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Gan Q, Li Y, Li Y, Liu H, Chen D, Liu L, Peng C. Pathways and molecules for overcoming immunotolerance in metastatic gastrointestinal tumors. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1359914. [PMID: 38646539 PMCID: PMC11026648 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1359914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Worldwide, gastrointestinal (GI) cancer is recognized as one of the leading malignancies diagnosed in both genders, with mortality largely attributed to metastatic dissemination. It has been identified that in GI cancer, a variety of signaling pathways and key molecules are modified, leading to the emergence of an immunotolerance phenotype. Such modifications are pivotal in the malignancy's evasion of immune detection. Thus, a thorough analysis of the pathways and molecules contributing to GI cancer's immunotolerance is vital for advancing our comprehension and propelling the creation of efficacious pharmacological treatments. In response to this necessity, our review illuminates a selection of groundbreaking cellular signaling pathways associated with immunotolerance in GI cancer, including the Phosphoinositide 3-kinases/Akt, Janus kinase/Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3, Nuclear Factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells, Transforming Growth Factor-beta/Smad, Notch, Programmed Death-1/Programmed Death-Ligand 1, and Wingless and INT-1/beta-catenin-Interleukin 10. Additionally, we examine an array of pertinent molecules like Indoleamine-pyrrole 2,3-dioxygenase, Human Leukocyte Antigen G/E, Glycoprotein A Repetitions Predominant, Clever-1, Interferon regulatory factor 8/Osteopontin, T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing-3, Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1, Cell division control protein 42 homolog, and caspases-1 and -12.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qixin Gan
- 1Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan College of TCM (Hunan Province Directly Affiliated TCM Hospital), Zhuzhou, Hunan, China
| | - Yue Li
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Yuejun Li
- Department of Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan College of TCM (Hunan Province Directly Affiliated TCM Hospital), Zhuzhou, Hunan, China
| | - Haifen Liu
- 1Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan College of TCM (Hunan Province Directly Affiliated TCM Hospital), Zhuzhou, Hunan, China
| | - Daochuan Chen
- 1Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan College of TCM (Hunan Province Directly Affiliated TCM Hospital), Zhuzhou, Hunan, China
| | - Lanxiang Liu
- 1Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan College of TCM (Hunan Province Directly Affiliated TCM Hospital), Zhuzhou, Hunan, China
| | - Churan Peng
- 1Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan College of TCM (Hunan Province Directly Affiliated TCM Hospital), Zhuzhou, Hunan, China
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Huan X, Zou K, Zhang P, Ding H, Luo C, Xiang C, Xu S, Zhuang Y, Wu C, Wang Y, Wu X, Chen C, Zhang J, Yao X, Liu F, Liu S, Wu Z. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is linked to an amended anti-tumorigenic microenvironment in gastric cancer. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 127:111352. [PMID: 38091833 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.111352] [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: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is a frequently intervention for patients with locally advanced gastric cancer (GC). Nevertheless, its impact on the tumor immune microenvironment remains unclear. METHODS We used immunohistochemistry to identify T-cell subpopulations, tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs), and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the GC microenvironment (GCME) among paired samples (pre-chemotherapy and post-chemotherapy) from 48 NAC-treated patients. Multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) was performed to assess immune biomarkers, including CK, CD4, CD8, FOXP3, PD1, PD-L1, CD163, CD86, myeloperoxidase and Arginase-1 in paired samples from 6 GC patients whose response to NAC were rigorously defined. RESULTS NAC was intricately linked to enhanced CD8+:CD4+ ratio, reduced CD163+ M2-like macrophages, augmented CD86+ M1: CD163+ M2-like macrophage ratio, and diminished FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (T-regs) and TANs density. Based on mIF, PD1+CD8+T-cells, FOXP3+T-regs, PD-L1+ TANs, and CD163+ M2-like macrophages exhibited marked reduction and greater co-localization with tumor cells following NAC. The pre-NAC FOXP3+ T-regs and CD163+ M2-like macrophages content was substantially elevated in the response cohort, whereas, the post-NAC CD8+:CD4+ and CD86+ M1: CD163+ M2-like macrophage ratios were intricately linked to the tumor pathologic response. We observed greater CD163+ M2-like macrophages and tumor cells co-localization following NAC, which was correlated with tumor pathologic response. Lastly, multivariate analysis revealed that post-NAC CD8+:CD4+ and CD86+ M1: CD163+ M2-like macrophage ratios were stand-alone indicators of positive patient prognosis. CONCLUSIONS NAC converts the GCME to an anti-tumorigenic state that is conducive to enhanced patient outcome. These finding can significantly benefit the future planning of highly efficacious and personalized GC immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangkun Huan
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Kun Zou
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Peichan Zhang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China; No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Haihua Ding
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China; No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Chunyang Luo
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China; No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Chunjie Xiang
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Shuo Xu
- School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yuwen Zhuang
- Department of Oncology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Cunen Wu
- Department of Oncology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Yaohui Wang
- Department of Pathology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Xiaoyu Wu
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Che Chen
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Junfeng Zhang
- School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Xuequan Yao
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Fukun Liu
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Shenlin Liu
- Department of Oncology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Zhenfeng Wu
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China.
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Lahimchi MR, Eslami M, Yousefi B. New insight into GARP striking role in cancer progression: application for cancer therapy. MEDICAL ONCOLOGY (NORTHWOOD, LONDON, ENGLAND) 2022; 40:33. [PMID: 36460874 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-022-01881-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
T regulatory cells play a crucial role in antitumor immunity suppression. Glycoprotein-A repetitions predominant (GARP), transmembrane cell surface marker, is mostly expressed on Tregs and mediates intracellular organization of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β). The physiological role of GARP is immune system homeostasis, while it may cause tumor development by upregulating TGF-β secretion. Despite the vast application of anti- programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte Antigen-4 (CTLA-4) antibodies in immunotherapy, anti-GARP antibodies have the advantage of better response in patients who has resistance to anti-PD-1/PD-L1. Furthermore, simultaneous administration of anti-GARP antibody and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibody is much more effective than anti-PD-1/PD-L1 alone. It is worth mentioning that the GARP-mTGF-β complex is more potent than secretory TGF-β to induce T helper 17 cells differentiation in HIV + patients. On the other hand, TGF-β is an effective cytokine in cancer development, and some microRNAs could control its secretion by regulating GARP. In the present review, some information is provided about the undeniable role of GARP in cancer progression and its probable importance as a novel prognostic biomarker. Anti-GARP antibodies are also suggested for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Majid Eslami
- Food Safety Research Center (Salt), Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.,Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Bahman Yousefi
- Department of Immunology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran. .,Cancer Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
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Qin X, Chen Y, Ma S, Shen L, Ju S. Immune-related gene TM4SF18 could promote the metastasis of gastric cancer cells and predict the prognosis of gastric cancer patients. Mol Oncol 2022; 16:4043-4059. [PMID: 36209368 PMCID: PMC9718113 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignancies in the world, and the search for better markers has become one of the challenges today. It has been found that the L6 superfamily regulates the biological functions of numerous tumors, but transmembrane 4 L six family member 18 (TM4SF18) has been rarely reported. We found that TM4SF18 expression is upregulated in GC tissues and cells, which can be effectively diagnosed and dynamically monitored to assess the prognosis of GC patients. Furthermore, knockdown of TM4SF18 effectively inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion of GC cells, and affected the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process. TM4SF18 was found to be an independent prognostic factor for GC by univariate and multifactorial Cox analyses as well as by establishing nomogram plots. In addition, in TM4SF18 and immune correlation analysis, TM4SF18 expression levels were found to be negatively correlated with most immune cell marker genes and associated with numerous immune cells and immune pathways, resulting in less benefit from treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors. In summary, we found that TM4SF18 is a promising GC biomarker that promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of GC cells, and is associated with immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Qin
- Department of Laboratory MedicineAffiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong UniversityChina,Research Center of Clinical MedicineAffiliated Hospital of Nantong UniversityChina
| | - Yinhao Chen
- Research Center of Clinical MedicineAffiliated Hospital of Nantong UniversityChina
| | - Shuo Ma
- Department of Laboratory MedicineAffiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong UniversityChina,Research Center of Clinical MedicineAffiliated Hospital of Nantong UniversityChina,Medical School of Southeast UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Lei Shen
- Department of Laboratory MedicineAffiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong UniversityChina,Research Center of Clinical MedicineAffiliated Hospital of Nantong UniversityChina
| | - Shaoqing Ju
- Department of Laboratory MedicineAffiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong UniversityChina
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Xing X, Shi J, Jia Y, Dou Y, Li Z, Dong B, Guo T, Cheng X, Li X, Du H, Hu Y, Jia S, Zhang J, Li Z, Ji J. Effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on the immune microenvironment in gastric cancer as determined by multiplex immunofluorescence and T cell receptor repertoire analysis. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:e003984. [PMID: 35361730 PMCID: PMC8971786 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-003984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The combination of immune checkpoint blockade and chemotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of advanced gastric cancer (GC). It is crucial to unravel chemotherapy-induced tumor microenvironment (TME) modulation and identify which immunotherapy would improve antitumor effect. METHODS In this study, tumor-associated immune cells (TAICs) infiltration in residual tumor after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) together with 1075 cases of treatment-naïve GC patients was analyzed first. Then we performed multiplex fluorescence staining of a panel of immune markers (CD3, CD4, CD8, FOXP3 and PDL1) and T cell receptor β-chain sequencing to phenotype and enumerate T cell subpopulations and clonal expansion in paired GC samples (prechemotherapy and postchemotherapy) from another cohort of 30 cases of stage II/III GC patients. RESULTS Infiltration of CD68+ macrophages in residual tumors after NAC was significantly decreased compared with treatment-naïve GC patients, while no significant difference observed with respect to other immune markers. In residual tumors, post-NAC CD8 +T cells and CD68+ macrophages levels were significantly associated with chemotherapy response. Post-NAC CD8+ T cell levels remained as an independent predictor for favorable prognosis. Furthermore, when comparing the paired samples before and after NAC from 30 cases of stage II/III GC patients, we found FOXP3+ regulatory T cells proportion significantly decreased after chemotherapy. Pre-NAC FOXP3+ T reg cells level was much richer in the response group and decreased more significantly in the stromal compartment. CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes levels were elevated after chemotherapy, which was more significant in the group treated with XELOX regimen and in patients with better response, consistent with the TCR diversity elevation. CONCLUSIONS These findings have deepened our understanding of the immune modulating effect of chemotherapy and suggest that the immune profile of specimens after standard chemotherapy should be considered for the personalized immunotherapy to ultimately improve clinical outcome in patients with GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofang Xing
- Department of Gastrointestinal Translational Research, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Peking University Cancer Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jinyao Shi
- Department of Gastrointestinal Translational Research, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Peking University Cancer Hospital, Beijing, China
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Yongning Jia
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Yunsheng Dou
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhongwu Li
- Department of Pathology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Dong
- Department of Pathology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Ting Guo
- Department of Gastrointestinal Translational Research, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Peking University Cancer Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojing Cheng
- Department of Gastrointestinal Translational Research, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Peking University Cancer Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaomei Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Translational Research, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Peking University Cancer Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Hong Du
- Department of Gastrointestinal Translational Research, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Peking University Cancer Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Hu
- Biobank, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Shuqin Jia
- Department of Molecular Diagnosis, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ziyu Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Jiafu Ji
- Department of Gastrointestinal Translational Research, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Peking University Cancer Hospital, Beijing, China
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
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Gu Y, Gu W, Xie R, Chen Z, Xu T, Fei Z. Role of CXCR4 as a Prognostic Biomarker Associated With the Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Gastric Cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:654504. [PMID: 34568309 PMCID: PMC8457401 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.654504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, accounting for high rates of morbidity and mortality in the population. The tumor microenvironment (TME), which plays a crucial role in GC progression, may serve as an optimal prognostic predictor of GC. In this study, we identified CXC motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) as a TME-related gene among thousands of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We showed that CXCR4 can be used to predict the effect of immunotherapy in patients with GC. Methods: GC samples obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were analyzed for the presence of stroma (stromal score), the infiltration of immune cells (immune score) in tumor tissues, and the tumor purity (estimate score) using the ESTIMATE (Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumor tissues using Expression data) algorithm. DEGs were sorted based on differences in the values of the three scores. Furthermore, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to determine the biological processes and pathways enriched in these DEGs. The correlations of scores with clinicopathological features and overall survival (OS) of patients with GC were assessed by the Kaplan–Meier survival and Cox regression analyses. Through subsequent protein–protein interaction (PPI) network and univariate Cox regression analyses, CXCR4 was identified as a TME-related gene. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was performed to assess the role of CXCR4 in the TME of GC. The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to further explore the correlation between tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) and CXCR4. Finally, the TISIDB database was used to predict the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with GC. Results: We extracted 1231 TME-related DEGs and by an overlapping screening of PPI network and univariate Cox regression, CXCR4 was identified as a biomarker of TME, which deeply engaged in immune-related biological processes of gastric cancer and have close association with several immunocompetent cells. Conclusion: CXCR4 may be a useful biomarker of prognosis and an indicator of the TME in GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyang Gu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Wenyue Gu
- Yancheng Third People's Hospital, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng, China
| | - Rongrong Xie
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zhi Chen
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Tongpeng Xu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhenghua Fei
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
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Bouchard A, Collin B, Garrido C, Bellaye PS, Kohli E. GARP: A Key Target to Evaluate Tumor Immunosuppressive Microenvironment. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10090836. [PMID: 34571713 PMCID: PMC8470583 DOI: 10.3390/biology10090836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary Tumors are not only composed of cancer cells but also of various infiltrating cells constituting the tumor microenvironment (TME); all these cells produce growth factors which contribute to tumor progression and invasiveness. Among them, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) has been shown to be a potent immunosuppressive cytokine favoring cell proliferation and invasion and to be associated with resistance to anticancer treatments. Glycoprotein-A repetition predominant (GARP) plays a critical role in the activation of TGF-β1 and has been shown to be expressed at the membrane of cancer cells and also of regulatory T cells and platelets in the TME. An increased GARP expression has been shown in a variety of cancers. The objective of this review is to highlight GARP’s expression and function in cancer and to evaluate its potential as a predictive and therapeutic follow-up biomarker that could be assessed, in real time, by molecular imaging. Abstract Glycoprotein-A repetitions predominant (GARP) is the docking receptor for latent transforming growth factor (LTGF-β) and promotes its activation. In cancer, increased GARP expression has been found in many types of cancer. GARP is expressed by regulatory T cells and platelets in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and can be also expressed by tumor cells themselves. Thus, GARP can be widely present in tumors in which it plays a major role in the production of active TGF-β, contributing to immune evasion and cancer progression via the GARP-TGF-β pathway. The objective of this review is to highlight GARP expression and function in cancer and to evaluate the potential of membrane GARP as a predictive and therapeutic follow-up biomarker that could be assessed, in real time, by molecular imaging. Moreover, as GARP can be secreted, a focus will also be made on soluble GARP as a circulating biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexanne Bouchard
- Centre George-François Leclerc, Service de Médecine Nucléaire, Plateforme d’Imagerie et de Radiothérapie Précliniques, 1 rue du Professeur Marion, 21079 Dijon, France; (A.B.); (B.C.); (C.G.)
- UMR INSERM/uB/AGROSUP 1231, Labex LipSTIC, Faculty of Health Sciences, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21079 Dijon, France
| | - Bertrand Collin
- Centre George-François Leclerc, Service de Médecine Nucléaire, Plateforme d’Imagerie et de Radiothérapie Précliniques, 1 rue du Professeur Marion, 21079 Dijon, France; (A.B.); (B.C.); (C.G.)
- Institut de Chimie Moléculaire de l’Université de Bourgogne, UMR CNRS/uB 6302, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21079 Dijon, France
| | - Carmen Garrido
- Centre George-François Leclerc, Service de Médecine Nucléaire, Plateforme d’Imagerie et de Radiothérapie Précliniques, 1 rue du Professeur Marion, 21079 Dijon, France; (A.B.); (B.C.); (C.G.)
- UMR INSERM/uB/AGROSUP 1231, Labex LipSTIC, Faculty of Health Sciences, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21079 Dijon, France
| | - Pierre-Simon Bellaye
- Centre George-François Leclerc, Service de Médecine Nucléaire, Plateforme d’Imagerie et de Radiothérapie Précliniques, 1 rue du Professeur Marion, 21079 Dijon, France; (A.B.); (B.C.); (C.G.)
- UMR INSERM/uB/AGROSUP 1231, Labex LipSTIC, Faculty of Health Sciences, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21079 Dijon, France
- Correspondence: (P.-S.B.); (E.K.)
| | - Evelyne Kohli
- UMR INSERM/uB/AGROSUP 1231, Labex LipSTIC, Faculty of Health Sciences, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21079 Dijon, France
- CHU Dijon, 21079 Dijon, France
- Correspondence: (P.-S.B.); (E.K.)
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Priming the tumor immune microenvironment with chemo(radio)therapy: A systematic review across tumor types. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2020; 1874:188386. [PMID: 32540465 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2020.188386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chemotherapy (CT), radiotherapy (RT), and chemoradiotherapy (CRT) are able to alter the composition of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Understanding the effect of these modalities on the TIME could aid in the development of improved treatment strategies. Our aim was to systematically review studies investigating the influence of CT, RT or CRT on different TIME markers. METHODS The EMBASE (Ovid) and PubMed databases were searched until January 2019 for prospective or retrospective studies investigating the dynamics of the local TIME in cancer patients (pts) treated with CT, RT or CRT, with or without targeted agents. Studies could either compare baseline and follow-up specimens - before and after treatment - or a treated versus an untreated cohort. Studies were included if they used immunohistochemistry and/or flow cytometry to assess the TIME. RESULTS In total we included 110 studies (n = 8850 pts), of which n = 89 (n = 6295 pts) compared pre-treatment to post-treatment specimens and n = 25 (n = 2555 pts) a treated versus an untreated cohort (4 studies conducted both comparisons). For several tumor types (among others; breast, cervical, esophageal, ovarian, rectal, lung mesothelioma and pancreatic cancer) remodeling of the TIME was observed, leading to a potentially more immunologically active microenvironment, including one or more of the following: an increase in CD3 or CD8 lymphocytes, a decrease in FOXP3 Tregs and increased PD-L1 expression. Both CT and CRT were able to immunologically alter the TIME. CONCLUSION The TIME of several tumor types is significantly altered after conventional therapy creating opportunities for concurrent or sequential immunotherapy.
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Wang Y, Hays E, Rama M, Bonavida B. Cell-mediated immune resistance in cancer. CANCER DRUG RESISTANCE (ALHAMBRA, CALIF.) 2020; 3:232-251. [PMID: 35310881 PMCID: PMC8932590 DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2019.98] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The genetic and epigenetic aberrations that underlie immune resistance lead to tumors that are refractory to clinically established and experimental immunotherapies, including monoclonal antibodies and T cell-based therapies. From various forms of cytotoxic T cells to small molecule inhibitors that revamp the tumor microenvironment, these therapies have demonstrated notable responses in cancer models and a resistant subset of cancer patients, used both alone and in combination. However, even current approaches, such as those targeting checkpoint molecules, tumor ligands, and involving gene-related therapies, present a challenge in non-responding patients. In this perspective, we discuss the most common mechanisms of immune resistance, including tumor heterogeneity, tumor ligand and major histocompatibility complex modulation, anti-apoptotic pathways, checkpoint inhibitory ligands, immunosuppressive cells and factors in the tumor microenvironment, and activation-induced cell death. In addition, we discuss the strategies designed to circumvent these resistance pathways to showcase the potential of emerging technologies in battling the rise of resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhao Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, The University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90025-1747, USA
| | - Emily Hays
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, The University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90025-1747, USA
| | - Martina Rama
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, The University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90025-1747, USA
| | - Benjamin Bonavida
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, The University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90025-1747, USA
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10
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Vermeersch E, Liénart S, Collignon A, Lucas S, Gallimore A, Gysemans C, Unutmaz D, Vanhoorelbeke K, De Meyer SF, Maes W, Deckmyn H. Deletion of GARP on mouse regulatory T cells is not sufficient to inhibit the growth of transplanted tumors. Cell Immunol 2018; 332:129-133. [PMID: 30093071 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2018.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
GARP is a transmembrane protein that presents latent TGF-β1 on the surface of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Neutralizing anti-GARP monoclonal antibodies that prevent the release of active TGF-β1, inhibit the immunosuppressive activity of human Tregs in vivo. In this study, we investigated the contribution of GARP on mouse Tregs to immunosuppression in experimental tumors. Unexpectedly, Foxp3 conditional garp knockout (KO) mice challenged orthotopically with GL261 tumor cells or subcutaneously with MC38 colon carcinoma cells did not show prolonged survival or delayed tumor growth. Also, the suppressive function of KO Tregs was similar to that of wild type Tregs in the T cell transfer model in allogeneic, immunodeficient mice. In conclusion, garp deletion in mouse Tregs is not sufficient to impair their immunosuppressive activity in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Vermeersch
- Laboratory for Thrombosis Research, IRF Life Sciences, KU Leuven Campus Kulak Kortrijk, Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - S Liénart
- de Duve Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - A Collignon
- de Duve Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - S Lucas
- de Duve Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - A Gallimore
- Medical Biochemistry and Immunology, Henry Wellcome Building, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - C Gysemans
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology (CEE), Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing (CHROMETA), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - D Unutmaz
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - K Vanhoorelbeke
- Laboratory for Thrombosis Research, IRF Life Sciences, KU Leuven Campus Kulak Kortrijk, Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - S F De Meyer
- Laboratory for Thrombosis Research, IRF Life Sciences, KU Leuven Campus Kulak Kortrijk, Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - W Maes
- Laboratory for Thrombosis Research, IRF Life Sciences, KU Leuven Campus Kulak Kortrijk, Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - H Deckmyn
- Laboratory for Thrombosis Research, IRF Life Sciences, KU Leuven Campus Kulak Kortrijk, Kortrijk, Belgium.
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11
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Ahlmann M, Hempel G. The effect of cyclophosphamide on the immune system: implications for clinical cancer therapy. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2016; 78:661-71. [PMID: 27646791 DOI: 10.1007/s00280-016-3152-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 258] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Cyclophosphamide is an alkylating agent belonging to the group of oxazaphosporines. As cyclophosphamide is in clinical use for more than 40 years, there is a lot of experience using this drug for the treatment of cancer and as an immunosuppressive agent for the treatment of autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases. Besides antimitotic and antireplicative effects, cyclophosphamide has immunosuppressive as well as immunomodulatory properties. Cyclophosphamide shows selectivity for T cells and is therefore now frequently used in tumour vaccination protocols and to control post-transplant allo-reactivity in haplo-identical unmanipulated bone marrow after transplantation. The schedule of administration is of special importance for the immunological effect: while cyclophosphamide can be used in high-dose therapy for the complete eradication of haematopoietic cells, lower doses of cyclophosphamide are relatively selective for T cells. Of special interest is the fact that a single administration of low-dose cyclophosphamide is able to selectively suppress regulatory T cells (Tregs). This effect can be used to counteract immunosuppression in cancer. However, cyclophosphamide can also increase the number of myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Combination of cyclophosphamide with other immunomodulatory agents could be a promising approach to treat different forms of advanced cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Ahlmann
- Pädiatrische Hämatologie und Onkologie, Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, A1, Münster, Germany
| | - Georg Hempel
- PharmaCampus, Klinische Pharmazie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstraße 48, 48149, Münster, Germany.
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