Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cells Are a Preferred Source to Generate Dendritic Cells for Immunotherapy in Multiple Myeloma Patients

Current mRNA-based vaccine strategies for glioma treatment

Gliomas are one of the most aggressive types of brain tumors and are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Currently, conventional treatments for gliomas such as surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy have limited effectiveness, and new approaches are needed to improve patient outcomes. mRNA-based vaccines represent a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment, including gliomas. Recent advances in immunotherapy using mRNA-based dendritic cell vaccines have shown great potential in preclinical and clinical trials. Dendritic cells are professional antigen-presenting cells that play a crucial role in initiating and regulating immune responses. In this review, we summarize the current progress of mRNA-based vaccines for gliomas, with a focus on recent advances in dendritic cell-based mRNA vaccines. We also discuss the feasibility and safety of mRNA-based clinical applications for gliomas.

Research progress of the chemokine/chemokine receptor axes in the oncobiology of multiple myeloma (MM)

BACKGROUND

The incidence of multiple myeloma (MM), a type of blood cancer affecting monoclonal plasma cells, is rising. Although new drugs and therapies have improved patient outcomes, MM remains incurable. Recent studies have highlighted the crucial role of the chemokine network in MM's pathological mechanism. Gaining a better understanding of this network and creating an overview of chemokines in MM could aid in identifying potential biomarkers and developing new therapeutic strategies and targets.

PURPOSE

To summarize the complicated role of chemokines in MM, discuss their potential as biomarkers, and introduce several treatments based on chemokines.

METHODS

Pubmed, Web of Science, ICTRP, and Clinical Trials were searched for articles and research related to chemokines. Publications published within the last 5 years are selected.

RESULTS

Malignant cells can utilize chemokines, including CCL2, CCL3, CCL5, CXCL7, CXCL8, CXCL12, and CXCL13 to evade apoptosis triggered by immune cells or medication, escape from bone marrow and escalate bone lesions. Other chemokines, including CXCL4, CCL19, and CXCL10, may aid in recruiting immune cells, increasing their cytotoxicity against cancer cells, and inducing apoptosis of malignant cells.

CONCLUSION

Utilizing anti-tumor chemokines or blocking pro-tumor chemokines may provide new therapeutic strategies for managing MM. Inspired by developed CXCR4 antagonists, including plerixafor, ulocuplumab, and motixafortide, more small molecular antagonists or antibodies for pro-tumor chemokine ligands and their receptors can be developed and used in clinical practice. Along with inhibiting pro-tumor chemokines, studies suggest combining chemokines with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T therapy is promising and efficient.

H3K4 trimethylation regulates cancer immunity: a promising therapeutic target in combination with immunotherapy

With the advances in cancer immunity regulation and immunotherapy, the effects of histone modifications on establishing antitumor immunological ability are constantly being uncovered. Developing combination therapies involving epigenetic drugs (epi-drugs) and immune checkpoint blockades or chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapies are promising to improve the benefits of immunotherapy. Histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) is a pivotal epigenetic modification in cancer immunity regulation, deeply involved in modulating tumor immunogenicity, reshaping tumor immune microenvironment, and regulating immune cell functions. However, how to integrate these theoretical foundations to create novel H3K4 trimethylation-based therapeutic strategies and optimize available therapies remains uncertain. In this review, we delineate the mechanisms by which H3K4me3 and its modifiers regulate antitumor immunity, and explore the therapeutic potential of the H3K4me3-related agents combined with immunotherapies. Understanding the role of H3K4me3 in cancer immunity will be instrumental in developing novel epigenetic therapies and advancing immunotherapy-based combination regimens.

Dendritic Cell-Based Immunotherapy in Multiple Myeloma: Challenges, Opportunities, and Future Directions

Immunotherapeutic approaches, including adoptive cell therapy, revolutionized treatment in multiple myeloma (MM). As dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells and key initiators of tumor-specific immune responses, DC-based immunotherapy represents an attractive therapeutic approach in cancer. The past years, various DC-based approaches, using particularly ex-vivo-generated monocyte-derived DCs, have been tested in preclinical and clinical MM studies. However, long-term and durable responses in MM patients were limited, potentially attributed to the source of monocyte-derived DCs and the immunosuppressive bone marrow microenvironment. In this review, we briefly summarize the DC development in the bone marrow niche and the phenotypical and functional characteristics of the major DC subsets. We address the known DC deficiencies in MM and give an overview of the DC-based vaccination protocols that were tested in MM patients. Lastly, we also provide strategies to improve the efficacy of DC vaccines using new, improved DC-based approaches and combination therapies for MM patients.

Role of hypoxia in inhibiting dendritic cells by VEGF signaling in tumor microenvironments: mechanism and application

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a central role in tumor initiation, development, immune escape, and clinical treatment. Hypoxia, an important characteristic of the TME, mediates vascular endothelial factor (VEGF) signaling through direct or indirect mechanisms. Directly, hypoxia promotes the expression of VEGF through hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) induction. Indirectly, VEGF inhibits dendritic cell (DC) maturation and function by binding to VEGF receptors (VEGFRs) and co-receptors expressed on cell membranes. Additionally, HIF can bypass VEGF/VEGFR and activate downstream signaling factors to promote tumor development. Currently, DC vaccine, anti-HIF and anti-VEGF therapies are widely used in clinical treatment, but their long-term effects remain limited. Therefore, a further understanding of the effects of hypoxia and VEGF signaling on DCs will help in the development of innovative combination therapies and the identification of new targets.

Differentiated Cells Derived from Hematopoietic Stem Cells and Their Applications in Translational Medicine

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and their development are one of the most widely studied model systems in mammals. In adults, HSCs are predominantly found in the bone marrow, from where they maintain homeostasis. Besides bone marrow and mobilized peripheral blood, cord blood is also being used as an alternate allogenic source of transplantable HSCs. HSCs from both autologous and allogenic sources are being applied for the treatment of various conditions like blood cancers, anemia, etc. HSCs can further differentiate to mature blood cells. Differentiation process of HSCs is being extensively studied so as to obtain a large number of pure populations of various differentiated cells in vitro so that they can be taken up for clinical trials. The ability to generate sufficient quantity of clinical-grade specialized blood cells in vitro would take the field of hematology a step ahead in translational medicine.

Ex vivo pulsed dendritic cell vaccination against cancer

As the most powerful antigen-presenting cell type, dendritic cells (DCs) can induce potent antigen-specific immune responses in vivo, hence becoming optimal cell population for vaccination purposes. DCs can be derived ex vivo in quantity and manipulated extensively to be endowed with adequate immune-stimulating capacity. After pulsing with cancer antigens in various ways, the matured DCs are administrated back into the patient. DCs home to lymphoid organs to present antigens to and activate specific lymphocytes that react to a given cancer. Ex vivo pulsed DC vaccines have been vigorously investigated for decades, registering encouraging results in relevant immunotherapeutic clinical trials, while facing some solid challenges. With more details in DC biology understood, new theory proposed, and novel technology introduced (featuring recently emerged mRNA vaccine technology), it is becoming increasingly likely that ex vivo pulsed DC vaccine will fulfill its potential in cancer immunotherapy.