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van Vliet AA, van den Hout MGCN, Steenmans D, Duru AD, Georgoudaki AM, de Gruijl TD, van IJcken WFJ, Spanholtz J, Raimo M. Bulk and single-cell transcriptomics identify gene signatures of stem cell-derived NK cell donors with superior cytolytic activity. MOLECULAR THERAPY. ONCOLOGY 2024; 32:200870. [PMID: 39346765 PMCID: PMC11426129 DOI: 10.1016/j.omton.2024.200870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 10/01/2024]
Abstract
Allogeneic natural killer (NK) cell therapies are a valuable treatment option for cancer, given their remarkable safety and favorable efficacy profile. Although the use of allogeneic donors allows for off-the-shelf and timely patient treatment, intrinsic interindividual differences put clinical efficacy at risk. The identification of donors with superior anti-tumor activity is essential to ensure the success of adoptive NK cell therapies. Here, we investigated the heterogeneity of 10 umbilical cord blood stem cell-derived NK cell batches. First, we evaluated the donors' cytotoxic potential against tumor cell lines from solid and hematological cancer indications, to distinguish a group of superior, "excellent" killers (4/10), compared with "good" killers (6/10). Next, bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing, performed at different stages of NK differentiation, revealed distinct transcriptomic features of the two groups. Excellent donors showed an enrichment in cytotoxicity pathways and a depletion of myeloid traits, linked to the presence of a larger population of effector-like NK cells early on during differentiation. Consequently, we defined a multi-factorial gene expression signature able to predict the donors' cytotoxic potential. Our study contributes to the identification of key traits of superior NK cell batches, supporting the development of efficacious NK therapeutics and the achievement of durable anti-tumor responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda A van Vliet
- Glycostem Therapeutics, Kloosterstraat 9, 5349 AB Oss, the Netherlands
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mirjam G C N van den Hout
- Erasmus MC Center for Biomics and Department of Cell Biology, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Adil D Duru
- Glycostem Therapeutics, Kloosterstraat 9, 5349 AB Oss, the Netherlands
| | | | - Tanja D de Gruijl
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Wilfred F J van IJcken
- Erasmus MC Center for Biomics and Department of Cell Biology, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jan Spanholtz
- Glycostem Therapeutics, Kloosterstraat 9, 5349 AB Oss, the Netherlands
| | - Monica Raimo
- Glycostem Therapeutics, Kloosterstraat 9, 5349 AB Oss, the Netherlands
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Toffoli EC, van Vliet AA, Verheul HWM, van der Vliet HJ, Tuynman J, Spanholtz J, de Gruijl TD. Allogeneic NK cells induce monocyte-to-dendritic cell conversion, control tumor growth, and trigger a pro-inflammatory shift in patient-derived cultures of primary and metastatic colorectal cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007554. [PMID: 38056896 PMCID: PMC10711876 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes with a key role in the defense against tumors. Recently, allogeneic NK cell-based therapies have gained interest because of their ability to directly lyse tumor cells without inducing graft-versus-host disease. As NK cells are also able to influence the function of other immune cells (most notably dendritic cells (DC)), a better understanding of the effects of allogeneic NK cell products on the host immune system is required. In this study, we analyzed the effects of an allogeneic off-the-shelf NK cell product, on the tumor microenvironment (TME) of primary and metastatic colorectal cancer (pCRC and mCRC, respectively). Moreover, we explored if the combination of NK cells with R848, a toll-like receptors 7/8 ligand, could further enhance any pro-inflammatory effects. METHODS Ex vivo expanded umbilical cord blood stem cell derived NK cells were co-cultured with pCRC or mCRC single-cell suspensions in the presence or absence of R848 for 5 days, during and after which flow cytometry and cytokine release profiling were performed. RESULTS NK cells efficiently induced lysis of tumor cells in both pCRC and mCRC single-cell suspensions and thereby controlled growth rates during culture. They also induced differentiation of infiltrating monocytic cells to an activated DC phenotype. Importantly, this NK-mediated myeloid conversion was also apparent in cultures after tumor cell depletion and was further enhanced by combining NK cells with R848. Moreover, NK cells, and to a greater extent, the combination of NK cells and R848, triggered CD8+ and CD4+ T-cell activation as well as a reduction in activated regulatory T cell rates. Finally, the combination of NK cells and R848 induced a pro-inflammatory shift in the cytokine release profile resulting in higher levels of interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-12p70, and IFN-α as well as a reduction in IL-6, in both pCRC and mCRC cultures. CONCLUSION Allogeneic NK cells engaged in favorable myeloid crosstalk, displayed effective antitumor activity and, when combined with R848, induced a pro-inflammatory shift of the CRC TME. These findings prompt the investigation of NK cells and R848 as a combination therapy for solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa C Toffoli
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Amanda A van Vliet
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Glycostem Therapeutics, Oss, The Netherlands
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henk W M Verheul
- Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hans J van der Vliet
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Lava Therapeutics, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jurriaan Tuynman
- Department of Surgery, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Tanja D de Gruijl
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Hjazi A, Nasir F, Noor R, Alsalamy A, Zabibah RS, Romero-Parra RM, Ullah MI, Mustafa YF, Qasim MT, Akram SV. The pathological role of C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) in colorectal cancer (CRC) progression; special focus on molecular mechanisms and possible therapeutics. Pathol Res Pract 2023; 248:154616. [PMID: 37379710 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.154616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is comprised of transformed cells and non-malignant cells including cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF), endothelial vasculature cells, and tumor-infiltrating cells. These nonmalignant cells, as well as soluble factors (e.g., cytokines), and the extracellular matrix (ECM), form the tumor microenvironment (TME). In general, the cancer cells and their surrounding TME can crosstalk by direct cell-to-cell contact and via soluble factors, such as cytokines (e.g., chemokines). TME not only promotes cancer progression through growth-promoting cytokines but also provides resistance to chemotherapy. Understanding the mechanisms of tumor growth and progression and the roles of chemokines in CRC will likely suggest new therapeutic targets. In this line, a plethora of reports has evidenced the critical role of chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4)/C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12 or SDF-1) axis in CRC pathogenesis. In the current review, we take a glimpse into the role of the CXCR4/CXCL12 axis in CRC growth, metastasis, angiogenesis, drug resistance, and immune escape. Also, a summary of recent reports concerning targeting CXCR4/CXCL12 axis for CRC management and therapy has been delivered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Hjazi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Rabia Noor
- Amna Inayat Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Ali Alsalamy
- College of Medical Technique, Imam Ja'afar Al-Sadiq University, Al-Muthanna 66002, Iraq
| | - Rahman S Zabibah
- Medical Laboratory Technology Department, College of Medical Technology, The Islamic University, Najaf, Iraq
| | | | - Muhammad Ikram Ullah
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Sakaka 75471, Aljouf, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yasser Fakri Mustafa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Mosul, Mosul 41001, Iraq
| | - Maytham T Qasim
- Department of Anesthesia, College of Health and Medical Technololgy, Al-Ayen University, Thi-Qar, Iraq
| | - Shaik Vaseem Akram
- Uttaranchal Institute of Technology, Division of Research & Innovation, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun 248007, India
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Abd Talib FNA, Marzuki M, Hoe SLL. Analysis of NK-92 cytotoxicity in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines and patient-derived xenografts using impedance-based growth method. Heliyon 2023; 9:e17480. [PMID: 37415945 PMCID: PMC10320316 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are innate immune cells that can remove viral-infected tumour cells without antigen priming. This characteristic offers NK cells an edge over other immune cells as a potential therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In this study, we report how cytotoxicity was evaluated in target NPC cell lines and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) cells with effector NK-92, a commercially available NK cell line, by using xCELLigence RTCA system (a real-time, label-free impedance-based monitoring platform). Cell viability, proliferation and cytotoxicity were examined by RTCA. Cell morphology, growth and cytotoxicity were also monitored by microscopy. RTCA and microscopy showed that both target and effector cells were able to proliferate normally and to maintain original morphology in co-culture medium as they were in their own respective culture medium. As target and effector (T:E) cell ratios increased, cell viability as measured by arbitrary cell index (CI) values in RTCA decreased in all cell lines and PDX cells. NPC PDX cells were more sensitive to the cytotoxicity effect of NK-92 cells, than the NPC cell lines. These data were substantiated by GFP-based microscopy. We have shown how the RTCA system can be used for a high throughput screening of the effects of NK cells in cancer studies to obtain data such as cell viability, proliferation and cytotoxicity.
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Koh EK, Lee HR, Son WC, Park GY, Bae J, Park YS. Antitumor effects of NK cells expanded by activation pre‑processing of autologous feeder cells before irradiation in colorectal cancer. Oncol Lett 2023; 25:232. [PMID: 37153058 PMCID: PMC10157612 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2023.13818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells play a crucial role in early immune defenses against transformed cells and are used in the therapeutic management of cancer. However, it is difficult to sufficiently obtain high purity activated NK cells for clinical application. The function of NK cells is dependent on the balance of activating and inhibitory signals. Strong and diverse stimuli are required to increase the function of NK cells. Radiotherapy modulates the expression of various immunomodulatory molecules that recruit and activate NK cells. NK cell-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity is one of the most potent cytotoxic effects of NK cells against target cancer cells. To generate activated and irradiated autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), cytokine and monoclonal antibody stimulation followed by ionizing radiation was performed in the present study. The expanded NK cells were cultured for 21 days using activated/irradiated autologous PBMCs. Colorectal cancer cells (SW480 and HT-29) were used to analyze the expression of NK group 2D ligands and EGFR by radiation. The cytotoxicity of radiation plus NK cell-based targeted therapy against colorectal cancer cell lines was analyzed using flow cytometry. Activated and irradiated PBMCs exhibited significantly increased expression of various activating ligands that stimulated NK cells. In total, >10,000-fold high-purity activated NK cells were obtained, with negligible T-cell contamination. To confirm the antitumor activity of the NK cells expanded by this method, the expanded NK cells were treated with cetuximab, radiotherapy, or a combination of cetuximab and radiotherapy in the presence of human colorectal cancer cells. Expanded NK cells were effective at targeting human colorectal cancer cells, particularly when combined with cetuximab and radiotherapy. Thus, in the present study, a novel method for high-purity activated NK cell expansion was developed using activated and irradiated PBMCs. In addition, combined radiotherapy and antibody-based immunotherapy with expanded NK cells may be an effective strategy to enhance the efficiency of treatment against colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun-Kyoung Koh
- Department of Research Center, Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Gijang-gun, Busan 46033, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biochemistry, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Hong-Rae Lee
- Department of Research Center, Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Gijang-gun, Busan 46033, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo-Chang Son
- Department of Research Center, Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Gijang-gun, Busan 46033, Republic of Korea
| | - Ga-Young Park
- Department of Research Center, Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Gijang-gun, Busan 46033, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeho Bae
- Department of Biochemistry, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do 50612, Republic of Korea
- Professor Jaeho Bae, Department of Biochemistry, Pusan National University School of Medicine, 49 Busandaehak-ro, Mulgeum-eup, Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do 50612, Republic of Korea, E-mail:
| | - You-Soo Park
- Department of Research Center, Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Gijang-gun, Busan 46033, Republic of Korea
- Correspondence to: Dr You-Soo Park, Department of Research Center, Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, 40 Jwadong-gil, Jangan-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan 46033, Republic of Korea, E-mail:
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Ding T, Yu Y, Pan X, Chen H. Establishment of humanized mice and its application progress in cancer immunotherapy. Immunotherapy 2023; 15:679-697. [PMID: 37096919 DOI: 10.2217/imt-2022-0148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The current high prevalence of malignant tumors has attracted considerable attention, and treating advanced malignancies is becoming increasingly difficult. Although immunotherapy is a hopeful alternative, it is effective in only a few people. Thus, development of preclinical animal models is needed. Humanized xenotransplantation mouse models can help with selecting treatment protocols, evaluating curative effects and assessing prognosis. This review discusses the establishment of humanized mouse models and their application prospects in cancer immunotherapy to identify tailored therapies for individual patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianlong Ding
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730030, PR China
- Department of Tumor Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, 730030, PR China
| | - Yang Yu
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730030, PR China
| | - Xiaoyuan Pan
- Department of Vision Rehabilitation, Gansu Province Hospital Rehabilitation Center, Lanzhou, 730030, PR China
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Tumor Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, 730030, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive System Tumors, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, 730030, PR China
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Wang F, Cui Y, He D, Gong L, Liang H. Natural killer cells in sepsis: Friends or foes? Front Immunol 2023; 14:1101918. [PMID: 36776839 PMCID: PMC9909201 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1101918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Sepsis is one of the major causes of death in the hospital worldwide. The pathology of sepsis is tightly associated with dysregulation of innate immune responses. The contribution of macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells to sepsis is well documented, whereas the role of natural killer (NK) cells, which are critical innate lymphoid lineage cells, remains unclear. In some studies, the activation of NK cells has been reported as a risk factor leading to severe organ damage or death. In sharp contrast, some other studies revealed that triggering NK cell activity contributes to alleviating sepsis. In all, although there are several reports on NK cells in sepsis, whether they exert detrimental or protective effects remains unclear. Here, we will review the available experimental and clinical studies about the opposing roles of NK cells in sepsis, and we will discuss the prospects for NK cell-based immunotherapeutic strategies for sepsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangjie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combines Injury, Department of Wound Infection and Drug, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Yiqin Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combines Injury, Department of Wound Infection and Drug, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Dongmei He
- State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combines Injury, Department of Wound Infection and Drug, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Lisha Gong
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Daqing, China
| | - Huaping Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combines Injury, Department of Wound Infection and Drug, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
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Ghazvinian Z, Abdolahi S, Ahmadvand M, Emami AH, Muhammadnejad S, Asadzadeh Aghdaei H, Ai J, Zali MR, Seyhoun I, Verdi J, Baghaei K. Chemo-immune cell therapy by intratumoral injection of adoptive NK cells with capecitabine in gastric cancer xenograft model. BIOIMPACTS : BI 2022; 13:383-392. [PMID: 37736341 PMCID: PMC10509737 DOI: 10.34172/bi.2022.26386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Gastric cancer is one of the most commonly known malignancies and is the fifth cancer-related death globally. Whereas natural killer (NK) cells play a critical role in tumor elimination; therefore, adoptive NK cell therapy has become a promising approach in cancer cytotherapy. Hence, this study investigated the chemo-immune cell therapy in MKN-45 derived xenograft gastric cancer model. Methods Three groups of animals have received the following treatments separately: activated NK cells, capecitabine, the combination of capecitabine and activated NK cells, and one was considered as the control group. Morphometric properties of tumor samples were evaluated at the end of the study. NK cells infiltration was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) of hCD56. Mitotic count and treatment response was assessed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. The proliferation ratio to apoptosis was determined by IHC assessment of Ki67 and caspase 3. Results The results indicated that the NK cell therapy could effectively decrease the mitotic count in pathology assessment, but the tumor was not completely eradicated. In combination with metronomic chemotherapy (MC) of capecitabine, NK cell therapy demonstrated a significant difference in tumor morphometric properties compared to the control group. The proliferation ratio to apoptosis was also in line with pathology data. Conclusion Although NK cell therapy could effectively decrease the mitotic count in vivo, the obtained findings indicated lesser potency than MC despite ex vivo activation. In order to enhance NK cell therapy effectiveness, suppressive features of the tumor microenvironment and inhibitory immune checkpoints blockade should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeinab Ghazvinian
- Department of Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahrokh Abdolahi
- Department of Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ahmadvand
- Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Hossein Emami
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Cancer Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samad Muhammadnejad
- Gene Therapy Research Center, Digestive Diseases Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Asadzadeh Aghdaei
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jafar Ai
- Department of Tissue Engineering, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Zali
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Iman Seyhoun
- Department of Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Javad Verdi
- Department of Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kaveh Baghaei
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Mutant RAS and the tumor microenvironment as dual therapeutic targets for advanced colorectal cancer. Cancer Treat Rev 2022; 109:102433. [PMID: 35905558 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2022.102433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
RAS genes are the most frequently mutated oncogenes in cancer. These mutations occur in roughly half of the patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). RAS mutant tumors are resistant to therapy with anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies. Therefore, patients with RAS mutant CRC currently have few effective therapy options. RAS mutations lead to constitutively active RAS GTPases, involved in multiple downstream signaling pathways. These alterations are associated with a tumor microenvironment (TME) that drives immune evasion and disease progression by mechanisms that remain incompletely understood. In this review, we focus on the available evidence in the literature explaining the potential effects of RAS mutations on the CRC microenvironment. Ongoing efforts to influence the TME by targeting mutant RAS and thereby sensitizing these tumors to immunotherapy will be discussed as well.
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Zhong F, Lin Y, Jing X, Ye Y, Wang S, Shen Z. Innate tumor killers in colorectal cancer. Cancer Lett 2021; 527:115-126. [PMID: 34952144 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Standard treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) improves the prognosis of CRC patients, but it is still intractable to control the progression of metastatic CRC. Immune microenvironment and immunotherapies of CRC have received extensive attention in recent years, but present immunotherapies of CRC have mainly focused on T cells and therapeutic response is only observed in a small proportion of patients. Innate immune cells are the first-line of defense in the development of malignancies. Natural killer (NK) cells, NKT cells and γδT cells are three types of innate cells of lymphoid origin and show cytotoxicity against various tumor cells including CRC. Besides, in the development of CRC, they can also be inhibited or express regulatory type, promoting tumor progression. Researches about anti-tumorigenic and pro-tumorigenic mechanisms of these cells are ongoing and regulation of these cells is also being unearthed. Meanwhile, immunotherapies using these cells more or less have shown efficacy in animal models and some of them are under exploration in clinical trials. This review provides an overview of intrinsic properties of NK cell, NKT cell and γδT cell, and summarizes current related promising treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengyun Zhong
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, PR China; Laboratory of Surgical Oncology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Research, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, PR China.
| | - Yilin Lin
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, PR China; Laboratory of Surgical Oncology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Research, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, PR China.
| | - Xiangxiang Jing
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, PR China; Laboratory of Surgical Oncology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Research, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, PR China.
| | - Yingjiang Ye
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, PR China; Laboratory of Surgical Oncology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Research, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, PR China.
| | - Shan Wang
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, PR China; Laboratory of Surgical Oncology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Research, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, PR China.
| | - Zhanlong Shen
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, PR China; Laboratory of Surgical Oncology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Research, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, PR China.
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Abakushina EV, Popova LI, Zamyatnin AA, Werner J, Mikhailovsky NV, Bazhin AV. The Advantages and Challenges of Anticancer Dendritic Cell Vaccines and NK Cells in Adoptive Cell Immunotherapy. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:1363. [PMID: 34835294 PMCID: PMC8625865 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9111363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, an impressive advance was achieved in adoptive cell therapy (ACT), which has improved therapeutic potential and significant value in promising cancer treatment for patients. The ACT is based on the cell transfer of dendritic cells (DCs) and/or immune effector cells. DCs are often used as vaccine carriers or antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to prime naive T cells ex vivo or in vivo. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and natural killer (NK) cells are used as major tool effector cells for ACT. Despite the fact that NK cell immunotherapy is highly effective and promising against many cancer types, there are still some limitations, including insignificant infiltration, adverse conditions of the microenvironment, the immunosuppressive cellular populations, and the low cytotoxic activity in solid tumors. To overcome these difficulties, novel methods of NK cell isolation, expansion, and stimulation of cytotoxic activity should be designed. In this review, we discuss the basic characteristics of DC vaccines and NK cells as potential adoptive cell preparations in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena V. Abakushina
- Department for Development and Research in Immunology, LLC “Tecon Medical Devices”, 123298 Moscow, Russia; (L.I.P.); (N.V.M.)
| | - Liubov I. Popova
- Department for Development and Research in Immunology, LLC “Tecon Medical Devices”, 123298 Moscow, Russia; (L.I.P.); (N.V.M.)
| | - Andrey A. Zamyatnin
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119992 Moscow, Russia;
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Biotechnology, Sirius University of Science and Technology, 1 Olympic Ave, 354340 Sochi, Russia
| | - Jens Werner
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; (J.W.); (A.V.B.)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Nikolay V. Mikhailovsky
- Department for Development and Research in Immunology, LLC “Tecon Medical Devices”, 123298 Moscow, Russia; (L.I.P.); (N.V.M.)
| | - Alexandr V. Bazhin
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; (J.W.); (A.V.B.)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
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12
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Aparicio C, Belver M, Enríquez L, Espeso F, Núñez L, Sánchez A, de la Fuente MÁ, González-Vallinas M. Cell Therapy for Colorectal Cancer: The Promise of Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11781. [PMID: 34769211 PMCID: PMC8583883 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a global public health problem as it is the third most prevalent and the second most lethal cancer worldwide. Major efforts are underway to understand its molecular pathways as well as to define the tumour-associated antigens (TAAs) and tumour-specific antigens (TSAs) or neoantigens, in order to develop an effective treatment. Cell therapies are currently gaining importance, and more specifically chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy, in which genetically modified T cells are redirected against the tumour antigen of interest. This immunotherapy has emerged as one of the most promising advances in cancer treatment, having successfully demonstrated its efficacy in haematological malignancies. However, in solid tumours, such as colon cancer, it is proving difficult to achieve the same results due to the shortage of TSAs, on-target off-tumour effects, low CAR-T cell infiltration and the immunosuppressive microenvironment. To address these challenges in CRC, new approaches are proposed, including combined therapies, the regional administration of CAR-T cells and more complex CAR structures, among others. This review comprehensively summarises the current landscape of CAR-T cell therapy in CRC from the potential tumour targets to the preclinical studies and clinical trials, as well as the limitations and future perspectives of this novel antitumour strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Margarita González-Vallinas
- Unidad de Excelencia Instituto de Biología y Genética Molecular (IBGM), University of Valladolid (UVa)-CSIC, 47003 Valladolid, Spain; (C.A.); (M.B.); (L.E.); (F.E.); (L.N.); (A.S.); (M.Á.d.l.F.)
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13
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Toffoli EC, Sheikhi A, Lameris R, King LA, van Vliet A, Walcheck B, Verheul HMW, Spanholtz J, Tuynman J, de Gruijl TD, van der Vliet HJ. Enhancement of NK Cell Antitumor Effector Functions Using a Bispecific Single Domain Antibody Targeting CD16 and the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13215446. [PMID: 34771609 PMCID: PMC8582566 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Strategies to enhance the preferential accumulation and activation of Natural Killer (NK) cells in the tumor microenvironment can be expected to increase the efficacy of NK cell-based cancer immunotherapy. In this study, we report that a bispecific single domain antibody (VHH) that targets CD16 (FcRγIII) on NK cells and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on tumor cells can be used to target and enhance cytolysis of cancer cells. The bispecific VHH enhanced NK cell activation and cytotoxicity in an EGFR- and CD16-dependent and KRAS-independent manner. Moreover, the bispecific VHH induced stronger activity of cancer patient-derived NK cells and resulted in tumor control in a co-culture of metastatic colorectal cancer cells and either autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells or allogeneic CD16+ NK cells. We believe that this novel approach could represent a valid therapeutic strategy either alone or in combination with other NK cell-based therapies. Abstract The ability to kill tumor cells while maintaining an acceptable safety profile makes Natural Killer (NK) cells promising assets for cancer therapy. Strategies to enhance the preferential accumulation and activation of NK cells in the tumor microenvironment can be expected to increase the efficacy of NK cell-based therapies. In this study, we show binding of a novel bispecific single domain antibody (VHH) to both CD16 (FcRγIII) on NK cells and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on tumor cells of epithelial origin. The bispecific VHH triggered CD16- and EGFR-dependent activation of NK cells and subsequent lysis of tumor cells, regardless of the KRAS mutational status of the tumor. Enhancement of NK cell activation by the bispecific VHH was also observed when NK cells of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients were co-cultured with EGFR expressing tumor cells. Finally, higher levels of cytotoxicity were found against patient-derived metastatic CRC cells in the presence of the bispecific VHH and autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells or allogeneic CD16 expressing NK cells. The anticancer activity of CD16-EGFR bispecific VHHs reported here merits further exploration to assess its potential therapeutic activity either alone or in combination with adoptive NK cell-based therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa C. Toffoli
- Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (E.C.T.); (A.S.); (R.L.); (L.A.K.); (T.D.d.G.)
| | - Abdolkarim Sheikhi
- Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (E.C.T.); (A.S.); (R.L.); (L.A.K.); (T.D.d.G.)
- School of Medicine, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Department of Immunology, Dezful 64616-43993, Iran
| | - Roeland Lameris
- Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (E.C.T.); (A.S.); (R.L.); (L.A.K.); (T.D.d.G.)
| | - Lisa A. King
- Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (E.C.T.); (A.S.); (R.L.); (L.A.K.); (T.D.d.G.)
| | - Amanda van Vliet
- Glycostem Therapeutics, 5349 AB Oss, The Netherlands; (A.v.V.); (J.S.)
| | - Bruce Walcheck
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA;
| | - Henk M. W. Verheul
- Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Department of Medical Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands;
| | - Jan Spanholtz
- Glycostem Therapeutics, 5349 AB Oss, The Netherlands; (A.v.V.); (J.S.)
| | - Jurriaan Tuynman
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Surgery, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Tanja D. de Gruijl
- Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (E.C.T.); (A.S.); (R.L.); (L.A.K.); (T.D.d.G.)
| | - Hans J. van der Vliet
- Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (E.C.T.); (A.S.); (R.L.); (L.A.K.); (T.D.d.G.)
- Lava Therapeutics, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Correspondence:
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14
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Zhou J, Ji Q, Li Q. Resistance to anti-EGFR therapies in metastatic colorectal cancer: underlying mechanisms and reversal strategies. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2021; 40:328. [PMID: 34663410 PMCID: PMC8522158 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-02130-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Cetuximab and panitumumab are monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) that are effective agents for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Cetuximab can prolong survival by 8.2 months in RAS wild-type (WT) mCRC patients. Unfortunately, resistance to targeted therapy impairs clinical use and efficiency. The mechanisms of resistance refer to intrinsic and extrinsic alterations of tumours. Multiple therapeutic strategies have been investigated extensively to overcome resistance to anti-EGFR mAbs. The intrinsic mechanisms include EGFR ligand overexpression, EGFR alteration, RAS/RAF/PI3K gene mutations, ERBB2/MET/IGF-1R activation, metabolic remodelling, microsatellite instability and autophagy. For intrinsic mechanisms, therapies mainly cover the following: new EGFR-targeted inhibitors, a combination of multitargeted inhibitors, and metabolic regulators. In addition, new cytotoxic drugs and small molecule compounds increase the efficiency of cetuximab. Extrinsic alterations mainly disrupt the tumour microenvironment, specifically immune cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and angiogenesis. The directions include the modification or activation of immune cells and suppression of CAFs and anti-VEGFR agents. In this review, we focus on the mechanisms of resistance to anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies (anti-EGFR mAbs) and discuss diverse approaches to reverse resistance to this therapy in hopes of identifying more mCRC treatment possibilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology and Cancer Institute, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Qing Ji
- Department of Medical Oncology and Cancer Institute, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Medical Oncology and Cancer Institute, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China. .,Academy of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
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15
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Stem cells-derived natural killer cells for cancer immunotherapy: current protocols, feasibility, and benefits of ex vivo generated natural killer cells in treatment of advanced solid tumors. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2021; 70:3369-3395. [PMID: 34218295 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-021-02975-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Nowadays, natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy provides a practical therapeutic strategy for patients with advanced solid tumors (STs). This approach is adaptively conducted by the autologous and identical NK cells after in vitro expansion and overnight activation. However, the NK cell-based cancer immunotherapy has been faced with some fundamental and technical limitations. Moreover, the desirable outcomes of the NK cell therapy may not be achieved due to the complex tumor microenvironment by inhibition of intra-tumoral polarization and cytotoxicity of implanted NK cells. Currently, stem cells (SCs) technology provides a powerful opportunity to generate more effective and universal sources of the NK cells. Till now, several strategies have been developed to differentiate types of the pluripotent and adult SCs into the mature NK cells, with both feeder layer-dependent and/or feeder laye-free strategies. Higher cytokine production and intra-tumoral polarization capabilities as well as stronger anti-tumor properties are the main features of these SCs-derived NK cells. The present review article focuses on the principal barriers through the conventional NK cell immunotherapies for patients with advanced STs. It also provides a comprehensive resource of protocols regarding the generation of SCs-derived NK cells in an ex vivo condition.
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16
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Dai Y, Zhao W, Yue L, Dai X, Rong D, Wu F, Gu J, Qian X. Perspectives on Immunotherapy of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:659964. [PMID: 34178645 PMCID: PMC8219967 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.659964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer, especially liver metastasis, is still a challenge worldwide. Traditional treatment such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy have been difficult to be further advanced. We need to develop new treatment methods to further improve the poor prognosis of these patients. The emergence of immunotherapy has brought light to mCRC patients, especially those with dMMR. Based on several large trials, some drugs (pembrolizumab, nivolumab) have been approved by US Food and Drug Administration to treat the patients diagnosed with dMMR tumors. However, immunotherapy has reached a bottleneck for other MSS tumors, with low response rate and poor PFS and OS. Therefore, more clinical trials are underway toward mCRC patients, especially those with MSS. This review is intended to summarize the existing clinical trials to illustrate the development of immunotherapy in mCRC patients, and to provide a new thinking for the direction and experimental design of immunotherapy in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongjiu Dai
- Hepatobiliary/Liver Transplantation Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenhu Zhao
- Hepatobiliary/Liver Transplantation Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lei Yue
- Hepatobiliary/Liver Transplantation Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xinzheng Dai
- Hepatobiliary/Liver Transplantation Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Dawei Rong
- Hepatobiliary/Liver Transplantation Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fan Wu
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jian Gu
- Hepatobiliary/Liver Transplantation Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaofeng Qian
- Hepatobiliary/Liver Transplantation Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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17
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Jin KT, Du WL, Lan HR, Liu YY, Mao CS, Du JL, Mou XZ. Development of humanized mouse with patient-derived xenografts for cancer immunotherapy studies: A comprehensive review. Cancer Sci 2021; 112:2592-2606. [PMID: 33938090 PMCID: PMC8253285 DOI: 10.1111/cas.14934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, however, not all tumor types and patients are completely responsive to this approach. Establishing predictive pre-clinical models would allow for more accurate and practical immunotherapeutic drug development. Mouse models are extensively used as in vivo system for biomedical research. However, due to the significant differences between rodents and human, it is impossible to translate most of the findings from mouse models to human. Pharmacological development and advancing personalized medicine using patient-derived xenografts relies on producing mouse models in which murine cells and genes are substituted with their human equivalent. Humanized mice (HM) provide a suitable platform to evaluate xenograft growth in the context of a human immune system. In this review, we discussed recent advances in the generation and application of HM models. We also reviewed new insights into the basic mechanisms, pre-clinical evaluation of onco-immunotherapies, current limitations in the application of these models as well as available improvement strategies. Finally, we pointed out some issues for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke-Tao Jin
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, China
| | - Wen-Lin Du
- Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China.,Clinical Research Institute, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huan-Rong Lan
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, China
| | - Yu-Yao Liu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, China
| | - Chun-Sen Mao
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, China
| | - Jin-Lin Du
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, China
| | - Xiao-Zhou Mou
- Clinical Research Institute, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
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18
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Zheng W, Wu F, Fu K, Sun G, Sun G, Li X, Jiang W, Cao H, Wang H, Tang W. Emerging Mechanisms and Treatment Progress on Liver Metastasis of Colorectal Cancer. Onco Targets Ther 2021; 14:3013-3036. [PMID: 33986602 PMCID: PMC8110277 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s301371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer is currently the third largest malignant tumor in the world, with high new cases and high mortality. Metastasis is one of the most common causes of death of colorectal cancer, of which liver metastasis is the most fatal. Since the beginning of the Human Genome Project in 2001, people have gradually recognized the 3 billion base pairs that make up the human genome, of which only about 1.5% of the nucleic acid sequences are used for protein coding, including proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. A large number of differences in the expression of proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes have also been found in the study of colorectal cancer, which proves that they are also actively involved in the progression of colorectal cancer and promote the occurrence of liver metastasis. Except for 1.5% of the coding sequence, the rest of the nucleic acid sequence does not encode any protein, which is called non-coding RNA. With the deepening of research, genome sequences without protein coding potential that were originally considered “junk sequences” may have important biological functions. Many years of studies have found that a large number of abnormal expression of ncRNA in colorectal cancer liver metastasis, indicating that ncRNA plays an important role in it. To explore the role and mechanism of these coding sequences and non-coding RNA in liver metastasis of colorectal cancer is very important for the early diagnosis and treatment of liver metastasis of colorectal cancer. This article reviews the coding genes and ncRNA that have been found in the study of liver metastasis of colorectal cancer in recent years, as well as the mechanisms that have been identified or are still under study, as well as the clinical treatment of liver metastasis of colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wubin Zheng
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Fan Wu
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Kai Fu
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangshun Sun
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Guoqiang Sun
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao Li
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongyong Cao
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Hanjin Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiwei Tang
- Hepatobiliary/Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Living Donor Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
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19
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Modeling human tumor-immune environments in vivo for the preclinical assessment of immunotherapies. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2021; 70:2737-2750. [PMID: 33830275 PMCID: PMC8423639 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-021-02897-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Despite the significant contributions of immunocompetent mouse models to the development and assessment of cancer immunotherapies, they inadequately represent the genetic and biological complexity of corresponding human cancers. Immunocompromised mice reconstituted with a human immune system (HIS) and engrafted with patient-derived tumor xenografts are a promising novel preclinical model for the study of human tumor-immune interactions. Whilst overcoming limitations of immunocompetent models, HIS-tumor models often rely on reconstitution with allogeneic immune cells, making it difficult to distinguish between anti-tumor and alloantigen responses. Models that comprise of autologous human tumor and human immune cells provide a platform that is more representative of the patient immune-tumor interaction. However, limited access to autologous tissues, short experimental windows, and poor retention of tumor microenvironment and tumor infiltrating lymphocyte components are major challenges affecting the establishment and application of autologous models. This review outlines existing preclinical murine models for the study of immuno-oncology, and highlights innovations that can be applied to improve the feasibility and efficacy of autologous models.
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20
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Guerrouahen B, Elnaggar M, Al-Mohannadi A, Kizhakayil D, Bonini C, Benjamin R, Brentjens R, Buchholz CJ, Casorati G, Ferrone S, Locke FL, Martin F, Schambach A, Turtle C, Veys P, van der Vliet HJ, Maccalli C. Proceedings From the First International Workshop at Sidra Medicine: "Engineered Immune Cells in Cancer Immunotherapy (EICCI): From Discovery to Off-the-Shelf Development", 15 th-16 th February 2019, Doha, Qatar. Front Immunol 2021; 11:589381. [PMID: 33584653 PMCID: PMC7874217 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.589381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The progress in the isolation and characterization of tumor antigen (TA)-specific T lymphocytes and in the genetic modification of immune cells allowed the clinical development of adoptive cell therapy (ACT). Several clinical studies highlighted the striking clinical activity of T cells engineered to express either Chimeric Antigen (CAR) or T Cell (TCR) Receptors to target molecularly defined antigens expressed on tumor cells. The breakthrough of immunotherapy is represented by the approval of CAR-T cells specific for advanced or refractory CD19+ B cell malignancies by both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicinal Agency (EMA). Moreover, advances in the manufacturing and gene editing of engineered immune cells contributed to the selection of drug products with desired phenotype, refined specificity and decreased toxicity. An important step toward the optimization of CAR-T cell therapy is the development of "off-the shelf" T cell products that allow to reduce the complexity and the costs of the manufacturing and to render these drugs available for a broad number of cancer patients. The Engineered Immune Cells in Cancer Immunotherapy (EICCI) workshop hosted in Doha, Qatar, renowned experts, from both academia and industry, to present and discuss the progress on both pre-clinical and clinical development of genetically modified immune cells, including advances in the "off-the-shelf" manufacturing. These experts have addressed also organizational needs and hurdles for the clinical grade production and application of these biological drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Chiara Bonini
- Experimental Hematology Unit, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele and Hospital San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Reuben Benjamin
- Division of Cancer Studies, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Renier Brentjens
- Cellular Therapeutics, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Christian J Buchholz
- Research Unit for Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Giulia Casorati
- Experimental Immunology Unit, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele and Hospital San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Frederick L Locke
- Department of Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Francisco Martin
- Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, Genomic Medicine Department, Granada, Spain
| | - Axel Schambach
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boson, MA, United States
| | - Cameron Turtle
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Paul Veys
- Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Great Ormond Street (GOS) Hospital, and University College London GOS Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hans J van der Vliet
- Hans van Der Vliet, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, VU University and Cancer Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Lava Therapeutics, Utrecht, Netherlands
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21
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Liu S, Galat V, Galat Y, Lee YKA, Wainwright D, Wu J. NK cell-based cancer immunotherapy: from basic biology to clinical development. J Hematol Oncol 2021; 14:7. [PMID: 33407739 PMCID: PMC7788999 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-020-01014-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 338] [Impact Index Per Article: 112.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cell is a specialized immune effector cell type that plays a critical role in immune activation against abnormal cells. Different from events required for T cell activation, NK cell activation is governed by the interaction of NK receptors with target cells, independent of antigen processing and presentation. Due to relatively unsophisticated cues for activation, NK cell has gained significant attention in the field of cancer immunotherapy. Many efforts are emerging for developing and engineering NK cell-based cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we provide our current understandings of NK cell biology, ongoing pre-clinical and clinical development of NK cell-based therapies and discuss the progress, challenges, and future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sizhe Liu
- Department of Urology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 E. Superior St., Lurie Research Building 6-117, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Vasiliy Galat
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yekaterina Galat
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Russia
| | | | - Derek Wainwright
- Departments of Neurological Surgery, Medicine-Hematology and Oncology, Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Jennifer Wu
- Department of Urology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 E. Superior St., Lurie Research Building 6-117, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
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NK Cell Adoptive Immunotherapy of Cancer: Evaluating Recognition Strategies and Overcoming Limitations. Transplant Cell Ther 2020; 27:21-35. [PMID: 33007496 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbmt.2020.09.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells, the primary effector cells of the innate immune system, utilize multiple strategies to recognize tumor cells by (1) detecting the presence of activating receptor ligands, which are often upregulated in cancer; (2) targeting cells that have a loss of major histocompatibility complex (MHC); and (3) binding to antibodies that bind to tumor-specific antigens on the tumor cell surface. All these strategies have been successfully harnessed in adoptive NK cell immunotherapies targeting cancer. In this review, we review the applications of NK cell therapies across different tumor types. Similar to other forms of immunotherapy, tumor-induced immune escape and immune suppression can limit NK cell therapies' efficacy. Therefore, we also discuss how these limitations can be overcome by conferring NK cells with the ability to redirect their tumor-targeting capabilities and survive the immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment. Finally, we also discuss how future iterations can benefit from combination therapies with other immunotherapeutic agents.
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Janssen E, Subtil B, de la Jara Ortiz F, Verheul HMW, Tauriello DVF. Combinatorial Immunotherapies for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12071875. [PMID: 32664619 PMCID: PMC7408881 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12071875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequent and deadly forms of cancer. About half of patients are affected by metastasis, with the cancer spreading to e.g., liver, lungs or the peritoneum. The majority of these patients cannot be cured despite steady advances in treatment options. Immunotherapies are currently not widely applicable for this disease, yet show potential in preclinical models and clinical translation. The tumour microenvironment (TME) has emerged as a key factor in CRC metastasis, including by means of immune evasion-forming a major barrier to effective immuno-oncology. Several approaches are in development that aim to overcome the immunosuppressive environment and boost anti-tumour immunity. Among them are vaccination strategies, cellular transplantation therapies, and targeted treatments. Given the complexity of the system, we argue for rational design of combinatorial therapies and consider the implications of precision medicine in this context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eline Janssen
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (E.J.); (B.S.); (F.d.l.J.O.)
| | - Beatriz Subtil
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (E.J.); (B.S.); (F.d.l.J.O.)
| | - Fàtima de la Jara Ortiz
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (E.J.); (B.S.); (F.d.l.J.O.)
| | - Henk M. W. Verheul
- Department of Medical Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HBNijmegen, The Netherlands;
| | - Daniele V. F. Tauriello
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (E.J.); (B.S.); (F.d.l.J.O.)
- Correspondence:
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Kreidieh M, Mukherji D, Temraz S, Shamseddine A. Expanding the Scope of Immunotherapy in Colorectal Cancer: Current Clinical Approaches and Future Directions. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 2020:9037217. [PMID: 32090113 PMCID: PMC7008242 DOI: 10.1155/2020/9037217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The success of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in an increasing range of heavily mutated tumor types such as melanoma has culminated in their exploration in different subsets of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). As a result of their dramatic and durable response rates in patients with chemorefractory, mismatch repair-deficient-microsatellite instability-high (dMMR-MSI-H) mCRC, ICIs have become potential alternatives to classical systemic therapies. The anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) agents, Pembrolizumab and Nivolumab, have been granted FDA approval for this subset of patients. Unfortunately, however, not all CRC cases with the dMMR-MSI-H phenotype respond well to ICIs, and ongoing studies are currently exploring biomarkers that can predict good response to them. Another challenge lies in developing novel treatment strategies for the subset of patients with the mismatch repair-proficient-microsatellite instability-low (pMMR-MSI-L) phenotype that comprises 95% of all mCRC cases in whom treatment with currently approved ICIs has been largely unsuccessful. Approaches aiming at overcoming the resistance of tumors in this subset of patients are being developed including combining different checkpoint inhibitors with either chemotherapy, anti-angiogenic agents, cancer vaccines, adoptive cell transfer (ACT), or bispecific T-cell (BTC) antibodies. This review describes the rationale behind using immunotherapeutics in CRC. It sheds light on the progress made in the use of immunotherapy in the treatment of patients with dMMR-MSI-H CRC. It also discusses emerging approaches and proposes potential strategies for targeting the immune microenvironment in patients with pMMR-MSI-L CRC tumors in an attempt to complement immune checkpoint inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malek Kreidieh
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Deborah Mukherji
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Sally Temraz
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Ali Shamseddine
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
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Yang C, Li Y, Yang Y, Chen Z. Overview of Strategies to Improve Therapy against Tumors Using Natural Killer Cell. J Immunol Res 2020; 2020:8459496. [PMID: 32411806 PMCID: PMC7201677 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8459496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 11/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
NK cells are lymphocytes with antitumor properties and can directly lyse tumor cells in a non-MHC-restricted manner. However, the tumor microenvironment affects the immune function of NK cells, which leads to immune evasion. This may be related to the pathogenesis of some diseases. Therefore, great efforts have been made to improve the immunotherapy effect of natural killer cells. NK cells from different sources can meet different clinical needs, in order to minimize the inhibition of NK cells and maximize the response potential of NK cells, for example, modification of NK cells can increase the number of NK cells in tumor target area, change the direction of NK cells, and improve their targeting ability to malignant cells. Checkpoint blocking is also a promising strategy for NK cells to kill tumor cells. Combination therapy is another strategy for improving antitumor ability, especially in combination with oncolytic viruses and nanomaterials. In this paper, the mechanisms affecting the activity of NK cells were reviewed, and the therapeutic potential of different basic NK cell strategies in tumor therapy was focused on. The main strategies for improving the immune function of NK cells were described, and some new strategies were proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaopin Yang
- Department of Ultrasound Medicine, Laboratory of Ultrasound Molecular Imaging, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510150, China
- Experimental Center, The Liwan Hospital of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510176, China
| | - Yue Li
- Department of Ultrasound Medicine, Laboratory of Ultrasound Molecular Imaging, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510150, China
- Experimental Center, The Liwan Hospital of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510176, China
| | - Yaozhang Yang
- Department of Ultrasound Medicine, Laboratory of Ultrasound Molecular Imaging, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510150, China
- Experimental Center, The Liwan Hospital of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510176, China
| | - Zhiyi Chen
- Department of Ultrasound Medicine, Laboratory of Ultrasound Molecular Imaging, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510150, China
- Experimental Center, The Liwan Hospital of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510176, China
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Alisjahbana A, Mohammad I, Gao Y, Evren E, Ringqvist E, Willinger T. Human macrophages and innate lymphoid cells: Tissue-resident innate immunity in humanized mice. Biochem Pharmacol 2019; 174:113672. [PMID: 31634458 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2019.113672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Macrophages and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are tissue-resident cells that play important roles in organ homeostasis and tissue immunity. Their intricate relationship with the organs they reside in allows them to quickly respond to perturbations of organ homeostasis and environmental challenges, such as infection and tissue injury. Macrophages and ILCs have been extensively studied in mice, yet important species-specific differences exist regarding innate immunity between humans and mice. Complementary to ex-vivo studies with human cells, humanized mice (i.e. mice with a human immune system) offer the opportunity to study human macrophages and ILCs in vivo within their surrounding tissue microenvironments. In this review, we will discuss how humanized mice have helped gain new knowledge about the basic biology of these cells, as well as their function in infectious and malignant conditions. Furthermore, we will highlight active areas of investigation related to human macrophages and ILCs, such as their cellular heterogeneity, ontogeny, tissue residency, and plasticity. In the near future, we expect more fundamental discoveries in these areas through the combined use of improved humanized mouse models together with state-of-the-art technologies, such as single-cell RNA-sequencing and CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arlisa Alisjahbana
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Alfred Nobels allé 8, 141 52 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Imran Mohammad
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Alfred Nobels allé 8, 141 52 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yu Gao
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Alfred Nobels allé 8, 141 52 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elza Evren
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Alfred Nobels allé 8, 141 52 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emma Ringqvist
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Alfred Nobels allé 8, 141 52 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tim Willinger
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Alfred Nobels allé 8, 141 52 Stockholm, Sweden.
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27
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Atreya I, Kindermann M, Wirtz S. Innate lymphoid cells in intestinal cancer development. Semin Immunol 2019; 41:101267. [PMID: 30772139 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2019.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a highly prominent cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Although the functions of immune cells in the colorectal tumor microenvironment are complex and heterogeneous, dysregulated changes in the composition and activation state of immune cells are believed to represent key events supporting the establishment of pro- or anti-tumorigenic immune states. Recently, innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) emerged as central innate immune mediators during both gastrointestinal homeostasis and inflammatory pathologies. Hence, ILCs might also represent promising targets in the context of cancer therapy and are increasingly recognized as innate immune cells with potent immunomodulatory properties. In this review, we summarize the pleiotropic roles of the different ILC subsets for intestinal homeostasis and discuss the recent evidence on their potential involvement in the development and growth of intestinal cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imke Atreya
- Department of Medicine 1, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Markus Kindermann
- Department of Medicine 1, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Stefan Wirtz
- Department of Medicine 1, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen, Germany.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunotherapy focuses on selectively enhancing the host's immune response against malignant disease. It has been investigated as an important treatment modality against malignant disease for many years, but until recently its use was mostly limited to a few cancers. The advent of new immunemodulating agents in the recent past has changed the landscape for management of many solid tumors. Currently, immunotherapy offers a valuable, and in many cases, a more effective alternate to the conventional cytotoxic therapy. Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death. Despite progress in systemic therapy, most patients with metastatic colorectal cancer die of their disease. There is an unmet need for more effective treatments for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. The current data support that colorectal tumors are immunoresponsive and a subset of patients with advanced disease achieve long term benefit with immunotherapy. OBJECTIVES This review aims to provide the current status of immunotherapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. METHODS We researched sources published in the English language between January 2000 and August 2018 and listed within the PubMed database using combinations of the key words and reviewed the proceedings of international cancer conferences and current guidelines made by major cancer societies. RESULTS In this review, we summarize the current status of research on immunotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer and discuss various treatment modalities including checkpoint inhibitors, cancer vaccines, adoptive cell transfer, oncolytic virus therapy, and various other agents that are under investigation with a special emphasis on immune checkpoint inhibitors. Since the toxicity profile of immunotherapy is very different from conventional cytotoxic agents and could involve any organ system, we briefly review common adverse effects and their management.
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29
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Fan J, Shang D, Han B, Song J, Chen H, Yang JM. Adoptive Cell Transfer: Is it a Promising Immunotherapy for Colorectal Cancer? Am J Cancer Res 2018; 8:5784-5800. [PMID: 30555581 PMCID: PMC6276301 DOI: 10.7150/thno.29035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The last decade has witnessed significant advances in the adoptive cell transfer (ACT) technique, which has been appreciated as one of the most promising treatments for patients with cancer. Utilization of ACT can enhance the function of the immune system or improve the specificity and persistence of transferred cells. Various immune cells including T lymphocytes, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, and even stem cells can be used in the ACT despite their different functional mechanisms. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most common malignancies and causes millions of deaths worldwide every year. In this review, we discuss the status and perspective of the ACT in the treatment of CRC.
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30
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Abstract
Immunotherapy is one of the most exciting recent breakthroughs in the field of cancer treatment. Many different approaches are being developed and a number have already gained regulatory approval or are under investigation in clinical trials. However, learning from the past, preclinical animal models often insufficiently reflect the physiological situation in humans, which subsequently causes treatment failures in clinical trials. Due to species-specific differences in most parts of the immune system, the transfer of knowledge from preclinical studies to clinical trials is eminently challenging. Human tumor cell line-based or patient-derived xenografts in immunocompromised mice have been successfully applied in the preclinical testing of cytotoxic or molecularly targeted agents, but naturally these systems lack the human immune system counterpart. The co-transplantation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells or hematopoietic stem cells is employed to overcome this limitation. This review summarizes some important aspects of the different available tumor xenograft mouse models, their history, and their implementation in drug development and personalized therapy. Moreover, recent progress, opportunities and limitations of different humanized mouse models will be discussed.
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31
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Humanized Mice for the Study of Immuno-Oncology. Trends Immunol 2018; 39:748-763. [DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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Oyer JL, Gitto SB, Altomare DA, Copik AJ. PD-L1 blockade enhances anti-tumor efficacy of NK cells. Oncoimmunology 2018; 7:e1509819. [PMID: 30377572 PMCID: PMC6205063 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2018.1509819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Revised: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Anti-PD-1/anti-PD-L1 therapies have shown success in cancer treatment but responses are limited to ~ 15% of patients with lymphocyte infiltrated, PD-L1 positive tumors. Hence, strategies that increase PD-L1 expression and tumor infiltration should make more patients eligible for PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy, thus improving overall outcomes. PD-L1 expression on tumors is induced by IFNγ, a cytokine secreted by NK cells. Therefore, we tested if PM21-particle expanded NK cells (PM21-NK cells) induced expression of PD-L1 on tumors and if anti-PD-L1 treatment enhanced NK cell anti-tumor efficacy in an ovarian cancer model. Studies here showed that PM21-NK cells secrete high amounts of IFNγ and that adoptively transferred PM21-NK cells induce PD-L1 expression on SKOV-3 cells in vivo. The induction of PD-L1 expression on SKOV-3 cells coincided with the presence of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the abdominal cavity and within tumors. In in vitro experiments, anti-PD-L1 treatment had no direct effect on cytotoxicity or cytokine secretion by predominantly PD-1 negative PM21-NK cells in response to PD-L1+ targets. However, significant improvement of NK cell anti-tumor efficacy was observed in vivo when combined with anti-PD-L1. PD-L1 blockade also resulted in increased in vivo NK cell persistence and retention of their cytotoxic phenotype. These results support the use of anti-PD-L1 in combination with NK cell therapy regardless of initial tumor PD-L1 status and indicate that NK cell therapy would likely augment the applicability of anti-PD-L1 treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremiah L Oyer
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Sarah B Gitto
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Deborah A Altomare
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Alicja J Copik
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, USA
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Hofer E, Koehl U. Natural Killer Cell-Based Cancer Immunotherapies: From Immune Evasion to Promising Targeted Cellular Therapies. Front Immunol 2017; 8:745. [PMID: 28747910 PMCID: PMC5506076 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapies based on natural killer (NK) cells are among the most promising therapies under development for the treatment of so far incurable forms of leukemia and other types of cancer. The importance of NK cells for the control of viral infections and cancer is supported among others by the findings that viruses and tumors use a multitude of mechanisms to subvert and evade the NK cell system. Infections and malignant diseases can further lead to the shaping of NK cell populations with altered reactivity. Counter measures of potential therapeutic impact include the blocking of inhibitory interactions between NK cell receptors and their cellular ligands, the enhancement of activating receptor signals, and the infusion of large numbers of ex vivo generated and selected NK cells. Moreover, the specific cross-linking of NK cells to their target cells using chimeric antigen receptors or therapeutic bi-/trispecific antibody reagents is a promising approach. In this context, NK cells stand out by their positive effects and safety demonstrated in most clinical trials so far. Based in part on results of the recent EC-sponsored project “NATURIMMUN” and considering additional published work in the field, we discuss below new developments and future directions that have the potential to further advance and establish NK cell-based therapies at the clinics on a broader scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erhard Hofer
- Department of Vascular Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrike Koehl
- Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, IFB-Tx, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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Veluchamy JP, Kok N, van der Vliet HJ, Verheul HMW, de Gruijl TD, Spanholtz J. The Rise of Allogeneic Natural Killer Cells As a Platform for Cancer Immunotherapy: Recent Innovations and Future Developments. Front Immunol 2017; 8:631. [PMID: 28620386 PMCID: PMC5450018 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are critical immune effector cells in the fight against cancer. As NK cells in cancer patients are highly dysfunctional and reduced in number, adoptive transfer of large numbers of cytolytic NK cells and their potential to induce relevant antitumor responses are widely explored in cancer immunotherapy. Early studies from autologous NK cells have failed to demonstrate significant clinical benefit. In this review, the clinical benefits of adoptively transferred allogeneic NK cells in a transplant and non-transplant setting are compared and discussed in the context of relevant NK cell platforms that are being developed and optimized by various biotech industries with a special focus on augmenting NK cell functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Veluchamy
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Glycostem Therapeutics, Oss, Netherlands
| | - Nina Kok
- Glycostem Therapeutics, Oss, Netherlands
| | - Hans J van der Vliet
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Henk M W Verheul
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Tanja D de Gruijl
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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35
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Lopez-Lastra S, Di Santo JP. Modeling Natural Killer Cell Targeted Immunotherapies. Front Immunol 2017; 8:370. [PMID: 28405194 PMCID: PMC5370275 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal models have extensively contributed to our understanding of human immunobiology and to uncover the underlying pathological mechanisms occurring in the development of diseases. However, mouse models do not reproduce the genetic and molecular complexity inherent in human disease conditions. Human immune system (HIS) mouse models that are susceptible to human pathogens and can recapitulate human hematopoiesis and tumor immunobiology provide one means to bridge the interspecies gap. Natural killer cells are the founding member of the innate lymphoid cell family. They exert a rapid and strong immune response against tumor and pathogen-infected cells. Their antitumor features have long been exploited for therapeutic purposes in the context of cancer. In this review, we detail the development of highly immunodeficient mouse strains and the models currently used in cancer research. We summarize the latest improvements in adoptive natural killer (NK) cell therapies and the development of novel NK cell sources. Finally, we discuss the advantages of HIS mice to study the interactions between human NK cells and human cancers and to develop new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Lopez-Lastra
- Innate Immunity Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Inserm U1223, Paris, France
- Université Paris-Sud (Paris-Saclay), Paris, France
| | - James P. Di Santo
- Innate Immunity Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Inserm U1223, Paris, France
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