or in combination with chemotherapy has not been observed in patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2- negative breast cancer in the metastatic setting. However, in the ISPY2 trial, an increase in pathologic response has been observed with the addition of immunotherapy (± PARP inhibition) to chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone in patients with high-risk hormone receptor-positive, HER2- breast cancer. We review strategies to enhance the immunotherapeutic activity in this subtype of breast cancer, including combinations of checkpoint inhibition with chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, PARP inhibitors, HDAC inhibitors, CDK4/6 inhibitors, and radiotherapy. Combinations with agents targeting novel immunotherapeutic targets are also discussed. Though there remains an unmet need for immunotherapy approaches in patients with hormone-receptor positive breast cancer, there are a number of approaches that may lead to increased anti-tumor activity with immunotherapy in this tumor subtype.
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Bäuerle T, Gupta S, Zheng S, Seyler L, Leporati A, Marosfoi M, Maschauer S, Prante O, Caravan P, Bogdanov A. Multimodal Bone Metastasis-associated Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Imaging in an Orthotopic Rat Model. Radiol Imaging Cancer 2021; 3:e200069. [PMID: 34170199 DOI: 10.1148/rycan.2021200069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Purpose To develop multimodality imaging techniques for measuring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as a therapy-relevant and metastasis-associated molecular marker in triple-negative mammary adenocarcinoma metastases. Materials and Methods An orthotopic bone metastasis EGFR-positive, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) model in rats was used for bioluminescence imaging, SPECT/CT, PET/CT, and MRI with quantitative analysis of transcripts (n = 22 rats). Receptor-specific MRI of EGFR expression in vivo was performed by acquiring spin-echo T1-weighted images after sequential administration of a pair of anti-EGFR antigen binding fragments, F(ab')2, conjugated to either horseradish peroxidase or glucose oxidase, which have complementing activities, as well as paramagnetic (gadolinium[III]-mono-5-hydroxytryptamide of 2,2',2''-(10-(2,6-dioxotetrahydro-2H-pyran-3-yl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-triyl)triacetic acid, or Gd-5HT-DOTAGA) or positron-emitting (gallium 68-5HT-DOTAGA) substrates for MRI and PET/CT imaging, respectively. EGFR expression was confirmed by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical analyses to compare with image findings. Results After surgical intraarterial delivery of TNBC cells, rats developed tumors that diverged into either rapidly growing osteolytic or slow-growing nonosteolytic tumors. Both tumor types showed receptor-specific initial MRI signal enhancement (contrast-to-noise ratio) that was three to six times higher than that of normal bone marrow (29.4 vs 4.9; P < .01). Micro PET/CT imaging of EGFR expression demonstrated a high level of heterogeneity with regional uptake of the tracer, which corresponded to region-of-interest MRI signal intensity elevation (121.1 vs 93.3; P < .001). Analysis of metastases with corroboration of imaging results showed high levels of EGFR protein and messenger RNA, or mRNA, expression in the invasive tumor. Conclusion Convergence of multimodal molecular receptor imaging enabled comprehensive assessment of EGFR overexpression in an orthotopic model of TNBC metastasis. Keywords: Animal Studies, Molecular Imaging-Cancer, MR-Contrast Agent, Radionuclide Studies, Skeletal-Appendicular, Metastases Supplemental material is available for this article. © RSNA, 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Bäuerle
- From the Institute of Radiology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Erlangen, Germany (T.B., L.S.); Laboratory of Molecular Imaging Probes, Department of Radiology (S.G., A.L., A.B.), and Advanced MRI Center and New England Center for Stroke Research, Department of Radiology (S.Z., M.M.), University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Ave North, S6-434, Worcester, MA 01655; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Germany (S.M., O.P.); A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Mass (P.C.); and A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation (A.B.)
| | - Suresh Gupta
- From the Institute of Radiology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Erlangen, Germany (T.B., L.S.); Laboratory of Molecular Imaging Probes, Department of Radiology (S.G., A.L., A.B.), and Advanced MRI Center and New England Center for Stroke Research, Department of Radiology (S.Z., M.M.), University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Ave North, S6-434, Worcester, MA 01655; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Germany (S.M., O.P.); A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Mass (P.C.); and A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation (A.B.)
| | - Shaokuan Zheng
- From the Institute of Radiology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Erlangen, Germany (T.B., L.S.); Laboratory of Molecular Imaging Probes, Department of Radiology (S.G., A.L., A.B.), and Advanced MRI Center and New England Center for Stroke Research, Department of Radiology (S.Z., M.M.), University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Ave North, S6-434, Worcester, MA 01655; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Germany (S.M., O.P.); A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Mass (P.C.); and A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation (A.B.)
| | - Lisa Seyler
- From the Institute of Radiology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Erlangen, Germany (T.B., L.S.); Laboratory of Molecular Imaging Probes, Department of Radiology (S.G., A.L., A.B.), and Advanced MRI Center and New England Center for Stroke Research, Department of Radiology (S.Z., M.M.), University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Ave North, S6-434, Worcester, MA 01655; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Germany (S.M., O.P.); A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Mass (P.C.); and A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation (A.B.)
| | - Anita Leporati
- From the Institute of Radiology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Erlangen, Germany (T.B., L.S.); Laboratory of Molecular Imaging Probes, Department of Radiology (S.G., A.L., A.B.), and Advanced MRI Center and New England Center for Stroke Research, Department of Radiology (S.Z., M.M.), University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Ave North, S6-434, Worcester, MA 01655; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Germany (S.M., O.P.); A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Mass (P.C.); and A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation (A.B.)
| | - Miklos Marosfoi
- From the Institute of Radiology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Erlangen, Germany (T.B., L.S.); Laboratory of Molecular Imaging Probes, Department of Radiology (S.G., A.L., A.B.), and Advanced MRI Center and New England Center for Stroke Research, Department of Radiology (S.Z., M.M.), University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Ave North, S6-434, Worcester, MA 01655; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Germany (S.M., O.P.); A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Mass (P.C.); and A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation (A.B.)
| | - Simone Maschauer
- From the Institute of Radiology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Erlangen, Germany (T.B., L.S.); Laboratory of Molecular Imaging Probes, Department of Radiology (S.G., A.L., A.B.), and Advanced MRI Center and New England Center for Stroke Research, Department of Radiology (S.Z., M.M.), University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Ave North, S6-434, Worcester, MA 01655; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Germany (S.M., O.P.); A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Mass (P.C.); and A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation (A.B.)
| | - Olaf Prante
- From the Institute of Radiology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Erlangen, Germany (T.B., L.S.); Laboratory of Molecular Imaging Probes, Department of Radiology (S.G., A.L., A.B.), and Advanced MRI Center and New England Center for Stroke Research, Department of Radiology (S.Z., M.M.), University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Ave North, S6-434, Worcester, MA 01655; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Germany (S.M., O.P.); A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Mass (P.C.); and A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation (A.B.)
| | - Peter Caravan
- From the Institute of Radiology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Erlangen, Germany (T.B., L.S.); Laboratory of Molecular Imaging Probes, Department of Radiology (S.G., A.L., A.B.), and Advanced MRI Center and New England Center for Stroke Research, Department of Radiology (S.Z., M.M.), University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Ave North, S6-434, Worcester, MA 01655; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Germany (S.M., O.P.); A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Mass (P.C.); and A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation (A.B.)
| | - Alexei Bogdanov
- From the Institute of Radiology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Erlangen, Germany (T.B., L.S.); Laboratory of Molecular Imaging Probes, Department of Radiology (S.G., A.L., A.B.), and Advanced MRI Center and New England Center for Stroke Research, Department of Radiology (S.Z., M.M.), University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Ave North, S6-434, Worcester, MA 01655; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Germany (S.M., O.P.); A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Mass (P.C.); and A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation (A.B.)
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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.
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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.
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Immune checkpoint inhibitors for triple-negative breast cancer: From immunological mechanisms to clinical evidence. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 98:107876. [PMID: 34146865 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.107876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer type in women worldwide. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which is characterized by the absence of estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor (ER/PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2) expressions, has a poorer prognosis compared with non-TNBC breast tumors. Until recently systemic treatment for TNBC was confined to chemotherapy owing to the lack of actionable targets. Immune checkpoint molecules are expressed on malignant cells or tumor-infiltrating immune cells and can inhibit anti-cancer immune responses. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), including anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), and anti-programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1), induce immune responses in different types of neoplasms. They have recently gained attention for their possible role in TNBC treatment. Several clinical trials have been conducted on the role of immune checkpoint blockade in different settings for TNBC treatment. Available evidence justifies the application of ICI and chemotherapy combination in the management of metastatic TNBC and early-stage TNBC in neoadjuvant setting. This study aims to provide information on the mechanisms of action of ICIs, review the efficacy results of clinical trials using ICIs for TNBC treatment, and assess the side effects of such drugs.
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