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Xiang M, Li H, Zhan Y, Ma D, Gao Q, Fang Y. Functional CRISPR screens in T cells reveal new opportunities for cancer immunotherapies. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:73. [PMID: 38581063 PMCID: PMC10996278 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01987-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
T cells are fundamental components in tumour immunity and cancer immunotherapies, which have made immense strides and revolutionized cancer treatment paradigm. However, recent studies delineate the predicament of T cell dysregulation in tumour microenvironment and the compromised efficacy of cancer immunotherapies. CRISPR screens enable unbiased interrogation of gene function in T cells and have revealed functional determinators, genetic regulatory networks, and intercellular interactions in T cell life cycle, thereby providing opportunities to revamp cancer immunotherapies. In this review, we briefly described the central roles of T cells in successful cancer immunotherapies, comprehensively summarised the studies of CRISPR screens in T cells, elaborated resultant master genes that control T cell activation, proliferation, fate determination, effector function, and exhaustion, and highlighted genes (BATF, PRDM1, and TOX) and signalling cascades (JAK-STAT and NF-κB pathways) that extensively engage in multiple branches of T cell responses. In conclusion, this review bridged the gap between discovering element genes to a specific process of T cell activities and apprehending these genes in the global T cell life cycle, deepened the understanding of T cell biology in tumour immunity, and outlined CRISPR screens resources that might facilitate the development and implementation of cancer immunotherapies in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghua Xiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Huayi Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhan
- Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ding Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qinglei Gao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Yong Fang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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Zhen L, Chen Y, Gao J, Li B, Jia Y. MicroRNA-99b Regulates Bacillus Calmette-Guerin-Infected Immature Dendritic Cell-Induced CD4+ T Cell Differentiation by Targeting mTOR Signaling. Crit Rev Immunol 2024; 44:35-47. [PMID: 38305335 DOI: 10.1615/critrevimmunol.2023050312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
This study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms by which microRNA-99b (miR-99b) regulates CD4+ T cell differentiation induced by Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG)-infected immature dendritic cells (imDCs). Levels of miR-99b, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), Foxp3, interleukin (IL)-10, IL-17, IL-23, and ROR-γt were assessed. Effects of miR-99b inhibition and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) agonist on Th17/Treg cell ratio and cytokine levels (IL-6, IL-17, IL-23) were studied. Expression of mTOR, S6K1, and 4E-BP1 related to miR-99b was analyzed. BCG-infected imDCs led to CD4+ T cell differentiation and altered levels of IFN-γ, Foxp3, IL-10, miR-99b, IL-17, IL-23, and ROR-γt. Inhibition of miR-99b increased the Th17/Treg cell ratio in CD4+ T cells co-cultured with BCG-infected imDCs, and this effect was further enhanced by the mTOR agonist. Additionally, the miR-99b inhibitor elevated the levels of IL-6, IL-17, and IL-23 when CD4+ T cells were co-cultured with BCG-infected imDCs, and the mTOR agonist further amplified this increase. Notably, miR-99b negatively regulated mTOR signaling, as the miR-99b inhibitor upregulated the expression levels of mTOR, S6K1, and 4E-BP1 while decreasing miR-99b. It was concluded that miR-99b modulates CD4+ T cell differentiation via mTOR pathway in response to BCG-infected im-DCs. Inhibiting miR-99b affects Th17/Treg ratio and pro-inflammatory cytokines, potentially impacting tuberculosis immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libo Zhen
- Department of Tuberculosis, Affiliated Hangzhou Chest Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Yuanyuan Chen
- Tuberculosis Laboratory, Affiliated Hangzhou Chest Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Juwei Gao
- Department of Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310061, China
| | - Boying Li
- Department of Tuberculosis, Affiliated Hangzhou Chest Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Yangmin Jia
- Department of Occupational Medicine, Affiliated Hangzhou Chest Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310030, China
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Zhang Z, Liao Q, Pan T, Yu L, Luo Z, Su S, Liu S, Hou M, Li Y, Damba T, Liang Y, Zhou L. BATF relieves hepatic steatosis by inhibiting PD1 and promoting energy metabolism. eLife 2023; 12:RP88521. [PMID: 37712938 PMCID: PMC10503959 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88521] [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] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The rising prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a global health threat that needs to be addressed urgently. Basic leucine zipper ATF-like transcription factor (BATF) is commonly thought to be involved in immunity, but its effect on lipid metabolism is not clear. Here, we investigated the function of BATF in hepatic lipid metabolism. BATF alleviated high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hepatic steatosis and inhibited elevated programmed cell death protein (PD)1 expression induced by HFD. A mechanistic study confirmed that BATF regulated fat accumulation by inhibiting PD1 expression and promoting energy metabolism. PD1 antibodies alleviated hepatic lipid deposition. In conclusion, we identified the regulatory role of BATF in hepatic lipid metabolism and that PD1 is a target for alleviation of NAFLD. This study provides new insights into the relationship between BATF, PD1, and NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwang Zhang
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, the People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous RegionNanningChina
| | - Qichao Liao
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, the People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous RegionNanningChina
| | - Tingli Pan
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, the People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous RegionNanningChina
| | - Lin Yu
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, the People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous RegionNanningChina
| | - Zupeng Luo
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, the People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous RegionNanningChina
| | - Songtao Su
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, the People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous RegionNanningChina
| | - Shi Liu
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, the People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous RegionNanningChina
| | - Menglong Hou
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, the People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous RegionNanningChina
| | - Yixing Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi UniversityNanningChina
| | - Turtushikh Damba
- School of Pharmacy, Mongolian National University of Medical SciencesUlan BatorMongolia
| | - Yunxiao Liang
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, the People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous RegionNanningChina
| | - Lei Zhou
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, the People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous RegionNanningChina
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Zhang X, Zhang C, Qiao M, Cheng C, Tang N, Lu S, Sun W, Xu B, Cao Y, Wei X, Wang Y, Han W, Wang H. Depletion of BATF in CAR-T cells enhances antitumor activity by inducing resistance against exhaustion and formation of central memory cells. Cancer Cell 2022; 40:1407-1422.e7. [PMID: 36240777 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2022.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has limited efficacy against solid tumors, and one major challenge is T cell exhaustion. To address this challenge, we performed a candidate gene screen using a hypofunction CAR-T cell model and found that depletion of basic leucine zipper ATF-like transcription factor (BATF) improved the antitumor performance of CAR-T cells. In different types of CAR-T cells and mouse OT-1 cells, loss of BATF endows T cells with improved resistance to exhaustion and superior tumor eradication efficacy. Mechanistically, we found that BATF binds to and up-regulates a subset of exhaustion-related genes in human CAR-T cells. BATF regulates the expression of genes involved in development of effector and memory T cells, and knocking out BATF shifts the population toward a more central memory subset. We demonstrate that BATF is a key factor limiting CAR-T cell function and that its depletion enhances the antitumor activity of CAR-T cells against solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chenze Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Miaomiao Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chen Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Na Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wen Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Beilei Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yuanwei Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaofei Wei
- Beijing Cord Blood Bank, Beijing 100176, China
| | - Yao Wang
- Department of Biotherapeutic, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Weidong Han
- Department of Biotherapeutic, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Haoyi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China.
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Tabana Y, Moon TC, Siraki A, Elahi S, Barakat K. Reversing T-cell exhaustion in immunotherapy: a review on current approaches and limitations. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2021; 25:347-363. [PMID: 34056985 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2021.1937123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Introduction:T cell functions are altered during chronic viral infections and tumor development. This is mainly manifested by significant changes in T cells' epigenetic and metabolic landscapes, pushing them into an 'exhausted' state. Reversing this T cell exhaustion has been emerging as a 'game-changing' therapeutic approach against cancer and chronic viral infection.Areas covered:This review discusses the cellular pathways related to T cell exhaustion, and the clinical development and possible cellular targets that can be exploited therapeutically to reverse this exhaustion. We searched various databases (e.g. Google Scholar, PubMed, Elsevier, and other scientific database sites) using the keywords T cell exhaustion, T cell activation, co-inhibitory receptors, and reversing T cell exhaustion.Expert opinion:The discovery of the immune checkpoints pathways represents a significant milestone toward understanding and reversing T cell exhaustion. Antibodies that target these pathways have already demonstrated promising activities in reversing T cell exhaustion. Nevertheless, there are still many associated limitations. In this context, next-generation alternatives are on the horizon. This includes the use of small molecules to block the immune checkpoints' receptors, combining them with other treatments, and identifying novel, safer and more effective immunotherapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasser Tabana
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Tae Chul Moon
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Arno Siraki
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Shokrollah Elahi
- School of Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Khaled Barakat
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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An Immune Checkpoint-Related Gene Signature for Predicting Survival of Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2021; 2021:5550116. [PMID: 33986802 PMCID: PMC8079183 DOI: 10.1155/2021/5550116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Objective The aim of this research was to create a new genetic signature of immune checkpoint-associated genes as a prognostic method for pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Methods Transcriptome profiles and clinical follow-up details were obtained in Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET), a database of pediatric tumors. Secondary data was collected from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) to test the observations. In univariate Cox regression and multivariate Cox regression studies, the expression of immune checkpoint-related genes was studied. A three-mRNA signature was developed for predicting pediatric AML patient survival. Furthermore, the GEO cohort was used to confirm the reliability. A bioinformatics method was utilized to identify the diagnostic and prognostic value. Results A three-gene (STAT1, BATF, EML4) signature was developed to identify patients into two danger categories depending on their OS. A multivariate regression study showed that the immune checkpoint-related signature (STAT1, BATF, EML4) was an independent indicator of pediatric AML. By immune cell subtypes analyses, the signature was correlated with multiple subtypes of immune cells. Conclusion In summary, our three-gene signature can be a useful tool to predict the OS in AML patients.
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