1
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Wang D, Dou L, Sui L, Xue Y, Xu S. Natural killer cells in cancer immunotherapy. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e626. [PMID: 38882209 PMCID: PMC11179524 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells, as innate lymphocytes, possess cytotoxic capabilities and engage target cells through a repertoire of activating and inhibitory receptors. Particularly, natural killer group 2, member D (NKG2D) receptor on NK cells recognizes stress-induced ligands-the MHC class I chain-related molecules A and B (MICA/B) presented on tumor cells and is key to trigger the cytolytic response of NK cells. However, tumors have developed sophisticated strategies to evade NK cell surveillance, which lead to failure of tumor immunotherapy. In this paper, we summarized these immune escaping strategies, including the downregulation of ligands for activating receptors, upregulation of ligands for inhibitory receptors, secretion of immunosuppressive compounds, and the development of apoptosis resistance. Then, we focus on recent advancements in NK cell immune therapies, which include engaging activating NK cell receptors, upregulating NKG2D ligand MICA/B expression, blocking inhibitory NK cell receptors, adoptive NK cell therapy, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered NK cells (CAR-NK), and NKG2D CAR-T cells, especially several vaccines targeting MICA/B. This review will inspire the research in NK cell biology in tumor and provide significant hope for improving cancer treatment outcomes by harnessing the potent cytotoxic activity of NK cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- DanRu Wang
- National Key Lab of Immunity and Inflammation and Institute of Immunology Naval Medical University Shanghai China
| | - LingYun Dou
- National Key Lab of Immunity and Inflammation and Institute of Immunology Naval Medical University Shanghai China
| | - LiHao Sui
- National Key Lab of Immunity and Inflammation and Institute of Immunology Naval Medical University Shanghai China
| | - Yiquan Xue
- National Key Lab of Immunity and Inflammation and Institute of Immunology Naval Medical University Shanghai China
| | - Sheng Xu
- National Key Lab of Immunity and Inflammation and Institute of Immunology Naval Medical University Shanghai China
- Shanghai Institute of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation Dongfang Hospital Shanghai China
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2
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Pan M, Wang F, Nan L, Yang S, Qi J, Xie J, Shao S, Zou H, Wang M, Sun F, Zhang J. αVEGFR2-MICA fusion antibodies enhance immunotherapy effect and synergize with PD-1 blockade. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2023; 72:969-984. [PMID: 36227341 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-022-03306-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Antiangiogenic therapy has shown significant clinical benefits in gastric cancer (GC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, their effectiveness is limited by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. The MHC class I chain-related molecules A and B (MICA/B) are expressed in many human cancers, enabling elimination of cancer cells by cytotoxic lymphocytes through natural killer group 2D (NKG2D) receptor activation. To improve antiangiogenic therapy and prolong its efficacy, we generated a bi-specific fusion protein (mAb04-MICA). This was comprised of an antibody targeting VEGFR2 fused to a MICA α1-α2 ectodomain. mAb04-MICA inhibited proliferation of GC and NSCLC cells through specific binding to VEGFR2 and had superior anti-tumor efficacy in both GC and NSCLC-bearing mouse models compared with ramucirumab. Further investigation revealed that the mAb04-MICA promoted NKG2D+ NK cell activation and induced the tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) polarization from M2 type to M1 type both in vitro and in vivo. The polarization of TAMs upon NKG2D and MICA mediated activation has not yet been reported. Moreover, given the up-regulation of PD-L1 in tumors during anti-angiogenesis therapy, anti-PD-1 antibody enhanced the anti-tumoral activity of mAb04-MICA through stimulating infiltration and activation of NKs and CD8+T cells in responding tumors. Our findings demonstrate that dual targeting of angiogenesis and NKG2D, or in combination with the PD-1/PD-L1 blockade, is a promising anti-tumor therapeutic strategy. This is accomplished through maintaining or reinstating tumor immunosurveillance during treatment, which expands the repertoire of anti-angiogenesis-based cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhu Pan
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Lidi Nan
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Siyu Yang
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Jinyao Qi
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Jiajun Xie
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Shuai Shao
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Hongyi Zou
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Min Wang
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Fumou Sun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Myeloma Center, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA.
| | - Juan Zhang
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China.
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3
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Peipp M, Klausz K, Boje AS, Zeller T, Zielonka S, Kellner C. Immunotherapeutic targeting of activating natural killer cell receptors and their ligands in cancer. Clin Exp Immunol 2022; 209:22-32. [PMID: 35325068 PMCID: PMC9307233 DOI: 10.1093/cei/uxac028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells exert an important role in cancer immune surveillance. Recognition of malignant cells and controlled activation of effector functions are facilitated by the expression of activating and inhibitory receptors, which is a complex interplay that allows NK cells to discriminate malignant cells from healthy tissues. Due to their unique profile of effector functions, the recruitment of NK cells is attractive in cancer treatment and a key function of NK cells in antibody therapy is widely appreciated. In recent years, besides the low-affinity fragment crystallizable receptor for immunoglobulin G (FcγRIIIA), the activating natural killer receptors p30 (NKp30) and p46 (NKp46), as well as natural killer group 2 member D (NKG2D), have gained increasing attention as potential targets for bispecific antibody-derivatives to redirect NK cell cytotoxicity against tumors. Beyond modulation of the receptor activity on NK cells, therapeutic targeting of the respective ligands represents an attractive approach. Here, novel therapeutic approaches to unleash NK cells by engagement of activating NK-cell receptors and alternative strategies targeting their tumor-expressed ligands in cancer therapy are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Peipp
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, Christian Albrechts University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Katja Klausz
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, Christian Albrechts University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Ammelie Svea Boje
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, Christian Albrechts University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Tobias Zeller
- Division of Transfusion Medicine, Cell Therapeutics and Haemostaseology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Zielonka
- Protein Engineering and Antibody Technologies, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Christian Kellner
- Correspondence: Christian Kellner, Division of Transfusion Medicine, Cell Therapeutics and Haemostaseology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
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4
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Ding H, Buzzard GW, Huang S, Sehorn MG, Marcus RK, Wei Y. MICA-G129R: A bifunctional fusion protein increases PRLR-positive breast cancer cell death in co-culture with natural killer cells. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252662. [PMID: 34077462 PMCID: PMC8172023 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252662] [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: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer cells were reported to up-regulate human prolactin receptor (PRLR) to assist their growth through the utilization of prolactin (PRL) as the growth factor, which makes PRLR a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer. On the other hand, advanced cancer cells tend to down-regulate or shed off stress signal proteins to evade immune surveillance and elimination. In this report, we created a fusion protein consisting of the extracellular domain of MHC class I chain-related protein (MICA), a stress signal protein and ligand of the activating receptor NKG2D of natural killer (NK) cells, and G129R, an antagonistic variant of PRL. We hypothesize that the MICA portion of the fusion protein binds to NKG2D to activate NK cells and the G129R portion binds to PRLR on breast cancer cells, so that the activated NK cells will kill the PRLR-positive breast cancer cells. We demonstrated that the MICA-G129R fusion protein not only binds to human natural killer NK-92 cells and PRLR-positive human breast cancer T-47D cells, but also promotes NK cells to release granzyme B and IFN-γ and enhances the cytotoxicity of NK cells specifically on PRLR-positive cells. The fusion protein, therefore, represents a new approach for the development of breast cancer specific immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Ding
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Garrett W. Buzzard
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Sisi Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Michael G. Sehorn
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - R. Kenneth Marcus
- Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Yanzhang Wei
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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5
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BCMA-targeting Bispecific Antibody That Simultaneously Stimulates NKG2D-enhanced Efficacy Against Multiple Myeloma. J Immunother 2020; 43:175-188. [DOI: 10.1097/cji.0000000000000320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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6
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Juengpanich S, Topatana W, Lu C, Staiculescu D, Li S, Cao J, Lin J, Hu J, Chen M, Chen J, Cai X. Role of cellular, molecular and tumor microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma: Possible targets and future directions in the regorafenib era. Int J Cancer 2020; 147:1778-1792. [PMID: 32162677 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.32970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains as one of the major causes of cancer-related mortality, despite the recent development of new therapeutic options. Regorafenib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, is the first systemic therapy that has a survival benefit for patients with advanced HCC that have a poor response to sorafenib. Even though regorafenib has been approved by the FDA, the clinical trial for regorafenib treatment does not show significant improvement in overall survival. The impaired efficacy of regorafenib caused by various resistance mechanisms, including epithelial-mesenchymal transitions, inflammation, angiogenesis, hypoxia, oxidative stress, fibrosis and autophagy, still needs to be resolved. In this review, we provide insight on regorafenib microenvironmental, molecular and cellular mechanisms and interactions in HCC treatment. The aim of this review is to help physicians select patients that would obtain the maximal benefits from regorafenib in HCC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarun Juengpanich
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Win Topatana
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chen Lu
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Daniel Staiculescu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shijie Li
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiasheng Cao
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiacheng Lin
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiahao Hu
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mingyu Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiang Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xiujun Cai
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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7
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CD24 targeting bi-specific antibody that simultaneously stimulates NKG2D enhances the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2019; 145:1179-1190. [PMID: 30778749 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-019-02865-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Bi-specific antibody (BsAb) is an emerging novel format of antibody. We aimed to develop the natural killer (NK) cell receptor NK group 2, member D (NKG2D)-mediated, immune surveillance system. In this system, the NKG2D ligand MHC class I-related chain A (MICA) was fused with BsAb, which targeted a cluster of differentiation 24 (CD24), a tumor-initiating cell marker that is over-expressed on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS The Homo MICA extracellular domains (hMICA) were fused to the end of the heavy chain of cG7 with the flexible pentapeptide (Gly-Gly-Gly-Gly-Ser; G4S), which formed the cG7-MICA that was further identified using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and western blotting (WB). The targeting specificity was characterized using the Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) technology and a flow cytometry assay. Furthermore, the design of BsAb cG7-MICA that targeted CD24 and NKG2D was proven to enhance antibody-dependent, cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) in vitro by the CytoTox 96 Nonradioactive Cytotoxicity assay. Degranulation and a cytokine production assay of NK cells demonstrated that NK cells were activated effectively by cG7-MICA. Further, in HCC-bearing nude mice, the anti-tumor effects of cG7-MICA combined with sorafenib were verified again. RESULTS We purified cG7-MICA successfully, and it has a high affinity. In vivo, cG7-MICA recruited NK cells to the tumor site and improved the anti-tumor efficacy of sorafenib. cG7-MICA also activated NK cells to release interferon γ (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and it increased the CD107a expression on the surface of the NK cells in vitro. CONCLUSION NK cells play a major role in the natural, innate immune system, and they have the function of identifying and killing target cells. cG7-MICA remodels the function of MICA molecules to activate NK cells, which provides a possible strategy for HCC-targeting immunotherapy.
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8
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Zou Y, Luo W, Guo J, Luo Q, Deng M, Lu Z, Fang Y, Zhang CC. NK cell-mediated anti-leukemia cytotoxicity is enhanced using a NKG2D ligand MICA and anti-CD20 scfv chimeric protein. Eur J Immunol 2018; 48:1750-1763. [PMID: 30063799 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201847550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
NK cells are important innate cytotoxic lymphocytes that have potential in treatment of leukemia. Engagement of NKG2D receptor on NK cells enhances the target cytotoxicity. Here, we produced a fusion protein consisting of the extracellular domain of the NKG2D ligand MICA and the anti-CD20 single-chain variable fragment (scfv). This recombinant protein is capable of binding both NK cells and CD20+ tumor cells. Using a human NKG2D reporter cell system we developed, we showed that this fusion protein could decorate CD20+ tumor cells with MICA extracellular domain and activate NK through NKG2D. We further demonstrated that this protein could specifically induce the ability of a NK cell line (NKL) and primary NK cells to lyse CD20+ leukemia cells. Moreover, we found that downregulation of surface HLA class I expression in the target cells improved NKL-mediated killing. Our results demonstrated that this recombinant protein specifically lyses leukemia cells by NK cells, which may lead to development of a novel strategy for treating leukemia and other tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yizhou Zou
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Weiguang Luo
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jing Guo
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Qizhi Luo
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Mi Deng
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Zhigang Lu
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Yi Fang
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Cheng Cheng Zhang
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, TX, USA
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9
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Wan LL, Zhang DQ, Zhang JN, Ren LQ. Anti-hepatocarcinoma activity of TT-1, an analog of melittin, combined with interferon-α via promoting the interaction of NKG2D and MICA. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2018; 18:522-531. [PMID: 28585428 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.b1600369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocarcinoma is one of the malignant cancers with significant morbidity and mortality. Immunotherapy has emerged in clinical treatment, owing to the limitation and severe side effects of chemotherapy. In the immune system, natural killer (NK) cells are important effectors required to eliminate malignant tumor cells without the limitation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule issues. Hence, treatment which could stimulate NK cells is of great interest. Here, we investigated the efficacy of the combined therapy of TT-1 (a mutant of melittin) and interferon-α (IFN-α) on NK cells and human liver cancer HepG-2/Huh7 cells in vitro and in vivo, as well as the mechanism involved. The combination therapy significantly inhibited the growth of HepG-2/Huh7 cells in vivo, but this effect was impaired after depleting NK cells. TT-1 not only up-regulated MHC class I-related chain molecules A (MICA) expression, but also prevented the secretion of soluble MICA (sMICA). Both the mRNA and protein of a disintegrin and metallopeptidase 10 (ADAM 10) in HepG-2/Huh7 cells were decreased after TT-1 treatment. The combined therapy of TT-1 and IFN-α could suppress the growth of HepG-2/Huh7 xenografted tumor effectively via promoting the interaction of NK group 2, member D (NKG2D) and MICA, indicating that TT-1+IFN-α would be a potential approach in treating liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan-Lan Wan
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.,Department of Anesthesiology, the Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China
| | - Da-Qi Zhang
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Surgical Translational Medicine, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Jin-Nan Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Li-Qun Ren
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
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10
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Ding H, Yang X, Wei Y. Fusion Proteins of NKG2D/NKG2DL in Cancer Immunotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19010177. [PMID: 29316666 PMCID: PMC5796126 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19010177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
NKG2D (natural killer group 2, member D) is an important activating receptor in natural killer (NK) cells and some T cells. NKG2D ligands (NKG2DLs) are specifically expressed on most tumor cells. The engagement of these ligands on tumor cells to NKG2D on NK cells will induce cell-mediated cytotoxicity and have target cells destroyed. This gives NKG2D/NKG2DLs great potential in cancer therapeutic application. The creation of NKG2D/NKG2DL-based multi-functional fusion proteins is becoming one of the most promising strategies in immunotherapy for cancer. Antibodies, cytokines, and death receptors have been fused with NKG2D or its ligands to produce many powerful fusion proteins, including NKG2D-based chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). In this article, we review the recent developments of the fusion proteins with NKG2D/NKG2DL ligands in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Ding
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, 190 Collings Street, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
| | - Xi Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, 190 Collings Street, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
| | - Yanzhang Wei
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, 190 Collings Street, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
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11
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Ouni N, Ben Chaaben A, Kablouti G, Lajnef M, Ayari F, Abaza H, Damak T, Harzallah L, Benammar-Elgaaeid A, Guemira F, Tamouza R. MICA-129Met/Val Polymorphism Is Associated with Early-Onset Breast Cancer Risk. Immunol Invest 2017; 46:603-614. [DOI: 10.1080/08820139.2017.1336175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nesrine Ouni
- Clinical Biology Department, Salah Azaiez Institute, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Arij Ben Chaaben
- Clinical Biology Department, Salah Azaiez Institute, Tunis, Tunisia
- Jean Dausset Laboratory and INSERM, Saint Louis Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Ghalia Kablouti
- Clinical Biology Department, Salah Azaiez Institute, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Mohamed Lajnef
- French Institute of Health and Medical Research, Mondor Institute for Biomedical Research INSERM U955, Creteil, France
| | - Fayza Ayari
- Clinical Biology Department, Salah Azaiez Institute, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Hajer Abaza
- Clinical Biology Department, Salah Azaiez Institute, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Tarek Damak
- Clinical Biology Department, Salah Azaiez Institute, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Latifa Harzallah
- Clinical Biology Department, Salah Azaiez Institute, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Amel Benammar-Elgaaeid
- Immunology Department, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences, Tunis El Manar University, Tunisia
| | - Fethi Guemira
- Clinical Biology Department, Salah Azaiez Institute, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Ryad Tamouza
- Jean Dausset Laboratory and INSERM, Saint Louis Hospital, Paris, France
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12
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Cai X, Caballero-Benitez A, Gewe MM, Jenkins IC, Drescher CW, Strong RK, Spies T, Groh V. Control of Tumor Initiation by NKG2D Naturally Expressed on Ovarian Cancer Cells. Neoplasia 2017; 19:471-482. [PMID: 28499126 PMCID: PMC5429243 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2017.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells may co-opt the NKG2D lymphocyte receptor to complement the presence of its ligands for autonomous stimulation of oncogenic signaling. Previous studies raise the possibility that cancer cell NKG2D may induce high malignancy traits, but its full oncogenic impact is unknown. Using epithelial ovarian cancer as model setting, we show here that ex vivo NKG2D+ cancer cells have stem-like capacities, and provide formal in vivo evidence linking NKG2D stimulation with the development and maintenance of these functional states. NKG2D+ ovarian cancer cell populations harbor substantially greater capacities for self-renewing in vitro sphere formation and in vivo tumor initiation in immunodeficient (NOD scid gamma) mice than NKG2D− controls. Sphere formation and tumor initiation are impaired by NKG2D silencing or ligand blockade using antibodies or a newly designed pan ligand-masking NKG2D multimer. In further support of pathophysiological significance, a prospective study of 47 high-grade serous ovarian cancer cases revealed that the odds of disease recurrence were significantly greater and median progression-free survival rates higher among patients with above and below median NKG2D+ cancer cell frequencies, respectively. Collectively, our results define cancer cell NKG2D as an important regulator of tumor initiation in ovarian cancer and presumably other malignancies and thus challenge current efforts in immunotherapy aimed at enhancing NKG2D function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Cai
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA, 98112, USA.
| | - Andrea Caballero-Benitez
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA, 98112, USA.
| | - Mesfin M Gewe
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA, 98112, USA.
| | - Isaac C Jenkins
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA, 98112, USA.
| | - Charles W Drescher
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA, 98112, USA.
| | - Roland K Strong
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA, 98112, USA.
| | - Thomas Spies
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA, 98112, USA.
| | - Veronika Groh
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA, 98112, USA.
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13
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Sun F, Wang T, Jiang J, Wang Y, Ma Z, Li Z, Han Y, Pan M, Cai J, Wang M, Zhang J. Engineering a high-affinity humanized anti-CD24 antibody to target hepatocellular carcinoma by a novel CDR grafting design. Oncotarget 2017; 8:51238-51252. [PMID: 28881644 PMCID: PMC5584245 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.17228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cluster of differentiation 24 (CD24) is a specific surface marker involved in the tumorigenesis and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, all reported anti-CD24 antibodies are murine ones with inevitable immunogenicity. To address this, a method using both molecular structure and docking-based complementarity determining region (CDR) grafting was employed for humanization. After xenogeneic CDR grafting into a human antibody, three types of canonical residues (in the VL/VH interface core, in the loop foundation, and interaction with loop residues) that support loop conformation and residues involved in the antigen-binding interface were back-mutated. Four engineered antibodies were produced, among which hG7-BM3 has virtually identical 3-D structure and affinity parameters with the parental chimeric antibody cG7. In vitro, hG7-BM3 demonstrated superior immunogenicity and serum stability to cG7. Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), tumor cell internalization and in vivo targeting assays indicate that hG7-BM3 has the potential for development as an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC). We therefore generated the hG7-BM3-VcMMAE conjugate, which was shown to induce tumor cell apoptosis and effectively suppress nude mice bearing HCC xenografts. In conclusion, our study provides new inspiration for antibody humanization and an ADC candidate for laboratory study and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumou Sun
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Molecular Biology, School of Life Science & Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Tong Wang
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Molecular Biology, School of Life Science & Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Jiahao Jiang
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Molecular Biology, School of Life Science & Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Yang Wang
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Molecular Biology, School of Life Science & Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Zhaoxiong Ma
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Molecular Biology, School of Life Science & Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Zhaoting Li
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Molecular Biology, School of Life Science & Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Yue Han
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Molecular Biology, School of Life Science & Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Mingzhu Pan
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Molecular Biology, School of Life Science & Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Jialing Cai
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Molecular Biology, School of Life Science & Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Min Wang
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Molecular Biology, School of Life Science & Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Juan Zhang
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Molecular Biology, School of Life Science & Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
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14
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Li Z, Zhu Y, Li C, Trinh R, Ren X, Sun F, Wang Y, Shang P, Wang T, Wang M, Morrison SL, Zhang J. Anti-VEGFR2-interferon-α2 regulates the tumor microenvironment and exhibits potent antitumor efficacy against colorectal cancer. Oncoimmunology 2017; 6:e1290038. [PMID: 28405526 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2017.1290038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Revised: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Interferon-α (IFNα) has multiple antitumor effects including direct antitumor toxicity and the ability to potently stimulate both innate and adaptive immunity. However, its clinical applications in the treatment of malignancies have been limited because of short half-life and serious adverse reactions when attempting to deliver therapeutically effective doses. To address these issues, we fused IFNα2a to the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor and receptor 2 (VEGFR2) antibody JZA00 with the goal of targeting it to the tumor microenvironment where it can stimulate the antitumor immune response. The fusion protein, JZA01, is effective against colorectal cancer by inhibiting angiogenesis, exhibiting direct cytotoxicity, and activating the antitumor immune response. Although JZA01 exhibited reduced IFNα2 activity in vitro compared with native IFNα2, VEGFR2 targeting permitted efficient antiproliferative, proapoptotic, antiangiogenesis, and immune-stimulating effects against the colorectal tumors HCT-116 and SW620. JZA01 showed in vivo efficacy in NOD-SCID mice-bearing established HCT-116 tumors. In conclusion, this study describes an antitumor immunotherapy that is highly promising for the treatment of colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoting Li
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing, China
| | - Yijia Zhu
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing, China
| | - Chenchen Li
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing, China
| | - Ryan Trinh
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xueyan Ren
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing, China
| | - Fumou Sun
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing, China
| | - Youfu Wang
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing, China
| | - Pengzhao Shang
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing, China
| | - Tong Wang
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing, China
| | - Min Wang
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing, China
| | - Sherie L Morrison
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Juan Zhang
- Antibody Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing, China
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