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Li X, Wu M, Lu J, Yu J, Chen D. Interleukin-21 as an adjuvant in cancer immunotherapy: Current advances and future directions. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189084. [PMID: 38354828 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189084] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment. However, it's well-recognized that a considerable proportion of patients fail to benefit from immunotherapy, and to improve immunotherapy response is clinically urgent. Insufficient immune infiltration and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments (TME) are main contributors to immunotherapy resistance. Thus sustaining functional self-renewal capacity for immune cells and subverting immune-suppressive signals are potential strategies for boosting the efficacy of immunotherapy. Interleukin-21 (IL-21), a crucial cytokine, which could enhance cytotoxic function of immune cells and reduces immunosuppressive cells enrichment in TME, shows promising orientations as an immunoadjuvant in tumor immunotherapy. This review focuses on IL-21 in cancer treatment, including function and mechanisms of IL-21, preclinical and clinical studies, and future directions for IL-21-assisted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyang Li
- School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China; Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Meng Wu
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Jie Lu
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Jinming Yu
- School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China; Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China.
| | - Dawei Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China.
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2
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Zhang Z, Kuo JCT, Yao S, Zhang C, Khan H, Lee RJ. CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides for Anticancer Monotherapy from Preclinical Stages to Clinical Trials. Pharmaceutics 2021; 14:pharmaceutics14010073. [PMID: 35056969 PMCID: PMC8780291 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14010073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODNs), the artificial versions of unmethylated CpG motifs that were originally discovered in bacterial DNA, are demonstrated not only as potent immunoadjuvants but also as anticancer agents by triggering toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) activation in immune cells. TLR9 activation triggered by CpG ODN has been shown to activate plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), enhancing T cell-mediated antitumor immunity. However, the extent of antitumor immunity carried by TLR agonists has not been optimized individually or in combinations with cancer vaccines, resulting in a decreased preference for TLR agonists as adjuvants in clinical trials. Although various combination therapies involving CpG ODNs have been applied in clinical trials, none of the CpG ODN-based drugs have been approved by the FDA, owing to the short half-life of CpG ODNs in serum that leads to low activation of natural killer cells (NK cells) and CTLs, along with increases of pro-inflammatory cytokine productions. This review summarized the current innovation on CpG ODNs that are under clinical investigation and explored the future direction for CpG ODN-based nanomedicine as an anticancer monotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongkun Zhang
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, 500 W 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (Z.Z.); (J.C.-T.K.); (C.Z.); (H.K.)
| | - Jimmy Chun-Tien Kuo
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, 500 W 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (Z.Z.); (J.C.-T.K.); (C.Z.); (H.K.)
| | - Siyu Yao
- Department of Food Science and Technology, The Ohio State University, 110 Parker Food Science and Technology Building, 2015 Fyffe Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
| | - Chi Zhang
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, 500 W 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (Z.Z.); (J.C.-T.K.); (C.Z.); (H.K.)
| | - Hira Khan
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, 500 W 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (Z.Z.); (J.C.-T.K.); (C.Z.); (H.K.)
- Department of Pharmacy, Abbottabad University of Science and Technology, Havelian, Abbottabad 22500, Pakistan
| | - Robert J. Lee
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, 500 W 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (Z.Z.); (J.C.-T.K.); (C.Z.); (H.K.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-614-292-4172
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Allegra A, Musolino C, Tonacci A, Pioggia G, Casciaro M, Gangemi S. Clinico-Biological Implications of Modified Levels of Cytokines in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: A Possible Therapeutic Role. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12020524. [PMID: 32102441 PMCID: PMC7072434 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12020524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) is the main cause of mortality among hematologic diseases in Western nations. B-CLL is correlated with an intense alteration of the immune system. The altered functions of innate immune elements and adaptive immune factors are interconnected in B-CLL and are decisive for its onset, evolution, and therapeutic response. Modifications in the cytokine balance could support the growth of the leukemic clone via a modulation of cellular proliferation and apoptosis, as some cytokines have been reported to be able to affect the life of B-CLL cells in vivo. In this review, we will examine the role played by cytokines in the cellular dynamics of B-CLL patients, interpret the contradictions sometimes present in the literature regarding their action, and evaluate the possibility of manipulating their production in order to intervene in the natural history of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Allegra
- Division of Haematology, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy; (A.A.); (C.M.)
| | - Caterina Musolino
- Division of Haematology, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy; (A.A.); (C.M.)
| | - Alessandro Tonacci
- Clinical Physiology Institute, National Research Council of Italy (IFC-CNR), 56124 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Giovanni Pioggia
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), 98164 Messina, Italy;
| | - Marco Casciaro
- Operative Unit of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy;
| | - Sebastiano Gangemi
- Operative Unit of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy;
- Correspondence:
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Huang Y, Zhang J, Wang G, Chen X, Zhang R, Liu H, Zhu J. Oxymatrine exhibits anti-tumor activity in gastric cancer through inhibition of IL-21R-mediated JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol 2018; 32:2058738418781634. [PMID: 30103640 PMCID: PMC6096673 DOI: 10.1177/2058738418781634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxymatrine (OMT) as a type of alkaloids collected from Sophora flavescens Ait exerts some biological functions including anticancer properties. Here, we investigated the therapeutic effects of OMT in gastric cancer cells (HGC 27 and AGS). As a result, the exposure of gastric cancer (GC) cells to OMT contributed to the suppression of cell proliferation and invasion. Interleukin 21 receptor (IL-21R) was identified to be differentially expressed between OMT treatment group (4 mg/mL) and control group (0 mg/mL), and knockdown of IL-21R repressed cell proliferation and invasion via inactivation of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. The rescue experiment showed that IL-21R overexpression attenuated the anti-tumor effects of OMT through activation of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Moreover, the expression of IL-21R was significantly upregulated in GC samples compared with the adjacent normal tissues and associated with overall survival (OS) and tumor recurrence of GC patients. Taken together, in this study, we evaluated the anti-tumor effects of OMT on GC by investigating proliferation and invasion ability changes, and our findings show that OMT exhibits effects via regulation of JAK/STAT signaling pathway. Through the mechanism study, we may enlighten the potential therapeutic target for treatment of GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxia Huang
- 1 Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,2 Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- 2 Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Ge Wang
- 2 Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoyu Chen
- 2 Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- 2 Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Liu
- 2 Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinshui Zhu
- 2 Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
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Yan L, Zhang J, Guo D, Ma J, Shui SF, Han XW. IL-21R functions as an oncogenic factor and is regulated by the lncRNA MALAT1/miR-125a-3p axis in gastric cancer. Int J Oncol 2018; 54:7-16. [PMID: 30387833 PMCID: PMC6255062 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2018.4612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Interleukin-21 receptor (IL-21R) is involved in the immunological regulation of immune cells and tumor progression in multiple malignancies. However, the potential molecular mechanisms through which non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) modulate IL-21R signaling in gastric cancer (GC) remain elusive. In this study, the expression of IL-21R was detected by RT-qPCR and western blot analysis in GC cell lines. The association between IL-21R expression and clinicopathological characteristics and the prognosis of patients with GC was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Kaplan-Meier plotter analysis. The biological functions of IL-21R were analyzed by a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments, and its regulation by ncRNAs was predicted by bioinformatics analysis and confirmed by luciferase assays and rescue experiments. As a result, the expression of IL-21R was found to be significantly increased in GC cell lines and tissues as compared with normal tissues, and was associated with tumor size and lymphatic metastasis, acting as an independent prognostic factor of poor survival and recurrence in patients with GC. The knockdown of IL-21R markedly suppressed GC cell proliferation and invasion, and IL-21R expression was further validated to be negatively regulated by miR-125a-3p (miR-125a). The overexpression of IL-21R reversed the tumor suppressive effects of miR-125a in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, lncRNA metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) acted as a sponge of miR-125a to modulate the IL-21R signaling pathway in GC cells and represented a risk factor for survival and recurrence in patients with GC. Taken together, the findings of this study reveal an oncogenic role for IL-21R in gastric tumorigenesis and verify that its activation is partly due to the dysregulation of the lncRNA MALAT1/miR-125a axis. These findings may provide a potential prognostic marker for patients with GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Yan
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, P.R. China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai 200233, P.R. China
| | - Dong Guo
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, P.R. China
| | - Ji Ma
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, P.R. China
| | - Shao-Feng Shui
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, P.R. China
| | - Xin-Wei Han
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, P.R. China
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Shetab Boushehri MA, Lamprecht A. TLR4-Based Immunotherapeutics in Cancer: A Review of the Achievements and Shortcomings. Mol Pharm 2018; 15:4777-4800. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.8b00691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Alf Lamprecht
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Bonn, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
- PEPITE EA4267, Univ. Bourgonge Franch-Comte, 25030 Besançon, France
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Reiff SD, Mantel R, Smith LL, Greene JT, Muhowski EM, Fabian CA, Goettl VM, Tran M, Harrington BK, Rogers KA, Awan FT, Maddocks K, Andritsos L, Lehman AM, Sampath D, Lapalombella R, Eathiraj S, Abbadessa G, Schwartz B, Johnson AJ, Byrd JC, Woyach JA. The BTK Inhibitor ARQ 531 Targets Ibrutinib-Resistant CLL and Richter Transformation. Cancer Discov 2018; 8:1300-1315. [PMID: 30093506 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-17-1409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Targeted inhibition of Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) with the irreversible inhibitor ibrutinib has improved outcomes for patients with hematologic malignancies, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Here, we describe preclinical investigations of ARQ 531, a potent, reversible inhibitor of BTK with additional activity against Src family kinases and kinases related to ERK signaling. We hypothesized that targeting additional kinases would improve global inhibition of signaling pathways, producing more robust responses. In vitro treatment of patient CLL cells with ARQ 531 decreases BTK-mediated functions including B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling, viability, migration, CD40 and CD86 expression, and NF-κB gene transcription. In vivo, ARQ 531 was found to increase survival over ibrutinib in a murine Eμ-TCL1 engraftment model of CLL and a murine Eμ-MYC/TCL1 engraftment model resembling Richter transformation. Additionally, ARQ 531 inhibits CLL cell survival and suppresses BCR-mediated activation of C481S BTK and PLCγ2 mutants, which facilitate clinical resistance to ibrutinib.Significance: This study characterizes a rationally designed kinase inhibitor with efficacy in models recapitulating the most common mechanisms of acquired resistance to ibrutinib. Reversible BTK inhibition is a promising strategy to combat progressive CLL, and multikinase inhibition demonstrates superior efficacy to targeted ibrutinib therapy in the setting of Richter transformation. Cancer Discov; 8(10); 1300-15. ©2018 AACR. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1195.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean D Reiff
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.,Medical Scientist Training Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Rose Mantel
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Lisa L Smith
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - J T Greene
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Elizabeth M Muhowski
- Division of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Catherine A Fabian
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Virginia M Goettl
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Minh Tran
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Bonnie K Harrington
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Kerry A Rogers
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Farrukh T Awan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Kami Maddocks
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Leslie Andritsos
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Amy M Lehman
- Center for Biostatistics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Deepa Sampath
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Rosa Lapalombella
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | | | | | | | - Amy J Johnson
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.,Division of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - John C Byrd
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.,Division of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Jennifer A Woyach
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. .,Division of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
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Browning RL, Byrd WH, Gupta N, Jones J, Mo X, Hertlein E, Yu L, Muthusamy N, Byrd JC. Lenalidomide Induces Interleukin-21 Production by T Cells and Enhances IL21-Mediated Cytotoxicity in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia B Cells. Cancer Immunol Res 2016; 4:698-707. [PMID: 27287425 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-15-0291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The immunomodulatory drug lenalidomide has demonstrated efficacy in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), despite a lack of direct cytotoxic effects in vitro The mechanism of lenalidomide efficacy in vivo is thought to occur via a combination of enhanced immune activity and an alteration of tumor cell-microenvironment interactions. We demonstrate in whole blood from patients with CLL that lenalidomide significantly depletes malignant B cells. Lenalidomide also induced production of interleukin-21 (IL21) and its mRNA in T cells from patients with CLL. In addition, lenalidomide enhanced upregulation of functional IL21 receptor (IL21R) on the cell surface and increased receptor mRNA in vitro The in vitro combination of IL21 and lenalidomide enhanced IL21-mediated cytotoxicity toward CLL cells through a variety of mechanisms. We show association of cell death with upregulation of Bid by IL21, enhanced upregulation of Bid by the combination therapy, and diminished Lck and downstream BCR signaling activation of Syk and PLCG2. Collectively, we demonstrated an immune cell-tumor cell interaction through lenalidomide-mediated induction of IL21 and IL21R, with enhanced IL21-mediated cytotoxicity, which provides justification for this combination in clinical trials for patients with CLL. Cancer Immunol Res; 4(8); 698-707. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah L Browning
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - William H Byrd
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina
| | - Nikhil Gupta
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Jeffrey Jones
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Xiaokui Mo
- Center for Biostatistics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Erin Hertlein
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Lianbo Yu
- Center for Biostatistics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Natarajan Muthusamy
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
| | - John C Byrd
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
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