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Panagi M, Mpekris F, Voutouri C, Hadjigeorgiou AG, Symeonidou C, Porfyriou E, Michael C, Stylianou A, Martin JD, Cabral H, Constantinidou A, Stylianopoulos T. Stabilizing Tumor-Resident Mast Cells Restores T-Cell Infiltration and Sensitizes Sarcomas to PD-L1 Inhibition. Clin Cancer Res 2024; 30:2582-2597. [PMID: 38578281 PMCID: PMC11145177 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-24-0246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To explore the cellular cross-talk of tumor-resident mast cells (MC) in controlling the activity of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) to overcome tumor microenvironment (TME) abnormalities, enhancing the efficacy of immune-checkpoint inhibitors in sarcoma. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We used a coculture system followed by further validation in mouse models of fibrosarcoma and osteosarcoma with or without administration of the MC stabilizer and antihistamine ketotifen. To evaluate the contribution of ketotifen in sensitizing tumors to therapy, we performed combination studies with doxorubicin chemotherapy and anti-PD-L1 (B7-H1, clone 10F.9G2) treatment. We investigated the ability of ketotifen to modulate the TME in human sarcomas in the context of a repurposed phase II clinical trial. RESULTS Inhibition of MC activation with ketotifen successfully suppressed CAF proliferation and stiffness of the extracellular matrix accompanied by an increase in vessel perfusion in fibrosarcoma and osteosarcoma as indicated by ultrasound shear wave elastography imaging. The improved tissue oxygenation increased the efficacy of chemoimmunotherapy, supported by enhanced T-cell infiltration and acquisition of tumor antigen-specific memory. Importantly, the effect of ketotifen in reducing tumor stiffness was further validated in sarcoma patients, highlighting its translational potential. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests the targeting of MCs with clinically administered drugs, such as antihistamines, as a promising approach to overcome resistance to immunotherapy in sarcomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myrofora Panagi
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Fotios Mpekris
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Chrysovalantis Voutouri
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Andreas G. Hadjigeorgiou
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | | | - Christina Michael
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Andreas Stylianou
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Basic and Translational Cancer Research Center, School of Sciences, European University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Horacio Cabral
- Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Anastasia Constantinidou
- Bank of Cyprus Oncology Centre, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Cyprus Cancer Research Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Medical School, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
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Liu Q, Li L, Qin W, Chao T. Repurposing drugs for solid tumor treatment: focus on immune checkpoint inhibitors. Cancer Biol Med 2023; 20:j.issn.2095-3941.2023.0281. [PMID: 37929901 PMCID: PMC10690875 DOI: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2023.0281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer remains a significant global health challenge with limited treatment options beyond systemic therapies, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and molecular targeted therapy. Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising therapeutic modality but the efficacy has plateaued, which therefore provides limited benefits to patients with cancer. Identification of more effective approaches to improve patient outcomes and extend survival are urgently needed. Drug repurposing has emerged as an attractive strategy for drug development and has recently garnered considerable interest. This review comprehensively analyses the efficacy of various repurposed drugs, such as transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) inhibitors, metformin, receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) inhibitors, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), thymosin α1 (Tα1), aspirin, and bisphosphonate, in tumorigenesis with a specific focus on their impact on tumor immunology and immunotherapy. Additionally, we present a concise overview of the current preclinical and clinical studies investigating the potential therapeutic synergies achieved by combining these agents with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingxu Liu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Long Li
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Wan Qin
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Tengfei Chao
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
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Melo V, Nelemans LC, Vlaming M, Lourens HJ, Wiersma VR, Bilemjian V, Huls G, de Bruyn M, Bremer E. EGFR-selective activation of CD27 co-stimulatory signaling by a bispecific antibody enhances anti-tumor activity of T cells. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1191866. [PMID: 37545491 PMCID: PMC10399592 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1191866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A higher density of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in the tumor microenvironment, particularly cytotoxic CD8+ T cells, is associated with improved clinical outcome in various cancers. However, local inhibitory factors can suppress T cell activity and hinder anti-tumor immunity. Notably, TILs from various cancer types express the co-stimulatory Tumor Necrosis Factor receptor CD27, making it a potential target for co-stimulation and re-activation of tumor-infiltrated and tumor-reactive T cells. Anti-cancer therapeutics based on exploiting CD27-mediated T cell co-stimulation have proven safe, but clinical responses remain limited. This is likely because current monoclonal antibodies fail to effectively activate CD27 signaling, as this receptor requires higher-order receptor cross-linking. Here, we report on a bispecific antibody, CD27xEGFR, that targets both CD27 and the tumor antigen, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). By targeting EGFR, which is commonly expressed on carcinomas, CD27xEGFR induced cancer cell-localized crosslinking and activation of CD27. The design of CD27xEGFR includes an Fc-silent domain, which is designed to minimize potential toxicity by reducing Fc gamma receptor-mediated binding and activation of immune cells. CD27xEGFR bound to both of its targets simultaneously and triggered EGFR-restricted co-stimulation of T cells as measured by T cell proliferation, T cell activation markers, cytotoxicity and IFN-γ release. Further, CD27xEGFR augmented T cell cytotoxicity in a panel of artificial antigen-presenting carcinoma cell line models, leading to Effector-to-Target ratio-dependent elimination of cancer cells. Taken together, we present the in vitro characterization of a novel bispecific antibody that re-activates T cell immunity in EGFR-expressing cancers through targeted co-stimulation of CD27.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinicio Melo
- Department of Hematology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Levi Collin Nelemans
- Department of Hematology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Martijn Vlaming
- Department of Hematology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Harm Jan Lourens
- Department of Hematology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Valerie R. Wiersma
- Department of Hematology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Vrouyr Bilemjian
- Department of Hematology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Gerwin Huls
- Department of Hematology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Marco de Bruyn
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Edwin Bremer
- Department of Hematology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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Voutouri C, Mpekris F, Panagi M, Krolak C, Michael C, Martin JD, Averkiou MA, Stylianopoulos T. Ultrasound stiffness and perfusion markers correlate with tumor volume responses to immunotherapy. Acta Biomater 2023:S1742-7061(23)00332-X. [PMID: 37321529 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of dozens of cancers and became a standard of care for some tumor types. However, the majority of patients do not benefit from current immunotherapeutics and many develop severe toxicities. Therefore, the identification of biomarkers to classify patients as likely responders or non-responders to immunotherapy is a timely task. Here, we test ultrasound imaging markers of tumor stiffness and perfusion. Ultrasound imaging is non-invasive and clinically available and can be used both for stiffness and perfusion evaluation. In this study, we employed syngeneic orthotopic models of two breast cancers, a fibrosarcoma and melanoma, to demonstrate that ultrasound-derived measures of tumor stiffness and perfusion (i.e., blood volume) correlate with the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) in terms of changes in primary tumor volume. To modulate tumor stiffness and perfusion and thus, get a range of therapeutic outcomes, we employed the mechanotherapeutic tranilast. Mechanotherapeutics combined with ICI are advancing through clinical trials, but biomarkers of response have not been tested until now. We found the existence of linear correlations between tumor stiffness and perfusion imaging biomarkers as well as strong linear correlations between the stiffness and perfusion markers with ICI efficacy on primary tumor growth rates. Our findings set the basis for ultrasound imaging biomarkers predictive of ICI therapy in combination with mechanotherapeutics. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Hypothesis: Monitoring Tumor Microenvironment (TME) mechanical abnormalities can predict the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) and provide biomarkers predictive of response. Tumor stiffening and solid stress elevation are hallmarks of tumor patho-physiology in desmoplastic tumors. They induce hypo-perfusion and hypoxia by compressing tumor vessels, posing major barriers to immunotherapy. Mechanotherapeutics is a new class of drugs that target the TME to reduce stiffness and improve perfusion and oxygenation. In this study, we show that measures of stiffness and perfusion derived from ultrasound shear wave elastography and contrast enhanced ultrasound can provide biomarkers of tumor response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrysovalantis Voutouri
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus
| | - Fotios Mpekris
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus
| | - Myrofora Panagi
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus
| | - Connor Krolak
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Christina Michael
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus
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Nanomaterials: Breaking through the bottleneck of tumor immunotherapy. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 230:123159. [PMID: 36610572 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy exerts its excellent anti-tumor effects by stimulating and enhancing the immune response of the body, and has become another important class of anti-tumor therapy besides chemotherapy, targeted therapy and radiotherapy. Various types of immunotherapeutic drugs have gained their clinical values, but the in vivo delivery of drugs still faces many challenges, such as poor tumor permeability and low tumor cell uptake rate. In recent years, owing to highly targeting properties, better biocompatibility, and easy functionalization, nanomaterials have been widely applicated in tumor treatment, especially in tumor immunotherapy. Furthermore, nanomaterials have large drug loading capacity, strong tumor targeting and easy modification, which can effectively overcome the drawbacks of traditional immunotherapy. This paper reviews the progress of nanomaterial-based tumor immunotherapy in recent years and provides a theoretical basis for exploring new nanomaterial-based tumor immunotherapy strategies.
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Xu M, Zhang T, Xia R, Wei Y, Wei X. Targeting the tumor stroma for cancer therapy. Mol Cancer 2022; 21:208. [PMID: 36324128 PMCID: PMC9628074 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-022-01670-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumors are comprised of both cancer cells and surrounding stromal components. As an essential part of the tumor microenvironment, the tumor stroma is highly dynamic, heterogeneous and commonly tumor-type specific, and it mainly includes noncellular compositions such as the extracellular matrix and the unique cancer-associated vascular system as well as a wide variety of cellular components including activated cancer-associated fibroblasts, mesenchymal stromal cells, pericytes. All these elements operate with each other in a coordinated fashion and collectively promote cancer initiation, progression, metastasis and therapeutic resistance. Over the past few decades, numerous studies have been conducted to study the interaction and crosstalk between stromal components and neoplastic cells. Meanwhile, we have also witnessed an exponential increase in the investigation and recognition of the critical roles of tumor stroma in solid tumors. A series of clinical trials targeting the tumor stroma have been launched continually. In this review, we introduce and discuss current advances in the understanding of various stromal elements and their roles in cancers. We also elaborate on potential novel approaches for tumor-stroma-based therapeutic targeting, with the aim to promote the leap from bench to bedside.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maosen Xu
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, 610041, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, 610041, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Ruolan Xia
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, 610041, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Yuquan Wei
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, 610041, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Xiawei Wei
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, 610041, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China.
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Li S, Li L, Pan T, Li X, Tong Y, Jin Y. Prognostic value of TIGIT in East Asian patients with solid cancers: A systematic review, meta-analysis and pancancer analysis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:977016. [PMID: 36211383 PMCID: PMC9532506 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.977016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background T-cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT) participates in tumor immune escape by delivering inhibitory signals to T cells. The purpose of this article was to assess the prognostic value of TIGIT and its immunological function in solid cancers. Methods Three databases were searched for relevant articles. The main endpoints were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and disease-free survival (DFS). Hazard ratios (HR) were pooled by using fixed-effects or random-effects models. Pancancer analysis of TIGIT was performed based on public online databases, mainly The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), and UCSC Xena. The possible relationships between TIGIT expression and the tumor microenvironment (TME), infiltration of immune cells, immune-related genes, tumor mutation burden (TMB), and microsatellite instability (MSI) were revealed in this article. Results Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. High expression of TIGIT was associated with worse OS [HR= 1.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.50, 1.99], PFS (HR = 1.53, 95% CI [1.25, 1.88]), RFS (HR = 2.40, 95% CI [1.97, 2.93]), and DFS (HR= 6.57, 95% CI [0.73, 59.16]) in East Asian patients with solid cancers. TIGIT expression was positively correlated with immune infiltration scores and infiltration of CD8 T lymphocytes in all of the cancers included. TIGIT was found to be coexpressed with the genes encoding immunostimulators, immunoinhibitors, chemokines, chemokine receptors, and major histocompatibility complex (MHC), especially in gastroesophageal cancer. TMB and MSI were also associated with TIGIT upregulation in diverse kinds of cancers. Conclusion High expression of TIGIT is associated with poorer prognosis in East Asian patients with solid cancers. TIGIT is a novel prognostic biomarker and immunotherapeutic target for various solid cancers because of its activity in cancer immunity and tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sicong Li
- School of Pharmacy, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China
| | - Lanxing Li
- School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Tianyan Pan
- School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoqun Li
- Center of Disease Prevention Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yujia Tong
- Institute of Medical Information, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yongdong Jin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Yongdong Jin,
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Ghosh M, Lenkiewicz AM, Kaminska B. The Interplay of Tumor Vessels and Immune Cells Affects Immunotherapy of Glioblastoma. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10092292. [PMID: 36140392 PMCID: PMC9496044 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10092292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapies with immune checkpoint inhibitors or adoptive cell transfer have become powerful tools to treat cancer. These treatments act via overcoming or alleviating tumor-induced immunosuppression, thereby enabling effective tumor clearance. Glioblastoma (GBM) represents the most aggressive, primary brain tumor that remains refractory to the benefits of immunotherapy. The immunosuppressive immune tumor microenvironment (TME), genetic and cellular heterogeneity, and disorganized vasculature hinder drug delivery and block effector immune cell trafficking and activation, consequently rendering immunotherapy ineffective. Within the TME, the mutual interactions between tumor, immune and endothelial cells result in the generation of positive feedback loops, which intensify immunosuppression and support tumor progression. We focus here on the role of aberrant tumor vasculature and how it can mediate hypoxia and immunosuppression. We discuss how immune cells use immunosuppressive signaling for tumor progression and contribute to the development of resistance to immunotherapy. Finally, we assess how a positive feedback loop between vascular normalization and immune cells, including myeloid cells, could be targeted by combinatorial therapies with immune checkpoint blockers and sensitize the tumor to immunotherapy.
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